Rant for the Day (keep it clean)

[The Lazy L]

Wife sold a desk for $20. She doesn't want to meet the Buyer by herself, I'm told I'm going along. Meeting the Buyer at Walmart today at 5 PM. Wife will be home at 4 to change then were off to Walmart to sale the desk, get groceries, buy X and eat supper (Subway).

At three I've stopped working on chores and put tools away. 3:30 I've showered, changed and decide on the Springfield. Wife has stacked more stuff (sure wish I lived in a house instead of a storage unit) in front of the desk. I can't dig out the desk without pulling the truck out. I'll wait until the wife gets home before loading the desk.

4:45 get a text from the wife. Buyer had to work late, rescheduled to 8 AM tomorrow. Wife is still going to Walmart to get groceries and to get X. I text a Walmart link to the wife for X, $29.95. Wife texts back, no she's going to get X at Walmart. I text the wife, link is for X at WALMART. She's found a different X for $29.94

I change back to my work clothes.

 

[phideaux]

It's ok if someone tells me they have to raise their price, because of whatever..well ok...so be it.
But, when they sneak and do it ....that ain't ok.
Here's what your wonderful shameless Walmart does to all of us...
This really pee's me off .
I told my wife we got to spend more time away from Walmart ...maybe Dollar General.

All three bought this month.
500 sheets, 480 sheets, today 425 sheets.
All same price..
I'm being shorted on my wipes.

Jim

 

[Supervisor42]

All three bought this month.
500 sheets, 480 sheets, today 425 sheets.
All same price..
I'm being shorted on my wipes.

Jim

Just be glad you aren't buying the regular rolls.
Costco can fix that.
Some from there may be to big to fit on the roller.
You want sneaky?
These two cartons look identical on the shelf:

How about now? Aaah, no:

Yep. The 'new' one has even fewer carbs for the same low price.
And if you don't have a case of the red-a$$ yet (TP pun), a pound of hot dogs is now 14 ounces, and some are only 12 ounces.

 

[tazo2503]

In ok if someone tells me they have raise their price, because whatever..well ok...so be it.
But, when they sneak and do it ....that ain't ok.
Here's what your wonderful shameless Walmart does to all of us...
This really pee's me off .
I told my wife we got to spend more time away from Walmart ...maybe Dollar General.

All three bought this month.
500 sheets, 480 sheets, today 425 sheets.
All same price..
I'm being shorted on my wipes.
View attachment 23764

Jim

Man, that sucks. They did the same thing with their coffee. Smaller container, and when you do the math they raised the price...

 

[backlash]

This is the exact reason I always compare price by the single unit. Sheets, oz, etc.
I try to get my wife to look at the per unit price. She sees a package as a total unit. A package of beef is $xx but the same beef in a large package is cheaper by the ounce.
She just looks at the total. Drives me nuts, but as she says it's a short drive.

a pound of hot dogs is now 14 ounces, and some are only 12 ounces.

A pound become 12 oz when they found out they can get away with it.
Don't even get me started on a pound (12oz) of bacon. That should be illegal.
The biggest insult is new and improved for the same price but it's a smaller amount.
My Mom would have raise cane if this was done when she was alive.

 

[Supervisor42]

This is the exact reason I always compare price by the single unit. Sheets, oz, etc.
I try to get my wife to look at the per unit price. She sees a package as a total unit. A package of beef is $xx but the same beef in a large package is cheaper by the ounce.
.

I look too. You have to. The larger one may actually be more expensive per ounce.
There is so much psychology (brainwashing) of consumers it pains me.
Walmart is the worst: Buy the large economy size!
They are at least nice enough to list cents-per-ounce on their shelf tags.
Many, many times, the smaller one is actually cheaper: 22-cents per ounce for the regular size verses 24-cents per ounce for the large 'economy' size.
It's right there staring people in the face. but they have been "trained" and always get the large one.

I take 2 of the small ones.

Edit: I'm not finished with my rant. Here's an example of brainwashing: They have hundreds of the generic crappy 4-pound bags of sugar that have black flakes in them and run empty too fast, for cheaper less money than the name-brand Domino's 5-pound bag of sugar.
Look close. The name brand (good) sugar is often cheaper per ounce.
Yeth Thir! I got the cheapest bags of sugar they had. Stupid.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

OMG @backlash I had to read hubby the posts - we are cracking up. Too funny!
@Sewingcreations15 Big prayers my dear - I bet you are marking the days. Hope it's all worth it and no further issues.

My rant for the day seems petty. I bought a pair of shoes for work. Mind you they don't make work boots for women. I found a pair of leather (probably "leatherette ") tennis shoes. I wore them 2 days and was so crippled I could hardly walk. I am going to try taking them back - yes worn for two days but they should be sold as some sort of torture device not as shoes. I found a pair today of $140 high-top style shoes that are a good brand so hopefully they won't kill me. They look like transformer shoes but oh well. Do they think women don't work? Or maybe just small footed women? By the way, I don't like pink. Women's shoes do not need to be pink, nor does the stitching on women's camo! Grrrr. I almost bought a pair of men's boots, but the smallest size was 7. Have I mentioned I don't like shoe shopping?
Whew! Thanks y'all.

Skeeckers has steel toe tennis shoes for women.

 

[LadyLocust]

@MoBookworm1957 That's hilarious. It was sketchers that I wore for two days that crippled me. I found a pair of merrills that are doing well.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

@MoBookworm1957 That's hilarious. It was sketchers that I wore for two days that crippled me. I found a pair of merrills that are doing well.

That is funny, because I wore my sketchers for 5 years. Couldn't wear Merrills two hours.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

@phideaux and @Supervisor42 all the shops will try to get you to pay more for less and the shrinking packages and contents are something to behold here in Australia as well.

Here they have unit prices under the prices in all supermarkets which makes life so much easier than it used to be when you had to calculate it in your head or via calculator. Markdown stickers are our friend and we buy so much for so little but even then you have to know your prices to know if you are getting a deal or not. Some of the big supermarkets here charge a fortune for meat and put markdown stickers on them reducing them by $1.50 - $2 a packet. They still aren't a good price and you can get better prices at the smaller independant supermarkets who markdown things far more than the larger supermarkets. Having a price book or a good memory for prices like me helps a great deal.

 

[Peanut]

Update to my feral cat problem... 1st up is descriptions and articles for our fellow forum member who does not understand the feral cat problem and the dangers they represent. The most balanced of these comes from the UK. http://www.saferpets.co.uk/are-feral-cat-colonies-dangerous.html

Are feral cats dangerous?
Like all animals, feral cats can carry parasites and diseases which can be transmitted to humans, known as zoonosis. These included toxoplasmosis, giardiasis, rabies and campylobacter.

Are Feral Cats a Risk to Pets?
Again, feral cats will carry diseases and parasites which can be transmitted to pets and since they share the same anatomy as your house cat, they can be a particular risk in introducing feline diseases, such as feline leukaemia or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Feral cats are particularly prone to these two diseases due to the frequent fluid exchange from constant fighting and mating. In addition, feral cats can be infested with a large numner of fleas, as well as intestinal bacteria and worms. They also often carry ear mites, ring worm and upper respiratory tract infections (e.g. cat flu). Even if they don’t come into direct contact with your pet, they may still transmit disease and parasites through their waste products, particularly if they are using your garden as a toilet!
They can also be a risk to dogs since they are likely to stand their ground and fight, thus inflicting injuries which may become infected or transmit disease. Similarly, they may encounter, fight and harm any domestic pet cats which are allowed to roam, particularly at night.

Are Feral Cats a Risk to Wildlife?
Here the answer is an unequivocal ‘yes’. Especially with island ecologies, the effect of feral cats on the local wildlife can be severe. In the UK, this may well still be tolerable as cats are an established species and do not endanger many of the native wild species but in places such as New Zealand, Australia and even parts of North America, they are regarded as a serious threat to local, endangered species. Some also worry that feral cat colonies living close to urban areas may attract other larger, more dangerous predators such as coyotes, bears, wolves, wild cats and feral dogs.

https://abcbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Feral-Cats-Consequences-for-Humans-and-Wildlife.pdf
http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/5-most-dangerous-cat-diseases/

A good article in the Times- Picayune - "15 reasons science says feral cats are a disaster" from 2018.
https://www.nola.com/archive/article_eb5c5aae-d596-552f-995d-6dfbe87ce68f.html
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In the last 5 days I’ve captured and relocated or otherwise removed 24 feral cats from my farm. There has been a twist… two elderly couples who live approx. 1/2 miles from me but in opposite directions.

A population of about 40-50 feral cats were using my farm as a home base while scavenging and living part time at the other 2 residences. One neighbor sits on her porch in a rocker with a .22 rifle by her side. She is a crack shot… Once she started losing bantam chickens and had her rabbit hutch broken into, she started dishing out damage. I’m not worried about her.

The other couple has health issues and is unable to do much about their loses. Once I began my campaign a dozen or so feral cats started to appear in broad daylight at their house. They have a couple of small yard dogs, both have been mauled. The one pet cat they had disappeared.

Completely removing these problem animals is going to be a bit more complicated than I thought. At least I’ve made a good start.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Elder neighbour has the way to do it sit relax and take pot shots that sound like they are accurate @Peanut.

 

[Sentry18]

Elder neighbour has the way to do it sit relax and take pot shots that sound like they are accurate @Peanut.

This is the system my Dad uses with squirrels (which he hates) using a suppressed pellet rifle. But if we are out in the country and he sees a cat rest assured it will meet the same fate.

Our municipal and county animal control groups traps feral cats all around town and even outside of the developed areas. Those cats all end up sitting for a short time before being euthanized. Same result, only with a lot more tax payer dollars being spent.

 

[Sentry18]

So last year I bought an Acer laptop, added 4gb ram, and threw in an SSD drive. I have always bought HP and had them last me 3-4 years, but this one was pretty cheap all in all and has worked well so far. Then today it suddenly won't accept a charge or direct power. So as soon as the battery is dead, she is done for. The good news is it is under warranty for another 17 days so I got my support ticket in asap. That won't help much however over the next couple weeks when I have to go without a laptop.

 

[Sparky_D]

So McDonalds has this "new" breakfast sandwich group centered around the McChicken patty.
They have a McChicken McGriddle, a McChicken McMuffin, and a McChicken Biscuit.

Well, I wanted to try the McChicken Biscuit because I actually like their biscuits and was intrigued. They were 2 for $3 and I figured I'd get 2 and share with the Mrs.

She thought it was really good, although a bit spicy, and she wanted another later in the day. She was told they don't serve that sandwich with their all day breakfast.

REALLY? They serve other biscuit sandwiches all day, and they serve the McChicken sandwich after breakfast hours! How difficult is it to put a stinkin' McChicken Patty on a stinkin' biscuit? I guess the ONLY people capable of doing that work mornings?


SMH...
(yeah, I know the McChicken probably contains just enough actual chicken to be legally called chicken, and McDonalds is probably one of the WORST places to get ANYTHING to eat, but I'm a man of few bad habits and it's this one I just can't shake yet...)

 

[viking]

The POS computer that I am presently using is a touch screen Toshiba Satellite, it has a lot of good features but I would NEVER recommend it, even to my worst enemy. It's slower than when I first had Windows 95, I hate it that I can't stop downloads that I don't want finished and a lot of times the dang thing seems to go places without touching anything. I'm almost to the point of getting out of computers all together because of this piece of crap, on the other hand my DW and I do a lot of research on it as well as watching videos, when I can get it to work. I just did a complete reboot to see if that would help and it seemed to do some good but now I can't get into my yahoo mail, I never needed a password before and now I do and have tried pretty much every password I've ever used, to no avail, so now I may have to get another e-mail account just to get into my e-mails. I'm about to do target practice on this thing but I still need it until I get a new one, no more touch screen, what I'd really like is to go back to Windows 95 or have any operating system that runs better than what I have used in the past 10 years. I honestly feel that my message has been clean as I certainly could have said how I really feel and that may have offended even myself. Rant Off....

 

[Sentry18]

So last year I bought an Acer laptop, added 4gb ram, and threw in an SSD drive. I have always bought HP and had them last me 3-4 years, but this one was pretty cheap all in all and has worked well so far. Then today it suddenly won't accept a charge or direct power. So as soon as the battery is dead, she is done for. The good news is it is under warranty for another 17 days so I got my support ticket in asap. That won't help much however over the next couple weeks when I have to go without a laptop.

So I talk to Acer and ask if they are willing to send me a used or refurbed power supply to see if that is the issue. They say Nope! and tell me to send it in (at my expense). But first I am supposed to back up all my data, remove all passwords, remove any upgrades, etc. Which is fine expect my computer is near dead and won't accept a charge or direct power! Fortunately I keep my private data on a secure encrypted flash drive and not on my laptop. Ugh. Might be going back to HP after this.

 

[phideaux]

Viking, I have an older Toshiba Satellite, not touch screen, updated to win 10, from win 8.

Only problem I've had is the connector for charging. I have to repair often.

I'm getting ready for a new laptop also, but just to update to faster.

Thanks for the info.

What the heck is Chromebook?
Anything I'd want to look at?

Jim

 

[phideaux]

Now a rant..

Today is my first visit back to surgeon after knee replacement ,6 weeks ago.

They say it will take 2 hours , come 20 min early.

WHY?

You get there sign in ...wait 20 min... to get called to x-ray..
Wait.. 20 min....get x-ray ,(3 min) ....wait 20 min ...get called to see doctor , put in a clostrphobic room....wait 20 min....doctor or PA comes in for 10 min....go sit and wait ...yep 20 min to get instructions and check out...
Walk to car at far end of parking lot...20 min.

All to spend 10 min with surgeon.

Ah ha...that's why come 20 min early , they all work on a 20 min schedule.

Wish me luck today and pray I don't lose it.

Jim

 

[backlash]

So last year I bought an Acer laptop, added 4gb ram, and threw in an SSD drive. I have always bought HP and had them last me 3-4 years, but this one was pretty cheap all in all and has worked well so far. Then today it suddenly won't accept a charge or direct power. So as soon as the battery is dead, she is done for. The good news is it is under warranty for another 17 days so I got my support ticket in asap. That won't help much however over the next couple weeks when I have to go without a laptop.

You can still use it while it's plugged in. Just take out the battery and it should run just fine. If the battery is bad you have to remove it for it to run off direct power. I have a couple of old Dell laptops like that.

 

[backlash]

Viking, I have an older Toshiba Satellite, not touch screen, updated to win 10, from win 8.

Only problem I've had is the connector for charging. I have to repair often.

I'm getting ready for a new laptop also, but just to update to faster.

Thanks for the info.

What the heck is Chromebook?
Anything I'd want to look at?

Jim

I have a Chromebook and occasionally use it to surf the web. It is Google dependent so web surfing is about the only thing I use it for, anything else I use my laptop. Most of the time it just sits unused.
I wouldn't buy another one but that's just me.

 

[SheepDog]

I usually have my computer made. I like lots of storage and lots of memory. I need fast graphics for CAD, MatLab, and picture processing.
I use parallel processors, high speed internet (120MbS) and lots of USB connections. I use large power supplies and lots of cooling. Finding one on the shelf is very hard.
I install Ubuntu OS and all my software is open source.

 

[Sentry18]

You can still use it while it's plugged in. Just take out the battery and it should run just fine. If the battery is bad you have to remove it for it to run off direct power. I have a couple of old Dell laptops like that.

Negative. No power of any kind, not by battery and not by direct connect (with or without battery). Either the power supply is bad or where it connects into the laptop is bad.

 

[backlash]

Negative. No power of any kind, not by battery and not by direct connect (with or without battery). Either the power supply is bad or where it connects into the laptop is bad.

Time to get out the meter and see if the power brick is putting out 12v DC.
A $6 meter from harbor freight will give you the answer.

 

[VThillman]

what I'd really like is to go back to Windows 95 or have any operating system that runs better than what I have used in the past 10 years.

I suggest, when you get a new desktop, test it first to make sure you can get to the BIOS (to change the boot device order). Then, when you get it home and running, download the latest release of Linux Mint Cinnamon, burn the ISO to a memory stick, and install it in a partition with dual boot. Linux Mint isn't perfect, but Windows 10 is . . . (sorry, I'll get to cussing if I continue.)

 

[backlash]

I suggest, when you get a new desktop, test it first to make sure you can get to the BIOS (to change the boot device order). Then, when you get it home and running, download the latest release of Linux Mint Cinnamon, burn the ISO to a memory stick, and install it in a partition with dual boot. Linux Mint isn't perfect, but Windows 10 is . . . (sorry, I'll get to cussing if I continue.)

That's all well and good for folks that are computer savvy. Most are not, a lot of people have no idea what you just said.
I can do everything you suggested but the number of people I know that can, I can count on 2 fingers.
Most people are stuck with whatever the big players give them. Hate Microsoft? Tough cookies unless you know what you're doing. Want to get rid of blot ware on your phone good luck with that. Your new car has a problem take it to the dealer because most people can't fix it. Shade tree mechanics are a thing of the past for most everything manufactured today from cars to appliances and especially electronics,
The majority of computer problems aren't computer problems they are operator error problems.
I always do a rescue disk on a new PC and if things get real bad I just format and start over from scratch. If I can find the right rescue disk.

 

[Sentry18]

Time to get out the meter and see if the power brick is putting out 12v DC.
A $6 meter from harbor freight will give you the answer.

So the charger is DOA. I contact Acer and tell them so, then advise I am just going to send in the charger for repair or replacement under warranty. They tell me that they NEED both the laptop and the charger to fix it. I told them I found someone with a universal charger and it powered up my laptop. Nope, still need the laptop and the charger to repair the charger. So I boxed up the charger with a well written note and my product registration data to send in tomorrow. Now we will see what happens.

 

[backlash]

Good plan. Once that laptop is out of your control there is no way to know what happens with it.
All your files are available for someone to download and files can be uploaded to you system.
I would never give a computer to anyone unless I was standing right there watching them.
Want all your pictures downloaded just give it to some 20 something geek. While they're at it maybe they can visit some of those web sites they don't want traced back to themselves.

 

[Supervisor42]

Good plan. Once that laptop is out of your control there is no way to know what happens with it.
All your files are available for someone anyone to download and files can be uploaded to you system.
I would never give a computer to anyone unless I was standing right there watching them.
Want all your pictures downloaded just give it to some 20 something geek. While they're at it maybe they can visit some of those web sites they don't want traced back to themselves.

Keep your data secure!
How do you secure your data?
7.62x39:

(or borrow Bleach-bit from Hillary)

 

[Weedygarden]

So the charger is DOA. I contact Acer and tell them so, then advise I am just going to send in the charger for repair or replacement under warranty. They tell me that they NEED both the laptop and the charger to fix it. I told them I found someone with a universal charger and it powered up my laptop. Nope, still need the laptop and the charger to repair the charger. So I boxed up the charger with a well written note and my product registration data to send in tomorrow. Now we will see what happens.

I bought a universal charger more than a year ago. The battery was always warm when I was using it, in spite of having it at the same voltage as the previous charger. In a few months, my battery was bulging and acting goofy. I went to a big national computer store and got a new battery and a new Dell charger, but not exactly like the original, more of a universal Dell charger. This was a year ago. Last week that charger stopped working and I went back and bought a new charger.

What I wish is that I could find someone who could repair my first computer power cord. I would think a person in a larger metropolitan area could have a full time business by repairing them. Does anyone here know where to get it repaired? Computer store person said it is more expensive to repair it than to replace it.