According to Nemo

Recipe - Easy Sausage and Gravy Crepes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 05:01:00 +0000

Ready in 20 minutes

Serves 4 people

High in calories

Ingredients

1 pkg Instant Country Gravy Mix
2 oz sausage (or substitute 3 sausage links broken up while cooking)
1 cup any flavor pancake mix
2 whole eggs
Butter

Preparation

Cook sausage to desired doneness (I personally like mine heavily caramelized), then set aside
Prepare pancake batter as directed on package, then add both eggs and mix well
Using a whisk, mix in tablespoons of milk or water until you reach a thin sauce like consistency
Melt teaspoon of butter into pan (pan size doesn't matter), on medium heat
Pour batter mix into heated pan, immediately tilting pan so batter can spread out thinly
Allow to brown to desired color, then flip and brown the reverse side. approx 2-3 minutes on each side
At this point you should begin preparing your gravy mix as directed on its pkg, adding the cooked sausage to it at any time
Remove crepe from pan and immediately roll into a cigar shape or fold in half, whichever is your preference
Repeat process for remaining crepe batter (6 inch pan will yield approx 6-8 crepes)
Once gravy is cooked, pour over crepes and serve

Tips

NOTE: To make this a sweet dish… omit the sausage and gravy. Substitute with strawberries, jams, whipped cream, chocolate sauce or whatever you can imagine

The Real Men in Black

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 03:20:00 +0000

The mysterious Men in Black, stories, legends and movies have been made to try and explain these mysterious men who appeared whenever wherever a UFO sighting occurred during the 1940s to 1960s, in the United States.

However did you know they were also seen in other parts of the world. Reports of mysterious men wearing black suits have surfaced all over the world, during that time period. Ruling out the possibility that they were agents of the United States government.

The last reported meeting of a Man in Black was in the mid 1970’s in San Luis Obispo, California.

So where did they go? Who were they really? And what was there nefarious mission?

1931 a young man, in Ventura California, sees a light in the sky, it hovers approx 80 yards from him, flashes a deep yellow then red and shoots straight up til it can no longer be seen. The young man searches the skies trying to see where the orb went. It was a cold night, he grabbed his dark colored long coat and walked the neighborhood, asking anyone he passed if they had seen the unusual sight.

He became obsessed with finding out what the strange light had been, and in his search discovered a plethora of unexplained occurrences that ranged from UFO sightings, strange creatures and spectral phenomena.

He quickly found other like minded men who wanted answers to unexplained occurrences in their own lives. Together the group of men created a secret club of observers, self proclaimed researchers who were determined to discover the answer to a thousand unexplained mysteries.

During World War II, each man had the opportunity to share their experiences with allies who also had strange stories to share. By the end of the war, the local club from Ventura California had become a worldwide organized group who would routinely report to each other unusual occurrences in their home areas.

As with any organization, this one evolved. From being silent observers to active investigators. There scope of interest had also evolved to include numerous other types of paranormal activity. It was as if they had there eyes opened to a world that the rest of the world didn’t see, and they had a need to understand it. They had no affiliation with any government organization, no authority to question beyond that of any private citizen, yet they had to get information. So a conscious decision was made by the leadership of the group.

A man in a suit seemed more authoritative than a man in coveralls. Two men wearing the exact suit screamed authority, and in those days most men owned a black suit, for attending church or funerals. So the decision was made, none of the groups members would go around asking questions or investigating anything without a partner and both wearing black suits, driving black cars. The other reason for black, streetlights were rare, black cars and suits were camouflage during long nights of observing.

Dark uniformity was not enough, they also needed to be unremarkable, even forgettable. But how? An ingenious plan was hatched, give no information, only take information. If a person asked who they were, respond with non committal answers such as, ‘who we are is not important’ or ‘I think you know the answer to that’. Letting people create their own narrative allowed them to always be viewed differently by each person they questioned, leaving only one commonality….. They were 2 men in black.

The group quickly discovered that the plan worked better than ever expected. Witnesses would pour out their guts with little to no effort. Soon finding they were not only retrieving knowledge, but also evidence.

They needed to call themselves something, so they created a name that best described their mission. The Paranormal Sciences Research Group. Yet they never spoke that name to witnesses, police or any non group member.

By 1950 the organization was solid worldwide with investigators in all allied and some non allied countries. Though the headquarters of the organization are reported to have remained in California.

At some point in the 1960’s the group was renamed to the Paranormal Sciences Institute

As laws changed in the United States, particularly those regarding the perceived impersonation of government officials, the organization had to change its primary way of conducting investigations. No longer could they be the anonymous and mysterious men in black, or their investigators could face very real criminal charges if caught. It was January 1973 in San Luis Obispo, California, that the last investigative team donned the signature black suits. Although PSI investigators in many other countries continued to wear the black suits years after.

The Paranormal Sciences Institute still exists today, and is still a secretive organization of observers, investigators and researchers. Although it is only known to members high in the organization as to where evidence is permanently stored, there is a reported research facility in Nashville Tennessee. There is also a reported observation post located somewhere in the Black Rock Mountains of Nevada.

Many of the positions within the Institute are unknown, yet 4 positions have been confirmed to exist. Director of Operations, Field Analyst, Specialist, Lab Tech. The specific duties of each position can only be speculated from the positions title. Although many women had joined the organization, it wasn’t until the late 80’s that any became investigators. This was only due to the organization’s discontinued use of the ‘men in black’ personas that had drived their investigators to a near legendary & mysterious status.

Although not confirmed, it has been suggested that the Paranormal Sciences Institute has members who are in high level positions throughout the world. Which would explain how the organization has gone so long without scrutiny.

There are those who have and still do try to profit on the Paranormal Sciences Institute anonymity in the form of books, research papers and even websites. These are not associated with the the real institute. Use caution when dealing with those entities.

For those of you who hope for neurolizers and ray guns, this is not a movie. The real Men in Black were and still are merely investigators with an organization in search of the truth that is so often dismissed or overlooked by mainstream science.

Is Mercari Safe or a Scam

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 23:01:00 +0000

Have you ever seen the TV ad for Mercari? Yet another new online marketplace trying to capture those people who have been discouraged by the Big Fish that sell on eBay. What makes Mercari different? What makes it the same? I signed up and bought a few items, then decided to try selling a few things. This is my review of Mercari.

Let’s first put it out here, Mercari is not a scam site. It is a completely legit online auction site. However you will find just like on any auction site, there are those scammers who do there best to steal your money, and that is likely the source of the many negative reviews you may find regarding Mercari.

Signing up is easy, if you plan on buying only then you will have to set a payment method. I was uncomfortable using my credit card or PayPal so I bought a Visa prepaid debit card. Entering the debit card in the credit card section worked seamlessly and I had no problems with purchases using it.

I made 3 small purchases, per Mercari rules the sellers had 3 business days to ship the items, and every package is required to have a tracking number. Each seller had my package in the mail with tracking within those 3 days. As each package arrived, I found the same thing, it was very reminesiant of eBay. All items were as described, and I was happy with the purchases. I went back to the website left positive feedback and decided I would try selling a few things.

Selling is just as easy as buying. Press the sell button, snap a photo and write a short description. Name your price, shipping, etc. Before listing your item, look at the section under stated price. A small area shows exactly how much you will receive from the sale and discloses what Mercari will keep for fees.

The Mercari fees are basically 20% of the sale price. That’s high, BUT there are a few things to consider:

First once tracking shows your package as delivered, the buyer has 3 days to mark received and leave feedback. After the buyer marks the item received, the auction is over….. NO RETURNS or REFUNDS to worry about. This is very different from eBay which allows a buyer several months to report a problem and request a refund. Also in the event a buyer doesn’t mark the item received within that 3 days, Mercari automatically leaves you positive feedback and marks the auction complete. Again, no refunds or returns can be requested.

Secondly, Returns can be a pain in eBay, especially when starting out and the only money you have is the money earned from your first sale. eBay has so many return options, some require the seller to pay return shipping, others require the buyer to pay. Mercari has streamlined this, although there are many reasons a return is needed, Mercari pays for the return shipping using their labels. If you are a buyer who can’t use Mercari labels, then the buyer is responsible for paying the return shipping.

Something you should know about shipping, Mercari tries hard to get you to use their labels. Which is ok, they do offer a shipping discount. But if you don’t have a printer, you have an option. Just choose to ship the item yourself. This will remove the Mercari labels option and give you a confirmation box. Ship your item then press the confirm shipping box, a drop down allows you to enter a required tracking number, and choose your shipping provider… usps, fedex, ups, etc

My sales went out and only one of the buyers never marked it received. Though thanks to the Mercari rules, that auction automatically ended after 3 days and the funds were released to me. Cashing out was as easy as selling, though it does require a bank account. I would recommend opening an online fee free no minimum checking account at Capital One or Charles Schwab for use with this site. However if you are comfortable using your primary checking account, that’s up to you. You only have to enter your account number and routing number once into the site, they claim it is stored securely and I have no reason to doubt that.

When you want to cash out, you just transfer funds to your checking account via direct deposit. There is no minimum cash out, however direct deposit is fee free only if transferring over $10. Once your transfer request is made, they process the next business day, and depending on your bank you get the money a day or two after that. No PayPal middleman to deal with.

Their service fees are slightly higher than eBay/Paypal, yet the ease of cash outs, the return shipping policy, and the fact that after the item is marked received the funds are immediately released to you and no other dispute can be opened, making up for that higher service fee in my opinion.

As far as scammers, I’m sure they exist on Mercari the same as eBay and any other online marketplace. That’s just the chance you take when buying or selling online.

One other thing I like about Mercari. As a seller if you have a bad feeling about someone that just bought one of your auctions, whether it seems like a bogus address or they asked suspicious questions, or you just changed your mind and now want to keep the item... YOU can cancel the sale without worrying about bad feedback.

As a buyer you can also request the seller cancel, but they are not obligated to. The seller can ignore the request and merely enter the tracking number thus marking the item shipped.

One other thing, Mercari has fairly good customer support. They may not give you the answer you want to hear, but they reply to support tickets within 24-48 hours.

All in all I would recommend Mercari for the seller who is only planning the occasional sale or is looking for a more laid back option to eBay.

COVID-19 The New Strain & The Truth No One is Talking About

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 19:13:00 +0000

Covid19 has spread through the United States like a runaway train. Not one corner of our country hasn’t been touched by the virus. We’ve shut down business, closed our schools, hid in our homes and watched helplessly as our family and friends have become infected and in many tragic cases died.

Done are the days of blame! Where did it originate? Why didn’t the W.H.O. (World Health Organization) know more? Did President Trump do too little too late? Did we as a society take this epidemic as seriously as we should have? At this point none of that matters…. except to politicians who will use this epidemic for many elections to come as ‘fodder’ to sling at the opposing side.

The truth and simple truth that NO ONE is telling you….. COVID 19 is here to stay.

Viruses are NOT eradicated, they are controlled to a point. The flu is a virus, we have a new vaccine every year to fight whatever new strain it has morphed into. This will be the future of COVID 19 as well, forever daunting us with a new strain every year. In less than a year COVID has evolved into a new strain, more contagious than the original…. it will mutate again… and again… that’s what viruses do.

That makes the real question, what do we do next?

Let’s put this in perspective, I’m in Sacramento County California. As of today the majority of this state is in a mandatory ‘business restrictions’ & ‘mask required outdoors’ order. These mandates are meant to keep the virus from being transmitted from person to person, good idea in theory.

Here’s were it gets stupid:

Masks are required to be worn in public if you are going to be within 6 feet of others. Yet the Sacramento County Sheriff's office and Sacramento County Health Services have both stated they will not enforce that mandate, instead leaning to educate people of the dangers. The time for education is long over, now is the time to ‘put up or shut up’.

Either enforce the mandates or stop making them! After a year it’s pretty clear that far too many people either don’t believe that COVID-19 is as severe as reported or they just don’t care about their health or yours. Fine, that’s democracy in action…. we all have our own ideas and beliefs and we are FREE to have them.

Well I believe that I should be able to drive 200 mph down Interstate 80, however I can’t because it would be endangering my life and the lives of those around me. So if I do it, law enforcement will take action… for my protection and yours. How is refusing to wear a mask, not maintain distance from others, and following other COVID-19 mandates any different. Rhetorical question…. there is no difference, just politics.

What does that mean? It means that without full public support, the government or specifically politicians don’t want to risk losing your support. It means creating guidelines so every store, shop, & business is required to police those mandates themselves, making you the bad guy. Yet if you are outside a business then you are on your own if someone approaches you without a mask.

Here’s something else that bothers me about our current COVID guidelines. Restaurants are not allowed to have indoor dining or are restricted in occupancy. So to save their buisnessesmany have resorted to outdoors dining, and due to the cold & wet weather have erected tents to places the customers under. In what universe does a virus transmit less effectively in an enclosed tent, than an enclosed building?

Every week small businesses statewide are given lockdown orders or unreasonable requirements that eventually run them out of business due to money constraints or sheer exhaustion from the changing rules each week.. While big box stores continue to operate seemingly unscathed. And yet the virus is still here, despite the lockdowns, stay at home orders and countless mandates.

The point I’m making is, nothing we do as a country is going to stop, slow or eradicate COVID 19. Like the cold, flu and dozens of other worldwide viruses, it’s here to stay. It’s time to learn to live with it rather than eradicate it. The plan of attack needs to change, unfortunately politicians want to keep you scared & off balanced, because scared & off balanced people vote for solutions… even if the solutions hurt them or don’t make real world sense.

A prime example of a government solution that makes no sense… regulate small business to the point of going out of business, yet allow mass air travel worldwide.

I don’t know if Covid-19 is the killer it’s claimed to be. I do follow the guidelines, not so much because I’m convinced, yet rather for those around me… just in case. It’s unfortunate that not all people are as respectful of their fellow Californians. You know who you are….

Red Roof Inn Sacramento North - 4325 Watt Ave Sacramento California 95821

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 16:51:00 +0000

Red Roof Inns are a solid 2 star motel chain that have locations across the United States. So right off the bat you have to realize that these are considered budget lodgings, though on the higher end of room prices. Having been woefully disappointed by other budget lodgings in the area, I decided to give this Red Roof Inn at 4325 Watt Ave in Sacramento, California a try.

Well… just read the review, I guess,

This location is VERY conveniently located smack dab between Interstate 80 and Business 80. Giving you immediate freeway access to the downtown area, Cal Expo and Sacramento International Airport. The small patch of Watt Ave (a main through way that connects Interstate 80 on the north and Highway 50 on the south) where this inn sits is accompanied by a Chevron gas station, Phat Jerry's Phillies, Starbucks and Wendy's restaurant across the street

A 2 minute walk to the north will take you to the SacRT light rail and bus station, giving you further economical access to the rest of the county. It should be noted that SacRT also has a dedicated shuttle service between downtown bus stops and the airport. A further 8 minute walk north will reveal a Super Walmart, KFC, Del Taco, Subway Sandwiches, Golden Corral Buffet, Carl's Jr, Waffle House and a Love Laundry laundromat.

The newly painted building is a rustic maroon and white. As I pulled onto the property, I passed a CHP (California Highway Patrol) vehicle, the officer stopping behind parked vehicles to look them over. This was not a good omen for this property. As I proceeded into the lobby, another guest came rushing out with a brass luggage cart full of suitcases and filled trash bags, cursing under their breath.

The lobby was big, much bigger than most budget inns. At one corner was a small waiting area with leather-like cushioned chairs in front of a big screen TV. A large table took up most of the space, situated by a breakfast station. The reception desk was large, a mini version of what you’d expect to find at a Vegas resort hotel. All in all, it was a clean and nicely arranged lobby area, however it was ridiculously hot. Whether the air conditioning was broken or just off, I don’t know. I do know it made me not want to spend any more time there than I absolutely had too.

The desk clerk was a soft spoken woman who spoke in such a low voice I found myself having to ask her to repeat herself several times. This location has a $35 fee for early check in and a $60 refundable deposit requirement if paying with cash. Check in was reasonably quick. WiFi password was written on the key card sleeve. Was then informed of breakfast hours and check out time, yet not even an ‘enjoy your stay’, was spoken as I took my room key card and left.

Finding my room, I went in and found it looked and smelled clean. The fresh smell of a mopped floor is hard to mistake, yet when I looked down, there were still small pieces of paper and leaves on the floor.

The bed was nicely made, the sheets and cover blankets all appeared fresh. The room was equipped with a hair dryer, coffee maker, microwave and mini fridge, nice conveniences. Unfortunately when I inspected the inside of the fridge it appeared clean, yet smelled odd. The microwave was clean as well as the coffee maker.

The TV, remote control, lights and A/C all worked as they should, however the problems begin here. I don’t use ironing boards, but my room had a crunchy, stained, ripped ironing board hanging on the wall by the bathroom sink. Oddly though there was no iron, I suppose many people travel with their own iron.

There was a hair dryer attached to the wall, so just to test it… I plugged it in and turned it on. It immediately popped the red ‘fault’ button on the wall plug. So I reset the plug and tried again, only to have the same thing happen. So I reset the plug and put away the dryer. Can anybody say ‘fire hazard’?

The tub was a bit dirty and had some items left from the previous guest still sitting in the soap caddy.

The floor of the tub was visibly dirty, stained with crude from 100 guests before me. Have I ever mentioned that I also travel with flip flops just for showers like this one… yes people, athletes foot is a real thing, and I don’t want it.

The shower rod was practically falling down. Visibly broken and coming apart from the wall, I was very concerned that it would fall when I was taking a shower. Toilet was clean and flushed… what more could a man want from his toilet.

Sitting down at the desk I turned on the desk lamp that had a convenient yet not functional AC outlet at its base. Just as I turned on the light a nice inch long cockroach made his way nonchalantly across the desktop. I of course squished him with the hopes he doesn’t come back as a Rottweiler in its next life or I may be in trouble.

I found 3 other cockroaches during my stay, one climbing the wall and two in the bathroom. We all just left each other alone.

Housekeeping only came by once during my 3 day stay, and one of those days I had to go down to the housekeeping laundry room to get fresh towels. The one day the housekeeper did visit my room, it was well after 5pm and I’m guessing I was just an afterthought. One of the housekeepers has a mouth like a ‘sailor’ and was dropping the ‘f-bomb’ every few words. This wasn’t an isolated incident, every day I was there you could hear here voice echoing through the corridor, cursing about something or someone.

The noise level after 10pm is ludicrous to say the least. Most motels, even the really low class ones, are strict about being quiet after 10pm, not this establishment. Here it's pretty quiet up until 10pm, when it seems like the place gets pretty lively. People roaming the property, groups gathered in corner areas and everyone being loud. One of those nights the police arrived on the property for something, my only indication was due to my being woken by the sirens then the flashing red/blue lights outside my curtain.

Hmm, the curtains… I’ve been to a lot of hotels, and curtains are often problematic. Some hang too far from the window, others are thin and a breeze from the AC can move them and others are adequate yet don't block out the light very well. This Red Roof Inn location has the best curtains I’ve found. They’re thick, heavy and hang close to the window. So NO ONE is peeping in through thin curtains or around open creases at this motel. It's sad that the curtains are the BEST thing about this Red Roof Inn location.

Oh this was funny, my room was across from the ice machine. So I could hear day and night whenever someone was filling their ice bucket. Each day I was there at approx 7pm, a young man would come to the ice machine and start filling his ice bucket. However his ice bucket was a 20 gallon trash bag. The first time I heard the ice machine dispensing so much I thought it was broken and looked out the curtain to see. He was nice and when another guest came to the machine he’d step aside and let them fill their ice bucket, then go right back to filling his garbage bag. I’m guessing from the load he walked away with each night, he was walking away with about 10+ gallons of ice

I went to the provided breakfast one morning, but only once. I knew they served a ‘continental breakfast’ from their website, meaning light stuff. So I was having mixed expectations, since I had seen such a large dining table when I checked in. I wasn’t disappointed, it was a ‘continental breakfast’, with choices of cereal, fruit, coffee and juice. But I had hoped for so much more… seeing that dining table against the small offerings it now seemed out of place in the lobby.

Check out was just as easy as check in had been, yet again the desk clerk a different person, said very little. No ‘have a good day’ or ‘thank you for staying’.

The fact is this location was adequate for a one night stay over if going over or coming from the Sierras. I wouldn’t suggest staying more than a couple nights here, mainly due to:

the inefficiency of housekeeping - not coming to refresh my towels and coffee supplies daily is inexcusable. And my having to hunt them down myself to get towels is unprofessional.

The noise level after 10pm. Even at 3am, people were still roaming around being loud, and the echoe effect in the corridors doesn't help

The roaches - Roaches are common in motels, but when one crawls across your path at a snail's pace when you turn the light on, the cockroach is basically telling YOU who’s in charge.

Broken shower rod - This motel has you sign a document making you liable for damages in your room. This is not uncommon, many motels have a separate form like this, or a similar statement on the room contract you sign. However unless you have hotel staff walk through the room with you upon arrival, maintenance concerns like that nearly broken shower rod could become YOUR responsibility if they choose not to acknowledge it was previously damaged. And there is not a doubt in my mind that housekeeping knew of the shower rod being damaged…. It was too obvious

Maintenance issues - a faulty bathroom plug or faulty hairdryer are fire hazards, additionally the inoperable AC outlet plug on the desk lamp, and the nearly broken shower rod

I’ve returned to this motel twice now and it still suffers from the same problems as before. Though on my last visit, the tub had been painted white... a very poor paint job too.

However when I have a craving for a great Philly Cheese-steak, I would stay at this motel JUST so I can go across the street to Phat Jerry's Phillies. So to the franchise owner of the Red Roof Inn location, you owe Phat Jerry's a big THANK YOU. Those sandwiches are the ONLY reason I would return to this location.

Motel 6 Review - 7850 College Town Drive, Sacramento, California 95826

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 May 2020 15:48:00 +0000

The Motel 6 at 7850 College Town Drive Sacramento, California 95826 is a budget lodging, currently a franchise owned location.

Motel 6 is one of the few budget motel chains that keeps a tight rein on their properties both corporate and franchised, to ensure a consistent experience for guests no matter what Motel 6 you choose to visit.

This location is no different, a well run motel with professional front office staff and friendly housekeepers.

The rooms are exactly what you’d expect if you’ve been to any other Motel 6 in the United States. Clean beds, tidy floors/counters and acceptably clean bath/shower. I didn't include photos of the room just because I was so tired on arrival, I just unpacked, showered and went to bed... basically messing up any nice room photo I could of taken.

The exterior of the property is basic but clean, There is a pool, in the center of the property next to the ice machines.

During my stay I found this location to be up to par with other Motel 6 locations, having its maintenance related issues, but nothing so drastic that I would include it in a review.

** Note for long term guests: unlike most Motel 6 locations, this one WILL NOT allow you to stay longer than 14 days.

This location does shine in one area, that other Motel 6 locations in the area seem to falter, customer service.

I refer specifically to the office staff, who are of course friendly and professional, Yet are also quite accommodating.

Here’s an example, when I checked into my room, I noticed that the desk chair was wobbly. Who cares right, I didn’t but it was an opportunity to see if the staff would do anything if I brought it to their attention. So I called the front desk and told them my desk chair was very wobbly….. I was immediately told that a new chair would be brought to me. Within 10 minutes, a friendly housekeeper knocked and exchanged my chair with a better one.

Later that day I went to the office to ask where the snack machine was, and was informed there wasn’t one. Yet without being asked, the courteous desk clerk told me about the multiple places to eat or purchase snacks. Denny's next door, Chevron, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Mountain Mikes Pizza, 7-11 and a sandwich shop across the street.

The young man did add that they would be getting snack and soda machines soon, and would be in place within a month.

The next day housekeeping arrived in the mid morning and asked if I needed anything. It was going to be a rainy week and I was sure to be tracking in dirt, mud and water, so I asked if I could have FULL SERVICE daily.

Now most Motel 6 locations will change your sheets daily on request, but the more common routine is every other day. Of the 5 days I was here, I was out 3 of them, when housekeeping came. And as promised, each day my room was cleaned top to bottom, towels, soaps, ice bucket bags, trash and sheets changed when I returned in the afternoon. I even noticed that housekeeping had polished the chrome and cleaned the shower and toilet daily.

I did find the parking here to be challenging. There are plenty of parking spaces all the way around the property, but due to the layout of the buildings, you may not be able to get a parking space near your room.

There was one special surprise at this location that you wouldn't expect to find at a location in a major city.

Wild turkeys roam the property. I was told by a housekeeper that the wild turkeys have been there as long as she could remember. They are NOT pets or mascots, (DO NOT attempt to touch or feed them) but rather the occasional guest from the nearby American River Parkway.

These turkeys or maybe others, were also seen outside McDonalds as I enjoyed a Big Mac Meal. Then the next day at the 7-11 down the street.

The short version of this review is, it's a Motel 6 with all of the chain's pros and cons. However if you want to stay in a Motel 6 where the staff are very nice and helpful, this is the location to stay in while in Sacramento.

Motel 6 - 5110 Interstate Ave Sacramento California Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 14:13:00 +0000

My work takes me all over the country, however a few places I visit on a regular basis. One of the places I frequently find myself is Sacramento, California, a perfect jumping point to other cities and locals in the Western United States. An International airport, an Amtrak Station and a central hub for Greyhound Bus Lines. So I know many of the local eateries, motels and entertainment. Motel 6 is a National Brand budget motel located at 5110 Interstate Ave in the North Highlands area of Sacramento, California.

This Motel 6 is conveniently located on Interstate 80, and a convenient stop for those who will be going over or have come from the Sierras. I’ve occasionally made this my rest stop and have always found the rooms to be adequate. Having its problems but never so much so that it wasn’t worth the money to stay.

Dennys, Jack in the Box, Starbucks, Chevron and a Scandia Miniature Golf Course are all 50 yards away. If you’re like me and enjoy a brisk walk, then a stroll down Madison Ave will find a slew of shopping and fast food. Target, GameStop, 7-11, Burger King, McDonalds, Wienerschnitzel, Panda Express, El Pollo Loco, 99 cent only, IHOP, Chik fil A, In and Out Burger, Staples, a Family Fitness Center and a bowling alley all within a mile.

This area has a moderate homeless population, and as you turn onto Interstate Ave, it is not unusual to see several homeless people sitting on the grass by Jack in the Box or lying on the sidewalk in front of the Dennys or Starbucks. Around dusk you can often see several homeless people congregating behind the Denny's near their garbage bin.

However, I have NEVER had any problems with the homeless population, rarely in fact do they even ask for money. They keep to themselves and may say hi as you pass by, making them friendlier than most people I’ve met in this area.

Check in at this Motel 6 location, is 3:00pm OR later. Not 2:00pm, 2:30pm or even 2:56pm. In the past I was able to check in immediately anytime after 2:00pm as long as they had a clean room. No longer do they extend that courtesy, as evidenced when not even calling the housekeeper on her walkie talkie, the desk clerk claimed that housekeeping had not yet cleaned the room assigned to my reservation.

This is of course a lie, since at exactly 3:00pm, as I stood there at the front desk, the desk clerk said, ‘oh its 3 o’clock, your room is ready”.

Was this desk clerk physic? Did she somehow ‘astral-project’ to my room and see that housekeeping had just finished cleaning my room… of course not. She was just stalling until their strict 3:00pm check in time. Let me be clear, I knew check in was at 3:00pm, only arriving early due to past visits letting me check in early.

Now all the desk clerk had to say was, ‘we now have a policy that restricts us from checking in guests before 3:00pm’. Had I been told that, I would not be including the above interaction in this review. Lying to me, stalling me, may be easier, BUT it's bad business. Had I been immediately told about a firm policy, I would have walked next door to Dennys for lunch, rather than waiting in the tiny lobby for my room to be cleaned. By the way, that same ‘room not clean yet’ excuse was used on two other guests while I was waiting in the lobby.

This Motel 6 has a main section AND what they call an Annex Building that sits approx 150 yards away from the main building complex, on the northernmost corner of the property. If you’re lucky enough (I say sarcastically) to get a room in the Annex building, you’ll immediately feel as if you’re being punished for something.

The Annex area is well lit at night, however due to its distance from the main buildings, if something were to happen out there… well, as my neighbor in the next room told me (a young woman who was traveling alone), she just didn’t feel safe being so far from help if needed.

She added that even if she screamed for help, it was likely no one would hear her due to the noise from the adjacent Interstate.

The rooms are clean and maintained with a few exceptions. The sheets smelled fresh but as with most budget motels, fleece blankets and top cover blankets ARE NOT washed after each ‘check out’ and that is noticeable. Although when asked, housekeeping will happily supply you with a fresh cleaned fleece blanket.

Oh a Tip for my Fellow Travelers: How to tell if bed sheets have been freshly changed
Pull the blankets back and just look at the sheets. Both the top and fitted sheet WILL HAVE fold creases in them. Now at a budget motel the fold creases may not be as noticeable since they don’t fold them as tightly as a 4 star hotel would. However the folds will still be there. If you don’t see the creases made from the sheets being folded, than it's VERY possible those sheets are NOT fresh. I wouldn’t worry about that here, as I said the housekeeping staff is quite efficient.

The TV and remote worked, which is nice, unfortunately the WiFi was seriously lacking. Plenty of signal strength, even able to connect to the router, but NO internet. Just a constant RESOLVING HOST problem. I called the front desk to inquire about the WiFi and was told, ‘yeah sometimes it works good out there, sometimes it doesn’t, nothing we can really do about it from here’. Oh well… what 1 or 2 star motel anywhere has reliable WiFi service. On other visits here the internet worked well, so this may have been an isolated incident.

The Air Conditioning worked, though even on HIGH, the A/C doesn’t really cool the room effectively on a +98F degree day. On top of that, if you decide to go out to the State Fair or other day trip, decide to leave the A/C on to keep the room cool for your return….. Well you’re in for a harsh return.

When housekeeping comes by, they enter the room to make beds, refill the necessities AND turn that A/C up to 75+ degrees. If you leave a note on the bed saying to leave the A/C where it is, they will.

The bathroom is adequate but you'll feel the need to get a can of anti fungal foot spray after using the shower. Its filthy, and NOT from lack of cleaning. Its old, stained, cracking and just generally ugly looking. I recommend wearing flip flops while in the shower, which is good advise for any lodging 1 star or 5 star, you just never know whats lurking on the shower floor.

The toilet is a toilet, really what more can you say about it. It flushes.... however, why can't they tighten the toilet seat. The toilet seat was so loose that I was sure I'd slide right off the bowl. I mean tightening the plastic nuts that hold it on is a simple thing to do Maintenance or housekeeping could do it in 3 minutes, literally, yet no one does. Are they waiting for the seat to completely fall off and hurt a guest??

Housekeeping Service here is REQUIRED if staying for more than a few days. I was informed that if staying more than 3 days, you could only refuse Housekeeping Service once. This is actually a good policy, allowing the rooms to be properly maintained, yet can be inconvenient since there is no schedule as to when they will be knocking on your door.

On a side note, I felt so bad when I saw one of the housekeepers pushing their FULL OVERFLOWING laundry cart 150+ yards in 103F+ degree weather to and from the Annex Section to the main Motel complex. Someone BUY housekeeping a golf cart to make that trip easier!

Oh if you stay for more than a day, expect to walk up to the office every single day to have your room key card reprogrammed. The majority of lodgings in America and the rest of the world, including other Motel 6 locations, program your key card to work for the duration of your stay. NOT HERE! Even when I specifically ask the desk clerk to program my key card for my full stay.. They seldom do.

There is a small area for pets to do their ‘business’, provided in the wide open space between the Main buildings and the Annex buildings, along with small dispenser w/ poop bags.

This location is NO LONGER corporate owned, it is a franchise location as of late 2019. You will not find a General Manager on the property if you run into problems. Although I have not met the owner, I have been told that he is immediately available to guests should a problem arise.

There is a separate review of this Motel regarding Reservations… if you plan on coming here you’ll want to read this or risk NOT getting the room you reserved.

Motel 6 Reservation Guarantee - Read the invisible print

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 15:00:00 +0000

The majority of motels and hotels in the United States, including Motel 6 adhere to an unofficial industry standard policy called ‘the walk policy’.

Basically this policy says that if you make a guaranteed reservation (and in some instances a non-guaranteed reservation), and you arrive at your motel to find they CAN’T accommodate your reservation for whatever reason, they WILL get you into a room that night EVEN if it means making arrangements at another hotel, paying for your first night at that alternate hotel and provide or pay for transportation if necessary.

Now first you have to ask yourself why wouldn’t your hotel of choice be able to accommodate your reservation. There’s actually many reasons, such as over booking, rooms being taken out of service due to maintenance issues, computer errors, employee error, etc. This isn’t really about the many reasons it COULD happen, but rather what Motel 6 did to me when it DID happen…. On two separate occasions.

These occurred at the same Motel 6 location at 5110 Interstate Ave, Sacramento, CA 95842. (Update: At the time I wrote this, this Motel 6 location was corporate owned. As of Late 2019, this location is now franchise owned)

Unlike most travelers, I read the fine print. And one of the reasons I don’t use third party companies to book rooms is because most of them won’t or can’t guarantee your reservation. So with most stays, I book directly on the hotels website, to ensure I get that guarantee from their property. As I did with Motel 6, like a dozen times before.

The first time it happened at this location, I had reserved a 2 bed room, yet when I checked in I was told there computer only showed me as booking a 1 bed room. The desk clerk, Stephanie, was non-apologetic saying she had no idea why my reservation was different on her computer. I began searching my emails from my phone to produce my Motel 6 email confirmation, when she stated matter of factly, “it doesn’t matter what confirmation you show me..”, informing me that the 2 bed rooms were not only fully booked but also fully occupied.

Stephanie was polite, while trying to think of an option, then offered to put me in a 1 bed room that night and would have a 2 bed room cleaned as soon as one of the current occupants checked out in the morning. No discount was offered in fact she was going to charge me the same rate as if it were a 2 bed room, so I asked for a discount on the 1 bed room I'd have to stay in that night.

Inconvenient yes, but she was at least attempting to make the situation right, I appreciated that. So I took the discounted 1 bed room, allowing my travel companion to have the bed and me huddled in a corner on the floor with a spare blanket provided by housekeeping. The next morning I went to the office at 11am and she indeed had a housekeeper cleaning a room for me. By the time I was finished exchanging key cards and re-checking in, the housekeeper called on the walkie talkie to say the room was ready. Problem solved, guest happy and life goes on…..

Later in the year this same situation arises again. My reservation for a 2 bed room was now appearing as a 1 bed room reservation on the motels computer. This time the desk clerk (a new desk clerk, this location has a high turnover. Every time I come here there are different desk clerks) was of no help and had no idea how to handle the situation. Also he was surprisingly uneducated in policies, he was polite but obviously disinterested and unsympathetic. But when he saw that I was frustrated, he kept his cool and did the only thing he was obviously trained to do… read the computer screen and call someone else.

I produced my confirmation email, and unphased by the error, the desk clerk kept telling me, ‘I don’t know what to tell you, my computer says 1 bedroom’.

Not wanting to sleep on the floor again, I asked to speak with a manger, but there was none on site… at 3pm during the rush of check-ins. He called his manager and left a message on voicemail, time went by and no return call from the manager. I told the desk clerk I would like to use the Guaranteed Reservation option, and be sent to another Motel 6 property.

The desk clerk had NO IDEA what I was talking about, he even said that reservations aren’t guaranteed. Seeing I was getting upset, he called someone he claims was in Guest Services, and told them about my claim that reservations were guaranteed. I showed him on the Motel 6 website, the guarantee that says my reservation would be honored, even if it meant going to another hotel at their expense.

‘YOU NEED TO KNOW’ this, if staying at a Motel 6.

I was always under the impression that if you made a guaranteed reservation on their website, you would always get the room TYPE reserved OR the ‘the walk policy’ would go into effect. It’s what it says on their website…. Or does it??? Below is the Motel 6 Guaranteed Reservation policy portion in regards to not honoring your reservation, copy/pasted from the FAQ page of their website, motel6.com on Oct 2019:

If guaranteed with your credit card, your reservation will be held all night for your arrival. If you are unable to guarantee your reservation, your room will be held until 6:00PM (at most locations).

In the unlikely event that we cannot honor your guaranteed reservation, we will reimburse you for the first night's lodging at a comparable motel, transportation to that establishment (if needed) and a telephone call to your home or office to notify others of your new location.

To me that says, if I can’t get my 2 bed room as reserved, then Motel 6 will get me to a motel/hotel that does have 2 bed room… right??? WRONG!!!!

First off the Guest Service person had no idea what I was talking about and had never heard of a ‘guaranteed reservation’ policy. Then adding that all they could do was give me the 1 bed room or switch me to a 2 bed room the following day IF AVAILABLE, which it wasn’t. She also explained that my reservation was downgraded to a 1 bed room by a KNOWN glitch in the on-site reservation system.

She had just admitted it was their systems fault so I reasserted myself, “If you know the downgrade was your reservation systems fault, why are you NOT trying to make this right by….. “

I never got to finish my sentence, she interrupted and said, “Oh no, it's not our fault, it's the reservation systems fault…. We have NO CONTROL over the reservation system.”

That's when I realized I wasn’t talking to anyone in Guest relations but rather another desk clerk, likely from a different shift or another area Motel 6 property. I suggested that at the very least I should be comp’d a second 1 bed room for the night so I wouldn’t be sleeping on the floor, NOPE!

NO discount for the foul up and NO upgrade to a different type 2 bed room either… which I later found out they did have a 2 bed room with a fridge available. I was done, this was ridiculous, so I said fine and gave him back the phone.

At this point I just wanted to wash 200 miles of Greyhound off so I asked him to call one of the other properties to see if they had a 2 bed room available, there wasn’t. So broken and defeated I bowed to the absurdness of the situation and the inevitability of my sleeping on the floor for the next 3 nights. ‘We’ll check into the 1 bed room’, I told him.

Then as a final metaphorical slap in my face… the downgraded 1 bed room cost 6 cents MORE than what my 2 bed room email confirmation stated…. ‘Really, how can it cost more?’, I asked him.

He replied, ‘I don’t know, that's what it shows on my computer’.

So just fed up, I paid then went to my room and spent the next 30 minutes on the phone with a real Guest Relations who claimed she would file a report and send it off to the District and General Managers… I won’t hold my breath. I was also told these things by her:

The Guaranteed RESERVATION Policy is not completely spelled out on the website. The actual guarantee is, they will get me a room, any room of their choice at their property. IF they are completely FULL and absolutely NO ROOMS are available, they will then and ONLY then begin the process of first contacting other area Motel 6 properties, then as a LAST resort will implement ‘the walk policy’, of paying your first night and transportation to another hotel chain.

So the room TYPE (1 bed, 2 bed, a suite, with or w/o a fridge, whatever) IS NOT guaranteed, the guarantee is that they will get a roof over your head. However let me point out… that neither desk clerks that I spoke with had ANY idea about this policy, or they would have been able to correct me on the spot by explaining the policy to me…. They couldn’t, didn’t and probably wouldn’t have even if they did know the policy

The Guest Relations Dept also told me that after checking my reservation, they confirmed it was for a 2 bed room and someone at the property location downgraded it to a 1 bed room. Why someone at this property would downgrade my reservation she didn’t know. Perhaps this is the ‘Known Glitch’ I was informed of.

JUST FYI - this location has a 14 day stay policy. Meaning that you can stay 14 days, but you must not return to the property for 30 days. The guest services rep informed me this is in violation of Motel 6 policy. According to her, Motel 6 policy states you may stay 28 consecutive days then you must leave the property for 2 days before returning.

This policy is even reflected in their online reservation system which allows you to make a reservation of up to 28 days. (UPDATE: online reservation system at Motel 6.com no longer allows you to make a reservation at this location for longer than 14 consecutive days).

This guaranteed reservation policy is not a law, unlike airlines that have legal obligations to get you to where you’re going, the motel industry has no government oversight in this area. It was the motel and hotel industry that created and defined ‘the walk policy’ as a courtesy to guests. Each motel, hotel, inn, etc may interpret ‘the walk policy’ differently, based on any number of conditions there particular company chooses.

Now maybe the wording of this Motel 6 reservation guarantee is misleading, perhaps I’m reading too much into it, I don’t know. I do know that to ME, when it says your ‘reservations will be honored or they will get you a room at a comparable motel’, that means the reservation (number of beds) I MADE will be honored or I’ll get a 2 bed room somewhere else at Motel 6 expense (the first night). NOT my reservation will be honored with a 1 bed room, and I will just have to share with my travel companion.

What if I needed this 2 bed room because I was traveling with a female co-worker or platonic female friend. Would they still expect us to share a bed just because of a reservation error that MOTEL 6 admitted to making? Or what if the 2 bed room was for a pair of couples, would one couple then have to sleep on the floor? I can’t be the only one this has happened to, feel free to comment below about your Motel 6 experiences. Perhaps its time to hold the motel industry accountable the way we hold the airline industry accountable.

Sasquatch Hunters and Finding Bigfoot

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 16:17:00 +0000

Off all the branches of the paranormal sciences, cryptozoology is by far my favorite. In this pseudoscience one researches the existence of mythical or ‘unproven to exist’ creatures. One of the most popular cryptids to be researched in the modern age is the elusive Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot.

How exciting or terrifying would it be to come face to face with an 8 foot 700lb fur covered man monster? Well believe it or not there are brave souls or perhaps crazy ones, that venture into the woods in an attempt to catch a mere glimpse of the mighty giant. And that is where I have a problem.

The cable TV shows that show these supposed professional Sasquatch researchers, doing their thing in the wilderness. Never getting more than questionable results though ending every episode as if it were a huge success. Here is a common list of tests done to locate or prove a Sasquatch is nearby, according to these amateurish professionals.

Sasquatch Yells - It has been long claimed by Bigfoot Hunters that Sasquatch lets out with an eerie wailing yell that can be heard for miles through the dense forest. And anyone that has spent time in the wilderness has heard these haunting cries. At least part of this claim is true as even I have heard yells in the forest that I couldn’t explain. And that's the point, NO ONE can explain them. It has NEVER been proven OR disproven that these cries come from a Sasquatch. As a matter of scientific fact, animals in the cat family will occasionally let out a horrifying cry moments before death, wolves let out a yell after the death of an Alpha, and some bears will roar a warning cry that sounds so high pitched that you’d never imagine it came from a bear. Perhaps the Sasquatch yell truly is from Sasquatch, or perhaps just another cry from a known wild animal that we have yet to document.

Knocking - Most Sasquatch Researchers agree that the elusive creatures partially communicate by knocking large rocks or branches against the side of trees. Possible of course, also possible is woodpeckers, tree branches falling, old trees toppling over, and the wind blowing two large branches together. Not one Bigfoot hunter has ever claimed to actually see a Sasquatch doing this, or even holding a stick, so why is this considered a form of Sasquatch communication? Mainly due to the fact that we don’t know what or where this sound we occasionally hear in the forest is, so IT MUST BE Bigfoot smacking a tree… right????

Odor - Any cryptozoologist whether Sasquatch hunters or researchers of a different cryptid, will most likely tell you this if asked, Bigfoot stinks! Awww, that's just not nice to say, and is it true? Let's take a look at the evidence or lack of, have you ever been walking down a trail when you get the whiff of ‘putrid death’ in the air? Well according to Sasquatch Researchers, that means a Bigfoot is nearby.

Their reasoning is this, Sasquatch doesn’t take a bath and because Sasquatch is considered the possible ‘missing link’, making it partially human, it would have sweat glands that closely resemble humans. When a human doesn’t bathe for a week you smell bad, but go without a bath for a month, or a year and you will smell like ‘putrid death’ to all the noses around you. Although this is a semi-well thought out and logical reason for a horrible smell being a conclusive signal of a nearby Sasquatch, some more obvious reasons have been overlooked. Things such as a dead decaying animal, an animal with glandular condition, or decaying plants some of which do smell pretty rancid under the right conditions.

And don't forget the old saying, ‘you can’t trust your nose any more than you can trust your eyes’. The reason being that we have imaginative brains, and when something is unfamiliar, such as a smell that is new to us, our brain associates it with the closest approximation in our memory. That's why on occasion you will notice that something smells like (INSERT A SMELL HERE) to you, but not quite. And honestly, what make Bigfoot hunter even think that it doesn’t bathe, most animals wild and domestic, at least attempt to bathe in one form or another. Why would Sasquatch be different?

And of course the footprints. Literally thousands of footprints have been located and plaster casted. Some obvious fakes, others who know.

I am the first person who would claim to believe in the myth of Bigfoot. However, being an experienced outdoorsman, I also know that many of the things people claim is Sasquatch or a sign of Sasquatch, is nothing more than nature doing what nature does.

Did you know that the planet cries? It does, ask a geologist or seismologist. During the right conditions, the ground or more specifically the compressed air trapped beneath the ground, can escape and make a wailing sound that will make your skin crawl. This is rare, but it does happen.

Have you ever heard of a rock-slide? If the slide is made of large boulders then we can all guess what it would sound like. However what about the difference in sound made between a rock-slide made of sandstone versus a rock-slide made of granite?

Did you know bears will often walk in the footprints of the bears that came before them? When a bear is walking they will often partially or completely step in the footprint made by a previous bear. This can create a larger footprint impression, that is often mistaken for Bigfoot prints. A Sasquatch Hunter will have you believe they can always easily identify the bear print and in good conditions I’m sure that's true.

However, what about bad soil conditions where the impression is incomplete. Or old imprints that have been softened and shaped by the weather? Something as simple as ¼ of water poured into a bear print, can depending on weather cause the soil in the print to smooth and shape causing the combined pawprints to appear as one. And yes this would even cause a small amount of soil to seep into the claw impressions hiding the claw prints. Suddenly you have a Bigfoot print.

I want to be clear, I have great respect for cryptid researchers, real ones. Not the TV based glory hounds who lead you on a 47 minute journey through the forest, just to show you broken branches, dented trees and unidentifiable footprints. Only to have you ‘tune in next time’ for the next great episode of ‘follow me to nowhere’. They're counting on you tuning in to satisfy your 'need to know', yet offer nothing of substance.

So PLEASE, I urge you not to believe what you see or hear on supposed documentaries, as rarely do they offer anything more than less than imaginative speculation and flimsy at best evidence.

Oh and just an afterthought, in this age of thermal detection, you would think that someone would have equipped a helicopter or small plane with thermal and night vision, then flown over these suspected Bigfoot hotspots. If an investigator can’t tell the difference between a 5 ft long bear or an 8 ft tall biped on a thermal screen, then they have no business calling themselves investigators.

Tasers in California - Pulse versus Bolt

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 05:41:00 +0000

Let me start by saying that I am referring to Taser devices that fire 2 metal darts attached to wires. Many people use the word ‘taser’ interchangeably with ‘stun gun’, and this post is specifically referring to Taser devices. I am NOT a lawyer, NOT a peace officer and NOT in any way offering legal advice on the purchase, sale, ownership, transport or carrying of taser devices in the state of California. As of this post date, after conversations with several law enforcement officers, taser devices are legal in California, with some restrictions/requirements. PLEASE, before you purchase a taser device, check with your local law enforcement department regarding its legality. Although Taser devices are legal in a majority of states, most of those states have some kind of restrictions/requirements. Also counties or cities may have additional ordinances that further restrict the possession of a Taser device in your state. Now on to the show…. Taser devices come in 2 types, the Law Enforcement Models and the Civilian Models. Law Enforcement (LE) models are strictly for use by Law Enforcement agencies, and it is a crime for a NON law enforcement officer to posses one. Taser devices produced for law enforcement agencies are typically more powerful, have double the cable length on the metal darts and can be activated multiple times by pressing the trigger again. Some models have a variable trigger that allows for control of power that is delivered as well. The reason for this, LE models are meant for multi use, specifically; self defense AND non lethal submission & control. LE models are also often brightly colored yellow or orange. If you plan on buying your taser device on eBay or another used auction site, be sure to verify that you’re buying a civilian model or you could end up with some very serious criminal legal troubles. Civilian models are slightly different in that they are not as powerful as LE models, cable length is a maximum 15 ft, and it can only be activated once per cartridge. Unlike the LE models that can be reactivated by pressing the trigger again. We will be discussing two of the more common Taser devices available to civilians in California. Taser Bolt

This device is a similar version of the Taser C2 and maintains the same size and shape. The device is shaped like a ‘phaser’ from the TV show Star Trek the Next Generation (as seen in the photo). Because of the size and shape, it is slightly bulky and not the best choice for carrying in a purse. If not in a holster, you could easily reach into your purse and pull it out backwards. Carrying in a belt holster would be more comfortable, but due to its size, is easily detectable under a shirt or light jacket.

Taser Pulse

This device is compact, due to its relatively small size and low profile. The Pulse is easily concealed in a purse or belt holster and resembles the size, color and shape of a compact handgun (as seen in photo). This is a positive and a negative, the positive being that it is familiar to hold, easier to use, and quickly identifiable while blindly reaching into a purse or backpack. There is a negative with this form factor, while holstered or first drawn it appears ‘at a glance’ to be a small semi automatic pistol.

While I have found no law specifically restricting the Taser Pulse due to its appearance, my understanding of brandishing laws in California as well as common sense say; if the device is drawn or displayed in a manner to make someone believe it is a firearm, then there could be legal reproductions. What does this mean? Basically this; if you plan on carrying this particular Taser device, it should never be seen except by the attacker you intend to use it on. And really that is true with any Taser device, stun gun, pepper spray etc. Taser has recently upgraded the Taser Pulse to be smart phone friendly. With the use of a subscription APP on your smart phone, 911 will be immediately notified of your location when you discharge your Taser Pulse. The app and subscription are an OPTIONAL service and do not affect the normal operation of your Taser Pulse. However if you are uncomfortable with the added electronics in your device, you can still purchase the original non-smart phone version from many online and local retailers. Both of these devices use the same type ‘single use cartridge’. This means that when the darts are discharged and make contact, they will deliver an electrical current to the target, hopefully rendering the target incapacitated. However that is it, pressing the trigger again WILL NOT reactivate the electrical current. The civilian models are for self defense ONLY. They are intended to momentarily INCAPACITATE an attacker, DROP the Taser device and ESCAPE to safety. As explained to me by a retailer, if a Taser device is registered after purchase, the company will send you a FREE REPLACEMENT of your abandoned Taser device. Replacement is only available if your item is registered through Taser AND you provide a police report as proof of your Taser device being abandoned. I do not know if this replacement warranty is ONLY for devices purchased from authorized retailers, or if purchases of new or used devices from other online suppliers qualify. You should contact Taser International prior to purchase to find out the specifics. Something to consider; Taser devices, while quite effective are nearly useless if confronted by multiple attackers. Even if you were able to discharge your device towards one attacker, it is highly unlikely that you would be able to wait for the discharge cycle to finish, remove and replace the cartridge, then discharge towards a second attacker. In this situation, a pepper spray might be more useful. You could easily spray multiple attackers, though less effective in incapacitating someone, it would still give you the precious moments needed to hopefully escape to safety. Dogs and other animals are another consideration. While you could use a Taser device on a dog, it might be difficult to hit a small target that is facing you. I doubt the dog will stand sideways so you can get a good body shot, besides a Taser discharge may very well kill it. And a Taser device would NOT be effective at all on a mountain lion or bear. For animals I would consider researching pepper or bear sprays, animals have an elevated sense of smell and a pepper spray may disorientate even a large animal long enough for you to get to safety. And finally, if you discharge your Taser device and it determined that you did it unlawfully, mistakenly or maliciously, you open yourself up to many civil and criminal legal difficulties. Like anything, Taser devices have there pros and cons, so each person needs to carefully research and weigh their decision before making a purchase, especially one that could potentially save your life or get you thrown into jail.

Travelodge 9646 Micron Ave Rancho Cordova, California Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 02:25:00 +0000

Travelodge is a well known hotel chain most recognized by its signature mascot ‘Sleepy Bear’, a cute cartoon bear wearing a sleeping cap, robe and slippers. This fun character helped the brand become known as a family friendly budget motel, as children loved seeing the sleepy bear logo on all the decor and lobby walls.

In my preteen childhood, my family would travel a lot and it was always between two motels that we would frequent, and Travelodge was one of them.

Not since childhood have I stayed at a Travelodge, so when I saw one near my next destination, I jumped at the chance to stay and relieve the happy memories of my youth, minus bouncing on the beds.

This Travelodge is conveniently located off Hwy 50 and Bradshaw Rd on Micron Ave. A Chevron gas station, Carl's Jr Restaurant, Perkos Cafe & Grill and El Pollo Loco Restaurant are all within 2 minutes walk of the motel.

We checked into the Travelodge located at 9646 Micron Ave in Rancho Cordova, California. From the outside, it was just as I remembered, a tall multi-storied building that stood tall and majestic against the Western Sunset. That was where reality set in….

As I we walked into the tiny office, we checked in rather easily and quickly. The desk clerk advised us of the motel rules which were basic to most budget motels. Ending with the check out time and mentioning the complimentary breakfast. Then giving us our key cards and directing us to our rooms location.

We passed an ice machine, positioned opposite the elevator. However next to the ice machine was a HUGE open bag that was filled with smaller tied garbage bags. As a veteran of the ‘housekeeping minefield’ I knew this was the spot where housekeepers brought the individual room trash, once the bag on there carts got full. Due to the layout of the floors and tight walkways, this central location was the only spot large enough to hold such a huge bag on each floor….. Right next to the ice machine. Unsightly smelly and unnecessary as there are better ways to maintain room trash.

HERE’S a THOUGHT - Round plastic garbage buckets on wheels…. Housekeeper pulls her cart to a room, leaves the garbage bin with lid on by the ice machine. When it's ready to be dumped, wheel it onto the elevator and out to the dumpster…. Easy, but apparently not common sense.

On the way to our room, we passed the housekeeper cart, sitting in the walkway. As we approached with our luggage, the housekeeper didn’t even attempt to move the cart closer to the wall, just smiled and went back into the room she was cleaning. Well at least she smiled. I had to move the cart a bit and we squeezed by, though not easily.

Upon entering our room, there was a horrible stench, it smelled of body odor and I knew immediately that it was from the bedspreads and underblankets not being regularly washed. Wanting to run down to the office and complain, I held back to see what else was going to be substandard before doing so. Although I did spray about ¼ can of Febreze Air Freshener first.

Well here’s a few things I noticed just from my initial walk thru the room:

The room stinks likely from lack of washing the blankets, throw covers and carpeted floors. Carpets looked like they were vacuumed just not very well, as I saw small pieces of foot traffic debris under the desk and sink area

A little effort and a wet sponge would of cleaned this up nicely... what a shame...

The bathroom sink counters are firmly in place but when you see this you have to wonder why it was installed like this. Answer, it wasn't... this is likely from this old building settling wrong and the frame work is warping. Or worse, this counter is really actually going to fall apart at any moment.

The security bar was broken, sure it flipped to the secure position, but what did that matter. Not able to be seen in the photo, is that the screws aren't tight. They’re so loose that silly thing jiggles

No evacuation plan on the door, now is this a requirement of motels?? I don’t know, but when you have an odd floor plan as this motel does, an evacuation plan on the door is a MUST. I want to know wear the stairwells are in case of a fire

Speaking of fire, does this sprinkler look as if its been set off? Looks a little used to me, hope it still works

One thing I know doesn’t work is this light switch. For those who have never seen this type before, its a motion sensor light switch. It has an ON, OFF and AUTO. As you can see in the photo, part of the switch is broke off, does this affect the switch. Not an electrician so I don't know. What I do know is I have to flick the switch several times to get the fluorescent bathroom light to come on without flickering.

The bathroom door is a mess, and was not closable. Whether the door frame is warped or the door is, I don’t know

I do know that closing the bathroom door completely would of trapped me inside. Look how the doorknob has been installed, and yes it's nice and jiggly. I suppose this is a traveling mans ‘safe room’, which is good since my security bolt is broken and won’t stop anyone. Maybe locking myself in here will save me

The phone is an average motel room phone and has clear instructions on the face for how to call the desk, make & receive calls, and hear messages. This type of phone has a big red blinking light on the front, and continuously flashes when you have a message. And our light was blinking. So I followed the on face instructions to retrieve the message so I could delete it and stop the blinking. How unfortunate for me, the system doesn’t work… stuck with a blinking light for our entire stay.. Ugh!

Normally a fire alarm has a blinking or indicator light on it to signify that its active, ours didn’t blink once in our NON Smoking room.

The fridge was basically clean except for the obvious soda spillage that was seen on the ice covered freezer section. Simply letting the freezer defrost would take this unsightly smear right off

Thankfully the AC worked great, but is the bed supposed to be pushed right up against it. I thought these had filters that circulated the air? Can't really circulate air if no air can get thru..

The bathroom wasn't horrible yet was by no means clean. The toilet wiggled when sat on yet was reasonably clean. Unfortunately the seat was so loose I thought it would slide off with me on it every time I sat down.

The shower/tub was what really made my skin crawl. This is why I bring shower slippers to every motel I go to... .99 cents saves me from foot fungus and what ever other filth is in these non-maintained tubs. This photo is of hard water build up, and yes filth that has accumulated. This tub/showers original color was white... I know cause I clean some of the filth and found it was white underneath. Yuck!!

Nothing was so horrible that I felt the need to complain, I’ve actually stayed in worse places that charged more money. So I put on a pair of slippers, unwilling to walk barefoot on this filthy carpet and turned on the TV.

Oohhh lets talk about the amenities that are advertised on the website

Cable TV is not an advertised amenities, likely cause there cable is a joke, about ½ of the 60 channels worked. Not a big loss but several of the channels that did work appeared snowy, fuzzy and jiggly… and those were local channels

COFFEE/TEA MAKER… coffee and cups provided… but ummmm?? No Tea?? Why advertise it as a TEA maker if you’re not going to at least drop a couple teas bags out with the coffee?

DAILY HOUSEKEEPING - This is a straight up LIE! If you want housekeeping you had
better do 1 of these two things. Call the night before to be put on the housekeeping service list for the next day. Or listen for her cart rolling down the hall, and chase her down. This is true whether you need full service or just towels and soaps. Added bonus was on our last night there, we asked the housekeeper for fresh towels and were informed that she had no more bath towels, only wash clothes and hand towels.. WHAT????

FREE WiFi - OK let's be realistic, most motel WiFi is slow and unsecured and generally only good for checking email or watching YouTube at its lowest resolution. Well, I’ve used a lot of slow networks, this one was the slowest and most unreliable I have ever encountered. My signal never reached more than 37%. Sites like YouTube and Hulu would load eventually, but not enough to make them usable. The WiFi signal would cut out every 4-25 minutes and be offline for 3 min- 2 hours. I actually called the front desk about this, and he confirmed the router needed to be reset. And that obviously wasn’t the actual problem because the same unreliable WiFi conditions occurred the following 3 days I was here

FREE BREAKFAST - typical Continental breakfast that is placed under a big Bear Bites sign, in the hopes you will find it cute rather than pathetic. Keep in mind that a Continental Breakfast is small, despite sounding Big and Hearty. The basic Continental breakfast includes, juice, fruits, bread, jams, sometimes cereal, danishes or donuts. This place had an out of order juice machine, an empty cereal dispenser, bread, coffee and butter, and a roach that was nonchalantly walking across the counter. I passed on breakfast and walked across the street to Carl's Jr

PET FRIENDLY - An absolute YES! I have proof on the bottom of my shoe, after stepping on a dog turd in the hall.

At the time of posting this they no longer advertise a Guest Laundry Room, though do still have a picture of it in there photo gallery to leave people guessing until they actually ask, only to find out they don’t.

The thing is, with this and most low budget Brand Name motels, they really don’t have any incentive to clean up there facilities or even provide good service. The reason being, they are mostly franchise owned, meaning they are owned by an individual who pays to use the Branded hotel name, in this case Travelodge. The franchise owner has to follow certain guidelines to appease the franchise contract, usually things like using Corporation owned soaps & shampoos, room pricing, reservation procedures or providing the signature ‘Bear Bites’ continental breakfast, among other things. Yet day to day operations and maintenance are left to the franchise owners, who rarely keep the properties up to the quality recommended by the Corporation.The franchise owners are mostly unsupervised by the corporation that owns the Brand & franchise contract, in this case Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.

Another reason budget motels of any name feel free to let their properties and service diminish is due to supply and demand. A motel such as this that offers rooms as low as approx $63 a night, is very cheap in Sacramento. So whether the rooms are smelly, the blankets dirty or the plumbing is bad, doesn’t really matter. There will always be someone, often several someones who will pay to get a roof over there head for that low price and be happy they did.

Lost City of Atlantis - The Common Sense Truth

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 01:13:00 +0000

Lets just face facts for a moment, no one knows what happened to the ancient city of Atlantis, OR if it ever even existed. Yet that hasn’t stopped scientists, archaeologists, relic hunters, and alien theorists from spending thousand of hours and in some cases dollars on the search for this mythical city. Isn’t it funny(in a non HA HA way) that of all the time and money spent on the search for this island city and yet, NOTHING definitive has EVER been discovered. Want to know why???? Cause I know!!!

How do I know you ask, well it’s simple. And surprisingly it would seem I’m ahead of modern science in my theory.

Though mainstream science has never fully acknowledged the existence of Atlantis, it has acknowledged that it is at least possible that it existed. Did it have streets of gold or futuristic technology that would even surpass today's tech, probably not. But a pyramid, a windmill granary and running water would likely of been considered nearly impossible feats to anyone visiting. And that's where my theory begins… the technology

Atlantis was likely an island of necessity. Humans are lazy, we only invent something if it is going to make our lives easier or more fulfilling in someway. So imagine life on an island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean with ravaging storms, food shortages, water shortages, floods, etc. So things were created to make their lives on that island easier. Stone buildings to resist the harsh storms, fisheries & granaries for food production, seaports for trade, large storm surviving ships, etc. As there history continues they find that they no longer need to build to ‘survive’ so like all civilizations they progress to a time of enlightenment…. Music, education, engineering, etc. Suddenly anyone that visits this island is mesmerized by its advanced technology, or at least advanced to them.

Now some say that Atlantis was the centerpiece for ancient technologies and knowledge, for example the knowledge of how to build pyramids. It's doubtful that this is true. It’s far more likely that Atlantis was a hub of Trade and became a very wealthy trading hub, once other cultures discovered its existence. Someone in Egypt brings the knowledge of pyramids to Atlantis, someone from South America visits Atlantis and sees that knowledge and trades for it…. No alien conspiracy… just simple human capitalism at its earliest, ‘tit for tat’ as my grandfather used to call it. That alone would explain the differences in pyramids around the world. Different cultures all with the basic building plans, then changing the building plans to suit their own needs and available materials…. Atlantis was just a very wealthy trading post.

But what happened to it? Why is there no real record of its existence? That's pretty simple to explain too. Any fisherman worth his salt knows you never divulge the location of his best fishing spot, just like no relic hunter would ever tell the location of there next treasure location. Atlantis was no different, it was known to the traders who frequented there, trading and returning to there countries to yes… make a profit on what they’ve brought back. And those early mariners knew, keeping Atlantis to themselves, would keep them rich. Want to find real evidence of Atlantis, follow the money. Trace back to a family that was unusually wealthy in the suspected Atlantis era…. If that was a mariner family who were known traders… its a good bet they were in some way involved with trading through Atlantis.

Now what of it disappearance from the ocean, why haven't we located any evidence of its existence? First off, Atlantis wasn’t made of metal, it was stone and mortar which is easily hidden underwater once sea life attaches itself. But how did an entire island disappear under the ocean. Again let's use common sense, despite what recreations old ancient maps show as Atlantis being a formidable sized mini continent… I seriously doubt that it was. Think about it, the island of Hawaii is fairly large and would easily serves as a grand seaport for trade, host military installations and a healthy sized population, yet in reality it is quite small… just a speck of lava rock in the vast Pacific Ocean. Well Atlantis was very probably a grande island too, but also just a speck in the Atlantic Ocean.

There are those who believe it took some great planetary catastrophe to destroy Atlantis, like being swallowed up by the ocean during a Continental Drift scenario. I have to laugh at that. The problem with science is they always overthink and ignore the obvious. A moderate sized underwater earthquake would have been enough to destroy a large island, even going as far as swallowing it up. In addition, if the earthquake was triggered by an underwater volcano, than the resulting lava flow would cover up many if not all the man made remnants, making it nearly impossible to find once sea life established itself on the lava bed. Keeping in mind that Atlantis was a city ON an island…. Its reasonable to believe that not the entire island was built into a technological marvel…ONLY the city was. And swallowing and covering a city is pretty easy for a volcano, above or below water. Much of the undeveloped portions of the island could very well be making up the many mountains, ridges and trenches on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and we wouldn’t even know it. Refer back to how fast sea life covers up EVERYTHING.

Well that's my theory in 5 minutes of applying the scientific method of ‘Common Sense’.

****NOTE TO SCIENTISTS and EXPLORERS****

I give you this advice and fully expect and require some of the credit when you do find Atlantis. To find a definitive location of the island, you have to correlate 3 occurrences in the past with 2 geological markers today:

Locations of underwater volcanic and earthquake activity during the suspected Atlantis era. This can be speculated by finding observations from people that lived in shoreline locations along the Atlantic bordering continents. Search for references to tidal wives, large amounts of dead fish washing on shore, smoke seen out on the ocean, earth quakes, first sightings of never before seen birds, building or ship wreckage, anything in large quantities that could have been brought by the tides
Locations of civilizations that had tech, spices, culture or knowledge in common or relatively similar
Researching family lines of known seas traders. Anyone who traded through Atlantis would have likely become very wealthy. Find trading families that were all wealthy near the same time period and had access to the Atlantic Ocean. With greater research you could even find there trading routes and surmise that most likely location that they would have left the safety of the shoreline seaports and headed into the deep sea towards Atlantis would have been their last shoreline seaport. Find enough of these routes on both sides of the Atlantic and you’ve found a nice idea of Atlantis location.

For the present day markers

You are looking for underwater mountain ranges that had volcanic or earthquake activity. Mountain ranges near trenches would also be highly valuable markers

Research current patterns and adjust them appropriately between now and the suspected Atlantis era

Then use a ruler and draw a bunch of lines connecting one side of the Atlantic to the other, the center point of those lines will likely be the approximate location of Atlantis.

2018 Clearlake, California - Just Passing Through

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 20:37:00 +0000

When you hear the name Clearlake, California, you immediately picture a clear mountain lake in the middle of the California Coastal Mountain Range. Surrounded by pristine beaches and small welcoming resorts. At least that's what I imagined when I was introduced to this midsized mountain community.

Clearlake the lake is bordered by Hwy 29, Hwy 53, Hwy 20 and is inside Lake County. The city of Clearlake is located along Hwy 53. When you enter the city limits of Clearlake, your nose will immediately be assaulted by an unfamiliar odor. Depending on the time of year that you visit, will determine how offensive that odor is. That odor is the lake, or more specifically the algae and pollution in the lake. In addition, when carp spawning season ends, the smell of dead rotting fish along the shoreline is almost unbearable.

The stores and shops are nothing original and can be found in any town, they even have a Walmart. The city streets and buildings are clean, but like many communities today, there is a growing homeless presence.

When checking into a room or buying groceries, the employees are polite and professional. Yet say hi or attempt to start a conversation with someone you meet, will result in a less than desired result. The people seem guarded and distant, especially towards travelers that don’t fit into their expectations of what a ‘tourist’ should be.

There really is nothing of interest for a tourist to do. The lake is too polluted to enjoy any water activities, there are no historical attractions or museums, and the only real tourist event worth mentioning is the annual Carp Bow Shoot in mid-summer during the carp spawning season.

With it population at just over 15,000 it’s hard to believe that such a small community could have such large problems. Drugs, homeless, and crime, this small city has many of the same issues that plague larger more diverse cities… and that is problematic for those who travel through. If you stay in a motel, empty your car of anything of value, and leave the vehicle doors unlocked. Why? Because if a criminal is going to break into your car, maybe they'll just open the door rather than break the window of your locked car. Saving you a pricey deductible. I suppose crime is everywhere...

The homeless that I encountered were not aggressive and didn't ask for anything, just keeping to themselves. Though there were many more homeless than expected in this community.

The biggest problem this community has is drugs, meth and now likely an increase in marijuana use since it's now legal in California. Though the likelihood of a tourist being confronted with a drug dealer or drug riddled criminal is low, that danger being more likely to affect a resident of the city.

All in all Clearlake is what I call a ‘stop and sleep’. Merely a place to grab a nights rest and filling up the ice chest with snacks before heading on to better places. And that is a shame, because with just a little effort on the part of the city (specifically cleaning up the lake), this could be turned into a relatively nice tourist location.

Folsom Boulevard Flea Market Review - Sacramento, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 21:21:00 +0000

One of my favorite places on Earth are flea markets! Ever since I was little boy, I would roam around our local flea market in search of treasures with one thing in mind, one man's trash is another man's treasure! So when ever I happen upon a flea market, I’m attracted to it like a moth to flames, and this one was no different

The Folsom Boulevard Flea Market is located at 8521 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95826. If you stay at one of the motels near Hwy 50 & Howe Ave, then you’re within walking distance, roughly 1.3 miles each way. The parking lot is adequate but if you come at a particularly busy time you may have a hard time finding parking. That being said, I arrived at 9am and the lot wasn’t even half full.

As I made my way around, I noticed immediately what I’ve noticed at all flea markets and swap meets in the past 20 years, stalls and booths of new items. Often times these items are just as easily purchased on eBay or a 99 cents store, and much cheaper than what you’re going to pay at these flea markets. So before you buy anything that looks new, pull out your phone and search it on eBay, you’re going to find it cheaper.

I passed the new items as I always do, and made my way down the first aisle. The aisles are lined with old worn weathered wood tables on both sides. The aisles are wide enough to accommodate those in wheelchairs should they wish to visit this flea market.

As I roamed down aisle after aisle, there’s only about 5 or 6, I was sadly disappointed in what I was finding. From the way tables were set up, you could easily surmise who was a regular seller, yet from the items I saw I continually wondered who would buy the garbage they were peddling. Sound harsh?? Well more than one ‘seasoned’ seller was selling toys that were so obviously broken or disgustingly dirty… I wouldn’t let a child look at them much less touch or play with them. One seller had clothes hanging up all over their makeshift stall, and you could catch a musty mothball aroma when the breeze whisked past the clothes

It seemed as if there were 3 kinds of sellers there:

Those sellers that perhaps bought auctioned storage units and sold the items to heavy or junky to be sold on eBay or similar auction sites

Then there was the sellers who had cubbys in the large barn shops that lined one side of the property. These indoor shops were ‘hit and miss’ but did have a few nice things, for inflated prices and if you wanted to wade through the piles of garbage that was strewn everywhere. Oh did I mention the stench of mildew or rotting wood, something… yuck! These sellers are likely the ones who buy from unsuspecting new sellers at super low prices.

A common practice at larger flea markets, the frequent sellers swoop in like vultures on newbie sellers as they are laying out there items and bombard them with ‘lowball’ offers. The newbie is impressed that their items are going so fast and let the items go at lower prices, partially due to inexperience and hoping to be able to leave earlier than anticipated. The thing is those buyers take those purchases back to there tables and jack up the price, often selling the newbies ware for 2 or 3x what they paid.

Then there were the occasional sellers, people who maybe sold a couple times a year just to clean out some household items. These are the people I usually really stop and look at what they have, you never know what you may find and at a great deal. Cause likely if they brought it out here, they don’t want to take it home. The unfortunate thing is, these occasional sellers had very little of interest to offer, at least not things I would enjoy.

To give you an idea of what was selling at this flea market, here is a list of the largest quantity items I saw:

CDs and DVDs everywhere! And fairly cheap between .25 cent - $4

Baby and childrens clothes, most had prices on boxes between $1 - $5

Household items: kitchen utensils, pots, pans around $5 was the average

Need power tools? Every aisle had at least 2 sellers with power tools. I heard a hand router go for $10 and a cordless drill for $12

Toys and games: Children's toys $1 - $3 Video games were in abundance. I saw games for several different systems, PSP, gameboy, Xbox One $3 - $20 Also saw a working Nintendo switch being sold for $100

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes…. Didn’t even bother to check the prices since I’m a Walmart kinda guy.

Novelty purses, emblazoned with faces of Marilyn Monroe, Tinkerbell, and other cutesy characters.

Food! Like any flea market there were several food stands. Hot dogs, tacos, burritos, coffee, drinks etc. Nothing there seemed to scream out, ‘Try Me!!’, just the standard flea market fare.

Jewelry was being sold by a few people, some with glass cases. The prices weren't to bad, and what I’d expect to pay. An example is sterling silver bracelet charms for $5 - $10.

Let me just say, be careful when someone is selling you sterling or gold, just because something is marked ‘sterling’ or ‘14k’ doesn’t mean it is. Some unscrupulous people will buy ‘marked’ jewelry from eBay for literally pennies and then resell it at these flea markets. Those ‘marked’ items bought from china are silver and gold…. but only ‘silver plated or 1k-5k gold plated’.

I did make 2 purchases here, a vintage 10k gold plated watch for a few dollars that I can resell for $8 - $15 on eBay and a costume jewelry pendant I plan on giving to my brother for Christmas.

Yet all in all this flea market was a bust, the majority of the stalls are new items at high prices. The tables are jammed with frequent sellers of mostly junk that I don’t need, and am hard pressed to believe anyone needs. The small amount of sellers that had reasonable prices were also not selling anything I couldn’t get online cheaper, the sad truth about most swap meets and flea markets in this age of online buying/selling

But if you’re passing through town or are a local that has never been here, take the hour and drop by. Who knows what you’ll find, maybe that one thing you've always needed but never knew you wanted….

The best thing about flea markets is the stuff changes daily! Happy Bargain Hunting!!!

Tipping in the U.S. - Quick Guide to Tipping

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 03:08:00 +0000

Tipping in the U.S - A Quick Guide to Tipping Well I’m in San Diego and I found myself at a neighborhood coffee shop… I ordered my coffee, but didn’t put a tip in the jar that was sitting on the counter.

“Cheapskate”, I heard the barista say…

I wanted to turn around and ask him why he expected a tip for making me a coffee. A coffee that wasn’t brought to my table, that didn’t have some fancy decoration in the cream and had to be made twice because for some reason… ordering black coffee is some kind of crime in this little coffee shop. But I didn’t… instead I did what I always do when frustrated with the stupidity of others… I‘m writing about it. But his lack of manners does bring up a good issue, when do you tip, how much and to who? Traditionally and when I say traditionally I mean before the Milliniuals and Gen X and even before the Beatles… tipping was only done for people who worked for tips… usually wait staff and bartenders… this tipping everyone thing is getting out of hand. Well there are those who say you shouldn’t tip anyone, other people use a calculator app that tells them exactly how much to tip someone…. I think both are idiotic. I’m from the old school of tipping… you get what you DESERVE or I’ll give what I can AFFORD. Let’s start with the later of my two tipping methods; tip what YOU can afford. Some would say that its better not to tip than to leave a tip less than the industry standard… I say $*#@! there opinion. And before I go any farther, if you plan on leaving a quarter or a dollar…. I want you to stop reading this and go look in the mirror… what you’re seeing is a 'jackass'. Tipping small is one thing, but leaving a tip of $1 or less is insulting… so don’t. They ONLY exception to this rule is if you are tipping at an eatery and YOUR bill was less than $5. In that circumstance a $1 tip is acceptable for a $5 bill When you travel and are on a tight budget, yet you really want to tip someone because you liked there service or you just feel you have too… do this: Discretely hand them the tip and say,”You deserve more, but I’m on a tight budget.” Service staff understands ‘budgets’ most of them have to scrape by on minimum wage. By giving a tip however small in this way, you are telling them that you recognize the good work they did, you just cant show them with money… most service persons will appreciate that you left them a tip at all in this circumstance. Now the more difficult tipping method of Tipping what they Deserve: Now there is a Calculator App that will tell you exactly what to tip according to service provided… taxis driver, wait staff, housekeeping, etc… throw it away unless you’re made of money. Now a days everyone with a service job thinks they deserve a tip…. not true and in fact it wasn’t until the PC (Political Correctness NOT Personal Computer) Revolution that these finicky service people even got considered for a tip outside of High Priced Hotels or Restaurants. I’m not putting anyone down, I’m just saying that along with Political Correctness came a lot more tipping… Let’s go down the list of service jobs and I’ll tell you what I tip and when. You can come up with your own formula for tipping that works for you Waitress/Waiter: Tipping in this area should be based on politeness, speed of order taking, did they give the correct item to each person, did they offer you something to drink when you were seated. NEVER and I mean NEVER tip based on the Taste of the food or the Speed it took to get to you. These service people are the middle man and have NOTHING to do with food preparation… they get it to you as soon as the cook makes it available. There has been a time or two that I complained to a manager about the food, yet still left a generous tip for the wait staff for being patient and trying to be helpful. Now of course if you see your plate sitting on the warming table while your wait staff is laughing it up in the corner… then tip accordingly. But if they generally tried to make you’re experience pleasant, I’d do the 20% of the bill total Taxi Driver: I only tip my cab driver under two circumstances; first did they take the fastest most direct route to where I’m going? (You should always know where your going and approximate distance before getting into a cab.) Did the driver give me information that I didn’t previously have? Such as if I asked for a good place to eat or a fun place to take the kids…. if the driver was helpful, tip accordingly. When I do tip I usually give 10% of the fare approximately. Housekeeping: When you stay in a motel, hotel, B&B or Inn, housekeeping can often be overlooked. They usually service your room when your out, so you really have no contact with them. Because of this most housekeepers don’t expect a tip… but they should get one for the following things. If your in the room when they arrive and you ask them to service the room… meaning clean towels, change sheets, dump trash… I tip $5. If they just stop by and all you want is a roll of toilet paper or towels… then I don’t tip. Now if your room is being serviced while your gone, this can be tricky… you’ll of course realize that your beds are made etc… so if you have no contact with your housekeeper what do you do???? There one of two solutions… leave a tip with the desk clerk … they’ll know who to give the tip too. Or you can you can do what I do, I leave a handwritten note saying ‘thank you housekeeping’, and a tip with it. In this case I leave $2 for every day that I found my bed made. The reason I tip less in this circumstance, is because there's no guarantee that the correct housekeeper receives the tip.

My method isn't perfect, and maybe to some is not fair compensation. Yet it works for me, and I hope it helps you find what works for you.

Hotels vs Motels - Whats the difference

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 19:50:00 +0000

Not a lot of people truly understand the difference between a hotel and motel. Well I’m here to give you a quick education… and it’s really simple. A hotel has room service and a motel doesn’t.

Yes there’s more to it than that, but room service is the biggest difference. Let me describe both type of lodgings and what you can expect as far as amenities.

HOTEL
A hotel is a lodging geared towards vacationers, celebrities and business professionals. Hotels can range in price from $50 - $1000 a night. This doesn’t include the tourist tax that most major cities charge… yes I said tourist tax… be sure to ask about it whenever you make your reservations or you might find a very unpleasant surprise when you get your credit card statement. More established hotels will advise you about the tourist tax without the need to be asked, but don’t count that.

Hotels are well kept and beautiful, even going as far as extravagant looking. Rooms are most often roomy, even with the lower priced rooms. In room amenities will include the common branded toiletries such as shampoo and soaps, but may go a step further with complimentary slippers and robes.

For most of us our first experience with a hotel is by staying at a casino hotel. Here are a few things you can expect at most hotels no matter the price you pay..

Concierge: is a person who specializes in taking care of your needs, whether it’s arranging transportation, booking shows, reservations, finding special interest shops… there really is no limit to what a good concierge can arrange for you. These gems of the hotel industry are often overlooked by most and utilized only by the savvy few who frequent hotels. But don’t be intimidated by that, these men and women have there fingers on the heartbeat of there specific location. In most cases there is no charge for the use of a concierge, (though you will of course have to pay for the services they arrange for you) they are considered an amenity of a hotel.. and strive to make your stay enjoyable.

Incidentals: Have you ever seen that word on a hotel add and never knew what it meant? Basically it’s a credit account… and why hotels require a credit card. Anything you buy and charge to the room, are called incidentals…. meals, room service, hotel souvenir shop, tickets to shows, mini bar, PPV movies, damage to the room, the list goes on. This room account is secured by your credit card so that when you check out, all your charges get paid for.

Safe: it’s becoming more and more common for hotel rooms to be equipped with a safe. Those that don’t have an in room safe, may have a safe a the front desk. This is a nice amenities to have if traveling with valuables….. which you shouldn’t be doing anyways….

Room service: 95% of hotels offer room service of some kind, allowing you to call down to the kitchen and have meals served in your room, laundry service, even special requests can often be accommodated. These services are either paid for on the phone at time of ordering, with a credit card or charged to the room, which is why almost all hotels require a major credit card or bank debit card at the time of check in.

Minibars: in higher priced hotels you will find a mini bar, basically a little fridge stocked with the essentials need for snacking late at night. If you are on a budget, don’t even look in it… they do count everything inside and you will be charged for everything eaten… and though you will at the time be thinking to yourself, “we only live once”...... you will regret it when you see how much a soda cost from that fridge. I’ve seen entire vacations ruined by a mini bar…. I warned you.

Activities: most hotels have a heated pool, but could also have a day spa, massage services, local tours, etc

Shows: if your staying at a resort hotel, casino hotel or hotel in a high tourist area, you will likely get some sort of free show or entertainment venue included in your stay. These shows could include, dinner shows, tickets to a nearby show or a themed show like offered by Circus Circus.

Location: hotels often have great locations in city centers and vacation hotspots. Which means getting to them could cost you a bit more than you might expect. Many hotels offer free shuttle service to and from airports, check before booking a room. Taxis are expensive and can easily cost $50 each way depending on traffic.

MOTEL
Motels are a little different, these lower cost lodgings are geared more to budget minded vacationer and the random traveler looking for a quick easy stop off the highway after a long day of driving.

These budget lodgings can range in price to $30 - $300 a night depending on location. The higher priced ones are found in high tourist locations. Motels also charge a tourist tax….ugh

In room amenities are the common branded soaps and shampoos, occasionally an in room coffee maker, empty mini fridge, microwave, and some of the better motels offer a continental breakfast each morning. A word a about continental breakfast, these are usually a buffet style meal served in the main lobby or dining area. They usually consist of coffee, soda, baked goods, and very rarely ham and eggs. Oddly enough the price you pay for the room will not determine whether a continental breakfast is served…. I’ve stayed in $200 motels that served nothing, and have stayed in $40 motels that offered the full continental spread…. just depends on the motel so be sure to ask if they serve continental breakfast and what is served when you book or check in.

Motels run the gambit of cleanliness, and i have found that there seems to be no real consistency, even in major motel chains. Some motels are clean, others are dirty, and even others are just so filthy that I’ve demanded my money back and checked out within 10 minutes of walking in my room.

Incidentals: most motels have no incidentals, you pay for your stay and that’s it…. if your at a good motel, housekeeping will come by daily to exchange your towels and give more soaps, every few days they’ll change the bed linens. A lot of motels have PPV shows available, but besides that… nothing really gets charged to your room. Because of this many motels still accept cash or credit at time of check in. However, if paying for your room with cash, the majority of motels will require a cash deposit. This deposit is returned to you at time of check out after they send a housekeeper to you room to check for damage or unnecessary messyness. Deposits are usually $40 -$100

Activities: If you get a pool, your lucky.. if it’s heated, you’ve hit the jackpot.

Location: motels are notorious for being havens for drugs, prostitutes and a host of other unsavory activities. But is that all blown out of proportion, in my experience yes. True that motels are often found in the more ‘interesting’ parts of town, often close to freeways or major throughways. I see it like this, you want to see the tourist attractions, have ultra comfort or be pampered by hotel staff, then pay the high price of a hotel. But if you want to see what a city is really all about, then stay in a motel.

I’ve heard stories of motels being burglarized while your gone, it does happen, but if you research the area and motel before booking it, you should be ok.

Let’s be real, hotels sound so much better, and in any ways they are… if you have money to burn or plan on spending a lot of time in your room during a vacation. For me, most hotels are a waste, the point of a vacation for me is to get out and explore… so where I come back to at 1am in the morning doesn’t really matter… I’m to tired to care. So find a relatively clean motel and save the extra money for other fun things to do during your vacation.

One other piece of advise, if going to a gambling city, splurge for the hotel room in the casino your gambling in. So reasons for this, if you win big, the hotel will often upgrade your room for free even offering additional complimentary nights depending on how much you won. That’s because they want you to stay as long as possible giving the, a chance to get that money back.

The second reason, if you win anything, even a small amount of money…. chances are someone saw it. There are bad people out there, and they will rob you after you leave the casino to go back to your motel. Your much safer getting a room in the casino your gambling in and going back up to your room with your winnings.

ASUS C101 Flip Chromebook Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 17:54:00 +0000

For those of you looking for a Chromebook, there are many great models to choose from. However I want to remind you that a chrome book is a glorified Internet browser, NOT a fully functional PC. So it has its limitations. Luckily for you (and for me, a long time chromebook user), Google got smart and finally made the Google Play store available on chromebook. Now that doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to begin downloading all the apps on Google Play. Not every application is optimized or even compatible with a system like Chrome. However you will get a large selection of games and productivity apps to choose from. Since not all chromebooks are able to get the Google Play update, you have to ask yourself.. Which chromebook do I choose.

Well first the good news, buying your chromebook new from a reputable store will ensure that you have the Play Store pre-installed on any chromebook made and distributed beginning 2018, or so I’ve heard. The bad news is, if you for some reason want a pre-2018 chromebook, you need to do some research online to make sure your chosen model can get the Play Store update.

For years I have been using an Acer C720, mainly because of its petite size, making it easily portable. Unfortunately this is one of the models that WILL NOT support the Play Store Update. So after some online research and a few tears over retiring a great travel companion, I decided to purchase a new Chromebook, the ASUS C101.

I choose the ASUS C101 for 3 reasons;

1) Apps: accessibility to the Google Play Store was a BIG selling point for me.

2) Size: at less than 2lbs its even lighter and slimmer than my old Acer C720. It even sports a brushed aluminum case that is more durable than the plastic case most Chromebooks use

3) The Power Adapter: I travel with my Chromebook, so even saving a little weight or space with a more compact power plug is a big deal to me.

Now if you go with this chromebook or any chromebook for that matter, keep this mind. After you turn it on, set up WiFi and log in, the moment you open the browser… an update will begin. For NEW chromebook users, don’t panic, this is nowhere near the crazy size updates that Windows customers have to deal with every month. In fact depending on your Internet speed, a typical Chrome update will take only 5 - 10 minutes. So despite your urge to jump right onto the information highway, wait til your first update completes and asks you to restart the chromebook. Now after restarting there is one more thing to do before checking out your favorite website, Play store might need to update as well. So check for a ‘download’ icon on your system tray, the area on the bottom right of your screen. It’ll be right next to the notification icon, if nothing is downloading… then you’re good to go.

Now the best way to understand what you can and can’t do with a chromebook is to EXPLORE. Go to the Play Store and download a few things, surf the web, etc. Unlike a PC, there’s really not much you can do to kill a chromebook. You don’t have access to the CORE system like on a PC, and the things you can alter should only be done by experienced users, programmers and developers.

For 90% of the chromebook users out there, we don’t need to access the CORE system anyways, as long as we continue to update (which is done automatically in the background) and we steer clear of risky behavior such as high risk sites or pressing unknown links. Though a computer virus is nearly impossible to get, you are still vulnerable to malware and ransom ware, yet most of those can be done away with by checking and deleting the malware program from the extensions tab. Or just turning off and restarting your chromebook. If you really do get something horrible or have a persistent ‘something’ that you just can’t fix, POWERWASH will 99% of the time get you back to that factory fresh feeling.

Now back to the ASUS C101, and a few thoughts about it.

Size: this Chromebook is small, and that can be a double edged sword for some. Its petite size and slim case make it the perfect companion for traveling or school. Yet if you have large hands or have only used a full size laptop keyboard, it may take you awhile to get comfortable with the more compact design. Though it’s only slightly smaller than my ACER C720 keyboard, I can feel the difference.

Storage: I found a lot of complaints and concerns about the storage size on this chromebook. Mainly referring to the 16gb storage not being large enough. In the few weeks that I’ve owned this, I haven’t found that to be too large of an issue. I’ve downloaded several large apps even one that was 3gb, and I still have a decent amount of space left. But if you plan on downloading dozens of apps, just be aware that you may have to delete a few to make space for new ones. I would also recommend putting in a micro SD card to expand your storage size. This does nothing for apps, but will allow you to save your photos, documents and other none play store files.

Micro SD slot: The ASUS C101 has a micro SD slot for storage expansion, unfortunately when you download an app from the Play Store, you can’t move the app to the SD card. Now there is a reason for that, like the CORE chrome system, the Play Store is an isolated program. Meaning that you have no real access to it other than downloading or deleting your apps. I can’t emphasize this enough… this was done for YOUR PROTECTION. Apps you download run in an isolated environment so IF they have a nasty little bug in them, it doesn’t affect you… because its already in a ‘cage’. So although 16gb (more like 13gb due to OS size) isn’t a lot, it will likely be plenty, after the initial novelty of downloading apps wears off. As most of us have a few favorite games or productivity apps, and the rest is just temporary stuff when we see or hear about a new available apps

Tablet and Tent Mode: This wasn’t really a factor in my choice of chromebooks, yet it is a nice addition. In tent mode you can easily set your chromebook on a table or counter and watch your favorite movie. Though I can live with or without watching movies in tent mode, it does allow for the chromebook to take up less space. Making it especially useful on planes and buses that have small fold out tray tables. Tablet mode on the other hand would be much more useful to me if ASUS had done one thing. Include some kind of hard cover to place over the keyboard. While in tablet mode, you get all the feel and convenience of a nice sized tablet computer. Problem is that the keyboard being exposed on the back, doesn’t feel ‘right’. People who are used to this type of 3 in 1 computer won’t care about this. But when you’ve never had one before, its difficult to hold this in tablet mode without feeling as if you’re breaking something, even though your not. Had a cheap hard cover been included, just so you wouldn’t have to touch the keyboard buttons, I’d feel a lot better about this mode.

Touch Screen: I’m not happy with the touch screen. I don’t know anything about the glass or plastic that is used in touch screens but this one has done nothing but frustrate me. Its fast and responsive and If you just need to press something, works great. The problem arises when you need to drag something across the screen. I find that as I’m dragging my finger across, it ‘sticks’. I don’t know if that’s the right word, but there is definitely more drag on my finger than when I use my iPhone or ipod touch screen. Imagine the difference between ice skating (iPhone touch screen) and roller skating (ASUS C101 touch screen), with the C101 you seem to get more resistance, which causes me to drop what ever I’m dragging… frustrating! Too be fair to ASUS, part of the problem is the amount of pressure I apply to the touch screen. I tend to use a light touch, but still…. Fix the touch screen.

Battery Life: Although the specs say 9 hours, count on 7-8 depending on usage. I actually squeezed 10 hours out of this once, but most days that I was unplugged where closer to 8-8.5, keeping in mind its brand new and battery life will always deteriorate as the battery gets older.

Case: How boring is the basic plastic case you see on every laptop and chromebook out there, blahhh. To add individuality we usually apply a sticker or two on the cover. But the ASUS C101 is different, not unique, but different in that it sports a brushed aluminum case. Not the first to do this, its predecessor also had an aluminum case, it does make this economical chromebook look ‘high end’, and it has an added effect, possibly. At room temperature, metal stays cooler than plastic. Does this aluminum case help keep the chromebook cooler than if it had been jammed into a plastic case. I’m no technician so, I can’t say if it does or doesn’t. I can only say that in a side by side unofficial and not at all scientific test, my plastic cased C720 got warmer than the aluminum cased C101 while streaming YouTube for 3 hours. Not that either got warm enough to even care, but I’m just asking.. was the aluminum case meant for more than just a stylish appearance?

For the most part, I’m very happy with this purchase at $249 from Best Buy. As with all things, nothing is perfect but this comes close as far as what I use a chromebook for. I’m sure I’ll think of a few other things and will update this as I do, however if you are planning on purchasing this or ANY chromebook, please do your research first. Chromebooks can do a lot and even more now that Google Play Store Apps can now be downloaded, but they are not PC’s and you won’t be downloading Warcraft or Star Trek Online on them.

Agents of Shield Pendant Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 00:49:00 +0000

Being the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fan that I am, I'm always on the look out for cool knick knacks with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo. On eBay there are countless things to buy that range from trading cards to cuff links. Yet being the penny pinching cheapskate that I am, I wasn't going to pay $2 for something that was being auctioned for much less... which is how I got my newest Agents of S.H.I..E.L.D. item. The Auction price of 55 cents U.S. with FREE SHIPPING (I love those words on an auction)

Now all of you are thinking, 55 cents! That's amazing! Well yes and no. Yes its always fun to get something for nearly nothing, and sometimes you get a real prize. Unfortunately this time I got EXACTLY what I paid for. A 55 cent Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. logo pendant necklace. Its called

MARVEL AGENTS OF SHIELD S.H.I.E.L.D EAGLE CHAIN PENDANT NECKLACE

For the most part its not a bad pendant, yet its no where near being a good one either. It also only looks similar to the eBay listing photo which I'm guessing was photo-shopped to hide the imperfections. At first glance any fan of the show would say oh that is so cool! But when you actually take a good long look at it you can see how badly made it is.

First lets talk about the size, its approx 1 1/2 inchs, though advertised to be approx 1 inch. It doesn't seem like much but a 1/2 inch is a fairly big difference when your looking to where it as a necklace. Pull it off of the cheaply made necklace chain and attach a key chain ring and it would do much nicer. The alloy is my guess a die cast similar to what the chassis of a hot wheels car is made of. Its light weight and sturdy but you just get this feel that you could bend it if you really really wanted to.
The eagle is made up of a type of cloisonne and full of bubbles. Clearly no care was taken in filling in the eagle shape since they didn't even get the cloisonne completely filled in. The rest of the pendant is covered in a cheap chrome like plating, which filled in several of the letters almost to the point of not being able to read them properly.

The back of the pendant has ridges, and if your a DIY (Do It Yourself) kind of person you'll be taking advantage of that. The ridges act as a nice gripping surface for glues and mounting tapes. I personally plan on using some Goop and mounting this onto the battery cap of my D cell Mag-light if the pendants not to big. You could also use some double sided mounting squares and mount this onto your laptop,.. etc.

As for me I don't really like it, cause of the many imperfections. It was well worth the 55 cents & FREE SHIPPING from China. I'm just picky I suppose. Fun for kids but nothing special for a collector or DIYer who has other plans for it.

You can also see my video review on YouTube

Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Badge Case and ID Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 03:13:00 +0000

Are you a fan of the TV show Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ? If you are there is something every fan needs, and that's there very own AOS badge. There are several versions of the AOS badge available, which started with the original and official full size prop badge that was introduced, I believe at the New York 2013 Comic Con then later available as a GameStop Power Up Reward. Soon after came the knock offs, and as soon as I saw it at a reasonable price on Ebay, bought one of those Chinese made knock offs. I was pleasantly surprised and immediately purchased the next incarnation which was the concave badge with pin back.

So when the latest version came out, I was excited to get it.. Keep in mind that this is another Made in China knock off replica. But just because something is made in China, doesn't mean its low quality. And this badge is a good example of that

Lets start with its size, approx 25% smaller than the Official Full-size replica, this one is lighter and thinner. Its advertised as being made of leather, yet I tend to think they are referring to PVC leather which is a popular type of faux leather. At arms length, its beautiful, but when you bring it up for a closer look you can see and feel that its just not leather.

The cover has a nice stamp of the SHIELD logo on it, and in my opinion makes up for it being faux leather. Stitching is nicely done and the case itself feels sturdy.
.

When opened you find the badge and ID, both nicely compliment the other. Though the size of the badge is noticeably smaller, it gives a less bulky feel when the case is closed.

This ID is of Jemma Simmons, but all the character badges are basically the same. Made from the same PVC plastic as a credit card, also the same size. On the back is the SHIELD logo. If you don't plan on using the ID or dont care about which character car you get, shop around a bit. I got the Jemma Simmons badge case because it was the cheapest one of the AOS characters. Skyes & Coulson being the more pricey ones. There are several sellers on Ebay that sell this same exact card customized with your photo and information.

The badge itself is just stunning, made of the same metal and finish as the larger China Made badges, this one measures 2 inches by 2 inches. Its not bulky or have a high curve so it sits nicely in the case. The badge is glued into the case, and that is not something I like. My concern is how strong is the glue used and will it someday just fall out of the case? Though I would have preferred a removable badge, I must admit to liking the way this badge looks in the case. And since its glued in, there is no wiggling movement the way an unsecured badge would have.

This like all things has it pros and cons.

The case is NOT leather, its faux leather - CON
The case has a cool SHIELD logo - PRO
The case is smaller and easier to handle - PRO
The ID is generic at best - CON
The ID is heavy PVC plastic - PRO
The badge is smaller but looks nice in the case - PRO
The badge is not TV show prop accurate size - CON

So you be the judge, I bought mine on Amazon, but you can also find these on Ebay... and can likely get it cheaper if your willing to bid rather than using the BUY NOW option.

Fantastic 4 Movie Celz Trading Cards - Mini Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 03:44:00 +0000

So browsing around Ebay, looking for cheap stocking stuffers, I found some interesting trading cards. The Fantastic Four Movie Celz Trading cards, were made back in 2005 by a company called Cards Inc. The thing that caught my eye about these cards is that they are made entirely of plastic.

Each pack has 6 average sized trading cards, 5 base cards and 1 holocelz card. The 60 base cards include images from the movie and profile cards of the main characters. The holocelz cards are what I would call artwork on a prismatic background. They're very well done, as you can see by the Invisible Woman holocelz in the above photo. There are 12 holocelz in the subset, which features artwork of Invisible Woman, Mr Fantastic, Thing, The Human Torch and Dr Doom

These cards are made of a thin bendable plastic that does away with 2 of the greatest nightmares that card collectors have to deal with... bent corners and card creases. These do away with both those problems. However that is possibly why other card companies haven't created cards in this plastic form. With out the danger of damaging bends and creases, all theses cards will hold the same value in a collection. Your collection won't be any more valuable than your friends collection, because they're made of the same damage resistant plastic. With regular trading cards, part of the appeal is to always be on the look out for that card that is in slightly better condition than the frayed, water damaged or bent one you already own. But that's not an issue with these. So the best you can hope for is to trade your doubles with your friends doubles. The only way I see these becoming truly valuable is if two things happen.

The first would have to be if the 2015 Fantastic Four movie is a huge flop... oh yea, it was. This makes the 2005 Fantastic Four Movie memorabilia more sought after for true FF4 fans.

The second would be if not alot of people know about these cards, which not alot of people do, so no one is buying them. And the ones that were familiar with them when they released in 2005 didn't really buy many because they were so critical of the 2005 FF4 movie. So having a small group of people owning these will eventually give some collectible value to these as time goes on.

I personally like them, and was glad to get them, keeping some for myself as well as use some for stocking stuffers.

I think any fan of the 2005 Fantastic 4 movie will love these as a nice addition to there FF4 collection. If you own any of these or just like them, I welcome opinions in the comment section.

Metal Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Car Emblem Sticker - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 22:05:00 +0000

This will be a short review because there's really not much to tell. But if you've seen this Metal Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. car emblem sticker on Ebay, there's a couple of things you may want to know before you buy.

I won one of these in an Ebay auction for $1.89 from a seller in China. The seller also has these for a buy it now price of $3.99 but I wouldn't buy it for that price. The metal is a thin brushed aluminum, and comes with a thin plastic protector that you can pull off to reveal a nice finish... or leave it on to keep the finish protected. It measures 3inches by 3 inches and I will admit, looks pretty good. I would never put this 'car emblem' on a car though, why you ask? This particular sticker is concave, remember its metal all be it thin metal. There is a mounting adhesive on the back, but because its arched, like a badge, its concave on the inside. So the adhesive doesn't fully make contact with the item your sticking it too. Only about half of the actual sticker makes contact. And at speeds of 40mph+ that thing will eventually fly off, or even more likely yanked off by someone while your cars in a parking lot.

I would say if your a fan of the show like I am, get one. It is cool looking and I put mine on my laptop.

Case Star Octopus Style Tripod Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 04:27:00 +0000

There are many types of octopus style tripods out there, and despite them all having the same basic feature of being able to wrap them selves around something, this one has 2 features that I think puts it ahead of the rest

Before we get to the features I like, lets talk about the basics. The legs on this tripod, like most flexible or octopus style tripods, can securely wrap around a variety of objects. Tree limbs, poles, handlebars, your wrist, etc will act as a secure base for this tripod. The ball joints give it great articulation and the white rubber bands around each ball acts as a grip. Ever try setting a tripod on a rock or uneven ground, this one has no problem with either, just twist and bend the legs to what ever you need the height, angle or level to be.

Camera weight isn't really a problem if you have a modern digital camera. Most modern digital cameras are fairly lightweight, and if you plan on using your phone camera, you can buy this tripod with a smart phone attachment.

I bought this one on Amazon for $3.79 from China and it came with a smartphone attachment.

Now what I think makes this one a bit better then the rest, is first... the lock ring/camera attachment. Many of these type tripods do not offer a removable attachment that can be screwed into your camera much the same way you would a large full size tripod. Thus allowing you to just slide the camera on or off this tripod as needed. This isn't just about convenience though. With this attachment, you can position your tripod without the cumbersomeness of having your camera attached, or worse trying to screw your camera on while in an awkward angle. Instead just place your tripod, then when its secure, slide your camera into place.

The second reason I like this one is the ball joint just beneath the lock ring. A majority of these type tripod do not have this joint, so if you need to angle your camera, it has to be done with the legs. But with a single ball joint beneath the lock ring, gives you much more range of angles to shoot from.

Now there is a problem with this tripod, and really its less of a 'problem' and more of a 'this aint built for that'. Whats it not built for? Being used as a regular tripod. This tripod excels at being twisted, turned, bent and misshapen, but try to bend the legs to perfect straightness, and place on a table... and something just won't feel right. One leg will be slightly longer, one will be bent slightly angled, basically it'll drive you nuts cause you'll look at the tripod and see that its just ever so slightly not standing right. It can be used as a regular tripod of course, but if you need a regular tripod just buy one. This tripod won't be happy unless you use its super power, to be bent into ridiculous positions so you can take selfies and group photos in places no normal tripod would dare go.

Review - 5.5v Solar Powered Folding Charger Panel

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 01:50:00 +0000

In this modern age, how many of us have gone hiking, camping, fishing, etc only to find our phone, flashlight, or GPS battery dies. Not many years ago, we'd just made sure that we had an extra set of batteries, but now so many products come installed rechargeable and often non changeable batteries. So what options do you have if out on a 3 day hike with no phone. Well you can hope that you don't run into any problems, or want to take any pictures or you can buy a travel solar charger. I decided to buy a solar charger from China on Ebay and got it for $15( I just couldn't see myself paying $200 for a name brand charger from a name brand store). Though I don't trust the rechargeable batteries from China, I have no problem with their other electronics... sometimes you get a lemon but that's the chance you take when your 'Cheap'.. like me.

Now this charger advertised several things, but like many items on Ebay, buyer beware of the small print or items that look surprisingly like a name brand. Lets go down the list;

1) 5.5v 5W 1000ma current - which is what you get roughly when plugged into a USB port. This item did provide that current, and did fully charge up my iPod touch. BUT the condition had to be full sunlight. Shade, indoors, partially covered cells... were all no go.
PASSED - So at the end of the day, it worked as intended. As far as I'm concerned every other feature is just frosting

2) Water proof panels - well without actually opening this thing up there's just no way to see if the panels are water proof, I can say they are made of a hard plastic/plexi material not unlike glass. There is a thin skin over the cells, much like a screen protector film that you get on a new phone, yet this film is not removable.
UNKNOWN - Which means it can survive a few water drops on it without penetrating to the cells.

3) Water Proof Cloth - Like the cells its impossible to check if its water proof. The cloth is a tightly woven nylon and likely has a plastic backing, much like a backpack. So lets presume the cloth is waterproof, but the seams won't be.
UNKNOWN - Even the best packs leak at the seams in a downpour. But then lets ask our selves, why would we use a solar power charger in the rain? We wouldn't, so the question of waterproof is really MUTE. Its small enough that I plan on keeping mine in a freezer bag sealed and in my pack. If I need to use it after a rain passes, pull it out and lay it on the freezer bag so the bottom of the charger isn't exposed to continuous moisture.

4) USB cable output - Pretty straight forward... has it, works
PASSED - Not a big deal, but something to keep in mind. If you're bringing your phone, iPod, camera, or whatever. Remember to bring its USB charging cable too. Otherwise this charger will be useless.

5) Durability - The cells are what I worry about, when you hold this charger all folded up, you just feel like you're going snap it in half by accident. So I dropped it, yes on purpose. First with it folded up from about 10 feet high, it landed on hard ground, no cells were damaged.
PASSED - I like this item and don't want to buy another, so I'm not going to do the drop test with it opened up.... instead I did a crush test. One of the selling points was that it has grommets to attach to the back of your pack so it can charge while your hiking. So I opened it, attached to the back of my pack and put on my pack. Then I backed into a tree, then sat down and fell backwards on to it. No damage with the exception of some marks on the film that covers the solar cells, so as far as I'm concerned its durable enough

I suppose the gist is that it works as advertised, reasonably durable and is at the very least water resistant. Definitely worth the $15 I spent, and suits my needs for charging small electronics in the field. Something else to keep in mind, this might collect more light if the screen protector type wasn't covering the solar cells. Right now it works fine for my needs, however as the 'film' gets more ragged, I'm likely to use a razor and carefully cut around the edges and remove that film to expose the solar cells better. If it comes to that, I'll update this post.

How to Get Autographs through the Mail TTM

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 May 2014 01:50:00 +0000

There are 4 simple steps to getting an autograph through the mail. These steps work for movie stars, TV personalities, sports athletes, etc. If you aren't able to go to TV Show Live Tapings, Fan Days, conventions, etc, to meet your favorite entertainer. Then getting an autograph through the mail is a nice alternative, and its fairly easy. Lets use my most recent success as an example.

Step 1) Decide who you want an autograph from and find their fan mail address

There are several online databases that have celebrity fan mail addresses. Some require a monthly fee but I prefer not to pay. The best FREE celebrity address database is Fanmail.biz, and is the one I use. No sign up is required.

If you don't mind receiving a pre-printed autograph, there is a great little fan mail organization called Studio Fan Mail. Celebrities supply them with pre-printed autographs to be sent out to fans. Unfortunetly they don't supply a list of available photos, so you may have to search around the web for a list from other people who have used the service. To receive a pre-printed autographed photo of your favorite celebrity, just send a short email message with your request and mailing address to celebrityname@studiofanmail.com. (example-- kaleycuoco@studiofanmail.com)

If writing to a sports team you aren't sending a trading card or specific photo to be autographed, you may find it easier to send your autograph request via email. Most sports teams have a well maintained fan mail and email accounts. To write to a sports team, find their home page online, got to their Fan page or Contact Page. You'll often find a couple addresses to choose from, an email for general fan letters and a snail mail for special autograph requests.

I wrote to the Milwaukee bucks in this example. I used there email address which is found in the contact section of their home page

Step 2) What to write:

How you write a request is far more important than what you write. A short request letter or email written with sincerity is far more likely to get a reply than a long drawn out letter about how much you "love" them.

The best request letter or email will include these: Let them know your a fan, tell them your favorite movie, TVshow or game AND why its your favorite. Make your request for an autograph, photo, or if writing a sports team you can request a Fan Pack (Fan Packs are usually team logo'd items like buttons, fridge magnets, schedules, posters and in some rare instances t-shirts.

If you are writing a snail mail letter and sending photos to be autographed, I strongly suggest two things. First, only send photos you are willing to never see again. Mail gets lost, and when you're a celebrity and receiving hundreds of letters a day, somethings bound to get lost or ignored. Secondly, of all those hundreds of letters they receive daily, most are asking for autographs. That's a lot of signing! So don't send more than 2 photos, more than that would appear greedy and will most likely NOT get signed.

My email to the Milwaukee Bucks was simple and to the point. I wrote that I had enjoyed a game while passing through town, and mentioned that I especially enjoyed the performance of the 'dance team', and requested an autograph

Step 3) What to mail:

If sending them a photo to be autographed, also include a stamped self addressed envelope to return the photos to you. Why should the celebrity pay to return it to you? Be sure to put enough postage on the return envelope, and put your address in the return address section too. That way if the envelope doesn't have enough postage on it, it'll still get back to you... and you'll be able to give your postage carrier any postage due.

NEVER send something you cherish, what ever you send, expect to never see again. Its not the celebrities responsibility to care for your cherished photos, memorabilia, etc. Though celebrities and there authorized agents will obviously show your items care, accidents do happen... coffee spills, fan mail gets lost, crushed.. etc. Save those cherished items for conventions when you can personally hand the item to them for an autograph.

Step 4) The Waiting Game:

Now the hard part.. you've sent your request and now you just have to wait. Be patient, it can take months to get a reply. Depending on the celebrity or team you've written to, it can take up to a year to get a response... after a year has passed, I would just consider it a failure and try again. With some celebrities you have to try several times before getting your autograph, remember most do this in their off time and signing autographs isn't a job requirement. Its just something nice they do for some of there fans. So if they want to send you an autograph they will, if they don't they won't. It shouldn't change your view of them, they have lives too, and we should all respect that.

I waited only a few weeks, and received this from the Milwaukee Bucks Dance Team.. Cool! Thank you!

McDonalds Shakes Up Fries with New Seasoned Fries - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 May 2014 21:12:00 +0000

Just when you think you've seen all that McDonalds can do with fast food, they prove that they still have a few ideas up their sleeves. Unfortunetly 'Seasoned Fries' isn't a new idea, as Burger King attempted a similar promotion a few years ago and it never 'took off'.

You get a choice of Buffalo, Ranch or Garlic Parmesan, and as cool as it might sound to have a new seasoned fry on the table, there are a couple things to consider:

1) Convenience: Where are you going to be eating these fries? Oddly enough that's a valid question. You can't just pop these in your mouth when driving home from McDonalds. Why not you ask? Because they're not ready made.... YOU MAKE THEM.

When I ordered mine, I was looking forward to trying them, when the cashier handed me my tray with a regular fries on it, I also noticed a small seasoning packet and a little paper bag. I of course inquired about the packet and was given a demonstration in how to SEASON MY OWN fries. The employee had obviously been showing a lot of customers how to do this cause he opened up the little paper bag, dumped in the fries and emptied the seasoning packet in... then SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE... and PRESTO! My normally tasty fries are now seasoned fries. Well it looked all fine when the cashier did it, but I'd like to see you do this at work or in the car. When I sat down to enjoy my fries, the woman at the next table was shaking her bag and cussing cause seasoning was coming out of the bag. She spent the next few minutes brushing herself off

2) Price: These new fries aren't cheap, and my guess is that extra money you have to dish out is to pay for the little shaker bags and seasoning packets. Here's some free marketing advise for the executives at McDonalds - In a down economy like ours is currently, you don't 'jack up' prices on your signature menu item just cause you added a seasoning other than salt. If you want to show you're customers you don't care about them, then you've totally succeeded.

I feel like I've been bitch-slapped by McDonalds. Is it just me or does it feel like they're saying, "Hey here's your fries, we don't have time to sprinkle any seasoning on them.. DO IT YOURSELF!". I worked in a hamburger joint when I was in high school. I know how they fry the fries then toss them under a warmer, shake on some salt, all to be scooped up as needed. In many fast food restaurants there's even a section under the warmer for salt less fries. Well if you're going to have a promotion for seasoned fries, at least show your customers enough respect, to season the fries for them. How hard would it be to place a small baking sheet by the warmer, someone orders seasoned fries, you toss some fries on that baking sheet, you shake on some seasoning and scoop them up. Hmm maybe that's too easy a concept for the executives at McDonalds.

The simple truth about these fries is they are just fries with some seasoning sprinkled on. If you want seasoned fries, don't pay the extra for these. Just go home and pour your fries into a plate and sprinkle on some seasoning of your own. It'll cost less AND be less messy

Oh and to be perfectly fair to McDonalds, according to the signage on the menu board, if you order a value meal, you get the season packet and shaker bag free. So you're only paying the inflated price if you buy the fries separately. BUT you STILL have to SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE em up yourself....