Random Thoughts That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread Go Here

[Kodos]

You may be overthinking this!

[Ksyrup]

Randomly overthinking it, thank you very much.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Ahh one of my favorite subjects

I would lean to this being an insurance scam. Unless you have had your roof less than say seven years or so, you are probably going to have some loose tiles or shingles, broken tiles or shingles or other minor damage. Roofs at least here in Florida are supposed to last anywhere from 15-20 years. So here is the short version of the scam.

The guys knocking on doors are not roofers but they probably work for or are third party associated with a roofing company who have trained them on what a damaged roof looks like. They offer you a free roof inspection. They climb on the roof and identify (create?) any damage areas of the roof. If the roof is sufficiently damaged, they will let you know that you could get a brand roof with your insurance company covering all of the cost minus your deductible. I have posted watching this play out with a neighbor. The roof "inspector" tied the roof damage to a storm at least 4 months prior to the day of inspection and well out of hurricane season. To cut to the chase, he paid $1,000 for a new roof.

Stuff like this is why Florida has the highest insurance costs in the nation tripling any other state.

But it doesn't just happen in Florida. Happens here as well as other states I'm sure. The last company that went through here was from South Carolina. Never allow some out of town/state company inspect anything on your house. Look for someone with local ties that has been in business for a good amount of time.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Randomly overthinking it, thank you very much.

I really don't think you overthought it enough. You should have gone with your first thought and put it in the NFL thread

[Ghost Econ]

One thing I've learned is that review media is completely oblivious to what constitutes a budget or cheap item. Reviewing a pair of headphones as budget and then at the end show that they're $180... that's not budget headphones.

[CrimsonFox]

Another kid died from a tiktok challenge
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/u...challenge.html

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Ahh one of my favorite subjects

I would lean to this being an insurance scam. Unless you have had your roof less than say seven years or so, you are probably going to have some loose tiles or shingles, broken tiles or shingles or other minor damage. Roofs at least here in Florida are supposed to last anywhere from 15-20 years. So here is the short version of the scam.

The guys knocking on doors are not roofers but they probably work for or are third party associated with a roofing company who have trained them on what a damaged roof looks like. They offer you a free roof inspection. They climb on the roof and identify (create?) any damage areas of the roof. If the roof is sufficiently damaged, they will let you know that you could get a brand roof with your insurance company covering all of the cost minus your deductible. I have posted watching this play out with a neighbor. The roof "inspector" tied the roof damage to a storm at least 4 months prior to the day of inspection and well out of hurricane season. To cut to the chase, he paid $1,000 for a new roof.

Stuff like this is why Florida has the highest insurance costs in the nation tripling any other state.

$1,000?!? Am I the only one with a $10k roof deductible???

[JeeberD]

Dola -

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Another kid died from a tiktok challenge
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/u...challenge.html

I don't know that I would call the "One Chip Challenge" a TikTok trend. This is absolutely tragic, but there's not reason to vilify TikTok when this challenge has been around for years, on all manner of social media.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Another kid died from a tiktok challenge
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/u...challenge.html

a subsidiary of the Hershey Company

Those are some deep pockets.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Dola -



I don't know that I would call the "One Chip Challenge" a TikTok trend. This is absolutely tragic, but there's not reason to vilify TikTok when this challenge has been around for years, on all manner of social media.

who are you? The fanboi dance police?

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

who are you? The fanboi dance police?

Well, as someone who has been a fairly heavy user of TikTok over the past three years (and has yet to see any teen dancing videos), I hate the vilification of the platform when it's no worse than any of the other platforms out there. Does it have its issues? Yes. But it's also a great source of information, and entertainment, about any number of subjects.

[CrimsonFox]

you are very much overthinking my post

[JeeberD]

That seems to be a theme in this thread recently.

[GrantDawg]

Good thing I don't think.

[JonInMiddleGA]

As seasonings go, furikake is pretty underrated & under utilized (at least in the U.S.)

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

As seasonings go, furikake is pretty underrated & under utilized (at least in the U.S.)

I've tried different "brands" on rice (is that what you use it on?). It's okay but it's all that other stuff you eat with the rice like curry, beef & broccoli etc.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I've tried different "brands" on rice (is that what you use it on?). It's okay but it's all that other stuff you eat with the rice like curry, beef & broccoli etc.

I've had it on rice but the comment was actually prompted by it being on both the french fries and the house-made potato chips from a local chain chicken joint tonight.

It brought the fries up from meh to fine, and made the chips the real star of the order (I think they salted those and then added the furikake on top of that).

It's something that really shouldn't work nearly as well for me -- based on the ingredients -- as it actually does.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

One thing I've learned is that review media is completely oblivious to what constitutes a budget or cheap item. Reviewing a pair of headphones as budget and then at the end show that they're $180... that's not budget headphones.

I've been through this exact dance recently & it is somethnig that is particularly bad with audio equipment, but certainly not exclusive to that segment. Increasing your outlay only moves you into the next teir of 'budget' & with audio equipment there seems to be a neverending set of tiers. I recently upgraded my 'budget' $150 headphones to $450 headphnes, which seems like a ridiculous amount of money to spend on headphones, which I still feel uncomfortable about..."These are great budget cans" reads the first review.

[Edward64]

Wife and I made spaghetti sauce and it was pretty darn good. Used the recipe from below with some changes. We added Italian sausage and used Thai chili peppers instead of pepper flakes. It was a little runny so wife used an emulsion blender to mix things up more.

The Best Homemade Pasta Sauce You'll Ever Make - Scrambled Chefs


FWIW, if you like spaghetti and you've never made your own sauce, I'd highly recommend you try. It's really not difficult at all.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

FWIW, if you like spaghetti and you've never made your own sauce, I'd highly recommend you try. It's really not difficult at all.

I think that's a fair dividing line that explains why I'd never put that much effort into it. I "like" spaghetti in the sense that I'll eat it, but really it's just something I tolerate? pick ahead of less appealing options? There's really never a moment when I think "ooh, what I really want is some spaghetti"

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I think that's a fair dividing line that explains why I'd never put that much effort into it. I "like" spaghetti in the sense that I'll eat it, but really it's just something I tolerate? pick ahead of less appealing options? There's really never a moment when I think "ooh, what I really want is some spaghetti"

Spaghetti would not be in my Top-10 food but there's something to be said about creating your own sauce. I guess you just aren't at the stage yet

[Ksyrup]

I like spaghetti but there's this misperception that it's a quick meal. My wife always says that - if we need a quick dinner option, she always throws out spaghetti. And then I always tell her that the cleanup is a bitch - typically multiple pots and utensils, all stained red. It takes longer to clean up than eat.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Spaghetti would not be in my Top-10 food but there's something to be said about creating your own sauce.

Oh there's something I'd say for it alright ... "way too much trouble for the limited appeal" comes to mind

[Ghost Econ]

I enjoy a good spaghetti, but it's also easy and good enough from a jar that I don't need to put forth the effort.

[Edward64]

So just got a call. Some Police association asking for a donation. No problem, I support the police, even retirees (I have 2 LEOs in my family circle). I said yes, the $25 level. I told the guy, send me the info and I will google and make sure you guys are legit. And if legit, I'll send the money.

He hands me over to a woman who proceeds to ask for my Visa number. I said I told the first guy that I want them to send me info so I can check. And I was not going to use my Visa but write a check.

She then proceeds to ignore me and ask me for my 3 digit security code and assures me it can't be used without my authorization. That was a whopper. I proceeded to tell her again, send me the info and she cut me off saying something ... so I hung up on her.

I really don't believe this was a scam. But they need to rethink their approach. No one should be giving their credit card over the phone. I'm sure many do but they shouldn't. That is just BS.

[JeeberD]

My 10yo daughter started playing rec softball last spring, after YEARS have showing zero interest in softball or baseball in any form. She was HOOKED immediately. She's now playing in her fourth consecutive season of rec, started private lessons in May, and this week she started practicing with a few of the local select teams to see if any of them would be a good fit for her next spring.

I started (assistant) coaching her team this past spring, and we kept the team together for this fall as well. I love working with my daughter and her teammates, and the other coaches are great. If Regan does go to select, it's going to be hard to leave the girls and other coaches.

However, at this point in my life, there isn't really anything I enjoy more than watching her play. Even watching her practice is a source of joy to me. I love watching my son play football. I love the Astros and Cowboys and Miners. But I LOVE watching that girl play. And it's even beyond that...I'm growing to really enjoy the sport, in general. The more I watch, the more I learn from watching her private coach and the select coaches, the more I enjoy the sport.

I think I'm becoming a fast pitch softball fan.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I like spaghetti but there's this misperception that it's a quick meal. My wife always says that - if we need a quick dinner option, she always throws out spaghetti. And then I always tell her that the cleanup is a bitch - typically multiple pots and utensils, all stained red. It takes longer to clean up than eat.

What?

In a high-sided skillet or dutch oven-style pot saute onion & garlic, then brown some sort of meat. Once browned, add a can of chopped tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce. Throw in some random chopped veggies like green peppers if you want. Season with salt, pepper, dried: parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary. Let bubble on a simmer. If it's too watery, put in some tomato paste or let it simmer longer. If it's too thick, put in more tomato sauce.

In a pot, boil water and cook spaghetti to the instructions on the box.

Put spaghetti on the plate and ladle sauce on it to the extent you like sauce.

Two pots. One ladle.

Shit is super easy. Obviously you can glam all the above up with more ingredients and things like freshly-made pasta, but IMO this is one of the simpler meals to cook & clean up from.

[Edward64]

Finished the leftover spaghetti & sauce.

Yes, it does taste better the next day!

[Ksyrup]

1 skillet to brown meat or dish to cook meatballs, 2 pots (1 for sauce because typical skillet does not have a high enough side to keep sauce from making a mess and 1 for water/pasta), 2-3 utensils including the pasta utensil with the teeth that is a PITA to clean, 1 spoon rest, a collander - half of all of which have dried red sauce on them when it's time to clean after eating. Oh and if there's garlic bread or salad, add in a pan to cook the bread and all the bowls to clean and shit to put away from that.

I like spaghetti, but I don't enjoy making it. Just too much work.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

So just got a call. Some Police association asking for a donation. No problem, I support the police, even retirees (I have 2 LEOs in my family circle). I said yes, the $25 level. I told the guy, send me the info and I will google and make sure you guys are legit. And if legit, I'll send the money.

He hands me over to a woman who proceeds to ask for my Visa number. I said I told the first guy that I want them to send me info so I can check. And I was not going to use my Visa but write a check.

She then proceeds to ignore me and ask me for my 3 digit security code and assures me it can't be used without my authorization. That was a whopper. I proceeded to tell her again, send me the info and she cut me off saying something ... so I hung up on her.

I really don't believe this was a scam. But they need to rethink their approach. No one should be giving their credit card over the phone. I'm sure many do but they shouldn't. That is just BS.

Yeah, this is one of the earlier phone scams I can recall getting. The legitimacy varies -- there are some who make tiny donations to some LEO organization or another -- but by & large they're either outright scams or 80-90 percent kept for "fundraising cost" scams.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

What?
:
Shit is super easy. Obviously you can glam all the above up with more ingredients and things like freshly-made pasta, but IMO this is one of the simpler meals to cook & clean up from.

I'm with you. Done in < 30 min.

1 pot (for water & spaghetti), 1 pan for italian sausage (meatballs we zap), 1 pan for bottled sauce, 1 colander. Various utensils. For cleanup, rinse and put into dishwasher.

Toast bread and butter if needed. (Don't do Texas toast anymore, check the calories!).

[GrantDawg]

I love making spaghetti. I used to always use my own sauce, but now there are too many quality jar sauces to do that. Rao's makes excellent sauces, and Bertolli's is great for a low price sauce. Micheal's of Brooklyn is very good. I love using one of their marinara sauces for spaghetti, and their Sunday gravy for lasagna.
Unlike Jon, I do often just crave spaghetti. I don't eat it often, but when I want it that is the only thing that will do.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[CrimsonFox]

Famous Sycamore Gap centuries old tree has been cut down

I'm just so sick of people's destructive bullshit



This beautiful world landmark is gone

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I'm with you. Done in < 30 min.

1 pot (for water & spaghetti), 1 pan for italian sausage (meatballs we zap), 1 pan for bottled sauce, 1 colander. Various utensils. For cleanup, rinse and put into dishwasher.

Toast bread and butter if needed. (Don't do Texas toast anymore, check the calories!).

We don't put any pots and pans nor cooking utensils (mostly either wooden or plastic) in the dishwasher. So that may be where the difference comes in. I'm talking a full-on hand-washing of everything except the plates and forks/knives people actually eat with. Everything used for cooking is hand-washed.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I love making spaghetti. I used to always use my own sauce, but now there are too many quality jar sauces to do that. Rao's makes excellent sauces, and Bertolli's is great for a low price sauce. Micheal's of Brooklyn is very good. I love using one of their marinara sauces for spaghetti, and their Sunday gravy for lasagna.
Unlike Jon, I do often just crave spaghetti. I don't eat it often, but when I want it that is the only thing that will do.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

I don't think I've had any Bertolli's anything that wasn't at least pretty good if not outright good. I actually like it better than Rao's I think.

[dubb93]

I once made the mistake of telling my Italian best friend that I use sauces from the jar. I still haven't lived that one down. I mean, I still use sauces from the jar, but now I just don't tell him. I really like the Sockaroonie sauce from Newman's Own. I've tried some of the other sauces from the brand but they just aren't as good IMO. Never tried Rao's. Can't justify spending 4x the other sauces.

[thesloppy]

Newman's makes some impressively bad pasta sauces...haven't tried the Sockaroonie variety though.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by dubb93

I once made the mistake of telling my Italian best friend that I use sauces from the jar. I still haven't lived that one down. I mean, I still use sauces from the jar, but now I just don't tell him. I really like the Sockaroonie sauce from Newman's Own. I've tried some of the other sauces from the brand but they just aren't as good IMO. Never tried Rao's. Can't justify spending 4x the other sauces.

I grew up in a very Italian-American area and take my pasta pretty seriously. There's nothing wrong with a good jar sauce. I put my own touches on them, but Rao's is an outstanding base that needs very little additional work. The Costco Rao's 2 pack is a really good value.

I agree with Bertolli being a solid, cheaper option. Especially the vidalia onion one.

Those are the only two I really use though.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by dubb93

I once made the mistake of telling my Italian best friend that I use sauces from the jar. I still haven't lived that one down. I mean, I still use sauces from the jar, but now I just don't tell him. I really like the Sockaroonie sauce from Newman's Own. I've tried some of the other sauces from the brand but they just aren't as good IMO. Never tried Rao's. Can't justify spending 4x the other sauces.

If you have Costco, they sell Rao's 2 for like $10. These are also bigger jars than the grocery store size.

Rao's is our default. But I've been telling the wife I want to relive my college days and get me some Ragu "Its in there" sauce.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Famous Sycamore Gap centuries old tree has been cut down

I'm just so sick of people's destructive bullshit

This beautiful world landmark is gone

I agree. Some people you just want to punch.

But seems like a big tree for just one juvenile delinquent.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I agree. Some people you just want to punch.

But seems like a big tree for just one juvenile delinquent.

They've arrested a 60 year old too. Sure it's an ongoing inquisition. I hoipe they use bamboo under the fingernails as a just punishment

[JonInMiddleGA]

Maybe it was just me but September sure didn't seem to take long this year

[JonInMiddleGA]

As I listen to the mower(s) outside in my yard, I'm reminded of just how much I do not give the slightest fuck about ever dealing with a yard again when (if?) I ever get the fuck out of this house.

It's not much different to me at this point than a damned pool -- something I give literally zero fucks about and serves only to be a source of expense.

[Kodos]

Yeah. We may go the condo route in retirement. It'd be a relief to not have yardwork any more. And really, all I do is mow, cut back some hedges along the fence in our back yard, and once a year do a little weeding.

Shoveling the driveway can die in a fire too.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I, too, give zero fucks about my yard or yard work. I pretty much hire out any and all yard-related responsibilities.

We have a sprinkler system. We used it the first year we moved in. After I got the water bill for that summer, I refused to ever turn it on again.

[Ghost Econ]

If my wife didn't use it to get away and piddle around, I'd put in AstroTurf.

[Ghost Econ]

I've never been behind a Kia Soul and not thought, "wow, that person's a shitty driver."

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

We have a sprinkler system. We used it the first year we moved in. After I got the water bill for that summer, I refused to ever turn it on again.

Had that too (and this is a big ass yard) ... gave up on it because finding anyone to do repairs / maintenance on it had become pretty much impossible and the sidework guys we did find wanted five figures to change out some stuff.

We cut the water off to it at the main and never thought of it again.

[molson]

At some point we gave up on car alarms as a useful concept.

I heard one the other day and realized I hadn't heard one in years.

[Edward64]

KFC > Popeyes

KFC coleslaw is the best

Popeyes has overtaken KFC as the No. 2 chicken chain in the U.S., a decade after Chick-fil-A first unseated KFC from the top spot.

KFC family bucket "deals" aren't as good as they used to be.

In the fray, Yum Brands’ KFC has lost ground. In the past year, its U.S. market share fell to 11.3% from 16.1%, according to Barclays research.