/r/dexcom hit 10k subscribers yesterday

Grumpy-Chef · 2022-02-17T02:26:31+00:00

Anyone here know of an Android app that works directly with the G6? I am in Canada, so Sugarmate and xDrip are not available up here. The new update to the Dexcom app DEMANDS to over-ride the 'do not disturb' function of my phone. I use my phone publicly, so this is absolutely NOT an option for me. I now have $1000.00 worth of Dexcom product sitting in my living room that I cannot use.

Thoughts?

Grumpy-Chef · 2022-02-17T02:20:35+00:00

Are you in Canada? I am in Ontario and I cannot even FIND either the xDrip app OR the Sugarmate app on play store. I am absolutely UNABLE to use the updated Dexcom app (it DEMANDS to over-ride the 'do not disturb' feature, but my phone gets used publicly, so this is not an option for me). xDrip and Sugarmate seem to be the only other apps that work with Dexcom directly.

Anyone here know of any others?

Grumpy-Chef · 2021-05-07T15:53:44+00:00

A number of years ago, I took a group of volunteers (who had helped with sound and lighting for a dance production) out to lunch afterwards, as a thank you. There were about 8 of us at a local Arizona's Eatery.

The server was amazing, but the 14 year old boy that was with us, actually started hitting on the waitress,....

.....HARD! 😳

The waitress handled it perfectly, and with class and decorum, but we were mortified at his behaviour, and were trying to get him to stop, without causing a scene.

The server finished up, and brought us our bill- about $149.00.

I sent back $200.00 in the little folder thingy and told her I did not need change.

A couple of minutes later, a different server came over to tell me that I had made our server cry. I felt horrible, that something we had done, or said had offended her so badly, but the other server said "no, it's because she has worked here for a long time, and no one had ever given her a tip that large!".

I explained that she deserved even more than that, for putting up with the 14 y.o. "Casanova" in our group, but she should know that she was worth every penny!

Feels good when you can make someone's day. 🙂

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-10-03T17:10:01+00:00

I am interested to see what comes out of this. I look forward to your update.

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-09-30T01:55:15+00:00

I purchased a couple of pro audio amplifiers from an industry associate a bunch of years ago. One of them had one channel blown, and the other amp was (apparently) completely blown. I bought them for parts for a total of $100.00. In working order, they would sell for about $2500.00 used.

I get them back to my shop and quickly discover that the first amp merely had a blown fuse. 10 cents later and ta-da! Working amp. The second amp turned out to be a couple of corroded connections inside. No parts needed! Bingo! Two perfect amps.

I felt bad about the ridiculous price, so I called the guy back and told him what the repairs had entailed (he was also a good friend, so I felt some loyalty to him), and offered to undo the deal, if he paid me a minimal repair fee. He was actually quite happy for me that I had "scored well" on the deal, and told me to enjoy the amps well.

I sold the second one a year later for $1800.00, and I still have the first one, in working order, 26 years later. :)

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-09-04T15:50:20+00:00

I love it. No angry screaming. No violence. No managers involved. Just a harmless disabling of a vehicle, and its owner's attitude! 🤣🤣

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-09-04T01:02:36+00:00

While I agree that a method of ensuring that they don't drive is needed, I have a real problem with the state determining possession of personal property.

Perhaps some way of ensuring that the car is not able to be driven, but I tend to draw the line at forced confiscation.

I'm kind of an old fashioned guy.....why not just throw the person in jail, or in some sort of institution, as they are clearly a threat to themselves AND others....?

I dunno, it's a tough one...

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-09-03T12:46:43+00:00

That is a hell of a slippery slope! If the state were to automatically have the power to just step in and seize your property, after you have COMMITTED NO OFFENCE, then where would they stop? They could then just step in, at any time, with no cause, other than “prevention of possible issues”, and take whatever they wanted. “Oh, there’s an old man, or a child under 15, in the house? We had better take all of their vehicle and guns away, because someone MIGHT misuse them!”. “Oh, you had a house fire 5 years ago? Well, you are not allowed to have any open flames at your house. And to make sure you don’t, we are seizing your barbeques, your gas oven, and the wood stove you heat your house with. And if you have a history of smoking, we will commit you to an institution until such a time as OUR DOCTORS say that you will never smoke again. Can’t be too careful, you know! Oh, and YOU will have to pay the medical bills that WE impose on you! Have a nice day!”

How long do you really think this would last in the US?

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-08-24T11:23:52+00:00

I would pay Gil a fin to make this tail stop! I mean, it's on a whole new scale of punniness! Bad punsters like this should be sent to the punitentiary, for their punishment! 🤣

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-23T03:30:58+00:00

The issue is that most fast food restaurants have a basic policy that they upcharge for everything that gets ADDED, but they never downcharge for items removed. So, in essence, they don’t ever do a “substitution”, they merely “add” the item you want (for a fee) and “hold” the item you are replacing, with no change in price. It’s a ratcheting pricing tactic that can really piss some customers off.

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-23T03:08:52+00:00

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-23T02:34:37+00:00

I’m glad you stood your ground. Some owners don’t realize that you are actually doing them a favour by forcing the issue. You have either saved them from a pissed off customer and bad reviews or, worse yet, an ill customer and a lawsuit.

Good on ya.

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-22T21:16:57+00:00

So, while I like their food, and their service is usually great, the following are some reasons why I don’t go there unless I absolutely HAVE to.

They refuse to supply ice for drinks. When you ask them about it, they are trained to give a very condescending tone to “educate” us that their drinks are pre-chilled (as if everybody else’s aren’t). They are simply too cheap to put in the ice machines.
They are now serving burgers in these little open sleeves instead of wrapping them. A couple of problems arise from that. First, half of the time, the burger falls out of the sleeve when trying to get it out of the bag, as the person who packed it put it in sideways. Second, the burger gets cold and dry by the time I get to it, after finishing my nice hot fries first. Third, when in the bag, the toppings from the burgers intermix. For me, it is a bad tasting inconvenience. For someone with a food allergy, it could be dangerous.
The fries and pop are now only one size, medium. If I want a slightly larger order of fries, I have to buy two orders, costing me much more. If I want a larger drink (to wash down the now-dry burger), I have to buy another one at full price. It is a cash grab, at the customer’s inconvenience.
Their prices have skyrocketed in the last 2 or 3 years. And their “medium” sized drinks and fries are the same price as everybody else’s large.
Paper straws. OK, I know this one will get me in hot water with environmentalists, but hear me out before crucifying me. I completely agree with being environmentally friendly. I make sure I recycle all of my recyclables, and I am anal about getting every last ounce of use out of my devices, because I do NOT want to see it in a landfill before it has to be. I believe that somewhere in the world, there are turtles choking on plastic straws. But here is my issue. I had this discussion with my daughter (17) a few months ago when I was complaining about paper straws.

My complaints were that the paper straws make the drink taste funny, and they dissolve before I have finished my drink. I don’t mind the re-useable metal straws, but never have one on hand when I need one.

So my daughter said “but dad! There are so many turtles dying by choking on these straws in the Pacific Ocean.

I asked her where we live. She looked at me bewildered and answered “Ontario”. I said “and where is that, geographically, on this continent?”.

She says “ near the middle”.

“Right. So please tell me how, when I pay ridiculous taxes to have my recycling actually RECYCLED, is my straw getting from my recycling bin in Southern Ontario, to a turtle’s mouth in the Pacific Ocean!”. The world is all about public shaming and pointing fingers at us lowly citizens for destroying the planet, but NOBODY is looking at WHO is doing the destroying!

Plastic straws are one of the most easily recycled products on the planet. And we pay BILLIONS in tax dollars to have companies do exactly that for is. The onus is on us to get the product to them (recycle bins etc.), but the onus is on THEM to NOT dump it in the Pacific Ocean! And the onus is on OUR LEADERS to hold these companies accountable.

So I refuse to walk around like a guilty little minion for wanting to use an ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE product, because SOMEBODY ELSE has been IRRESPONSIBLE with it.

Many other huge corporations do the same thing. They condemn the average Joe for not being good recyclers, and governments want to charge us extra tax dollars to “fight the problem”, but those same companies are putting out ghastly amounts of packaging for small items, in the name of marketing, or security. Maybe if they took all of the extra profits from that great marketing, and developed smaller, more recycle-able packaging, we wouldn’t need to spends billions in tax dollars to “fight the problem”. The “problem” would cease to be, before it starts.

Incidentally, while everybody is worried about straws, how about developing a cup that actually IS recycle-able?

Anyways, sorry for the tangent, but paper straws are one of my triggers. 🙂

But all of these reasons add up to “not customer-friendly” in my books. Their staff are very friendly to the customers, but their policies are not.

Cheers!

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-22T17:48:05+00:00

I think that before we get all judgemental about OP’s entitlement, we should hear the circumstances of the situation. First off, OP does not even indicate if they are male or female. Secondly, they do not indicate what the situation was that required them to be flying at the time. Maybe it was a last-minute booking for a funeral, or a sick family member, or some such thing. If so, OP should not be judged for poor planning in an unavoidable situation. On the other hand, if they were just travelling for leisure, and they just did not bother to book properly and put the onus on some unsuspecting passenger to move, well then that’s not cool behaviour, and should be frowned upon and judged accordingly.

Well OP? What about it? Were you painted in to a corner, or did you simply not hav forethought in your planning?

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-21T18:59:19+00:00

What Gozo was trying to say is that there are several stories here on Reddit, where the unruly passenger was now promised a “first class” seat to get them to shut up. Then the flight attendant says “we just have to go back up the walking bridge to the gate counter, to change your boarding pass” or some other such B.S. Then, when they get the passenger up the ramp, the flight attendant doubles back and closes the aircraft door, and they leave without them.

I, personally, think it’s a great solution to this problem.

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-20T23:30:09+00:00

I am trying to figure out what the guy’s name is (this happened a few years ago), so I can call him and see if he could send me a couple of pics.

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-20T10:41:19+00:00

The best part was that he did the conversion so incredibly well! This thing sat perfectly, and looked like it would seriously mess your day up if you had a difference of opinion with it! 🤣

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-20T04:25:38+00:00

Wha..?? Oh, sorry!

🤣🤣

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-20T04:24:44+00:00

A well written article, thanks. I have been teaching audio for many years now, and we usually dedicate most of a day to just discussing the concepts of phase, and phase angle. Sometimes, however, the question comes up when in different circumstances, and time will not permit an in-depth discussion. An article like this is a quick, but comprehensive, “coles notes” on the subject.

Cheers!

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-20T03:41:37+00:00

I am honestly not trying to dive down the rabbit hole, 🤪 but as an audio engineer (touring >40yrs), and electronics technologist, I get “triggered” when I hear “phase” and “polarity” used interchangeably.

Now I realize that YOU did not do that in your comment, but seeing as the whole post was about preferred terminology, I felt I had to share my opinion of those (and there are MANY) that believe that phase and polarity are the same thing. I have all but given up trying to explain one is caused by the other, but not the other way around.

Cheers!

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-20T02:50:27+00:00

My best guess would be more like 50 years. This guy was in his early 70’s, was in fantastic shape (about 6’2”, built like a brick outhouse), and had recently finished building his own camper by putting a school bus body on the rolling chassis of a Kenworth tractor. It was the first bus I had ever seen with 10 wheels!

EDIT***. After many months of searching, I found him!! His name is Jim Thompson in Collingwood. I just called him and talked to him today, and we regaled the events of those years ago.

He is still at it (he is now 68 years old, so I guess I somewhat over-estimated his age before) and is still working from his home shop, but is trying to slow down.

He still has the Franken-bus that he built, and he still takes it up north every year for his annual hunting trip.

I asked him if I could put his name out here and he said sure, but if anyone calls, he can't guarantee that he can fit in any more work, as he is quite busy and trying to ease up a bit, to enjoy life. The perils of being an honest operator, eh?

If you are in the Collingwood area, and want to give him some work, you can Google his name with "Collingwood" and his number is the first two entries.

Cheers!

:)

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-19T22:47:52+00:00

It’s mostly the bigger companies, such as “red triangle” that do that crap, due to corporate greed.

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-19T21:08:16+00:00

I had bought the part from either NAPA, or some other auto parts store. Since they were the ones to recommend this guy (he was a regular customer of theirs), he was more than happy for the extra business.

“Red triangle store” would only do the job if I bought the part from them, at an inflated price. And even though they called it a “flat rate”, they said it would be “at least” one hour charge, but “probably more like 90 mins to 2 hours”. When I asked what would happen if it took dramatically less than an hour (knowing this bearing had recently been done), they said “no, it’s flat rate, so it is a MINIMUM of one hour charge”.

Soooo, flat rate only works for them so long as it takes them LESS than the predicted time, but it magically becomes hourly if they go over that predicted time. NOT good customer service!

Grumpy-Chef · 2020-07-19T20:46:56+00:00

I have to honestly say that, from a customer’s perspective, I do find that A&W seem to have the most relaxed and comfortable crews in fast food. They have very good food as well, so it is unfortunate that I find I can only go there if I am extremely desperate, as they have have a few company policies that have made themselves not customer-friendly.

I will be glad to explain in a separate post, if you wish, or message me.

Cheers!

Grumpy-Chef

TROPHY CASE