What do you think are scams?

[abefroman329]

I've spent a not-insignificant amount of time in casinos, and I'm fortunate not to have seen any meltdowns from guests.  But I've heard stories.

When I was in Vegas in November, a young woman sitting next to me at a table said she wanted to be a dealer, and that she currently worked as a hairdresser.  I said "you know the reaction you get when someone doesn't like the haircut you gave them?  It's like that, only for your entire shift."

[abefroman329]

When I'm high, I don't care, I just amuse myself with seeing how tightly I can pack the dishwasher or reorganizing the spice rack to be more efficient or whatever.

I don't understand why anyone would organize his spice rack in any manner that isn't alphabetical.

Color?  Genus and species of the spice?  Frequency of use?

I can't think of a more logical way than alphabetical.  Maybe most-used to least-used, but why?

Plus you'd have to decide whether Pink Himalayan Sea Salt should be filed under P for Pink, H for Himalayan, or S for Sea or Salt.

[CtrlAltDel]

When I'm high, I don't care, I just amuse myself with seeing how tightly I can pack the dishwasher or reorganizing the spice rack to be more efficient or whatever.

I don't understand why anyone would organize his spice rack in any manner that isn't alphabetical.

Color?  Genus and species of the spice?  Frequency of use?

I can't think of a more logical way than alphabetical.  Maybe most-used to least-used, but why?

Plus you'd have to decide whether Pink Himalayan Sea Salt should be filed under P for Pink, H for Himalayan, or S for Sea or Salt.

I organize them by type of food they're used with and by frequency of use. With spices, as with quite a few things, organizing things alphabetically is kind of a last resort.

[kphoger]

The stuff on top is extra containers.

[MultiMillionMiler]

Windows 11, my computer has had a million more glitches ever since I upgraded to it.

[JayhawkCO]

Ours isn't alphabetical since it's a narrow cabinet and we have mini lazy Susans in there. The bottom is most common items. The middle is Latin cuisine. The upper is Asian cuisine.

[kphoger]

I organize them by type of food they're used with and by frequency of use.

The middle is Latin cuisine. The upper is Asian cuisine.

But aren't there spices you use in multiple cuisines?

Examples:  I use cumin in Mexican food, but also in North African—type spice blends.  I might put a bit of cinnamon in with the meat for enchiladas, or I might use a bit when making a homemade Chinese five-spice powder.  I sometimes put turmeric in with the rice to boil to make it yellow, and I also put in the aforementioned North African—type spice blends.  Et cetera.

[JayhawkCO]

I organize them by type of food they're used with and by frequency of use.

The middle is Latin cuisine. The upper is Asian cuisine.

But aren't there spices you use in multiple cuisines?

Examples:  I use cumin in Mexican food, but also in North African—type spice blends.  I might put a bit of cinnamon in with the meat for enchiladas, or I might use a bit when making a homemade Chinese five-spice powder.  I sometimes put turmeric in with the rice to boil to make it yellow, and I also put in the aforementioned North African—type spice blends.  Et cetera.

If there's overlap, I choose the lower option.

[Scott5114]

MMM's latest scam split to his thread where it originated.

[tchafe1978]

Ads for Camp Lejeune. Scams. Definitely scams.

I get that the people that were there probably suffered some sort of illness or injury, but at this point there are probably pennies left for the actual victims after all the scam TV ad lawyers get their cut. Also, I think about half of my spam email folder is for Camp Lejeune scams.

[roadman65]

Ads for Camp Lejeune. Scams. Definitely scams.

I get that the people that were there probably suffered some sort of illness or injury, but at this point there are probably pennies left for the actual victims after all the scam TV ad lawyers get their cut. Also, I think about half of my spam email folder is for Camp Lejeune scams.

I think you're right as attorney John Morgan hasn't spoken about this like he done with the Johnson and Johnson scandal with Round Up weed killer. Remember when non profit ads were playing out that scandal. Well Morgan stepped in for us not to buy into them but let his lawyers handle that.  He hasn't tried to sell his firm to yet help with Camp LeJune victims AFAIK.

[hotdogPi]

iPhone battery class action lawsuit: $25, two or three emails total.
Zoom class action lawsuit: $15 ($25 if you paid for Zoom), two or three emails total.
MacBook Pro keyboard class action lawsuit: $125 for me, $50 or $395 for others, one email so far, still ongoing.

Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit: TV ads all the time, and apparently 4-5 emails per day (although I don't get any), even for those who never went to the camp.

[Scott5114]

I just got a check in the mail for the Equifax identity breach settlement. $5.26. It was accompanied by a letter suggesting I contact a CPA for instructions on how to claim it on my taxes...

[JayhawkCO]

I just got a check in the mail for the Equifax identity breach settlement. $5.26. It was accompanied by a letter suggesting I contact a CPA for instructions on how to claim it on my taxes...

Lucky! Mine was $5.12.

[SectorZ]

I just got a check in the mail for the Equifax identity breach settlement. $5.26. It was accompanied by a letter suggesting I contact a CPA for instructions on how to claim it on my taxes...

I still can't believe they didn't get the death penalty for that mess. I've never understood how a company has a right to our SSN and everything that comes with it, and at minimum how that right can't be removed when they screw it up.

[mgk920]

I just got a check in the mail for the Equifax identity breach settlement. $5.26. It was accompanied by a letter suggesting I contact a CPA for instructions on how to claim it on my taxes...

I still can't believe they didn't get the death penalty for that mess. I've never understood how a company has a right to our SSN and everything that comes with it, and at minimum how that right can't be removed when they screw it up.

This in one of the big reasons why I consider the 16th Amendment to be a total scam.  That and one of its biggest effects of working to keep the riff-raff out of the elites' country clubs.

Mike

[mgk920]

I also consider those "x month's supply!" emergency food kits to be a scam.

Mike

[hbelkins]

The truth, of course, is somewhere between "marijuana is harmless" and "marijuana is 100 times as dangerous as whizzing on an electric fence."  I've personally never argued that it's harmless, but I do believe it's less harmful than alcohol, and I also have a problem with the way the consumption of alcohol is glamorized almost everywhere you look, whereas with marijuana, we get dumbshit ONDCP ads with messages such as "don't get high more than three times, or someone will try to sexually assault you" (because that never happens when you get blackout drunk?)

The big difference for me is that there are non-intoxicating recreational uses for alcohol. Some people like the taste of alcoholic drinks. I know of no non-intoxicating recreational uses for weed. You don't smoke it because you like the aroma. You smoke it to get high. People do drink alcoholic beverages for reasons other than getting drunk.

[J N Winkler]

It helps if the company involved has deep pockets--the Facebook Internet tracking settlement was about $50 per claimant.

[JayhawkCO]

The big difference for me is that there are non-intoxicating recreational uses for alcohol. Some people like the taste of alcoholic drinks. I know of no non-intoxicating recreational uses for weed. You don't smoke it because you like the aroma. You smoke it to get high. People do drink alcoholic beverages for reasons other than getting drunk.

Never heard of medicinal marijuana?

Also, for the record, I like the taste of weed just fine.

[mgk920]

Straight battery-electric cars and light trucks.

Mike

[kphoger]

The big difference for me is that there are non-intoxicating recreational uses for alcohol. Some people like the taste of alcoholic drinks. I know of no non-intoxicating recreational uses for weed. You don't smoke it because you like the aroma. You smoke it to get high. People do drink alcoholic beverages for reasons other than getting drunk.

Except, as we've already discussed, I think most people wouldn't drink alcoholic beverages if there weren't a buzz.  That's true for me:  I've never had any desire to try non-alcoholic versions of any alcoholic beverage.  [insert history of Welch's grape juice here]

At some level, I agree:  the effect of alcohol on one's behavior is by definition an intoxicating one.  However, I disagree with the notion that having a moderately altered state of mind is the definition of intoxicated.  Rather, intoxication is the state of having one's state of mind significantly altered, such that one's self control is noticeably inhibited.  Therefore, the intoxicating nature of alcohol is part of both its appeal and its danger.

I know you're a Christian, so allow me to use a Biblical example.  The intoxicating property of wine that prompted the proverb ...

"Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine ... (Proverbs 23:29-30a RSV)"

... is the very same intoxicating property of wine that prompted the psalmist to write ...

"Thou dost cause the grass to grow for ... man to cultivate, that he may bring forth ... wine to gladden the heart of man ... (Psalm 104:14-15a RSV)".

So, yes, I can say that having my "senses altered" is indeed part of "the point in drinking alcoholic beverages", and I believe that the moderate use of alcohol is wholly in keeping with the Christian virtues of sobriety and self-control.

In fact, alcohol above about 1.5% (ABV) can actually be tasted on the tongue, activating bitter and sweet receptors.  Above about 20% ABV, an alcohol 'burn' becomes noticeable, which, while it isn't strictly a taste, does contribute to the overall flavor of the beverage.  Alcohol also binds to other flavor agents, changing the way we perceive them.  For example, removing the alcohol from a glass of wine would dramatically alter the flavor of that wine.  All that is to say, you can't create a hard distinction between the flavor of wine and the intoxicating effects of wine, because alcohol contributes to both.

Also, for the record, I like the taste of weed just fine.

I've never smoked anything in my life, and I've never really had a desire to either.  But I've considered trying out pipe smoking.  I just love the smell of a tobacco shop, and I'm curious to know if any of that comes through in the flavor of the smoke.

[JayhawkCO]

Also, for the record, I like the taste of weed just fine.

I've never smoked anything in my life, and I've never really had a desire to either.  But I've considered trying out pipe smoking.  I just love the smell of a tobacco shop, and I'm curious to know if any of that comes through in the flavor of the smoke.

I've never smoked a cigarette. Cigars are fun every once in a while, but I wake up the next day still tasting it. Never actually smoked a pipe but I wouldn't mind.

[MultiMillionMiler]

Marijuana barely gets you "high". It just makes you feel good and relaxed. It probably shouldn't even be called a "drug". It grows naturally on the earth and existed long before humans figured out how to ferment alcohol.

[kphoger]

Health insurance is a scam.

With car insurance, I can try to find a friend to do the repairs, or I can try to do it myself, instead of filing an insurance claim and taking it to a mechanic.  Therefore, we consumers have some measure of control over the cost of car repairs.  In contrast, it's a felony to practice medicine without a license, and hospitals and drug companies are free to set whatever prices they want, leaving consumers with no measure of control over the cost of care.

Furthermore, car insurance has a deductible:  the amount I have to pay out of pocket before coverage kicks in.  Health insurance has that too, but then most plans still make you dish out a copay when you go to the doctor anyway.  Besides which, health insurance deductibles are awfully high, considering the cost of the plan to begin with:  it's ridiculous that paying $20,000 per year for a family plan can mean you still have to pay out of pocket.

And lastly, health insurance should not cover routine checkups, just as most car insurance doesn't cover oil changes and tire rotations.  This is another way in which consumers are shielded from the true cost of care, which means they no longer have a free-market mechanism by which to keep that cost low.

... or maybe I mean 'racket' ...