OT: General Off Topic Thread [No Politics, Race, Religion, etc.]

MikeIsGood · Post #941 » by **MikeIsGood** » Thu Oct 16, 2025 5:15 pm

I feel similarly about going late on Fridays. You should end by Noon so people can get out of town and back home. Was at one a month ago that went til 6pm Friday and I had quite literally zero (reasonable) options to get home; had to stay til Saturday, ended up home mid-afternoon, and it basically just felt like work ate-up the weekend. Everyone was grumpy Monday, lol.

Post #942 » by **MickeyDavis** » Sun Oct 19, 2025 12:41 am

Read on Twitter

Post #943 » by **ReasonablySober** » Sun Oct 19, 2025 1:46 am

Man, electronic bread proofing boxes are so cool. I keep my place in the mid-60s so bread never proofs well enough by keeping it out. Bought a proofing box and a dedicated bread pan for the oven and the results are night and day.

Post #944 » by **MickeyDavis** » Sun Oct 19, 2025 2:24 am

I have no idea what a proofing box is

Ryan5UW · Post #945 » by **Ryan5UW** » Sun Oct 19, 2025 2:25 am

MickeyDavis wrote:I have no idea what a proofing box is

It's something that people who name their sourdough starter buy

stellation · Post #946 » by **stellation** » Tue Oct 21, 2025 8:19 pm

My hot water system has gone kaput. It seems I've reached a point in my life where I'm more distressed by the inconvenience of not being able to have a shower this morning than I am by suddenly having to cough up, presumably, a couple of thousand bucks.

AussieBuck · Post #947 » by **AussieBuck** » Tue Oct 21, 2025 8:42 pm

I've been making loquat jam the last couple years from a tree in my backyard. This stuff is the absolute best.

MikeIsGood · Post #948 » by **MikeIsGood** » Tue Oct 21, 2025 8:45 pm

AussieBuck wrote:I've been making loquat jam the last couple years from a tree in my backyard. This stuff is the absolute best.

I love loquats. Unfortunately, they're effectively impossible to get here.

Finn · Post #949 » by **Finn** » Tue Oct 21, 2025 11:21 pm

stellation wrote:My hot water system has gone kaput. It seems I've reached a point in my life where I'm more distressed by the inconvenience of not being able to have a shower this morning than I am by suddenly having to cough up, presumably, a couple of thousand bucks.

Gotta have the hot shower in the morning!

ReginaldDwight · Post #950 » by **ReginaldDwight** » Wed Oct 22, 2025 2:22 am

stellation wrote:My hot water system has gone kaput. It seems I've reached a point in my life where I'm more distressed by the inconvenience of not being able to have a shower this morning than I am by suddenly having to cough up, presumably, a couple of thousand bucks.

To be honest water heater a pretty easy task to do yourself. Just dont electrocute yourself if you have an electric system.

dbrodz7 · Post #951 » by **dbrodz7** » Wed Oct 22, 2025 12:40 pm

Finn wrote:
stellation wrote:My hot water system has gone kaput. It seems I've reached a point in my life where I'm more distressed by the inconvenience of not being able to have a shower this morning than I am by suddenly having to cough up, presumably, a couple of thousand bucks.

Gotta have the hot shower in the morning!

We are doing a major remodel and addition and last week I discovered that the electrician unplugged the hot water heater as I had to watch myself develop a micropenis in the shower.

Post #952 » by **MickeyDavis** » Wed Oct 22, 2025 4:39 pm

There is a pending bill in the WI legislator that would allow online sports betting. It has bi-partisan support (shocking). Right now all gambling has to be through the tribes and only onsite at the casino. It's in the State constitution. It would still have to be offered only by the tribes. The way they are getting around the on-site law is to have the servers onsite at the casinos. Apparently that passes the test.

I enjoy sports betting and I'm close to a casino but it would still be nice not to have to go there to place bets. And it would open it up to anyone in the state. Most will be responsible in their betting, many won't. That's the downside. In most places that offer online sports betting the account has to be funded in person at the casino with cash or you can use a debit card. No credit cards. That's a good idea. I hope that's the case here when/if it starts up.

MartyConlonOnTheRun · Post #953 » by **MartyConlonOnTheRun** » Wed Oct 22, 2025 6:03 pm

MickeyDavis wrote:There is a pending bill in the WI legislator that would allow online sports betting. It has bi-partisan support (shocking). Right now all gambling has to be through the tribes and only onsite at the casino. It's in the State constitution. It would still have to be offered only by the tribes. The way they are getting around the on-site law is to have the servers onsite at the casinos. Apparently that passes the test.

I enjoy sports betting and I'm close to a casino but it would still be nice not to have to go there to place bets. And it would open it up to anyone in the state. Most will be responsible in their betting, many won't. That's the downside. In most places that offer online sports betting the account has to be funded in person at the casino with cash or you can use a debit card. No credit cards. That's a good idea. I hope that's the case here when/if it starts up.

Yeah I go back and forth. Feel they oversell the tax benefits and it will hurt a lot of people who can't control themselves. The business model is only profitable with people getting addicted. That said, it mostly impacts the individual participating so the small libertarian part of me says let people do what they want.

As for me personally, I like once a year putting down a couple hundred on futures and calling it a day. I do it on layover flights in gambling states. I absolutely do not need or want live betting accessible to me while having a few beers and bored.

MikeIsGood · Post #954 » by **MikeIsGood** » Wed Oct 22, 2025 6:11 pm

I don't have a problem with sports betting (or betting in general) in a vacuum, although I myself do not participate.

What I despise is how it has seeped into the culture with such tight partnership that players, their families, their organizations are targeted by losers - literally and figuratively. And it's implicitly supported by the leagues themselves, partnering with the online megabrokers to target their audiences, no matter how vulnerable they are.

Siefer · Post #955 » by **Siefer** » Wed Oct 22, 2025 6:39 pm

I think there's increasingly compelling evidence that the rise of sports betting, especially when combined with microtransaction patterns and smart phones, has caused significant harm to society.

Post #956 » by **MickeyDavis** » Wed Oct 22, 2025 6:41 pm

Yeah the leagues and networks promote endlessly with a little disclaimer at the bottom with a number to call for help. But it's like drinking or driving too fast. A vast majority are responsible, some are not. I don't want to have the opportunity taken away from me. I just hate that I can't get away from it while watching games.

Post #957 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Oct 22, 2025 11:36 pm

Anyone buy contacts or glasses online? I went to a national chain last year and was walloped by how much I was charged for some contacts and new prescription eye glasses and frames. I've got $650 in my FSA to use up over the next two months and I figure maybe I'll buy some more eye stuff, but I don't know if the process online is a good one or not.

KidA24 · Post #958 » by **KidA24** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 2:48 am

ReasonablySober wrote:Anyone buy contacts or glasses online? I went to a national chain last year and was walloped by how much I was charged for some contacts and new prescription eye glasses and frames. I've got $650 in my FSA to use up over the next two months and I figure maybe I'll buy some more eye stuff, but I don't know if the process online is a good one or not.

I've never had a problem ordering online. They've been good and it saves a ton of money. I haven't tried since covid, though

jute2003 · Post #959 » by **jute2003** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 1:55 pm

ReasonablySober wrote:Anyone buy contacts or glasses online? I went to a national chain last year and was walloped by how much I was charged for some contacts and new prescription eye glasses and frames. I've got $650 in my FSA to use up over the next two months and I figure maybe I'll buy some more eye stuff, but I don't know if the process online is a good one or not.

As long as you don't have weird eyeballs, I dont think its bad.if you have astigmatism or something that makes your prescription complicated, it can be a bit frustrating though.

Ryan5UW · Post #960 » by **Ryan5UW** » Fri Oct 24, 2025 3:48 am

ReasonablySober wrote:Anyone buy contacts or glasses online? I went to a national chain last year and was walloped by how much I was charged for some contacts and new prescription eye glasses and frames. I've got $650 in my FSA to use up over the next two months and I figure maybe I'll buy some more eye stuff, but I don't know if the process online is a good one or not.

I’ve bought contacts online for years, never had an issue but you will need a recent prescription that they can verify. There are places that do online exams, but since I have astigmatisms I never checked into doing that, I don’t think it would work for me. You can usually find promo codes for some of the websites as well.