tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.comments2024-03-06T06:19:38.031-08:00wmtclaura khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comBlogger13079125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-15748170427872937702024-03-06T06:08:09.107-08:002024-03-06T06:08:09.107-08:00Thanks! Thanks! Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15720293202890878993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-88940824907059717332024-03-06T06:07:42.403-08:002024-03-06T06:07:42.403-08:00Ah, that makes more sense. But still seems somehow...Ah, that makes more sense. But still seems somehow wrong since it wasn't your fault the house had Poly-B installed. <br /><br />There is a similar sort of thing going on in MA/CT where a quarry used by major contractors in the early 2000s to make concrete for foundations had faulty material, causing foundations to crack and fail in houses built in those years. The house we used to own used one of those contractors, and some of the foundations in that development have started to show cracks. (Ours did not---at least not at the time we sold it.) And I am not sure what insurance companies are doing when people make claims...maybe also denying those claims. I know CT passed legislation providing for a fund for people who make those claims, so perhaps insurance was not covering them.<br /><br /><br /><br />Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15720293202890878993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-15136878255470148762024-03-06T06:02:07.724-08:002024-03-06T06:02:07.724-08:00It's suitable for both. The 8th grader might f...It's suitable for both. The 8th grader might find it more relateable, as it's a middle-school story, but it's suitable for kids of any age.laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-86730339385700442862024-03-06T05:56:39.361-08:002024-03-06T05:56:39.361-08:00Amy, thank you! We did none of it ourselves (see a...Amy, thank you! We did none of it ourselves (see above). <br /><br />Also, we didn't submit a claim or try to get our insurance to cover any of this. I was referring to potential future claims, had we not replaced the pipes. If pipes burst, and the insurance inspector sees Poly-B, they will not pay, and could drop your coverage until the Poly-B is removed and replaced.laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-29205921694280532572024-03-06T04:44:54.408-08:002024-03-06T04:44:54.408-08:00This book sounds great for both of my grandchildre...This book sounds great for both of my grandchildren. One is in 4th grade, the other in 8th. Which would you think it is more suitable for? A 9 year old or a 13 year old?Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15720293202890878993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-87252713549784919122024-03-06T04:43:31.936-08:002024-03-06T04:43:31.936-08:00I can't believe home owners' insurance com...I can't believe home owners' insurance companies refuse to cover this. <br /><br />The colors look great! We are all muted and neutral colors, but your colors make me wonder if we should be more willing to take a risk next time we decide to paint. Did you do all this painting yourself??Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15720293202890878993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-69398397599656595142024-03-05T12:20:34.200-08:002024-03-05T12:20:34.200-08:00Replaced with... I don't actually know. Defini...Replaced with... I don't actually know. Definitely not copper. Some type of plastic, whatever is standard now.laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-20614888128681510102024-03-05T11:28:51.375-08:002024-03-05T11:28:51.375-08:00So you replaced poly B with what exactly? Or did I...So you replaced poly B with what exactly? Or did I miss it?<br />back to copper maybe? Or better poly?(is there such a thing ?)<br />Got a call into my broker to get a reading. The plastic I have is frost repair and frost free hose add on so not a big deal but the voiding of insurance because of it is pretty harsh tho considering the mercenary merchants of fear ...just about right.`lungtahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06526204597913219959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-50068517600928633512024-02-13T05:56:17.509-08:002024-02-13T05:56:17.509-08:00(And in keeping with your thesis about how this in...<i>(And in keeping with your thesis about how this intersects with privilege, the older your device is, the more likely it is to get messed up by installing new apps)</i><br /><br />Yes! I frequently hear people (customers and casual staff) say they can't do something because their phone is too old. Being able to upgrade tech as needed is definitely a function of privilege.laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-73671739104619454462024-02-12T16:04:11.748-08:002024-02-12T16:04:11.748-08:00On top of everything else, I find that about 25% o...On top of everything else, I find that about 25% of the time that I install an app, it messes something else up. It makes things freeze or changes some settings I was previously unaware of or messes with the functionality of another app - so I'm very reluctant to do that for something that should be doable in-browser!<br /><br />(And in keeping with your thesis about how this intersects with privilege, the older your device is, the more likely it is to get messed up by installing new apps)impudent strumpethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05599784976599854538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-35167897725196018522024-02-04T05:57:23.344-08:002024-02-04T05:57:23.344-08:00Thank you Lorne -- for reading and for your commen...Thank you Lorne -- for reading and for your comments when you are moved to do so. I appreciate your support.laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-76656790611718120192024-02-03T17:00:15.580-08:002024-02-03T17:00:15.580-08:00I always enjoy reading your blog, even though I se...I always enjoy reading your blog, even though I seldom comment. I think that in life, there is an ebb and a flow, and we need to regularly reassess. That you still have passion for the things you articulate speaks well of you; it is when people just turn their backs entirely on life and issues that one needs to worry.<br /><br />You will find your balance, and, of course, your first commitment must always be to yourself and your loved ones.Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04621520689148063000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-89780562696775100952024-01-30T05:37:57.358-08:002024-01-30T05:37:57.358-08:00Your examples are exactly what I meant by this wid...Your examples are exactly what I meant by this wider awareness. laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-34201770743128661072024-01-29T16:00:35.031-08:002024-01-29T16:00:35.031-08:00I've been thinking along these lines lately fr...I've been thinking along these lines lately from a more materialistic perspective.<br /><br />I grew up with a narrative that capitalism is what enables us to have nice things, often contrasting my family's experience in Soviet-occupied Poland lining up for food vs. their experience in Canada with food and all other commercial products available in abundance.<br /><br />But in recent years I've been noticing more and more situations where capitalism is getting in the way of us having nice things. Things like perfectly useful businesses closing because private equity bought them out and saddled them with debt, or because the financialization of real estate is driving up their rent. Or the enshittification of search and ecommerce obstructing my attempts to find the actual products I want to buy. Or that time there was a massive baby formula shortage because the company did a stock market thingy and had no money left to maintain their factory. <br /><br />More and more, capitalism seems to be getting in the way of people's ability to use money to buy nice things even if they do have money. Which is significant because that has always been its selling point for regular people.impudent strumpethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05599784976599854538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-28894360987095951592024-01-26T07:36:48.540-08:002024-01-26T07:36:48.540-08:00I replaced the image in this post with an actual p...I replaced the image in this post with an actual pic of my tuna salad. <br /><br />Fun fact: I eat this for breakfast. laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-87312262827417511932024-01-26T07:08:37.555-08:002024-01-26T07:08:37.555-08:00Dogs are great at 'backing up' cues.
We h...<i>Dogs are great at 'backing up' cues.</i><br /><br />We have more examples of this than I can possibly list. It seems that more pile up each day! <br /><br />A loooong time ago (our first dog), I would finish a bowl of cereal, then put the plastic bowl on the floor for Gypsy to finish the milk. She started reacting to the sound of the spoon in the almost-finished cereal. Then to when I started to eat the cereal. Then to the milk being poured. Then to the cereal being poured. Then finally to just touching the box of cereal. That's when I realized something about dogs and stopped putting the bowl on the floor.laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-87304756358669850592024-01-26T06:10:39.369-08:002024-01-26T06:10:39.369-08:00Remoulade IMO is pretty much whatever you want to ...Remoulade IMO is pretty much whatever you want to make it--which is to say mine is never the same twice. Mine nowadays is usually some version of mayo, sweet coleslaw dressing, mustard relish, sweet pepper relish, capers, anchovies or anchovy paste, horseradish or wasabi, lemon juice, dijon or Colman's mustard, and whatever else my eye lights on....<br /><br />"I hear quick little footsteps...."<br /><br />Dogs are great at 'backing up' cues. If I turn off the desklamp over my computer, they come running over! They are way too sophisticated to wait for the donning of boots, the door opening, etc. Snap that light switch and it's all: "We're going out, right, boss, right now, let's go!" I might simply want to head into the kitchen to make remoulade or something, but, nooo, they demand accommodation. Sometimes I sit frozen at the computer--not eager to go out, but knowing that if I even twitch, all hell breaks loose.johngoldfinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09322562737172405323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-85415720973187573672024-01-25T20:35:40.473-08:002024-01-25T20:35:40.473-08:00Sweet! I go one better and let them lick out the c...Sweet! I go one better and let them lick out the cans. Kai doesn't even wait for the can opener. When I start taking the cans out of the little cardboard box (a three-pack of cans), I hear quick little footsteps. <br /><br />Is it really remoulade? I think of remoulade as being spicy or at least garlicky. laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-2441048548532608282024-01-25T20:29:40.248-08:002024-01-25T20:29:40.248-08:00Chef's tip: my dogs love the water the tuna is...Chef's tip: my dogs love the water the tuna is packed in and come a-runnin' when I unlimber the can opener.<br /><br />Your old-version remoulade sauce sounds a lot like mine. I've been adding capers and anchovy paste recently for serious decadence.johngoldfinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09322562737172405323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-49928017886915708882024-01-15T20:51:20.091-08:002024-01-15T20:51:20.091-08:00Cookie also has a boyfriend: Kevin, a large German...Cookie also has a boyfriend: Kevin, a large German Shepherd who lives down the street. She has admires him only from afar to this point. (Kai's boyfriend is me, of course.)<br /><br />Best book I read in 2023. <i>By far</i>. I read several fascinating books last year (the long, meandering history of alphabetical order, for example), but this call wasn't close.allanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673233312198832937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-5161433755555116212024-01-09T19:00:32.147-08:002024-01-09T19:00:32.147-08:00Wow, how cool! The barn is almost the only set in ...Wow, how cool! The barn is almost the only set in the movie. laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-41341922173050617182024-01-09T09:30:45.386-08:002024-01-09T09:30:45.386-08:00Fun fact: my brother designed the barn in Women Ta...Fun fact: my brother designed the barn in Women Talking.James Redekophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05833355144832388008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-36638856127066834322024-01-08T09:33:17.910-08:002024-01-08T09:33:17.910-08:00I bought a Heys Suitcase 3 months ago. The thread...I bought a Heys Suitcase 3 months ago. The threading became loose. I provided pictures etc, to Heys and they asked that I drop off the suitcase in Mississauga. I live 50KM away. They should pick up the suitcase or replace it, I don't want it repaired. They need to stand by their warranty. Heys customer service and their products sucks! I look forward to their response. Anand Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11597130186952061275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-6700005503296759022024-01-08T09:31:30.213-08:002024-01-08T09:31:30.213-08:003 months after I bought my Heys Suitcase, the thre...3 months after I bought my Heys Suitcase, the threading came off. I contacted Heys and submitted all information including pictures etc. They want me to drop the suitcase in Mississauga. I wanted to know what would I use in the meantime as I travel frequently. I told them that they need to come and pick up the suitcase and provide a replacement (new). Or simply give me a new one. I have been waiting for the last week, no response. Heys - it seems as if your customer service sucks. If you respond here, I will happily provide further responses. Please stand by your warranty!Anand Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11597130186952061275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7593664.post-49890427045901320062023-12-22T07:04:54.075-08:002023-12-22T07:04:54.075-08:00Thanks for the list; several of the books on it I ...Thanks for the list; several of the books on it I have read. Allow me to suggest one for your consideration: The North Star: Canada and the Civil War Plots Against Lincoln, by Julian Sher I was amazed to read about the extensive role Canada played in the Confederate cause. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/672140/the-north-star-by-julian-sher/9781039000292Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04621520689148063000noreply@blogger.com