Topic: Blog Thread 4; Live Free or Blog Hard - 'cos we all like blogging (Read 557711 times)

~~GarandMarine~~ · « **Reply #3950 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 14:06 »

I took 70 in and it was god awful. Hopefully it's not quite as shitty from here to the Illinois border tomorrow.

cesium133 · « **Reply #3951 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 14:29 »

I think I-70 through Illinois is the most flat, boring, and depressing highway I've ever been on.

Granted, I've never driven through Kansas. I've heard terrible things about driving through Kansas.

~~GarandMarine~~ · « **Reply #3952 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 14:41 »

Having done both, Kansas is the worse drive from just road conditions. It's so boring and samey that it actually induces hallucinations and can lull you to sleep. I would however rather drive Kansas then Illinois. If for some reason I get pulled over by a state trooper in Kansas, and he searches my vehicle, I'm not potentially up for 20 years in prison in Kansas. Despite Federal law I could be in Illinois. (In short, Illinois has very strict gun laws, Federal law protects travelers who are just passing through a state, but Illinois has pulled shady shit before)

cesium133 · « **Reply #3953 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 14:57 »

Ah, heh, I've probably told the story about my uncle freaking out when he found out my dad brought a gun into New Jersey. (New Jersey has a similar law, and enforces it strictly despite any Federal laws contradicting it).

~~GarandMarine~~ · « **Reply #3954 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 15:06 »

NJ's fucking terrible about that. MD's pretty awful too, so I try to avoid all three when traveling with weapons, but I did MD this morning and I have no other options really (that wouldn't cost a fortune in time and gas) besides a quick burn across Illinois.

Barmymoo · « **Reply #3955 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 15:10 »

Would it be completely ridiculous to suggest not having the guns in the vehicle? I have no idea whether you're allowed to ship weapons so this might be a stupid thing to ask.

Redball · « **Reply #3956 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 15:11 »

Quote from: GarandMarine on 22 Jul 2014, 15:06

NJ's fucking terrible about that. MD's pretty awful too, so I try to avoid all three when traveling with weapons, but I did MD this morning and I have no other options really (that wouldn't cost a fortune in time and gas) besides a quick burn across Illinois.

Illinois is a short one. A couple of hours on 70 from Terre Haute to St. Louis comes to mind. I drive that twice annually between MI and AZ.

~~GarandMarine~~ · « **Reply #3957 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 15:24 »

Quote from: Barmymoo on 22 Jul 2014, 15:10

Would it be completely ridiculous to suggest not having the guns in the vehicle? I have no idea whether you're allowed to ship weapons so this might be a stupid thing to ask.

It would for a wide variety of reasons. Cost effectiveness for one. Maintaining positive control of your personal arms for two.

The cost is the worst part. It's extremely expensive to ship firearms via a freight shipper. For one they have to go from FFL (Federal Firearms License, commonly used to indicate an individual who has such a license) to FFL. So I can't ship them myself, I have to turn them over to a third party, who ships them to a fourth party. I then have to go to the fourth party and PAY for my property again. Because I have to do another background check and do another form 4473 (firearms transfer, in this case of my property from the FFL to me), and I'm pretty sure you need to do a form 4473 for each firearm. Now some FFLs will be cool about that, and only charge you one background check fee and one transfer fee, but there's plenty that will charge you an individual transfer fee for each weapon. At $25-50 a weapon that adds up very quickly. $200-400 for the transfer fees + Background Check Fee ($25-$35) and shipping costs $40-50 per rifle and you're very, very quickly in the thousands of dollars. Would you be willing to do that for some of your personal property? Things you've already paid for?

The ridiculous part is that it shouldn't matter if I have the guns in the car or not. As long as they're stowed properly (and mine always are) which is to say in a locked case, separate from ammunition, as long as my weapons are legal in my point of origin, and legal in my destination then Federal law protects, or should protect, me and my property because I'm in transit using the Federal highway system. Certain states like New York, Illinois and New Jersey are however determined to fleece more money off of people, and like most cops, steal their property as well, so you get the usual corruption run around.

Lines · « **Reply #3958 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 15:50 »

I-70 through Ohio has been under construction for over a year now. I'm pretty damn tired of it.

Actually all of Ohio's highways seem to be under construction.

Akima · « **Reply #3959 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 16:14 »

Quote from: GarandMarine on 22 Jul 2014, 14:41

It's so boring and samey that it actually induces hallucinations and can lull you to sleep.

This is quite dangerous especially with a solo driver. The Newell Highway in NSW has long, absolutely dead straight sections that are marked in red as a danger zone in my road atlas of Australia because so many people have run off the road, crossed the median line into a truck coming the other way etc. The Newell is single-carriageway for most of its length, and our state government, in its infinite wisdom, now permits B-triples like this on the road:

jwhouk · « **Reply #3960 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 16:59 »

Quote from: dr. nervioso on 22 Jul 2014, 13:37

Wooo!me and GM are in the same state(for now)
But yeah, the construction around I65 can be awful. It seems like something in central Indiana needs a massive construction project.

When I used to drive down I-65 to get to Nashville, I swore that there must be an Indiana state law that some part of I-65 within the state lines must be under construction at all times.

Detachable Felix · « **Reply #3961 on:** 23 Jul 2014, 00:52 »

Quote from: Akima on 22 Jul 2014, 16:14

[Newell Hwy scariness]

The danger is more so the B-Triples going into your lane - we once had to swerve completely off the road because the truck driver wasn't paying attention and was half on our side of the road. Seriously scary shit

~~GarandMarine~~ · « **Reply #3962 on:** 23 Jul 2014, 09:30 »

Speaking of dangers on the rode I just got pulled over by the Illinois State Police for my GPS being in the wrong position quote unquote,

Redball · « **Reply #3963 on:** 23 Jul 2014, 11:14 »

A cautionary post.... where was it?

Akima · « **Reply #3964 on:** 24 Jul 2014, 02:21 »

The rozzers mistook it for a radar-detector? Or are they legal in the USA/Illinois?

bainidhe_dub · « **Reply #3965 on:** 24 Jul 2014, 03:27 »

Varies state-to-state, but looks like they are legal in Illinois.

~~GarandMarine~~ · « **Reply #3966 on:** 24 Jul 2014, 05:54 »

I will post a pic when I get to my computer, but it was the position of my GPS. It took two senior ISP detectives to tell me that. 30 miles from the border.

GPS are legal in every state, but in some cases apparently if you place it on part of the wind screen it's considered a hazard because it obstructs your view. This is very stupid. Especially in my case. The only view my GPS was obstructing was of my dash. Cop just about shit a brick when he asked if I had guns and I said yes. I think they were looking for drug traffickers. My plates are from far away, my car is packed... Shocked they didn't ruin my week and get the dog and stuff but I'm not complaining

~~GarandMarine~~ · « **Reply #3967 on:** 24 Jul 2014, 18:54 »

Made it.

Detachable Felix · « **Reply #3968 on:** 25 Jul 2014, 02:58 »

So I've been applying for an ABN and doing various other things to make my Piano Dude stuff more official/professional, and all I can think of the whole time is this:

Thrillho · « **Reply #3969 on:** 25 Jul 2014, 03:09 »

Okay that is nearly making me crack up like a loon in the office.

nekowafer · « **Reply #3970 on:** 25 Jul 2014, 07:37 »

I am having the same problem.

lepetitfromage · « **Reply #3971 on:** 25 Jul 2014, 11:58 »

Aaaaahahahaha I love that. It is my life lately.

YAY FOR SOMEONE WITH NO HR EXPERIENCE INHERITING ALL THE HR THINGS.

Barmymoo · « **Reply #3972 on:** 25 Jul 2014, 15:57 »

At about 7pm today I emptied my fridge and freezer compartment because the freezer badly needed defrosting.

I just finished getting the ice out, with my hands and a knitting needle as well as a bowl and a casserole dish full of hot water. My fingers are cut all over from the sharp edges of the icebergs - I didn't notice that happening, I guess they were numb with cold - and I am soaked to the skin. I must have got at least a kilogram of ice out of that thing. It wasn't that the inside of the freezer compartment was iced up, although it was - almost half of the space was taken up with an enormous chunk of ice. It was the ice round the outside of the freezer box that was the hardest to deal with. I have never seen so much ice. None of the previous tenants of this flat can ever have defrosted the fridge before, it can't have got that bad in less than two years.

Redball · « **Reply #3973 on:** 25 Jul 2014, 16:05 »

If I have time and there's a place for the ice to drip, I just let it defrost on its own. But usually I use a hair dryer and mop up the drip to speed things up.

Barmymoo · « **Reply #3974 on:** 25 Jul 2014, 16:24 »

If I had left the ice to defrost on its own, the flat would have been flooded. We are talking litres of water frozen into icebergs here.

~~GarandMarine~~ · « **Reply #3975 on:** 25 Jul 2014, 17:06 »

You could have your girlfriend over and do a dramatic reenactment of the last scene in "Titanic"

Loki · « **Reply #3976 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 00:09 »

The defrosting was accompanied by a string quartet.
This is my headcanon and you cannot prove me otherwise!

Barmymoo · « **Reply #3977 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 02:39 »

I'm becoming increasingly certain that I don't have a girlfriend any more. She appears to have graduated from the year five school of relationships and is breaking up with me by simply ignoring me forever.

Anyway, I came here to say something but can't remember what it was now.

Oh yeah, I remember. It was to announce that despite getting rid of the rotting cauliflower, cleaning out the fridge, taking the bin out, cleaning the bathroom and purging the drains, there is still a weird smell in my flat. WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?

BeoPuppy · « **Reply #3978 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 02:57 »

That would be shit.

Maybe applicable to both items in your post, upon reflection.

ankhtahr · « **Reply #3979 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 02:57 »

I returned from my hometown yesterday. I somehow had more to do there than I had hoped, so I wasn't able to learn for the exam I'm supposed to write on monday. Learning all that in only two days seems absolutely impossible to me, so I think I'll cancel the exam (which is no problem at all). It's kinda bad, as I then need to do that exam in one of the next semesters, but it doesn't give me any actual problems, it's just a bit annoying.

The weather is worse here than in my hometown, which is surprising. My hometown is known for its bad weather, and this town is known for very good one. But I don't mind, I like colder weather anyway, so while it's still warm, at least the sun isn't burning.

Pilchard123 · « **Reply #3980 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 05:39 »

Quote from: Barmymoo on 26 Jul 2014, 02:39

I'm becoming increasingly certain that I don't have a girlfriend any more. She appears to have graduated from the year five school of relationships and is breaking up with me by simply ignoring me forever.

Anyway, I came here to say something but can't remember what it was now.

Oh yeah, I remember. It was to announce that despite getting rid of the rotting cauliflower, cleaning out the fridge, taking the bin out, cleaning the bathroom and purging the drains, there is still a weird smell in my flat. WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?

Is there maybe a rotting fish hidden under the floorboards?

Aimless · « **Reply #3981 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 05:51 »

Mold?

Your nose?

ankhtahr · « **Reply #3982 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 06:17 »

Second blogpost of today:

I got a new inktape for my typewriter at the local office supplies shop. This makes me happy. I'll go pick the typewriter up at the post office on monday (they're closed already today), so I can finally use it again. I had left it in my hometown, and now shipped it here when I was visiting.

I also ordered a post box. My landlord hasn't given me a letterbox, so all my letters go through his hands. I don't like that. I looked into the price of post boxes and found out that they only cost 15€. Once. No monthly fees. And they redirect all post into it. Yay, nobody looking through my letters again! (Don't misunderstand this, he never opened my letters, but I still don't want him to see all the letters I receive)

bainidhe_dub · « **Reply #3983 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 07:41 »

Quote from: Barmymoo on 26 Jul 2014, 02:39

I'm becoming increasingly certain that I don't have a girlfriend any more. She appears to have graduated from the year five school of relationships and is breaking up with me by simply ignoring me forever.

Anyway, I came here to say something but can't remember what it was now.

Oh yeah, I remember. It was to announce that despite getting rid of the rotting cauliflower, cleaning out the fridge, taking the bin out, cleaning the bathroom and purging the drains, there is still a weird smell in my flat. WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?

Maybe something fell down next to/under the fridge or stove? I don't know how likely that is without a pet though... Or something missed the bin? We keep ours in a cabinet under the sink so things can hang out in the dark and get gross if we don't realize.

Barmymoo · « **Reply #3984 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 10:30 »

I moved the fridge out to open the door wide enough to get the shelves out when I defrosted it, so I know the smell isn't coming from there, and I don't actually have a bin, I just have a carrier bag hanging on a chair that I take out pretty regularly. The smell is over in my study nook (where I'm sitting now) which has a desk (nothing under or behind it, I checked), a bookcase (likewise - I had to move it when I got internet and there's no way anything can have got behind it since then), an armchair (nothing under it and recently washed) and my handbags, none of which have anything in them that can smell. But it is definitely over here, and only faint. I have looked everywhere! I only moved in a couple of months ago, and I clean daily, so I can't see how anything has escaped my notice...

Pilchard123 · « **Reply #3985 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 11:20 »

Do you have cauliflower up your nose?

Barmymoo · « **Reply #3986 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 11:32 »

Haha no, checked that too

I wonder whether it's a smell coming in from outside actually. My study nook is near the skylight which is open constantly at this time of year.

Lines · « **Reply #3987 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 14:22 »

Maybe there's a dead something on the roof?

jwhouk · « **Reply #3988 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 15:02 »

Or, perhaps, if the skylight is near one of your neighbors, it's something from your neighbor's place?

My next guess might be that it might be a connecting wall or something that may have dry rot or something in between the studs or cross-members. (I suspect you UK'ians call it something else - it's basically the wood frame that the interior dry wall boards are attached to.) Things can sometimes get caught behind there - mice, bugs, termites, other vermin or just mold or fungus - and cause a huge stench.

Grognard · « **Reply #3989 on:** 26 Jul 2014, 16:26 »

dead mouse in the air vents?

Barmymoo · « **Reply #3990 on:** 27 Jul 2014, 03:48 »

I don't have air vents, and I've no idea how to check if there's something in the walls. I think it's a bin smell coming in from outside to be honest, it's hot at the moment and they only empty the bins once a week so the likelihood of bin smells is pretty high.

hedgie · « **Reply #3991 on:** 27 Jul 2014, 04:01 »

Eww. That has to be pretty awful.

Barmymoo · « **Reply #3992 on:** 27 Jul 2014, 05:24 »

Oddly, today I haven't noticed the smell. Perhaps someone has moved whatever it was!

hedgie · « **Reply #3993 on:** 27 Jul 2014, 05:29 »

Quote from: Barmymoo on 27 Jul 2014, 05:24

Oddly, today I haven't noticed the smell. Perhaps someone has moved whatever it was!

Yay! And be glad you don't live near the ocean. Dead whales tend to take a while to get removed.

Aimless · « **Reply #3994 on:** 27 Jul 2014, 05:36 »

Yaaayyy!

Yesterday I donated just over 40 books (mostly fantasy, a lot of sci-fi, some pop-sci and one Marian Keyes

) to the library. Then we got one of these:

It's perfect! It displaced our old wooden shoerack which is a shame 'cause I love it, but needs must and so on. Anyway, it's 76cm tall and I suddenly realized it might be better in our bathroom (much-needed extra storage space), in which case it'd switch places with this:

Barmymoo · « **Reply #3995 on:** 27 Jul 2014, 06:07 »

Purty! I love the basket solution to storage space - I was considering baskets for my bookcase or as craft storage, but in both cases I ended up going with a different approach. I'm still keeping baskets in mind as an option for future storage issues though; they are practical and pretty at the same time

Lines · « **Reply #3996 on:** 27 Jul 2014, 06:15 »

Baskets are awesome. I have various square ones from Ikea floating around the house because they fit into our bookcases and also under our side tables in the living room. Looks much nicer than bags o' crap like I had in the past.

Also I have to hide a lot of my stuff in baskets or my cat chews on them. Or moves them into other rooms. Freaking sneaky cat.

pwhodges · « **Reply #3997 on:** 28 Jul 2014, 02:53 »

Heads-up for any interested Aussies: My son Nicolas will be playing Ligeti's Piano Concerto in Sydney and Debussy's Études for Piano in Melbourne in late August.

BeoPuppy · « **Reply #3998 on:** 28 Jul 2014, 03:11 »

Is he, like, a rockstar? Is that what he should be compared to?

pwhodges · « **Reply #3999 on:** 28 Jul 2014, 03:56 »

Perhaps! or perhaps not.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Blog Thread 4; Live Free or Blog Hard - 'cos we all like blogging (Read 557711 times)