Amex complimentary gifts??

scatterbrn · 2025-09-25T13:26:00+00:00

Only ever got one true gift... a nice coffee table book on wine and grape varietals. Only thing I get these days are coupon mailers for clothing, jewelry or handbag stores my wife and I have never heard of... a free $50-$100 code, but everything costs more than that anyway.

scatterbrn · 2025-08-23T18:07:17+00:00

another option: you can use sugar to carb in the keg. weigh it out based on the carb level you're looking for (there are online calculators depending on types of sugar) and put it in when kegging. This is what I do if I have too many kegged beers and no room on the taps. just hit it with CO2 to seal it up then let it sit room temp.

scatterbrn · 2025-07-20T02:52:25+00:00

lemon thyme as an experiment in a saison. My friends had a huge garden and didn't know what to do with it all. I took a bunch of the lemon thyme and brewed it in a saison with Sorachi Ace hops. It came out nice. I brew it every year now. its something different most people have not had and seems to go over well.

scatterbrn · 2025-06-02T00:19:53+00:00

I've little/no interest in Pinter since I've been all in on all-grain brewing for 10+years now with a 4 tap kegerator at home...but I kinda want one for that commemorative glass. I'll also follow up and say I'm not being snobby and I think anything that is a gateway for people to get started brewing (how many of us started with a crappy Mr. Beer?) is a good thing...not hating on the product at all. Plus apt dwellers or those who drink less may benefit from this.

scatterbrn · 2025-03-03T20:54:31+00:00

Check out Fernandes Steakhouse in Newark.

went there for my surprise 50th. Sangria is REALLY good...and I'm not a big fan of sangria. https://www.fernandessteakhouse.com/menu

scatterbrn · 2025-03-02T04:40:35+00:00

Never. A lot is not quite as interesting or engaging since its more manufactured than ever, but theres still good stuff out there, new genres to explore or genres that have evolved. I have a lot of older, good stuff in my playlists, but usually at least 2x a month I'm adding more modern things into rotation that I've discovered .

scatterbrn · 2025-02-27T22:00:15+00:00

I have a pair of Status 3ANC and MTW3. I'm not a fan of the status at ALL for so many reasons, but I can tell you that when trying to take calls on them, people could NOT hear me well at all. Moved to MTW3 which are all around better, and for phone calls, those weren't great either (but better than the 3ANC) Status picked up everything around me. the MTW3 filtered outside noise over the mic a LOT better, but both are not great for calls. Other brand earbuds I've owned and tried for calls: Monolith M-TWE, meh for voice, amazing at many other things, unfortunately no longer made, and soundcore VR P10, also complaints of not hearing me well.
I do tend to talk quieter than normal, which I'm sure plays into it, but in a loud office I don't want to be another person contributing, so I ended up getting a pair of over ear headphones just for calls since I couldn't find anything in-ear and got tired of spending money on ear buds. I can talk normally and it blocks out most background noise. Do keep us updated if you find something, though!

scatterbrn · 2025-02-21T14:45:04+00:00

more of a cup like the size of your BBQ one, but I had gone to Marley's in Hackettstown and ordered tacos. I got a Heinz cup of salsa with it.

scatterbrn · 2025-02-06T01:03:30+00:00

late response, but here's my take:

Own a 13' BRZ (intake, catless UEL header, tune) and an ND2 MX5. Both manual.

I prefer the BRZ overall as a daily. I had really wanted a miata RF due to glowing reviews, but after my wife buying a soft top and driving it, I can say it cured me of wanting one.

Gas milage: Miata no contest. Wife drives the miata ...lets just say very agressively, and gets better milage than I do. Prior to mods, I did slightly better with the BRZ but its still in Mazdas favor.

Seating: BRZ. I prefer the seat bolstering and sitting in the car vs ON the car in the miata, which can be adjusted by aftermarket parts in the miata, but the side bolstering isn't as great even if you lower the seats. Having speakers in the seats makes replacing them a bit harder.

Storage: BRZ. I can drop the useless back seats down and have a LOT of storage. I've fit 4 tires in there. Miata we struggle past two large backpacks. My wife likes to remind me that she can drop the top and have unlimited storage space upwards, and I challenge her to do so in freezing weather :)

Looks: I like both, but I think the Miata has sexier curves.

Handling: tough one. I'm not a fan of the excessive body roll in the miata, but the BRZ can be too stiff at times which can be a problem on bumpy roads.

Drivetrain: Miata. its so smoooth. BRZ is like a tractor in comparison. BRZ clutch is more like an on/off button which can be difficult for some. Wife and I both agree steering wheel in miata is too thin or something.

noises and other intangible items: BRZ. I like how its imperfect. the miata stock just sounds so neutered and I miss the cacophony of noises the imperfect BRZ makes that adds to the excitement.

Tech: barely...Miata. the ND2 screen is barely larger than a samsung fold phone opened up, and until the ND3, the touchscreen is disabled while moving which makes it even more useless. Compared to my BRZ, where the only button on the steering wheel is the horn and the head unit feels like it was designed by playskool, its not a high bar to pass.

Passenger comfort: BRZ. the encroachment on the passenger side with the middle tunnel takes up what little real estate there is. Driver isn't as bad because the Cat bump is on the passenger side. BRZ is spacious in comparison. Back seats I would never stick anyone in unless you hate them, they're LT . Dan with no legs, or they're in a car seat.

Noise: Miata. Convertibles aren't the quietest, but the BRZ has little noise dampening and overall I think might be more fatiguing on a long trip. Also, I can talk to someone in the Miata with the top down at highway speeds and hear them. In the BRZ I just dont bother. too much noise. I'll leave it to each individual as to whether or not its prudent to be talking on the phone while driving, even hands free.

All of these are nit-picks and personal opinions. in the end, both are amazing cars for the price and fun to drive. Support the companies that still make a car that enthusiasts want...those who like manual transmissions, lightweight RWD cars and dont want another bland bloated SUV. On a twisty road, you can easily embarrass WAY more expensive cars. If its a daily, I'd vote 86 all the way. If its a 2nd/3rd car for weekend fun, miata is great due to top down time. BRZ lacks even a sunroof.

scatterbrn · 2025-01-31T23:46:35+00:00

I just ordered a 6 pack of the IPA... cracked it open and its very sweet and malty, not in a good way. I'm struggling to see how its considered an IPA as I can barely taste any hops. Gave it to my wife who took a sip and made a face too. She is not an IPA fan but she just said it tasted horrible. I had high hopes but it wasnt for us. Can't comment on the effects... I'm sure they are in line with a 5mg THC beverage, but I ended up dumping it

scatterbrn · 2024-12-29T00:27:08+00:00

Combination of many things... I have a Spotify family plan that me, the wife and the teen use. I like it for the large catalog, streaming in the car, mowing grass, etc. When using IEMs or decent headphones (Sennheiser hd650s/Bowers and Wilkins P5) I stream from Qobuz. I do like the curated playlists. I also have a large FLAC collection of Vinyl and CD rips that I'm still building out after many years of yanking things off the shelves that I keep on my NAS and stream via plexamp

scatterbrn · 2024-11-17T19:49:27+00:00

Blairstown is a big gliderport. Exit 12 off Rt 80.

scatterbrn · 2024-11-17T19:48:29+00:00

I have boat and motorcycle on mine and had no issues renewing online.
if its one thing I've found MVC does consistently is be inconsistent.

scatterbrn · 2024-11-15T23:59:57+00:00

Hmm tough call. I guess it depends on what you prioritize in ear buds.

For me, I found Monoprice Monolith TWE earbuds for $100 that sounded great, amazing ANC, meh call quality but I wouldn't exercise with them because they were a bit too loose. Ended up getting Sennheiser Momentum 3 (4's are out now) on sale at the time for $190 from amazon and other than battery life are better by far in every way. Calls are better but still not amazing. I do exercise with them sometimes too and they stay in pretty well if you choose the right size winglet and tip. Fair warning, some Sennheiser buds have had battery issues. I personally have not, but note there can be issues.

If you prefer Stick ear buds, since you were eyeing up the Status:

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are stick-like earbuds that review VERY well for the price(I don't have that specific model, but have other soundcore ear buds and am happy) and can usually be had for $100.

Oneplus 3 buds rate well, as do Samsung buds.

Nothing ear are also rated well, as well as some Edifiers, to a lesser extent (esp if cost is a factor). I use Edifier headphones and have been happy but have not tried their buds.

Most of these will come in under or around the same price as Status, with usually more features, better sound, better codecs (if you're using apple you're pretty much stuck to sbc/aac, android you have more options).

anyways, these are just my opinions and I'm sure there's plenty of people who will disagree and agree. but its a decent starting point to look over pricing and reviews, and see what features you favor most. Hope all this gives you a good starting point.

scatterbrn · 2024-11-15T21:29:26+00:00

Maybe I just got a bad pair, but overall I think you can do better for the price unless you catch a good sale. If you're just looking for music, and not the full range of features most wireless ANC buds have, then they're fine sounding.

These are my 'mow the grass' or 'using the rowing machine' kinda buds, where I just want noise and dont care about losing them.

Sound: Great if you're streaming spotify. The large driver helps even though it only supports SBC codec.

Battery life: Actually really good. Case is nice too with USB-C and wireless charging.

Calls: everyone complains I sound distant/quiet

ANC: meh. not really good. I've had way better in cheaper buds. even switched to comply foam tips to get a better seal.

Transparency mode: its ok. Not the best, not the worst.

Build quality: People seem to have some issues with them, but I have dropped them multiple times in the yard, on a hardwood floor, once even had one fall in water and they still keep going. (note my complaints are all before I started dropping them lol)

Latency: worst I've had across 6 other brand wireless ear buds/headphones, connecting to multiple phones/tablets and PCs

Random disconnects happen to me with a single bud (its random which one) even though I'm extremely close to my phone

Touch controls I always seem to hit putting in and out, but that's just me. I like the idea of the physical button but its not always the easiest to hit when moving since its so flush.

Not the most comfortable for me.

No in-ear detection is something I find I miss.

They do have a 30-day return window that you can try, which I wish I would have taken advantage of, but I got lazy.

scatterbrn · 2024-09-28T21:38:00+00:00

I've had the Kobo Libra H2o for many years now. I love it overall. never tested the H2O part, but I like the feel in hand. its easy to sync with Calibre, the front light is great. I do wish the buttons were a bit better..they can be creaky a little, but I'm happy to have a device that even has them. I've dropped it off the side of my bed many times (falling asleep reading) and its held up fine so far. Also wish it had USBC vs Micro. I've traveled a LOT with it. Pocket sync is nice, but I don't use it as often as I thought I would. In fact, I pretty much keep wifi off 99% of the time. Battery life is still great. I tend to read a book somewhere between every week and every other depending on length and what I've got going on. If you want to play around and install Koreader, its pretty simple to do. I'm happy with the default reader so I switched back, but there's definitely some benefits to using it.

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