Friday Afternoon Links of “Organization”

My wife decided to start “organizing” the garage last night and that has continued through until today. I put the word organize in quotes because my wife, bless her, believes the definition of organizing to be “throw away anything that hasn’t been used in the last year”. Now, I put up with that everywhere except for my office and the garage. Even though by conservative estimates we have spent over $1000 replacing the perfectly good things we got rid of. I’m also not saying there wasn’t anything to get rid of in the garage. But, I’ve executed at least 3 rescue sorties involving various tools and stable household chemicals. Tools don’t go bad. Stable chemicals don’t go bad. Why dispose of something perfectly good that there is a high statistical likelihood of purchasing again?

The other revealing discussion was: “This is why I can never find any of your tools.” Uh, yes. Because they are MY tools. Get your own. We have a little tool kit with a wee hammer, pliers, and drivers of various types for tasks inside. But I caved on that one… because my solution was that she should buy me one of those nice rolling toolboxes with a workbench surface. And because of all of her organizing we have a place to put it! This is the kind of compromise you run a marriage on. On to…. the Links!

Breaking: Trump supports Constitutional process! I can’t imagine why. If the timing is juuust right, the Senate can start right after the big Primary Tuesday, and spend March-August calling the witnesses Republicans want to hear from, and then, about May, it will be time for the FBI IG prosecutions. Jesus, I sound like those mooks on NRO.

All your data are belong to us! As an aside, I assume that some agency of the USG will turn out to own that server.

The Taylor Swift mafia is issuing death threats now. I’d take that less seriously, but you know… darling of the neo-Nazis. Also, crazy 24 year old women.

Florida Dog, better driver than whatever is driving anything with Canadian plates. “This is great! This is great! If only I could get to the dog park! And the windows down!”

I’m not saying its aliens, but…

 

Comments

339 responses to “Friday Afternoon Links of “Organization””

  1. leon

    USG can control the weather, but can’t figure out how to stop illegal immigration.

    1. Juvenile Bluster

      I thought that (((we))) controlled the weather

  2. my wife … believes the definition of organizing to be “throw away anything that hasn’t been used in the last year”.

    YAAAAASSSSSS MY PEOPLE!!!

    1. TARDIS

      I’m a 5S kind of guy, but I’ve gotten a wee bit lazy since I’ve been working so many extra hours. My shitsuke is weak.

      1. Don Escaped Texas

        at least your mind is right

        yin and yang at our house:

        My stuff is squared away, oiled, and loaded.

        I step over and around her junk; an old pile would only be replaced by a new pile if ’twere stowed.

        I have never convinced her that the key to my success as a businessman and engineer is sheer laziness: I don’t have the energy to touch something twice, to throw it away later, to walk around it until the end of time, or not know where things are. I am in awe of people who can manage piles of nonsense, sprint around the attic several times, hunt for a passport for an hour without losing their minds: they are at least demi-gods, ranks and ranks above my mortal self.

        Do a thing once, do it right, do it correctly, re-holster, and sweep up.

        1. R C Dean

          I have never convinced her that the key to my success as a businessman and engineer is sheer laziness

          I am quite candid with my CEO that my work is based on laziness. Sure, to her it looks like “efficiency” and “prioritizing”, but the motivation is laziness.

          1. R C Dean

            Also, apathy. Which to her looks like “fairness”, being “judicious” and “cautious”, and “evenhandedness”.

            I gave a talk to a group of law students along these lines. The reactions were either slack-jawed inattention, or bug-eyed astonishment.

          2. slack-jawed inattention

            “Dude, we already figured this out.”

          3. commodious spittoon

            That, or future 9th circuit judges.

          4. Nephilium

            my work is based on laziness

            Welcome to the world of IT! Where everything is about making it work as simply as possible (in a good shop). And if you’re the one maintaining it going forward, as simple to maintain as possible. If someone else is maintaining it, best practice is to make it simple to maintain, but the standard appears to be, “Fuck that guy.”

          5. robc

            Laxiness, Impatience, and hubris.

      2. Not Adahn

        It bugs me that those five Japanese words only start with the same first letter in romanji

        1. Sensei

          Keep in mind seiri can mean either sorting or menstruation.

          It’s why we use kanji!

          1. TARDIS

            Being that sorting is the most annoying and messy part of the process, that seems appropriate.

    2. Tonio

      And that works real good until you need the special wrench to cut off your water or gas. “I didn’t know what it was; it looked antique and useless. And heavy.”

      1. bacon-magic

        “Antique!” “That was worth a mint dammit!”

        1. TARDIS

          You menstruated sorted wrong.

    3. Playa Manhattan

      Bye bye, wedding china.

      1. Funny you should say that…

        Mom: Can you store my china [that also has sentimental value to me] in your storage room since you don’t have anything in it?

        Me: Sure.

        Aunt: Hey, can you store mine, too?

        Me: Ugh. Fine.

        >>>>4 years later<<<<

        Me: Moving now. Here's your china.

        Mom: Sell it.

        Me: China has no value except piece by piece and I am not taking out every piece to photograph individually and then list it.

        Mom: Fine. Donate it.

        Brother: HEY I'LL TAKE IT!

        Me: HALLELUJAH!!! Mom, tell Aunt I'm bringing her stuff over.

        Mom: She's a hoarder and we've got too much of her stuff already.

        Me: WHY IS IT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO POLICE HER HOARDING??!?!?!?

        Mom: Favor to me.

        Me: Ugh. Fine.

      2. Florida Man

        I’m slated to inherit the GMIL’s crystal stemware. I can’t wait…that’s not a good thing to say, is it?

        1. peachy rex

          Dude. That might be the least Florida Man thing ever said. Unless you plan to use it for meth production, target practice, or gator hunting – then we’re cool.

          1. Florida Man

            I’m a complex person. I’m equally comfortable stalking the swamps for game or ordering in a fine restaurant.

          2. dontreadonme

            “Er, can I get a fresh bottle of catsup on the side?”

        2. Brett L

          It’s all good. Crystal stemware I would keep and use. China and good silver? Nope.

  3. leon

    Breaking: Trump supports Constitutional process! I can’t imagine why. If the timing is juuust right, the Senate can start right after the big Primary Tuesday, and spend March-August calling the witnesses Republicans want to hear from, and then, about May, it will be time for the FBI IG prosecutions. Jesus, I sound like those mooks on NRO.

    This is about as likely as Hillary being put in office after Trump was removed for collusion.

    1. J. Frank Parnell

      First the Electoral College, now the line of succession… SMDH, is there no end to the constitutional loopholes people will use to keep Her out of office?

  4. J. Frank Parnell

    Trump says he supports Senate impeachment trial if House moves ahead

    OMG no, he’s supposed to fire Pence, appoint Hillary as VP, then resign!!!!

  5. Don Escaped Texas

    rolling toolboxes

    The guitars, the guns, the tools, and the truck are (still) right where they belong.

    FirstWife is long gone.

    1. Not Adahn

      Is your current rollaway not goth enough? Try https://rhinosafe.com/ironworks-iwtc4372d-tool-chest-43h-x-72w-x-23d/

      1. Count Potato

        $5K? 630 lbs?

        1. blackjack

          I paid 4500 for my matco back in 1998. I assure you it’s triple the quality of that thing.

      2. Gross. I could get my son to do that for free.

        1. Not Adahn

          Your son is a welder?

    2. dontreadonme

      I see you have your priorities in order!

  6. Tundra

    Hi Brett!

    It’s a struggle for every man with both a garage and a wife. I have to regularly remind mine that she runs the bulk of the household. If it’s in or about the garage, it’s mine.

    That said, I had a huge sale once to get rid of the absurd volume of tools I had. It was cathartic.

    There is a much better Taylor Swift story floating around.

    Well played, Kings.

    1. Nephilium

      Wait wait wait… this sounds like if I marry the girlfriend she’ll start picking up? This doesn’t track as a reasonable assumption.

      1. Sean

        “It’s a trap!”

        -Admiral Ackbar

      2. Dr. Fronkensteen

        The reasonable assumption is that whatever you like about her will decrease by half. Whatever you dislike about her will double. If you can live with that, marry her.

        1. Florida Man

          Or don’t and keep the levels where they are.

        2. Bobarian LMD

          “A man marries a woman hoping she’ll never change and a woman marries a man hoping she’ll be able to change him.”

          – Someone smart.

          1. prolefeed

            “A man marries a woman hoping she’ll never change and a woman marries a man hoping she’ll be able to change him …”

            … and they’re usually both wrong.

    2. Playa Manhattan

      “The L.A. Kings went straight to the veterinarian needle”

    1. I did a paper for a film class on Bonnie and Clyde once. That film class was ridiculous. If you didn’t regurgitate what the prof said, the TA gave you an auto-D. Unless…

      She did that to me. Once. After that, I just wrote papers on whacky things about the film. For Bonnie and Clyde, I dissected the costuming choices and how the anachronistic wardrobe choices gave a contemporary flavor to a Prohibition-era film and was not entirely successful.

      For another (can’t remember which one it was), I wrote it on the storytelling rhythm, in that in a one-hour TV drama, 15 minutes of which is commercials, the setup is 10 minutes long and the villain (if there is one) is revealed in that first 10 minutes (doesn’t apply to dramas where the villain is an unknown). Thus, a 20-minute setup is reasonable for a 120-minute movie, and proportionately downward from there. The movie I was writing my paper on had a 30-minute setup which was way too long and the script should have been cut down.

      I never got anything else but an A in that class. TA was suitably impressed, especially since I never actually went to class.

      1. Rhywun

        I always laugh at anachronistic haircuts. Like M*A*S*H was on the other day and everyone looked like they might have been out at the disco the night before.

        1. I always try to count the number of stars on US flags in westerns to see if they got it right. 😐

          1. Florida Man

            I just talk through the film, sharing my opinions freely with the theater.

          2. jesse.in.mb

            People doing that in Mel Gibson’s opus The Patriot was the only thing that made it watchable.

            The remastered version of The Exorcist fell apart when she spider walked down and someone in the front yelled “bitch, why can’t you bend like that?” followed by a solid contact slap and then “why’d you hit me? I was asking a reasonable question.”

          3. Florida Man

            Gibson’s opus The Patriot-

            PAPA! PAPA!
            *cries hysterically*

          4. Meh, I like sappy movies like The Patriot. So sappy you could hammer a spigot into the screen and get syrup.

          5. Chipwooder

            Oh man, you dissed The Patriot, my wife will hunt you down now.

          6. jesse.in.mb

            Oh man, you dissed The Patriot, my wife will hunt you down now.

            Uhhh. It was so good during the “WHO WILL GO WITH ME” scene people jumped out of their seats, fist raised in the air screaming “I’m with you MEL!” and “YOU WILL NEVER TAKE MY FREEDOM!”

            Not many movies get that much audience investment. 😀

          7. Nephilium

            jesse.in.mb:

            So… it’s like Rocky Horror Picture Show, just not quite as campy?

          8. Not Adahn

            Not many movies get that much audience investment.

            The most intense audience reaction I ever witnessed was during The Passion of The Christ.

            I’m sensing a commonality here…

          9. Don Escaped Texas

            new fire hydrants, concrete telephone poles and new insulators, conduit, electrical outlets, ADA improvements, cars that always start right off the first time, front doors that swing out,

          10. Florida Man

            I watch movies BECAUSE they’re not like real life. Real life is boring.

          11. RBS

            Yeah dude, but think about who you are talking to.

          12. dontreadonme

            That is hilarious

  7. my solution was that she should buy me one of those nice rolling toolboxes with a workbench surface. And because of all of her organizing we have a place to put it!

    Good hubby.

    Only thing better than throwing stuff out is new shiny stuff to put stuff away. Tubs that match and stack. Metal toolboxes, the bigger the better. Shelves for the awkward-to-store items (like air compressors).

    That said, I feel your pain because all the tools in the house are mine. My son either breaks them or loses them and he NEVER puts back what he doesn’t break or lose.

    1. Tundra

      Big rolling box for the tools, cabinets for the bulky stuff, foldaway Festool table for projects. Ladders, bikes, mower, snowblower all fit below the cabinets.

      Most importantly: neighbor with a table saw!!

      I love a dialed in garage.

      1. I’ve got 2 problems other than XY:

        1) I’m so discouraged by a) my financial situation and b) my shoulders not being up to snuff that I can’t make myself do anything with my tools and they feel like a burden right now.

        2) We’re getting ready to move within the next 6 months, and I don’t know if the place we end up renting will have sufficient room. I may have to get a storage locker. But then…if I spend $100/month storing my stuff, I could buy everything again in 6 months.

        1. JaimeRoberto Delecto

          “my shoulders not being up to snuff that I can’t make myself do anything with my tools and they feel like a burden right now.”

          Are we still talking about the garage?

          1. DIY and the garage, I suppose. I don’t want to look at those things that once brought me joy and now don’t, plus the fact that my kid has them buried under other crap after I totally organized the garage.

            Mr. Mojeaux doesn’t think we should sell them. Yet.

            Maybe some day they will once again bring me joy.

          2. Jarflax

            Listen to Mr. Mojeaux. Never make any permanent decisions, even minor ones, based on your feelings in moments of euphoria or depression. You’ll regret them,

          3. Shirley Knott

            ^^^THIS

        2. Tundra

          Don’t store. Sell, sell, sell, sell.

          Tools are readily available. Get healthy, get your next life chapter going and worry about building stuff down the road sometime.

          1. That is my philosophy. I ask myself: How much would this cost to store? How much would it cost to replace?

            My nailers and air compressor are all Porter Cable. Cheap brand, but they’ve done a good job for me. They’ve earned their money back. My circular saw is newish. Mr. Mojeaux bought it for me when I had trouble lifting my dad’s 60-year-old Craftsman.

            Get healthy, get your next life chapter going and worry about building stuff down the road sometime.

            I’d rather get back to my sewing machine before I’d get back to building stuff again. XX has a prom coming up and I’d like to be able to make her dress for her.

          2. Sean

            “XX has a prom coming up and I’d like to be able to make her dress for her.”

            I nominate this as the sweetest comment made here today.

          3. Spudalicious

            That’s a pretty damned low bar.

          4. Jarflax

            Hey, OMWC has candy right in his name! And he drives around in a van literally GIVING it away to kids!

          5. blackjack

            I don’t know what kind of tools you have, but every new tool I buy is drastically reduced quality than the stuff I bought 20 or more years ago. The switch to Chinese made stuff has fucked the tool scene beyond belief.

          6. Sensei

            So much this.

            I generally use a mix of Klein and Wera now, but I don’t do lots of automotive like you do.

            I’ve got a fair amount of pre 1990 Craftsman.

          7. Gustave Lytton

            There’s still some WF craftsman screwdrivers on the shelf at the local home store. I keep thinking I need yet another screwdriver.

            Meanwhile I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of Japanese tool brands.

          8. I have my dad’s Craftsman corded drill (I will never get rid of that fucker; it’s got the torque and horsepower of a Ferrari) and his heavy circular saw (whose cord has been cut through 3 times, but only once by me). I’m keeping those even though I can barely lift the saw anymore.

            The rest of my tools are relatively new and already cheap. They aren’t going to get any worse by the time I need tools again.

            Also: I do not use cordless tools. My husband’s gone through too many of those pieces of shit.

          9. We’re not saying BEAM’s an alien, but . . .

            My cordless tools are Bosch. They’ve been bullet-proof since I bought ’em around ’08. The only problem? — getting new battery packs for ’em.

          10. Tundra

            Depends. The tools you have are mechanics tools, no? Those I agree have gotten shittier.

            But woodworking stuff is way, way, way better. Festool, Sawstop, Fein, etc.

            The stuff that Moj is contemplating selling isn’t irreplaceable like your stuff.

          11. Gustave Lytton

            I’ve fallen in love with systainers.

            And the local home store has expanded their Festool selection. Before it was just in the specialty woodworking, now they put Festool’s miter saw right next to the Bosch or Milwaukee. And Festool/Sawstop’s table saws out in the middle.

          12. We’re not saying BEAM’s an alien, but . . .

            Systainers are awesome, but eff me, are they expensive. Our only option in Canada (that I know of) to buy them are from Lee Valley, and their prices are kinda an ouchie.

          13. Gustave Lytton

            Makita’s boxes are the older style but mostly compatible. Can get those on Amazon here.

          14. Not Adahn

            That surprises me, since so much of our physical culture keeps getting better.

          15. JG43

            SK is still American made. Pricey though.

          16. Sean

            Sksksksksksksk.

            And I oop.

            What were we talking about?

          17. Hyperion

            I dunno. Most of the tools I have in my storage, I’ve been living in an apartment for a few years, are Bosch. I mean power tools. I think those are German? But they are far superior to anything I used 20 years ago. I also have some Makita, which are Japanese, and those are also really good tools.

      2. Mad Scientist

        Snowblower!? Man, you live in the wrong place.

        1. Tundra

          There’s that, but snowblowers are fun.

          It’s a 1980’s vintage John Deere. I love annoying my neighbors when I start it on the first pull while they are fucking around with their fancy electric-starts with plastic fucking carbs.

          1. Sensei

            I hate the new carbs. I’ve found the best thing is to run them dry. I know folks worry about moisture and rust, but the things are so lean coupled with the crap gas they clog if you look at them wrong.

          2. Mad Scientist

            Fucking ethanol. I run all my carbed engines dry at every use, or they wind up varnished.

          3. Tundra

            I give thanks that I can still buy clear premium. I use it in all my tools and the Spit.

          4. Tundra

            Also, Sea Foam seems to help.

          5. Mad Scientist

            Seafoam is wonderful stuff!

            Hey, as of this afternoon the Spitfire is insured and registered. Hooray! I’ll drive it over to the shop this weekend and start replacing everything rubber.

          6. Tundra

            Fantastic!

            I did pretty much all the bushings, etc as well. Easy. You are gonna love all the space.

            Pulled the rack, too, and gave that the once over. Brakes are a five minute job.

            Hagerty’s is great for insurance, btw.

          7. Spudalicious

            I’ve got a seven year old Ariens. At beginning of the season, it starts on the third pull, and during the season it starts the first time.

          8. Tundra

            It’s on the short list if I ever manage to kill this one. Parts have been unavailable for more than a decade, so I’ve had to get creative. Eventually my love and stubbornness will wane and I’ll get a new one.

            Ariens or Honda.

          9. Spudalicious

            Hondas are spendy.

          10. Tundra

            Sure, but I got 25 years out of this one. And I have a 12 year old Honda mower that I only bought becasue I wanted a new one. The [previous Honda was donated to family and still runs (I got it used).

            Good shit is worth it.

          11. Spudalicious

            Can’t argue. After going through two big box lawn tractors, I went to the Deere dealership and spent three times as much. I may never have to buy another one.

          12. TARDIS

            You spelled snowmobiles wrong.

          13. Tundra

            Nope. Too much carnage in my world from those things.

            I love risk, but those fall well outside my threshold.

          14. TARDIS

            I’ve been in the south for decades. I guess I’m just nostalgic. Most the time I didn’t get to drive.

    2. We’re not saying BEAM’s an alien, but . . .

      My son either breaks them or loses them and he NEVER puts back what he doesn’t break or lose.

      I have a brother who’s the same with stuff he borrows from me. I’ve stopped lending him anything. Never. Again.

    3. Playa Manhattan

      I have about 30 of these:
      https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sterilite-64-Qt-Latching-Storage-Box-14978006/206721480

      Neatly stacked and labeled.

      When my wife donates clothes, she donates the container too! It drives me nuts. I’m always having to go buy more.

      1. Oh, that’s BAD. No no no no no no do not let storage tubs go.

        These are my favorite: https://www.amazon.com/Office-Depot-Brand-Letter-Legal/dp/B00F63SA6W and I don’t use them just for storing my taxes.

        Second favorite for tools: https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/productImages/1000/17/17251a31-6cfb-43e2-8e21-06e32619107b_1000.jpg

        1. Playa Manhattan

          And in my system, they all have to be the same or it looks sloppy.

          If they stop selling these….

          1. they all have to be the same or it looks sloppy.

            YAAAAASSSSSS MY PEOPLE!

          2. Grummun

            We built the current house with *a lot* of built-in storage upstairs. Room for maybe 36 tubs the size of the ones that Playa linked. Every time I see how the wife is using that space: all mixed tubs of different sizes and makes. I weep.

  8. JaimeRoberto Delecto

    Is the Taylor Swift Mafia something like Jodie Foster’s Army?

    1. Florida Man

      More like McHale’s Navy.

      1. Shirley Knott

        Like the KISS Army, but but not as attractive or socially skilled.

    2. mexican sharpshooter

      Jodie Foster has an army?

    3. Chipwooder

      Lee Ving’s Army is where the real power is.

  9. AlmightyJB

    Yeah, the haven’t used for a year rule is fine, but you have to add a replacement value maximum as well. I use $25 give or take.

  10. Juvenile Bluster

    Can I sign up for the impeachment proceedings to take a decade? Whenever Trump goes out of office we can continue it against the next President. Better than whatever Congress normally does.

    (though they managed to take time away from impeachment to renew the Patriot Act, so maybe that’s not going to do anything)

    1. B.P.

      The next time the Ds capture the presidency and the GOP has the House, I feel like it’s incumbent upon the GOP to immediately launch impeachment proceedings, and announce either: (a) There is no basis for impeachment, but they thought that’s how things work now; or (b) The basis for impeachment is the exact same activity that launched the Trump impeachment. For the latter, I have every reason to believe that the D president will have engaged in that activity.

      1. mexican sharpshooter

        They aren’t smart enough for the latter, nor are they brazen enough to attempt the former.

        1. B.P.

          Yeah, that seems about right.

    1. Bobarian LMD

      She walks like an over-burdened construction worker carrying two bags of bricks when she walks on the catwalk.

      It gets funnier every time!

      1. prolefeed

        She looks like a RealDoll TM in several of those pictures.

  11. Count Potato

    “Fallen Angels: Victoria’s Secret CANCELS its ‘sexist, outdated’ fashion show as it fights to stay relevant in the #MeToo era after years of backlash over its lack of diversity”

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7712477/Victorias-Secret-Fashion-officially-CANCELED.html

    GAY

    1. Florida Man

      over its lack of diversity”-

      Was this reported on BET?

      1. RBS

        Maybe not enough fat chicks. Or chicks with dicks.

    2. RBS

      There are no men left on earth who enjoy sexy lingerie or women who enjoy wearing it. It is known.

      1. Chipwooder

        In fairness, my wife used to work there and still has friends who worked there and their sales have tanked.

    3. Rhywun

      I see they managed to leave “plummeting ratings” out of the headline. You know, that actually relevant datum, not the made-up one.

      1. Dr. Fronkensteen

        Internet porn. First National Geographic and the underwear section of the Sears catalog and now this.

        1. Rhywun

          ding ding ding

          1. Rhywun

            Glamour LOL.

            Heh I remember those days.

    4. leon

      Since Epstein died, who are they gonna sell the girls to?

  12. grrizzly

    It May Take a Month to Name California’s Winner on Super Tuesday

    California’s decision to move up its 2020 primary to Super Tuesday in early March from June will make the nation’s most populous state one of the most important in deciding the Democratic presidential candidate. But changes to the voting process could mean the final results won’t be known for weeks.

    Many counties are still testing the new or updated devices, while also preparing for state-mandated election changes, including allowing in-person voting 10 days before Election Day and broadening the number of people who can vote by mail for nearly half the state.

    The changes also allow same-day voter registration at every polling location. They also add, for the first time for a presidential election, the ability for voters to submit missing signatures on vote-by-mail ballots no later than two days prior to the certification of the election, which could vary by county.

    County elections officials will still have up to 30 days after Election Day to complete vote counting, auditing and certification.

    Pathetic.

    1. Sean

      We’re building the wall in the wrong place.

      1. Rhywun

        You’re going to need more walls. These stupid rules are spreading like wildfire across one-party America.

    2. Dr. Fronkensteen

      testing the new or updated devices (and new ways to commit fraud)

      County elections officials will still have up to 30 days after Election Day to complete vote counting, auditing, certification and finding new ballots in cars without a proper chain of custody.

      Am I being too cynical?

      1. I’m not sure you’re being cynical enough.

        1. Tundra

          One of my faves from Vimes:

          “If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn’t as cynical as real life.”

    3. JaimeRoberto Delecto

      It takes time to figure out how many ballots need to be harvested.

    4. Chafed

      We can’t even keep the electricity on. You can’t expect us to count ballots too.

    1. Well, quite.

      1. Why is that not at Barrett Jackson? Or better yet, Gooding’s next Pebble Beach sale?

        1. Tundra

          No clue, but there have been a really surprising number of really rare and interesting cars on BaT. I love it because the comment section is a wealth of knowledge. Plenty of snobbery, but some really good in-the-weeds car geekery too.

      2. Count Potato

        Yikes! Ralph Lauren sure drove up the price of those.

    2. Florida Man

      I wouldn’t pay more than 100k. Final offer.

    3. Sean

      Seems reasonable.

      *checks limit on Amex. And discover. And visa. And the other amex*

      ?

    1. Florida Man

      Here’s a crazy solution: don’t watch it. Like I didn’t watch the new terminator.

    2. Apparently she has never seen Kill Bill. There’s, like, 3 dudes in it, not counting the faceless Crazy 88.

      1. Florida Man

        It blew my mind that Esteban & the sheriff was played by the same actor.

        1. Oh, I did not know that! That’s awesome.

    3. mexican sharpshooter

      So you are saying Thunderf00t will be interesting again?

    4. To everyone saying they shut down insane asylums I say: think again, look at Twitter.

      1. Dr. Fronkensteen

        Twitter is proof that they did shut them down. If we still had insane asylums these people would be given a fake Twitter account to keep them occupied or at most a local Twitter just for the facility.

        1. Florida Man

          Local twitter = litter. I like it.

    5. Hyperion

      Are people like her, some sort of masochist? I mean, do they just post stuff on the internet and then enjoy being humiliated in the comments?

      1. Count Potato

        I’m sure Sarkeesian has a massive block list.

        1. Hyperion

          So, she just posts shit and looks at no replies and imagines how much her non-existent fans adore her?

        2. Not Adahn

          Nah, she needs to find “threatening” tweets to show to the NYT about how much of a victim she is.

          1. Hyperion

            Can anyone remember when being a victim was sort of a bad thing? I guess it didn’t become a good thing until it not only had no consequences but also pinned some sort of magical status perk to your ass.

          2. We’re not saying BEAM’s an alien, but . . .

            I suspect it also became a good thing right around the time you could start monetizing it. Sarkeesian’s a perfect example of that.

          3. Hyperion

            No one cares what she thinks. Gamers hate her, I can tell you that, check Steam Forums on that one.

          4. Nephilium

            Hyperion: No, no, no. That’s just the misogynistic male gamers who are trying to keep Strong Women like her out of the hobby through their hatred and impotent rage. Not the real gamers*.

            *Real gamers include people who have never played a game, but thought about playing, or have totally bitching farms in Farmville (or whatever the latest skinner box game is).

          5. Not Adahn

            But people who think themselves superior to gamers love her.

  13. Florida Man

    Has anyone been to Iceland at the end of March? Is it worth the trip or is everything still frozen?

    1. Chipwooder

      Shockingly enough, I can answer yes to this question, although it was 29 years ago. There was a big snowstorm the first night we were there, but they told us that was unusual. There hadn’t been any snow for a while before that. It was snowing on us when we went to the Blue Lagoon, which made for a rather wild experience.

      1. Florida Man

        Thanks. I’m trying to decide Between Costa Rica or Iceland for my continuing education conference next March.

        1. Playa Manhattan

          Costa Rica.

          1. Florida Man

            Have you been to Playa Conchal?

          2. Playa Manhattan

            Jaco for 2 weeks, Quepos for 1, rest of the summer in San Jose.

          3. Tundra

            ^^^^THIS^^^^

        2. dontreadonme

          Iceland is best in the Summer or early Fall (Northern lights!!). Be sure to get to glacier lagoon and the far West.

  14. Taylor Swift: the spirit animal of Entitled Basic White Bitches everywhere.

    1. Also: Rich guy bought your shit. Get over it. You signed a shitty contract where you were a teenager because you were just grateful to get a shot. Now you’re a megastar and “I’M AN OPPRESSED VICTIM!” because someone leveraged the fact that signed said shitty contract. You’re already super rich and popular. GET THE FUCK OVER IT.

      1. This is one reason I love Nikki Sixx. Even when he was a snot-nosed heroin-addled kid, he knew to keep his IP to himself and started his own record studio. He got their contract on his terms.

  15. Playa Manhattan

    Just found out about this and bought tickets for Wednesday night:
    https://www.livingdesert.org/events-and-tours/signature-events/wildlights/

    Should be fun for the kids, and maybe some of the animals will still be awake.

  16. Mad Scientist

    I’ve executed at least 3 rescue sorties involving various tools

    Go to Harbor Freight and get a tool box. They have locks. Don’t tell your wife where the keys are.

    1. I have a Craftsman rolling tool chest. I locked it. Kept the keys away from my son. It didn’t take much for him to jimmy them open by holding his mouth just right. He didn’t damage anything to do it, either.

      Chest is just a cheap piece of shit.

  17. Hyperion

    “Breaking: Trump supports Constitutional process! I can’t imagine why.”

    “House impeachment proceedings have helped — not hurt — President Trump’s approval in the eyes of voters”

    Been saying it for a long time, but the best thing the current crop of democrats could do is stay the hell out of the spotlight and keep their mouths shut. But they can’t, and so now everyone can see the extent of their craziness. Sure, the really far left kooks like it, but not much of anyone else. Seriously, the most sane one of them has to be that Marianne new age hippy chick, I’m being serious, and they already ran her off for not being radical enough.

    1. More concisely: all they have to do is not be crazy, and they can’t even manage that.

      1. Hyperion

        I can’t even, thankfully, imagine what it must be like to be perpetually angry, outraged, aggrieved, and envious. It doesn’t sound like much fun to me, but apparently some people are really into it.

    2. B.P.

      As the saying goes, the Left wants to silence the Right, while the Right wants the Left to keep talking.

  18. Good thing my shocked face is still out for repairs.

    https://twitter.com/Mangan150/status/1191432591905132544

    Also, that was before the government gave us the gift of the food pyramid.

      1. The best part of that was the fact that he gave up beer in lieu of wine. FTW!

        1. Speaking of wine:

          No evidence low-carb causes gout.

          I found it relevant, since wine is often said to be a gout no-no.

          1. B.P.

            I don’t know what causes it, but it sure hurts like hell.

          2. Spudalicious

            Elevated levels of uric acid. Some foods and drinks have higher levels. Aged cheese, red wine, shellfish are some of the worst. That’s why I take Allopurinol. I haven’t had an attack in over ten years.

        2. Hyperion

          “The best part of that was the fact that he gave up beer in lieu of wine. FTW!”

          Sounds like the best reason to not do low carb, to me.

          1. Beer is liquid bread.

          2. Florida Man

            No, it’s pre-whiskey.

          3. B.P.

            Correct answer.

          4. jesse.in.mb

            All of the Scotch tour operators mentioned that their ferment was *basically* beer, but would be really fucking gross. Glenfarclas was fun because their fermenters smelled really heavily of that banana-ester hefeweizen smell.

            Their clearic tasted like fresh green apples at 68% and I’m sad they can’t sell it for take-away.

          5. We’re not saying BEAM’s an alien, but . . .

            Beer is also high in purines, which aggravate the symptoms of gout. Got a good buddy who’s had to swear off of beer, as well as certain meats (venison being high on the list, to his chagrin . . . ).

    1. Hyperion

      CNN will get that all scrubbed down and locked safely away before it… frightens the children, gotta protect the children.

    2. Florida Man

      The survey found 31 percent of respondents think it likely the United States will “experience a second civil war sometime in the next five years-

      Wasn’t that the participation rate during the Revolution? That’s not good.

      1. Hyperion

        I think there is certainly coming a point where we cannot peacefully co-exist with the left. They’ve already decided they have to overturn the only thing protecting most of the country from being ruled from Sacramento, NYC, and DC, the electoral college. They want to force us into a subsistence living standard through such radical ideas as a green new deal, outlawing private healthcare, confiscatory taxes, and all sorts of other insanely radical ideas. They also have shown that they will not respect the results of free elections and they want power through any means necessary. We can just hope it doesn’t come to violence, but it’s a definite power keg ready to blow and you have out entire media and public education system 100% behind the lunatics.

        1. The Left is the side that *wants* a civil war.

          1. Hyperion

            You mean the side that ‘thinks’ hey want a civil war. Only because they think the US government is going to fight it for them while whey hide out in their safe space, in mum’s basement. There’s a very tiny percentage of them who would actually voluntarily go into a battle situation where people will shoot back at them.

            The really scary thing is that the kids who are just now getting to voting age are so dumbed down, most of them, that they will vote for all this wokeness not understanding in the least what they are voting for and the consequences. I still say our only hope is to dismantle public education and start over from scratch about the entire concept of education.

      2. I believe it was 33% didn’t care, 33% were loyalists, 33% were revolutionaries, which, IIRC something I read a couple of times, is about the apathy distribution of any issue anywhere amongst humans.

        1. Spudalicious

          It was much worse than that. 3% fought the war, 20% supported the war and the majority that were left were loyalists.

      3. JaimeRoberto Delecto

        I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Left start bombing stuff like they did in the 60s and 70s if Trump is reelected. This time the Right is likely to get involved too.

        1. Hyperion

          “I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Left start bombing stuff like they did in the 60s and 70s if Trump is reelected.”

          I doubt it. There’s not enough testosterone these days for that. I mean they won’t do it themselves, they’ll stare at Twitter and dream about it. They might hire some radical Muslim imports to do it for them though, so it still could happen.

          1. JaimeRoberto Delecto

            Antifa seems to be able to find enough people to go out and crack skulls. I’m sure they could find some bomb makers too.

          2. Hyperion

            They only do that in woke cities like Seattle, where they know their stunts probably will not even result in any jail time. They go blowing up a bunch of people, they know their ass is fucked and they don’t have the courage.

          3. Hyperion

            I mean, don’t get me wrong, sure they can find a few crazies willing to do that, just like most of the mass shooters, there’s always some crazies willing to commit suicide. But an organized effort where they get a lot of people to put their ass on the line? Nope, don’t see it.

    3. LJW

      Any civil war between right and left wouldn’t last but a few days.

      1. Florida Man

        Funny. They said that about the first one, too.

    4. “Polls are all bullshit and manufactured to drive the MSM narrativ….Ooh! here’s a poll that agrees with my world view!”

      1. ^^ not sayin he’s right, but he’s right.

        1. Florida Man

          I thought of that, but IF true, that’s disturbing. I think civil war is highly unlikely, because life is too good. People need to be desperate before they throw their lives away.

          1. Hyperion

            I think a full on civil war is unlikely in the USA because our standard of living is so high. Now if then left can bring that all crashing down like they want to, I think it’s more than likely. Otherwise, it will just be a long drawn out cold war with intermittent outbreaks of localized violence.

        2. Not Adahn

          Common cognitive biases are common.

      2. Yes. I’m a hypocrite. You sure showed me.

    5. leon

      How bout a poll of what people plan, not what they expect from the people they hate?

      1. Florida Man

        I plan to live that good life while the haters hate.

      2. mexican sharpshooter

        I plan to drink moderately on an empty stomach while I marinate a flank steak for carne asada tomorrow.

        1. Mad Scientist

          This guy gets it.

        2. Spudalicious

          I plan to continue sipping my cocktail until it’s time to grill a pork chop and pop a bottle of wine.

      3. Hyperion

        I plan to keep drinking beer for a while, eat something, and maybe play some more RDR2.

    1. Shirley Knott

      Alas, one of the true greats has fallen.

    1. Mad Scientist

      I saw a bumper sticker today that read, “100% deplorable.”

    2. Hyperion

      If giving little kids massive doses of hormones is not child abuse, I sure as hell don’t know what is. Do any of these loons even… I mean has any of them ever even been teenagers? The hormone tribulation you go through is bad enough as it is, and these freaks do this? It should be considered not only child abuse, but torture. They should all be publicly hung after the tar and feathering and stoning.

      1. AlmightyJB

        I at the very least hope to see some kids suing their abusive parents and winning.

  19. Nephilium

    Just finished (the hopeful) last full grocery store run before Thanksgiving (I need to stop at the West Side Market to try to score some cajun bacon). The cooking has begun. Tonight is making up some pans of mashed sweet potatoes (one sweet and nutty, the other spicy and smokey), make up some lemon pepper cookie dough, and if it’s not too late the bacon mac and cheese.

  20. Had to put the dog down today. He had gotten to the point where he wasn’t healing up from an eye infection, and his arthritis had gotten pretty bad over the last few weeks. When he stopped bothering to get out of the kennel for food, we knew it was time.

    He always was quite stubborn, as scotties are wont to be, and he was my wife’s dog from before we got married. he loved my wife to the point that he and I constantly butted heads. However, we grew to an understanding.

    Our youngest cat, the big bully, was close with the dog, and he kept me company while I dug the grave. I’ve never seen that cat stay in the same place for so long.

    1. Florida Man

      That is sad. Glad you didn’t let him linger.

    2. Hyperion

      Sorry to heat that.

      1. Hyperion

        hear

    3. I am so sorry.

    4. Brett L

      Glibs need to stop having dogs. It’s like sitting through Ol’ Yeller every week. Which is my gruff way of saying, I’m sure he was a good dog.

      1. Florida Man

        These 2 are my last 2. I love dogs, but I hate owning pets.

        1. Hyperion

          You sound like my wife. She’s always torn about getting another dog or not and her last one died, same as mine, a couple of decades ago.

        2. Rhywun

          Same with my two cats.

          Some of my friends are crazy cat people who have like a running cast of three or four at a time for decades. Nuh-uh.

          1. Every time I have a cat nearing its end, I say, NO MORE!!!

            Then 2 days later, I’m wailing, I MUST HAVE A KITTY SOUL IN THE HOUSE WITH ME!!!

          2. jesse.in.mb

            My former roommate’s cat (now my cat) has slowed down considerably. Unfortunately our shitty neighbors have a declawed outdoor cat, who has essentially moved in with us (and terrorizes my cat). I am afraid that when my cat dies I will defacto have a next cat.

            My boyfriend keeps threatening to get a Maine Coon when my current cat dies (he prefers dogs but is willing to compromise with a bruiser of a cat for my sake). “That’s fine, dear, but the Maine Coon is your cat and the Maine Coon and all of its shedding will go with you if/when we break up.”

      2. Hyperion

        Last dog I had, that was more than 20 years ago, my Aussie got ran over by a car, he was 7 years old, never had a dog I was that close to, haven’t had another one since. I’m only now thinking about it again and I may opt for a cat instead.

    5. That sucks, sorry.

    6. Shirley Knott

      I’m so sorry for your loss. You did right by him.
      And end to suffering when suffering won’t end.
      I had to put my dog down not quite a month ago.

      1. Shirley Knott

        /An

    7. B.P.

      No bueno.

    8. Tundra

      I’m really sorry, trashy.

      Please give my best to your wife. Hard to say goodbye to a pal.

    9. Spudalicious

      Sorry to hear that trashy.

    10. Count Potato

      Sorry 🙁

    11. We’re not saying BEAM’s an alien, but . . .

      I’m touched by the cat’s response. I’m also very sorry for what you had to do, but glad you had the courage to do it. Peace.

    12. mexican sharpshooter

      Sorry to hear it, Trash.

    13. Cannoli

      I’m so sorry, trashy

    14. Mad Scientist

      Sorry, trashy. The last few weeks always suck, but only because the years before that meant so much.

    15. Grumbletarian

      Sincerest condolences.

    16. MikeS

      Sucky day. Sorry to hear that. Give the wife a hug.

    17. Sean

      That sucks. Sorry.

    18. kinnath

      It’s been a month since I put down one of our shelties. We have one left. He will be 13 next February. So he won’t be far behind.

      The wife says no more dogs. We’ll see how long that lasts.

      1. My wife said the same thing, and i actually believe her. When the dog that got her through her divorce died, I figured we were in for a puppy within 3 months.

        Her relationship with this one started to grow distant once the baby came a couple years ago. There’s more guilt than grief with this one. Guilt that we didn’t do more to prevent his decline and guilt that he was seen more as a burden than a pet over the past couple years. I think it’ll be a while until she wants another one.

  21. Hyperion

    Yawn…

    Sorry, but this guy is drinking the hope juice or something. I don’t even know a single person who thinks that anything is going to happen to Obama, or Hillary, or even anyone high up in the Obama admin, no matter how much FISA abuse or whatever is found. The chance of even a few low level people being thrown under the bus is pretty low at this point. The dems will continue with their failed coup attempt, but that’s all the media will cover and nothing else will happen. You have to be a really low lever corruptocrat, like Catherine Pugh, to get the rug pulled out from under your corrupt behind.

    1. We’re not saying BEAM’s an alien, but . . .

      Looks too organized. D00ds are standing in line and everything.

      1. Hyperion

        And none of them have an alcohol containing drink in their hand. I call fake news.

        1. Spudalicious

          And they’re wearing pants.

          1. We’re not saying BEAM’s an alien, but . . .

            I’ll allow it. Pants are necessary for getting from one meeting to the next.

          2. commodious spittoon

            People hassle me in public all the time and I always wear pants. Bet they wouldn’t if I weren’t.

  22. Count Potato

    https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1197954041139146754

    Well, if any State knows about importing drugs…

    1. Hyperion

      Jeebus da Christ, that Trump is some sort of libertarian! He must be stopped!

    2. Hyperion

      “…Pelosi and her Do Nothing Democrats drug pricing bill doesn’t do the trick. FEWER cures! FEWER treatments! Time for the Democrats to get serious about bipartisan solutions to lowering prescription drug prices for families…”

      Orange man speak truth.

      “FEWER cures! FEWER treatments!”

      That on steroids. Just wait until they outlaw private medical insurance and let the state completely control healthcare. You ain’t seen nothing yet.

  23. Gustave Lytton

    Hey SP! WordPress want me to tell you there’s a newer version of WP available.

    I’m beginning to think the stuff under the hood of WP is put together by idiots.

  24. Hyperion

    “My wife decided to start “organizing” the garage last night and that has continued through until today.”

    My wife is definitely the organization master of this clan. But we’ve been living in an apartment. I can’t wait until we get a house and she starts organizing my tools, and she will. That will be interesting to say the least.

    1. Hyperion

      “This Week The Iranian Regime Shut Down The Internet And Began Murdering Protesters”

      Arab Spring. Is CNN covering this, or are they too busy with fake impeachment circus?

      1. AlmightyJB

        Well they are the Clinton News Network.

    2. commodious spittoon

      Shame what Trump did to Iran.

    1. Hyperion

      “You can’t abuse our women, that’s our job!”

      “Jagalasar said James was drunk when he arrived and was accused of misbehaving with a few women.”

      Looks like they weren’t doing their job.

      1. commodious spittoon

        I’m here to beat women and beat tourists, and I’m all out of women.

        1. Hyperion

          The women might of been paying attention to them if they weren’t holed up in their IRS scam phone centers all night.

  25. Not Adahn

    I am now legal to pack heat.

    …except in schools, government buildings, the five boroughs of NYC, within 500 feet of a church, park, newspaperstand, or fire hydrant, on east-bound interstates before 9:00pm…

    1. Count Potato

      So basically nowhere, just like the 1000 feet of school pretty much makes it impossible to drive through any city.

      1. Not Adahn

        But now, if I stop for gas on the way to the range, I’m not committing a felony!

    2. Spudalicious

      I can’t carry on school grounds and the statehouse when the legislature is in session. And although I have a permit, I don’t need one.

      1. Gustave Lytton

        Did you spring for the enhanced version?

        1. Spudalicious

          No. I just renewed my basic.

          1. Spudalicious

            Enhanced allows me to carry on college campuses and adds about four states.

          2. Tundra

            Mine expires next month. I have to take another fucking class to renew it.

            “Shall issue” my ass.

    3. Sean

      How about a bar?

      1. Spudalicious

        I don’t know about NA, but I can carry in a bar as long as I’m not drinking. I’m okay with that.

        1. kinnath

          My instructor claims that Iowa allows you to carry and drink in a bar, so long as you don’t blow above 0.08 (same as DUI).

          However, police on the street don’t seem to give a shit about what the law actually says, so I won’t carry if I am going to drink anything.

          1. Hyperion

            We can’t have public safety until we get zero tolerance laws and the accuracy of the breathalyzers is about .02 or so between calibrations, so we’ll achieve utopia at that point.

        2. Sean

          PA has no restrictions on that front.

          1. Hyperion

            The thing about PA is the high property taxes. JHFC, is that ever likely to change? We’re thinking about buying a home there, but the property taxes are 2X what they are in MD.

          2. Rhywun

            I might retire to PA with their no tax on retirement income.

          3. Hyperion

            Hmm, that’s a perk I didn’t know about. The high property tax still bothers me. Prices are quite a bit lower in York County than they are in Carrol County MD, but the taxes are double, so it’s sort of a wash at that point. I don’t get why their property taxes are so high.

          4. Rhywun

            Maybe to make up for lower taxes elsewhere. I could be off but I have the impression that NY and CA (and from what I’m hearing, NJ) are the states that really fuck you every which way, while most of the others not as much.

          5. Hyperion

            PA is listed as one of the most tax unfriendly states on a lot of sites I’ve seen. And I get it just comparing property taxes to MD.

          6. Sean

            I’m from NJ, PA seems very reasonable by comparison.

          7. Hyperion

            Everything else seems reasonable in pretty much the entire country compared to NJ. But MD is not exactly a libertarian paradise, so the PA taxes are still of a little shock to me. York County is beautiful there, we’d still like to live there if it works out.

          8. Sean

            Fwiw, I enjoy living in PA. By a large margin.

          9. Hyperion

            You mean compared to NJ? I’m looking at it compared to MD, which is, I’m pretty convinced no way near as bad as NJ.

      2. Not Adahn

        Bars are legal.

        1. Not Adahn

          …with the caveat that it must always remain concealed.

    4. Sensei

      Do not inadvertently find yourself in NJ under any circumstances. Wrong turn, construction, etc…

  26. MikeS

    My gawd the anchor lady in that Florida Dog story was annoying. Wow. That’s the best CNN has?

    1. Hyperion

      “the anchor lady in that Florida Dog story”

      “That’s the best CNN has?”

      It’s CNN, I’m pretty sure they aren’t going to top that today, or tomorrow…

  27. Have I mentioned yet today how much I hate Adobe? No? I hate Adobe with the fiery rage of 1,000 burning suns.

    1. Hyperion

      So, are you going to tell us the reason for your ire?

      1. Jarflax

        She likes kiln fired brick, and I agree. Adobe just doesn’t support the load as well, and it is basically useless in wet climates.

        1. That, what he said.

      2. Long saga, but in short: It won’t let me use the version of the program I want to use.

        1. Hyperion

          I don’t even know that you just said. Are you talking about Acrobat?

          1. Yes.

            I have a very old version of Acrobat (5, if you must know). I have the Acrobat X upgrade. I love my Acrobat X. It works. I love things that work.

            I want to install Acrobat X on a different box I use for one thing. Now, on this box, I have the latest Adobe Reader, which I hate. So, I thought, I will install Acrobat X on this box.

            First, I lost my X key. That’s on me. I usually have my keys listed in a password keeper. I had to install a utility to find it again. No problem.

            I forgot that I can’t install Acrobat X without having the initial Acrobat installation installed. Acrobat 5 is not compatible with my new box, but I installed it anyway.

            I go to install Acrobat X. Install key works. But I have to put in the key for my previous Acrobat version WHICH IS NOT LISTED IN THE DROP-DOWN MENU.

            So that’s where I hit the wall with that.

            THEN I decided to roll back to a previous version of Reader. I had to uninstall the current version before it would install. Now I have a version I like, but I don’t have Acrobat. I don’t NEED Acrobat on this box, but now my pride is wounded.

            Make fun of me for my outdated programmery all you want, but it works and does not bug me, and I like that which works and does not bug me.

          2. Hyperion

            “Make fun of me for my outdated programmery all you want”

            No, I won’t, I get it. See my post below, they’re a pain in the ass company.

          3. Rhywun

            Make fun of me for my outdated programmery all you wan

            I’ve thought of it, but decided against 🙂

            I’m all latest and greatest at home but for work shit it’s totally different. I’ve had the same battles as you with Microsoft developer tools.

      3. They went to a subscription model (well, it doesn’t even matter since I can’t afford their software prices anyway). I have several products that are upgraded from and dependent on very antiquated versions that Adobe now will not recognize.

        I am trying to install this on a box I use for really only one thing because the latest version of Adobe Reader is pushing the subscription on me and won’t just let me look at the docs without a bunch of fussiness.

        Now, I have everything working dandily on my regular work computer and heaven help me if I ever have to move computers. But I want to set a few things up on my limited box and…I can’t.

        1. Hyperion

          I went through sort of the same thing. I agree with you, Adobe’s pricing scheme sucks. I’m glad I don’t have to depend on it, a client takes care of it for me. I mean I have 2 copies of Windows 10 on 2 PCs for a total cost to me of about $260, but I need it, so Microsoft sucks way less than Adobe in that regard.

          Have you looked at some of the Adobe alternatives?

          1. Actually, I prefer Adobe to any of the alternatives because sometimes the alternatives don’t do what I need to do. It is more straightforward to just use Adobe.

            I get my Adobe products second-hand off eBay. Besides Acrobat X, I’m running Pshop 7 (yes, really) and Illustrator 8.0 and (if I ever need it or want to), Pagemaker 7.0.

            I also have a virtual box running XP so I can actually use some of the OOOOLLLLDDDD stuff that’s not compatible with Win7.

          2. Hyperion

            Have you tried upgrading your OS to see if that helps? I mean for me, having an outdated OS is always a bad idea.

          3. Hyperion

            Seriously, you can get Win 10 for $130, and it’s yours forever, not like a subscription or anything.

          4. When I upgrade anything, stuff breaks. I am a creature of habit and I don’t get huffy till something breaks.

          5. Well, see, if I upgrade to Win10, I will not be able to use Acrobat 5 to jump start Acrobat X. I have a system. I would have to scrounge around and spend money on Acrobat 7 or up to be able to piggyback Acrobat X onto it.

            Illustrator and Pshop work perfectly well on 7. I can almost guarantee it won’t on 10.

            That’s what I mean when I say stuff breaks.

          6. I am upgrading my EPUB ebook editor and that’s got some major changes that will take some getting used to.

            I treat outdated versions of things like utilities.

          7. Hyperion

            “When I upgrade anything, stuff breaks. I am a creature of habit and I don’t get huffy till something breaks.”

            More stuff will break when you don’t keep up to date with your OS.

          8. More stuff will break when you don’t keep up to date with your OS.

            I haven’t found that to be the case. Ever.

            e.g., Acrobat 5 is not going to work on Win10, which will require me to purchase another piece of software or go to Adobe’s subscription model.

            When I can no longer make money with my current setup, I’ll change.

    2. Rhywun

      Right there with you. I refuse to install any of their crap.

      You might remember a while back when I converted an Adobe DRM-crippled book into a regular PDF.

      Me, the main reason I hate them is their software is complete garbage. Slow as mud and buggy AF.

      1. Hyperion

        I have Photoshop elements, because sometimes I find myself with no graphic artists to depend on and so have to ad lib it. But that’s it, I’m not buying any of their other overpriced shit.

      2. You might remember a while back when I converted an Adobe DRM-crippled book into a regular PDF.

        No, I don’t remember that, but if you asked me, I probably sent you to alf-something. Or we discussed it. You know, I think it’s coming back to me because we DID discuss alf-something.

        1. Rhywun

          Yeah, I don’t even remember the name. I either deleted it or got a new computer in the interim and it’s not here.

    3. AlmightyJB

      “I hate Adobe with the fiery rage of 1,000 burning suns.”

      This.

  28. Nephilium

    Damn it… I’m trying to be strong to keep the weight loss going. But now I’m cooking, and there’s a fridge full of good beer right behind me…

    1. Not Adahn

      I’ve almost lost the weight I put on when my friend came to visit. Just in time for Thanksgiving.

    2. Hyperion

      I’ve found that you have to exercise off the beer. As long as I push 5-10 miles walking/running a day, I never gain any weight, no matter how much I eat. But if I don’t do that, I have to cut way down on the beer.

      1. Hyperion

        So yeah, just a fact, beer has a lot of calories, especially the tasty kind. If I can burn off 3000 calories a day, I’m good, if not, I’m going to gain weight, or either not so much beer.

  29. kinnath

    open thread started

    1. Rhywun

      You mean we can talk about anything??