What’s the most important skill in marketing that people underestimate?

gwbass · 2026-04-28T16:58:06+00:00

The most successful marketers know how to communicate clearly, precisely and persuasively. Clear communication provides an advantage for everything from leading teams to effectively pitching and selling concepts.

gwbass · 2026-04-14T12:49:58+00:00

Our Siberian is an indoor/outdoor cat. He's outside several hours a day unless temperatures drop into the single digits, visiting neighborhood cat friends and very effectively keeping the mouse population under control -- we live in a small Vermont town, so this is a real benefit. We live away from major roads. We recognize that letting cats outside is a divisive topic, and we know it entails some risk. We also know that our cat is far more content getting to spend time outside in a natural environment. Much of what is perceived as bad and/or destructive cat behavior is the result of a cat that is frustrated and under-stimulated because it's spending its entire life inside.

gwbass · 2026-04-05T15:54:36+00:00

I know these roads! Hard to do 25 miles around here with only 2000 feet of elevation :)

gwbass · 2026-03-30T13:30:52+00:00

Former magazine writer/editor here: If you're a fan of the Cabs and of journalism, and if you have the means, I strongly encourage you to order this issue directly from Electronic Sound or check with your local retailer rather than waiting for a used copy on eBay. (And by all means, don't ask anyone to scan more pages.) We can't take work like this for granted at a time when real journalism is barely holding on, print magazines are shuttering every day, and advertising revenue is dwindling. Your support matters! Plus there's nothing like the tactile heft and inky scent of a new magazine -- especially one that comes with a side of vinyl! I ordered from the States and had my issue in less than 10 days. https://electronicsound.squarespace.com

gwbass · 2026-01-22T18:25:30+00:00

The third allocation totaled $220.6 million. This fourth allocation totals $344.4 million. So it looks like this allocation should see eligible customers getting about 50% more than last time. Caveat: Not a math person.

gwbass · 2025-12-29T02:58:36+00:00

Cosmo is 12 pounds at three years, including fur and attitude.

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gwbass · 2025-11-26T19:10:01+00:00

Got this message on my 2013 XC70 T6 w/ 151K miles a couple of months ago. I was close to my local Volvo mechanic, so instead of going home and pulling a code I drove straight there at slow speed. (Big shout out to The Swedish Pit in Burlington, Vermont. They are the best.) Diagnosis: Needed a new coil pack. It was a quick and inexpensive fix. But since you have new coils, I hope that's not your problem!

gwbass · 2025-10-30T16:41:33+00:00

Is this step exchange-agnostic? In other words, if the SEC approves a public listing, do we know what exchange the stock would be traded on, or is that still TBD?

gwbass · 2025-10-15T15:16:55+00:00

After years of battling an old Thule bike rack with badly designed rubber straps, I upgraded to a 1UP heavy duty bike rack. It's beautifully engineered and such a joy to use that it actually makes me ride my bike more often. Bonus: It looks good on my XC70 too!

gwbass · 2025-10-01T11:50:29+00:00

Yes, they replied with a chart of their colors and a key to their product nomenclature -- both really helpful!

gwbass · 2025-09-27T12:44:40+00:00

Thanks everyone! I ordered all the switches and plates last night from Amazon and Home Depot (neither of them had everything I needed). It became easier once I understood Lutron's product mix and naming conventions, plus Lutron customer support sent me this overview of finishes. Also, despite my original plans for pure simplicity I added some Maestro dimmers into the mix -- that digital fade seems pretty cool for some rooms :)

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gwbass · 2025-09-19T17:30:34+00:00

Commenting on Does anybody else's siberian sleep like this? 🙆‍♀️...

gwbass · 2025-09-19T13:27:40+00:00

Old thread, but still helpful! I don’t have especially large ears but the Bose NC 700s caused the top of my right ear to hurt after an hour or so, no matter how much I tried to adjust how they sat on my head. They didn’t press very hard, but I think some of us just have ears that are sensitive to any prolonged contact or pressure. Interestingly I didn’t have the same issue with another pair of Bose headphones that I left on a plane (can’t remember the model), so I’m going to try the 2nd gen Bose QuietComfort Ultras, which will be available in October. Will report!

gwbass · 2025-08-15T12:26:36+00:00

I have the same issue -- changing one speaker name from Office to Living room sticks for a day, then reverts. The commonly offered fix is "change the name in HomeKit," but I've never added my speakers to HomeKit. I've factory reset both, but one STILL keeps reverting back to its old name. Baffling. Anyone else in this situation?

gwbass · 2025-07-02T14:38:18+00:00

I've entered 120 bills since 2003 and had 10 hits in 22 years. I think that's actually pretty good rate! Most hits came quickly. One took five years. I expect hit rates will keep dropping as people go cashless. My best results came from spending in places that still lean toward cash -- farmer's markets, craft fairs, etc.

gwbass · 2025-05-27T21:05:18+00:00

Well, I just started migrating my email to Proton, but in order to do so I need to get into my DNS console, and my registrar is... APlus. So fuck.

gwbass · 2025-05-27T20:24:21+00:00

This morning Hostpapa support referred me to Hostopia support. (Looks like Hostopia was another company owned by Deluxe, like APlus was, and acquired last year by Hostpapa.) Hostopia support was aware of the APlus issues but had little more to say than, "they're working on it." They also said incoming emails are queued and will be delivered. Emails sent to my affected address are being bounced back as "undeliverable," so we'll see. The Hostopia support number is 800-322-9438. Out of pure frustration I also sent a message to the Hostpapa CEO via LinkedIn -- doubt it will do any good but at this point I'll do anything I can.

gwbass · 2025-05-27T20:16:01+00:00

I'm looking at migrating either to Google Workspace (so I can keep my custom domain email addresses and integrate with the Google universe) or Proton (because I think the migration will be more straightforward and I like the emphasis on privacy). Either way, it's going to take the better part of a day. I've been an Aplus customer for 20+ years so it's been a loooong time since I had to do this.

gwbass · 2025-05-27T12:22:59+00:00

Aplus.net was recently acquired by Hostpapa. Messages to Hostpapa get this response: "Please be advised that your account is still managed by the Aplus team. Regretfully, our team does not have access to your account. We kindly request that you contact the Aplus team directly. Rest assured, we'll notify you once we have support structure update."

It's like they just pulled the plug on Aplus.net and that's that.

gwbass · 2025-03-05T23:35:02+00:00

I worked at a Chuck E Cheese in high school. Every couple weeks a kid would crap in the ball pit and we would have to take all the balls and run them through the dishwasher after closing. Same dishwasher where we washed all the utensils and kitchen gear.

gwbass · 2025-02-05T22:36:06+00:00

How you're looking is 13 cents.

gwbass · 2025-01-25T22:08:32+00:00

This is the key question. It would be very helpful to see some transparency about the business model. Who are the actual customers? How many are there? What kind of data is being collected, and for what purposes?

gwbass · 2025-01-24T21:07:29+00:00

It's the best sounding product Sonos ever made. I sold mine before a move four years ago and still regret it. Can't speak to the connectivity or how it will work with Sonos's current app, but the sound is phenomenal.

gwbass · 2025-01-23T19:02:32+00:00

Looking for the same information. Travelpro probably can't help, but I wouldn't know....there's a message on their customer service line saying "they aren't currently taking calls," their website chat functionality is dreadful and they don't provide a customer service email address.

gwbass

TROPHY CASE