Petty Vents

[CarolPa]

I think ALL outdoor ice should be bright dayglo orange so you can see it and not fall on your ass taking out the trash.

Sounds like the voice of experience! OUCH!

 

[Andy M.]

Sounds like the voice of experience! OUCH!

Sadly, yes. Thought it's not as bad as the last time I slipped and fell on ice. Then I broke my wrist and tailbone.

This time I just have a pain in the butt. A change from BEING a pain in the butt.

 

[CarolPa]

Here's a link.

How to Make a Rug from Plastic Grocery Bags

And for those of us who are more creative

18 creative Designs Made out of Plastic Bag – DesignSwan.com

I remember back when they were making the switch from paper to plastic. If you chose paper, they would put a flyer in it telling you have it was killing all the trees to make all those paper bags. My mother-in-law used to tell them she wanted a paper bag inside a plastic bag and they told her no, it was either or. We still get plastic, but the stores have a big recycle bin where you can return the bags to be recycled. We do that. I wonder what they do with them?

I have a couple reusable bags in the trunk for when I remember to take them into Aldi's. DH usually just gets a box. I saw some people with a great idea. They had a couple boxes in the trunk. They would wheel the cart out to the car and put their purchases in the boxes. That way they can separate them as to what goes where. They use the same boxes over and over.

If our stores ever start charging for bags I will start bringing the boxes in the trunk.

How about those bags they are selling now that sit in the cart while you shop.

Also, what ever happened to giving you a scanner when you came into the store and you scanned and bagged as you shopped. Just pay the total at the end. I guess too many people were taking things and not scanning them. Ya think??????

 

[taxlady]

For some reason, Gmail thinks that email from DC is spam. I have fished every single DC email out of the spam folder. I made a filter "never send to spam" and one that marks it important.

Well, it doesn't go to the spam folder anymore. It gets a big orange message telling me that the reason it's not in spam is because of a filter. Would I like to edit the filter?

It refuses to mark the emails "important", so they aren't in the top section of my email with the "important" email. They are in the bottom section. Several times a day I page down to find the DC emails and mark them important. Stirling assures me that they will eventually stop this nonsense and just believe that it really is stuff I want to see. He said it took about three weeks when he had to do that. grrr

 

[CarolPa]

With AOL mail, I created a filter than sends DC mail to a folder all it's own. Sometimes it fails and puts them in spam, but not often.

 

[taxlady]

I could do that, but then I would have to remember to look in that folder.

 

[Addie]

You can also make "plarn" out of plastic bags and knit or crochet door mats or camping mats. Some people make mats for homeless people to sleep on. Here in Montreal we are asked not to do that. The people who work with the homeless want them to come to the shelters, especially in winter.

I understand what they are saying. We have a place here called Pine Street Inn. It can be a very dangerous place to stay at night. Shoes are stolen right off your feet, stabbings, etc. And surprisingly so, a lot of street people do not want to go inside. They are afraid. The Salvation Army understands this. The Pine Street Inn folks don't. The SA passes out blankets and hot drinks, Pine Street Inn folks try to talk them inside. And when they aren't successful, they walk on to the next one.

A lot of people in Boston are what are called the waffle people. They sleep on the grates that are over the steam pipes and wake up in the morning with the marking of the waffle like grate on their skin. The majority of them have one or more large plastic bags. They wrap themselves up in them and find a staircase to sleep in in they can't find a waffle grate. Some of them have been on the streets for so long, they simply do not want to change their lives now. Most of the street folks are schizophrenic. Approach them, and they can be dangerous. So if you have anything to make their life a little easier, you just leave it someplace where they can find it. I can't tell you how many time I would drop a half pack of cigarettes when I would see some of them picking up butts from the gutter. A lot of half packs with the matches would suddenly fall out of my pocket.

I used to have a friend that every Sunday morning before they changed the law, we would go over to South Boston. He carried a package of paper cups along with a half gallon of cheap whiskey in his trunk. He would see the ones who were really sick and about to go into the DDT's. He would give them a half cup of whiskey. Just enough to hold them over until the liquor stores opened. Why did he do this? Because he was one of "them" once." He was lucky. He found his way out.

So if folks want to make the mats for them, they should. You don't know everyone's story.

 

[CarolPa]

I could do that, but then I would have to remember to look in that folder.

I think after you didn't get any emails for a day or so you would suddenly remember that you have a separate folder! LOL It's very nice to have them all together there.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

My vent? "Uptalk" If you are making a declarative statement, say it like you believe it.

What Can Jeopardy Tell Us About Uptalk? | Innovation | Smithsonian

Yes, my internal editor DID want to remove the space between the "S" and the rest of the word "Sometimes.

That's interesting. I haven't really noticed any excessive usage of it myself. I had never heard a name for it. I think it is perfectly reasonable in a social setting to use uptalk to indicate that an answer to a question is a guess.

???

taxy, I hear it all the time when watching some local TV programming. It seems to be an affectation prevalent among young (and sometimes not so young), highly educated speakers. It gives me the impression they really don't believe in what they are saying. Not a good quality when you are a professional trying to make a point. On the other hand, it probably should be the required speaking style of most things politicians say. After all, they can't seriously believe all the stuff they shovel at us, can they? It doesn't annoy me as much in a social setting unless it's coming out of our son's mouth. I remind him when he tells me something he danged well better sound like he believes what he says.

As far as your "???". If you click on the Smithsonian article I linked to, the first word "Sometimes" has a space between the first "S" and the rest of the word. I think I was born with a blue pencil in my hand.

 

[taxlady]

...

As far as your "???". If you click on the Smithsonian article I linked to, the first word "Sometimes" has a space between the first "S" and the rest of the word. I think I was born with a blue pencil in my hand.

Must be the font you have as default or something with your display. It looks fine to me. That's why I was baffled. I had looked at the link and couldn't find the S followed by a space.

 

[CharlieD]

To save your sanity and your wallet, tell him (and your wife on the side) that after looking at your finances, you both have decided to not continue with the project. Wait a month or two, then hire someone who you feel can do the work properly and to your liking. By then your finances should improve. And he should be busy on another project.

Unfortunately the project is finished according to him and we had to pay. And now I have to hire somebody to start over and fix everything that he did.


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[CharlieD]

I prefer the plastic bags. They are so much easier to carry than paper bags (think canned goods).

I also tie the tops before transporting the groceries. That way I don't end up chasing my groceries around the trunk. I just cut the knots off when I'm putting groceries away and just ball them all up and put in the trash. I don't feel they are strong enough to be used again safely.

When shopping at Sav-a-Lot where bags aren't supplied, I often forget to bring my own bags, but large plastic bags are available at the cash register, and only cost 10¢ each. It only cost me 50¢ or less, and they are strong enough to be reused. I figure paying for the bags is my punishment for not remembering to bring my own bags.

When I first came to America and would talk to people they would ask if it was true that in Soviet Union people had Cary grocery bags at all times. I said it then that the bag waiting is going to have stop at some points. Well, we are almost there. In a few more years nobody will use plastic or paper bags. Unless pay for it and I'm afraid they will not be 10 cents only, but much more expensive.


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[Addie]

When I first came to America and would talk to people they would ask if it was true that in Soviet Union people had Cary grocery bags at all times. I said it then that the bag waiting is going to have stop at some points. Well, we are almost there. In a few more years nobody will use plastic or paper bags. Unless pay for it and I'm afraid they will not be 10 cents only, but much more expensive.


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Are you saying I am going to have to buy plastic bags for my household trash baskets?

Every since the big green bags became popular for the outside trash cans, a lot of city and towns now require that all your trash be in them. No more cans to be emptied. Just pick up the big green bag and toss it onto the truck. Plastic is here to stay folks.

 

[taxlady]

Are you saying I am going to have to buy plastic bags for my household trash baskets?

Every since the big green bags became popular for the outside trash cans, a lot of city and towns now require that all your trash be in them. No more cans to be emptied. Just pick up the big green bag and toss it onto the truck. Plastic is here to stay folks.

You said a mouthful Addie. Plastic doesn't biodegrade, it does break down into smaller and smaller pieces.

I would imagine that when a city decides to ban plastic bags, concerned citizens should be able to convince them that they have to update their rules about garbage collection to allow for emptying of garbage cans with no plastic bags. They could make it sound really stupid to ban plastic bags at the same time as requiring them.

When I was a kid we used the brown grocery bags for the garbage and hauled it outside to a garbage can. I have seen people use newspaper to line the indoor garbage can.

When I moved to Denmark in 1969, I was surprised that I either had to bring my own bag to the store or pay for a plastic bag. I don't think that ever changed in Denmark. Around here stores are supposed to charge for plastic bags and most do. Most of them sell reusable bags for ~$1. Some even sell reusable green bins.

 

[Addie]

The reason for the rule of the large green bags and no more trash cans was weight. It is easier for the collectors to grab the handle and just swing it onto the truck. Fewer back injuries. But I know of some folks who put a TV into the bag or some other large appliance and then tie it off. You have to schedule a special collection for electronics and pay for it. The fee is usually $1.00.

 

[Addie]

I was having a nice quiet time trying to take a nap. Then I heard a really loud bang. I looked out in the hall. No one there. Then I heard even a louder bang. I looked out again and saw on the floor the number from the door of #211 and broken in half. Now I am getting nervous. The next thing there is a knock on my door. I open it and standing there are four cops. Was I all right? I told them I was nervous and shaken up. I don't know what happened, but they took the tenant out in cuffs. My apartment is in an alcove. And it is #213. #211 is a bit to close for comfort if he is going to be a constant trouble maker. I don't even know who lives there or when they even moved in.

I made a corned beef for sandwiches. It was a small one. I was looking so forward to a nice Reuben sandwich with the Gulden's mustard, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. This has caused me to lose my appetite. I even had the dark pumpernickel bread for it. Maybe later it will come back.

 

[Addie]

One of our TV stations is congratulating Bostonians for making it through setting a new snow record. Are these folks off their rocker? What is there to celebrate about that? And then we have more snow coming this Saturday and Sunday. Are we going to be congratulated for that too? Do we have a choice of getting through more snow? We have had a terrible winter. And it hasn't been easy for a lot of people. Folks couldn't get to work and lost pay. The kids had a lot of snow days that have to be made up during the Spring break or at the end of the school year. So many folks couldn't get to the stores for groceries. I think the City of Boston could have done a better job in snow removal. Our new mayor was more concerned with making sure the Patriots could have their parade after the Super Bowl win. And then his next concern was to make sure the St. Patrick's Parade could be a go. But why not? He is as Irish as they come. That Parade happens to be a private parade. Some streets never got plowed. And there has been no follow-up for the clearance of sidewalks. Fortunately we recently had a good amount of rain and that took care of a lot of the snow. So what is there to celebrate? Certainly not for the City of Boston. The Patriots didn't have to have a parade right after the first big snow storm. And with all the very low temperatures we have been having, do we really need a private parade? Does any good parent really want their small children standing out in those temperatures for about four hours? Ninety-percent of the parade consists of politicians.

Sorry Mayor and the silly TV station. I am not celebrating. Grant you, we have a brand new Mayor who is still in the learning stage. But he needs to take a page from the man he replaced.

 

[Mad Cook]

You said a mouthful Addie. Plastic doesn't biodegrade, it does break down into smaller and smaller pieces.

I would imagine that when a city decides to ban plastic bags, concerned citizens should be able to convince them that they have to update their rules about garbage collection to allow for emptying of garbage cans with no plastic bags. They could make it sound really stupid to ban plastic bags at the same time as requiring them.

When I was a kid we used the brown grocery bags for the garbage and hauled it outside to a garbage can. I have seen people use newspaper to line the indoor garbage can.

When I moved to Denmark in 1969, I was surprised that I either had to bring my own bag to the store or pay for a plastic bag. I don't think that ever changed in Denmark. Around here stores are supposed to charge for plastic bags and most do. Most of them sell reusable bags for ~$1. Some even sell reusable green bins.

There will shortly be a UK tax imposed on plastic carrier bags which at the moment are given a way free in shops. It isn't clear whether the stores will pass on the cost by making customers pay for bags. I use a wicker basket and I have a few of those jute carrier "bags-for-life" that supermarkets sell so I don't usually have to take the free plastic carrier bags. If I do have to use the store's free carriers I save them until I have a few and then take them with any useful packaging, bubble wrap etc., which I have acquired, to one of the charity shops as they are always desperate for bags to put customers purchases in. I hate throwing them away into the trash.

We don't have to use bin liners for our garbage cans but most people do and of course we buy our own. We have biodegradable bags for our food waste which go in a special bin and they are given free by the local authority. These are fine in principle but the biodegradable bags melt when in contact with liquid (from used tea leaves, coffee grounds, etc.,) and make a horrible mess in the bin which then has to be hosed out which somewhat defeats the eco-logic of the biodegradable bags!

 

[Mad Cook]

I was having a nice quiet time trying to take a nap. Then I heard a really loud bang. I looked out in the hall. No one there. Then I heard even a louder bang. I looked out again and saw on the floor the number from the door of #211 and broken in half. Now I am getting nervous. The next thing there is a knock on my door. I open it and standing there are four cops. Was I all right? I told them I was nervous and shaken up. I don't know what happened, but they took the tenant out in cuffs. My apartment is in an alcove. And it is #213. #211 is a bit to close for comfort if he is going to be a constant trouble maker. I don't even know who lives there or when they even moved in.

I made a corned beef for sandwiches. It was a small one. I was looking so forward to a nice Reuben sandwich with the Gulden's mustard, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. This has caused me to lose my appetite. I even had the dark pumpernickel bread for it. Maybe later it will come back.

That sandwich sounded delicious. I hope your appetite came back in time to enjoy it.

Hopefully the tenant of 211 will be gone for a while and you'll get a decent neighbour in that apartment.

 

[CharlieD]

.... Plastic is here to stay folks.

but not for free. btw, i am not even sure what you are talking about, never seen it.


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