A place to talk about random things....

[dualstow]

Thanks guys!

[pp4me]

Out of sheer boredom I built a raised garden in my backyard so my wife could plant some vegetables and herbs only to find the first crop eaten by some animal that I assumed to be a squirrel though it may have been a rabbit or fruit rat.

So I bought this gizmo on Amazon for $42 which I would describe as an electronic scarecrow but they call it a "Ultrasonic Animal Repellent Outdoor,Solar Powered Waterproof Animal Repeller with Motion Sensor". Seems to be working so far with the second crop just starting to come in.



(Further Note: Made in China, of course).

I was all set to buy this as there is a woodchuck or similar type animal taking out a lot of my crops. But there are a lot of poor reviews for the product. Way too many for me to buy it.

Vinny

Yeah, it was one of those products that had a lot of good reviews and a lot of poor ones but there were more good ones so I took a chance. Like I said, seems to be working so far.

[yankees60]

Out of sheer boredom I built a raised garden in my backyard so my wife could plant some vegetables and herbs only to find the first crop eaten by some animal that I assumed to be a squirrel though it may have been a rabbit or fruit rat.

So I bought this gizmo on Amazon for $42 which I would describe as an electronic scarecrow but they call it a "Ultrasonic Animal Repellent Outdoor,Solar Powered Waterproof Animal Repeller with Motion Sensor". Seems to be working so far with the second crop just starting to come in.



(Further Note: Made in China, of course).

I was all set to buy this as there is a woodchuck or similar type animal taking out a lot of my crops. But there are a lot of poor reviews for the product. Way too many for me to buy it.

Vinny

Yeah, it was one of those products that had a lot of good reviews and a lot of poor ones but there were more good ones so I took a chance. Like I said, seems to be working so far.

I think I read the first three pages of reviews and the poor ones seemed to vastly outnumber the good ones. I always read Amazon reviews in reverse chronological order.

Vinny

[dualstow]

I always read Amazon reviews in reverse chronological order.
Vinny

Vinny

me too.

[pp4me]

I always read Amazon reviews in reverse chronological order.
Vinny

Vinny

me too.

I've had several Amazon companies whose product I purchased offer me something free for a 5 star review so that tends to make me discount them.

I always look at the 1 star reviews, especially if there are a lot of them, to see if there is one particular thing most people are complaining about. If so I'll probably forget about it.

On the other hand I have bought quite a few things that were just like the electronic scarecrow where there are a lot of both 5 star and 1 star reviews and never experienced the problems people complained about in the 1 star reviews so it doesn't stop me from giving it a try. Especially with Amazon's return policy.

[yankees60]

I always read Amazon reviews in reverse chronological order.
Vinny

Vinny

me too.

I've had several Amazon companies whose product I purchased offer me something free for a 5 star review so that tends to make me discount them.

I always look at the 1 star reviews, especially if there are a lot of them, to see if there is one particular thing most people are complaining about. If so I'll probably forget about it.

On the other hand I have bought quite a few things that were just like the electronic scarecrow where there are a lot of both 5 star and 1 star reviews and never experienced the problems people complained about in the 1 star reviews so it doesn't stop me from giving it a try. Especially with Amazon's return policy.

If I have no knowledge of what I want to buy I look for products at Amazon that have a ton of ratings and an average high rating.

I assume that if it's not a good product there are just not going to be that many people buying it to rate it. And, I'll read the first two or three page of reviews. I disregard all the short ones. I think I have a fairly good sense of which ones were written by an actual purchaser of the product.

I've never given a rating nor have I ever been solicited like you describe above.

And, I don't want to deal with Amazon's return policy as it'd be a minimum 45 minute round trip for me to comply with it.

Vinny

[Smith1776]

Thought of the day

3E78E3DF-95A8-40E6-81B9-8ACAC791100E.jpeg (82.85 KiB) Viewed 4615 times

[Mark Leavy]

Generally, when people ask me where I'm from, I have always said San Diego or Portland or Sonoma or Fort Lauderdale or anyplace that is not "here" and which I know well enough. Lately, I've been going with Sioux Falls, SD. Because there is paranoia permeating the air - and people need a quick label to know if you are "safe" or not.

Usually when I would check into a hotel, I would use my passport card for ID - as it doesn't have an address on it and I don't want a bunch of questions about Sioux Falls - which I know very little about. Now, though, I use my driver's license and proudly claim to be a South Dakotan.

No one knows what to think of South Dakotans. People don't have a snappy label to apply. Hard right or left? Virus infected or not? Are there even enough people in your state to matter? Is that far from here?

[yankees60]

Generally, when people ask me where I'm from, I have always said San Diego or Portland or Sonoma or Fort Lauderdale or anyplace that is not "here" and which I know well enough. Lately, I've been going with Sioux Falls, SD. Because there is paranoia permeating the air - and people need a quick label to know if you are "safe" or not.

Usually when I would check into a hotel, I would use my passport card for ID - as it doesn't have an address on it and I don't want a bunch of questions about Sioux Falls - which I know very little about. Now, though, I use my driver's license and proudly claim to be a South Dakotan.

No one knows what to think of South Dakotans. People don't have a snappy label to apply. Hard right or left? Virus infected or not? Are there even enough people in your state to matter? Is that far from here?

How many places did you live through high school?

And, I'm originally from Rhode Island (first 22 1/2 years of my life). I've met people in New England who have never even heard of Rhode Island! And, many times, I'm oftentimes the only person from Rhode Island a person has ever met.

I think you stated recently that you'd passed through Rhode Island not that long ago?

You probably know....so this answer is more addressed to others reading this.

How do you label Rhode Island? The smallest state in the country (however, usually back and forth with New Jersey for being the most densely populated state in the country).

Finally, back to directed at you. When people hear you speak where do they oftentimes assume you are from? For some reason people many times think I'm from New York, which is an accent not even close to the Rhode Island heavy Boston / Italian accent.

Vinny

Vinny

[Libertarian666]

Generally, when people ask me where I'm from, I have always said San Diego or Portland or Sonoma or Fort Lauderdale or anyplace that is not "here" and which I know well enough. Lately, I've been going with Sioux Falls, SD. Because there is paranoia permeating the air - and people need a quick label to know if you are "safe" or not.

Usually when I would check into a hotel, I would use my passport card for ID - as it doesn't have an address on it and I don't want a bunch of questions about Sioux Falls - which I know very little about. Now, though, I use my driver's license and proudly claim to be a South Dakotan.

No one knows what to think of South Dakotans. People don't have a snappy label to apply. Hard right or left? Virus infected or not? Are there even enough people in your state to matter? Is that far from here?

South Dakota is best known as the tropical Dakota.

[Mark Leavy]

South Dakota is best known as the tropical Dakota.

Okay, that's funny. I'm stealing that.

[Mark Leavy]

How many places did you live through high school?
All of California while growing up. A move every couple of years. In high school it was Porterville and San Diego

I think you stated recently that you'd passed through Rhode Island not that long ago?
I had plans to, but it turns out that Rhode Island is the only state that includes South Dakota on it's quarantine list.

How do you label Rhode Island?
My Sonoma friend calls it "Lil' Rhody". But then, again, she calls me a "Sodak". She's a bit cutting, that way. I don't have an impression of Rhode Island yet. Maybe sometime after they take me off of the blacklist.

When people hear you speak where do they oftentimes assume you are from?
Is a California accent even a thing? In my world, I don't have an accent and everyone else does... I've never had anyone comment on it. Except when I'm in a Spanish speaking country, people will guess that I'm from some other country, not theirs.

Vinny
Mark

[Libertarian666]

South Dakota is best known as the tropical Dakota.

Okay, that's funny. I'm stealing that.

Be my guest!

[dualstow]

That is funny.

[Smith1776]

...

Paging Dualstow.... how's this for unique mooncake??

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[dualstow]

I love it!

[Mountaineer]

Here is some very un-PC semi-satire on current events by a good old West Virginia boy, Fred Reed - he’s from Crumpler, WV way down in the bottom super redneck part of the state. Maybe we can have a post-corona reunion and go check out his 'holler'.

https://www.unz.com/freed/big-orlys-dia ... er-report/

[shekels]

Here is some very un-PC semi-satire on current events by a good old West Virginia boy, Fred Reed - he’s from Crumpler, WV way down in the bottom super redneck part of the state. Maybe we can have a post-corona reunion and go check out his 'holler'.

https://www.unz.com/freed/big-orlys-dia ... er-report/

"SALUTE!" brings back memories.

[dualstow]

Here is some very un-PC semi-satire on current events by a good old West Virginia boy, Fred Reed - he’s from Crumpler, WV way down in the bottom super redneck part of the state. Maybe we can have a post-corona reunion and go check out his 'holler'.

https://www.unz.com/freed/big-orlys-dia ... er-report/

I think we used to see a lot of posts with links to him. fred on everything dot net, or something, with a donation link that said "Feed Fred."

[stuper1]

Here's an interesting thought about cultural appropriation from Reed's article:

"I reckon black folks ought to be a little quieter. Since they didn’t invent writing, or reading, or ‘rithmetic or electricity or clothes or pretty much anything, then any time they use them things they’re doing Cultural Appropriation. It’s just common sense."

[Mark Leavy]

Huntsville is a huge biotech, tech and defense contracting town.

I got made in a New York minute.

“You here on TDY?”

“yep”

“Where you stayin?”

“The AC”

“They got a good bar there. You’ll want go to Connors for a steak. SiP for a cigar bar.“

“Much obliged”

It cost me a round.
The great thing about defense towns is that no one asks what you are up to.

They did tell me that Toyota is about to open a plant and now is the time to buy property.

Mark

[Mark Leavy]

I happened to have a pork loin in my cooler and my hotel hot water tap was 138°. Woohoo!

4 hours of tap water dribble and my oh my.

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porkloin.jpeg (95.49 KiB) Viewed 3342 times

[dualstow]

Wow!
Looks like one of the nicer hotels. Do you still bleach the counter?
Is it hard to stop food waste from going down the drain?

[Kriegsspiel]

I happened to have a pork loin in my cooler and my hotel hot water tap was 138°. Woohoo!

4 hours of tap water dribble and my oh my.

porkloin.jpeg

Solid work, but where did you get that knife? An archaeological dig?

[dualstow]

Mark,

Super amazing that you slow cooked a loin in the sink, but the post prior to that one ...
...
Please translate.

I struggled with some of that, too, even though the overall vibe is clear.
• All I could find for TDY: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporary_duty_assignment
• SiP ⇢ Shelter in Place?
• The Huntsville in question is Hunstville, Alabama which has a hotel called The AC, so no text expansion needed there.
https://images.app.goo.gl/AWjifSWCi5aB8CRn6