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  1. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    My in-laws used to be snowbirds. All they did was disconnect the battery, and the car sat outside.
  2. D

    Who rides motorcycles?

    Yeah, it's strange. It used to be a smaller version of the Goldwing, which makes sense. It seems like a scooter would have warranted a different name.
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    Who rides motorcycles?

    How about a Honda Silverwing? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Silver_Wing_(scooter)
  4. D

    Tax Question

    In the equestrian world, the IRS is rather touchy about businesses that aren't showing a profit, because it's not that uncommon that people just like having horses and attempt to write off a bunch of expenses. The general rule of thumb is that the IRS wants to see a profit four years out of...
  5. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    As a young child, I thought that my parents were getting all their money back when the cashier did that. I also thought that they got gas for free, because they just handed the attendant the gas station credit card, and they got the card back.
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    You Know You Are Old When

    I feel like a young stud now. I'm still using the smallest pill minder in that picture! [emoji23]
  7. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    This reminds me of a number of years back around Christmas time at work. Someone brought in CDs with old classic recordings of Christmas songs. After a good while, one of the younger female employees had reached her breaking point. She yelled out, "These are all dead people! You're listening...
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    When your CPA screws up?

    In my one experience at problem-solving with the IRS, written communication was futile. I received a response thanking me for the information I provided, along with the reassertion that I owed them XXX, which I didn't. It was a hassle to get someone on the phone, but once I did, they cleared...
  9. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    Wow, that's a lot of people dying in their forties! It seems like something is going wrong in that demographic beyond normal aging.
  10. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    I would interpret that to mean that there weren't enough that were still coming to the reunions. I went to my 20th, and that was it. I was glad I went, but I wasn't interested in making it a regular thing. One of the things that surprised me was that the high school cliques still seemed to...
  11. D

    GOOD MORNING SHEEPLE!

    One of my favorite things about retirement is getting out of bed because I woke up, and I don't feel like sleeping anymore. I don't even know what time it is until I wake up, so the time change doesn't really matter to me.
  12. D

    GOOD MORNING SHEEPLE!

    It's more fun in the fall. I like to come into work an hour late and say that I forgot about the time change. [emoji6]
  13. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    Those stick with me just fine, but I can't remember my blood type. :unsure:
  14. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    I didn't know Chevy did that. We had an old Peugeot that we inherited from my grandfather that was like that. It would make the gas station attendant scratch his head sometimes. The speedometer was in kilometers. We'd get it up to about 60 mph and then tell a new passenger, "This car runs so...
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    Ad Blocker

    I use Edge with the built-in ad blocker, and TBN doesn't display too many ads for me.
  16. D

    Ad Blocker

    There is also the option to disable javascript for selected sites. Some sites (like TBN) require it, but other sites work much better without it.
  17. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    That's very cool. For the car, I agree that yours was probably a better model. It also wasn't exposed to the salt from the Ohio winters. I find it impressive that you were that mature at 22. I was just getting started on this whole "responsible behavior" thing at that age.
  18. D

    Found a coyote, I think

    I've seen various animals act more confident around tractor equipment than around a person on foot. I'm not too surprised that it could survive with three legs. I used to board a horse at a local stable. One day, I saw a deer walking along a tree line, and it was missing about half of one...
  19. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    My first car was a 76 Plymouth Volare. Guaranteed to begin rusting out on the showroom floor. The slant 6 engine ran weird when cold. It worked OK if I barely gave it any gas or if I floored it. Anywhere in between, and it would bog down and wouldn't accelerate. It collected water somewhere...
  20. D

    Is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a joke?

    The Dolly Parton thing seems like a joke to me. To my understanding, she recently recorded her first rock song *because* she was inducted into the HOF. That seems backwards to me.
  21. D

    Determining Acceptable Value of Inherited Real Estate?

    If I understand correctly, you are willing to buy out their shares for the $975K appraised value. Are you also willing to buy them out for $1.1M? Are they willing to accept that, or do they really want to sell it for whatever the market will bring? In the grand scheme of things, the two prices...
  22. D

    That damn McAfee pop up business

    If you can learn how to capture a screen print of the pop up, that could be helpful in getting some assistance. I have never seen it, and I agree that it sounds like some sort of malware that is either on your computer or attempting to get on it.
  23. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    There was a PBS show of a fairly recent Peter Frampton concert. I never would have recognized him, but he sounded about the same. He performs sitting down now, due to health issues. I'm always amazed when some of these guys just keep going. Hopefully, he's not broke, and he just loves what he...
  24. D

    Telecom wires under future driveway.

    I agree. It's one thing to cut YOUR line, but this sounds like the line at the road. It's hard to tell how many homes would be out of service if the line was cut.
  25. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    That must be something to live in a house with such a rich history of life memories. I hope that the fond memories far outweigh the sadness of what has been lost over the years. My sister and I still own our childhood home, but it is rented out. I fully loaded up my crew cab truck and two-horse...
  26. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    I don't have solid data, but my gut feel is that the old TVs lasted longer. I replaced a couple of flat screens because the damn cat peed on the screen. With an old TV, you'd get the Windex and clean it. The new screens can be destroyed just by spraying liquid on them. I lost a couple due to...
  27. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    Had someone installed a digital-to-analog converter on the antenna line? I *think* all OTA TV signals are digital these days. TVs are one area where I truly think newer is better. I recall paying $360 for a 19" TV in 1985. I could buy one today that is bigger and less expensive, with higher...
  28. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    I think that's a partially repressed childhood memory from when your weird uncle was babysitting. [emoji6]
  29. D

    Student Loan Debt?

    I agree. It is all computer programs that were written by people. Those programs have had increasing levels of sophistication for quite a while. Twenty years ago, I noticed that search engines returned better results if I just asked a question like I was talking to a person vs. searching for...
  30. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    Good for you! (y) I'm 62, and I don't feel the same as I did when I was 45. I had to switch from a treadmill to an elliptical for exercise, due to knee and hip pain. I spontaneously developed shoulder pain, and I've incorporated some physical therapy exercises into my daily routine to help...
  31. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    You're more strict than I am. I decided long ago that everyone is either young, middle-aged, or old. To simplify the math, I assume a life span of 90 years. So 0-30 is young, 30-60 is middle-aged, and 60+ is old.
  32. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    Is that the actual truck, or a similar model? My family had an old Chevy with a similar design, but it was in much worse condition than your picture. I wouldn't exactly say that I loved it. It didn't have much power, and the wipers used some sort of vacuum technology. If I pushed the...
  33. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    This made me feel old. Christina Applegate (Kelly Bundy on Married With Children) is 52 years old. She has had a double mastectomy, due to breast cancer, and she has MS. She walks with a cane and is probably not physically up to acting anymore.
  34. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    Lawrence Welk is still on PBS. I record an episode once in a while.
  35. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    You must not be that old. Classic rock was cool. Disco sucks! [emoji6] I was in a rock band in high school, and we didn't play any disco, but the owner of the local discotheque liked us. We would take extra long breaks so the customers could dance to disco music and have fun. When we came back...
  36. D

    DIY septic tank and drain field?

    Do you have inspections where you live? Our septic system is inspected every three years, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be pleased to see an update that wasn't approved beforehand.
  37. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    I have a set of Bose noise canceling headphones that make it easier to understand the TV. They eliminate background noise from the house, and the sound clarity is better than the TV speaker.
  38. D

    Student Loan Debt?

    There have always been garbage degrees, but plenty of others are quite worthwhile. There is still demand for doctors, lawyers, computer programmers, and such. Plenty of degrees will pay at least as well as a good trade.
  39. D

    How many still have a Landline in their home?

    I use an app on my smartphone, called Textfree, for that purpose. It provides a local phone number that people can call. Incoming calls are free. Outgoing calls cost money. All texting is free. I use it when I'm ordering something and they require a phone number. I've also used it when I'm...
  40. D

    How many still have a Landline in their home?

    I don't think they would do anything. IME, all wiring inside the house is the homeowner's responsibility. Nobody is going to dig up outside abandoned wiring.
  41. D

    How many still have a Landline in their home?

    We canceled our landline service about ten years ago. In addition to its lack of use, it kept developing static during rainy weather. I think the company was already minimizing their maintenance of this nearly obsolete infrastructure. About four years ago, we had fiber run to the house by the...
  42. D

    How many still have a Landline in their home?

    I think those are probably spam calls. They don't want to waste their labor having someone just sit there while the dialer calls a series of numbers until it finds someone who answers. So the machine works independently. When someone answers the phone, it will transfer it to an available person...
  43. D

    How many still have a Landline in their home?

    I don't know about that, but there are websites that offer free faxing services for limited use. There are subscription services for heavier regular use. If your starting point is a piece of paper, then you need to have a scanner to get it on the computer first.
  44. D

    Student Loan Debt?

    In my school, students were required to either live at home or in the dorm during freshman year. After that, it was open. The stated goal was to provide some level of adult supervision to 18-year-olds that were fresh out of high school. Each dorm floor had an RA (resident assistant?), who was...
  45. D

    Student Loan Debt?

    It doesn't even take a fancy job to get tuition benefits. Target and Walmart have programs available. The universities encourage loans, even for living expenses and computers and stuff, because they are not on the hook if the borrower defaults...
  46. D

    Windows 10 defrag

    I noticed similar behavior. I never used the approach described above, but I had a license for the Professional version of Windows, which enabled me to create a policy to only run updates manually. That worked fine until I got a new machine that had Window 11. It ignored the policy and...
  47. D

    The Resting Place.

    I think the explanation involves drugs.
  48. D

    The Resting Place.

    Unless you include the "Lost Episodes." These were a series of skits from the Jackie Gleason Show. They were fairly recently played on MeTV. https://www.sitcomsonline.com/thehoneymoonersthelostepisodes19511957dvdreview.html
  49. D

    The Resting Place.

    That's mostly true. There were a few episodes where they ventured out.
  50. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    I just might be one of your peeves. My ringtone is a clip from a Slim Whitman song. When I'm calling you-oooo-oooo-ooo, Will you answer too-oooo-oooo-oooo? Fun fact. That song was used to save humanity in the movie, Mars Attacks! Slim Whitman's falsetto caused the martian's heads to explode.
  51. D

    Brand New Manure Spreader thoughts

    We've got a wise guy here! ;) I somehow accidentally posted my reply as soon as I started typing. I immediately edited it, but alert readers saw an incomplete post.
  52. D

    Brand New Manure Spreader thoughts

    I bought an H&S manure spreader new about twenty years ago, and I've been happy with it. All I've ever done to it is grease and oil things. When I was looking, I thought their prices and the quality was good. I *think* it has helped that I spread my manure pile once a year. So the spreader...
  53. D

    Outdoor dog house heater?

    OK, I think I get it now. There are two related subjects. One is people dumping unwanted pets. The other is people trapping and releasing unwanted animals, such as groundhogs, on or near your property. Is that correct?
  54. D

    Outdoor dog house heater?

    I'm confused. You actually took in multiple "stray" woodchucks and a rat? You somehow knew that they used to be someone's pets?
  55. D

    Outdoor dog house heater?

    Is it feasible to have the shelter keep the dog until it's healthy enough to stay inside? It's stressful enough for a dog to move to a new home. Moving to a strange area into cold isolation seems extra sad to me. If that's not an option, we have used the heated mat option when we had an...
  56. D

    You Know You Are Old When

    I read a long time ago that forgetting to zip up your zipper is just normal forgetfulness. If you forget to unzip, there is a problem.
  57. D

    The Resting Place.

    I can't possibly know, but I suspect it wasn't suicide. I think he just took too much junk and either drowned or died as a direct result of the drugs. He seemed to have a lot of physical and emotional issues.
  58. D

    The Resting Place.

    Matthew Perry's autopsy is released and confirms drug abuse. The amount of ketamine detected “would be enough to make him lose consciousness and lose his posture and his ability to keep himself above the water." https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-death-cause-054e67f7495845804f801c57a1ae2522
  59. D

    My dog's not doing well

    I prefer to use a GPS collar. They can disappear in a heartbeat, and it's very nice to know right where they are.
  60. D

    Insurance requires home water leak detector and drone inspections?

    If we are sharing flooding stories, I had just stepped out of the shower, and my wife started screaming hysterically in the basement. Her voice sounded so urgent that I didn't put on a stitch of clothing before investigating. The very first pressure fitting had popped off of the main water...
  61. D

    Insurance requires home water leak detector and drone inspections?

    That doesn't seem foolish to me. In the long run, I expect to pay more in insurance premiums than I will ever receive for covered events. It only makes sense if I'm protecting against a catastrophic financial issue. If someone owns multiple properties, having one of them destroyed might not be...
  62. D

    My dog's not doing well

    Does the vet know what is causing the issues with his bloodwork? If not, has he mentioned any additional tests to help diagnose the underlying issue? IME, x-rays or an ultrasound have helped to see what's going on inside. (Of course, I don't know if it would help in this case.) It can get...
  63. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    In my wife's Subaru, if I stop to check the mail on my way home, I have to put my seatbelt on to complete the 600' drive to our garage. If I don't, I get a series of alarms that continue to increase in volume and urgency. If I look to the side too long in my own driveway, to see what the...
  64. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    On a positive note, that indicates that the person is listening well enough to at least parrot back what you just said. It's also a communication technique, called active listening, but you are supposed to repeat back in your own words, to confirm mutual understanding. I've had more problems...
  65. D

    My dog's not doing well

    I agree that the emergency vets are expensive, but I figure that I'm paying to have a vet and a lot of expensive equipment available 24/7, with no appointment necessary. They sure are nice to have, when needed. I hope your guy continues to recover.
  66. D

    Estate Planning and Trust Accounts

    I'm sorry to hear that you're having all these difficulties, ultrarunner. I suspect that the issues are more related to the incompetence of the bank employees than the concept of having a trust. I was not the executor of my father's estate, but I did not get the impression that my sister had...
  67. D

    DiscountHydraulicHose.com

    That makes sense. You're operating on a whole different level than me.
  68. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    This happens to be one of my peeves. If it bothers you that the bicyclists are riding two-wide, that means that there must be oncoming traffic or a lack of visibility that is preventing you from passing in the oncoming lane. That means that you must want to pass the bicycles in the same lane...
  69. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    That explanation doesn't make any sense to me. IMO, the article is biased in favor of encouraging bicycle traffic in big cities. From the document, "Stopping discourages bicycling, substantially increasing time, energy expenditure, discomfort, risk of collisions, and risk for strain and...
  70. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    Weird. I didn't see much of a justification in the "study" for why allowing bicycles to treat stop signs as yield signs improves safety. It sure seems counter-intuitive to me. Highlighting a correlation that supports the idea doesn't mean that they understand the underlying cause for the data...
  71. D

    DiscountHydraulicHose.com

    It might be worth asking at your local parts stores. Some of them in my area will make a new hydraulic hose while you wait. Just bring in the bad hose, and they'll make a new one just like it (that doesn't leak). O'Reilly Auto Parts does it in my area. When I need a new hose, I'm usually right...
  72. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    If the world made any sense, men would ride horses sidesaddle.
  73. D

    Aggravating McAfee popup

    Just for the heck of it, have you checked the list of installed programs on your computer to confirm that you don't have a version of McAfee installed? If it's there, and that's not the antivirus you want to use, then I would uninstall it. It is common for a PC to come pre-installed with a...
  74. D

    Neighbors dog keeps coming over and defecating on our driveway.

    As others have posted, I also periodically get coyote poop on my driveway. It dries up and somehow disappears in a day or two. I would have to be super low on things to worry about to give it a second thought.
  75. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    Strictly on the subject of engine power: Injection is nice, but I'd rather be blown.
  76. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    I see the same effect when I finally throw something away that has been unused for ages, and then I wish I had it a week later.
  77. D

    Tell us something we don’t know.

    This was something I didn't know. Comedian Tim Allen was arrested in his twenties for attempting to sell about 1.5 pounds of cocaine to an under cover agent. He was facing life in prison, but he made a deal by providing evidence against a bunch of other drug dealers...
  78. D

    Banking… how things have changed

    FWIW, that's about the same as the S&P 500. In the last 10 years, gold is up about 48%. The S&P 500 is up 168%. If our economy doesn't collapse, gold will probably not outperform the market. If we end up like Venezuela, but not full Zombie Apocalypse, then your physical gold will be a...
  79. D

    The Resting Place.

    I don't know about that, but music can be one of the last things to go. Glen Campbell continued to perform well into his development of Alzheimer's disease. His daughter said that every performance was like a miracle. In the last fifteen minutes before the show, he would repeatedly ask her...
  80. D

    Banking… how things have changed

    I thought that putting a hold for the value of a deposited check was common practice, because they can't always confirm that the check is valid or won't bounce. The bank may not actively notify the depositor, especially if the amount deposited is substantially less than the account balance...
  81. D

    Revolting internet charge increases

    On an iPhone, it's under Settings->Phone->Wi-Fi Calling. Turn that on, and the phone can use WiFi instead of cellular service for phone calls.
  82. D

    Revolting internet charge increases

    I don't know if this is the same for all companies, but I finally seem to have this down to a minimal annual hassle. They have "promotional" pricing and jacked up pricing. If I wait until the bill goes up, it's a hassle to convince them to apply another promotion. So I make a note to call them...
  83. D

    135 acres

    Welcome, and congratulations on your land purchase! For the items you mentioned, I think a good first step would be to see if any of the local farmers are interested in leasing and farming some of the land. Second, I suggest getting moved onto the property. It's easier to do projects when you...
  84. D

    Signs of dementia

    They will probably end up doing that, but they were attempting to avoid the overhead. One of his daughters has a power of attorney, but for some reason, it didn't cover the IRA.
  85. D

    Signs of dementia

    Exhausted caregivers is right. His children were more concerned for their mother than their father. She was always exhausted, stressed out, and depressed. He wasn't sleeping, and he would keep her awake all night long with incessant chatter about all the terrible things that were going to...
  86. D

    Signs of dementia

    I don't know how to distinguish between normal forgetfulness and dementia. Regardless, I think it would be good for us all to have some contingency in place, in case we aren't mentally able to manage for ourselves. My FIL has done planning for his estate, but there was nothing to deal with him...
  87. D

    Signs of dementia

    Thanks for the update. I was not aware that your mother had passed away. It's nice that you were willing and able to keep her at home. She sounds like a remarkable woman.
  88. D

    Signs of dementia

    My wife's father was recently diagnosed with dementia, and I was not aware of the variety of ways it can affect people. In his case, the onset was quite rapid, and his primary symptom is chronic horrible delusions. His family ended up calling 911, because he was freaking out, and they were...
  89. D

    What is some of your Pet Peeve's

    My wife regularly uses poor grammar. I keep my mouth shut about it, because I have to live with her. I don't have to live with the OP, so the thread title should be "What are some of your pet peeves." :p
  90. D

    Good movies,,, well there are a few.......

    Amazingly enough, Blazing Saddles is currently being shown on OTA TV (LAFF channel). Of course, they bleeped out the profanities and racial slurs, but the story seemed to be pretty well intact. I hadn't seen it since it was originally released, and I thought it was a goofy fun movie. If anyone...
  91. D

    New rules for ethanol in gasoline

    I don't know what controls it, but I found this site, which indicates where/if it's sold in your area. https://www.pure-gas.org
  92. D

    New rules for ethanol in gasoline

    Well how about that. I learned something today! [emoji3] I somehow assumed that E85 was 85% gasoline and 15% ethanol. I didn't realize vehicles could run on 85% ethanol. I don't recall seeing E15 offered locally, but I could have missed it.
  93. D

    New rules for ethanol in gasoline

    To my reading, this is not forcing anyone to buy E85 gas. It would be allowing its sale in the summer months, as well as winter. When I have seen E85 offered for sale in Ohio, it is labeled as a cheaper alternative. The same station offers "normal" gas for a higher price, and it can have up to...
  94. D

    What TV did you watch as a kid?

    Thanks for the reminder. I know I watched that show as a kid, but I couldn't remember a single detail from a single episode. I happened to notice an upcoming episode in the TV guide, and the description said that it had Sammy Davis Jr. guest starring as a bullet-immune night rider. I decided...
  95. D

    What TV did you watch as a kid?

    I recall seeing a short advertising clip for Night Gallery when I was a young kid. I instantly knew that it was WAY too scary to watch. I recorded a bunch of episodes on my DVR in recent years, and it was really quite corny.
  96. D

    How to spend your legacy?

    That sign is saying that, IF the injury is the result of the inherent risks associated with equine activities, then the equine professional is not liable. If an inexperienced rider died because the instructor put her on an unstarted 2-year-old stallion, the instructor is going to lose some money.
  97. D

    Annuities?

    There are a bunch of different types of annuities that have different rules. When I looked into them, they wouldn't support a 3-5 year investment plan. You could take the money out whenever you want, but the guaranteed rate of return goes away. You would get whatever the underlying investments...
  98. D

    How to spend your legacy?

    Shortly before my father passed away, I read a book called, How We Die. The book could be depressing or inspirational, depending on the reader. I was glad I read it. https://www.amazon.com/How-We-Die-Reflections-Chapter/dp/0679742441 One of the parts that stuck with me is that, regardless of...
  99. D

    How to spend your legacy?

    Part of the problem with that approach is that we never know how long we will live or how much health care money will be required near the end. In my observation, being able to spend the end of life at home is more pleasant than being stuck in a nursing home. Insurance probably won't pay for...
  100. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    The joys of drink last but a moment. Cigarettes make you sick, you could die, But the love of a beautiful woman Is the best thing that money can buy. - Benny Hill
  101. D

    Worst Christmas gifts

    I'll go slightly off topic, because I don't follow directions well. When I was about 10 years old, our local hardware store offered a free promotional drawing to win a 10-speed bicycle. I entered the drawing, and I received a call a few weeks later, saying that I had won! My dad took me down...
  102. D

    What kind is it & where'd it come from?

    I hope you don't fall for this, bigtiller. It's a trick to see if he can make you kiss a snail that was thrown down the toilet! [emoji23]
  103. D

    Looking for new Windows 11 laptop with a deep SD card slot

    Since you are already investing in a new laptop, it might be a good time to switch to an external solid state drive with a usb-c connection. The difference in backup speed is night and day.
  104. D

    Crypto Two

    Thank you for your straightforward response. I think it comes down to the individual's risk-tolerance and goals, and age also factors into it. I've been retired for several years, and I prefer to keep any money that I plan to spend in the next year or so in a boring fixed-interest account...
  105. D

    Crypto Two

    This doesn't make sense to me. On one hand, you acknowledge that investing in crypto is like taking a spin on the roulette wheel. But you also state that you have significant holdings in crypto. Doesn't that mean you are taking a spin of the roulette wheel? I would think that the only way to...
  106. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    I sometimes wonder how many of my early childhood memories really happened. It is sometimes enlightening to compare and contrast old memories of a shared experience with family or friends. If I'm feeling philosophical, I note the large percentage of my life experience that has vanished from my...
  107. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    The government is going to nationalize crime, to make sure it doesn't pay. - Benny Hill
  108. D

    What's going on with YouTube

    Are you sure that "Recently uploaded" is not the same as the previous button you used to view all videos for the channel, with the most recent listed first? I just checked a channel that I watch, and "recent" goes back years. I *think* it still contains all the videos for that channel.
  109. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    "The old dreams were good dreams; they didn't work out but I'm glad I had them." - The Bridges of Madison County
  110. D

    Anyone else have stealth prop planes around their property?

    Those look lighter weight to me. It looked to me like a normal prop plane.
  111. D

    Anyone else have stealth prop planes around their property?

    My phone camera is not high end, so I could probably get a bigfoot-quality blurry picture at best. It also is not a regular occurrence.
  112. D

    Anyone else have stealth prop planes around their property?

    It's not an ultralight. I have seen them on very rare occasions. This looks like a normal small airplane.
  113. D

    Anyone else have stealth prop planes around their property?

    I checked out that website, and it works pretty slick, even on my phone. It will be interesting to see if my local traffic shows up.
  114. D

    Anyone else have stealth prop planes around their property?

    The consensus seems to be that it's a flight school exercise, and that makes sense to me. I don't know where the closest airport is located, but I know of multiple in my general area. I have never seen anyone doing aerial acrobatics. They are always flying straight and essentially level.
  115. D

    Anyone else have stealth prop planes around their property?

    I could see that. I don't know enough to say whether their altitude was appropriate for that exercise.
  116. D

    Anyone else have stealth prop planes around their property?

    I can definitely see the aircraft, and it looks like a normal prop plane to me. There is no parachute. I'm thinking it's a paparazzi trying to get a picture of me peeing outside. There's big money in that! [emoji23]
  117. D

    Anyone else have stealth prop planes around their property?

    I have had a reoccurring scenario at my place. It's not a regular occurrence, but I have noticed it several times. I'm walking outside on a nice quiet day, and I hear an airplane engine start up overhead. It's not skimming the tree tops, but it's fairly low and close. It must have flown to a...
  118. D

    NO automatic payments!

    A lot of people work from home these days, and paychecks are usually on automatic direct deposit. If management got sloppy, a guy could cease to exist, and his financial life would live on! [emoji23]
  119. D

    NO automatic payments!

    I haven't had any bad experiences, but I'm also very reluctant to allow automatic payments. I have used sort of a sacrificial checking account that contains just enough money to pay the bills. We received a lower interest rate on our mortgage by allowing automatic payments, and my horse vet...
  120. D

    Just a weird rotted fence post

    That would certainly be easier. So far, I'm just dealing with a bad post here and there.
  121. D

    Just a weird rotted fence post

    That makes sense. The posts are about 20 years old, so I don't feel like I got gypped. Most of them are still solid, but there is definitely some variability.
  122. D

    Just a weird rotted fence post

    I finally got around to replacing a fence post that had rotted through at ground level, to the point that the fence was holding up the post, rather than the post holding up the fence. A little below ground level, this is what the post was showing. I thought I might get lucky and be able...
  123. D

    Finally told wife about lost billfold. Oh boy.

    "Confession may be good for the soul, but it's a hot lead enema to a marriage." - from Two and a Half Men sitcom It looks like you proves the exception. [emoji3]
  124. D

    How to tell when to sell

    If passing it on to kids is of interest, there can be significant tax savings. The cost basis for the kids would be the value of the property when they inherited it, instead of the $25,000 that the OP paid.
  125. D

    Avast Ye Scurvy Dogs...

    FYI, this holiday gained popularity after a classic Dave Barry column. https://www.miamiherald.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/dave-barry/article1928052.html
  126. D

    What the heck are these?

    I don't understand the first sentence of your post. Can you provide more background? How or why would your wife order undeliverable items from Amazon? I don't even understand what that means.
  127. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    "Drive fast, take chances, and don't take sh*t from anyone!" (Used as an alternative to the more typical advice to drive carefully.)
  128. D

    Best electric coffee percolator?

    That matches my experience, also. I think I only paid about $40, and it works fine. I do have to microwave coffee a little bit, but that doesn't bother me. On the rare occasions that I brew a full pot, instead of one cup, it comes out hotter. I'm not interested in grinding my own beans, and I...
  129. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    I think airport security stopped asking that question, or they re-phrased it. "How would I know?" is NOT the answer they wanted, but it's the correct one! :LOL:
  130. D

    Ways to wealth

    I do not, and my library app doesn't seem to list it. I think most libraries allow for digital "borrowing" these days.
  131. D

    Ways to wealth

    Scott Adams wrote a book called, "How to fail at almost everything and still win big." I borrowed it from my local library, and I thought it was interesting. Part of his philosophy is to not think in terms of selling your time for an hourly rate. There are only so many hours you can work, and...
  132. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    How can I miss you, when you won't go away? Dan Hicks
  133. D

    Aging..

    I find that I enjoy mowing and most of my outdoor chores and projects for a certain amount of time. Then I get tired, stiff, or just sick of doing that particular task. Unless the entire place somehow *needs* to be bush hogged today, I prefer to mow for as long as I'm enjoying it, and then...
  134. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    Back when I was slogging through a work week, on Tuesday I would say, "After tomorrow is over the next day is Friday!"
  135. D

    Backup camera with its own access point

    Would it be acceptable to temporarily turn on the wifi hotspot on your phone when you want to use the camera?
  136. D

    Any good Movie download sites

    OK, thanks. It looks like that doesn't apply to my equipment. I don't even use the TV functions of my TV. It's just a big monitor for the TiVo. The last time I was TV shopping, it occurred to me that I could just buy a big LCD display, but the TVs were cheaper! :unsure:
  137. D

    Any good Movie download sites

    Can you describe how you block ads from YouTube on your TV? I also use a TiVo to watch and record OTA TV, in case that matters.
  138. D

    Who rides motorcycles?

    Wow! That is hard core. I don't know if I could do it, but I know I would get a bad attitude part way through. You must still be in pretty good health. [emoji106]
  139. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    And if that doesn't work, bite his ear off! [emoji6]
  140. D

    Road Rage, revisited.

    FWIW, I think you made the right call. If there is an option to just move along, I think that's usually the best option. In some areas, justifiable homicide requires that you are a "reluctant participant" in the general conflict. So if you get into a disagreement and things escalate, it can be...
  141. D

    Who rides motorcycles?

    I would guess that it's a marketing decision. I don't know what percentage of their sales is in Europe, but it must be significant. I don't *think* they would throw away good profit for no reason.
  142. D

    Who rides motorcycles?

    That could be. I don't see how swappable batteries are a logistically feasible solution in the US. It only seems relevant to long distance touring, and I would think the demand is too sparse and spread out to expect conveniently placed battery stations across the country. I've been riding...
  143. D

    Who rides motorcycles?

    It looks like a number of new motorcycles will soon be discontinued, due to compliance issues with European emissions standards. https://www.webbikeworld.com/honda-suzuki-yamaha-and-kawasaki-to-cut-37-motorcycles-by-2023/
  144. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    Another generator guy was out today, and this was his diagnosis. He replaced the controller (in the generator), which is covered by a 7-year warranty, so no charge for today's work! [emoji3] Surge protector work is a different crew, and I don't have a schedule for that yet. Thank you again to...
  145. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    I finally updated my profile to indicate that I'm in Ohio. We certainly have lightning storms, but I don't know how we compare to other areas of the country. We do have a grounding rod at the barn panel, and I assume it is connected correctly. That would have been one of the few things subject...
  146. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    Based on what I've learned on this thread, I was expecting a surge protector to be installed on the circuit panel in my house and barn, and I thought that this approach would hopefully protect my appliances, regardless of whether the surge originated in the outside power line or the generator...
  147. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    We definitely have ants, and I've had them destroy an outdoor GFCI plug multiple times, but the generator looked clean. I will be glad to get whole house surge protectors installed. In addition to lightning issues, the cutover to generator power seems to generate some dirty electricity. I've...
  148. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    That's a good point. Hopefully, I'll get a better answer tomorrow.
  149. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    I think it's out of warranty, but I agree. The guy they sent out today does annual servicing, but he wasn't familiar with the inner workings of the transfer switch, which is where he suspects the issue is. He happens to live right down the street from me, and he was available sooner. He will...
  150. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    Just a minor update, a guy came out today that is more of a mechanic, not an electrician. He confirmed that the switch over problem still exists and wasn't a one-time fluke. He confirmed that it was something he can't fix, and an electrician will be out at a later date.
  151. D

    Replacing regular with GFCI. - Solved Thanks All

    That's a good point. In our house, the upstairs bathroom outlets are on the same circuit as the downstairs half bathroom. If the upstairs outlets lose power, I've learned to check the GFCI in the downstairs bathroom.
  152. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    Thank you for all the information. I'm hoping to get someone out this week to check things out, and I'll also request some assistance with the ethernet surge protectors. I don't know how to properly handle the grounding wire connections. I'll post an update when I find something out. Thanks...
  153. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    Those sound like nice memories. My father was a college professor. He was a smart guy, but not particularly mechanically inclined. As far as inspection requirements, my horse barn required virtually no inspections at all. There was a VERY early electrical inspection in order to get the power...
  154. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    That is interesting and beyond my "do it yourself" qualifications. It's good to have some idea of what is involved. I envisioned it to be a bigger project.
  155. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    Lot's of good stuff. Thank you! The laptop was connected to a power adapter, which was connected to a UPS, which is supposed to have surge protection, although I couldn't find a joule rating for it. It was also connected via an ethernet cable to one of the two network switches that got fried...
  156. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    I don't have an extended warranty. I figure that I can expect to pay more for the warranty than I would have paid for repairs; otherwise, they wouldn't sell the warranties. Sometimes that comes back to bite me, but life happens.
  157. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    I have one generator, and the breaker inside the generator is On. Everything has worked flawlessly until this last experience. The generator is about 3.5 years old, and it has automatically provided power several times.
  158. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    That makes sense. The breaker in the generator was and is turned on. I let it run for about five minutes and then pushed the Off button, since it was just wasting propane. Then I set it back to Auto after the power came back on for a while. It will be interesting to see what they find. This has...
  159. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    That's a good idea, and I'll look into it. It is somewhat common for us to have very short outages, which I suppose are due to local maintenance work. Today's outage was during beautiful and calm weather.
  160. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    Thank you for the advice, and I can follow that procedure if this happens again during another power outage. I'm don't know how to access the transfer coils to check the wiring, but that's outside of my comfort zone. I'll get someone who (hopefully) knows what he's doing to check it out...
  161. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    The "Manual Operation" section above is more complicated, but it kind of sounds like it applies to the initial installation checks. The following section looks to me like I can just flip the switch, but I'm not sure.
  162. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    I have a manual for the generator and a separate one for the transfer switch, but I don't really understand it. Here is a page that seems most relevant to me, but I'm not sure if it directly applies to my situation. I vaguely recall the installer telling me that I could just manually flip...
  163. D

    Generac Running, But No Power in House

    We recently had a short power outage for about ten minutes. Our Generac whole house generator kicked on, but we still had no power in the house. I removed the cover from the transfer switch, and there is a manual switch that requires a tool (which is provided) to manually switch the house load...
  164. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    "Life is a joke, but remember, the last laugh's on you." I recall that from the Monty Python movie, The Life of Brian. When I looked it up, I realized that my recollection was a little off, but it's still a good quote, a good song, and a good movie, IMHO.
  165. D

    Road Rage, revisited.

    One of my stupid guilty pleasures is watching car crash compilations on YouTube. A common scenario is merging conflicts, where two drivers are hellbent on not letting the other driver get in front, and they eventually run into each other. I find it ironic that they both would have gotten home...
  166. D

    Road Rage, revisited.

    People get shot and killed for honking at the wrong person. On rare occasions, I'll give a short honk when someone is zoned out on their cellphone at a green light. I generally only use the horn as part of avoiding an accident. I always follow with enough distance that an aggressive driver...
  167. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    They ain't supposed to enjoy it. They're supposed to sit still for it! - Archie Bunker
  168. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    I agree with the Dilbert comic strip, which suggested that the entire works of Shakespeare need a rewrite for clarity. "Where are you, Romeo?" [emoji23]
  169. D

    Outdoor horse arena footing?

    If you can find a local arena that you like and employ the person that made it, I think that would be worth while. Just the materials used in an arena can be expensive, and it's a shame to waste money on a faulty approach. The arena consists of sub-base, base, and footing layers. The clay you...
  170. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    At that point, you can safely judge him, because he's a mile away, and he has no shoes.
  171. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    We used to have that rule in computer programming. 80% of the functionality can be provided with 20% of the work. Most of the time is spent covering all the little odd-ball scenarios.
  172. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    A great landing is when they can also reuse the plane.
  173. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    Karma is only a ***** if you are.
  174. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    She suspected her husband of cheating on her, because none of their children looked like him. - Benny Hill
  175. D

    Can you believe this story?

    Wow, those are some weird laws. The family can't sue the dealership, although they should be able to, so they sue the car owner, although it obviously wasn't his fault. The car owner sues the dealership and wins, so the trial goes on with car owner as the defendant, but all judgements go against...
  176. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    The future's not ours to see. Que sera, sera.
  177. D

    Battery based vehicles of today and tomorrow pt 2

    I saw this on the Dave Barry blog. It gave me a chuckle. https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/22/23037654/tesla-crash-private-jet-reddit-video-smart-summon
  178. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    Some people are not happy unless they're not happy.
  179. D

    Cool Or Creepy Things Found In The Bush Or On Your Property

    Yikes! What is the story behind that picture? I'm guessing that the metal sticking out must be part of the medical treatment for the injury, but it looks horrible.
  180. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    On my wife's side of the family, we had a double 50th Wedding Anniversary party for her parents and her aunt and uncle. At her parents wedding, the best man was her dad's brother. The maid of honor was her mom's cousin. The maid of honor was engaged to be married before the wedding, but she met...
  181. D

    Cool Or Creepy Things Found In The Bush Or On Your Property

    ETA: Although in this case, it seemed to work just fine! [emoji3]
  182. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    Congratulations! Two pensions in one family is rare these days. (y)
  183. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    If you have saved up enough money that you can retire with your portfolio in nonvolatile investments, then that works great. For others, the options are to accept some additional risk or keep working. I find that it helps to keep a portion of the investments in cash and consider the remainder...
  184. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    When I asked my financial advisor about the SS age question, he didn't strongly advocate any option. He said it comes down to my comfort level. If start collecting SS at a later age, I risk getting less money, if I die early. If I start collecting early, and my investments tank, I have more...
  185. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    I agree that this is a risk. I would add that any attempt to plan for retirement involves making multiple estimated projections. I also don't know what inflation and my expenses will be, but I made a plan and reviewed it with my financial advisor before retiring. If the stock market tanks...
  186. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    And another factor in the "break even" age is to account for the return on investments. By receiving the $100k in SS between 62 and 67, that's $100k that can remain in your investment portfolio and generate additional returns. After accounting for this return, my break-even age worked out to 86.
  187. D

    What is your favorite Quote or Saying?

    If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
  188. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    I'll note that just because he was skinny, that doesn't necessarily mean he was begging for food money. Drug addicts are often underweight.
  189. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    I was in college in the 80s, and I recall when this cartoon came out. College was not so much about learning and more about just getting through the class to get the grade. Then get a degree so I could get a job. As it turned out, most of what I needed to know for my job was learned on the...
  190. D

    Cool Or Creepy Things Found In The Bush Or On Your Property

    Our county sheriff has a website where you can check the police reports and arrests in your area. I suspect most places have that available now. Drugs are about everywhere. Unless its something major, it wouldn't even make the local news, and you'd never hear about it.
  191. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    Are you sure he's hungry? Have you ever offered him an apple to see how grateful he looks? Sometimes they get awful pissy if someone offers them anything but cash.
  192. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    If SS retirement age was set to the current average life expectancy (as it was when SS was started), I'm pretty sure it would still be a significant increase. BTW, I'm not actually advocating that idea. I'm just saying that the scope of SS has changed over the years, and that has added to...
  193. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    But seriously, if we kept to the original intent of social security, the retirement age would be continuously updated to the average life expectancy. It would not be a plan to provide 20 years of happy retirement for those who were unable or unwilling to save for it. It would be an insurance...
  194. D

    Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

    YOU are the problem! If you had the common decency to die at 65, like we used to, we wouldn't be in this mess! [emoji6]
  195. D

    Cool Or Creepy Things Found In The Bush Or On Your Property

    When I was a teenager, a friend's dad worked in the local dump. We also had a local Frito-Lay plant, and they would periodically bring non-sellable inventory, due to packaging issues. The dad would swipe the product, and they would have a massive quantity of chips in their house for a while...
  196. D

    Cool Or Creepy Things Found In The Bush Or On Your Property

    That sounds like a crazy person to me.
  197. D

    Gravity ... who needs it?

    Yeah, that makes sense. I should also note that, if I had that cool Bobcat of yours, I would be looking for something that needed to be ripped out of the ground. It looks very handy. [emoji106]
  198. D

    Cool Or Creepy Things Found In The Bush Or On Your Property

    I live in southern Ohio, and we have tons of crayfish that dig holes and live in the ground. They create annoying dirt mounds around the holes that are maybe 8" tall. When I'm mowing, I always try to run over the mounds with a front tire so I don't dull my blades by mowing dirt. Your situation...
  199. D

    Gravity ... who needs it?

    I find it a little sad that you pulled it, but I have a soft spot for weird trees. They seem like a testament to Mother Nature's adaptability and persistence to survive. Here is an odd tree at my place that is still alive. Most of the leaves are on the small section that sticks out from the...
  200. D

    If there are aliens, what will they look like?

    If you keep that up long enough, you'll wake up one morning and realize you are its it! [emoji23]
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