Hello kitties. I'm reading all of this remodeling stuff and feeling very jealous, since I rent.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-11T11:53:42-05:00
@CB, good morning sir! My wife and I feel very lucky to be able to own a home, a lot of my friends and family do not. Honestly if it wasn't for my wife (she's a doctor), we would still be renting as well. We are house poor, but seeing as how we are mostly home bodies anyways, it suits our lifestyle.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-11T11:56:48-05:00
What really sucks for me, is the heating systems I design, I can not afford! Most of the houses I design for are multi-million dollar homes, make mine look like a tiny little crappy shack by comparison... ;) I've done houses with artificial rivers running through them, tropical aviaries with exotic birds and plants, a mountain for displaying dead animals (some people call them trophies...), a giant 12' wide 20' tall water fall... its crazy man!
Mike Kabala 2016-03-11T12:00:54-05:00
@BaKhan nice work, if you can get it.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-11T12:04:36-05:00
Good grief BaKhan. You need to make friends with these rich folk.
I would think you would be able to get a deep discount since you work for the company and it is your design.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-11T12:05:18-05:00
@CB, yeah, but I only design, and I don't make comission, so my customers are the ones that get to make the real money. Its like they say, work for the masses and live like the classes, work for the classes and live like the masses.... ;)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-11T12:06:49-05:00
Also, the reason why I want to buy a house is that rent in the city is way out of my price range ($1,200 to $4,000) and even though I'm in a nice priced studio, the rent goes up every year and soon I will be priced out if this unit as well. If I can buy a house outright and fix it up, it would free up much needed income and I could start saving for school. I don't fancy working two jobs again. (Too old and too tired)
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-11T12:10:20-05:00
@Geist, oh I do get to buy the product at cost +5%, so around half of retail, but thats still a lot of money, I bought all the furnaces, humidifiers, a/c stuff at cost and it was still 10k. The other 20k was the install, which I also got a break on. Things are typically more expensive in Canada, as we have to get most it shipped up here, from the states, and the cost of $ exchange, you can get a lot better pricing down there, as it is a more competetive and open market. A lot of products here are only available through certain distributers and they make sure they get their cut! ;) I do have some wealthy friends, but its also akward as they don't apppreciate how I could have an issue with them wanting to pay for things. Lets go do x, I'll pay, don't worry about it. Nope, sorry, gonna worry about it, I wasn't raised to be a free loader, or a mooch, can't do it.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-11T12:22:35-05:00
I wasn't raised to be a free loader, or a mooch, can't do it.
Funny you should say that. I had a conversation with someone yesterday and I mentioned that I've only gotten government services once in my life. (I was out of work and got food stamps for a month and a half) I know folks who are on all the government assistant programs but I can't bring myself to do it even when I need it. I've worked since I was a teenager and loathe the thought of sucking on the government teat.
Congrats for folks that need it but I've seen plenty that don't really and they are living very comfortable indeed.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-11T12:42:27-05:00
@Geist, and that precisely the problem in the world today. Too many people taking money, that is there for people in need. Not having a job, and not being able to get a job are two completely different things! I know of some women who stay pregnant most of the time in order to get more money off of welfare. This is crap! Instead of giving them welfare money, they should be giving them a tubal liagation! No more babies for you! People scamming insurance etc., it all adds up, and thats why desperate people, people in real need, and worthy of being helped are cast out, and colored with the same lable as those scammers. Stupid greedy ass human nature! Why when we are so capable of reaching such fantastic hieghts, do we constantly seek the lowest depths? Why do people always take the easy way out? Where is the pride in doing it yourself, and the compasion to let others in more desperate need get the help that they need, a hand up, not a hand out?
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-11T12:44:44-05:00
I used to have a friend who couldn't understand why I got pissed at him for doing everything he could to try to get disability benefits. He thought his inability to maintain a job meant he had a disability. It didn't. It just meant that he was obnoxious. The government did have him talk to an analyst to see if he did have a disability that prevented him from working. According to him (he was a pathological liar), the analyst recommended that he not work as part of a team or with the general public, but still said he didn't qualify. His reaction was that those restrictions meant he'd have to become a trucker. He was told there were other options, but that certainly would work. He talked to me to try to get my help in figuring out how to get benefits despite this assessment. I told him to suck it up and start driving truck. He protested, saying that he didn't have a driver's license. My response was the same as the government's: "Get one, you lazy shit!" Though I doubt the government went beyond the first two words.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-11T12:51:21-05:00
It just seems to be so prevalent in society today, this sense of entilement, I was born, ergo, I deserve to be treated specially and be taken care of.... umm no! Get a job, na na na na na na na na na, get a job,....
Mike Kabala 2016-03-11T12:53:17-05:00
I just got back to work recently after months of searching. I have to say it feels pretty good.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-11T13:33:17-05:00
If you want a house, live far away from a city. Especially in such large and open areas as the midwest. Houses here cost maybe as much as a nice apartment in a large city. And most houses here are pretty nice, and even in cities have at least a small yard. In the village I lived in, most houses had like a half acre of just yard for fun and don't actually cost that much, maybe like a fifth or less of what they would in a city.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-11T13:34:29-05:00
Everything's cheaper the less people live in a region. Just living on a coast increases cost of living by a substantial amount. The midwest is consistently one of the cheapest areas and by far the most happy and best quality of life region of the nation.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-11T14:34:42-05:00
@CB, I'm glad to hear that, I know that last year was a hard one for you! OTS man, only the strong survive! (thats you btw...)
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-11T14:49:23-05:00
It's also nice to have you back on here, CB! We really missed you all that time! Good to hear things are leveling back out.
Mike Kabala 2016-03-11T15:26:47-05:00
Aww shucks, guys, yer embarrascin' me!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-11T15:43:38-05:00
I was born, ergo, I should be the one married to John Oliver
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-11T16:52:26-05:00
@Geist, lolz, well I guess a girl can dream... ;) Good luck with that btw... ;)
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-11T17:04:50-05:00
Oh God, we're making my character for a one-off RPG campaign right now. He's a legend, a miraculous fighter who carries a large masterwork orc great club named Glamdring (foe-hammer, the beater, from the Hobbit) who doesn't even need armor because his charisma is so high he can shrug off attacks (uses different stats in place of armor as a skill) who is... a 5 foot man with a purple beard named https://youtu.be/mDp-ABzpRX8… .
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-11T17:05:37-05:00
I was going to say "I was born, ergo, Canada needs to give me all of their maple syrup" but I thought that was harder than getting with John Oliver.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-11T17:07:01-05:00
I don't even need to roll for intimidation, I just basically have a 3 or 4 going in, which can intimidate most of entire armies! And the more legendary I become, the more intimidating I become. The only downside is it's hard for me to disguise myself.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-11T17:53:17-05:00
Have a great weekend everyone! I'll see ya'll on the flip side!
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-12T11:31:19-05:00
So I'm editing my book. I stepped out to get some refreshment and decided to take the plunge. I gotta say, when they say Best Damn Apple Ale, they ain't lyin'!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T12:03:59-05:00
@LZ: You making ale now?
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-12T12:28:45-05:00
No, I bought some at the grocery store. Though, my friend and I do have plans to make mead this year.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-12T13:08:51-05:00
officially up at noon, leftover Popeye's for breakfast, computer to lounge on... It's a pretty good morning.
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-12T13:26:56-05:00
Indeed. I find I'm getting some good editing done. I haven't looked at the book in about a year and a half or so (maybe longer). The fresh look is helping me see a lot of fat that can be trimmed...and a lot of things that just need to be rephrased to help with flow and readability.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T15:25:25-05:00
@LZ: I recently purchased a bottle of Crispin Hard Apple Cider. I had a sample of it and it was tasty. I'm gonna open the bottle when the weather gets warmer.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-12T20:08:57-05:00
I forget which one my dad loves, I think it's Angry Orchard, or one of their types, I'm not sure right now, but it's one of his favorite drinks at all. I think it's a seasonal one, but he really loves it and buys entire boxes of it every once in awhile.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-12T20:09:46-05:00
Oh yeah, I wasn't here today, unusually, because of my brother's Eagle Scout Ceremony, the official ceremonial thing. It was fun, but we were there a long time after it ended, so now we're all really tired.
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-12T20:46:20-05:00
Angry Orchard isn't seasonal.
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T21:35:28-05:00
My favorite libation right now is Climax Moonshine. I developed a taste for it after watching Moonshiners on TV.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T21:37:45-05:00
Moonshine?! Oh hell no. I'm scared of that drink. I keep thinking I'll go blind if I drink a glass of it.
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T21:43:01-05:00
I only buy the legal stuff, but any good Moonshiner knows enough to throw out the first part of a run to get rid of the poisonous stuff.
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T21:59:25-05:00
Wow, crickets. Everyone must have gone to bed early to get ready for Daylight Savings Time.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T22:13:37-05:00
Actually, I'm still in the middle of spring cleaning. Trying to organize and box stuff up is taking longer than I thought it would.
At least the weather was decent. We are due for heavy rain showers for the next few days so my hair will be a mess
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T22:16:25-05:00
Wait. Moonshine has poison in it? Why am I not shocked? No wonder it was blinding people back in the day. Plus, that stuff would give me an instant hangover
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T22:28:14-05:00
When distilled properly, Moonshine does not have poison in it. That's why you need to be sure of your sources. The requirements for getting a liquor license are very strict, keeping the bd guys out. I trust what I find at my state-run liquor store. I like Climax because I know where it comes from and it has a distinct corn flavor, unlike some of the grain neutral brands I have tried. Climax is made by Tim Smith in a commercial distillery, not a backyard still.
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T22:33:42-05:00
@Geist, the Moonshine I buy has been cut to 80 proof. It will give you a kick, but not like the undiluted stuff, which can reach concentrations greater than 160 proof. One sip of that would be enough to knock me to the floor.
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T22:35:06-05:00
Actually, even the illegal stuff is cut to a lower proof before being sold.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T22:42:41-05:00
Any booze that is 160 proof I would use as lighter fluid.
Some liquor stores in my area sell flavored Moonshine. If I did decide to drink some, it would be mixed with a ton of other stuff.
Peach flavored Moonshine, for example
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T22:44:49-05:00
I haven't tried the fruit flavored Moonshine, but it is pretty popular.
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T22:49:47-05:00
The grain neutral Moonshine mixes a lot like Vodka.
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-12T22:49:57-05:00
I want to try Climax, but I can't get it where I live.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T22:55:55-05:00
@LZ: Too easy
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T22:56:07-05:00
@LZ, I'd like to help you out, but I don't want to be caught transporting Liquor across state lines. It's available here in North Carolina, even though it's produced in Virginia. If you are ever in the vicinity, you may want to pick up a bottle.
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T22:58:32-05:00
During the season finale of Moonshiners, Tim Smith was just barely able to fulfill an order from Poland of 10,000 cases. That guy is a mechanical genius!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T22:58:50-05:00
If it's made in VA, then I should be able to find a bottle in D.C.
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-12T22:59:29-05:00
That is a very entertaining show. I've seen almost through the end of season 4. I keep hoping things turn out well for Tim.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T23:00:19-05:00
I wonder what the custom people thought when they saw all of that, very flammable, booze
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T23:00:51-05:00
Oops, sorry about the spoiler, LZ ...
Mike Kabala 2016-03-12T23:01:49-05:00
My guess is that it was probably shipped via a container ship.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T23:07:17-05:00
I want to make a batch of cherry bounce when the fruit is in season. Heard it's really tasty
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-12T23:08:33-05:00
Don't forget to set your clocks ahead on hour tonight
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-12T23:12:45-05:00
It's okay, CB.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-13T03:05:59-04:00
Woolly cow! That's alot of conversation after I had been here 5 hours with nothing! Here goes...
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-13T03:09:22-04:00
I know Angry Orchard isn't seasonal, but I think they had a seasonal kind, or that's the one he liked in the off-season of his favorite cider.
I should go to bed early, but it's now 1 (really 2) am anyways.
'
My parents were in Alaska, and their hosts had some of the good stuff: I think they said it was over 190 proof moonshine (probably not the legal stuff, huh? Nearly pure alcohol!) mixed with just a bit of really good rum for flavor. It was one of the best things they'd ever tasted, which I didn't think my mom would even be able to smell that strong of alcohol! My dad, though, that's right up his alley. Something to sip slowly, really strong, and with good rum. That right there is 3 times what he likes in a drink.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-13T03:15:12-04:00
My mom's favorite things are Swiss Creme, which she makes sure to bring back as much as customs will allow every trip to Switzerland they take, or every time someone from Switzerland comes here, and Left Hand Brewing Company (from Denver) milk stout. Those are about all she really ever says she loves, but she really loves them.
It probably helps that we have a Swiss ex-exchange student who meets us here or there at least once a year and that the founder of Left Hand was roommates with my uncle at Air Force academy. We get free, extensive, VIP tours if we mention we're closely related to Brad. Or at least I will in another year and change... One of the few bad parts of being the youngest here.
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-13T03:16:10-04:00
It could have been everclear. That staff's legal and is 190-195 proof.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-13T13:00:46-04:00
Everclear is drinkable gasoline and has about the same effect as drinking real petrol
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-13T16:28:24-04:00
The 196 proof everclear (as pure as you can get alcohol before you have to run benzene or something through it to remove the water) is illegal in most states, though I don't think it is in Alaska. But I think my parents said it was moonshine, actually.
Geist, I'm not going to ask how you know any of that.
`
Hey, I have 200 proof alcohol, fully pure, in lab! Only problem is that, as I said before, you have to run benzene or something through it, and those are carcinogens and can be left in the alcohol in small amounts, so it's risky, but we could use it!
Mike Kabala 2016-03-13T17:01:29-04:00
The trouble with proofs that high is you lise a lot of the character of the mash and everything becomes grain neutral. It no longer matters whether you start with corn, rye, or just plain sugar. All you're left with is the alcohol.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-13T17:09:56-04:00
That's kinda the point. It's pure alcohol, usually just to add to another drink to make it stronger. Or in some cases to have a bit added to it to give it just enough flavor. But yeah, when it's pure, it's just ethanol, which would only taste like ethanol.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2016-03-14T07:19:41-04:00
Morning kittens. It is cold and rainy today. I am so tempted to call out sick and stay home snuggled under the covers
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-14T09:36:14-04:00
Good Morning Kittens!
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-14T09:48:08-04:00
It's cold and really tired today. I'm tempted to skip the entire day of any work and sleep.
Good morning!
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-14T09:48:53-04:00
But it'll be up to 78 today, so we've got that going for us.
I got them Friday, forgot to test them out over the weekend. Will have to do it tonight when I get home. One thing I noticed, the artwork is well done.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-14T11:17:22-04:00
The art work is quite nice. What I really liked about them was that the epoxy coating. Its very thick, and I think will protect the artwork for a long time!
Yeah, that will be a nice bonus since the main reason I backed it was the art work.
Did you get a note in the package saying the serial number for one of them was off-centre?
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-14T11:40:53-04:00
Yep, got that note. I found myself fidgeting with them all weekend. Whenever I took a break from painting and was sitting in my comfy chair, I would be spinning them and twirling them through my fingers. They feel awesome, and the weight of them is quite nice as well.
I think it's awesome, now we have a misprinted one, that as long as it's never damaged, could potentially(in 10-15 years) be worth more.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-14T12:11:12-04:00
@GM, well these are both prototypes so, if this game actually takes off the way they want it to, could be worth a lot more, as they are extemely limited. Either way though, they are cool, and I think it was great of JM to give them out to us. I plan on using the spell caster as a d10 for gaming!
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-14T12:27:02-04:00
I got the video footage on Saturday and sent it off to be edited. Soon, kitties, soon...
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-14T12:29:13-04:00
@LZ, awesome sauce! I can't wait, are you going to offer any eb's?
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-14T12:33:42-04:00
I think so, yeah. Haven't figured out exactly what, though.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-14T13:32:34-04:00
Ooh, there's another great cliche name for your company! Awesome Sauce! Cringe-worthy!
What coins were these again, guys? I feel like I want some now!
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-14T13:36:01-04:00
It's one of those days... you know the kind: when trying not to fall asleep is so difficult your eyes cross severely just trying. I nearly nodded off dozens of times today. Yup, this is what naps were invented for.
@CB: Because my nephew joined the world on the 9th. That is the reason. :P
Mike Kabala 2016-03-14T14:12:00-04:00
Congrats, @GM!
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-14T16:04:46-04:00
I just took a really good nap and it had no effect whatsoever. My eyes may be open-ish now, but I can't speak in complete sentences without thinking long beforehand. I can't even THINK in complete sentences without pausing for some time to figure out what it is, if it's a complete sentence, if it makes sense, and if it makes sense in context. I can't judge time worth a damn either, so if I do pause, then I may pause for a very long time. And if something distracts me, my brain instantly dumps all that work.
Yeah, I don't think I'm tired. I'm either severely drunk, sleepwalking, or I've been drugged.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2016-03-14T16:32:37-04:00
@Zem, hydrate! Drink some water and do some deep breathing (10mins or so, breath in count slowly to 5, exhale, count to 5, breath in...). The water and the oxygen will help your brain! Your description of the way you feel right now, says to me, dehydration.
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-14T17:42:10-04:00
Yep. Do you have a headache, Zem?
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-14T17:48:22-04:00
No, it's nothing like that. Also, you'd be amazed how much water I drink. I have a large theater cup nearly always at my desk and like a filter pitcher, but without the filter, full (like 3 or 4 extra gallons, actually!). I've been very seriously dehydrated before, both acutely and over extended periods of time, so I know what that's like, this isn't it. It was exactly like if you have maybe 10 hours of sleep over 4-5 days (which has happened to me as well). It's better now, but thankfully I don't have to try to focus on a lecture or anything. I got plenty of sleep, so I have no idea how it felt like I hadn't had any in days.
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-14T17:55:04-04:00
If you can rule out dehydration, then what you're describing sounds like acute hypoxia, which can be caused by too much CO2 building up in a poorly ventilated area, but is more commonly caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Either way, you should open a window. And probably go outside...to go to the store and get a CO detector.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-14T18:37:54-04:00
... except that I've spent all day in large, open classrooms, outside, and in my room with the windows wide open because it's a nice day.
I just said that sleeping made me feel the exact same as before, i.e. cripplingly tired, but now I could keep my eyes open. Now I feel like more of a normal day, just normally tired as hell.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-14T18:41:06-04:00
Speaking of weather, it's like 77 out right now! It's great! And we're supposed to have the first thunderstorm of the year so far at 9 pm! I'm liking today. Too bad the rest of the week gets down to 60 and then the highs for late this week are even below 50. And then I'm going skiing. I was just getting used to the warmth! So were the birds outside my window!
Lord Zombitten 2016-03-14T18:45:30-04:00
Ok. Good. I'm glad you're definitely not dying.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2016-03-14T18:53:13-04:00
Well, I wouldn't go that far. Just that being debilitatingly tired has little to nothing to do with my inevitable and creeping death.
`
*proceeds to not show up here for weeks- is probably, ironically dead*
Eric 'Trinkets&Nopes' Baumgarten 2016-03-14T19:55:04-04:00
Howdy all.
Been too long since I've been on.
Dealing with some back issues. Hopefully things are trending in the right direction.
Eric 'Trinkets&Nopes' Baumgarten 2016-03-14T20:10:52-04:00
Everclear. Great band, horrible booze.
Unless you pour a shot into a glass then pour a beer on top of it. That's an Everbeer. We made that up years ago. I suggest nobody ever do that. Ever!! Never ever eeeeeevvvvveeeerrrrrr!!!
Eric 'Trinkets&Nopes' Baumgarten 2016-03-14T20:45:37-04:00
Hello kitties. I'm reading all of this remodeling stuff and feeling very jealous, since I rent.
@CB, good morning sir! My wife and I feel very lucky to be able to own a home, a lot of my friends and family do not. Honestly if it wasn't for my wife (she's a doctor), we would still be renting as well. We are house poor, but seeing as how we are mostly home bodies anyways, it suits our lifestyle.
What really sucks for me, is the heating systems I design, I can not afford! Most of the houses I design for are multi-million dollar homes, make mine look like a tiny little crappy shack by comparison... ;) I've done houses with artificial rivers running through them, tropical aviaries with exotic birds and plants, a mountain for displaying dead animals (some people call them trophies...), a giant 12' wide 20' tall water fall... its crazy man!
@BaKhan nice work, if you can get it.
Good grief BaKhan. You need to make friends with these rich folk.
I would think you would be able to get a deep discount since you work for the company and it is your design.
@CB, yeah, but I only design, and I don't make comission, so my customers are the ones that get to make the real money. Its like they say, work for the masses and live like the classes, work for the classes and live like the masses.... ;)
Also, the reason why I want to buy a house is that rent in the city is way out of my price range ($1,200 to $4,000) and even though I'm in a nice priced studio, the rent goes up every year and soon I will be priced out if this unit as well. If I can buy a house outright and fix it up, it would free up much needed income and I could start saving for school. I don't fancy working two jobs again. (Too old and too tired)
@Geist, oh I do get to buy the product at cost +5%, so around half of retail, but thats still a lot of money, I bought all the furnaces, humidifiers, a/c stuff at cost and it was still 10k. The other 20k was the install, which I also got a break on. Things are typically more expensive in Canada, as we have to get most it shipped up here, from the states, and the cost of $ exchange, you can get a lot better pricing down there, as it is a more competetive and open market. A lot of products here are only available through certain distributers and they make sure they get their cut! ;) I do have some wealthy friends, but its also akward as they don't apppreciate how I could have an issue with them wanting to pay for things. Lets go do x, I'll pay, don't worry about it. Nope, sorry, gonna worry about it, I wasn't raised to be a free loader, or a mooch, can't do it.
I wasn't raised to be a free loader, or a mooch, can't do it.
Funny you should say that. I had a conversation with someone yesterday and I mentioned that I've only gotten government services once in my life. (I was out of work and got food stamps for a month and a half) I know folks who are on all the government assistant programs but I can't bring myself to do it even when I need it. I've worked since I was a teenager and loathe the thought of sucking on the government teat.
Congrats for folks that need it but I've seen plenty that don't really and they are living very comfortable indeed.
@Geist, and that precisely the problem in the world today. Too many people taking money, that is there for people in need. Not having a job, and not being able to get a job are two completely different things! I know of some women who stay pregnant most of the time in order to get more money off of welfare. This is crap! Instead of giving them welfare money, they should be giving them a tubal liagation! No more babies for you! People scamming insurance etc., it all adds up, and thats why desperate people, people in real need, and worthy of being helped are cast out, and colored with the same lable as those scammers. Stupid greedy ass human nature! Why when we are so capable of reaching such fantastic hieghts, do we constantly seek the lowest depths? Why do people always take the easy way out? Where is the pride in doing it yourself, and the compasion to let others in more desperate need get the help that they need, a hand up, not a hand out?
I used to have a friend who couldn't understand why I got pissed at him for doing everything he could to try to get disability benefits. He thought his inability to maintain a job meant he had a disability. It didn't. It just meant that he was obnoxious. The government did have him talk to an analyst to see if he did have a disability that prevented him from working. According to him (he was a pathological liar), the analyst recommended that he not work as part of a team or with the general public, but still said he didn't qualify. His reaction was that those restrictions meant he'd have to become a trucker. He was told there were other options, but that certainly would work. He talked to me to try to get my help in figuring out how to get benefits despite this assessment. I told him to suck it up and start driving truck. He protested, saying that he didn't have a driver's license. My response was the same as the government's: "Get one, you lazy shit!" Though I doubt the government went beyond the first two words.
It just seems to be so prevalent in society today, this sense of entilement, I was born, ergo, I deserve to be treated specially and be taken care of.... umm no! Get a job, na na na na na na na na na, get a job,....
I just got back to work recently after months of searching. I have to say it feels pretty good.
If you want a house, live far away from a city. Especially in such large and open areas as the midwest. Houses here cost maybe as much as a nice apartment in a large city. And most houses here are pretty nice, and even in cities have at least a small yard. In the village I lived in, most houses had like a half acre of just yard for fun and don't actually cost that much, maybe like a fifth or less of what they would in a city.
Everything's cheaper the less people live in a region. Just living on a coast increases cost of living by a substantial amount. The midwest is consistently one of the cheapest areas and by far the most happy and best quality of life region of the nation.
@CB, I'm glad to hear that, I know that last year was a hard one for you! OTS man, only the strong survive! (thats you btw...)
It's also nice to have you back on here, CB! We really missed you all that time! Good to hear things are leveling back out.
Aww shucks, guys, yer embarrascin' me!
I was born, ergo, I should be the one married to John Oliver
@Geist, lolz, well I guess a girl can dream... ;) Good luck with that btw... ;)
Oh God, we're making my character for a one-off RPG campaign right now. He's a legend, a miraculous fighter who carries a large masterwork orc great club named Glamdring (foe-hammer, the beater, from the Hobbit) who doesn't even need armor because his charisma is so high he can shrug off attacks (uses different stats in place of armor as a skill) who is... a 5 foot man with a purple beard named https://youtu.be/mDp-ABzpRX8… .
I was going to say "I was born, ergo, Canada needs to give me all of their maple syrup" but I thought that was harder than getting with John Oliver.
I don't even need to roll for intimidation, I just basically have a 3 or 4 going in, which can intimidate most of entire armies! And the more legendary I become, the more intimidating I become. The only downside is it's hard for me to disguise myself.
Have a great weekend everyone! I'll see ya'll on the flip side!
So I'm editing my book. I stepped out to get some refreshment and decided to take the plunge. I gotta say, when they say Best Damn Apple Ale, they ain't lyin'!
@LZ: You making ale now?
No, I bought some at the grocery store. Though, my friend and I do have plans to make mead this year.
officially up at noon, leftover Popeye's for breakfast, computer to lounge on... It's a pretty good morning.
Indeed. I find I'm getting some good editing done. I haven't looked at the book in about a year and a half or so (maybe longer). The fresh look is helping me see a lot of fat that can be trimmed...and a lot of things that just need to be rephrased to help with flow and readability.
@LZ: I recently purchased a bottle of Crispin Hard Apple Cider. I had a sample of it and it was tasty. I'm gonna open the bottle when the weather gets warmer.
I forget which one my dad loves, I think it's Angry Orchard, or one of their types, I'm not sure right now, but it's one of his favorite drinks at all. I think it's a seasonal one, but he really loves it and buys entire boxes of it every once in awhile.
Oh yeah, I wasn't here today, unusually, because of my brother's Eagle Scout Ceremony, the official ceremonial thing. It was fun, but we were there a long time after it ended, so now we're all really tired.
Angry Orchard isn't seasonal.
My favorite libation right now is Climax Moonshine. I developed a taste for it after watching Moonshiners on TV.
Moonshine?! Oh hell no. I'm scared of that drink. I keep thinking I'll go blind if I drink a glass of it.
I only buy the legal stuff, but any good Moonshiner knows enough to throw out the first part of a run to get rid of the poisonous stuff.
Wow, crickets. Everyone must have gone to bed early to get ready for Daylight Savings Time.
Actually, I'm still in the middle of spring cleaning. Trying to organize and box stuff up is taking longer than I thought it would.
At least the weather was decent. We are due for heavy rain showers for the next few days so my hair will be a mess
Wait. Moonshine has poison in it? Why am I not shocked? No wonder it was blinding people back in the day. Plus, that stuff would give me an instant hangover
When distilled properly, Moonshine does not have poison in it. That's why you need to be sure of your sources. The requirements for getting a liquor license are very strict, keeping the bd guys out. I trust what I find at my state-run liquor store. I like Climax because I know where it comes from and it has a distinct corn flavor, unlike some of the grain neutral brands I have tried. Climax is made by Tim Smith in a commercial distillery, not a backyard still.
@Geist, the Moonshine I buy has been cut to 80 proof. It will give you a kick, but not like the undiluted stuff, which can reach concentrations greater than 160 proof. One sip of that would be enough to knock me to the floor.
Actually, even the illegal stuff is cut to a lower proof before being sold.
Any booze that is 160 proof I would use as lighter fluid.
Some liquor stores in my area sell flavored Moonshine. If I did decide to drink some, it would be mixed with a ton of other stuff.
Peach flavored Moonshine, for example
I haven't tried the fruit flavored Moonshine, but it is pretty popular.
The grain neutral Moonshine mixes a lot like Vodka.
I want to try Climax, but I can't get it where I live.
@LZ: Too easy
@LZ, I'd like to help you out, but I don't want to be caught transporting Liquor across state lines. It's available here in North Carolina, even though it's produced in Virginia. If you are ever in the vicinity, you may want to pick up a bottle.
During the season finale of Moonshiners, Tim Smith was just barely able to fulfill an order from Poland of 10,000 cases. That guy is a mechanical genius!
If it's made in VA, then I should be able to find a bottle in D.C.
That is a very entertaining show. I've seen almost through the end of season 4. I keep hoping things turn out well for Tim.
I wonder what the custom people thought when they saw all of that, very flammable, booze
Oops, sorry about the spoiler, LZ ...
My guess is that it was probably shipped via a container ship.
I want to make a batch of cherry bounce when the fruit is in season. Heard it's really tasty
Don't forget to set your clocks ahead on hour tonight
It's okay, CB.
Woolly cow! That's alot of conversation after I had been here 5 hours with nothing! Here goes...
I know Angry Orchard isn't seasonal, but I think they had a seasonal kind, or that's the one he liked in the off-season of his favorite cider.
I should go to bed early, but it's now 1 (really 2) am anyways.
'
My parents were in Alaska, and their hosts had some of the good stuff: I think they said it was over 190 proof moonshine (probably not the legal stuff, huh? Nearly pure alcohol!) mixed with just a bit of really good rum for flavor. It was one of the best things they'd ever tasted, which I didn't think my mom would even be able to smell that strong of alcohol! My dad, though, that's right up his alley. Something to sip slowly, really strong, and with good rum. That right there is 3 times what he likes in a drink.
My mom's favorite things are Swiss Creme, which she makes sure to bring back as much as customs will allow every trip to Switzerland they take, or every time someone from Switzerland comes here, and Left Hand Brewing Company (from Denver) milk stout. Those are about all she really ever says she loves, but she really loves them.
It probably helps that we have a Swiss ex-exchange student who meets us here or there at least once a year and that the founder of Left Hand was roommates with my uncle at Air Force academy. We get free, extensive, VIP tours if we mention we're closely related to Brad. Or at least I will in another year and change... One of the few bad parts of being the youngest here.
It could have been everclear. That staff's legal and is 190-195 proof.
Everclear is drinkable gasoline and has about the same effect as drinking real petrol
The 196 proof everclear (as pure as you can get alcohol before you have to run benzene or something through it to remove the water) is illegal in most states, though I don't think it is in Alaska. But I think my parents said it was moonshine, actually.
Geist, I'm not going to ask how you know any of that.
`
Hey, I have 200 proof alcohol, fully pure, in lab! Only problem is that, as I said before, you have to run benzene or something through it, and those are carcinogens and can be left in the alcohol in small amounts, so it's risky, but we could use it!
The trouble with proofs that high is you lise a lot of the character of the mash and everything becomes grain neutral. It no longer matters whether you start with corn, rye, or just plain sugar. All you're left with is the alcohol.
That's kinda the point. It's pure alcohol, usually just to add to another drink to make it stronger. Or in some cases to have a bit added to it to give it just enough flavor. But yeah, when it's pure, it's just ethanol, which would only taste like ethanol.
Morning kittens. It is cold and rainy today. I am so tempted to call out sick and stay home snuggled under the covers
Good Morning Kittens!
It's cold and really tired today. I'm tempted to skip the entire day of any work and sleep.
Good morning!
But it'll be up to 78 today, so we've got that going for us.
G' Mornin' Kittens. Busy day ahead.
Morning kittens. Is it Wednesday yet?
Also, you know it will be a long day when EVERYTHING takes 5 minutes, if not more, to open. Even emails, and their attachments.
@GM, same problem here, when I started, but its gotten better now. Did you get your coins yet? I got my samples on Friday! They are awesome!
I got them Friday, forgot to test them out over the weekend. Will have to do it tonight when I get home. One thing I noticed, the artwork is well done.
The art work is quite nice. What I really liked about them was that the epoxy coating. Its very thick, and I think will protect the artwork for a long time!
Yeah, that will be a nice bonus since the main reason I backed it was the art work.
Did you get a note in the package saying the serial number for one of them was off-centre?
Yep, got that note. I found myself fidgeting with them all weekend. Whenever I took a break from painting and was sitting in my comfy chair, I would be spinning them and twirling them through my fingers. They feel awesome, and the weight of them is quite nice as well.
I think it's awesome, now we have a misprinted one, that as long as it's never damaged, could potentially(in 10-15 years) be worth more.
@GM, well these are both prototypes so, if this game actually takes off the way they want it to, could be worth a lot more, as they are extemely limited. Either way though, they are cool, and I think it was great of JM to give them out to us. I plan on using the spell caster as a d10 for gaming!
I got the video footage on Saturday and sent it off to be edited. Soon, kitties, soon...
@LZ, awesome sauce! I can't wait, are you going to offer any eb's?
I think so, yeah. Haven't figured out exactly what, though.
Ooh, there's another great cliche name for your company! Awesome Sauce! Cringe-worthy!
What coins were these again, guys? I feel like I want some now!
It's one of those days... you know the kind: when trying not to fall asleep is so difficult your eyes cross severely just trying. I nearly nodded off dozens of times today. Yup, this is what naps were invented for.
@Zem, it's called Ultra Coins and we can always use more backers. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1719872687/ultra-coins
@GM, LOL! How can you get something as cool as these coins and "forget" to try them out?
@CB: Because my nephew joined the world on the 9th. That is the reason. :P
Congrats, @GM!
I just took a really good nap and it had no effect whatsoever. My eyes may be open-ish now, but I can't speak in complete sentences without thinking long beforehand. I can't even THINK in complete sentences without pausing for some time to figure out what it is, if it's a complete sentence, if it makes sense, and if it makes sense in context. I can't judge time worth a damn either, so if I do pause, then I may pause for a very long time. And if something distracts me, my brain instantly dumps all that work.
Yeah, I don't think I'm tired. I'm either severely drunk, sleepwalking, or I've been drugged.
@Zem, hydrate! Drink some water and do some deep breathing (10mins or so, breath in count slowly to 5, exhale, count to 5, breath in...). The water and the oxygen will help your brain! Your description of the way you feel right now, says to me, dehydration.
Yep. Do you have a headache, Zem?
No, it's nothing like that. Also, you'd be amazed how much water I drink. I have a large theater cup nearly always at my desk and like a filter pitcher, but without the filter, full (like 3 or 4 extra gallons, actually!). I've been very seriously dehydrated before, both acutely and over extended periods of time, so I know what that's like, this isn't it. It was exactly like if you have maybe 10 hours of sleep over 4-5 days (which has happened to me as well). It's better now, but thankfully I don't have to try to focus on a lecture or anything. I got plenty of sleep, so I have no idea how it felt like I hadn't had any in days.
If you can rule out dehydration, then what you're describing sounds like acute hypoxia, which can be caused by too much CO2 building up in a poorly ventilated area, but is more commonly caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Either way, you should open a window. And probably go outside...to go to the store and get a CO detector.
... except that I've spent all day in large, open classrooms, outside, and in my room with the windows wide open because it's a nice day.
I just said that sleeping made me feel the exact same as before, i.e. cripplingly tired, but now I could keep my eyes open. Now I feel like more of a normal day, just normally tired as hell.
Speaking of weather, it's like 77 out right now! It's great! And we're supposed to have the first thunderstorm of the year so far at 9 pm! I'm liking today. Too bad the rest of the week gets down to 60 and then the highs for late this week are even below 50. And then I'm going skiing. I was just getting used to the warmth! So were the birds outside my window!
Ok. Good. I'm glad you're definitely not dying.
Well, I wouldn't go that far. Just that being debilitatingly tired has little to nothing to do with my inevitable and creeping death.
`
*proceeds to not show up here for weeks- is probably, ironically dead*
Howdy all.
Been too long since I've been on.
Dealing with some back issues. Hopefully things are trending in the right direction.
Everclear. Great band, horrible booze.
Unless you pour a shot into a glass then pour a beer on top of it. That's an Everbeer. We made that up years ago. I suggest nobody ever do that. Ever!! Never ever eeeeeevvvvveeeerrrrrr!!!
Glad you're not dying, Zem