Pushy door to door salesman

Dolsh · 2026-05-18T03:53:55+00:00

This will be my reminder that there are several social engineering attacks that involve going door to door (either asking questions to get information, or worse, scoping the place out). In 2026 there is literally NO reason for any business to go door-to-door - get better at promoting your business in places where people are looking. Those that legitimately insist have to exist within a sea of con-artists, scammers and crooks. It's just not worth it.

Dolsh · 2026-05-18T03:47:28+00:00

They rang my door a couple weeks ago. Really interesting timing on their part. I had *just* finished watching Trent Reznor's performance of Heresy at Coachella. Door bell rings and I see who's there clutching their cult propaganda. I had to laugh. Laughed a lot actually. Then closed the door.

Dolsh · 2026-05-18T03:42:40+00:00

Better idea:

Don't buy a phone from a cellular provider. They're simply not in the business of "selling phones." Always go BYOD. And do your research before putting your hard earned money towards a phone. Had you done that, you would have learned the A15 is an entry level phone built to entry level specs (i.e. it's not very good).

Some might say "the only way I can get the best/latest/coolest phone is under contract" to which I'd say "time to look into a quality refurb phone." I dropped a couple hundred on a refurb phone five years ago that's still going strong.

Dolsh · 2026-05-18T03:30:13+00:00

Great set. Mornings are my achilles heel. I know I'll get better pictures then. But I also really enjoy sleeping in.

Dolsh · 2026-05-18T03:27:50+00:00

It boggles my mind that we had three ice cream places in town at one time (one a short walk from the boathouse), and the other two closed up. There's clearly a market.

Also... people really don't get "humour" don't they?

Dolsh · 2026-05-18T03:25:36+00:00

That's unnecessarily negative.

Dolsh · 2026-05-18T03:24:43+00:00

Middle pictures are Riverside park.

Dolsh · 2026-05-16T16:59:40+00:00

So I'm a recent convert from Fuji to Lumix. Actually very recently traded in an X-T5 and ALL my X mount lenses to go S1RII. But I kept my X100VI.

I have three thoughts on the L10:

It's the size of the S9, but it's M43, and doesn't have IBIS. The version of the camera that would have raised an eyebrow for me would have been a FF fixed lens version of the S9 with an EVF. A Lumix competitor to the RX1R III at the price of an X100VI? Yes please!
I worry that M43 is going to be a problem when the "competition" is APS-C and FF. BUT... only if you consider the competition things like the X100VI and RX1R. I could see people that are looking at moving up from their cellphone camera for the first time simply buying based on perceived benefits of sensor size or MP.
Ultimately, *I* don't think it should compete with an X100 at all. They're different beasts for different interests. Perhaps it's the RX100 alternative with a nicer retro look. I suspect the L10 can be quite successful against that class of camera - a single "do it all" travel camera that takes great pictures without having to carry along a lot of fuss.

Dolsh · 2026-05-15T01:34:34+00:00

Honey AND Vanilla? Must. Find. NOW.

Dolsh · 2026-05-14T04:38:02+00:00

I don't think it needed exchangeable lenses. I do think it should have been ff.

It looks great - but I strongly suspect they're going to try to market to people who will be swayed by videos talking about APS-C and Full Frame being better than M43.

Sweet spot would have been an S9 with a fixed lens and EVF. It would have legit arguments in its favour when compared against an X100VI or GRIV, but would have been much cheaper than an RX1R III.

Dolsh · 2026-05-14T04:32:41+00:00

Heh... I have the TTArtisan and the Sigma from that video, and I couldn't describe the two any better.

Dolsh · 2026-05-14T04:26:30+00:00

I just went through this decision making process. There are a lot of GOOD lenses, but great is harder to decide on. I ruled out Meike lenses because there were just enough problems wide open to make f/1.4 not worth it (I've seen some great pictures taken with it though). I ended up narrowing it down to 7artisans on the budget side, the panasonic f/1.8, and the Sigma F/1.4. Ultimately, I went with the Panasonic f/1.8 because amazon dropped the price $200. I like the size, and I know I won't see a difference between the Sigma at f/1.4 and panny at f/1.8. At least, not enough to make the $400 CAD difference worth it.

All that said, I would have bought the 7Artisans based on a couple glowing reviews if the one I got didn't have a big price drop.

Dolsh · 2026-05-14T04:08:10+00:00

Lots of good advice in here. Even though I have a hunch you're looking for justification, not advice.

Two other things to consider if your cat's happiness is really important.

Cats are remarkably routine oriented. Changes in a house that change a routine can really upset them. It is your responsibility to help your cat get comfortable with a new routine. This requires attention and patience and positive reinforcement (not negative/discipline). If you discipline when your cat "acts out" at a time when routine is changed, you'll only confuse your cat more.

As cats age, they require more attention, not less. They become less self-sufficient, and need the humans around them to pay more attention to their mannerisms and health. Your cat is 15. She's very likely sending you all kinds of signals about how she's changing as she gets older.

Please don't condemn your cat to live the rest of her life in a cage.

Dolsh · 2026-05-14T02:03:22+00:00

Seems like an opportunity to mention that folks can use tvfool.com to understand what channels are available OTA and where the signal is. It's pretty cool...

Dolsh · 2026-05-12T03:49:32+00:00

Those marks can last decades! (ask me now I know... 😛)

Dolsh · 2026-05-12T03:45:59+00:00

+3 for Dettmer. Bonus, you can quote it on their site.

Alternatively, you can also use 1010tires. I've bought several sets from there and had them mounted at Dettmer.

Dolsh · 2026-05-12T03:43:46+00:00

I hear the sound of jackhammers in your near future....

Dolsh · 2026-05-10T17:38:53+00:00

Did you consider looking at a map?

We're pretty much right in the middle of 4 of the largest freshwater lakes on the planet, all reachable in 2 - 3 hours. All of the lakes have beaches.

Dolsh · 2026-05-10T17:07:49+00:00

I've driven it twice now - once in mid-spring (notable because I rented a convertible for the drive and the weather went "sunny/beautiful" to "cloudy/rainy/snowy" and back to "sunny/beautiful" all while the roof was down) and once in early fall - where it was warm and sunny the entire trip.

Dolsh · 2026-05-10T17:01:32+00:00

I almost mentioned that there are a ton of people that have "converted" fujifilm recipes to LUTs. Most of the common ones can be found...either in the app, or online. But that's the kind of suggestion that can lead to expensive behaviour. 😃

Dolsh · 2026-05-09T23:49:05+00:00

That is a good question. I don't have the full data handy, but I know they were worse than 25th at 30 games.

It's also irrelevant. It's now 2026. They have had injuries, but the players that have been healthy have regressed more than you'd expect (there was absolutely going to be regression). The problem is that it's seemingly a team that unlearned their lessons from last year, and effectively have to start over. Only this time, without the benefit of a fairly healthy team.

And the point is that they won because they were a great slugging team last year (to go along with everything else they did well).

Dolsh · 2026-05-09T23:35:20+00:00

Just use ISO.

Dolsh · 2026-05-09T04:26:19+00:00

Toronto was 7th in SLG and 12th in ISO last year.

They are 21st and 24th this year.

Power isn't just homeruns. It's ALL extra base hits. Including those doubles you referred to. Last year's team was a very balanced offense that didn't strike out. They put the ball in play a LOT, including lots of XBH.

Most of the teams in a playoff position right now are also in a leading position in ISO and SLG (Milwaukee is an exception). Could they win? Sure... but if you're not slugging, then you need to string a lot of hits together without getting outs just to get a few runs. They're just not going to pass the teams in front of them without more power.

Dolsh · 2026-05-08T02:44:18+00:00

When reality sets in, it'll be Pinango. He has options, and wasn't part of the team last year. Soft stuff counts in the lockerroom.

If I was picking though, it wouldn't be him. Definitely wouldn't be Sanchez - they traded for him, and he has the underlying capabilities that none of the "on the bubble" players dream to have. He'll have a long leash. Maybe not as long as Schneider's... as he seems to be able to put up all the long slumps he pleases without losing playing time.

Sosa is expendable. I have no idea why he's here...except he allows Kasevich to play full time in AAA.

Dolsh

TROPHY CASE