Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[Laura Holt]

Well that was depressing.  My Dad asked me if I could try and get some contact information on neighbours we used to have that we'd lost touch with over the years.  Anyway one of the first hits was to the obituary of the daughter of the family, a girl who was my best friend from about the age of 8 to 13 when we moved.   Damn.  That sucks.

[BooksRule]

I hope that everyone who is in the heat advisory areas is staying cool and safe. It's 93 degrees here right now and is supposed to get up to 95 by 3pm.  We had a record-breaking 100 degrees in the area yesterday.  I did go outside and pull some weeds in a flower bed for a while.  It wasn't too bad because I was in the shade and there was a slight breeze.  But once the sun moved and I lost the shade from the house, I came inside.  I might go back outside later and pull weeds on the other side of the flower bed that will be in the shade of the front porch for at least a while.  I had my cold water with me and was careful not to stay out too long. I do feel good because I at least got a little bit done. 

[BlueSkies]

I bought an old Rolling Stone magazine off eBay with Madonna on the cover with Rosanna Arquette.  From the Desperately Seeking Susan days.

 

Honestly all the articles and pictures from that magazine you can find online.  As with well pretty much any other one.  But there's something to be said to me about owning a physical copy.  

[Blergh]

I'm putting this here because I think these news needs to be known to those caring for dogs in the US and Canada.

In the last few days in Oregon in August,2023, there has been an outbreak of a previously unknown strain of pneumonia that within a few hours of dogs feeling fine renders them coughing then suddenly in severe respiratory distress to the point of needing to go to the ER and put in oxygen chambers. This has hit the Asher House and Lee Asher has made videos detailing how much of a crisis this is- not just to their own sanctuary but vet offices in that part of Oregon are getting quickly overwhelmed with cases!

I don't know if this can be contained to that area but I think this development needs to be known to dog aficionados so that everyone can do as much research possible about what's happening and what steps to possibly prevent it from hitting one's beloved canines and what symptoms to look for and what to do next!

Thanks for reading this!

Edited August 7, 2023 by Blergh

[oliviabenson]

I’m ridiculously happy with the Chromebook. The screen resolution is no iPad quality but it’s not bad. And the touchscreen is awesome! $150 well spent!

Edited August 5, 2023 by oliviabenson

[Laura Holt]

Like most places now, where I live there are very few places where people are required to wear masks anymore.  If you're wearing one in public it's likely by personal choice.  That said, why are people who are choosing to wear them still wearing them incorrectly? 

I was out today and spotted 2 people wearing masks with their nose peeking over the top and one person with the mask on so loosely there was no way it functioned as a mask at all.  Colour me confused.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Laura Holt

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, Laura Holt said:

Like most places now, where I live there are very few places where people are required to wear masks anymore.  If you're wearing one in public it's likely by personal choice.  That said, why are people who are choosing to wear them still wearing them incorrectly? 

I was out today and spotted 2 people wearing masks with their nose peeking over the top and one person with the mask on so loosely there was no way it functioned as a mask at all.  Colour me confused.

Lately, I've been the only one in a supermarket wearing a mask. Maybe that's because I'm shopping in early afternoon??  I've taken advantage of every vaccine offered but do not want to risk getting long haul covid (got enough annoying issues already!) These people don't want to wear the mask so they're re wearing it in a half-a$$ way, maybe showing their contempt for masks. It's certainly not protecting them at all. 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Laura Holt said:

Like most places now, where I live there are very few places where people are required to wear masks anymore.  If you're wearing one in public it's likely by personal choice.  That said, why are people who are choosing to wear them still wearing them incorrectly? 

I was out today and spotted 2 people wearing masks with their nose peeking over the top and one person with the mask on so loosely there was no way it functioned as a mask at all.  Colour me confused.

I saw an older (my age) couple in Wegman's this week, with the woman "wearing" a loose-fitting paper mask. Based on her anxious demeanor and her unmasked husband's deference towards her (and her medically useless mask wearing), I wondered if she was dealing with agoraphobia issues or some other anxiety condition that prevented her from interacting with others.

There was a character on a TV show this past season who hadn't gone outside since before the pandemic. I wondered if the character was based on this being a known societal phenomenon following the pandemic — that people who already had social anxieties had grown worse after 2 years of not having to go outside.

Anyway, the few people wearing masks in my area seem to be like the woman I saw in Wegmans — elderly and wearing them ineffectively and looking worried
— kind of like wearing a St. Christopher medal on the Titanic.
Sorry. Bad analogy.

I wish instead people would wear masks when they are sick and need to go in public.

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

Lately, I've been the only one in a supermarket wearing a mask. Maybe that's because I'm shopping in early afternoon??  I've taken advantage of every vaccine offered but do not want to risk getting long haul covid (got enough annoying issues already!) These people don't want to wear the mask so they're re wearing it in a half-a$$ way, maybe showing their contempt for masks. It's certainly not protecting them at all. 

The only people I see masking in my neighbourhood supermarkets are seniors/elderly, especially Asian seniors.  

[ginger90]

Mask use and misuse has been a big deal to me forever. People wear them incorrectly, remove them incorrectly, and don’t wash or sanitize their hands before or after. I’ve seen people remove their mask in a vehicle, throw it on the seat or hang it from their rear view mirror. These same people will then eat something they just got from a store. I have the same view of glove wearing, do it correctly beginning to end.
 

sorry for the rant

[Gramto6]

I still wear a mask in any public place and in most places, except dr offices, am the only one. I wear it properly and even crimp down on the nose bar to make sure it is tight. I sanitize my hands before putting it on in the car and again before taking it off in the car. I do rewear them but I give them a light spritz with sanitizer inside and out let it dry a bit and then keep it in a sandwich bag for one more use.

I got 4 boxes of masks at Bed Bath & Beyond during their clearance and now wish I had gotten more because I really like the ear elastic as it doesn't catch my glasses and pull them partly off when I remove it. 

[RealHousewife]

You guys, me trying to make humane shopping decisions has been even worse as far as the environment goes. 

“Vegan leather can be made from plastics which take years to biodegrade, so it's actually worse for the planet than regular.” 

I'm not obsessive about it, but I try to live a cruelty-free lifestyle. I noticed my genuine leather Michael Kors purses that were gifted to me many years ago still looked great. But the vegan stuff I purchased over the years myself all falls apart. That alone makes me think vegan purses (the fake leather, anyway) is probably even worse to buy. Frustrating when you love fashion but want to be responsible as far as no just animals but the environment, what ends up in landfills, etc. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

36 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

You guys, me trying to make humane shopping decisions has been even worse as far as the environment goes. 

“Vegan leather can be made from plastics which take years to biodegrade, so it's actually worse for the planet than regular.” 

I'm not obsessive about it, but I try to live a cruelty-free lifestyle. I noticed my genuine leather Michael Kors purses that were gifted to me many years ago still looked great. But the vegan stuff I purchased over the years myself all falls apart. That alone makes me think vegan purses (the fake leather, anyway) is probably even worse to buy. Frustrating when you love fashion but want to be responsible as far as no just animals but the environment, what ends up in landfills, etc. 

Why do you think the term "vegan leather" was coined? To induce folks that want to move away from animal hide. Sounds much more romantic than vinyl or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) doesn't it? Pure marketing. To even use the word "leather" in that case is disingenuous at best, deceptive at worst.

Edited August 6, 2023 by SuprSuprElevated

[RealHousewife]

19 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Why do you think the term "vegan leather" was coined? To induce folks that want to move away from animal hide. Sounds much more romantic than vinyl or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) doesn't it? Pure marketing. To even use the word "leather" in that case is disingenuous at best, deceptive at worst.

You're right. I'm trying to figure out what is best to buy going forward. 

[Suzn]

1 hour ago, RealHousewife said:

You guys, me trying to make humane shopping decisions has been even worse as far as the environment goes. 

“Vegan leather can be made from plastics which take years to biodegrade, so it's actually worse for the planet than regular.” 

I'm not obsessive about it, but I try to live a cruelty-free lifestyle. I noticed my genuine leather Michael Kors purses that were gifted to me many years ago still looked great. But the vegan stuff I purchased over the years myself all falls apart. That alone makes me think vegan purses (the fake leather, anyway) is probably even worse to buy. Frustrating when you love fashion but want to be responsible as far as no just animals but the environment, what ends up in landfills, etc. 

I get it, I really do, but I avoid using animal products.  What are the alternatives?  My current purse is fabric and I'm sure there is some horrible problem with it.

[Quof]

37 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

To even use the word "leather" in that case is disingenuous at best, deceptive at worst

This.  You don't want the actual stuff, why hijack the word?  Just own it.  Don't call "frozen non-dairy dessert" "ice cream" because I might accidentally pick up that crap when I'm in a hurry.  I once saw butter chicken which was actually vegan. Bitch, there's no butter or chicken in that stuff, stop pretending.  Just like you can't call any random sparkling white wine "champagne", it means a very specific thing.  

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, Quof said:

This.  You don't want the actual stuff, why hijack the word?  Just own it.  Don't call "frozen non-dairy dessert" "ice cream" because I might accidentally pick up that crap when I'm in a hurry.  I once saw butter chicken which was actually vegan. Bitch, there's no butter or chicken in that stuff, stop pretending.  Just like you can't call any random sparkling white wine "champagne", it means a very specific thing.  

It's against the law to call sparkling wine Champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region of France.

[Quof]

Yeah, that was my point.  It should be against the law to call something "chicken" that isn't chicken, "leather" when it isn't leather.....

Just like I can't call myself a medical doctor.  Or Queen of the Universe.

[peacheslatour]

43 minutes ago, Quof said:

Yeah, that was my point.  It should be against the law to call something "chicken" that isn't chicken, "leather" when it isn't leather.....

Just like I can't call myself a medical doctor.  Or Queen of the Universe.

Lol, it should be. I've never sen anything like that.

[Mondrianyone]

Uh-oh. This can't mean anything good for Chicken of the Sea tuna, can it?

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

You're right. I'm trying to figure out what is best to buy going forward. 

The first step could be to buy less, but then you destroy the economy.

With respect to vegan leather actually being PVC, I was at the Caterpillar dealer the other day and I love it when places like that have their industry magazines out on the table.  I remember my first one--at the car wash, they had their trade magazine laying around that had tips about how to get customers to spend more money.  Ever since then, I actively look for the magazines.

So the Cat dealer had one out for the National Demolition Association--I gather the connection is that they use those big Caterpillar machines to do the work.  There was an interesting story about demolishing an electric generating plant, but then an advocacy column at the end, where they were talking about how there was a proposal to have PVC considered "hazardous waste" and subject to EPA regulations instead of being landfill trash.

Obviously the demolition industry is against the proposal.  I wonder if Vegan Monthly should weigh in.

[shapeshifter]

42 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

The first step could be to buy less, but then you destroy the economy

I give up.

…[moment passes]…

My son-in-law just took my car through a free car wash. 
I’m all better.

[StatisticalOutlier]

44 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I give up.

It's not fun to give up, but it's made my life a whole lot easier.

[Moose135]

6 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Vegan leather

Years ago, we called it 'pleather'. I remember when Naugahyde came out, and the joke would be 'do you know how many naughas died to make that?'

[Mondrianyone]

The weirdest thing just happened. My landline phone rang, and I picked up the handset to check caller ID--which said "PROBABLY FRAUD," with the number underneath. I've never seen anything like that before. Is there some kind of program now that tags the numbers of shady people on caller ID?

I Googled the number, and it comes up as an actual person, which is rare, but no real info except address.

Maybe my phone is trying to protect me from scammers. 🤷‍♀️

 

[peacheslatour]

3 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

The weirdest thing just happened. My landline phone rang, and I picked up the handset to check caller ID--which said "PROBABLY FRAUD," with the number underneath. I've never seen anything like that before. Is there some kind of program now that tags the numbers of shady people on caller ID?

I Googled the number, and it comes up as an actual person, which is rare, but no real info except address.

Maybe my phone is trying to protect me from scammers. 🤷‍♀️

 

I get those on my cell every now and then. It'll be an unknown number and the message "scam likely" so I let go to VM but there is never a message.

[Mondrianyone]

Cell reception at our house isn't reliable at all, so we have to have landlines. If I saw that kind of notification on my cell, I'd assume it was some upgrade, but it's so weird to see on the landline. I may call the phone company and ask if they're doing something new. They did just get taken over by a big corporate entity, so I guess it's possible. I wonder if the caller knows he's being tagged.

And I wonder if I call somebody and their caller ID says "ANNOYING WOMAN."

[ginger90]

Some legitimate numbers come up as spam on landlines. No clue why, but I recognized the numbers and knew they weren’t. I informed the callers. 

[PRgal]

I basically don’t answer the phone.  I’ve told my doctors’ admin people that my phone number is my private cell and that they can leave VMs and I’ll call the office back and that I don’t answer to calls unless there’s a scheduled call or it’s family or my son’s school/camp calling.  

[ABay]

My phone says Suspected Spam with the number underneath.

[nokat]

I get the suspected spam notice too. I think people report numbers or regions and sometimes non-spammers are labeled that too.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

I basically don’t answer the phone.  I’ve told my doctors’ admin people that my phone number is my private cell and that they can leave VMs and I’ll call the office back and that I don’t answer to calls unless there’s a scheduled call or it’s family or my son’s school/camp calling.  

I haven't even had a call on my landline in years. I don't even know if it works any more.

[theredhead77]

3 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

The weirdest thing just happened. My landline phone rang, and I picked up the handset to check caller ID--which said "PROBABLY FRAUD," with the number underneath. I've never seen anything like that before. Is there some kind of program now that tags the numbers of shady people on caller ID?

I Googled the number, and it comes up as an actual person, which is rare, but no real info except address.

Maybe my phone is trying to protect me from scammers. 🤷‍♀️

 

It sounds like your landline provider implemented the same tech cell providers use. Spammers spoof real numbers with the hopes people will answer if it says "Joe Smith".

[shapeshifter]

5 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

It sounds like your landline provider implemented the same tech cell providers use. Spammers spoof real numbers with the hopes people will answer if it says "Joe Smith".

Also, they tend to spoof area codes and prefix numbers matching your own number, so you might think it is your local doctor, plumber, pizza delivery, what-have-you calling.
I get a tiny bit of satisfaction when I know to immediately ignore calls from the area code in the state where I lived 2 years ago because that's what my cell phone number includes. 
Now if they start being able to pretend to be one of my few friends from that state who still call, I will have to resort to my old tactics of answering and trying to confuse them. 

[PRgal]

36 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I haven't even had a call on my landline in years. I don't even know if it works any more.

Mine comes with my Internet/TV package, so it works.  I'll pick up voice mail every few days.  

[kristen111]

I don’t believe this.  I was up all night with a throbbing toothache.  I called the oral surgeon this morning as I know it has to come out.  It was only a matter of time.  He has three offices.  The person on the phone said she would leave him a message.  So far, no message. I called back and she said she related the message and I should call again tomorrow morning.  WTH, is that right?  Now, I have to go thru another night of torture.  Aren’t they supposed to call back the same day?  Is he such a big shot he doesn’t have to call back?

[kristen111]

4 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

The weirdest thing just happened. My landline phone rang, and I picked up the handset to check caller ID--which said "PROBABLY FRAUD," with the number underneath. I've never seen anything like that before. Is there some kind of program now that tags the numbers of shady people on caller ID?

I Googled the number, and it comes up as an actual person, which is rare, but no real info except address.

Maybe my phone is trying to protect me from scammers. 🤷‍♀️

 

I get those calls and e- mails.  Ignore.  If something is important, they send a letter.

[shapeshifter]

13 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

I don’t believe this.  I was up all night with a throbbing toothache.  I called the oral surgeon this morning as I know it has to come out.  It was only a matter of time.  He has three offices.  The person on the phone said she would leave him a message.  So far, no message. I called back and she said she related the message and I should call again tomorrow morning.  WTH, is that right?  Now, I have to go thru another night of torture.  Aren’t they supposed to call back the same day?  Is he such a big shot he doesn’t have to call back?

Just moved my reply to the Health and Wellness thread, where I think you meant to post this, but, with a throbbing tooth, you mistake is 100% understandable. 🤕

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/138201-health-and-wellness-chit-chat-your-primary-care-topic/page/3/#comment-8100034

 

Edited August 7, 2023 by shapeshifter

[peacheslatour]

31 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Mine comes with my Internet/TV package, so it works.  I'll pick up voice mail every few days.  

Just picked up the receiver - no dial tone. *shrug* Anyone who I  would want to talk to has my cell and email. We get our internet through them though.

[Mondrianyone]

59 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

It sounds like your landline provider implemented the same tech cell providers use. Spammers spoof real numbers with the hopes people will answer if it says "Joe Smith".

I called, and apparently that's what they're doing now. It was the first time I'd ever seen a call labeled in any way at all. Very modern stuff for here in the country.

[JustHereForFood]

On 8/6/2023 at 4:56 PM, RealHousewife said:

You guys, me trying to make humane shopping decisions has been even worse as far as the environment goes. 

“Vegan leather can be made from plastics which take years to biodegrade, so it's actually worse for the planet than regular.” 

I'm not obsessive about it, but I try to live a cruelty-free lifestyle. I noticed my genuine leather Michael Kors purses that were gifted to me many years ago still looked great. But the vegan stuff I purchased over the years myself all falls apart. That alone makes me think vegan purses (the fake leather, anyway) is probably even worse to buy. Frustrating when you love fashion but want to be responsible as far as no just animals but the environment, what ends up in landfills, etc. 

I hear you. It's similar with food when you try to avoid some ingredients. Just trying to avoit palm oil is a challenge since that shit can be where one wouldn't expect it, same with some stuff of animal origin like lard or that dye from insects.

And reading all ingredients is very time consuming. I feel for people with allergies and serious intolerances who have to be super careful about everything.

On 8/6/2023 at 6:13 PM, Quof said:

This.  You don't want the actual stuff, why hijack the word?  Just own it.  Don't call "frozen non-dairy dessert" "ice cream" because I might accidentally pick up that crap when I'm in a hurry.  I once saw butter chicken which was actually vegan. Bitch, there's no butter or chicken in that stuff, stop pretending.  Just like you can't call any random sparkling white wine "champagne", it means a very specific thing.  

This is becoming more common, I believe there was a ban on calling plant-based drinks "milk" some time ago. But anyway, it's illegal for the producers, as consumers can still call it what we want in general talk. I always call sparkling wine champagne for example, same with everyone I know. It's not like I have the money to buy real champagne, lol.

[PRgal]

8 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

I

This is becoming more common, I believe there was a ban on calling plant-based drinks "milk" some time ago. But anyway, it's illegal for the producers, as consumers can still call it what we want in general talk. I always call sparkling wine champagne for example, same with everyone I know. It's not like I have the money to buy real champagne, lol.

Coconut milk (the stuff that comes in a can, anyway) is still labelled as such around here, but I suppose that's different.  The boxed stuff is usually coconut beverage.  

[Quof]

I was in the ice cream aisle of the supermarket the other day. A woman was very slowly looking at every single item, blocking my view.   It was hot as hell out so I actually enjoyed the cool temp, but eventually I grew bored and said in a friendly way "This is always the most important decision, isn't it? I wouldn't want to get home with the wrong ice cream" 

She said "I'm looking for the non-dairy ice cream".  I silenced my inner "Then it's not ice CREAM" and said "Oh, that freezer over there says Plant Based".  Cue her giving me a detailed description of all the different kinds of frozen desserts, why dairy-free or plant-based may not be lactose free, the key words to look for..

And why "coco whip" is better than whipped cream.   Girl, no it isn't.  And I was trying to tell you politely "move it", I didn't want to hear about your lactose issues.

[kristen111]

49 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Just moved my reply to the Health and Wellness thread, where I think you meant to post this, but, with a throbbing tooth, you mistake is 100% understandable. 🤕

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/138201-health-and-wellness-chit-chat-your-primary-care-topic/page/3/#comment-8100034

 

Oh sorry.  Right I forgot.

[SuprSuprElevated]

Friends of ours did this. Amazing gal to have an infant, a 5-yr old, and the time and kindness to still do it!  Great idea. (Sort of like inviting your neighbors to your potentially loud party, lol)

Edited August 7, 2023 by SuprSuprElevated

[BooksRule]

8 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

The weirdest thing just happened. My landline phone rang, and I picked up the handset to check caller ID--which said "PROBABLY FRAUD," with the number underneath. I've never seen anything like that before. Is there some kind of program now that tags the numbers of shady people on caller ID?

I get numbers on my cell phone occasionally that I don't recognize and don't answer.  There's usually no voice mail left.  However, for the first time ever, I got a call last week that said 'suspected spammer' (or maybe suspicious spam') so I didn't answer.  It turned out to be a message from a doctor that I'm going to see for the first time next week.  It was a local number, so it was odd that it tagged that one (of all of the other spam calls I've gotten) as suspected spam. I'm guessing that maybe because it was a recording and not a live person it was tagged?  But how would my provider know?  Anyway, weird.

[athousandclowns]

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Also, they tend to spoof area codes and prefix numbers matching your own number, so you might think it is your local doctor, plumber, pizza delivery, what-have-you calling.
I get a tiny bit of satisfaction when I know to immediately ignore calls from the area code in the state where I lived 2 years ago because that's what my cell phone number includes. 
Now if they start being able to pretend to be one of my few friends from that state who still call, I will have to resort to my old tactics of answering and trying to confuse them. 

My cell  area code is from where I lived 8 years ago so I also get lots from that area code that I figure are sales or scammers and never answer . I got addicted to YouTube scambaiting during  lock down so the other day when I  got a call from my old area code I answered Amazon customer service how may I help you? It was someone from my local audiologist office. 

I saw my son, daughter in law and grandkids yesterday for the first time in 10 days. . The adults got Covid for 2nd time and I had been with them that day as well as 3 days that week. I was so upset they went on planned weekend beach vacation 3 days after testing positive. Livid.  I stayed around my place a had a meal delivered once and went out day 7 with mask to pick up an RX. 

Edited August 7, 2023 by athousandclowns
Typo

[nokat]

4 hours ago, Quof said:

I was in the ice cream aisle of the supermarket the other day. A woman was very slowly looking at every single item, blocking my view.

I tend to be looking for the peanut warning. Very few ice creams I can eat. I try not to block anyone else though.

[oliviabenson]

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I haven't even had a call on my landline in years. I don't even know if it works any more.

6 hours ago, PRgal said:

Mine comes with my Internet/TV package, so it works.  I'll pick up voice mail every few days.

Landline came with no additional charge with my current Internet package, but I said I did not want it set up.
They didn't act like that was an unusual request.
But I can see a person going either way with it: 
I didn't want another thing to keep track of.
Some people might want the option to use it.

But, also, my last landline (2001-2008) turned out to be 1 digit-off of Walgreens pharmacy (and with mine either displayed on the Walgreens website, or maybe it was in the local yellow pages), so I was constantly fielding calls from desperate parents with sick kids at odd hours, giving them the correct number so they didn't keep calling.
My parents had the same problem with the only local taxi service.

However, just a couple of weeks ago, when the cell phone support people were trouble-shooting a glitch, they said it would be preferable if I had another line to call them on while they talked me through the steps to troubleshoot my cell phone. 
But we got through it easily without that, although the last (and successful) troubleshooter was a little cranky that it took me 3 minutes to do the steps and reboot my phone, causing him to have to try to call me back twice before I answered. 
Heh.
I did Not explain it was because after an hour of troubleshooting with 3 support people, I needed to go to the bathroom.🚽

So, if it happens again, I might ask the internet people to set up the "free" landline. But right now I'm grandfathered in (or would it be "grandmothered it"?) to a $4.99/mo. deal for at least another year, and I don't want to jinx it.

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by shapeshifter