tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73965357528514506252024-03-13T18:27:41.053-05:00Connected IsolationUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger630125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-42799861300184916312023-12-31T19:28:00.003-06:002024-01-01T09:13:34.439-06:00Music Picks - Best Artists and Songs for 2023 and Previous Years<p>From <a href="https://www.connectedisolation.com/2011/01/top-11-songs-of-2010.html">2010</a> - <a href="https://www.connectedisolation.com/2018/12/song-picks-for-2018.html">2018</a> each year I posted a list of my favorite songs of the year. Then I took a break from this series. Now after 5 years, I have a new list of artists and songs to recommend so I figured I would post them here on the blog to share. </p><p>This list contains music released in 2023 as well as some from previous years. It is mostly songs that are not super popular, at least not yet at the time of this posting. Here are my picks for the best songs from 2023 and previous years:</p><p><b>1. CARR - Industry Kids</b></p><p>I just randomly discovered CARR after a quick search for new music on Spotify. I would describe her sound as similar to artists like Avril Lavigne, Jax, and Damone. Her music reminds me of the indie rock scene of the early 2000's. She has put out a few albums of the past few years. I listened to all of them and all the songs are good! What's interesting is it seems she has not blown up yet. I could see an artist like this easily having millions of views and followers but so far she seems to be flying under the radar. Other songs to check out also: <a href="https://youtu.be/lE_uwcCdbMc?si=sKNq1tSOG1i-1WTo">Sick Bro</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/SbXAXrqJva4?si=kaiGqLRFsb-tk266">Spiral City</a>. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rAsrn6y_wYA" width="480" youtube-src-id="rAsrn6y_wYA"></iframe> </div><p></p><p><b>2. Jax - Victoria's Secret</b></p><p>Jax is a singer songwriter that recently caught my attention with her anthem Victoria's Secret. She has distinctive singing voice and a knack for catchy tunes that stand out from the other pop songs. Power chords and a meaningful message make this song a hit. Also check out other songs from Jax including <a href="https://youtu.be/oRfEqCap1I8?si=0YIOUffixthNPv89">Cinderella Snapped</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/iMKcWsUjdzg?si=7z4gvvYsV_v3bMz0">90s Kids</a>. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="342" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GFKnuJB_WkM" width="482" youtube-src-id="GFKnuJB_WkM"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>3. Bo Burnham - From God's Perspective </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bo is known for his comedy specials which include a number of original songs which are very good even on their own. My favorite would have to be From God's Perspective which is an equally funny yet deep song about God's thoughts on humanity. Wonderfully composed, written, and performed. Also check out songs: <a href="https://youtu.be/WLMgbV3uaz8?si=gDeTYamoNerbZCQy">Straight White Man</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/rYy0o-J0x20?si=Hbw1WFCx3LfaOHRG">Can't Handle This</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="336" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zxc20saM8DA" width="500" youtube-src-id="Zxc20saM8DA"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>4. Gary Portnoy - Temporary</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Gary Portnoy is most known for making making one of the greatest theme songs of all time, the theme song to Cheers, but he also has released plenty of his own music such as this song called Temporary. It's an autobiographical song about his childhood friend which leads to a revelation about life itself. Also check out the songs <a href="https://youtu.be/QZ_tS3c9OIk?si=WPn6TNALnEyKS01n">Lee</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/y_7sKNb2XXM?si=dNMKocaNASdhc8-l">Life on the Outside</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="348" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mL8tc_xDvVA" width="485" youtube-src-id="mL8tc_xDvVA"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>5. Carly Rae Jepsen - Comeback</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carly has a lot of pop hits and one of my recent favorites is the song Comeback. In collaboration with producer Jack Antonoff from The Bleachers, they have made a wonderful song here with haunting synths and soundscapes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CxI5C4Hel1o" width="479" youtube-src-id="CxI5C4Hel1o"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b>6. Alanis Morissette - Losing the Plot</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Alanis is an unmistakable iconic singer songwriter and she continues her path with Losing the Plot. It is a mix of dark yet optimistic composition and melody with original arrangements. An anthem for anyone overwhelmed or lost, it resonates with raw honesty and emotional power.<b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="338" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wiUH6ja2hKQ" width="473" youtube-src-id="wiUH6ja2hKQ"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>7. Natalie Imbruglia - On My Way</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On My Way<span> is a punchy,</span><span> defiant anthem of self-discovery and liberation. </span><span>It's a vibrant mix of pop and rock </span><span>filled with energy and attitude. Lyrically it is about </span><span>casting off past burdens and embracing new beginning. The song portrays </span><span>a feeling of empowerment and possibility.</span><b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="340" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hhnBDkgLJPg" width="480" youtube-src-id="hhnBDkgLJPg"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <b>8. Julia Michaels - Work Too Much</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p data-sourcepos="5:1-5:133"><span>Work Too Much is a melancholic pop ballad about the struggles of someone who is overworked and exhausted.</span><span> It feautures a gentle piano melody and breathy vocals,</span><span> setting the tone for a song that is both introspective and relatable. </span><span>The song's catchy melody and powerful lyrics make it a standout track. <br /></span></p><b></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GsdCsNZ1rnY" width="478" youtube-src-id="GsdCsNZ1rnY"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>9. M.I.A. - Keep the Peace</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span>Keep the Peace by M.</span><span>I.</span><span>A.</span><span> is a pulsating,</span><span> genre-bending anthem that blends elements of grime,</span><span> electronic,</span><span> and pop music.</span><span> The song is driven by a frenetic beat and M.</span><span>I.</span><span>A.</span><span>'s signature rap-singing style,</span><span> which weaves through layers of distorted synths and infectious vocal hooks.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="346" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jSAHnBS1SHA" width="468" youtube-src-id="jSAHnBS1SHA"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>10. Bob Ricci - It Could Happen U2 </b>(Stuck in your zipper and you can't get out of it) (U2 Stuck in a Moment parody)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is an older song but it's very well done and not well known so I wanted to feature it here. It's a parody of the U2 song Stuck in a Moment, but the lyrics are changed to "Stuck in your Zipper" ultimately leading to a very funny song. The original is a great song and I actually like this version even better! <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="361" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1D0I1m4-ueU" width="459" youtube-src-id="1D0I1m4-ueU"></iframe></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-24189338246905698522023-12-05T17:48:00.003-06:002023-12-05T17:48:46.352-06:00The cost of everything has gotten too expensive. Price of food and and inflation out of control.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8K7nh8vjY8TxT7c0oUdeTIcyywUmI_tU1V9TusNnqp9z4yAIgKqtm_QNZAxOaP8zaeFyrqbDalhDlQoFF2qOFNcnHrjttAvYeCGqjLTgKnMDPL9dxKfGMz7aQ855JfKWuENwssLI_Ig6pSnQlR7ZuwN9NTzpIEoLWgo0bq_K1xSpGY_Z6c64dKKTclqJ/s472/inflation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="472" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8K7nh8vjY8TxT7c0oUdeTIcyywUmI_tU1V9TusNnqp9z4yAIgKqtm_QNZAxOaP8zaeFyrqbDalhDlQoFF2qOFNcnHrjttAvYeCGqjLTgKnMDPL9dxKfGMz7aQ855JfKWuENwssLI_Ig6pSnQlR7ZuwN9NTzpIEoLWgo0bq_K1xSpGY_Z6c64dKKTclqJ/s320/inflation.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As we near the end of 2023 the cost of living has skyrocketed. Ever since the pandemic the cost of everything has increased dramatically. Even the price of basic necessities like food and housing have gotten out of control. A little inflation each year is expected, but the increases we have seen over the past few years have been way too much. And the problem is that salaries and income from jobs have not increased to match it. <br /><br />I don't know how many people are managing it these days. I am getting by but that is because I was in the habit of living a very frugal lifestyle even before all of this started happening. I saved up and continue to live even more frugally so I am ok, but for the average person living paycheck to paycheck without savings, they are pretty much screwed. <br /><br />I'm not expert in economics but there does not really seem to be a reason for the dramatic increase in cost of living other than everyone just trying to get more money and stay ahead of the curve. The cost one thing will go up and then everything related to that goes up to try to make up the difference. Ultimately the consumer at the end is hit with a higher bill. <br /><br />I can understand how the pandemic caused big issues with supply and demand and it had a huge effect on the workforce, but it is long over with and things have not changed back to how they were, they have only gotten worse. <br /><br />I think there is a certain amount of greed involved with companies raising the cost of goods that people need and people keep buying them because they feel like they don't have a choice. <br /><br />As far as I am concerned, I am not tolerating these price hikes. Certain grocery stores that I used to shop at on a regular basis, I no longer even step foot into. Certain food that I used to buy every week I no longer buy anymore because the price has nearly doubled in the past year or so. I changed my frugal buying habits into being even more frugal because I will not support these price increases. I think more people have to do the same to send a message that these prices have gotten out of control. <br /><br />If things don't change, people will need to make more money and they will demand higher pay from their jobs. Then of course this will make companies raise prices on goods and the cycle just continues to get worse. <br /><br />We just need to get some stability in the economy back. Maybe government needs to step in to put some regulation in place. Maybe more people have to stop putting up with these price increases. If people can no longer afford to pay for basic living expenses while working a full time job, this could lead to even more serious problems. <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-86796550171145053482023-10-02T18:11:00.001-05:002023-10-02T18:11:26.404-05:00Gerber Armbar Drive Review - First impressions of the driver multi-tool<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEBXAsUrr-idhrVp5bEw39QPloeeyNyK5UBYbMt22j1adSMxLYt9EmGyq7YV0mbFQRBp_hS6WM8PpYJkPDguOe0RsGpcL70N23DnE8hIMK9xprOa2Ltxx7aeODGmm_yBmSqjrXpekw8TLHj7NEddTjelq9EzV9SyXno1YMNhPWwGge36f-Pc7qBdvgj7k/s1280/gerber%20armbar%20drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEBXAsUrr-idhrVp5bEw39QPloeeyNyK5UBYbMt22j1adSMxLYt9EmGyq7YV0mbFQRBp_hS6WM8PpYJkPDguOe0RsGpcL70N23DnE8hIMK9xprOa2Ltxx7aeODGmm_yBmSqjrXpekw8TLHj7NEddTjelq9EzV9SyXno1YMNhPWwGge36f-Pc7qBdvgj7k/s320/gerber%20armbar%20drive.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I have been a fan of multi-tools for a while now and up to this point I have mostly used Victorinox Swiss Army knives. Recently I was in the market for a new multi-tool that would have a good phillips head screw driver and a knife. After doing lots of research I decided to try out the Gerber Armbar Drive.<p></p><p>My first impression was that it was a bit smaller than expected but it is similar in size compared to Victorinox knives like the Super Tinker. The problem though is that the tools don't fill the shape well and because of this, it makes it hard to handle. For example when you open up the screw driver, that part leaves a big hollow space in the handle where it use to be so you don't have much to hold on to. </p><p>I found the tools themselves to be hard to open. Maybe I got spoiled by Vicotorinox, but these tools on the Gerber are really stuck in there and when you open one, it tends to pull out some of the other tools next to it. </p><p>The scissors I don't really like because of the design. When you open it, it is not ready to go, you have to flip one of the sides 180 degrees to get it into place. This extra step might not seem like a lot, but when you just want to get to a tool quick you don't want to have to worry about extra steps just to open it. </p><p>The pry tool I found to be hard to open. They say it functions as a hammer too, but this thing is so light, I don't expect it would work too well at hammering. </p><p>The knife is ok. I like that it is able to lock. In terms of size it is about as big as the handle itself which seems a little too big for the handle. </p><p>Overall I wanted to like this multi-tool and was hoping to use it as my daily carry for screw driver and knife, but after trying it out, I am disappointed and I don't expect to use it much unfortunately. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-676398073495496092023-07-06T17:39:00.004-05:002023-07-06T17:39:53.722-05:00Cancel culture and the trend of trying to bring down good people - Colleen Ballinger, Jenna Marbles<p>Recently I discovered that a Youtuber I like, Colleen Ballinger from Miranda Sings, was in the news for apparently doing bad things. I was surprised to hear this because having followed her channels, watched her Netflix series, and read her book, I never had any reason to think anything bad about her.<br /><br />I did a little searching to try to figure out what was going on. My search found a lot of news articles saying she may have done some things in the past that some might consider inappropriate. I also searched Reddit and found a lot of people intent on trying to bring her down. I read their reasons and honestly they were not that bad.<br /><br />I could tell right away that this situation is exactly like what happened to Youtuber Jenna Marbles. It's where there is a good person who has a lot of success and then one day some negative press article comes out saying they did something wrong and then all of a sudden the mob pounces on them and tries to find every little thing they possibly did wrong in their entire life. <br /><br />This kind of thing gets a lot of media attention so news sites and social media are all over it. Suddenly everyone has an opinion on it. Anyone who ever disliked them or was jealous of them in any way is chiming in on the action. <br /><br />I'll admit I have not read into all the allegations thoroughly but when you follow someone on Youtube for years and have watched and read a lot of their content you get a pretty good idea of who they are. In my opinion she is a good person plain and simple. <br /><br />Of course there are probably some things she has done that she would look back on and say “yeah I probably shouldn't have done that, or I would have done that differently”. Of course she probably made some mistakes in the past, but guess what, so has every single person in the world! <br /><br />But because she is famous she gets attacked by everyone who dislikes her. When you are famous, even if you have millions of people who love you, there are still going to be a small percentage who don't like you. Then as soon as you make one little slip up, they are all over it and try to blow it out of proportion. <br /><br />It can be contagious to jump on the bandwagon when someone you know has made a mistake. I'll admit there may have been times in the past where I have done the same thing, not to this extent, but something similar. <br /><br />For example, how many times in your life have you known someone who you thought was ok. Maybe a co-worker who you didn't necessarily get along with but tolerated them just fine. Then maybe one day they leave under bad terms and people start gossiping negative things about them. Have you ever been tempted to join in and give your own take on what you didn't like about them? <br /><br />This is the kind of thing that happens in these situations to celebrities but on a much larger scale. It is really unfair especially when you have thousands of people trying to dig up your life's history and find every little thing you did that could possibly be interpreted as being even slightly offensive or controversial. <br /><br />If this was done to everyone, guess what? Pretty much everyone would be “Canceled”. Even the best people in the world make mistakes. I'm not saying we should condone celebrities when they do something that is truly horrible, but I think we really need to give them a break when small mistakes are made, especially when they are from many years ago and the person has since matured or changed. <br /><br />People like Colleen and Jenna are good people who brought a lot of joy to millions of people. It is a shame when a small group of “haters” band together to try to bring them down and ruin their career. <br /><br />Keep these points in mind when you see these attempts at canceling celebrities. They may be famous but deep down they are real people just like us who sometimes make mistakes and are not always perfect.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-83717593760461879342023-07-06T16:45:00.004-05:002023-07-06T16:46:21.262-05:00Music artists copying old songs and not giving credit to the original<p>How many times has this happened to you? You hear a song that you think is an original song only to find out many years later that it was actually a remake of a song that existed decades earlier. For me this happens quite often.<br /><br />I always feel like I've been tricked or lied to by the artist of the new version of the song. Here we were presented a song as if it was new and we were not told that it was actually just a copy of a hit song from years ago. <br /><br />Sure, if you do some digging and really search for the production details of the song, you might find some fine print mentioning that it samples another song or that is was based on other song, but rarely will this information be clearly published with the song title.<br /><br />I think this is unfair to the original artist because they are not really getting the credit they deserve. Often new artists just take a hit song and remake it. Then of course the song is a hit because it has already been proven to be a hit in the past. They took something that was already likable and just reintroduced it again. <br /><br />Although I don't really like when this is done especially when it is not clear that the song was based on another song that already exists, it is not all bad. The fact that the song is being remade shows that the artist likes it enough to be inspired to remake it which can be a compliment to the original artist.<br /><br />Also as mentioned earlier, this process introduces a song to a new generation who probably never heard the original and may never have known about it had it not been redone. <br /><br />Overall I think it is ok to be inspired by a song and then make your own version of it as long as the original artist is clearly given credit so people know where it came from. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-77071432842851104532023-05-24T20:36:00.000-05:002023-05-24T20:36:31.167-05:00Lost Envelope Found - Story of what happened when I found a lost envelope<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wx93GT_xAyJuqYzbhhgMCeBF11jNxaSULbfADLG7wuPGCiucuywFRQ7rKfGWTIb5UyOlM7lvLjKeA1LlrkK9SkYmwLEVnmi4ix9I2JM0BER0XFeSEpC6KuXPGscMyGEzGtHqLttHFADCz8Z7ly-OZnU2MAnyE8bNCzDgbg_VGwn3d_mAUDJ7kLavDg/s564/envelope%20found.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="564" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wx93GT_xAyJuqYzbhhgMCeBF11jNxaSULbfADLG7wuPGCiucuywFRQ7rKfGWTIb5UyOlM7lvLjKeA1LlrkK9SkYmwLEVnmi4ix9I2JM0BER0XFeSEpC6KuXPGscMyGEzGtHqLttHFADCz8Z7ly-OZnU2MAnyE8bNCzDgbg_VGwn3d_mAUDJ7kLavDg/s320/envelope%20found.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The other day I was getting home from work and as I was walking up to my building I saw a blue rectangle on the ground in the landscaped area. I always clean up garbage around the property so I walked over to it and picked it up.<br /><br />It was an envelope with someone's name on the front and a return address sticker on the back. There was no stamp or postal marking so it looked like a card that was going to be handed over in person.<br /><br />The card itself was sealed and it had some thickness to it. I shook it around and it appeared to have more than just a a single card in it. <br /><br />I thought about what my options were. I didn't know who it was for but I did have the return address.<br /><br />I decided to see if I could find some contact information for the name on the back. With a quick internet search I was able to find a phone number. I didn't know if the number would actually be right, but I figured I would give it a try.<br /><br />Also in the mean time, I pulled up the security camera footage in front of our building to see if I could track down where it came from. After a little digging, I actually found it. It turns out someone pulled up to pick someone up and when they stepped out of the car, the envelope fell on the ground. I still didn't know who they were, but I decided to give them a call at the number I found. <br /><br />So the next day I called the number and the person picked up. I confirmed their name and asked if they lost a card the other day. They said yes and confirmed where they lost it. I told them I would like to get it back to them. We arranged for her to come by later that day to pick it up. <br /><br />When she came by, she was very relieved and thankful because the card was important. She said it was for a widow and it was going to be given to them at a funeral. She said that it had money inside so she was very thankful that I made the effort to return it to her. She gave be $20 cash as a thank you. I told her she didn't have to but she insisted so that was very nice of her. <br /><br />Overall I am happy with my decision to get in contact with her to return the lost card. In situations like this, you have to put yourself in their shoes. If you lost an important card like that and someone found it, wouldn't you hope that they would try to get it back to you? If you ever find something like this, I recommend trying to return it to the owner. You will save the day and you might even be rewarded for your efforts!<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-29580288964097613212023-02-26T19:14:00.003-06:002023-02-26T19:15:37.525-06:00Don't buy a car from a dealership without knowing these things first. How to avoid getting ripped off.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8R-XQtwJ6-oIJjeXkYnQouPiXUaYMDNiUnqDkWZP-Bgk1v1uYxnEk0QwosMU7gDM8W-bwvwyKR-L-0VwtLXg_jmjOCpGs8qYYk6YEl067RI-Vn4blecXaeqr7lzgYEuEbqsOsGCy-HVjnzKEDKfBgiMxjUaFmrqEs5l2ZWy7iYVH4BDXG_TteHAEjng/s440/car%20dealership.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="440" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8R-XQtwJ6-oIJjeXkYnQouPiXUaYMDNiUnqDkWZP-Bgk1v1uYxnEk0QwosMU7gDM8W-bwvwyKR-L-0VwtLXg_jmjOCpGs8qYYk6YEl067RI-Vn4blecXaeqr7lzgYEuEbqsOsGCy-HVjnzKEDKfBgiMxjUaFmrqEs5l2ZWy7iYVH4BDXG_TteHAEjng/s320/car%20dealership.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Buying a new car or even a used car from a dealership can be a little intimidating especially if it is your first time. If you don't know what you are doing and have not done your research, chances are you are going to get ripped off and you will end up paying a lot more than you should for the car. Here are some tips I learned from my recent experiences visiting car dealerships. <br /><br />First thing to know is that it is a good idea to check the prices at several dealerships in the area. When I visited one nearby, they immediately told me they are marking their cars up several thousand over MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price). Some people might just accept that and go forward with the purchase, but after doing a little research, I found that the other dealerships nearby were are selling for MSRP or lower.<br /><br />Another big thing to know is dealerships often try to add extra charges for basically nonsense items. For example they will have a charge for a paint and interior protection and they will tell you it is already applied to the car so you have to pay for it. Or they will have a charge for VIN etching which is completely unnecessary, and again they will try to tell you it has already been done (even if it hasn't) and you have to pay for it. <br /><br />Don't let them get away with these added charges and features that you did not ask for. These things are only added as an excuse to charge the customer more money for basically nothing. <br /><br />I have found when dealerships give you a quote, they often just tell you a final number and avoid actually showing you the breakdown of the costs. This is because they don't want you to see the extra charges they sneak in there. <br /><br />When doing your research on the car, know the MSRP or the advertised price, and know how much all the taxes and fees should be. Once you have this number, stick to it and don't let them charge you more. If they present you with an offer that is higher, refuse it. They may try to keep pushing you to pay this higher price. This kind of negotiation can be uncomfortable especially with a stranger you just met, but you have to stick to your guns.<br /><br />You also have to be willing to walk out if they do not meet your price. Many people will give in because they want the car or because they really need the car soon. It's a good idea to visit the dealership before you really need the car, this way, you have some leverage because you can walk out if they don't lower the price to what it should be. <br /><br />Also, read reviews of the dealership before visiting. Each one is different and may have different selling tactics. See what others have been saying. You will be able to learn from other customers who have already been through it so they can offer tips on what to look out for. <br /><br />Overall, the message is just be very prepared before going in and don't let them take advantage of you. By being educated about the car buying process, you can avoid getting ripped off and you will have a much better chance at getting a fair deal on your new car. <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-29351182993784056072023-02-23T19:23:00.003-06:002023-02-23T19:23:52.540-06:00The range of clothing sizes between mens and boys is nearly non-existent - Trying to find clothes that fit<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDc9s-lBGh2XDsgk54OvjdvZYZfpXwmfCrzS8U8XWXjKwoy-mXf_p_X3PfcyFz3DO0-5cCFv2uo64n9ccnmU2_5MHtCE2lFK8EKZZKqyBSvYcVZ9Q3HM5yEWZWswWy_CRryFj8KBirYXysdIZ_NvJQKiVRCRzVee5OnNDpvUXWAQENG0r4BXmDhpdVQ/s800/clothing%20sizes%20chart%20example.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDc9s-lBGh2XDsgk54OvjdvZYZfpXwmfCrzS8U8XWXjKwoy-mXf_p_X3PfcyFz3DO0-5cCFv2uo64n9ccnmU2_5MHtCE2lFK8EKZZKqyBSvYcVZ9Q3HM5yEWZWswWy_CRryFj8KBirYXysdIZ_NvJQKiVRCRzVee5OnNDpvUXWAQENG0r4BXmDhpdVQ/s320/clothing%20sizes%20chart%20example.png" width="320" /></a></div>Finding clothes that fit can be a challenge for anyone. With so many different body shapes and clothing brands, it can take a lot of time trying on various articles of clothes before finding something that is a good fit. This process can be particularly difficult if you have a body shape that is uncommon either in height or weight or a combination of both.<br /><br />In my case I fall right into the range between mens and boys sizes. This means the mens sizes are usually too big while the kids sizes are usually too small or just don't work for other reasons. <br /><br />For example in pants I wear a size 28x28, but the problem is, most brands start around 30x30. Then if you go down to the kids sizes, they are different because they go by sizes such as L or XL. Usually the sizing is odd and does not follow the same dimensions as the men's sizes. Also the build quality of kids sizes is often worse when it comes to features and design.<br /><br />Same goes for shirts. A men's small is usually too big. A size XS is good, but these sizes are very rare as most brands will start the men's sizes at size small. The same issue applies when going down to kids sizes where the dimensions are different and the quality is not as good. Not to mention the selection of big kids sizes such as the L and XL tend to be very limited and are often out of stock. <br /><br />This makes it very difficult to find clothes that are a good fit. Given the choice of going with men's or boy's sizes, I usually go with men's because the styles are better as well as the quality, but inevitably most of my clothes end up being about one size too big because of this. <br /><br />Now there are some brands that will go down to the smaller sizes in men's sizes, but the selection is usually much more limited and if they specialize in smaller sizes like this, they tend to be more expensive than the commonly available brands. <br /><br />This gap between men's and kid's sizes is kind of puzzling because people grow at a steady rate. Yes, kids may have a growth spurt, but they don't magically skip sizes. There are many people who would fall in this range but for some reason the clothing companies are not making clothes to fit this group of people. <br /><br />Has anyone else noticed this issue with a lack of clothing options between kids and adult sizes? Have you found any good solutions or places that sell smaller men's clothes? Feel free to leave a comment below. <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-3132106606674867302023-01-24T18:14:00.007-06:002023-03-14T17:07:46.454-05:00Stores Need To Do More To Stop Shoplifting <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrQ5CvWetNjphZOSF4LCTS_8mC4ArCgm4bPixy6rNHJwaNcb3N0NXl3M5-azViK3WN_0XhVl4rt_C_Xmh8-pxvYnArF4qWaRow8-m59QZE2u68gc3Zaainus6m7aBLpAJtrlMSiQatrZc8u1_j7eQaB-wQhgADoMilsCcWF6Aggs-hl99j5d83FUhOQ/s551/air%20freshener.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="472" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrQ5CvWetNjphZOSF4LCTS_8mC4ArCgm4bPixy6rNHJwaNcb3N0NXl3M5-azViK3WN_0XhVl4rt_C_Xmh8-pxvYnArF4qWaRow8-m59QZE2u68gc3Zaainus6m7aBLpAJtrlMSiQatrZc8u1_j7eQaB-wQhgADoMilsCcWF6Aggs-hl99j5d83FUhOQ/w171-h200/air%20freshener.JPG" width="171" /></a></div><p>Today I was at a grocery store sitting in a chair by the pharmacy when I noticed a woman put a set of air fresheners back on an end shelf where they did not belong. This is a pet peeve of mine so in my head I am already disapproving of what this person just did. <br /><br />Shortly after, someone who she was with joins her. The first woman points to the air fresheners and says something about them having a security alarm on them, and she proceeded to leave them on the shelf. That raised a red flag and immediately I was on high alert.<br /><br />I saw the 2 walk back down the isle and stop by the air fresheners again. They were just out of view so I could not see exactly what they were doing, but after about 30 seconds they left. <br /><br />Out of curiosity I walked down to where they were standing. Right when I got there, I saw the exact same kind of air fresheners, out of place again, only this time it was opened up with one of the air fresheners missing. Now technically I did not see it happen, but based on all the clues, it is pretty obvious who took it. <br /><br />There was an employee stocking shelves nearby so I told her there was an opened package with something missing and I think someone just took it. She was just kind of like, “Yeah we see this kind of thing all the time.” I was like, “There are cameras here (pointing above). Can they check it?” And she was just kind of like “Yeah people watch the cameras”, but it was clear she was not going to do anything about it. <br /><br />On my way out, I stopped by customer service to let them know what happened. I asked if I could talk with security to fill them in, but the customer service person basically said, even if someone did steal the air freshener, they are not going to do anything about it. She went on to say how the work and time involved would not be worth it for them. <br /><br />This was pretty discouraging to hear. The customer service is basically saying people can just take whatever they want and walk out without paying and they won't do anything about it. What kind of message is this sending? <br /><br />I understand her reasoning and how it would take time and work to pursue something like this and for a small item it might not be worth the trouble on an individual basis, but by allowing this kind of thing to happen, they are setting a bad precedent that will encourage more behavior like this.<br /><br />When this person is able to steal an item and not have any consequence whatsoever, the message they are walking away with is that this is something they can do and nothing will happen to them. As word spreads about cases like this where shoplifters are not pursued by the stores, it can certainly encourage more of the same behavior. <br /><br />There has to be more of an effort made to stop people from stealing, or at least pursue a case against them if they do steal. Yes, it might cost more in the short term, but in the long term it has to be better if it can reduce the likelihood of things being stolen from the store. <br /><br />We have rules and laws for a reason. If they are not enforced, they are meaningless. Stores and security need to step up and put a stop to this kind of thing.</p><p><b>Update 3-14-23:</b></p><p>There was a question posted on Reddit recently asking people what they would do if they saw someone stealing food from a store. I checked out the responses and was appalled by how many people said they wouldn't do anything and that they would actually condone it. <br /></p><p>Some people argued that if someone is stealing food, they probably need it. I would argue that if someone needs food, there are better options available besides stealing. Community resources such as food banks are specifically put in place to provide food for those who need it. <br /></p><p>Others said that big corporations are already rich so it doesn't affect them. These corporations may have a lot of money but that does not mean it is ok to steal from them. That is like saying it is ok to steal from someone as long as they have more money than you. <br /></p><p>Some people said it is not their job so why would they do anything about it. In my opinion there is a fundamental flaw in this way of thinking. Just because you don't work at security in a store does not mean you should ignore something like retail theft. I will elaborate on why. </p><p>Even if it is not your job to stop retail theft, indirectly it is still affecting you. You won't notice it right away, but in the long run, it can have a big effect. </p><p>The clearest example of this is in areas where shoplifting has gotten out of hand. What do stores do when people keep taking their stuff without paying? They close down the store and move to a better place where people don't steal. When many stores in a community close down and no one else wants to open up a new store, you can imagine what a negative effect this has on a community. </p><p>We have rules and laws in society for a reason. They keep order and peace and make sure everything runs smoothly so we don't have chaos. When people stop following the rules and laws, that's when problems arise. That is when things go from peaceful to stressful. That is when a good living environment turns into a bad living environment. What kind of world do you want to live in?<br /></p><p>Stealing from a store is just a small example of this, but it is the kind of thing that contributes to the breakdown of these rules and laws of society. If we want to maintain a good life, we all have to not only uphold these rules and laws ourselves, but we also have to hold each other accountable when they are broken. It doesn't matter if it is not your "job" to say something if you witness a theft. It is your duty as a member of society to do the right thing and make sure others do the same. <br /></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-16872363978644062702022-12-30T16:54:00.002-06:002022-12-30T21:21:40.334-06:00Andrew Tate may be the most misunderstood person on the planet - The problem with media and misinformation<p>One of the most talked about and controversial figures, Andrew Tate continues to make headlines and while on the surface it seems like he has a lot of haters, he also has a lot of supporters. So why is this the case?<br /><br />I first heard of him probably about a year ago. I saw some video of him and immediately thought, who is this guy? Upon first impression you see what looks like an arrogant guy with a lot of money saying controversial things.<br /><br />Upon doing some searching, you will find a lot of articles painting him in a negative light. You will also find a lot of comments from people expressing their dislike for him. So when you see things like this, it's easy to see how people would jump to the conclusion immediately and decide they don't like him.<br /><br />I will admit, at first I didn't like him just based on those first impressions, but he was interesting enough for me to dig deeper and start looking into more of his videos and particularly his long form interviews with respected hosts. <br /><br />When you actually give him a chance and watch some of these interviews, you start to realize he is actually a very smart individual with interesting views on many topics. He is able to address any criticism that is thrown at him. In most cases, he has to defend himself again false allegations or soundbites of himself that have been taken out of context in an effort to try to slander him.<br /><br />Andrew is able to pretty much answer any question that is thrown at him and he does so in a brilliant way. What's interesting about this, is often his views are very different from the norm. He expresses values that sometimes go against what most people think, but when he explains his reasoning, it usually makes sense even if you still disagree with it. <br /><br />After having done a fair amount of research and having watched many of his hour long + interviews, I have come away with a favorable impression of Andrew Tate. I don't necessarily agree with everything he says or does, but I do think he is generally a good guy and is an important voice in our society today.<br /><br />One thing you will notice after watching a lot of his interviews is he actually has a sense of humor and will often say things in a way that he knows will get a rise out of people. He is one of the most searched people of recent times for a reason. It's because he knows how to get people's attention. Being boring and following the script does not get attention. Saying controversial things does get attention and he knows this and takes full advantage of it.<br /><br />Once realizing this, you kind of have to take everything he says with a grain of salt. Yes, he means what he says, but often he will say it in a way that he knows is going to get people worked up and talking about it, even if he has to exaggerate what he actually thinks about a certain topic. <br /><br />So back to the question posed earlier about why there are so many people that seem to dislike him. I think it comes down to a couple reasons. One, the higher-ups in media and those with power see him becoming very influential and they don't like it so they have made efforts to try to bring him down. This is done by publishing negative articles about him online and in social media as well as pushing to get him banned from various platforms. <br /><br />It's become clear that these days we can't really believe what we see on the internet. Basically if the media wants to push a certain agenda, they will, and when it reaches enough people, it becomes accepted as truth even if it is not. <br /><br />You can see examples of this in politics depending on if you visit a conservative or a liberal news group. There can be a news event in politics and you will get a completely different view point for it depending on which news source you are getting it from. <br /><br />In Andrew's case, the majority took the side of trying to make him out to be the villain. So when people start hearing about him and they go to look him up, they are presented with headlines and clips that make him out to be a bad guy.<br /><br />Like myself, most people are going to go off their first impressions and maybe a quick Google search and immediately decide they don't like him. They will then go to the comments and social media and express this, even though they really don't know much about him. It snowballs like this and suddenly everyone doesn't like him, but not because they did their research on who he is and what he actually believes, but because of a first impression and a few headlines or clips that were designed to get clicks. <br /><br />So why am I writing this article in the first place? Andrew Tate doesn't need my help. He is doing just fine on his own. My main issue is with people taking strong opinions on matters and then posting them out to the world when they really don't know what they are talking about. <br /><br />There is so much misinformation out there and with social media, anyone can say anything, and that word will spread. We know you shouldn't believe everything you see out there, but unfortunately people do anyway. If they see a post by someone they follow on social media chances are they are going to be influenced by it whether it is true or not. If they see a news article headline sensationalizing an event in order to get people to click on it, chances are people will just go by that headline without even reading into the article. <br /><br />The overall message here is that you really have to be careful about what you believe these days. Before spreading comments or opinions on a matter, make sure you have researched it thoroughly enough to have a good understanding about it. There is enough misinformation out there from sources we consider to be credible. Make sure you decide for yourself what you want to think about an issue, not what others want you to think about it. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-79106137137125332742022-12-13T17:01:00.001-06:002022-12-13T17:07:53.942-06:00Sonoma - Ronan 2 Shoe Review - First Impressions<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjl3_DLyXD_4wXceWQiv19a0UZJMfWQ-6AheMSNpEC6QyLkMrYyjjwjLrk09q9uPOL3zOcApm4nvym8jy2GqesDNpNZnWfUPqheuHVYYVmVC7XluZa2ECsFDcoQpKV-6x6njGhJrenDCyBR3qBOlmRsfFMSZsa0Ra-YVCtzMPkpOiCCUoJ8tFItpnCw/s4032/003.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjl3_DLyXD_4wXceWQiv19a0UZJMfWQ-6AheMSNpEC6QyLkMrYyjjwjLrk09q9uPOL3zOcApm4nvym8jy2GqesDNpNZnWfUPqheuHVYYVmVC7XluZa2ECsFDcoQpKV-6x6njGhJrenDCyBR3qBOlmRsfFMSZsa0Ra-YVCtzMPkpOiCCUoJ8tFItpnCw/w320-h240/003.JPG" title="Sonoma Ronan 2 Shoes" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonoma Ronan 2 Shoes<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Recently I was looking for a replacement for a business casual shoe; something that looks nice and somewhat dressy, but is also comfortable and sporty enough for everyday wear. I have worn Rockport's for a long time with the <a href="https://www.rockport.com/products/rockport-ridgefield-eureka-black">Eureka</a> and <a href="https://www.rockport.com/products/rockport-world-tour-mens-classic-shoe-chocolate-nubuck">World Tour</a> models, both of which are great for this kind of shoe, but unfortunately in recent years, they seem to be too narrow for my foot. <br /><br />I noticed at Kohls they had a pretty good selection of shoes so I decided to try a few of them out. One that caught my eye was the <a href="https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-5304492/sonoma-goods-for-life-ronan-2-mens-oxford-sneakers.jsp?color=Black&prdPV=1">Sonoma Ronan 2</a> oxford sneakers. They are kind of like a hybrid of a formal and casual shoe. <br /><br />The upper material has a woven style for the forefoot which gives it a modern look and also good comfort and breathability. Then it has suede overlays for the midfoot and heel as well as leather highlights on the heel and tongue. Around the ankle it is finished off with a neoprene-like material. The midsole is white and the outsole is a gum rubber color which gives it a sporty and classy look. <br /><br />I tried them on in store and they were surprisingly comfortable. Often when you try on different shoes, they don't fit well, but these seemed to be good right off the bat. The sizing definitely runs big. I usually wear a 9 or a 9.5 for most shoes, but in these I had to go down to an 8.5 and they are still pretty roomy. I even tried an 8 which was ok, but a little snug so I figured 8.5 would be the best. <br /><br />One thing that really drew me to this shoe was the price. Retail was listed at $54.99 but they were on sale and had a coupon code option which brought the price down to $39.99! In a time where everything seems to be getting more expensive and name brand shoes like this can easily get up over $100, it's nice to see there are still some reasonably priced footwear options available. <br /><br />I noticed the Sonoma Goods for Life brand seems to be a Kohls specific brand as they are not available in other stores. This might be one of the reasons they can keep the costs lower. I don't mind if it is a house brand, in fact I like how it does not have logos on it like most companies tend to do with their shoes. Given the style, price, and comfort, I couldn't pass these up, so I decided to buy them. <br /><br />At home I tried them out some more. They are very comfortable and roomy in the forefoot. The heel height is noticeably higher than the forefoot. I would prefer a more level footbed, but it's not a big deal. Cushioning is ok and about what you would expect from a business casual shoe. <br /><br />Even though the toe is a woven material, it does have some structure on the inside which keeps the shape and gives protection to the toes. The sole is stable and has a smooth transition from heel to toe. The bottom of the outsole is pretty flat with minimal tread depth so they are probably best on dry surfaces. Overall I was pleased with the build quality of the shoe.<br /><br />Given the style of the shoe, it is probably best for warmer seasons such as Spring, Summer, or Fall. I would not recommend wearing them in snow or wet conditions based on the woven material and the smooth outsole. <br /><br />I will update this review over time as I get more wear out of these shoes, but for now, I am impressed with them. They look good, they are comfortable, and the price is very reasonable. If you are looking for a shoe like this, I recommend trying them out! <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWckB5M3LCNoIQK36_lHnJiAaPuw-8fQde729jq4n7d0n_VzIEPoai0-oIiUkaYpRVGr-dIdKMB2E-8Va0Qv6AwnYSt4BzhzsdXM_RSF9Vf18cmp-ZaNzRz8q85nMhcNaFVXogh1SQrVdJVwjb5r3zyD597bDwwNANpJlqFUsg3YE4S8buPwebYRtUQ/s4032/001.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWckB5M3LCNoIQK36_lHnJiAaPuw-8fQde729jq4n7d0n_VzIEPoai0-oIiUkaYpRVGr-dIdKMB2E-8Va0Qv6AwnYSt4BzhzsdXM_RSF9Vf18cmp-ZaNzRz8q85nMhcNaFVXogh1SQrVdJVwjb5r3zyD597bDwwNANpJlqFUsg3YE4S8buPwebYRtUQ/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjy0ubQujR1WoZ4qbmDY4n_wmVZwA4b6DhboXalszhaduYtESSWvw9lnwE_d_jl4uec-J7zxVhF6Wdaw_ohgm-LtgDfhhe-uPD886N2hN-OQ4v8WnghmgcPqxIv1E3r49ga20ce24Y-sW_V4EM0m7E5Ohpufgp6WBHiU1R3gRU3NKQN_VS-u0WL4IzgA/s4032/002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjy0ubQujR1WoZ4qbmDY4n_wmVZwA4b6DhboXalszhaduYtESSWvw9lnwE_d_jl4uec-J7zxVhF6Wdaw_ohgm-LtgDfhhe-uPD886N2hN-OQ4v8WnghmgcPqxIv1E3r49ga20ce24Y-sW_V4EM0m7E5Ohpufgp6WBHiU1R3gRU3NKQN_VS-u0WL4IzgA/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Bz0Y6PlUWwjLrvX5N2Uf3-OmUa06cunq5ooUo4q6dW30inMIyiCaZP2pOiBaYw81VWoKUsjbgExp5AtsmbGr9KTv2Km_ex02zxWwuTTiYz0CQB-tv4FmoYUcQPltsMHxB6mT2jZujimhsoMwK5xVJKKtLgYznr6JJJuwPFKgKsOUkYn2nq-mGBw9jQ/s4032/004.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Bz0Y6PlUWwjLrvX5N2Uf3-OmUa06cunq5ooUo4q6dW30inMIyiCaZP2pOiBaYw81VWoKUsjbgExp5AtsmbGr9KTv2Km_ex02zxWwuTTiYz0CQB-tv4FmoYUcQPltsMHxB6mT2jZujimhsoMwK5xVJKKtLgYznr6JJJuwPFKgKsOUkYn2nq-mGBw9jQ/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnWjkQeLFdU6nbDJwWY_Gqe9w8p8K3jSIEpIIqbJDsVIS0eUuD0GrAkAk_2_hkfjbACS8ilT8qRlfo6LX7Be_JOyrfSBRUMbSGOu1h2klMcZVSij_U6lTH6xbpZXiADrZeKyY2bwiTq6yyDMhvJ5xhktl4z1Oa6OlIE6dyEPNCtnV-7LsPcmPV2XBZw/s4032/005.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnWjkQeLFdU6nbDJwWY_Gqe9w8p8K3jSIEpIIqbJDsVIS0eUuD0GrAkAk_2_hkfjbACS8ilT8qRlfo6LX7Be_JOyrfSBRUMbSGOu1h2klMcZVSij_U6lTH6xbpZXiADrZeKyY2bwiTq6yyDMhvJ5xhktl4z1Oa6OlIE6dyEPNCtnV-7LsPcmPV2XBZw/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4i_SO-KcFXaRLSAFZDSrQ420VIhXjHK45ocip1AMRq_q8ErJ9jzlo2WX1hPQ8UFjJReoAVQo3MhfzhT8r_NkYqoHRq5n4o8VogzggDMh_8scAjVC_Rp6eie0OOBCXJkdR_wTXnC9F8bKujW5DXK-r8umQbEUPjbvomtq71zRA34lqLMcvZSqZp0BLg/s4032/006.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4i_SO-KcFXaRLSAFZDSrQ420VIhXjHK45ocip1AMRq_q8ErJ9jzlo2WX1hPQ8UFjJReoAVQo3MhfzhT8r_NkYqoHRq5n4o8VogzggDMh_8scAjVC_Rp6eie0OOBCXJkdR_wTXnC9F8bKujW5DXK-r8umQbEUPjbvomtq71zRA34lqLMcvZSqZp0BLg/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-80557276162002417202022-12-09T20:47:00.001-06:002022-12-09T20:47:44.203-06:00Youtube Shorts Have Ruined Youtube<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeXUvBdQGgzZgzqlH8fL8Nnn9XK11sLOZ8lER_dTb4WfUiZ65NQXB9BT5KmCESSbNTco0tjHKJAdl1qW75dNOmb9YyPM904GLqJ1svuum_Gh5siYnvFe39baEHuiHDpT0wJGOnPSSRGsnEgaS8VN4rTBeMHUkBdhmjcN83vurRBnm_zclUGuPqrMaDA/s1491/Youtube%20Shorts.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1491" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeXUvBdQGgzZgzqlH8fL8Nnn9XK11sLOZ8lER_dTb4WfUiZ65NQXB9BT5KmCESSbNTco0tjHKJAdl1qW75dNOmb9YyPM904GLqJ1svuum_Gh5siYnvFe39baEHuiHDpT0wJGOnPSSRGsnEgaS8VN4rTBeMHUkBdhmjcN83vurRBnm_zclUGuPqrMaDA/w161-h200/Youtube%20Shorts.png" width="161" /></a></div>Youtube Shorts were introduced last year and since, then they have slowly made Youtube worse. In the past, most Youtube videos were at least a few minutes long and creators would put effort into making them. Youtube Shorts on the other hand tend to be low effort videos that in my opinion usually are not even worth watching.<br /><br />These days when I log in to see my subscriptions feed, about half of the videos are Shorts. I find myself skipping most of these as they are usually just clips from longer videos, or they are just something that is not worth even clicking on based on the title. <br /><br />I get that Youtube introduced Shorts to compete with other streaming video companies, and I get that Shorts are geared towards mobile devices rather than computers. I can see how they might be easier for people to create and post using their phone.<br /><br />The main issue is that they are mixed in with the regular Youtube videos. The Shorts should be separate or at least have an option to opt-out of seeing them or having them in your subscription feed. <br /><br />There are a few reasons why I don't like Shorts. One, there is no time stamp to see how long they are. Two, you can't control the playback when they are playing such as going forward or back in the video. Three, they play on a loop. No one needs a video to replay immediately after it has finished. Four, the vertical video. I know its better for phones, but not for computers. <br /><br />I say Youtube Shorts are ruining Youtube because it seems they are making creators lazy as well as making viewers lazy. Creators who are just going for views would probably rather just record a quick minute of themselves talking rather than take the time to sit down and record and edit a quality video that is several minutes long. Viewers may also start losing their attention span by getting in the habit of scrolling through these quick videos rather than watching the longer length videos. <br /><br />Overall I think Youtube Shorts are ok as a separate format. I just think they should not be mixed in with traditional Youtube videos because they are bringing down the quality as a whole. What are your thoughts on Youtube Shorts? Are they the future of Youtube videos or are they the downfall of Youtube? <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-30942155160878901792022-12-01T17:03:00.000-06:002022-12-01T17:03:32.296-06:00My Terrible Experience with CIT Bank 11 Month No Penalty CD<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9a7BqvnQQcCadfW35yH_Pwl2wLcIOQwbgUKHTk0WiAW1d8E4oC9LeCNDurt9GSpOfj1sFiSNRpDH9iw1jkCEvqhkPHj4YmdFmcmM1fQeDEpForAhKfOvsVgmNxzricDCgTAiOHL1ANHFZTFHRy8uTzC7GutCyzSM0btU2Gih8rMRAgYHG8b0EVQzTg/s461/cit%20bank%2011%20month%20no%20penalty%20cd%20review.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="109" data-original-width="461" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9a7BqvnQQcCadfW35yH_Pwl2wLcIOQwbgUKHTk0WiAW1d8E4oC9LeCNDurt9GSpOfj1sFiSNRpDH9iw1jkCEvqhkPHj4YmdFmcmM1fQeDEpForAhKfOvsVgmNxzricDCgTAiOHL1ANHFZTFHRy8uTzC7GutCyzSM0btU2Gih8rMRAgYHG8b0EVQzTg/w320-h77/cit%20bank%2011%20month%20no%20penalty%20cd%20review.png" width="320" /></a></div>Over the past few months the interest rates for CDs have been going up so I started looking into some options for opening up a new account. I wanted a “No Penalty CD” which allows you to withdraw the money whenever you want as opposed to traditional CDs where you are expected to keep the money in the account for a certain period of time.<br /></div><br />After researching the rates, one of the best I found was from CIT Bank so I decided to give them a try and open up a new account. Setting up and funding the account was ok. It wasn't until a few weeks later that there started to become some issues.<br /><br />A few weeks after funding the account I began to look for the withdraw option just so I would know what to do if I wanted to take the money out. On the website, it has a “Transfer Money” section where supposedly you are able to transfer money. The problem is, it doesn't actually let you transfer money. Every time I clicked on it, it would just say I had to call them at their customer service number.<br /><br />They have an option to send them a secure message on the website so I tried that first. I emailed them asking how to withdraw the money. Many days went by and I did not receive a reply so I decided to call them. <br /><br />The first time I called, it said there was a 56 minute wait time. It had the option to call me back instead of waiting on hold, so I did that. When it finally called me back and said I was next in line, it disconnected the call before I even got to talk to someone. <br /><br />I tried calling back the next day and waited about 25 minutes before I was connected to a representative. I told them I wanted to withdraw the money back to my account, but they said they could not do that by phone. They said I had to send a message to request it. I told them I did already and never got a reply. The representative said they would check on it. A few minutes later the call was disconnected. <br /><br />I sent a 2nd email directly requesting the transfer. After 2 days I still did not receive a reply. At this point I was starting to get worried. I had money in this account and so far 3 different attempts to get it back had failed. <br /><br />I looked into what other options I had at this point and one was to file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which is a government company that keeps an eye on financial institutions and helps with issues like this. So I filed a complaint with them and waited for a response.<br /><br />2 weeks after sending my first message asking how to withdraw funds, they finally replied back and said I had to provide the routing numbers for the bank in order to do the transfer. I found this odd considering my account was already connected and on file, but I provided the information again anyway. <br /><br />Another 2 weeks went by before I finally got a response saying that they would transfer the money back to my account. <br /><br />In the end it took a full month to withdraw the money back to my account after first requesting it. Keep in mind, this was a no penalty CD which is supposed to allow you to withdraw the money at any time. <br /><br />Overall it was a terrible experience and I am relieved to have been able to get my money out of that account. <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-41456516595636708082022-10-26T20:54:00.000-05:002022-10-26T20:54:15.369-05:00My Experience Copying a Key: Minute Key vs KeyMe vs Key Hero<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVHbG70hk-61LbLtJWj0h0DFv6uQKPzgyn2Temz5SszG2aL50Jfdz87rMsyqnqN0FNl2txsoyRITcPpW9hiNnaBnbhXQjS9X1IL-Axn3NfDAzB-qVcKeZ3QHH7aaWKngIPEbxpUMeOhbwtnbabDnzCBF2BFI2mrTGZQ7KXP8Ru2oqIiE0lDU1cU6MPHQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="462" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVHbG70hk-61LbLtJWj0h0DFv6uQKPzgyn2Temz5SszG2aL50Jfdz87rMsyqnqN0FNl2txsoyRITcPpW9hiNnaBnbhXQjS9X1IL-Axn3NfDAzB-qVcKeZ3QHH7aaWKngIPEbxpUMeOhbwtnbabDnzCBF2BFI2mrTGZQ7KXP8Ru2oqIiE0lDU1cU6MPHQ" width="190" /></a></div>I needed to make a copy of a house key so I looked for a local place to get it done. I saw there were some self-serve kiosk options so I decided to try it out since I figured it would be pretty easy.<br /><br /><b>Minute Key:</b><br />First I tried Minute Key which was located in a Walmart. I started here because they seemed to have a lot of locations and I thought I might be able to use a promo code and maybe even get a free key. <br /><br />So I find the machine in the Walmart and the screen is messed up. It was blurry so you couldn't read it. I tried to use it anyway but it ended up getting stuck halfway through the process. My key was stuck in the machine and nothing was working to cancel it. <br /><br />I called over customer service but they were not much help. After about 5 minutes it was able to cancel and release the key so that was a relief, but overall bad experience and I was not able to make a copy of the key.<br /><br /><b>KeyMe:</b><br />There was a Menards nearby and I saw they have a kiosk called KeyMe so I decided to try it out. This one seemed to work ok, the only problem was it said my key was uncommon so they would have to ship it to me. This was really disappointing because my key was as basic as they get. <br /><br />I needed the key that day so I was not going to wait around for it to be shipped. So far 0 for 2.<br /><br /><b>Key Hero:</b><br />I decided to try one more, a kiosk called Key Hero which was in Home Depot. I go to the machine to start and immediately it says I need to call over an employee to do it. Again very disappointing. The whole point of the kiosk is so you can do it yourself and you don't have to find someone to do it for you.<br /><br />After about 5 minutes I was able to get someone to help. I gave them the key and they were able to copy it. It was not that quick but they got it done. Also it was confirmed that it was a common key so I'm not sure why the other machine at Menards said it wasn't.<br /><br /><b>Conclusion:</b><br />After trying Minute Key, KeyMe, and Key Hero, I was let down by all of them. I'm surprised that this seems to be such a difficult task. Maybe I just had some bad luck with the machines, but overall the experience was difficult and I had to go to 3 different stores just to make 1 copy of a basic house key. <br /><br />If you are looking to make a duplicate of a key, you can try them out if you want to, but you might be better off just asking someone at the local hardware store to make a copy for you. <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-69078798944316225702022-09-14T20:17:00.001-05:002022-09-14T20:18:11.514-05:00The Undateables - Show Recommendation<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDz0secxA1Dd7-0JQcCcUMUvMQpT2OOcNWmI80NbkHnryQungbWqkv9M08UTtBnnc7PjD9Gz67EBlmsAlrbipKEWk93VOhUNlbM6LAu7Avm-DxyCzHPHqpUpshKF67acyx08Np5AF9GPcQkS7EVyXNW58eeH21wngLD6DdE-PcTaFbwNRSB6WaV-lJw/s667/the%20undateables.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="667" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDz0secxA1Dd7-0JQcCcUMUvMQpT2OOcNWmI80NbkHnryQungbWqkv9M08UTtBnnc7PjD9Gz67EBlmsAlrbipKEWk93VOhUNlbM6LAu7Avm-DxyCzHPHqpUpshKF67acyx08Np5AF9GPcQkS7EVyXNW58eeH21wngLD6DdE-PcTaFbwNRSB6WaV-lJw/s320/the%20undateables.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Undateables is a documentary style show about people with disabilities and their search for finding love. These individuals usually have a condition that makes it difficult for them to find dates or get into relationships so this show helps them by matching them with others who may be compatible.<br /><br />I am a fan of these kinds of shows, for example “Love on the Spectrum” and “Born This Way” so I was definitely look forward to watching The Undateables because it is very similar. The show is based in the UK and is currently available for streaming on Discovery+.<br /><br />There are 11 seasons, each with about 5 episodes. I just finished the series and I loved it! There is a wide variety of participants and they very likable and memorable. It's great when there is a good match and they really hit it off and develop a long term relationship. I like how they also feature many of the cast members over several episodes and seasons as they continue their quest for love.<br /><br />After finishing the series and looking for updates on what there are up to now, I was pleased to see many of them are still in relationships with the people they met on the show. Overall I highly recommend The Undateables. I hope they continue to make more seasons! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="340" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p4Dh2ICB45s" width="480" youtube-src-id="p4Dh2ICB45s"></iframe></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-88489931040030444232022-09-06T16:24:00.008-05:002022-09-06T16:34:05.538-05:00TI-83 Missing Pixels Line - How To Fix?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyGi9TqIJKuR4X7ZufK4Yh-0OqfxbZwkLAWzcaXPXQSmnBSHwG5zAhQlit3bA7p2bkyfu2AON7wHOKNQVaFnE4AUyW9Yv8pmSz2G08ALvDG2dh-yEHuayxRYmtpxMQDcNlP938l3t2iATq6LAQRGq38mwWYbCRONYe78MyXInI-LQmYBXfr_4shne0w/s573/TI-83.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="286" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyGi9TqIJKuR4X7ZufK4Yh-0OqfxbZwkLAWzcaXPXQSmnBSHwG5zAhQlit3bA7p2bkyfu2AON7wHOKNQVaFnE4AUyW9Yv8pmSz2G08ALvDG2dh-yEHuayxRYmtpxMQDcNlP938l3t2iATq6LAQRGq38mwWYbCRONYe78MyXInI-LQmYBXfr_4shne0w/s320/TI-83.png" width="160" /></a></div>It's hard to believe I've had my TI-83 calculator for about 25 years and I still use it quite often. It has been super reliable until today when I turned it on, I noticed it was missing a vertical line of pixels. It was low on battery so I figured that might be the issue.<p></p><p>I opened up the battery case and noticed there was some corrosion on one of the batteries. I took them out and cleaned it up as well as I could. Then I put in the new batteries. Unfortunately it still had the missing line.</p><p>So I did some research and found a video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evjL1B3bWVc">here</a> showing how to do a display test on the calculator.<br /></p><p>Here are the basic steps:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Press MODE</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Press ALPHA</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Press S</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Press Enter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Press ON</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Press Enter to cycle through the screen tests. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Press ON a few more times to get back to the home screen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not sure if this will work for all screen issues, but somehow it worked for me and it fixed the missing line of pixels.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are some tutorials out there instructing to open up the calculator to fix the internal components, but they looks pretty technical. If you are having screen issues, I recommend trying this method first to see if it fixes the problem. <br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-51708321190099051022022-08-05T19:49:00.005-05:002022-08-05T20:09:20.481-05:00Beauty and the Geek Australia 2022 Review (No Spoilers)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdSoHq68bBbaKhUYbYuXavmV0MRBsTphoTtNhzVcDWgSTR_dt-QglkiHAOMk258oFZBKQymIYY_NytLCl7fJK65pm-PFIqve3kwG3xvSsrOh1XcoBGpVjo2Bx8QSw9dZFCxlm6LO9DvUZPs1rrZ6YrCM7GN5JnL-q9hYQl01-uxb7jtUcwCSh3p7YnA/s852/batg1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="852" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdSoHq68bBbaKhUYbYuXavmV0MRBsTphoTtNhzVcDWgSTR_dt-QglkiHAOMk258oFZBKQymIYY_NytLCl7fJK65pm-PFIqve3kwG3xvSsrOh1XcoBGpVjo2Bx8QSw9dZFCxlm6LO9DvUZPs1rrZ6YrCM7GN5JnL-q9hYQl01-uxb7jtUcwCSh3p7YnA/w640-h329/batg1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Beauty and the Geek is one of my all time favorite shows. I've watched all the seasons from the US version as well as many of the international versions such as <a href="https://www.9now.com.au/beauty-and-the-geek-australia">Beauty and the Geek Australia</a>. The show had been off air for a while but then the Australian version came back last year and this year. </p><p><a href="https://www.connectedisolation.com/2021/08/beauty-and-geek-australia-2021-review.html">Last year's season</a> was amazing. It had everything you could ask for in a show from great casting to humor, to emotion. It's one of those feel good shows were even though it is a competition, everyone is supportive of each other. </p><p>Having loved last season, of course I was looking forward to this new season, but also thinking that it would be pretty hard to top last year. So how did it turn out? I'm happy to report that it was very much on par with the same elements that made the previous season so great!</p><p>This season we have Sophie Monk back as host which is great because she is perfect for the show. There are also 10 new Beauties and 10 new Geeks. Each week they have challenges and one couple leaves the competition.</p><p>The challenges are usually pretty fun and have a theme that often involves dressing up in some sort of style. I thought this season's challenges were easier than last year, but there were definitely some difficult challenges this year as well. </p><p>At the end of each episode, the two lowest scoring couple face an elimination quiz. My one critique of the show would be the format where it is first to buzz in. Many times couples would buzz in before the question was finished and then would get the point. I think it would be better if they each wrote down answers and then showed them. This way it would be a little more based on knowledge rather than first to buzz in. </p><p>There is also the geek makeovers which is always one of the most exciting parts of the show. It's fun to see what a difference a new haircut and style can do to help them build confidence. <br /></p><p>Overall I thought they did a great job on casting. The thing that makes this show stand out is how kind and loving the contestants are to each other. The pairs support each other, but they also support other couples. Even in the short time of filming the show, you can see how strong the friendships become. This season there were even several romantic connections. </p><p>Like last year, there were plenty of emotional moments throughout the show. I'm usually not too emotional but I cried several times throughout the series especially in the finale. </p><p>If you have enjoyed any previous seasons of Beauty and the Geek, definitely check out this season. Even if you haven't seen it before, check it out if you can because it is a great show! <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-33714822472318630672022-06-15T15:38:00.001-05:002022-06-15T15:38:56.910-05:00State Farm Review - Some gripes on this insurance company <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRumWpkARQ7wGom6A4gs2h70zFKvsOcmHTk5qwOW3n1pFOuWShRToMWNkTQWhEflaNxBsKWUMR_DHDleL3JykXJT6tWETo6LMDagYxizbGQzjW16_8tGiQxbpfMg3IWJd8-DAFDxMQ_93e0vVsPsmQtAxGeNb4T9Do_Uf3dizttOGVFP4XkkmWdKcrQ/s439/state%20farm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="439" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRumWpkARQ7wGom6A4gs2h70zFKvsOcmHTk5qwOW3n1pFOuWShRToMWNkTQWhEflaNxBsKWUMR_DHDleL3JykXJT6tWETo6LMDagYxizbGQzjW16_8tGiQxbpfMg3IWJd8-DAFDxMQ_93e0vVsPsmQtAxGeNb4T9Do_Uf3dizttOGVFP4XkkmWdKcrQ/w200-h130/state%20farm.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I have had State Farm insurance for my car as well as my home for several years. Overall it has been ok and I think the costs have been reasonable which is why I have stayed with them, but I do have some issues with them as well. <p></p><p>One thing that bothers me is they change my policy limits without permission. Every time they send the renewal, they bump up the coverage limits. I have asked them about this in the past and they said they do it automatically from what I remember, to cover things like inflation. That is fine, but it should be an option, not automatic. I don't want my coverage changed so every year they change it and every year I have to tell them to put it back how it was. </p><p>Coverage information is hard to find. I just looked all over the website and it seems there is no way to see the actual coverage details. They tell you your coverage amounts, but it seems if you want to know the details or declarations of what is actually covered you have to request that they send it to you by mail. I have a copy of this from when they first sent it, but I would like to be able to see it online or at least be able to download a digital copy. This should not be that hard. </p><p>Also when viewing your coverage on the website, some of the basic information is missing for descriptions of things like “Loss Assessment”, “Damage of Property to Others”, “Medical Payments to Others”. When you click on them to learn more about what it means, it just says “Sorry a description has not been created for that.” These are just the basic items and there are not that many of them. Someone needs to get on this.</p><p>Lastly, and this is just nitpicking, but every year they send me a bunch of address stickers with my name and address on them. It was ok the first time, but they keep sending them. I don't need hundreds of stickers with my name and address on them. It's a nice gesture, but there should be an opt out for something like this as well.<br /><br />I know some of these may be minor issues, but they are things that could be easily fixed and would greatly improve the customer experience. Hopefully they can address some of these issues soon. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-22264749452707241292022-06-08T20:33:00.001-05:002022-06-08T20:42:38.890-05:00Kasa EC60 Camera Review - Testing the popular security camera by TP-Link<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyqiJjsphNV6AEWvvJhgHoc_0NBASsxtwsd7yDPH-FXZx1PtEJxotHFARF65nXAAa2Es36ktWjb39PfCGE9_5c8q3tndZzyi_1UGDcNrgTuxN5P5BMLY3rkgn21Gik62xe7M-eisBeg3gIyfdci7vIdbf3VTkuPg2X1rEYTonCSoPILu4ICAW8KzWuA/s335/kasa%20ec60%20spot%20camera%20tp%20link%20review.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="298" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyqiJjsphNV6AEWvvJhgHoc_0NBASsxtwsd7yDPH-FXZx1PtEJxotHFARF65nXAAa2Es36ktWjb39PfCGE9_5c8q3tndZzyi_1UGDcNrgTuxN5P5BMLY3rkgn21Gik62xe7M-eisBeg3gIyfdci7vIdbf3VTkuPg2X1rEYTonCSoPILu4ICAW8KzWuA/w178-h200/kasa%20ec60%20spot%20camera%20tp%20link%20review.JPG" width="178" /></a></div><p>Recently I decided to look into getting an indoor security camera for my home. I wanted something that would be able to detect motion, have recording ability, and connect to wifi to view the live stream from your phone. I also wanted something simple and affordable. After doing a good amount of research I decided to get the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kasa-Security-Camera-Indoor-Wireless/dp/B08GH9KL4M?crid=13WCWSSLD2UNG&keywords=kasa+ec60&qid=1654737994&sprefix=%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-3&linkCode=ll1&tag=ciblog-20&linkId=a3ec789d8915f26f63530b0f03f6377b&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl"><b>Kasa EC60 Spot camera by TP-Link</b></a>. <br /><br />There is plenty of information out there about the specs so I will focus this review on my experience with the camera. <br /><br /><b>Set Up:</b><br />For set up, you first download the Kasa Smart app which allows you to connect the camera with your phone and access all the features. Then you plug in the camera and follow all the steps in the app such as making an account and connecting it to your wifi.</p><p>I noticed when plugging in the power adapter to the camera it did sound kind of “crunchy” which was not very assuring, but the camera powered up just fine. It did make some clicking noises while setting up which appear to be normal as I noticed it does this when switching to IR night vision mode. The setup process was ok and after a few minutes it was up and running. <br /><br /><b>Camera:</b><br />The camera quality is acceptable. It's 1080p HD and has the option to go with a lower resolution if you want to use less storage space and have faster transfer of data. When you first view the camera in the app the screen is small, but you can maximize it to full screen. I think it would be better if it just defaulted to the full screen right away as it is pretty small on the first screen.<br /><br />You are able to view the live feed from your phone which is great for checking in on what is going on when you are away. It also has the option to record if you add a micro SD card. I purchased a 32gb micro SD card to use with it, but so far I have not felt the need to install it. <br /><br /><b>Features: </b><br />The app lets you take screen caps of the feed if you give it access to your pictures on your phone. It can also record audio and has a speaker you can use to talk through it if you give the app access to your microphone. I'm pretty cautious with security so I did not use any of these features but they are there if you want it. <br /><br />One thing I like is it has the option to easily turn the camera on or off using your phone. I did notice however that the camera stays warm even when it is turned off which I found to be odd. I did some research and I don't think it records or live streams when it is off but it's hard to be 100% trusting of things like this so I would recommend covering the lens physically or facing it away when you don't want it recording just to be on the safe side. <br /><br />The motion detection seems to work pretty good and you can have it send a notification to your phone when it detects movement which is a good security feature. <br /><br />The infrared night vision also works very well. I turned off all the lights and tested it out and you can see everything pretty clearly. It's pretty amazing how it can do that. <br /><br />There are plenty of other settings to play around with so you can really customize it to fit your needs.</p><p></p><p><b>Conclusion:</b><br />Overall I am satisfied with the camera and think it is a pretty good deal for $25. If you are looking for an affordable security camera that can record, stream, and detect motion, I would recommend the Kasa EC60 cam. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-5091815829581208172022-06-05T21:30:00.001-05:002022-06-05T21:30:10.368-05:00Menards Rebate Experience - Claiming the 11% Rebate<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5tuPvofVLvnAi9NmLZBymmqieSkM9Z9Bw6ziLLt4ZlnBSqEgwX5AtOsa8LQX1sXO6RJjAwCFqo7bolMBl24WC3ms1Xz5ciP6TFN1TjnC5J4D2_kGB5s8He4CVO3W6TYmpDOrWE0VB-dBigbeyIJh3vMYBHEyFINHLLLJjug9CWc_rSqfjHbJ-SgQmw/s285/menards%2011%20%20off%20rebate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="87" data-original-width="285" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5tuPvofVLvnAi9NmLZBymmqieSkM9Z9Bw6ziLLt4ZlnBSqEgwX5AtOsa8LQX1sXO6RJjAwCFqo7bolMBl24WC3ms1Xz5ciP6TFN1TjnC5J4D2_kGB5s8He4CVO3W6TYmpDOrWE0VB-dBigbeyIJh3vMYBHEyFINHLLLJjug9CWc_rSqfjHbJ-SgQmw/s1600/menards%2011%20%20off%20rebate.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>Menards is known for their 11% off promotion where you can get 11% off your purchase in the form of a rebate. It seems like a good promotion at first, but it can be a bit deceptive and definitely takes some work to actually claim it. Here is my experience with this rebate promotion. <br /><br />I usually don't make huge purchases at Menards, but I did save up a few receipts over the past few months so I figured I would try claiming the rebate. My receipts only totaled to about $5 credit but it is better than nothing so why not send it in.<br /><br />On the receipts it does say you have to mail it in by a certain date. I had some that were older than the date mentioned but I decided to send them all in just in case. <br /><br />To get the rebate form you have to go to the Menards website and enter in your information and then print out the form. Then you have to mail the form and your rebate receipts to the address they provide. It's not too hard but it does take some time and work, not to mention the cost of the envelope and postage. <br /><br />So I mailed it in and then waited. After a few weeks I got the rebate in the mail. It looks like a postcard folded, and inside is has your rebate amount with a barcode. The credit can be used for purchases in store so it is not like a check that can be cashed. I was able to use the credit on my next purchase at Menards by handing it to the cashier at checkout.<br /><br />Overall the experience was ok, but I still think the promotion is misleading. For example when they are running the 11% off promotion all the prices are shown as if you are getting 11% off. This is false. You are still paying the full price. If you save your rebates and mail them in, you can get a store credit on your next purchase. Overall I still like the store, but I think they should be more straightforward about this promotion. <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-54000858998243344902022-05-26T18:56:00.000-05:002022-05-26T18:56:06.111-05:00Pet Peeve - Chirping Smoke Detectors. Change the battery!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E5_csZFfvQJ41mKp4Cra5gtyvyyGp74W8e2zxZ69WHnxJVqESAHJRZi5CofDiVTyWgOvfr3FF4s-7jicf122PE5wDHU2dY023QBgRN16Aha-6S-hlorUPQKvqE1epRTJYaMaD_xiQMM0ZP4dJBB5Zx8eO94oAp9ChEfQMwYPWNOroEeBkbYczD6aTg/s524/chirping%20smoke%20detector.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="524" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E5_csZFfvQJ41mKp4Cra5gtyvyyGp74W8e2zxZ69WHnxJVqESAHJRZi5CofDiVTyWgOvfr3FF4s-7jicf122PE5wDHU2dY023QBgRN16Aha-6S-hlorUPQKvqE1epRTJYaMaD_xiQMM0ZP4dJBB5Zx8eO94oAp9ChEfQMwYPWNOroEeBkbYczD6aTg/w200-h151/chirping%20smoke%20detector.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Most people are probably familiar with the annoyance of a smoke detector that is low on battery. The constant chirp every 30-45 seconds telling you it is time to change the battery. While it is annoying, I get that it serves a good purpose so we can give it a pass.<p></p><p>The problem is when people ignore it and just let it continue to chirp for days on end. As someone who lives in a building with many neighboring units, I hear this chirp often. Luckily it is usually only noticeable when you are nearby, but if you live next door or above or below, chances are you will be able to hear it from your own unit. </p><p>I don't understand how people put up with that when their smoke detector is chirping for days. Just change the battery, or at least take the battery out until you can replace it so it stops beeping. Sometimes this may occur in a vacant unit which is just as annoying because there is no one even there to change the battery. </p><p>I'm trying to think if there is any other better or less annoying way a smoke detector could notify you that it is low on battery. They could probably go with visual cue like a light, but it might not be noticed, so the chirp is still probably the best option. Looks like it is here to stay, so please if your smoke detector is chirping, change the battery or replace it asap! <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-89398474494649572102022-05-18T11:07:00.000-05:002022-05-18T11:07:35.354-05:00Suave Purify Body Wash Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEii48SpO5s9f7LDmHBPfCr8E-M-gCNUIYHrFzVDdHlNrCuDoSbAIwvIRbpeOfA_BgrdRCx6sskZu3zu5_RufV097kZ0eKRNuf3yh145JHJKBC0ixQ1OZ7gl_5IM9TJ-I93HOwXWrv2gGLMo2HPHCHKKA2qIMz-QMDPzKd3v2tvQOPZi5jpt16JbaQiQ1w" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="274" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEii48SpO5s9f7LDmHBPfCr8E-M-gCNUIYHrFzVDdHlNrCuDoSbAIwvIRbpeOfA_BgrdRCx6sskZu3zu5_RufV097kZ0eKRNuf3yh145JHJKBC0ixQ1OZ7gl_5IM9TJ-I93HOwXWrv2gGLMo2HPHCHKKA2qIMz-QMDPzKd3v2tvQOPZi5jpt16JbaQiQ1w" width="108" /></a></div>I recently went looking for a new body wash and since prices have been going up at most stores, I wanted to find one at Dollar Tree. I had been using the <a href="https://www.connectedisolation.com/2019/06/arm-hammer-ultra-max-3-in-1-body-wash.html">Arm and Hammer</a> Ultra Max for a while but I was disappointed in my latest bottle which seemed like they changed the formula. <p></p><p>At Dollar Tree I examined several different options. I noticed most of them were very watery which is something I was trying to avoid. I tested out scents of several that caught my attention, one of which was the Suave Purify body wash. </p><p>I have had good luck with Suave products in the past and this one smelled pretty good so I figured it was worth a try. It is a 12oz bottle which is on the smaller side compared to most of the other options in the store, but the consistency is thicker so it is not watered down like a lot of the others.</p><p>At home I tried it and was very pleased with the scent. I would describe it as a bold masculine scent similar to what you might find in a fragrance spray. I also noticed the scent on skin seems to last into the day as opposed to getting washed of right away. </p><p>As mentioned, it has a good consistency that feel good on skin and leaves you feeling clean. At $1.25 for the bottle, I would say it is a great value as it seems like the quality is in par with other body washes that are more expensive. Overall I am pleased with the product and would definitely recommend it. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-9671619041243823982022-04-06T15:15:00.003-05:002022-05-02T17:32:09.365-05:00Making a Wallet out of a Bag of Cookies<p>Recently I discovered some really good cookies. They are the Favorite Day Butter Shortbread cookies available at Target. The cookies themselves are delicious but this article is actually about the bag. The cookies come in a sealed pouch and then they have the external bag which has foldable seal tabs at the top.<br /><br />Every time I finished a bag of these cookies and then went to throw away the bag, I kept thinking it was too nice of a bag to toss out. It just seemed like the kind of bag that would actually be sold as is, even without the cookies. It is pretty durable and reusable since it never even comes in contact with the actual cookies.<br /><br />So it can definitely be used as a bag, but I decided to get a little creative with it. I noticed it folded up nicely like a tri-fold wallet. So I thought maybe it could be turned into a wallet. I noticed if you just cut one of the sides of the bag, it pretty much becomes the same shape as a wallet. Then you just need to tape some of the flaps down with clear tape.<br /><br />You can even cut a slit in the bottom portion of the bag to create a slot for credit cards. After applying the tape, it actually turned out pretty good. It has plenty of space for cash and also holds the cards as well. I like that it even has the foldable tabs to keep it closed. It is also pretty low profile which is nice because many tri-fold wallets tend to be a little bulky. <br /><br />Now I don't know how long it would last with regular use since it is made of a bag after all, but it does seem fairly durable and it would last well beyond the next bag of cookies that's for sure! If you happen to purchase these cookies, now can make your own wallet or at least have a nice reusable bag! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36Hk_MIfEJpQQ5QAIPmr9PisFKlyY35Ld-kmqxoiTybBe9eEoAFkMZPmT9kY4wDji_FLoOScFRafvAPoMwhgc_JvvSibseTPPqRAfJFquc8HtpagZMl6LMIqyNayhprgvXTESZehJrGTFwNuzk5fGqYp9Eej4BB8O5cvPKNHRvWwtYT9zYYOUUOujWg/s4032/IMG_7274.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36Hk_MIfEJpQQ5QAIPmr9PisFKlyY35Ld-kmqxoiTybBe9eEoAFkMZPmT9kY4wDji_FLoOScFRafvAPoMwhgc_JvvSibseTPPqRAfJFquc8HtpagZMl6LMIqyNayhprgvXTESZehJrGTFwNuzk5fGqYp9Eej4BB8O5cvPKNHRvWwtYT9zYYOUUOujWg/s320/IMG_7274.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_acF1RJ9HwJegwZvf7CnLQArM3zNqkVxmEGATeSLLcdIRwNyJFiLjxdqeg2VTH8TCdUR2mGQxAGimVs9bCkWockTkOirHzI-hKCrXMvBIEQdyJYTVl4gR4-rPy9xp84ZF_OKQivNvdXI5rvYKnZdxZhOe2WwOjv_nWesPbeiQlhUyws245NJrrm7B3Q/s4032/IMG_7275.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_acF1RJ9HwJegwZvf7CnLQArM3zNqkVxmEGATeSLLcdIRwNyJFiLjxdqeg2VTH8TCdUR2mGQxAGimVs9bCkWockTkOirHzI-hKCrXMvBIEQdyJYTVl4gR4-rPy9xp84ZF_OKQivNvdXI5rvYKnZdxZhOe2WwOjv_nWesPbeiQlhUyws245NJrrm7B3Q/s320/IMG_7275.jpg" width="240" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_acF1RJ9HwJegwZvf7CnLQArM3zNqkVxmEGATeSLLcdIRwNyJFiLjxdqeg2VTH8TCdUR2mGQxAGimVs9bCkWockTkOirHzI-hKCrXMvBIEQdyJYTVl4gR4-rPy9xp84ZF_OKQivNvdXI5rvYKnZdxZhOe2WwOjv_nWesPbeiQlhUyws245NJrrm7B3Q/s4032/IMG_7275.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXPzXaoqRC8WA29GnewAta87mKPOqaOBEz1GLaRwPjpcq9eyo6qWmTWoTEZnm9-s7XrfW7hBlx8rbdCpl9k6evDlB_GVOijKuta7Hh5VASE8QFsxVv8bI1KOzHo4DRBf-zFajpWYyAaZEIOGY4Vcdin70mnopEYZwBeDbuPMMFV7z8xQzlwpBzuUuMQ/s4032/IMG_7278.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXPzXaoqRC8WA29GnewAta87mKPOqaOBEz1GLaRwPjpcq9eyo6qWmTWoTEZnm9-s7XrfW7hBlx8rbdCpl9k6evDlB_GVOijKuta7Hh5VASE8QFsxVv8bI1KOzHo4DRBf-zFajpWYyAaZEIOGY4Vcdin70mnopEYZwBeDbuPMMFV7z8xQzlwpBzuUuMQ/s320/IMG_7278.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_Bz38YQXifbcNUoP_kkhuucqDa8J-UuDbWQSWgEVLj14xXCIkku-9JcHO8k69lXrB4HT_u0aKUKz4q6StNwjz7ml-Yphb2PnyeNupKxnMdakPP3pUd77a9EIbYMyH8mPcHd_Hx5Fa5h-W9gB5Iof0VJwrntlH9qkuYNAmVLJJWe5e-OvSsIiju-IKg/s4032/IMG_7277.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_Bz38YQXifbcNUoP_kkhuucqDa8J-UuDbWQSWgEVLj14xXCIkku-9JcHO8k69lXrB4HT_u0aKUKz4q6StNwjz7ml-Yphb2PnyeNupKxnMdakPP3pUd77a9EIbYMyH8mPcHd_Hx5Fa5h-W9gB5Iof0VJwrntlH9qkuYNAmVLJJWe5e-OvSsIiju-IKg/s320/IMG_7277.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-32232140077982642522022-03-22T10:48:00.000-05:002022-03-22T10:48:50.726-05:00Aldi Favorite Foods - Recommended Items from Aldi<p>With grocery prices rising on pretty much everything, I have recently started doing most of my shopping at Aldi since they tend to have the best prices. With this switch, I have been trying out a lot of their different items, most of which have been good, some have been ok, and some not so great. From this experience, I decided to make a list of my favorite Aldi items I have found so far.<br /><br /><b>1. Casa Mamita Bean and Cheese Burritos</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxO9feLCZyRtrmb5hXTJZx9gdb-emKC6d7_eRFtK80CmqMoOfeF-PGA6YWzdlcOTxAGpcOsBfA0RnIRKGubXtGcgxjFxmzQ3wwJOJPz4np5Z5m5l95VuJHgc8He0PkBh5R7XawRgJqyM1bMNm7elZGULDGCUO4EAPg66ZTya6F-SmEfgGs4d9XtvmVNA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="520" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxO9feLCZyRtrmb5hXTJZx9gdb-emKC6d7_eRFtK80CmqMoOfeF-PGA6YWzdlcOTxAGpcOsBfA0RnIRKGubXtGcgxjFxmzQ3wwJOJPz4np5Z5m5l95VuJHgc8He0PkBh5R7XawRgJqyM1bMNm7elZGULDGCUO4EAPg66ZTya6F-SmEfgGs4d9XtvmVNA" width="296" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you are looking for a great deal to get a lot of food for your money, this is it. These frozen burritos come in an 8 pack and are only about $3! In most other stores a single wrapped burrito sells for about the same price. Now there is nothing fancy about them, in fact the flavor is pretty mild and the filling seems like mostly beans, but they are perfectly satisfactory for a good meal. Only downside is since they are all packaged together, it can be hard to get them apart sometimes when they are frozen. <br /></div><br /><b>2. Simply Nature Apple Banana Squeezable Fruit Blend Pouches</b><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRhqs562ql9zlxhrO3uujrLfnFIkOFMGtLlGygC8EqIDryDoepLZ_sBcBEuniUu2QxHB9DT1o2OjEWTR1F0tQeDY7TpELt5Ot1bhXK0Rzi0jalSuIdgGT_B612_fKfet7fLdExMTB67dC-jzuBAz3UnJT-_PoAgf8szVLNdawICLjlvJbWHN6nFW6Y5A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="520" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRhqs562ql9zlxhrO3uujrLfnFIkOFMGtLlGygC8EqIDryDoepLZ_sBcBEuniUu2QxHB9DT1o2OjEWTR1F0tQeDY7TpELt5Ot1bhXK0Rzi0jalSuIdgGT_B612_fKfet7fLdExMTB67dC-jzuBAz3UnJT-_PoAgf8szVLNdawICLjlvJbWHN6nFW6Y5A" width="296" /></a></div><p>For a convenient serving of fruit, these squeezable packets are unbeatable. They come in a 4 pack for about $1.50 which is a lot less than I have seen for any other similar product at any store. They are very delicious and easy to take on the go. I have also tried the apple strawberry flavor, but this one is my favorite. My only complaint is that at only 3.2 oz, they are gone before you know it and leave you wanting more!<br /><br /><b>3. Breakfast Best French Toast Sticks Original</b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLmPdnJYIVzfOVvEr2BleQYGfH2xZ9c_FpVFaPbU23J6ugwLWcej3xXni15tbgm0pv2roMApCUELCZPGXZjclQrv2gSel58iF6IAGulmIGxM4pTXdlu6YBiTcg0rM32SYLrsk5-3CGFiMVZFfoAgNHQWy-_rhPYDOwu9vZPc29PtnfveV0QXm6xlOH1A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="520" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLmPdnJYIVzfOVvEr2BleQYGfH2xZ9c_FpVFaPbU23J6ugwLWcej3xXni15tbgm0pv2roMApCUELCZPGXZjclQrv2gSel58iF6IAGulmIGxM4pTXdlu6YBiTcg0rM32SYLrsk5-3CGFiMVZFfoAgNHQWy-_rhPYDOwu9vZPc29PtnfveV0QXm6xlOH1A" width="296" /></a></b></div>I have been a fan of french toast sticks for a while so I had to try out the Aldi brand when I saw they had them. I get the original flavor since they are already sweet and don't need extra cinnamon and sugar. These come in a 16oz box for about $2.65 which is a pretty good deal compared to other options out there. They are easy to make in the microwave and the taste is very good. They make a nice snack any time of the day. <br /><br /><b>4. Bremer Chicken Melts</b><p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1tIJ-XIhwVvERHlvZrkbP1M82lX7xWAm4qB-4tp8RgTYiQCs-U0KV8IzXPqdO6-6sEBBn5ERrRE6EqudTGY2fquf0MaPRaiM1njgrokCD4hJ8nHqTZAYZssXZ447tCU_6rdzxJ01VagE0ywaryImLjlG7x1uwaOwOIyQNCwGoPSaD-0tBgzqNCV-fKg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="520" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1tIJ-XIhwVvERHlvZrkbP1M82lX7xWAm4qB-4tp8RgTYiQCs-U0KV8IzXPqdO6-6sEBBn5ERrRE6EqudTGY2fquf0MaPRaiM1njgrokCD4hJ8nHqTZAYZssXZ447tCU_6rdzxJ01VagE0ywaryImLjlG7x1uwaOwOIyQNCwGoPSaD-0tBgzqNCV-fKg" width="296" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b>I tried these out not really knowing what to expect, but overall I was pleasantly surprised with how good they are. They come as 6 individually wrapped flat bread pockets with cheese and a chicken patty for about $5. I found the chicken to be very juicy and flavorful. These are also easy to make in the microwave as well. The bread can get a little hard sometimes but overall these make a great little meal that is tasty and convenient. <br /><br /><b>5. Elevation Meal Replacement Chocolate Shake</b><p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjP4bexHTnCiyPIuJ99gjP1DfpwED888uS1z4zPq8mFFGT6LUsFg0zJ3ZFfDjyeRXUCM7bvs-PIN3k2AxFRII8-vZNxe0eQR34dGr3s--dqMsgwl8GpZt8jZ8LoweJv-Enm6X9q33-GTimgxxbRPpalSaAlJ4C7pEqCBFtsAxIJU94BS-cVTWV2YA_42A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="520" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjP4bexHTnCiyPIuJ99gjP1DfpwED888uS1z4zPq8mFFGT6LUsFg0zJ3ZFfDjyeRXUCM7bvs-PIN3k2AxFRII8-vZNxe0eQR34dGr3s--dqMsgwl8GpZt8jZ8LoweJv-Enm6X9q33-GTimgxxbRPpalSaAlJ4C7pEqCBFtsAxIJU94BS-cVTWV2YA_42A" width="296" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b>I had been looking for a nutrition shake to try out from Aldi so I decided to try out their Elevation meal replacement shakes. They come in a 6 pack for about $6 which is ok. The price actually went up from $5 when I first tried them out. They are 11 oz each and give you a good blend of nutrition in an easy to drink shake. Overall the taste is good and I would recommend them if you are looking for a nutrition drink like this. <br /><br />Have you tried any of these items or do you have any other favorite foods from Aldi? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. <br /><p></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396535752851450625.post-72538214806617566222022-03-19T19:56:00.003-05:002022-03-19T19:59:41.003-05:00Sometimes a Little Persistence Can Pay Off<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiKWZsw5JfpOp_wnnNUWd3EiX9fkioI9QH5CrRi_GkPEKBcKws7mQoXRij2h9JqhjQ4vRZSGEzOZJ20rgHDCM-So54OBWvHBN-UM38U-eYzh43rJTpdhqhF06F3TA7nHynH6DsPvvN6_evBFrWD5rZgcJIkSdSuC2XLKw4UAO0vbbikPaMpNQxkkUJ-A=s398" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="398" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiKWZsw5JfpOp_wnnNUWd3EiX9fkioI9QH5CrRi_GkPEKBcKws7mQoXRij2h9JqhjQ4vRZSGEzOZJ20rgHDCM-So54OBWvHBN-UM38U-eYzh43rJTpdhqhF06F3TA7nHynH6DsPvvN6_evBFrWD5rZgcJIkSdSuC2XLKw4UAO0vbbikPaMpNQxkkUJ-A=w200-h174" width="200" /></a></div>Recently I had been looking for a new job and happened to find one that looked like it would be a great fit. So I filled out the application and waited for a call back. After a couple weeks I had not heard anything yet but I saw that their ad for the job was still posted. <br /><br />I decided to go to their company website and see if there was any contact information. I found their contact and decided to send them an email to let them know I was very interested in the position and would be happy to answer any questions they might have. <br /><br />I figured I would get a response saying that they receive a lot of applications and that I would be contacted if they were interested in setting up an interview. None the less, I figured it was worth a shot.<br /><br />Then within about 30 minutes I get a call. I answer it and it is the guy in charge of the department that I was applying for. He said they were still looking for someone and that I could come over and meet with him to learn about the job. So I was able to set up a meeting right then and there.<br /><br />The next day I met with him at the facility and he showed me everything about the job. They had only one other person interested in the position so I had a good chance to get it. Unfortunately the job turned out to be very different from what I was expecting. The job listing was not very accurate and it turns out they wanted someone to do a lot of other work that I was not interested in, so in the end I decided to turn it down.<br /><br />Even though it did not work out, it was still a good lesson in how a little persistence can pay off. Had I not taken that little extra effort to follow up with them, I probably never would have even heard back from them. Because I took the initiative to contact them, I ended up with the opportunity to get the job. <br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0