Random observations from your day

[DirtDawg]

Working cats. Something I haven't heard of.

My grandfather kept "working cats."  He would throw a fit if one of us kids tried to pet his cats. They were for keeping pests out of his barn storage.
Never feed them, never pet them, never touch them, never call them, just leave them be. They knew what to do unless you start giving them free food. They would keep the barns free from rats and even 'possums and weasels.
Even weasels do not want to fight with a small cat that has been hungry most of its life.


Seems cruel these days, but it was just fine in his day to do that.

We can not apply modern pussified standards to the old proven ways!
He had a dozen or more wild cats patrolling his barns. It was OK to do that when he farmed the land.

[Charlotte Quin]

They call them 'barn cats'.

[Parts]

They call them barn cats here also.  Somehow I think if I asked at a shelter for something like that around here I'd get put on a list and never be able to get a pet from a shelter again.

[Genesis]

Why do I attract stupid people?

[DirtDawg]

Why do I attract stupid people?

It could be because you're smart.
Hungry dogs always chase better hunters, if for no other reason than to pick up leavings which have had the best pieces chewed on already. Good enough for them and probably better than they could do on thier own.

Another point is that the proverbial stupid person often knows where to find "smarts" but are just too lazy to carry their own with them.
 

[renaeden]

We have a local stray that's built like a bulldog adopt us. He's killed quite a few mice and even a rat. He stays outside and we set him up a place to sleep and we give him some food and water. Ever since the condition of his coat has improved by leaps and bounds. The kids named him Pretzel. He even lets us pat him and everything now.

Our cat Kira was a stray kitten.

[Phlexor]

We have a local stray that's built like a bulldog adopt us. He's killed quite a few mice and even a rat. He stays outside and we set him up a place to sleep and we give him some food and water. Ever since the condition of his coat has improved by leaps and bounds. The kids named him Pretzel. He even lets us pat him and everything now.

Our cat Kira was a stray kitten.

Our eldest cat (Zoom, tuxedo cat) was found in a street gutter when we were picking up one of our sons from high school about 6 years ago, and our other was from a friend of my wifes that was from a litter bred for farm work (and is a black manx, so no tail, only a nubbin).

[odeon]

odeon, I've had my Huawei Nova 3i since 2018 and it's still fine and takes good photos (some are in the cat thread). I haven't dropped it so the screen is still fine too.

The phone company I'm with has sent me a couple of emails saying I'm due for an upgrade but all their suggestions are either Samsung or Apple. I don't want either so I don't know what to get.

Why switch if you're happy with your current one? I'd say wait until its battery no longer charges properly and then see what's available. Phone companies need to sell you new stuff every few years. That's how they earn a living.

I'd go with a Pixel, me, but that's just me.

[odeon]

I set them about a half inch apart with solid spacing, clamped the baffles together facing each other, out of phase with each other, wrapped them in many layers of bubble wrap, covered the whole thing in shipping blankets, big box on top with bricks to keep the sound down from outside and I have had them playing bass heavy content for over a week straight.

Out of phase, so that as one receeds the other pushes it farther, and vice versa. Getting them loosened up and closer to advertised specification. Old Pro trick for faster break in.

Interesting. Does that really help break-in?

[DirtDawg]

I set them about a half inch apart with solid spacing, clamped the baffles together facing each other, out of phase with each other, wrapped them in many layers of bubble wrap, covered the whole thing in shipping blankets, big box on top with bricks to keep the sound down from outside and I have had them playing bass heavy content for over a week straight.

Out of phase, so that as one recedes the other pushes it farther, and vice versa. Getting them loosened up and closer to advertised specification. Old Pro trick for faster break in.

Interesting. Does that really help break-in?

Oh, yeah!

You just need to get them to move to settle the compliance and suspension characteristics. Placing them out of phase and facing each other takes about ten or twelve dB from the escaping sound, at least.
Obviously, even more dB cancellation at the lower frequencies that can travel through walls.

It is mainly a way to have them play for days on end with less of an impact to a living space. And yes, if they are facing each other out of phase, one pushes the other farther (isobarically) than the original signal made it travel because that driver receding is loaded very heavily from the front and the reverse happens on the next swing of the alternating signal.
There is some benefit in shaving the time it takes to loosen them up at first.
The bubble pack and blankets (what ever you have on hand) add some to the driver loading as well as keeping the escaping sound down some.

Checking Fs (obviously Vas and Q change as well) occasionally will verify your results.

[DirtDawg]

odeon, I've had my Huawei Nova 3i since 2018 and it's still fine and takes good photos (some are in the cat thread). I haven't dropped it so the screen is still fine too.

The phone company I'm with has sent me a couple of emails saying I'm due for an upgrade but all their suggestions are either Samsung or Apple. I don't want either so I don't know what to get.

Why switch if you're happy with your current one? I'd say wait until its battery no longer charges properly and then see what's available. Phone companies need to sell you new stuff every few years. That's how they earn a living.

I'd go with a Pixel, me, but that's just me.

That's the thing with our phones (Samsung G960). They are old now, but work great and even the batteries are still healthy.

I see no reason to switch.
The carrier, however has pisssed me off a bit.
We were with Sprint and since T-Mobile bought them our rates have doubled. Literally doubled.
I'm shopping carriers, but they all want to put me in their brand new phone.
I really do not need a new phone.

Believe it or not, the Sony Ericsson phones I got about fifteen years ago still work fine. I charge them every other month or so, but they live in our cars, turned off, as emergency devices.
911 always works on any device capable!

[Gopher Gary]

911 always works on any device capable!

But is the device still capable?    Sugarbutt had an old tracfone he only used for outgoing calls while away from home that was also about fifteen years old. He had no choice but to upgrade when 5G came into play.

[DirtDawg]

Not sure about elsewhere, but here the 3G and 4G networks are still active.

There are places when we venture into the heavily wooded areas where I can only get an outdated 3G signal. My old Samsung phone notifies me of this and offers a detailed display of various signal strength issues if I want.
I usually just want to play my game out away from people and even 3G works fine for that.

Our sheriff station has a special number and even a broadcast for radios where you can call or tune in and test the effectiveness of your emergency devices that does not interfere with 911 services.
I'll bet yours does, too.
It's America, after all. I love my country!

[Genesis]

I really want to take this job... but I'm uneasy about it because of the public transportation being "meh"

[Gopher Gary]

Not sure about elsewhere, but here the 3G and 4G networks are still active.

There are places when we venture into the heavily wooded areas where I can only get an outdated 3G signal. My old Samsung phone notifies me of this and offers a detailed display of various signal strength issues if I want.
I usually just want to play my game out away from people and even 3G works fine for that.

Our sheriff station has a special number and even a broadcast for radios where you can call or tune in and test the effectiveness of your emergency devices that does not interfere with 911 services.
I'll bet yours does, too.
It's America, after all. I love my country!

I think 3g has been gone around here for some months. I read it's planned to be completely shut down by the end of year, but I don't know if the plan is a reality.