David Wieland

Ludger Merkens wrote:

Charles Tarnard wrote:'I would prefer to not use plastic in that application' is much less forceful than 'you shouldn't use plastic.'

Sorry to disagree, but to my ears, this is almost as bad as the 'should' phrase.

Yes, it's a rather devious way to say "It's wrong to use plastic in that application." If the speaker/writer is trying to discourage the use of plastic, it's constructive and non-accusatory to say what could be used instead in that application. That opens the door to a consideration of the pros and cons and possible other alternatives. Discussion and learning trump recrimination and guilt any day.

I see you're in a warmer zone, but growmushroomscanada.ca says late winter (early spring is mentioned elsewhere) is the time to inoculate and the log should be fresh:
The best time to harvest a tree is in the late winter time, because the sugar content is highest and the bark tends to stay on the log longer.

I'm planning to cut a big maple branch after sugaring time and inoculate a log from it then.

Mark Brunnr wrote:Blaine, I used to use the Opera browser and that VPN was enabled when I signed up for Netflix. I didn’t realize at the time, that Netflix assumed I was in Canada due to the VPN and so they charge me in Canadian dollars, so I get about 20% off the monthly bill ever since!

See! There are pros and cons to everything.

Blaine Clark wrote:Websites use Javascript mainly as their tool to find out all sorts of things about you.
...

But you're describing information about your technical environment, not things about you personally. I think it's the latter that Nicole and others are concerned about.

Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:...the idea that anyone can extract that much information from Public Records [and yes, the law is the same in Wisconsin] is at least disconcerting.
...
In Europe, there is a strong movement to rein in Google, Amazon , Microsoft and  other mega tech entities because of such concerns. It is just starting to appear here. I think there are more folks than just us who want to cut Mega corporations down to size.

I'm sure you've learned as I have in my 75 years that there are pros and cons for pretty much everything. The technology that enables the spooky assembly of information is basically the same as what, for example, led me to Permies. That doesn't mean we shouldn't find some ways to sheathe that double-edged sword sometimes.

The high-value targets have always been subject to nefarious action; computer technology has just provided new tools.

Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:
Indeed: I was on neighborwho yet I know I have never given them my name/address. They said they could get details of the deed, previous owners etc. I can say with certainty that they got my info in Aug. 2005 because they had my previously married name and that is the year we acquired this property but before we were married. Worse, they had the "street view" of my house. It is indeed creepy.

Maybe it's different where you live, but property ownership records are usually public. The phenomenon being described here is enabled by the large databases that now exist and publicly accessible records. I won't say there's never anything nefarious involved, but if there is, it would likely be directed at a "high-value" target, not us in the hoi polloi. Data can be computer-matched on any available characteristic or identifier, and the Google street view is simply matching on address. It can feel creepy, as in "Google knows everything", but it's really data plus computer algorithms applied on a large scale.

I do think there's a strong case for constraining Google in some ways, but not based on matching public data.

bruce Fine wrote:... somehow they knew exactly where I was without me telling them.
I'm not sure how it all works but it does

If you're using a browser (such as Chrome) that references a user profile , it may be that you've provided that information and allowed it to be shared with sites deemed safe.

r ranson wrote:hmmm

coffee isn't working.

nap or go outside and visit the chickens?

I recommend both. I discovered the benefits of a "coffee nap" years ago. Try a half mug of coffee followed by a nap before the caffeine takes effect. Mind you, I'm an easy napper, unlike folks like my wife.

Dan Boone wrote:... - an argument against highly processed oils in my book.  

I'm fairly certain that highly processed foods of any kind are, if not somewhat harmful, at least less beneficial than minimally processed alternatives. Processing that deactivates anti-nutrients is beneficial, but such processing is far from high. Although canola/rapeseed is a notable Canadian agricultural product, my wife and I quit using canola oil over a decade ago after reading that it's produced with a solvent extraction process. Of course, as for most people, we didn't do much research and were guided by assumptions. But I now realize that canola was actually developed to improve the nutritional profile of natural rapeseed, which has apparently been used in Asia for millenia. It's actually a highly stable oil and good for frying.

On the other hand, I learned several years ago that my preference for polyunsaturated oil was misguided and now olive oil (which is monounsaturated) is what we mostly use, apart from animal fats.

Ken Newman wrote:I picked up this 5" hand cranked grinder at a yard sale for $1.00. It's come in handy for putting an edge on tools and even shaping some soft metal.

Well, the price was right, but needing to crank with one hand leaves only one hand to hold the tool being sharpened -- unless you have an assistant. I much prefer two-handed control with a grinding wheel.