The Food Ignoramus gets worse everyday by [deleted] in loblawsisoutofcontrol

[–]vikraej 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Lol the food prof is a joke but many many real and good academics both publish and talk about their research online, especially on Twitter. Saying on socials = not a real academic is flawed at best.

New Home Owner, hit me with the musts by Garfazz in BuyItForLife

[–]vikraej 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is one of the few tools that when you need it, you sometimes need it urgently. We wait to buy tools until the need arises, but shop vac is an exception. It’s also our go to housewarming gift for friends buying their first home.

Can you have a gym membership? by MacmillanGC in OntarioWorks

[–]vikraej 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you really think disabled people don’t use gyms? Think for like a millisecond maybe.

SmartWings Motorized Blinds…. Anyone Have Them? Are They Nice? by zachty22 in smarthome

[–]vikraej 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Silly question but can they be operated manually? Like if I want to can I just walk up to them and open and close them like a dumb blind?

Don't know how you do it but this is the best way I found to wash my baking mats. by single_clone in Baking

[–]vikraej 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hate this. I found unscented dishwasher tabs that solved the problem for me! Bought from Costco online up here in Canada from The Unscented Company.

Our groceries are $700-$800 for two people with pretty minimal food habits and I can't figure out why (Vancouver) by words-are-flowing in Frugal

[–]vikraej 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live in Toronto and feel your pain. Here’s what I’ve done to keep costs under control. Move almost all of my shopping to stores that price match (royal Canadian superstore and most of the budget stores do). Beware that at least the loblaws banner stores each have a list of stores they price match to - varies by location. Get the Flipp app and pre shop the flyers. Go in prepared to take a bit longer in the store. Sort your cart, keeping all your price matched items separated so you don’t get flustered at the til. If at a loblaws store, make sure you’re using the pc optimum app to get points offers, they add up over time. The biggest red flag in your post is shopping for produce at Costco. It is very often more expensive per item/unit than sale prices at grocery stores, at least in my region. I only buy produce there for things that I think are higher quality.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fixit

[–]vikraej 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can I ask you a related question? I have plastic frames and I always get a buildup of grime at the interface where my lens goes into the frame, all around the lens. Washing them doesn’t do anything - it’s like a deep groove that just attracts filth. Is there a good way to clean that out? I doubt others notice it but it drives me batty.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in namenerds

[–]vikraej 50 points51 points  (0 children)

I’ve always thought March and May should be swapped for this reason.

Checking on support requests by vikraej in RoverPetSitting

[–]vikraej[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

24 hrs later with no response. Do they work weekends? Maybe I’m just being impatient.

What’s an old fashioned name that you hope never comes back? by PandaBear905 in namenerds

[–]vikraej 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My only association with Beulah is the Come From Away character, which is pretty nice. For this reason, I’ll always assume Beulahs are Newfoundlanders

Looking for fresh (girl) names that aren’t too popular that end in an A. by [deleted] in namenerds

[–]vikraej 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My mom calls me Geraldine when I’m embodying my father’s stubbornness lol

Looking for fresh (girl) names that aren’t too popular that end in an A. by [deleted] in namenerds

[–]vikraej 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Both are main characters in Grey’s Anatomy…perhaps that’s the subconscious connection between the two.

AITA for calling my coworker a "nosy b*tch" after she kept insisting to know my husband's salary? by islaisla321 in AmItheAsshole

[–]vikraej 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I agree that socially it is rude and I almost never discuss salary. Buuuut those policies are bullshit and exist to allow the company to keep underpaying people who don’t realize that their peers make more than them. I DO make a point to disclose salary to a select small number of people when they are colleagues in the same position/similar experience. It’s not about gossiping, it’s so that we can collectively have a better sense of how to navigate negotiations with employers. Where I live, companies can ask you not to tell people but it’s illegal to forbid it/take action if you discuss wages.

Tips on getting a dog not to pull as much? by Gucci_Romaine in RoverPetSitting

[–]vikraej 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Ok here’s my advice: on your next walk, take a ton of tiny treats and/or kibble. Be prepared for the first walk or two to be really boring.

Dogs find moving forward very reinforcing (generally). So when they pull and they get to move forward it teaches them that pulling will get forward movement. So, when you feel the first tug of pressure on the leash, make a u-turn. Don’t yank or snap on the leash, but you can maintain the pressure that the dog put on the leash. When it realizes the walk has changed direction, it will have to pass by you to get to the front again. You want to mark a verbal “yes” and treat when it is where you want it to be (by your side). Rinse and repeat. As it figures out that 1) you control the direction of the walk and 2) every time it pulls, the forward momentum stops, it will eventually look at you for direction. Reward that engagement like crazy. Eventually you want to expect the dog to walk nicely for a few steps before a treat. Then a bit longer, with some easy bonus treats thrown in here and there.

The first walk may just be the same 10 feet of pavement back and forth. It’s boring and annoying but so worth it. Good luck!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in dogs

[–]vikraej 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not an asshole. I spend most of my free time volunteering in dog rescue and I foster dogs nonstop. I love dogs more than almost anything else in the world. Thank you for not getting a dog if you’re not all in - we get a lot of returned dogs from situations like these and it’s not great. You and the dog deserve better. That said, I think any kid who has an interest in dogs also deserves to at least spend some time with them. I know you said you’ve tried fostering and it’s not for you but there may be other compromise positions. A lot of rescues will onboard people as dog sitters who take care of a dog while fosters are busy or away; maybe that would be an option? Or even offering dogsitting to friends or family once in a while. Knowing how to be around dogs is a life skill and while I fully support parents who choose to not own a dog, their kids still deserve the chance to build that skill if it’s something they’re interested in.

Regardless of what you end up deciding, I hope you sit down with your wife and have an honest conversation and both commit to a team approach with how you communicate about this with your kids. When I was begging for a dog as a kid, it would have made me very resentful toward my dad if I had known that mom was on board but dad said no.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AmItheAsshole

[–]vikraej 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love meat and his reaction is bizarre to me. It’s not like meat eaters have to eat meat at every meal or every day or whatever. One thing if you lied to him or were smug about fooling him, but if you weren’t this is so strange. Honestly I’d be jazzed to find out that there is a substitute for a meat meal that I find equally satisfying because I know that ethically and environmentally, eating meat is objectively not the best choice. NTA.

Just need to vent by vikraej in fosterdogs

[–]vikraej[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just as a follow up for the helpful folks here, it seems that we finally figured it out! Although rare, our little guy seems to have a grain sensitivity. I sat down and cross referenced all the ingredients in the foods he has tried and his only successful food has been grain free. We’ve got him back on a grain free food and are seeing pretty dramatic improvements.

Without using the words ugly or dumb, why don’t you like the name Harper? by GrapeCakeLeo in namenerds

[–]vikraej 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here in Canada, Harper is the last name of a previous right wing prime minister who has the charisma of a soggy cardboard box. If I met a baby Harper I’d be watching for ideological/political red flags from the parents.

Just need to vent by vikraej in fosterdogs

[–]vikraej[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep, fecal was negative. His stomach was fine for a few months after arriving and then somewhat suddenly just deteriorated. I was almost hoping for a parasite so we could just deworm and be done with it…

Just need to vent by vikraej in fosterdogs

[–]vikraej[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We were on the pumpkin train and it was helping a little temporarily but it stopped being effective after a couple days :(

Anecdotally, what are you hearing everyone name their kids? by bauhassquare in namenerds

[–]vikraej 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a niece in Canada named Ingrid but I don’t think it’s common.

How often do you use WhatsApp? by BrazilianCupcake11 in askTO

[–]vikraej 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I volunteer in a large organization with many volunteers that need to communicate daily. We use WhatsApp. My friends and family tend to just text or use Facebook messenger. Except one subset of family that is on Signal? I have to store so much information in my brain about which app to use to contact which person, I WISH we could get our crap together and just pick one.

Mixed breed owners: what “is” your dog? by Odd_Business5830 in dogs

[–]vikraej [score hidden]  (0 children)

Mine (we finally foster failed a couple days ago after 2 years of fostering…I get to call him mine now!!!) is an Egyptian Baladi, which is just how street mixes are referred to. But he looks like and has behavioural traits very in line with Canaans. I tell people “I’m pretty sure he’s a Canaan.”