The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[ajrwdwgirl]

World has gone bat crazy.

And in addition to the above, my rant today is about the people who "bought": their college aged kids admission into some top colleges. But wait, there's more -- While two of the more well-known Hollywood types were at the federal courthouse in Boston today, there were actually some fans outside, waiting to get autographs and selfies with them??!! Are you kidding me??!!

Because of these mothers, (and about 18 other lesser known, but wealthy people, who bought college admission for their kids), the dreams of some other qualified, hard working, young people, never came to fruition, as they lost their acceptances by someone who stole it from them. I'm beside myself over what I saw on my local news stations here this evening.

A few of our students in the past few years have been accepted into some elite schools, like Harvard, Stanford & MIT. My students worked HARD to get into those schools. They earned their ACT & SAT scores and then their scholarships and it makes me mad to think of some people just buying off ACT/SAT proctors and schools. I am not naive to think that it hasn't happened for a long time but it makes me sad and mad on behalf of the people who actually deserve to go to these schools and get bumped for the cheaters.

 

[donaldtoo]

Baked herb chicken and roasted seasoned potatoes for din-din tonight...!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Yup, that's a purty convenience store! The ones in my area are all "boxes" with bright colors and hideous writing/signs all over them. "C'mon inside for today's special on 2-liter Coke!"

Guess I'm in the wrong demographic area for a purty one.

Hahaaa...!!!!!
You ain’t the only one...!!!
It’s kinda’ Like a rich neighborhood Buc-ee’s on a much smaller scale...!!!!!

 

[Goofyernmost]

Just for the fun of it...

 

[Gabe1]

Today was an election day here, state supreme court, our town board and school board. The only office that had an opponent was the state supreme court so I knew the polling place wasn't going to be busy but hubs insisted that we got there 10 minutes early. Besides the workers we were the only ones there, another voter did show up as I was leaving. So I got to be voter number 1! Some of the polling workers actually cheered a little when we walked in because they had a bet going on as to who would show up first and some people placed their bets on us!

#1 Awesome!!! I went in the afternoon.

Story Time:

I passed a retired teacher walking out and I said Hi!!! as I was walking in. Got a Hi! back and then as she passed I heard a loud Hmpf come out of her mouth. Wonder what was going through her mind. She was retired by the time my kids went to her building for school so we never had more than a passing Hi! between us. I can see her house from my window but we never really were typical neighbors.

So I walk into the empty polling place minus all the poll workers and watchers. I walk to the table to give them my name and the woman greets me happily with Hi! What can I do for you today? No words came out of my mouth. I never had a Poll Worker ever that question before, usually, Hello, Last Name please. And she finally asked for my name. Another Woman a few seats down the table stands up and Says in response to my last name profoundly yells SHE IS IN THERE I SAW HER NAME. Me in my mind (huh?) Asks for first name, I tell her. Spell it please, I did. She pulls the ticket out of the binder and hands me the paper and it isn't mine but my DD. I Get mine, move on down the line.

Try to hand her my paper and woman though she is engaged in a vibrant conversation with the bored out of his wits man next to her and there I stand. A voice a poll worker behind me yells and I mean yells MARIA!!!! STOP TALKING AND HELP HER. Discombobulated Maria looks at me like a Deer in the Headlights takes my Paper, figures out which paper ballot and tells me I can use any of the booths not already occupied....and goes onto say, none of them are occupied so you can just pick any of them. (duh) I walk 3 steps away as the Maria yeller woman now is yelling again and Maria calls me back to initial my ballot.

I left the polling place after depositing my ballot into the vault and thought to myself (though it could have been outloud at that point) OMG! Claims of voter, fraud are overrated. I could have voted my DD ballot and I could have had my ballot be invalid 'cause Maria would not have initialed it on her own. And I was the only non-poll worker/watcher there. And Dear Lord those poll watchers had to have felt insanity happening before them all day. I wore my I VOTED sticker with pride for enduring my civic duty.

And End Scene.

 

[Cesar R M]

Sorry to hear that, Cesar, but thank God you found out before you put any more effort into this particular one.

Indeed, after taking my glorious nap I cant believe I missed one step I could have done..
I reverse searched the supposed images of their staff.. they were all stock images or of third party persons with completely different names.

The fraud company:
https://belrotech.com/team

The "co founder" lol... image with a different name:
https://www.topdraw.com/about-us/our-people/grant-currie/
https://www.topdraw.com/about-us/our-people/gia-syed/

 

[Cesar R M]

So.....the latest round of stupid people

One person has bid on 2 tickets to the new Avengers movie....selling for $9,200 on ebay (with 70 people watching the item).

Please tell me that some of the actors are going to be there.. if not.. that is the stupidest thing I've ever seen.
(almost as bad as those camping for weeks to get an Iphone or Samsung device, when you could get them online...)

 

[donaldtoo]

Gee thnx @Goofyernmost guess who may get ice

 

[donaldtoo]

Alrighty gang, out for now, and behind again...only 32 pages this time...!!!!!
Sweet dreamin’ and/or mornin’ to all...!!!
See ya’ when I see yaaaaaaaaaaa’...!!!!!!!

 

[Gabe1]

Except make mine margaritas please!

Certainly. Honestly I could exchange a margarita for the wine anytime. I genuinely love LaCava's Margaritas but often the line is so freak'n long, I won't do that or I'd have to order two. And if I ordered two I'd go SPLAT.

In September the lines were beyond ridiculous during the two fests I didn't get one LaCava. Sadness. In December I was in my scooter, trust me, that pavilion is a treat to maneuver in a scooter. I parked it and got in line as it wasn't too bad. Left the LaCava room, margarita in hand sat in scooter and thought that beautiful ramp out is going to be interesting with a cherrished beverage in one hand. At least I hadn't drank any of it yet. That is where I found some of the biggest idiots. Scooters get a great deal of slams but I'm on the correct side and guests kept walking up to my front wheel.

So enjoyed my margarita in France while watching Illuminations and out to Boardwalk to pick up an Uber back to our resort. Kids flung the cart in the trunk and gone. Good Day.

 

[Gabe1]

Boo, the more I search about this canadian company.. the more I think its a scam.

The address they have for their american office.. is in the middle of an intersection. The buildings around this intersection do not match the number given..

And the Montreal address is.. well.. an empty looking office building that seems kinda far apart from downtown.. and not very "high tech".
But then, this is an online company. Not many have fancy headquarters.. only have offices for government and regulation purposes.. hmm...

edit
To expand.. their email systems are not self hosted, they use a third party multidomain payable.
They use a non normal domain registrar, normal ones are like godaddy.com.

edit2
I feel like a cyberdetective. I contacted a business nearby to check if the company really exists in the same building.

edit3
After very thoroughly investigation..
It seems that option is definitively a fraud. I'm going for the second job opportunity.

Seems the "financial agent" job is a getting common nowadays..
http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/fraud-escroquerie/job-emploi-eng.htm

I'm sorry. But at least you are savvy enough to recognize the warning signs.

 

[Gabe1]

Since we go out to Dinner for Easter like Thanksgiving....we eat traditional foods before and after the holidays, sometimes over several meals. Tonight's dinner.

Color is a little off on a few of these photos, sun, yes sun peeking into kitchen. I'll take it. Pretend the Galumpkis sauce is light red.

My one Gran was not a great cook the other was. One smart enough to realize Irish family foods for holidays...not so great. Enter a portion of Easter. Polish Food.

Polish Cabbage Rolls {Galumpkis}, butter carrots, smoked polish sausage

 

[Cesar R M]

I'm sorry. But at least you are savvy enough to recognize the warning signs.

Its funny because after thinking about the warnings a few of you wrote here.. and of a cousin who is also an IT and knows something was sort of fishy.. I went full INTERNETZ detective to track everything down. So I have to thank you for poking and noting what was suspicius.


What a shame indeed.
I just hope the other offer is more realistic (if they respect the rates I was asking.. I will be alright) and fits what I can do (which it seems so..)

 

[Cesar R M]

Since we go out to Dinner for Easter like Thanksgiving....we eat traditional foods before and after the holidays, sometimes over several meals. Tonight's dinner.

Color is a little off on a few of these photos, sun, yes sun peeking into kitchen. I'll take it. Pretend the Galumpkis sauce is light red.

My one Gran was not a great cook the other was. One smart enough to realize Irish family foods for holidays...not so great. Enter a portion of Easter. Polish Food.

Polish Cabbage Rolls {Galumpkis}, butter carrots, smoked polish sausage



View attachment 361560

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dear god, that looks delicious!!!


Crap.. I crave now charcoal fired sausages and Arracherra. Might do this weekend.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

First one of the season.

Don't think it will stay for long though.

 

[Figgy1]

Happy World Rat Day

 

[Songbird76]

A few of our students in the past few years have been accepted into some elite schools, like Harvard, Stanford & MIT. My students worked HARD to get into those schools. They earned their ACT & SAT scores and then their scholarships and it makes me mad to think of some people just buying off ACT/SAT proctors and schools. I am not naive to think that it hasn't happened for a long time but it makes me sad and mad on behalf of the people who actually deserve to go to these schools and get bumped for the cheaters.

I agree....but it also makes me stop and think. Sure, the parents bought admission for their kids, but if they couldn't get in on their own, how did they make it through? How did they pass their classes? Unless the quality of the education isn't any better than any other college....and then it's kind of a scam. Why is it considered so elite if completely average kids can do it? I just wonder.....ARE they better schools? Are they worth the exorbitant cost?

 

[Go.Nijntje]

We are planning on going to the Efteling this weekend....any requests for pictures?

The pig on the carousel is always a favourite in my family.

 

[MinnieM123]

First one of the season.
View attachment 361577
Don't think it will stay for long though.

Did you wave at them from the shore?

 

[Go.Nijntje]

I took a solo cruise when I came home from Iraq. I just needed to be out on the ocean. It was really fun, but it was really lonely. I travel a lot by myself, but on a cruise everyone is coupled up. You're like the third wheel for eighty million couples, LOL.

Some of Norwegian ships now have studio cabins for solo travellers with a separate lounge to meet other solo travellers if you wanted. The studio cabins are really nice, I enjoyed staying in one but I was cruising with my sister and mother who also had their own studio. I've travelled solo a lot but haven't done a solo cruise, I'm worried it won't be as much fun on my own.