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RTDNTOTO 🐻 Random Thoughts Deserving No Thread of Their Own 14 (2019)

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Maister said:
Kind of like Sheriffs. I can't believe that in the 21st century we're still not requiring this position to be held by someone with a career in law enforcement as their background.
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We have municipal judges here without law degrees. But they aren't even elected, just appointed.
 
I had to go to the Secretary of State today to renew my license and my registration. My wife went about 6 weeks ago and had to wait about 2 hours to get called to the counter. Our local office used to be pretty quick to get in and out so we weren't prepared for it to be that long and she didn't know that she could/should make an appointment as they don't really promote that in the stuff you get in the mail. Knowing how long she had to wait, I went online to make an appointment on September 16th, knowing that my birthday was coming up in mid-November and that I'd have to go in to get a new "enhanced" license. Today was the earliest date available for an appointment (if I had waited until I actually received my renewal notices in the mail to make an appointment, the earliest date available at the two closest offices is in January... long after everything would be expired :r: ).

I walked into the office this morning at about 11:10 for an 11:15 appointment and there were literally no open chairs in the waiting area and people were lined up along the walls - there must have been close to 80 people waiting to be called to the counter. I thought to myself, "Oh no. This isn't going to be good, even with an appointment!" and was set to email my boss that I'd be later getting back than planned. As I was pulling out my phone to type up that email, my name was called and I was on my way. I ended up being out of there in less than 15 minutes, and that included a vision test and new photograph. I felt sort of bad for walking in and basically being called up immediately while some folks were obviously waiting for a very long time, and would continue to do so.

FWIW, my boss actually came to her current job a few months ago after being the Michigan Secretary of State's Chief of Staff since she took office in January. I was not above potentially pointing out in the email about how it's her former office that's holding me up from returning to work on time.
 
Maister said:
Yeah, Chuck's good people. He knows right from wrong. Let's make him a judge....
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That's pretty much how it works. Now they don't hear murder trials and stuff like that but they can issue search and arrest warrants and dispense justice at court twice a week. Lots of vehicular citations.
 
Dan said:
Is there a message from a specific blocking program? Do you know the name of it?

We had this problem years ago, when Websense classified Cyburbia as "recreational" or "games" rather than as a professional site -- it didn't block Planetizen or other planning-related blogs. Websense now considers Cyburbia "Educational Materials".

SmartFilter, SiteAdvisor, WebControl, WebWasher (marketers seem to love camel caps for naming web filters) and McAfee Web Gateway put Cyburbia in the "Technical/Business Forums" category. FortiGuard puts us in the "Government and Legal Organizations" category.
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Forcepoint. It only did it that one time. Weird. Never gives me trouble.
 
MD Planner said:
That's pretty much how it works. Now they don't hear murder trials and stuff like that but they can issue search and arrest warrants and dispense justice at court twice a week. Lots of vehicular citations.
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That sounds like what we call magistrates in NC. They issue search & arrest warrants and reside over small claim courts. Most are former law enforcement officers. I experienced it first hand when I was evicting a tenant. The magistrate prociding over the courts that day was homespun, bordering on "bumpkin" and I realized pretty quick that he didn't have a legal degree. My case was handled fairly but it could went south quickly.
 
ursus said:
Forcepoint. It only did it that one time. Weird. Never gives me trouble.
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Forcepoint considers Cyburbia to be "Educational Materials", so ... odd. Maybe it was picking up the "fingerprint" of XenForo.
 
Our file servers went down. Just so many things I can't work on. I am the sadness.
 
Mary had a little plan
Little plan, little plan
Mary had a little plan
Its markings red as blood
And every time that Mary reviews
Mary reviews, Mary reviews
Every time that Mary reviews
The plan tries to get approved

It violated setback codes
coverage codes, height codes
It violated many codes
Which was against the rule
It made the planners laugh and cry
Laugh and cry, laugh and cry
It made the planners laugh and cry
And thankful the plan was Mary’s

And so the council denied the plan
denied the plan, denied the plan
And so the council denied the plan
But still it lingered near
And waited patiently
Patiently, patiently
And wai-aited patiently
Til Mary did retire

Now Jason has a little plan
Little plan, little plan
Jason has a little plan
He’s marking red as blood
And every time that Jason reviews
Jason reviews, Jason reviews
Every time that Jason reviews
The plan tries to get approved
 
The concept of naturally occurring fraternal triplets sent me down a wiki-hole today reading about multiple birth in humans.
 
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Whenever I'm doing historic research, I'll come across something that makes me go "WTF?" Today, it's "3 wheel bicycles".

3_wheel_bicycles.jpg


Also, why is a jewelry store selling "3 wheel bicycles?" I see this a lot in older ads -- jewelry stores selling radios, refrigerators, musical instruments, luggage, and the like.
 
Dan said:
Forcepoint considers Cyburbia to be "Educational Materials", so ... odd. Maybe it was picking up the "fingerprint" of XenForo.
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Yeah, it was weird. It only locked me out for like two attempts over ten minutes and then was back to normal. Long Live Cyburbia! Viva Dan! :)
 
Maister said:
Most democracies do this. It removes the potential barrier of having to get time off from work and while it might not be an issue for some it is for others. An alternative might be to move elections to weekends as Germany has done, or go all in for tech like Estonia has and make it even easier to vote, by allowing folks to do it online.
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[soap box] We are not a democracy... we are a constitutional republic [/soap box]


We do not have the day off and the polls are open well past standard working hours to give everyone the opportunity to vote.
 
More random old-timey weirdness.

An editorial cartoon that would be "problematic" by today's standards.

yak_yak_yak.jpg


This dress, on sale at Hengerer's in downtown Buffalo in 1940.

hengerers_1940.jpg
 
Dan said:
Whenever I'm doing historic research, I'll come across something that makes me go "WTF?" Today, it's "3 wheel bicycles".

View attachment 47071

Also, why is a jewelry store selling "3 wheel bicycles?" I see this a lot in older ads -- jewelry stores selling radios, refrigerators, musical instruments, luggage, and the like.
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Thank goodness they have credit. I mean really.... $2.95? Who can afford such extravagance?
 
Doohickie said:
Thank goodness they have credit. I mean really.... $2.95? Who can afford such extravagance?
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25 cents down, 25 cents weekly. Really? $3 in 1928 is $45 today. I know this was the era before credit cards and all, but I can't imagine sending off a quarter in the mail every week to pay back the loan on my kid's tricycle. Even in 1928, if you can't dig up 12 quarters from your chesterfield or davenport or whatever they called couches back then to buy little Henry a tricycle, you've got problems. How many payments until that hoop and stick is safe from the repo man?

Meanwhile, here's how flappers ruined Buffalo.

irensBZ.jpg
 
The EMT class midterm was extraordinarily easy. Like, too easy. I'm concerned.

I realized during that test that I absolutely cannot remember how to do division problems by hand. I completely blanked.
 
michaelskis said:
[soap box] We are not a democracy... we are a constitutional republic [/soap box]
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You do understand, don't you, that when people like myself use the word 'democracies' they are referring generally to a variety of governmental forms. Democracies can either be direct or representative, but both types are considered 'democracies.' Yes republics are by definition 'democracies'
 
Maister said:
You do understand, don't you, that when people like myself use the word 'democracies' they are referring generally to a variety of governmental forms. Democracies can either be direct or representative, but both types are considered 'democracies.' Yes republics are by definition 'democracies'
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By that logic a dictatorship is a democracy of one. ;)
 
USAA is simply not competitive in loan rates or insurance rates anymore. What a shame.
 
AG74683 said:
USAA is simply not competitive in loan rates or insurance rates anymore. What a shame.
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I think they're loan rates have become a little less competitive since their marketing budget seems to have skyrocketed about 5 or 6 years ago.

That said, when I was looking at a possible new car loan a few months ago, USAA's advertised rate was better than Navy Federal and almost as good as my local credit union, so it was still competitive.

I've used USAA for my auto insurance for years and have always had a pretty good rate and their service has been absolutely stupendous. When we bought our house, we initially went with the insurance company my wife had been using for her car because they had a better quote on the homeowner's policy. After we had been in the house for a couple of years we had to file a claim for some water damage after a snow and ice storm and they were such a PITA. Once we finally got that taken care of I called back USAA to get a new quote for both cars plus the property and they gave us a much better quote this time around and I immediately cancelled our other policy. We thankfully haven't had to file a claim with USAA but I did decide to look around at different quotes a couple years ago and got a competitive (but not any cheaper) quote from AAA. I called USAA to have them review our policy and was able to bring our price down while increasing our personal property coverage.

I'll recall the story about the time 11 or 12 years ago when my car got hit in my apartment complex parking lot. Michigan was a no-fault state at the time but because I was parked the other guy was 100% at fault and USAA was not obligated to get involved. My car was totaled and even though there was nothing for USAA to do, they offered to send their own adjuster out to physically go with me to the other guy's insurance office to make sure they offered me a fair amount. My car was only about a year old but the other insurance company paid out more to me than what I paid for the car when I bought it new.

I've got nothing but positive things to say about USAA.
 
mendelman said:
Buffalo aristocracy? 😜
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It was one of the ten biggest cities in the country at the turn of the 20th century. It became a major milling center in the 19th century because grains grown in the Midwest would be carried by barge via the Great Lakes to Buffalo, where it was milled down before being loaded on smaller canal barges. In the 1920s it was still a major city; its decline really got going in the latter half of the 20th century.
 
voted on my way to work and there was a line even right at the opening of the polls - always a good sign
 
Doohickie said:
It was one of the ten biggest cities in the country at the turn of the 20th century. It became a major milling center in the 19th century because grains grown in the Midwest would be carried by barge via the Great Lakes to Buffalo, where it was milled down before being loaded on smaller canal barges. In the 1920s it was still a major city; its decline really got going in the latter half of the 20th century.
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Oh...I know as this similar economic development happened in Cleveland and Detroit and Grand Rapids and Chicago and Milwaukee and Pittsburgh and....

But by the 1920s, the 'aristocracy' of Buffalo and any of these other Great Lakes industrial centers were most often than not barely one generation (or less) from the farm and/or immigrant ship.

Aristocracy...HAH! Talk about the winners writing history. :)
 
WSU MUP Student said:
I've got nothing but positive things to say about USAA.
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I've used USAA for everything since moving out of the parental abode. Renters insurance, car insurance, home insurance, personal property insurance, car financing - you name it, I have a USAA account for that.

Their customer service is king, and they have made every interaction with them a positive experience. Car accident? - they took care of everything. Home repair after a water line break? - they sent a guy out ASAP. My parent's house was damaged in the Dallas tornadoes last month. USAA had a certified guy there and an inspection done within days. No questions, no hassle, great service, and pricing.

Prices have always been competitive or outright better. Maybe my history with them has helped, but we could not find a better deal when buying our current house. It would take more than just a better deal to get me to leave them.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
I think they're loan rates have become a little less competitive since their marketing budget seems to have skyrocketed about 5 or 6 years ago.

That said, when I was looking at a possible new car loan a few months ago, USAA's advertised rate was better than Navy Federal and almost as good as my local credit union, so it was still competitive.

I've used USAA for my auto insurance for years and have always had a pretty good rate and their service has been absolutely stupendous. When we bought our house, we initially went with the insurance company my wife had been using for her car because they had a better quote on the homeowner's policy. After we had been in the house for a couple of years we had to file a claim for some water damage after a snow and ice storm and they were such a PITA. Once we finally got that taken care of I called back USAA to get a new quote for both cars plus the property and they gave us a much better quote this time around and I immediately cancelled our other policy. We thankfully haven't had to file a claim with USAA but I did decide to look around at different quotes a couple years ago and got a competitive (but not any cheaper) quote from AAA. I called USAA to have them review our policy and was able to bring our price down while increasing our personal property coverage.

I'll recall the story about the time 11 or 12 years ago when my car got hit in my apartment complex parking lot. Michigan was a no-fault state at the time but because I was parked the other guy was 100% at fault and USAA was not obligated to get involved. My car was totaled and even though there was nothing for USAA to do, they offered to send their own adjuster out to physically go with me to the other guy's insurance office to make sure they offered me a fair amount. My car was only about a year old but the other insurance company paid out more to me than what I paid for the car when I bought it new.

I've got nothing but positive things to say about USAA.
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Car insurance is good, rates are still competitive there. Homeowners insurance is another thing all together though. I'm paying probably close to 500 dollars more than I would with another company. I've had to file claims for both renters insurance (home broken into, stuff stolen) and homeowners insurance (tree came down on my fence during a hurricane). Both times I had fantastic customer service and they were extraordinarily easy to deal with. Rates never increased and they paid out well beyond what the total amount came down to. That's the primary reason why I've stayed with them even though it's a little extra. In the long run, it's not that much more a month and it's totally worth it.

The auto loan rates just don't seem to match up though. The APR is slightly above average from what I can find. And there is now a finance charge on them, which I do not seem to recall from previous loans.

I swear, the Env. Health woman just can't mind her own damn business. There is a difference (albeit slight) between a "school with childcare services" and a "daycare". I'll do my job and you do yours, stay out of my stuff. I mean clearly, an early head start program is a school and childcare services is just an expected secondary/accessory use to the school. Mother Goose's Daycare and Delicatessen is something completely different. I don't think she's grasped that there is such a thing as bad press, and sometimes having a lenient view of the code (within reason) is the best path forward.
 
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Indiana town looks at limits after woman is killed by python
www.tristatehomepage.com

Indiana town looks at limits after woman is killed by python

OXFORD, Ind. (WEHT/AP) — An Indiana town is considering restrictions on snakes after a woman was strangled by an 8-foot-long python. Town Council president Randy Jones believes it’s “al…
www.tristatehomepage.com www.tristatehomepage.com

Does your fair community have limits on snake breeders ? - is this a land use or animal control ordinance ?

If you knew, would you vote for a sheriff that owned a house breeding 140 snakes ?
 
I logged into my evernote account (I know, I know) and found this note I made on Veteran's Day in 2012 to memorialize something that made me laugh....

1572977137253.png


The things you end up saying when you spend your time talking to kids....... :)
 
I went to vote and the an campaign worker for a local candidate seemed offended that I would not take their handout. It made me wonder how many people show up to vote and not know who they are voting for until they look at the ballot.
 
Benefits Enrollment Time!

I just spent my lunch hour filling out the online forms. All that, and I didn't change anything.

Why can't they have a "Change nothing from last year" option and be done? You know, like a Straight Ticket ballot.
 
michaelskis said:
I went to vote and the an campaign worker for a local candidate seemed offended that I would not take their handout. It made me wonder how many people show up to vote and not know who they are voting for until they look at the ballot.
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I've always thought that too. But I do usually enjoy shaking my head "no way" when some group advocating a ballot initiative asks for my support. I just smile knowingly and nod negatively.
 
AG74683 said:
The EMT class midterm was extraordinarily easy. Like, too easy. I'm concerned.
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I made a 102, apparently the highest grade in the class. I guess I can still take tests after all. I need to figure out that division stuff though. That was such a weird thing to experience. I literally could not remember even where to start with it.
 
michaelskis said:
I went to vote and the an campaign worker for a local candidate seemed offended that I would not take their handout. It made me wonder how many people show up to vote and not know who they are voting for until they look at the ballot.
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I call those campaign workers, "poll vultures". At my polling place, there are two parking spaces inside the "no electioneering" zone. So when they start, I point at the sign. They stop talking real quick. It's pretty effective.

Honestly I don't think that most people have a clue about every position up for election. I try to research every position so that I can make an informed decision. If I can't do that then I don't vote on that position. Most folks go to the polls to vote for a few key offices and that's it.
 
Salmissra said:
Benefits Enrollment Time!

I just spent my lunch hour filling out the online forms. All that, and I didn't change anything.

Why can't they have a "Change nothing from last year" option and be done? You know, like a Straight Ticket ballot.
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Our company typically did that, except for some reason the healthcare spending accounts and dependent care spending accounts have to be filled out each year.

Last year they went to a whole new set of providers (high deductible plan) so everything had to be done new. I somehow missed my vision plan and had to wait to do my new glasses until this year. This year, even though things are stable, they still made us fill everything out.
 
michaelskis said:
Ok people.... it is a freaking chicken sandwich. Get over it.
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A chicken sandwich? Meh. Gotta' pick and choose your battles. Save it for the McRib.


mendelman said:
But by the 1920s, the 'aristocracy' of Buffalo and any of these other Great Lakes industrial centers were most often than not barely one generation (or less) from the farm and/or immigrant ship.
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It's not unusual in the Buffalo area to have "cop families", "lawyer families", and "political families", where almost every member of the family was a cop, lawyer, or an elected official or civil servant, almost back to when they stepped off the boat. (There used to be mill families, too, until the steel mills closed down in the 1980s.) I went to elementary school with the sister of a prominent injury attorney that saturates upstate NY with TV ads. Her family was all lawyers, all the way down -- parents, grandparents, uncles, etc.. When I first saw the commercials after returning to New York, all I could think of was "yup." I haven't really encountered that outside the Northeast or Great Lakes region.

There's still prominent families in the Buffalo area who have been around since the 1840s and 1850s. You'll see the family names a lot on old property maps, and there's often streets named after them, but most are just middle class. A lot of old families died out in the region in the past 40-50 years, when the youngest generation left the area.
 
Dan said:
(There used to be mill families, too, until the steel mills closed down in the 1980s.)
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My mom's family was one of those. Her dad helped unionize Bethlehem Steel, and her five brothers all worked there at one point or another. My uncle stayed with Bethlehem long after production stopped in Lackawanna as a process consultant.
 
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This show sounds like it's right up @michaelskis alley: Joe Pera Talks with You. From the IMDB summary: The series stars comedian Joe Pera as a fictionalized version of himself, living in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and teaching choir at a local middle school. Pera attempts to talk directly to the audience about seemingly mundane subject matter such as iron, Sunday breakfast, fall drives, dancing, sleeping, and music.

www.adultswim.com

Joe Pera Talks With You

A teacher (Joe Pera) in Michigan's Upper Peninsula explores of variety of subject matters.
www.adultswim.com
 
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