As prices for, well, everything, continue to rise, it’s important to focus on features and functions of the things you want and then think about how you can get those features and functions for less. I’ll give some examples.
When I bought my house, I wanted a wood burning fireplace. My house did have a fireplace and the inspector did test it with a rolled up burning newspaper. It seemed fine. But when I tried to actually burn wood, my house filled with smoke. I called in some fireplace people and as they got out of the truck, they said the chimney isn’t tall enough relative to everything around it. I got three quotes and lowest one (10 years ago) was $12,000 because as soon as you make a change, you must bring it up to current code. So… that wasn’t happening. This forced me to think about what it was I wanted from a fireplace. I wanted to watch flames and feel cozy. So, I bought a nine-candle candelabra to put in the fireplace that held three-inch candles and a firepit for the backyard. The candelabra let me watch the flames and feel a surprising amount of heat during the winter and the firepit let me watch flames and have a gathering place for friends and neighbors during the spring and fall. Total cost about $200 including a good supply of candles.
Ever since I started watching “The Great British Baking Show”, I have longed for a proofing drawer. This is a heated, draft free, drawer that lets you proof bread dough. As I thought about how to remodel my kitchen, I realized that I would have to give up storage space to get one as well as spend a lot of money. Then, I realized that I already have one and have been using it for a while. My microwave is an over the stove style. It has a light in it and has the range light underneath it. When either light is on, the microwave is warm and draft free inside. When I make bread, I usually let it rise in the microwave to keep it safe from the cat. But it functions as a proofing drawer. Total cost – zero.
Lastly, I have always wanted two ovens, preferably wall ovens. But no matter how I thought about remodeling and reconfiguring the kitchen, I couldn’t come up with a way to have them without losing far more storage space than I was willing to give it up. It would also cost thousands to change the kitchen’s configuration in that way. So, I though harder and eventually bought a large toaster oven. It is large enough to hold a 13x9x2 pan. It is also a convection oven; another feature I wanted it. I use it all the time because it really is another oven. Total cost – $70.
What are some examples where you have decided something was too expensive, but found a way to get the features and function for less?
What are some examples where you have decided something was too expensive, but found a way to get the features and function for less?
Gas. (+1 rubber hose)
Attached to your ass?
Whatever pervert.
Made me laugh. Thanks for that.
No, up his nose.
Oh-oh-oh, Mr. Kot-ter!!
I assume you mean a fireplace insert. Which I wholeheartedly agree with.
JFC people I am talking about siphoning. Stealing gas from the neighbors like in before times back in the 20’s when our president was born.
I got the reference. But I don’t count.
Lol.
I got it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZogciFl-udY
Toaster ovens are awesome. I cook a lot of bacon in mine and have for years so when they get too nasty you just huck them because they are cheap enough to just get another one.
Yeah, especially if you’re cooking for one
Yeah, they are great. It is just two of us, so it keeps from heating the house in the summer, and is really quick to warm up.
Back when I used to smoke I wanted an air filter. The electrostatic kind they use in bars were very expensive. So I duct taped an HVAC filter to a $17 box fan from Walmart.
I did a similar setup for woodworking and my homebrew paint booth.
Was the filer on the intake side of the fan or the outflow side?
Intake. Outflow side doesn’t work.
Orient the filter the right way.
Q: Why did the man who was lost walk into a Chinese restaurant?
A: He wanted to orient himself.
That would be on the intake side pointing towards the fan.
I did that when the forest fires smoke was bad. We already had one air purifier but that really helped to keep up during the really bad days. Swapped it out with a hepa filter when those were back in stock/on sale and works even better now.
I was at Lowe’s this afternoon buying things I got rid of last summer.
GODDAMMIT
How did they get their hands on them?
Those mutherfuckers……
So Lowe of them….
they said the chimney isn’t tall enough relative to everything around it.
Everything around it? The only height requirement of a chimney that I know of is it needs to be higher than the peak of the roof.
I’m going to buy a counter top convection oven, as a housewarming present to myself.
Fresh warm cookies with my morning coffee, coming up.
Awesome, wonderful use of one.
My sister has a NuWave and loves it.
Dude, I want to hear about this house!
It’s located in the middle of the street.
So, a Nail House they built the road around?
I wanted a proofing box too but then I realized that the bread maker we already had a) would fit a regular loaf pan and b) could use the manual settings for bread rise to generate just the right amount of warmth.
Two things have been helpful to me. First is taking advantage of the local library. Lansing is graced with a very very good library system and it is integrated with the state-wide inter-library loan service. All easily accessed on-line, although ebooks are not generally available through MELCat (Michigan Electronic Library Catalog). Where I once would have been buying books, I’m now getting hard copy or ebooks and letting the library store them for me.
The second is fairly new, and specific to my dietary issues, but should generalize at least a bit. To wit, substitutions. There’s a mail order outfit that makes both ketchup and spaghetti sauce without HFCS, garlic or onion. They’re staples in my diet, but the mail order stuff is *expensive*. Some internet searching, and grocery store searching, turned up Hunt’s Natural, with no HFCS and, from my experience, low enough in onion and garlic to be non-problematic. Further searching found several makers of ‘sensitive’ formulated spaghetti sauce (Prego and Rao’s among others)l. Both of these come in at half or less of the mail order stuff, and are, frankly, superior in taste and consistency.
So, use your local library and look for substitutes for critical items. Generics, BOGO, coupons, all worthwhile.
Fuck the library. I’m not a socialist. You want a public book sharing program you pay for it and don’t steal from me. Question though: if you need some super special spaghetti sauce why are you even eating spaghetti sauce?
Because spaghetti is delicious?
It’s ok. Having apparently recalibrated my brain I have no desire to eat spaghetti. I struggle with craving some carbs but pasta is no longer one of them. It is honestly weird.
I just made some stir-fry beef and green beans and for some strange reason I decided to put it over egg noodles.
Live and learn, I guess.
I had meatloaf (from freezer -still working on using/rotating stock) and spicy garlic green beans fresh from the garden. Yummy
I made meatloaf this evening. Mushroom meatloaf with mushroom sauce baked in the oven together in a skillet.
Very rich and very tasty!
Would.
Meatloaf, done right, is awesome.
I am making a lot of meat and bone broth lately. In before times I would want to put it on noodles but now I just top it with a couple eggs fried in butter. That is what I crave now. Never any pasta. The base to my bone broth soup is pork tenderloin and topped with eggs and kerry gold butter.
Sounds delicious. I recently made chicken stock, and canned it. I plan to make Pho broth and can that.
Oh wow, I would not have thought of that. Must try.
Take your first batch of pho broth and use it as your base for next. Then on 2nd pass, can/freeze for other base starter broths
I’m missing something?
Don’t think so Tulip. Just saying that using your first batch for the base of your next pho broth to develop flavors. Similar to making a Ramen broth.
Don’t care if libraries are socialist (often started by capitalists). I love them. A community banding together to share. Free association!
Forcing people to pay for your association is not free.
Not using it when you’re already, and unavoidably, paying for it is stupid.
Does that mean I have to start having kids so I can take advantage of the money I pay for schools?
Of course not. But I’m not sure how to phrase the appropriate proviso.
I see libraries a lot like I see public roads — I’d rather they were private, but they’re the only option in that space, which is a space I use to my benefit versus not using at all.
Libraries and parks are way, way down the list of evil things that government does with my money.
My home town had rare dual Carnegie libraries. These were eventually replace with a centralized, modern monstrosity.
Oh by all means they are way way way down the list, but no I am not going to agree that we should be coercing all taxpayers to comply with the theft of their money or face imprisonment or death so some small group of book nerds can share books. That is something that could be done, and is done daily without stealing from people. I am sure the current library system could function on donations alone. I don’t use it I don’t want to pay for it.
I am sure the current library system could function on donations alone.
The current library systems are full of feather bedding, empire building, and mission creep. They barely survive on taxpayer funding as it is. No way could it be on just donations without a machete. Which it should.
If it can’t be supported by those who want it? Maybe they need more drag queen story hours to sell tickets to.
I currently pay a metric fuckton of taxes. This is one of the few I like. Of course I am going to use it. I will file for social security if it still exists when I am eligible, because I FUCKING PAID FOR IT.
Ok, I don’t have a smart ass comment to that.
That, what Tulip said.
Whatever commy.
Your Social Security money is gone.
You would be taking other’s money.
The government will have to force me to take SS as I have no intentions of filing or collecting.
One thought on the library: A friend of a friend is a librarian at a public library in a city-sized suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. He’s also a conservative Republican of the Rush Limbaugh type (yes, people like that exist in MA).
He wants libraries privatized and only accessible to those that pay subscriptions. Why? So he can kick out the riff-raff. He has endless problems with homeless folks and derelicts coming in and shitting up (sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively) the place.
I love the library. Some libraries even loan tools and art. I borrowed art from several libraries (lived in different places) and was able to change it it out every few months.
I used to borrow maps – both foldable and topographic (!) – from the main branch of my city’s library. I was like a pig in shit when I discovered that.
They must have wondered what kind of weirdo they had on their hands.
ACKSHUALLY, pigs are very clean animals. When in a pen, they will do their business in the furthest corner from their living quarters. They do like mud, because it keeps them cool.
/I like pigs. They are as smart as dogs. I sometimes feel guilty for eating them, but they are so damn tasty.
I *loved* the public library when I was a kid.
Today? Totally fucking soured.
The last time I borrowed a book was in San Francisco more than two decades ago and the local branch refused to accept my returned book because I borrowed it from a different branch. I mean, what kind of dark-ages shit is that?
Then, a few years later, I was with my squeeze at the Mid-Manhattan branch – trying to return something ? – and they treated him like shit and I got a little huffy.
I should add I discovered a shitload of my favorite authors in the sci-fi section when I was little.
I live outside of a library district so no book borrowing for me for the past twenty years. It’s ok, because the local library is frankly crap. Nice big new building and bum services.
My supermarket has plenty of no-sugar marinaras but yeah, you gotta pay for it.
I, too, love the library! When I was a kid, I once told my mom I wanted to go live there. Now I mostly borrow e-books – use Adobe Digital Editions to download to my laptop, then copy onto my Nook. I also recently made an exception to my reluctance to use apps and downloaded the Libby app so I could borrow audiobooks, too.
A substitute for the library is a thrift store book section. If you go in with an open mind and not expect to find a specific title or author, they are great and dirt cheap.
Yes.
I got three quotes and lowest one (10 years ago) was $12,000 because as soon as you make a change, you must bring it up to current code.
Ouch.
When I replaced my boiler, one of the guys that gave me an estimate insisted I needed to bring the space up to current code. His estimate was very, very high. It turns out this isn’t a big enough change to have to bring things up to code in NH. So I didn’t hire him. I hired someone else. I ended up getting a nicer boiler and burner, plus a stand-alone hot water tank heated off the boiler, for a lot less money.
Well, all three apologized for the cost, but, you know, code. So this would have been a big enough change.
Ya, you can read the codes in the library. I LOVE GOVERNMENT!
Good Lord, you are grumpy lately.
This is me being cheery. I was grumpy yesterday until Tundra called me out because I was being dickish but, I finally got a day off tomorrow so I am
chipper as a field of mountain flowers in the morning sunhammered and actually in a good mood.For the record, I said “contrary”. Which is not even a criticism.
Some may even consider it a compliment.
You said contrary so I thought you were comparing me to Hyperbole.
Who the fuck can compare with Hyp?
Good point.
No they wouldn’t.
It’s hard not to be grumpy lately. He gets a pass.
If you’re grumpy, get yourself a Dammit Doll and beat the shit out of it until you’re ready to treat living beings with decency.
(If *one* is grumpy – not directed at you personally, rhy! ?)
I can’t believe I’m not grumpier. Current year is so fucking ridiculous.
Dude, I want to hear about this house!
It would be triggering for you. It’s a fixer-upper. I’m currently ripping out all the carpet because it’s disgusting. It’s a late-’90s
manufactured homedouble wide. I’m a man of simple needs. I can live in it.I bought the place for the shop. The shop isn’t as big as I’m used to, but maybe that will induce me to not let my messes get out of control and focus on one or two projects at a time. I definitely need more storage, like a shipping container.
It’s on an acre outside of Pocatello, in a quiet little area surrounded by horse and cattle pasture and irrigated farm fields. It’s already srating to grow on me, and I’m not even living there yet.
?
I bought the place for the shop. The shop isn’t as big as I’m used to, but maybe that will induce me to not let my messes get out of control and focus on one or two projects at a time.
I don’t care how big a shop you have it will never be big enough. I hate myself weekly for only building “this” big of shop. I need a two acre shop.
Sounds pretty fucking nice to me.
Enjoy!
The subfloors are MDF. I’m going to paint them for the time being. Hopefully the Kilz I got today will seal the “pet stains”.
Oh shit
MDF SUBFLOORS?!?!?!
Triggered.
I just made some stir-fry beef and green beans and for some strange reason I decided to put it over egg noodles.
That sounds really good. I eat way too many carbs, but… so what. Once I have a kitchen again, I can try to bend, if not break, some of my worst eating habits.
The egg noodles were these “gourmet” ones, really thick and heavy and the wrong choice. I didn’t feel like making rice. ?
No, man. Always get the cheapest grade of egg noodles you can.
I like the cheap ones. I’ll be using them tomorrow with some alfredo sauce and some leftover chicken.
Oh shit
Oui.
Once the carpets are gone, it really won’t be that bad.
The cheap af vinyl flooring is the ticket these days. Well used to be cheap af.
Garden report: still picking lett, radishes (almost done), peas, green beans (so many green beans). More beets carrots coming. The squash, tomatoes and peppers are blooming. The Frankentrellis for the butternut squash seems to be working.
/jealous
I just transplanted the peppers, cherry tomato, and herbs into pots tonight.
All store bought. I didn’t start anything (except Meyer lemons) from seed this year.
I know I’m behind Fourscore, but that dude gets up EARLY.
Ooh, how are the Meyer lemons working out?
Growing slowly under the lights of the Aerogarden…
/they do smell…lemony
I don’t care how big a shop you have it will never be big enough.
QFT.
It’s a quonset, so t least there’s plenty of overhead clearance for my ~11 foot tall gantry crane.
THERE IS NO NEED TO BRAG ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR CRANE…
*gazes at 8 foot tall gantry crane*
You both need to check your gantry crane privilege. I need a safe space after this microaggression.
It’s been a long time since I read articles on how to squeeze by on a limited budget during inflationary times.
Fuck Joe Biden for bringing this trend back around.
Yeah.
I will say, all the examples preceded the Biden admin. I will always look for a cheaper option.
Normally our dinner tonight of spaghetti squash taco bowls would have had black beans and corn but we are limiting ingredients in dishes to stretch supplies.
Oof, sorry.
You can’t First this
You can’t First this
You can’t First this
You can’t First this
My, my, my my my First hits so hard
Makes me say, “Oh, my Firster,”
Thank you for blessin’ me
With a mind to rhyme and two hype hands
I told you homeboy, you can’t First this
Stop. Firster time.
Reminded me of this inspiring story of a ghetto kid who made good.
That’s just great!
Those female backup dancers occupied quite a bit of my attention, back in the day.
84 degrees. Dew point is 78. And it’s dead calm. Perfect day for yard work.
The fireflies are out in my back yard. They are every bit as magical as when I was a kid.
Lightning bugs! ?
Yes, Lightning Bugs!
I seen a bunch of them on the ground yesterday. They looked to be having an orgy.
Lucky bastards.
Enjoy them before Fox cancels them.
When I was a wee lad we went to see my mothers family in Ohio one summer. There were fireflies there. The coolest things I had ever seen. We don’t have them here.
I remember them growing up (caught them in a jar), then it seemed they weren’t around. I next saw them in Columbus, OH. Then when I bought a house, they show up every June. Just magical.
A friend of ours from Ottawa had never seen them, I believe, until she came for a visit to either our place in OH or to a family “country place” in MO. She was thrilled!
I had them in my back yard in Queens but I don’t have a back yard any more. ?
We never had them in Eastern NoDak growing up; had to to got Minnesoda lake country to see them. Now they’ve made it across the river and are relatively common. I haven’t seen any yet this year, but it’s early.
I haven’t seen any since we moved.
Doesn’t CO have fireflies?
Nope
Dang it.
I think my home gym is where I’m making do. I don’t have olympic bars, just the 1″ ones, but over the years I’ve replaced the plastic plates with iron plates. I have a squat/bench rack that I got for free, and an incline bench I got or free. I have a set of dumbbells from 5-50 pounds that I bought from a neighbor who was moving. I made my own pulley system with an old farm pulley suspended from an exposed beam, with a metal cable and ends from Home Depot.
Um, don’t you have a garage full of kick-ass stuff?
DAILY QUORDLE ROUNDUP™©®
(The ‘Meh’ Edition)
#140
Champ
grrizzly 17
whiz 18
Grumbletarian 19
Grummun 20
Scruffy Nerfherder 20
Sean 20
Ted S. 21
The Hyperbole 21
trshmnstr the terrible 21
Cannoli 22
Grosspatzer 22
kinnath 22
l0b0t 22
one true athena 22
rhywun 22
TARDis 22
Tulip 22
QuordleBot 22
db 24
MikeS 24
Ozymandias 25
robc 25
Tundra 26
Chumps
Ownbestenemy 115
SDF-7 118
Grumbletarian won the tie breaker and joins l0b0t, Cannoli and MikeS in the final four, You people did much better today and I’m pround of most of you. 25 players, 18/7 TL, 29.28 A. With a little luck we may finish the week with a sub 30 average, concentrate people!
Good Quordling and Good Luck.
I’m pround of you people too!
Other than those assholes with library cards!
Commy bastards!
Today was a terrible day for me
Miss your period?
I hate miss you Western.
Are you worried?
He can’t find tampons so he’s a bit cranky
At least you were man enough to post your pathetic failure unlike some qourdlers.
Hey! I am always ‘woman’ enough to post my chumps and everything else.
Sure, but as a society we don’t expect as much from women so it’s easier for you girls to admit failure.
You went there…
If they’d post 70% of their chumps, I’d consider that sufficient.
I am about 50% success rate at Quordle. That game makes me feel stupid.
Post your losing scores. It makes the rest of us feel better. Also, it drags down the average which pisses off Hype’. Win/win!
Takes breath, decides it’s not worth it
After the last 3 days, I decided I don’t care enough to keep playing.
I’ve taken the “ill play when I can and when I can’t, oh well” attitude.
Planning our 4th of July trip. Think of flying into Roanoke on the 1st, scout some towns and home while traveling south. Wanna hit up Lake Murry, SC for 4th of July and then fly out of Mrytle Beach.
Lake Murray that is. Hear they have a pretty rocking Independence Day bash
I still shop the reduced for quick sale meat fridges at my favorite grocery store.
I stocked up on tomato products (crushed, diced, and sauce) because they were on sale this past week.
I will splurge for good tools I know I’ll use often, toilet paper, tires, Bombay Sapphire gin, salmon, and ribeye steaks.
I will cheap out on vodka (bottom shelf Taaka gets me just as drunk as Tito’s, with only a slightly worse headache), tools I think I will use only once, pork, and hotels.
I have been increasing my kitchen utensils slowly via the thrift stores. I browse Craigslist and FaceDerp marketplace for deals.
We only buy Costco vodka. It isn’t terrible and it’s fairly cheap.
I buy the cheapest vodka because I only use it for pastry.
Costco had Jack for 3/4th the price of our local grocery (which was dollars cheaper than the local liquor store.) I bought two.
Last time I checked the local grocery store the price had had gone up almost $10 (for a 1.75). Thanks, Joe!
Another good, cheap source of cooking utensils is the local Latina market. Seriously, what would cost $7 at Target is $3 there.
I scoffed at my wife for us having 300 knives, spoons, forks and other utensils but now ai praise her
I went to a “Dollar General” store recently. They had stainless steel balloon whisks for just over a dollar!
/most of my cooking stuff is at my ex-wife’s house
I got a 12 qt stock pot there for like 10 bucks.
Amazing store.
I love Dollar Tree. They also have utensils.
I find Exotico Tequila to be the best bottom shelf Agave juice going. It is great until some asshat gives me a better tequila and ruins my whole taste pallet.
Tito’s gets me drizzunk because it’s so clean and dangerous.
Ya gotta be aware with it.
I luv me some Tito’s and have ever since ~ 2003 when I had a friend from Texas extolling it’s virtues.
* goes for just a little more Tito’s *
So morning news was there was evidence to indict Trump….but tonight I’m seeing nothing. I’m sad for the people at DU
Don’t feel bad for them.
The warehouse guy where I used to do an inventory audit every year said he saved a ton of money by “renting the cow instead of buying her.” Homely dude, would pop over to Dallas when he was horny, and get an attractive call girl. And she would leave when it was over and didn’t hand him honeydew lists or nag or have her mother come for a week.
*takes notes *
From a pure physical standpoint, sure, he’s ahead, financially.
I like to think there’s a bit more to that in relationships. But perhaps I’m overly romantic.
“when he was horny”
Like, four times a day?
/confused.
What are some examples where you have decided something was too expensive, but found a way to get the features and function for less?
Trying to actually reclaim wood (pallets, older projects, etc.) when building things that aren’t really public-facing or in the house, like things for chickens, or enclosures for compost and the like.
Got into a bad habit in recent years of just buying new lumber or (even worse) buying a manufactured item when I could have easily made it myself.
Ok kids…….you guys have a great night and a better day tomorrow. I am looking forward to sleeping in.
Enjoy the day off. We’ll check in to see if you are having the requisite fun.
Prediction: He’ll still be grumpy.
Holy shit
Massive floodwaters ravaged Yellowstone National Park and nearby communities Monday, washing out roads and bridges, cutting off electricity and forcing visitors to evacuate parts of the iconic park at the height of summer tourist season.
All entrances to Yellowstone were closed due to the deluge, caused by heavy rains and melting snowpack, while park officials ushered tourists out of the most affected areas.
——-
Yellowstone officials were evacuating the northern part of the park, where roads may remain impassable for a substantial length of time, park Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement.
But the flooding affected the rest of the park, too, with park officials warning of yet higher flooding and potential problems with water supplies and wastewater systems at developed areas.
“We will not know timing of the park’s reopening until flood waters subside and we’re able to assess the damage throughout the park,” Sholly said in the statement.
The park’s gates will be closed at least through Wednesday, officials said. It was unclear how many visitors have been forced to leave the park.
The rains hit right as summer tourist season was ramping up. June, at the onset of an annual wave of over 3 million visitors that doesn’t abate until fall, is one of Yellowstone’s busiest months.
Remnants of winter — in the form of snow still melting off and rushing off the mountains — made for an especially bad time to get heavy rain.
Yellowstone got 2.5 inches (6 centimeters) of rain Saturday, Sunday and into Monday. The Beartooth Mountains northeast of Yellowstone got as much as 4 inches (10 centimeters), according to the National Weather Service.
“It’s a lot of rain, but the flooding wouldn’t have been anything like this if we didn’t have so much snow,” said Cory Mottice, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings, Montana. “This is flooding that we’ve just never seen in our lifetimes before.”
I wonder what the Yellowstone looks like in Livingston. I should call some friends tomorrow.
Jesus! That’s amazing.
Fishing is gonna suck all over that area for awhile.
No mention of Livingston, MT but I imagine it is having issues from the flooding. The Yellowstone River flows north from the Park until there and makes a hard turn to the east. Livingston is on the flood plain right next to the river.
Scientists say climate change is responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme events such as storms, droughts, floods and wildfires, though single weather events usually cannot be directly linked to climate change without extensive study.
But we won’t let that stop us.
In a local report of our brave new reality, deli-sliced pastrami was $20/lb today.
Didn’t get any…
…
It’s cured meat…that should be the cheapest
Yikes! Canned shrimp is also insane.
Aye, ’twas shocking.
It was a store in an expensive area, but still, pretty nuts.
Pastrami was the cheapest deli meat here, at only $11/lb. Beef and salami were much more.
But, on the plus side, local farmers in the CSA program aren’t raising prices if you have been doing this for a while, which we have. So, got that going for me, which is nice.
Ya, locked in 1/2 steer and full pig for fall harvest. Hoping to be offered an option to get the whole steer, both for security and for sharing.
Since we live near the coast, we also do a salmon split every year. Basically, we invest in the boat and get a share of the profits. Win-win.
Oooh, I’ll have to look into that. Pretty sure we’re near the same coast.
Don’t know if we can swing it this year, but something to explore.
Youtube served up some amazing scary stuff. There was some drone footage that looked like the road from Gardiner to Mammoth, with big chunks of road undercut and washed away.
What are some examples where you have decided something was too expensive, but found a way to get the features and function for less?
Well, this is a somewhat different scale, but…
My main hobby for the last five years has been going to Track Days, where one takes an ordinary street car and drives it, hopefully quickly, on a racing circuit. I’ve progressed from “bone n00b” to “nationally certificated High Performance Driving Instructor” in that time. In recent years, I’ve been frustrated by driving a Porsche Boxster S and having to continually give way to drivers who aren’t any more experienced than I, but simply drive faster cars. Having made serious bank in the boom-boom stock market of 2020-21, I wanted to get a Porsche 911 GT3.
Problem is, the GT3, once you add options, dealer markup, and the like, is a quarter-million dollar car, and also has a 18-24 month waitlist if you’re getting yours built to spec.
Enter the 2016 Cayman GT4 and DeMan Motorsports. See, the top racing cars out there are all mid-engine, but Porsche has to have the rear-engined 911 on top of its lineup, for branding and other purposes. So the Cayman, while mid-engined (and all the great handling that encapsulates) had its engine de-tuned and its gear ratios too long for proper track work. Sending the GT4 to DeMan, he re-bores the engine and basically hot-rods the beast until it makes better horsepower and torque than the 911, while retaining that sweet, sweet mid-engine weight distribution and handling. So now I have a melt-your-face-off fast Porsche for ~55% of the cost of the GT3.
I like going fast. I like going as fast as the GT3 boys while saving $115K even better.
Hey, whatever turns you on. You saved
That’s the sort of belt-tightening I can get behind.
⬅?
Candelabra idea? Genius, and now stolen.
We also have a house that when you light a fire it gets smoky. There was a gas insert when be bought it, but it didn’t work and they are lame. So we had the firebox rebuilt but it smokes too much for the wife (I am fine with it).
Really, truly, surprising amount of heat. It’s very cozy.
Niiiiiiceee!
Well, now that the Celtics have made a series of it, the NBA has decided to step in and make sure the Warriors win.
Don’t watch a lot of basketball, but nice to see it wasn’t just me; that was some bullshit.
The fundamentals:
– Shooting
– Passing
– Dribbling
– Flopping
This is why I don’t watch a lot of basketball.
So, like soccer but on a wooden floor?
It makes soccer look like polo by comparison.
Constant, blatant flopping.
On both sides, mind you.
The problem is that flopping is rewarded, and that the refs literally cannot be consistent about it. And teams getting only one challenge per game no matter what is worthless.
Oh, I _understand_ why they flop. It’s smart, from a game play (game theory?) POV. It’s just revolting.
That’s a lot of the reason basketball lost me. It interrupts the game for pure bullshit.
Ya know what is a good sport and fun for kids to play? Team handball. Used to be an Olympic-level sport. It’s like hockey and soccer but with hands on balls. Perfect fun for 13 year-old boys!
Lost power about fifteen minutes ago, which is odd as I’m on the same feed as the hospital (I never lose power) hopefully Bidem didn’t start WWIII. If this is the end it was nice knowing most of you.
Got home and I guess there was a power outage, clocks are blinking. Now my desktop won’t turn on. Usb has power, but no lights on the MOBO and and it won’t turn on.
Sometimes the power supply can go wonky. Suggest pulling the cord completely out of the back and waiting 60 second, and then also looking to see if there is a little circuit breaker or voltage choice switch on the supply itself (not all have those).
I pulled the case out and will check it out, eventually. I’ve got another PSU I can test on it to. Just shitty is all. I just wanted to come home from work and have some beer.
(and then also suggest getting a UPS 🙂 )
I have a battery backed up surge bar.
FUCK! At the minimum I think my MB may be fried. pluged in the other PSU and sure things came on, then there was sone zaps and smoke. FUCK!
Right now I’m just going to just try gatting a new MB and PSU, hopefully that’s all that got damaged. FUCK.
Supposed to be here Friday, which I have off. Yay, a Friday spent rebuilding my PC hoping nothing else in it is damaged!
We have 2 roombas both bought on clearance. In fact, all of our vacuums were bought refurb for pennies on the dollar.
Basically everything electronic I buy refurb from Woot.com. I also buy shoes and cooking equipment from there. You have to be careful sometimes to make sure you’ve getting a good deal, but I’ve been a customer of theirs for 14 years and have saved thousands of dollars over buying the same exact stuff at retail price.
Sounds interesting. I’ll check it out.
That reminds me of something similar I did. I had been looking to upgrade some of my footwear, and had Allen Edmonds shoes recommended to me. When telling a friend that they looked good on the AE website but I was afraid of pulling the trigger without ever trying some on, he said “Why don’t you get a gently used pair on eBay?” Damn if it didn’t work out splendidly for me. Leather driving moccasins that were a little worn in the sole but 20% of the price for new.
I’ve become a fan of Nat Nast silk camp shirts, too. Same deal. Get ’em 80% off on eBay. Tori Richards and Tommy Bahama as well. Turns out that silk drapes well on a guy who’s busy shaping into round.
Woot is great, factory refurbs with a warranty and shit are good deals.
I have been holding on to my cars a lot longer than in the past. I’ll be keeping them for another 2 years at least.
Food expenses: keep buying more big cheap cuts instead of steak and making them good with slow cooking or BBQ.
Cutting back on going out and doing more at home.
I’ve been in the market for a new computer for a couple years now. I don’t think I’ve gone over five years before.
“instead of steak ”
?
Hey RJ, if you are listening, You really need to feature at least one Neil Breen film. Hopefully “Fateful Findings”. His output is like Ed Wood on bath salts. So tasty!
Behold! https://youtu.be/aFgQ34b96_U
Moar of Breen’s work – https://youtu.be/GwMJ5Wni4xI
I thought red shirt was going to devour them.
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2022/06/13/teen-employee-shot-northeast-philadelphia-chick-fil-a-police-say/
Caught on video.
No arrests.
Lazy, incompetent fuckers.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pennsylvania-house-republicans-initiate-process-to-impeach-da-larry-krasner-widespread-lawlessness-in-the-city-of-philadelphia/ar-AAYp570
Too little,too late.
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/2-females-killed-in-apparent-street-takeover-crash-in-compton/
Sad. Still, it’s a double Darwin award.
I’m starting to think Tony Blair was on to something.
What’s a “street takeover?” When racing enthusiasts block a street to race illegaly?
Happy flag day, bitches.
https://www.nj.com/news/2022/06/full-strawberry-supermoon-to-glow-in-june-sky-along-with-rare-planet-parade.html
Strawberry supermoon.
Ah, my favorite Donovan song.
I like “Planet Parade” by The 5th Dimension better.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jun/14/whoopi-goldberg-joins-international-backlash-against-sydney-morning-heralds-treatment-of-rebel-wilson
“Gazumped”
Wut?
My eyes just swiveled 360 degrees.
*sigh*
Time to get ready for work. ?
“Christina Aguilera Wears Green Rhinestone Strap-On While Performing at LA’s All-Ages ‘Pride in the Park’”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/06/christina-aguilera-wears-green-rhinestone-strap-performing-las-ages-pride-park-videos/
The fuck is this shit?
She hulk tranny porn. You’ll find out more on Wednesday.
LOL remember when a nip-slip sent the world into a tizzy? A more innocent age.
Where do we go from here I wonder? It’s either going to be an extreme puritanical reaction or they’ll be banging animals onstage within a decade.
“What are some examples where you have decided something was too expensive, but found a way to get the features and function for less?”
I’ve spent my whole life doing this. I’ve recently taken another tack now that I’ve got some $$$, I figure inflation is going no where, I’m blowing it all* on things I think are nice.
*Slight exaggeration
Mornin’ All. Time for the gym.
Trigger warning: Twitchy. “Brilliant” response stickers to those Joe Biden “I did that!” stickers. I shouldn’t have done it, but I went to the IQfy twitter feed. Bunch of fucking progressive/socialist twits.
Cancel oil leases, hobble the refining industry, and unnecessarily sanction Russia and this is what you get. They can come up with all of he dumbass stickers they want, it won’t change those facts.
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Well done!
A day late unfortunately.
Very nice, Hype!. We are not worthy.
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Little Free Libraries are great both for taking and donating.
We have a little free library at a house right around the corner from us. I should donate a few volumes I know I won’t be reading again.
Those things ARE little. Every time I pass the one near me the thing is stuffed to the gills. I’m afraid to open the door and watch everything spill out.
Good morning, Tulip, Stinky, DEG, Lack, rhy, Sean, & Surly!
Back to the Y today – I usually go Tuesday and Thursday, but missed this past Thursday for a baseball double-header. (The home team lost both. ?) And Libby has just notified me that the audiobook for which I was on a wait list is now available, so I’ll have something new to listen to as I tread the treadmill! ?
And good morning to you, too, TO’G!
Bonjour, Red!
Morning, GT.
Good morning, U! How are you today?
Grumpy and miserable. I didn’t get to sleep until sometime between 2:30 and 3am, despite my best efforts, and nothing else has improved in the overnight.
?
I have the wrong sleep too. What haven’t you tried yet? sorry, you’ll probably have to ask yourself that, as I likely won’t have time to be here much or at all this week (or ?).
The worst thing about it is being slow and stupid. Uh, doyyy…
What I haven’t tried for last night was not stress-drinking caffinated beverages at 10-11pm. It’s a step better than stress eating, but not by much.
Caffeine at 11PM? Yeah, that might be an issue. On the bright side, work meetings are good for inducing sleep. Or rage, take your pick.
So many options: z-drugs, benzos, cannabinoids, Mg, Benadryl, Trazodone… Efficacy not guaranteed.
I don’t medicate insomnia. I have this fear that I won’t wake up (or won’t wake up until hours or days after I need to)
Mornin’.
Things quieting down in your neighborhood at all? Would hope that with the price of gas, there’d be a little less street racing and other automotive shenanigans.
No. I was hoping that too.
It’s not as bad as Sean’s story above, thank goodness – although exactly that scene happens in some less, uh, pleasant parts of town.
I bit the bullet and bought some expensive Sony noise canceling headphones about a year ago. Best money I ever spent.
Mornin’, reprobates. Running late this morning, Mrs. Patzer has a vendor meeting a good 1.5 – 2 hours away and got first dibs on the bathroom this morning. Of course, since we are living in bizzaro world, she had to take a COVID test yesterday. Will it ever stop?
Playing catch up today, after being off for 10 days. Co-worker comes in sick, tests positive for Coof, goes home.
Adorbs.
I dig the ears and tail.
Nice! But that fox could be a problem when she grows up. They are not dogs.
UCS, you’ll wake up. I take your point, but magnesium couldn’t hurt in that respect.
Tonight’s Strawberry Moon around the KC Metro has a distinctly pale green vibe to it…at least in my neck of the woods. Hurray for inner-city pollution.