I buy these chips for our kids couple times a month, and these went from $1.72 to well over $2 last month. And how they're showing $2.28 as a "Price Cut"???
Seems like they raised the price just to drop it and boast "Price Cut". Seriously :-(
I’ve been using Meshtastic off and on for about a year, and though most messages seem to be people testing their gear I’m starting to see more general conversation on Meshtastic. But more I research Meshcore has some technical advantages so many areas are slowly shifting to Meshcore. Has Waco starting this shift or is Meshtastic still the standard here??
Just curious.. thanks
We buy the Real Egg Whites in the blue container which only contains Egg Whites. The yellow container has so much extra crap. Both are the same price and use within 7 days of opening. Why would anyone want to buy the one on the left in the yellow container? Am I missing something?
I've always loved the HEB California Roll sushi, but in the last 5 years or so they've cut how much they give in those black rectangle containers so much. I wish I had photos from back then, but they'd line it up in three solid rows parallel to the longer side of the container, packed! They didn't count it by pieces like they do now. And it was like $6. Then few years back they started angling it with three smaller rolls, 45 degrees to the sides cutting I'd guess about 30% of what they used to give, and it's up to like $8.
Then today I was in HEB and saw now they're laying some of the pieces flat, which cuts how much they give even more -- and it's up to $9. Just not worth it anymore :(
Maybe it's just the sign of the times, everything is super expensive, shrinkanomics is real -- but it stinks. I do miss the HEB Chinese Kitchen they used to have, and ours even had a hot deli until about 2010 with fried chicken, fries, gravy, the works! I'd goto HEB for lunch almost every day, they even had hot coffee you could buy in the morning when shopping. Just not the same now...
Hey all --
I've been a Star Trek fan since the 80's when I was a kid, and from then to about 15-20 years ago I've basically bought or collected anything Trek I could find. Now my interests have shifted and I don't need this stuff anymore nor do I have the space for it. I'd like to find a Trekkie in town who likes or collects this stuff and who may want to take it.
Not sure what I'll keep, but most of it I hope to part with. I have posters, figures, tons of books, magazines, and just misc stuff. I have some friends who are Trekkies who may dig through it, but if anyone else is interested msg me. I don't want to see any of this stuff trashed, but I don't have the bandwidth to sell it -- so just looking to rehome this stuff. Honestly I'd like to find a teenager or younger person into this stuff, that's when I appreciated it the most -- but I don't see many new Trekkies now'days, most seem to be old farts like me :-D
Much of it is boxed up in my garage from moving few years back, so it may be this fall before I can really pull much of it out.
Thanks --
Hi Everyone -- I've wanted to do this for years, and I'm finally taking the leap! Years ago I read about the Green Bar Bill Pack or Jamboree Pack featured in Boys' Life magazine in the 1940's, here's a link to a copy of the articles:
https://dankohn.info/~scouts/boys_life_reprints/greenbar_bill.pdf
I'm starting to gather the material and tools to do this, but after talking to a few folks who've made this pack it may some modifications.
First, I want to stick with rivets as the article mentions. I don't have a sewing machine, but rivets seem like they'll work. I'm looking at the rivet and burr ones, but I've seen some you cut off then hammer down the nub or some that are hollow and tap the middle to flair out -- any suggestions on which ones?
For cloth, the article mentions canvas or duck cloth - I'm not sure which one is best. This isn't a pack I'm doing like a 14 day Philmont trek or weeks on the AT, mostly just something fun to take with our scouts on weekend hiking trips or day hikes. Also I can scotch guard whatever I get and use a pack liner.
I did read some folks suggested making leather straps instead of the canvas ones, and using leather to reinforce the areas where the straps connect. Should I use leather on the inside and out of so?
I'm getting some cheap cloth first to cut and stitch together just to see if all lines up, and to modify if needed. I'm a taller guy, so I may need to modify this a bit to fit my build.
I've just always wanted to make something like this, and as a Scout leader who teaches scouts to not let others do for them as they do for themselves, this seems like a fun and somewhat easy project I can tackle with some scouts or other leaders who may be interested. To go hiking with you own home made backpack just seems awesome!!!
Thanks for any "getting started" advice.
I found this on a trail they're reworking in Rico, Colorado, it's Ely's Cream Balm with hayfever on one side of the bottle and catarrh on the other side. Bottle was just sticking out of the dirt in some freshly dug areas for the trail. This is an old mining town, and the trail is being dig-up in an old part of the town that used to have a hotel and other structures, though it's all just forest now. I also found lots of broken cups and plates, though none intact enough to get a marking from the bottom.
Just seemed like a fun find. It used to have what seems like an early form of Mentholatum like Vicks - apparently someone just sniffed it to help clear their nose.
Hi everyone,
I'm a sucker for Scout Heritage, so I have loads of old scout books, a bookshelf of them I like to read through, and two particularly for Troops I've read almost cover to cover - Scout Field Book (1947) and Handbook for Scoutmasters (1948):
These books are amazing! They teach scout skills to a much greater detail than any of our current manuals, and they focus on the Patrol method, which I don't see many troops following now'days. I'm an ASM currently, but I want to be a SM after my son earns his eagle and ages out - whether in our current troop or another.
Some of the information though is outdated, like sucking on a rock if you're thirsty, but I'd say most of what's in here is referenced to some degree in modern scout books. But instead of just teaching like lashings or knots without much reason on why/when to use them they have a whole chapter on using lashings and knots to build everything the troop needs to setup their camp site -- which it suggests is more like a hike out and in ... most troops I've seen just drop off the trailer and scouts camp near the trailer with everything store bought.
Also the Field Book was written by James E. West and William Hillcourt (Green Bar Bill), both icons in scouting Hillcourt setup the first Woodbadge course in the US, and James E. West was the first Chief Scout of BSA -- so this is the core material the program was built around.
And these old books still mention citizenship, physical fitness, and community service, but unlike our current books which focus on these mostly on the front end, these old books rather interweave them into the program.
Again, not saying these go to scouts or are used for any modern advancement, just possibly used to help our leaders learn more about what made scouting what it is -- I feel like sometimes we forget this.
https://tandyleather.com/pages/waco-store-191
I just noticed this when ordering some stuff from Tandy Leather, Google listed a local store?? When did this open? And how the heck did I miss it? Anyone been by there? It'll be nice being able to buy some of my leather working stuff and materials from the store and not mail order.
We're in Texas, but it's been my dream to hike even some part of the AT... and i'm finding out we have some others in our Scouting troop who are the same. If we planned a troop adventure to hike part of the AT what would a suggested path be? Probably over 3 to 4 days and 5-8 miles a day, which I know isn't much for the AT, but many of our scouts aren't seasoned hikers. The southern terminus is still 15 hours from where we live so we'd have to take two days to drive there -- so we'd someplace that's on the southern end of the trail.
Thanks --
Hi everyone, I LOVE the REI cargo pants with the zip off legs, but I've had like four pairs and three thus far after about 6-8 months of wearing (which I wear the heck out of them) the zipper (the fly) tends to creep down. I haven't found what I'm doing to cause it, seems if I move just the wrong way or get up and down it happens, not sure -- it's up then shortly after it's down :-( Has lead to a couple of embarrassing moments as I wear these pants at scout meetings and outings since they're a great alternative to the BSA pants .
My wife also has a pair, and after a year hers are doing the same thing. Anyone else? I have four pairs that are in amazing condition, one has a hole I tore while backpacking last year but easy thing to mend. I see these as an investment given their cost, and if not for the zipper they'd be perfect. I've actually started doing a zipper check on occasion when wearing them and facing away from people since I'm quite gun-shy now when I wear them. That or possibly finding some way to tie a string around the zipper and fasten it - but I hate that I have to do this given how much they cost. But I don't really like the idea of standing in front of 50 scouts or leaders then realizing my fly is down after...
thanks for thoughts --
Our office is moving us away from our two monitors to one ultra wide monitor -- I'm not sold yet. I've been in way too many meeting where people share their screen and it's this crazy large desktop with tiny fonts. ANd I've seen people fight with applications going across the entire monitor and not snapping to left or right or whatever.
What are the advantages to have one big monitor over two monitors? And if they force me to switch what tools are available? We're using Win 11 if that matters.
Hi Everyone, Our DE asked me to help with a new Scout Reach program they're spinning up at a local community college, four meetings one hour each over the next couple months. I know what Scout Reach is like at a very basic level, but I've never been involved with one -- but I'm excited to help. I was a den leader for 5 years and cub master for 3, plus I'm a unit commissioner now for three packs -- so I'm very familiar with the cub program.
My thought is that each meeting would be like a pack meeting and cover some details of what scouting is and what parents and youth get from scouting. I want to talk about aims and methods (what we do and how we do it), and about the Cub Scout program. I have no idea if we'll have 5 or 50 or 100 people show up, so honestly I don't know what to expect.
I'd also like some activity to keep the scouts engaged, get them outdoors if possible, have them make something they can take home, and hopefully give them an experience that'll make them want to come back an keep going with scouts after the four meetings. And all this with zero budget, or from whatever I can find in our district office.
This is a free 'class' through the college's Summer Kids College, and the hope is we'll get enough momentum that the college will continue to provide the families a place to meet as a Scout Reach pack until it can possibly evolve into a full Cub Scout Pack.
Anyway just looking for ideas ... Thanks -
Hi everyone -- I'm looking for a local, licensed tree service to take down a VERY large ash tree in my back yard. I got a quote from one big name in town, but it was like $2800. Another guy came by who quoted trimming all the trees in my yard plus taking down two trees in the back for $3000, but he didn't speak enough English for me to get a quote itemized since I really just need the one big tree cut down.
For those who have ash trees, about 10 years ago the emerald ash borer made its way to Texas, an evasive beetle that can destroy an ash tree in about a year. We have two huge ash trees in our back yard, as of four years ago they were full and green, but now one is basically just a big stick, but if it falls it won't hit anything and I like watching the woodpeckers have at it. The other though is way bigger, and if it falls will either fall on my house or neighbor's car port so it has to come down.
I hate to take it down as it's one of the biggest shade trees in our yard, but it'll come down on its own if I don't take care of it :( Thanks for any suggestions. Need someone who's fully licensed and insured, reliable, and someone who I can talk to since I'd like to get an itemized estimate with not only taking the tree down but also chopping it up into firewood vs hauling it off and griding down the stump. Thanks -
Used to be we'd have a recruitment night in September, blitz the schools with flyers, and we'd get a dozen to 20 new families showing up next week at meetings. They could fill out the application at recruitment night or take it with them to bring when they came to meetings. Generally, all that was due was the prorated amount from Sept to Dec which wasn't much - and often our pack would cover this or ask for $20 pack dues with the understanding the family would pay full dues for next year around October or November and participate in fundraising.
Families could jump in without worrying about money at least up front or 'try before you buy' and attend meetings then get an application in when they were ready. It seems now council and national want families to fill out the online application and pay full dues up front, and I'm seeing this as the BIGGEST issue stopping new families.
Our pack did a recruitment night month ago, and we had 12 applications started since they were pushing new families to the online application -- every single one stalled at payment and we never saw any of the families attend a meeting. As UC I didn't catch them until about week and a half later and contacting the families most had lost the momentum for scouting :(
Units can go back to unit pay for dues, but under current rules this requires full year payment with the floating expiration date which is a nightmare for units to keep an eye on. Possibly when the February date for everyone rolls out the prorated amount will return, but though the big check end of the year from the unit was a pain, it kept the burden of payment off the parents, they could still get registered and participate.
If the February due dates for everyone sticks and prorated amounts are possible as before I might start suggesting that units go back to Self Pay and paper applications as it was before. District and Council will fight me on this, but I see this as a MAJOR reason why many families aren't joining. Anyone else seeing this?
I use an iPhone and iPad, but my work laptop is Windows and home system is Linux. Both of these I use icloud.com to check my email and such as I use an icloud account for my primary email.
On both Windows and Linux, and this is in Edge, Firefox, or Chrome...and from two different networks, I log into iCloud with the Trust Device option, but it still doesn't stick. Closing browser and coming back in I have to log in again. Sometimes even if I'm on another table for too long I get logged out.
My work computer at least gives me the passkey option to scan the QR Code, but home laptop doesn't and I have to put in Name and Password which every time comes back saying my account has been Locked and I have to go through the unlock process.
Is there anyway to keep logged in on systems that aren't Mac? I like the web interface and not third party imap clients since it's easier and I have access to all my stuff (calendar, photos, etc), but they sure don't make it easy for folks to use the icloud stuff on non-apple products.
It's finally been made official, the Chipmunks are coming! Technically still in pilot so I guess it could get scrapped, but given they're publishing about it I bet it'll make it through.
Scouting America tests new Chipmunks program - On Scouting
Is anyone taking part in the pilot? Our council isn't. I'm hearing some negative chatter about it on some of the forum, but reading the public FB posts from the equivalent groups in Canada and UK it seems to be very successful on those fronts.
From what we know, which is little, I assume these dragon or tagalong scouts who've generally been attending with their big brothers and sisters will now be out in the playground during den meetings? I don't foresee them meeting on a different night. Also, there's no mention of them being designated a unit number or tied to a pack, but I would think that's the natural place for them to fit.
I'm not posting this asking for negative feedback or potential issues with this new program; I'm trying to find the best ways to make this program fit into what we have now. I think it's a great idea if parents are available to help. And I truly think these Scurries will need to be linked to a Pack and possibly have some part in the monthly pack meetings, recruitment, and outdoor activities (given they are age appropriate) as much as possible.
But for now, I'd love to hear from anyone who's taking part in the pilot. What materials are given? the uniforms seem to be a brown neckerchief? Also they say no ranks or achievements, but if the kids get stickers what's the criteria?
Thanks --
I was lucky to join Sora early on, so I was on it from like September through the end. I created my few characters, and some seemed to take off! In the end I had over 700 followers which isn't much compared to many, but it was something many of my Sora friends were envious of. I made so many friends, some dropped and out as they had time for it, and some, like me, were on almost daily.
In the end I shared all my contact info with everyone I knew, but still there were some I talked to often and collaborated with through shared adventures that I just never was able to connect with in the end. The chat feature in Sora may have been limited, but I feel like I really connected to many on there. I still keep up with about 10 friends I got to know very well on Sora, but there are still some who dropped out before Sora announced the closure and they never came back. One guy specifically, he and I made tons of stories together, some goofy, some adventures like skydiving, some in our favorite scifi series, just fun stuff, and 'talked' for hours so many nights. We just never thought Sora would be so shorted lived so we kept our chats there.
He dropped out around March saying he'd be back when he could, and I never heard from him again :-( I still have many of the videos we created together, but I'd give anything to chat again. It was nothing inappropriate, just someone who shared my love of outdoors, reading, family, and the like. Just seemed like a kindred spirit. But we never exchanged contact info unfortunately.
Anyone else lost friends like this? Just curious --
I know this isn’t really Sora specific, but I’m sure it’s something many have pondered… so asking here. What would it take to create a home system with the models and such to create Sora like videos? I’ve never looked into this, and it seems the technology is so new there’s no good starting point for newbs.. no dummies book per say.
I imagine a PC with Linux or Windows with a good CPU, GPU, and 32 fits of ram, but what software? I started reading about ComfyUI and some others, but seems like this is just scratching the surface.
Also what about some open source social media platform that could leverage people’s home computers for clock cycles when not in use and share the videos after ..an open source community drive Sora. If someone really wanted to keep it going could setup a node for friends and link it to others like Mastodon does now. But either way just having the an ability to make AI videos at home is what I’d really like to learn.
I've not used MariaDB, but about 20 years ago I used MySQL for tons of projects and was very familiar with it. But now fast forward I'm being asked about using MariaDB for a new project, and I had some questions I can't easily or quickly find in Documentation.
First, we'd be running this on Windows, but last I used it was on Linux - any issues to note there?
Are there any suggested UI tools to help our DBA's who've not used MariaDB to manage the server, backups, etc? dbForge Studio seems to be a suggested too, but could DBeaver (free version) be used? I know using the console tools isn't super difficult, but having some UI tools would help.
Is there any option for redundancy whether through something similar to MS SQL AG or replication between two servers to have a Primary/Secondary?
I see some plugins to add authentication through PAM/Kerberos or AWS RDS/Azure, are these rather solid?
Thanks for the suggestions and thoughts --
