What are you doing today?

[GaryE]

Another lovely symbolic moment in 2025 North America.

My little city has switched its parking payment system to an app, with a few very rare 'tap' terminals scattered around for anyone who doesn't have a smart phone. In many areas, you have to walk several blocks to find one, and you can get a ticket in the meantime.

Why? The junkies broke all the previous meters (2 per block, with tap or cash payment) in a search for change.

So you figure the only people who won't have smart phones are the very old, or very old in their ways. They'll have to walk far in a hilly uptown to pay for parking, if they go uptown to support local stores. The rest of us will be stuck with a yet another app - one not more efficient than the previous system, which was pretty smooth. The new app has some solid bugs.

So the tech world bumps head first into the drug world. Ah, 2025...

 

[Essjay]

Luckily for us older people with no smart phones, the parking machines round here take card payments

 

[anewbie]

Luckily for us older people with no smart phones, the parking machines round here take card payments

Most of the newer lots require a phone and worse they require you create an account which i refuse to do. Basically they want your credit card so they can charge as much as they feel like it and if htey make a mistake that is your tough luck.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Back at school today after three days off, taking care of sick family. The Badgerling and Mrs. Badger both had whooping cough. Yep, life on the Oregon Trail around here. I never came down with it, but I couldn't come back to work until I tested negative for it. The early stages of this disease are asymptomatic and extremely contagious. Doesn't quite seem fair.

But I don't have it and I feel pretty good, just a little sleep deprived.

 

[GaryE]

Whooping cough? That's an oldie.
I know I was vaccinated as a kid, but I looked this up and could probably do with a booster as an old geezer with asthma. Another thing to look into.
I got vaccinated to the eyeballs before I went traveling in Africa, and have to make sure it's all up to date again. I have to make an appointment to line up anti-malarials.

I was reading the WHO has credited the region I hope to visit next as being clear of the Gambiense version of sleeping sickness for tsetse flies, which is a victory for the people there. And also potentially for me. Just keep eliminating those diseases, world.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

I just washed 50 lbs of black diamond sand. I might need more.

 

[gwand]

I sold a trio of triple red a. cacatuoides to my lfs for store credit.

 

[connorlindeman]

I sold a trio of triple red a. cacatuoides to my lfs for store credit.

How much does your store give you?

 

[connorlindeman]

I just washed 50 lbs of black diamond sand. I might need more.

That stuffs pretty dirty if I remember right...
Its actually a bit oily.

 

[gwand]

How much does your store give you?

$35 for the trio.

 

[MattW]

You lot have it good with store credit. Its non existent in my area! I wish my local stores did it.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

That stuffs pretty dirty if I remember right...
Its actually a bit oily.

It wasn't as bad as I expected. I divided the bag in two five gallon buckets and stirred a lot. A little oily scum the first couple of rinses and a lot of dust. I've got to get another bag tomorrow.

 

[connorlindeman]

You lot have it good with store credit. Its non existent in my area! I wish my local stores did it.

Not too shabby!

 

[anewbie]

I just realized that i can't locate 2 of my red line rasboras. They were purchased in july of 2024 - 15 of them but i can only find 13. If you see the other two please tell them to hurry home.

 

[GaryE]

Word on the street is they may be behind the dumpster. That's a really nice, under-rated species, but when they make bad choices...