Useless Conversation

[HaemishM]

Oh come on, Meridian isn't that bad. 

If you live on a military base

I lived in Meridian the first 8 years of my life. While the architecture is gorgeous and varied, I still wouldn't live there because there's nothing there.

[Yegolev]

I'll let you know how Mexico is next summer. 

A monument to man's apathy.

[Yegolev]

Something to build onto why my wife's company doesn't offer health insurance:
She looked out her window to see at least five police sweeping the grounds.  They came in to say basically a truck of six guys is looking for one of their employees and might come by the office.  I found out when she called me to ask that I bring her 9mm over.

[Merusk]

Wtf, what does she do again?

[Yegolev]

She is an estimator for a commercial painting company.  When I said I'd try not to worry about her, she just said "If you knew about even half the shit that goes on around here..."

Also I found out that there's an escaped felon living in the swamp behind my house.  Feds suspect someone is feeding him, which is great because then he should not have any incentive to enter my house.

[Merusk]

Sounds like time to volunteer your land for a Gator relocation program. 

Ah, a subcontractor.  Yes, considering some of the stories I'd heard about GCs dealing with subs, and that some subs attracted more crazies than others (painters vs. drywallers)  it's best that you just don't know.

[Signe]

There's a swamp behind your house?     Are there vampires, werewolves and fucking annoying fairies, too?

[Yegolev]

Swamps are real, Signe.   I suppose they are called "wetlands" these days.

some subs attracted more crazies than others (painters vs. drywallers) it's best that you just don't know.

I don't know many people in other lines of construction work, but I'd lay down cold money that painters are the craziest.  Discounting anyone working in residential, of course.

My wife is also the HR director (and IT director) so she might end up with more work to do that isn't pricing jobs.  Which will not improve her mood.

[Pennilenko]

Swamps are real, Signe.  I suppose they are called "wetlands" these days.

some subs attracted more crazies than others (painters vs. drywallers) it's best that you just don't know.

I don't know many people in other lines of construction work, but I'd lay down cold money that painters are the craziest.  Discounting anyone working in residential, of course.

My wife is also the HR director (and IT director) so she might end up with more work to do that isn't pricing jobs.  Which will not improve her mood.

Painters are insane. A long time ago, I worked purchasing for a medium sized builder. My job was vendor management, construction estimation and budgeting, and Purchase order documentation.

Painters were among the only group that would flip their lid over the tiniest issues. We had a standing rule that painting contractors were not allowed to pick up their checks directly. The administrative staff was not comfortable with letting them into the building.  It wasn't a racial thing either because most of our painters were white.

I think its the chemicals in painting. I think there are undocumented long term effect on the brain and behavior.

[Merusk]

Agreed.

We implemented a similar rule for all subs at my last place of employ - also because of a painter.

[Yegolev]

I am not going to rule out the paint making things worse, but most of these people are like this before they become painters.  I do know this much based on the comments about people that drop in looking for work.  Fact is that no sane person wants to do that shit job.

[Yegolev]

BTW, the deputies didn't know anything about Swamp Felon, so that might not be true.  I was told about it by one of my wife's employees that lives between me and the water.

He was telling me also that he didn't own a gun, which is a bit odd for someone that said they found out about the felon while talking to a shooting buddy (who owns the strip of land over the petroleum pipeline that runs parallel to the swamp/stream).  I mentioned it to my wife and she just said "Well, no, felons can't own guns."

Where's the picture of that Scottish castle?  I need to look at it again.

[Nevermore]

Swamps are real, Signe.   I suppose they are called "wetlands" these days.

In Britain they call it a 'marsh'.

[Merusk]

I thought they called it "Scotland"

[Ingmar]

Swamps are real, Signe.   I suppose they are called "wetlands" these days.

In Britain they call it a 'marsh'.

I would have gone with bog.

[Yegolev]

It's not a bog, as far as I can tell.  There is water flow and no peat.  Also televisions and washing machines.

[Signe]

Luckily, I'm not British.  And I know they exist but right in back of your house?  I mean mostly creepy people like cannibals and scary monsters live in swamps.  And serial killers.  I'd probably enjoy living near a swamp just for the variety of weirdness that might happen.  I've seen the films.  Not saying that Yeg is a creepy cannibal or a monster and likely to serial kill anyone.  I'm sure if that sort of thing goes on in his swamp he'll be the good guy who gives up his own life to save the children.  

Having grown up living near streams and ponds, though, I can't imagine the mosquito problems that would come with swamps.

If you said bog, I would probably think there's a toilet behind your house. 

[HaemishM]

You do realize there's an entire US State that is almost nothing but swamp? And another where all the old Yankees go to die that is about 50% swamp?

[schild]

Everywhere east of Texas and south of (and including) North Carolina is uninhabitable shit. It's fucking Mars. They should teach that in school.

Edit: Texas and Arizona are still basically uninhabitable. But, you know, Austin.

[Salamok]

Everywhere east of Texas and south of (and including) North Carolina is uninhabitable shit. It's fucking Mars. They should teach that in school.

Edit: Texas and Arizona are still basically uninhabitable. But, you know, Austin.

There's like vegetation and shit all over the areas you described, our Mars terrain starts in Mexico and stretches up through NM/AZ/NV and keeps heading North and East until it ends in the appropriately named badlands.

[schild]

What does NM stand for? All I know about is Mexico+ and Arizona+.

[Fordel]

I just want to second (or third) the painters are crazy thing. Decades of those fumes really fucks with people who are already probably a little bit fucked up for doing the job willingly. Especially the old guys who didn't wear masks or respirators or shit for like 40 years.

It's not good.

[Paelos]

She is an estimator for a commercial painting company.  When I said I'd try not to worry about her, she just said "If you knew about even half the shit that goes on around here..."

Also I found out that there's an escaped felon living in the swamp behind my house.  Feds suspect someone is feeding him, which is great because then he should not have any incentive to enter my house.

Does she work with Goodman Decorating? They are a client of mine.

[Ard]

I just want to second (or third) the painters are crazy thing. Decades of those fumes really fucks with people who are already probably a little bit fucked up for doing the job willingly. Especially the old guys who didn't wear masks or respirators or shit for like 40 years.

Sky?

[proudft]

I got bids a few years ago from painters for some exterior work that was too high up in the air for me to deal with. 

My favorite was the one who apparently decided writing his proposal with what looked like a magic marker on the back side of a crumpled-up greasy piece of paper that turned out to be an invoice for someone else entirely (perhaps his pseudonym) was a good way to get business.   Sadly the invoice was nothing interesting, I would not have been surprised if it had been for MEAT HOOKS, ONE DOZEN.

[Yegolev]

Does she work with Goodman Decorating? They are a client of mine.

No, they do have a CPA but he's an ancient local guy.  When he dies, send your info if you like.

Also the mosquitoes aren't bad because we have bats, I think.  They don't bother me too much so I'm not the authority.  I'm about 1/4 mile from the waterline.

[Signe]

You're lucky.  The bats in this area are nearly gone so the mosquitoes are terrible.  You can't go anywhere near the stream in the back without being nearly completely consumed.  For some reason they find my sister extremely tasty.  Soon we'll have no bats or bees and we'll all be dead. 

Goodbye in advance.

[MrHat]

You're lucky.  The bats in this area are nearly gone so the mosquitoes are terrible.  You can't go anywhere near the stream in the back without being nearly completely consumed.  For some reason they find my sister extremely tasty.  Soon we'll have no bats or bees and we'll all be dead. 

Goodbye in advance.

http://www.ahamodernliving.com/blog/garden/five-plants-that-keep-mosquitoes-from-buzzing-in-your-ears/

[Sky]

Sky?

Mini acrylics, no VOCs. Though I did paint houses one summer. And I was forced to paint for room and board when I was a kid, painted our old farmhouse at least 4 times as a teen.

No, my craziness is all from the drugs. Or the drugs took the edge off my craziness. Something like that. I'm not crazy enough to live in a desert or swamp.

[Merusk]

Mosquitoes are also attracted to high potassium levels and lactic acid.  I won't eat bananas if I'm going to an area I know they're about.  My entire family reacts badly to them, with single bites turning in to nickel and quarter-sized welts depending on how many times they bit the area.

Avoiding bites: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/03/03aug11h.cfm#.UeVoc22tJhU

[Nebu]

Mosquitoes are also attracted to high potassium levels and lactic acid.  

You're telling me that mosquitos, from a distance, can detect subcutaneous serium potassium level changes in picomolar concentrations (i.e. after eating a banana and diluting the potassium by 7L)?  I'm not buying it.  

Mosquitos are attracted to CO2 signatures.  If your lactic acid is high, you'll blow off more CO2 to compensate for lowered blood pH.  Citronella works because the volatilized scent masks CO2.  If you want to avoid mosquitos, just wear something that masks CO2... or hold your breath.

[MrHat]

Mosquitoes are also attracted to high potassium levels and lactic acid.  

You're telling me that mosquitos, from a distance, can detect subcutaneous serium potassium level changes in picomolar concentrations (i.e. after eating a banana and diluting the potassium by 7L)?  I'm not buying it.  

You could bathe in it.

Edit: Oh God, I don't understand chemistry.

[Samwise]

If your lactic acid is high, you'll blow off more CO2 to compensate for lowered blood pH.

Today I learned an interesting thing.

[Nebu]

Today I learned an interesting thing.

Elite runners often hyperventilate before a race to raise blood pH.  This allows them a few seconds more tolerance to acute lactic acid buildup.  In a 100 or 400m that can matter at the elite level.

[Merusk]

Mosquitoes are also attracted to high potassium levels and lactic acid.  

You're telling me that mosquitos, from a distance, can detect subcutaneous serium potassium level changes in picomolar concentrations (i.e. after eating a banana and diluting the potassium by 7L)?  I'm not buying it.  

Mosquitos are attracted to CO2 signatures.  If your lactic acid is high, you'll blow off more CO2 to compensate for lowered blood pH.  Citronella works because the volatilized scent masks CO2.  If you want to avoid mosquitos, just wear something that masks CO2... or hold your breath.

Beats me, all I know is I heard it on a show about mosquitoes about 10 years ago and there's items all over the place backing it up.  But hey, web, etc, whatever.