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Messages - WestwegoMan

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1
My Blog / Norwegian Breakaway Cruise - Feb. 11, 2024
« on: Feb 18, 2024, 10:35 AM »
NCL Breakaway Cruise Feb, 11-18, 2024

Balcony Cabin 10878


[smiley=portholes]




We are typically Carnival cruisers but chose this cruise to try something a little different. I often hear people refer to Carnival as Wal-Mart of the seas but this Norwegian cruise, from people pissing their pants to just being rude as hell, was one of those cruises that had a little bit of it all. Now, before you read on, brace yourself. This is not going to be one of those posts that raves over the food. Honestly, it will be the opposite and just might surprise you.

My wife has Celiac, which means she basically can't eat anything with wheat in it. Like I said before, we do not usually cruise Norwegian but instead prefer Carnival. On Carnival, it has been great in all the food venues when it comes to her eating gluten free. Not so much on NCL. Thankfully our next cruise is booked with Carnival. Even I thought the food on the NCL Breakaway sucked overall. I'm not a fan of the buffet on any of the cruise lines but on this particular cruise, I didn't feel like we experienced one overall satisfying meal the entire time, and we mostly ate at specialty restaurants and in the dining room.

Entertainment also sucked overall. The comedian was funny when we finally did get to see him. Their comedy venue is so small, it was hard to get in to see anything unless you arrived 2 hours early. Thankfully, someone finally had half a damn brain cell kick into gear and had one of the comedy shows in the main theater.

So, on with the show.

Sunday Feb. 11 - New Orleans

Let's get this cruise started with a Mango Meltdown!



For our first day, Sunday dinner, we sat at table 37 in the Savor dining room. (Or as BJ would call it.... Savior) ;D
We had Nester from the Philippines as our waiter. Service was great. Can't say as much for the meal.   
 
For the appetizer I had the Crab and cream cheese wonton. I'd give it 3.5 stars.
For my entree I had the Pork Spare ribs. I would give these 4 stars.
And you know I had to do it. A little Crown and coke to wash everything down. 5 stars for the crown.

 

Kristen had Cauliflower soup. I didn't ask her what she rated it. I was too busy trying to stay out of trouble. I couldn't say "yea" in the restaurant and she made me take my hat off and made me put my napkin on my lap. OMG! Later during the meal, she was being so bougie telling me how to cut my bread.  :D

She works so hard to keep me from looking like a coullion. ;D

She's not going to like me writing about her and I'll probably get into more trouble but I wrote those things into my notes, on the ship, while I was inebriated and now they have to go into this post.




[smiley=portholes]


Monday Feb. 12 - At sea

Monday morning breakfast was at O’Sheehans. I had the American Breakfast. This one was hard to rate since breakfast is usually hard to mess up. Honestly, I don't really remember it. That's why I can't rate it.

That evening, we attended Burn the floor in the Breakaway Theater. This one wasn't particularly for me. Not that i've seen many shows like this but if I had to rate it, I would give it 2.5 stars.

Dinner that night was at Taste. For my appetizer, I had the Cheese Ravioli which was pretty tasty but lacked a great score due to the texture of the pasta. Seemed like maybe it was over cooked. I gave it 3 stars.

For my entree, I had the Herb crusted rotisserie chicken. This was cooked almost to perfection and tasted great. May have been one of my most enjoyable meals. 4.5 stars.

For dessert, Warm apple strudel. No flavor at all. 1 star.




[smiley=portholes]


Tuesday Feb. 13 - Cozumel 8am - 5pm

Dinner on Tuesday was at Lebistro. The last time we sailed on a Norwegian ship, the Getaway, this meal was my favorite. Let me stress that again.... The last time we sailed on Norwegian (in 2020) this restaurant was where we had our favorite meal. The steak was the best steak I had ever had ANYWHERE in my life. Did I mention that it was the last time and not this time? Good... Cause this time was very different.

Not much as far as appetizers for me to eat here since I’m so picky. There was the choice between scallops and escargot. Not eating any of that crap. ;D

 

The so called salad was funny looking. The kid in me (and alcohol) couldn't help but think the entire time it looked like the Priceline gnome and I laughed at it until I got a taste of something I didn’t like. Then it wasn't funny anymore and I moved on.

   

For my entree, I ordered the filet cooked medium. I went to this restaurant and chose this particular entree because of how much I enjoyed it the last time. It tasted as great as last time but they had to go and screw up my chance of giving something 5 stars on this trip by putting nasty ass mushrooms on it after I requested they be omitted. So, due to the mushroom mishap, 4 stars.




[smiley=portholes]


Wednesday Feb. 14 - Roatan 8am - 5pm

Our day was spent at Tabyana Beach.

   

   

Wednesday dinner was at Moderno Churrascaria. A Brazilian churrascaria type restaurant. Didn't take many photos at this dinner but it consisted of the following;

Brazilian Pork Sausage - Dry but had great flavor. 4 stars.

PICANHA - Brazil’s Signature Cut of Top Sirlon - Over cooked and dry but what more could be expected of sirlon. 1 star.

Lamb Top Sirloin - Real gamey. 1 star.

Flank Steak - Decent flavor. 4 stars.

Pork Belly - This one just outright sucked!! Can't even give it a star.

Pork Loin - Very dry.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Drumettes- tasted great, somewhat dry. 3.5 stars.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast - very dry!

FILÉ MIGNON - This cut was cooked perfect but had no flavor at all. Damn shame since it was what we were waiting for to help redeem the rest of the meal. 2.5 stars.

Dessert - Banana Caramel Meringue Tartlet was just ok. Nothing to write home about.



I would not recommend this as a dining option. Overall service and meal was subpar. 2.5 stars.


[smiley=portholes]


Thursday Feb. 15 - Harvest Caye 8am - 5pm

The day this cruise is really booked for! Harvest Caye, Belize!

Our day started with being woken up by a bunch of noise from friggin dadgum Woody Wood Pecker as he chipped away at paint on the ships hull.



The water at the beach was very cool and very murky but felt great once you got all the way in.

 

The pool was great and very refreshing. Very enjoyable day.

 

Even got the Unsinkable Molly Brown to take a photo with me on our way back to the ship.



Lunch at American Diner. We were a little hungry after time at the beach and in the pool.
Had the burger. I feel like I’m becoming a broken record but this meal also sucked!

Dinner in one of the dining rooms.

For my appetizer, Ranchero Beef Mini Tostadas - These were excellent. And one of the few food items on the ship that got a high rating from me. I could have made a meal out of these alone. You ready for this rating? 5 stars.



For my entree I had the Bacon-Wrapped Cajun Spiced Shrimp - Great taste. 3.5 stars.



And for dessert I had the Fig and Apple Cobbler
While expecting the cobbler to be warm, it was actually room temperature. Another disappointment. 2 stars.

Wasn't even worth taking a photo of the cobbler.


[smiley=portholes]


Friday Feb. 16 - Costa Maya 7am - 3pm

Three ships in this port is too many. Way too crowded. We originally were going to do the Crazy Lobster while at this port for some drinks and beach time but decided to skip it since the ship sailed at an earlier time than we originally thought.

 

Friday dinner was Italian beef meatballs for an appetizer. These were quite tasty! 4.5 stars
For my entree.... Breaded flounder fillet. A little dry. 4 stars.

Our waiter was Frankie Peralta and was great as usual.

 


[smiley=portholes]


Saturday Feb. 17 - At sea

Happy 27th. Birthday to my daughter, Arielle!

[smiley=happybirthday.gif]

Getting closer to home and the water was a little choppy on this day. But overall, not too bad.

Saturday dinner was at La Cucina.

For my entree, Beef Lasagne Al Forno. Service was very slow. 30 minutes to get a simple appetizer. Another 35 minutes for our entrees to arrive. This meal should not have taken 75 minutes. I know, math doesn't add up. Another ten minutes to get the bill. The place was nearly empty.



All in all, we had fun while on this cruise. In most cases, no such thing as a bad cruise. But this one was disappointing and will be my last Norwegian cruise.

Going back to the Whale Tail. 


I want to thank my wife for choosing life with me and putting up with all my BS.

I also want to thank BJ and Brooke for choosing to take this cruise with us.


Note: Links below are for the Freestyle Daily for days 2 through 7 for anyone who may want to view them.

Freestyle Daily Day 2

Freestyle Daily Day 3

Freestyle Daily Day 4

Freestyle Daily Day 5

Freestyle Daily Day 6

Freestyle Daily Day 7


2
SMF Forum tips & tricks / Images On Board 3.0
« on: Jul 05, 2021, 9:47 PM »
Images on Board

3
The Westwego council will vote on the cat feeding ordinance that was introduced last month. The vote will take place at their next monthly council meeting on Monday, October 14, 2019 at 6:00 PM.

Those opposing the ordinance which may penalize those for being kind to stray/feral cats should email the council and let them know you oppose this ordinance.

TAKE ACTION: Let council members know you oppose the feeding ban proposal. Tell them you want to keep TNVR.

Trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) is a common-sense, cost-effective alternative for controlling cat populations by preventing births instead of trying to house, feed and kill more cats.

Call the mayor and the councilman associated with their district.

Joe Peoples - Mayor of Westwego

joepeoples@cityofwestwego.com
P: 504-347-5745

C: 504-256-2811

Rev. Dr. Glenn Green, ThD. - District 1

glenngreen@cityofwestwego.com
Glenngreen@netzero.com

P: 504-347-5745



Johnny S. Nobles Jr. - District 2
johnnynoblesjr@gmail.com

P: 504-347-5745

C: 504-442-6775



Lisa Valence - District 3

LHValence@aol.com

P: 504-347-5745

C: 504-606-4297



Matthew J. Rivere - District 4

mrivere@cityofwestwego.com

P: 504-347-5745

C: 504-285-3352



Johnnie Lynn Thibodeaux - District 5

jlthibodeaux@cityofwestwego.com

P: 504-347-5745

C: 504-239-3358

4
ATTENTION WESTWEGO CAT LOVERS!
SHARE! SHARE! SHARE!

At this months Westwego city meeting on TUESDAY, Sept. 10, 2019, they will introduce an ordinance that reads the following;

An ordinance prohibiting feeding of stray/feral cats, causing a nuisance to the community.

Well, just what part about it would be considered a nuisance? Is this coming up because the battle was lost against the elderly lady feeding the cats? Do they want to starve the cats?

 I like how it says “Offered by All Council Members.’ We all know who the real cat hater is here.

So much for a certain leader being a so called animal lover. If he loved animals, he wouldn’t be going after the cats every chance he got.

5
This letter was dropped in my mailbox today.

First off, under federal law, you broke the law by placing this in our mailbox.

Title 18, section 1725 states;

Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits any mailable matter such as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such offense be fined under this title.

Secondly, if you’re such a concerned neighbor, identify who you are. I don’t know anyone with the name of “Concerned Neighbor.” If you’re going to complain, grow a set! I don’t put on a mask when I go complain to the city council.

Thirdly, I doubt that moving our mailbox to the street has decreased the value of our home. I also doubt that the founders of Westwego were anywhere close to having the locations of mailboxes on their minds.

And lastly, proof read next time you type something up.

This is the craziest thing I’ve seen in a while. We chose to do this at the request of the USPS. If you choose to leave yours where it currently is, that’s your choice and right.

Rant over.

6
My Blog / Bent Over
« on: Jul 04, 2018, 7:26 PM »
Note: this article was originally posted on my old site back in 2015 right after purchasing this camper

My horrible experience purchasing a new RV from Bent's RV in Metairie, La.

Note: All blue text on this page is the body text from emails.

When I purchased my new camper from Bent’s RV in Metairie, Louisiana, I got a little surprise with it. The surprise, a fee called a “Dealer Prep Fee”. This fee of $450 was pitched as a fee to cover filling the propane tanks, installing a battery, a full cleaning inside and out and for the dealership to connect water and power to do a final inspection to check for burned out lights, leaks etc… and make sure there were no problems with the RV. I was a little hesitant because I believe most of this should come with the purchase anyway. But, I figured I had no choice but to pay the fee.

Foolish me picked up the camper a week later and didn’t completely inspect everything because I figured they would actually have everything in order. I did inquire about the LED light strip under the awning as it appeared to have some lights out. The salesman, Barrett said it was where the light strips connections were and was normal. Once I got home, I looked further into it and figured out that there are actual bulbs that are burned out.


Little did I know, I would find a few more surprises when I got home with it.

Upon walking into the camper after I got it home, I noticed that the caps for the rims that cover the lugs were still sitting on the couch, wrapped in plastic. I thought to myself, Why did we have to pay a fee? No biggie, I installed them in under a minute.


Now it was time to start moving items from the old camper into this one. I opened a drawer to put some items in it and noticed the face of the drawer was almost completely off. My first thought was they should have caught this during their so called inspection.


At this point, I figured I should start inspecting this thing and see if I could find anything else. A few minutes of looking would lead me to know that there was NO WAY POSSIBLE that anyone really did any kind of inspection on anything. The drawers had sawdust in them left over from the manufacturing, the appliances appeared dirty with finger prints all over the place, a crack in the table and there is either a defect or damage to a part of the molding on the ceiling.



After finding all of this, it was now time to start the email tag game. I emailed the sales manager, Mario to let him know what I found. The following is the email that I sent on Sunday, 10/18/2015 @ 4:13PM

Mario,

After going through the camper, I have to ask, what was the $450.00 prep fee for. I have to ask cause we were given the impression that it was for you all to go over the camper with a fine tooth comb as explained at the time of the sale.

We have noticed a few things.

The table has a crack on the edge that goes clean through.
The ceiling has what appears to be a defect.
The drawer face under the table is coming off of the drawer.
Hub caps were not installed. (I put them on after I got home)
Some of the LED lights on the awning are out.
There is no spare tire.

While I completely understand the possibility of defects, I don’t understand why these weren’t caught during the so called inspection. To me, the inspection part was to prevent us from having to come back. Even though all things may not be caught, these were blatantly visible. To be perfectly honest, I think whoever was responsible for this part of the deal really dropped the ball. Even the saw dust from the manufacturing of the drawers is still present. I wold have expected that this would have been vacuumed out. When you buy a new car, it gets detailed inside and out. It appears that the interior was not touched at all.

We really feel taken advantage of when it comes to that fee.


The next morning, I got a call from Mario apologizing about what I had found. He said in the phone call that I should have been notified about all of this when I picked the camper up. He stated that everything was on order already and when the items came in, I would be notified. He also volunteered a special wash and wax job for my inconvenience. I declined the wash and wax cause i was told that it had already been washed and waxed when I picked it up. He said I must have misunderstood what was said cause they don’t normally wax them. I countered with, there was no way I misunderstood. I distinctively heard the sales man say “here is your new camper, Mr. Graves. Shes all washed and waxed and ready for you.” I also said to him on the phone that I didn’t know who to believe now, cause someone had to be lying. I was also informed that a spare tire does not come with the camper but they would sell me one at cost. I decided to decline the offer.

This is where the real fun starts. When I suggested that I be refunded the so called prep fee, they started referring to it as a “Supply Fee”. Mario said he would talk to his boss and get back with me. When I didn’t hear back the next day, I emailed the owner and never got a response. I would post that email but my lovely iPhone somehow lost the content of the email.

Y’all hold on. It gets better.

It’s now time for the first camping trip. I get out to the campground and hook up the power. All is great. Time to hook up the water. I turn on the water and can instantly hear water pouring out under the camper. Upon a little investigating, it was coming from the drain that you would use to drain the lines for a freeze. No biggie. I closed them and moved on. But I once again thought about that inspection. Why would those be left open if they had pressured up the water lines during the inspection?

The camper has now been hooked up to the water for about 30 minutes. This is when I notice there is water on the floor. The first thing that I thought of was a broken line. Just great! Luckily, it turned out it was loose lines on the sink faucet. Just another thing that should have been caught during that so called inspection.

The camper also needed a good sweeping. The photo below shows what was swept up.


I emailed the following photo to the sales manager on Wednesday, 10/21/2015 @ 10:18PM. The email was titled “Leaks”.


On Friday, 10/23/15 @ 7:59AM I got the following email from Mario.

Mervin,

I’m sorry that I haven’t responded to your email. Ive been home sick for the last 3 days. I see that you have a leak, I will forward this to Freddie our Service manager so that he can schedule you in asap.

Mario


I responded with the following email and informed him that I had already taken care of it.

Hope you’re feeling better and all is well.

No need to schedule service for the leak. I already fixed it myself. It was loose fittings under the sink. Another example of proof someone failed to go through this trailer.

If it had been an actual defect in the plumbing, my whole camping trip may have become a big headache filled trip.

I hate to keep harping on it and hope you can understand my frustration. Did you hear from your boss yet? It’s been 5 days and I await a response. I would really like Brian to give me a call.


At this point, I am really beginning to become very frustrated. I have called several times and sent emails to the owner. Several calls and messages were left for Mario to call me back but I don’t get a response. When I finally get in touch with Mario, he tells me that they will only take care of fixing the problems. Basically I will not be getting refunded the fee. I told him that I was at the point that I was gonna give up and just accept that I had gotten the shaft. Before hanging up, I informed him that I had one more photo to send him. I sent the following email and photo to Barret, Mario and the owner on Friday, October 23, 2015 1:19 PM. I titled it “Free advertisement”.

It is kind of hard to see but the sign reads “Ask me about my Bents RV experience. We got the shaft”.

After a week of calling, I wasn’t afforded the courtesy of a return call or email. I had to call back twice today to finally find out in the end that the so called prep fees are still being called supply fee. There is no way that $450 worth of supplies were added to the camper.

Y’all got me this time but I will make sure you all don’t ever get me or anyone I know in the future.

The next installment of free advertisement will come next week when it hits all the websites that I run.



Funny. About an hour later, I finally get the following email from the owner. The email was received Friday, October 23, 2015, at 2:42 PM.

Mervin,

I am sorry that my schedule is very busy. I have managers to work through these issues. I would hope that you can understand that. What do you want that was not delivered to you other that our desire to properly clean the camper and fix the items that were obviously overlooked? We strive to make our customers happy, but we are human and we do fumble sometimes.

Thanks,

Brian Bent


On Friday, October 23, 2015 4:21 PM I replied with the following.

Mr. Bent,

I’m sure you are quite busy and I can understand that. I just couldn’t seem to get a response from anyone else. Even today when I called for Mario, I was told by the receptionist that he would return my call. Several hours later, I still had not heard back from anyone. I’ve been trying to speak to someone since this started on Monday and couldn’t get a response. I couldn’t help but feel that I was being ignored.

I’m also certain you have plenty of satisfied customers. I was one of them until all of this started. I’ve been shopping for RV accessories at your business for years cause of your fair pricing and the knowledge of your staff.

The main issue here is the so called preparation fee. Even though it is now being called a supply fee, at the time of the sale it was pitched to us as a preparation fee to ready the camper so it would be ready for use. This included propane, a battery (which in my opinion, a battery should be included) and check all lights and the plumbing etc…

Other than the items that are defected, you can’t really go back and fix anything. I have already fixed the leak and my wife cleaned the inside so we could use it for our trip this weekend.

Let’s be realistic here. Let’s go ahead and call it a supply fee. What did you all add that totaled $450? I’m being told propane and a battery. That’s some expensive propane and one heck of a battery.

I think in the least you should consider compensating me for that fee minus the propane and battery. (If the battery really doesn’t come with the RV)


On Friday, October 23, 2015 5:57 PM, the owner replied back.

Mr. Graves,
Several years ago, our competitors had lowered their advertised prices of their campers and added these supplies just like we do. We had to do the same to remain competitive. At that time, we figured out all of these costs to come with our prep charge.

The prep supplies includes:
– the gift certificate for the initial supplies/ starter kit
– the 15 nights free camping
– the RV club membership that gives you 10% parts discount at any Route 66 Dealership in America
– a walk through to show you all aspects of your camper. Some customers know some of this, but all of our customers are given the same full demonstration for all the functions on the camper. ( The campers have a lot more items to learn than a car!) Our retail labor rate is $119 per hour.
– Battery and Battery Box and labor to mount the box.
– Both propane tanks filled

I assume that you also received these items above. If not, let me know and we can make sure that you get them.

Thanks,

Brian Bent


On Friday, October 23, 2015 6:35 PM I replied with the following email.

Yes, I did receive all of that but I don’t really consider those to be “supplies”. I didn’t really ask for those things either.

I guess we just won’t really get anywhere with this but I would like to add my comments on the things that you mentioned cause most of these items were not mentioned as part of the fee. If they had been mentioned, I most likely would not have agreed to pay them. In the end, it would probably have been a deal breaker. I’m sure that most everyday consumers would agree with me.

The following items were never mentioned as being part of that fee.

1. The gift certificate. It’s not really a gift if I have to purchase it myself.

2. The 15 free nights of camping. Those appear to be related to some time share. I consider all time shares to be a scam and always avoid them.

3. RV club membership. While I may actually use it, it probably won’t be enough to make me feel like the fee was worth it.

4. The walk through. Hmmm. How long does this normally take? I ask this cause all I was shown was the slide being drawn in, how to turn on the LED lights and given a pamphlet when I inquired about the tongue weight. This took less than 15 minutes. At the campground, I had to get out the manual to get the water heater to operate on electrical power. It lit up on propane when I turned it on. Little did I know there was a separate switch on the heater for electrical operation.

Mr. Bent, had all of the above been mentioned as being part of that fee, I would have most certainly offered to purchase the propane and battery myself. I will come in to have the defected items taken care of but I don’t really see myself visiting your establishment thereafter. All of this could have been avoided with a little honesty in the beginning and I would be a “happy camper” right now. (Pun intended)

It may be a big inconvenience to me but I most definitely see myself visiting another dealership in the future to have warranty items taken care of. As mentioned in past emails, I have always been happy with going to you for parts and accessories but I just won’t be able to do it anymore with the way I now feel.

Mario,

You are quite the salesman. I usually feel like I am experiencing anxiety when making a purchase that involves a salesman. With you, I really felt comfortable throughout the sale. Stupid me for letting my guard down and not keeping in my mind that old phrase “let the buyer beware”.

In the future, you may want to consider being up front and a little clearer with the customer about what is included with this fee. It may prevent a lot of frustration in your customers. At this point, I am most certainly a unhappy customer.


Update:

11/23/15 – I called the business to speak with Mario and was told that he was not available. I then sent the following email:

Mario,

Wanted to check in and find out if the parts came in so I can schedule a time to bring the camper in for the items to be replaced.

Mervin Graves.
Sent from my iPhone


I never got a response. I called again on December 2, 2015 to find out the status of what was going on with replacing the damaged items and fixing the broken drawer face, etc… I spoke with Mario. He had the nerve to act like he couldn’t remember the exact items I was talking about. Unless they have arguments via telephone and email with all of their customers, I have a hard time believing that he had a hard time remembering who I was, the situation, or what the call was about. I really think that he feels that he made the sale, now he is done with me. No matter what, I will never do business with them again. Any parts or accessories will be ordered from Amazon before I go through them again!

In the end, the service department informed me that I could bring the camper in on Friday, December 11, 2015 to have the items replaced/repaired. We shall see what happens. I will follow up on how it goes.

Follow up 4/10/16

Brought the camper in last week to have the warranty work done. The lights were fixed, the drawer face also repaired and table was replaced. The molding on the ceiling is the same.  Lord only knows what else. Now that this chapter is over, time to move on. If I ever need warranty work, looks like I will be bringing the camper to the north shore. I’m still out that blasted $450.00 prep fee. Guess once the sale is done, that’s all that counts to the Bent’s. I can promise you this, they shall never get me again. Screw me once…. You won’t get a chance to screw me twice!

7
Want the images in the recent image attachments block in Simple Portal to link to the post instead of the actual larger attachment?

In Sources/PortalBlocks.php
Find:
Code: [Select]
', $item['file']['image']['link'], 'Replace with:
Code: [Select]
<a href="' . $item['topic']['href'] . '">', $item['file']['image']['thumb'], '</a>

Want the images to be smaller? Use the below fix instead and set the size of 175 to what you want.
Find:
Code: [Select]
', $item['file']['image']['link'], 'Replace with:
Code: [Select]
<a href="' . $item['topic']['href'] . '">', str_replace('<img', '<img height="175"', $item['file']['image']['thumb']), '</a>

8
Just like in Windows 8, when you click delete on a file or folder in Windows 10, it doesn’t give you a prompt asking if you are sure you want to move to the recycle bin? Well, if you would like that feature back, you are in luck. With a few very simple steps, you can have it.

Right-click on your Recycle Bin icon on your Desktop and select Properties. Tick the box next to “Display delete confirmation dialog” to apply the changes.

9
Windows 10 / Schedule restarts
« on: Dec 27, 2015, 8:36 PM »
Windows 10 will install updates without asking (on the Home edition of the OS). After installing these updates, Windows 10 will automatically reboot when you are not using it. You don’t necessarily want your PC rebooting unexpectedly.

To fix this, search for “advanced update” from the taskbar, choose Advanced Windows Update options and then change the top setting to Notify to schedule restart.

10
Windows 8 / De-stupify Windows 8
« on: Dec 27, 2015, 8:32 PM »

11
Seems that Kristen McQueary of the Chicago Tribune thinks a Katrina related disaster will help bring Chicago out of some slump that it is apparently in.

The people of Chicago should run this woman straight out of town! How could anyone wish this on their own city. There is no way she can possibly realize what it is like to go through something like this! Give me a 30 second conversation with her so I can tell her how much of an ass she is!

She has since edited the original article.

See the original article here




12
General Discussion / Erin Brockovich is pissed
« on: Jul 26, 2015, 10:12 AM »
From her post on Facebook...

Quote
Alrighty then...now they have done gone and pissed me off.

If it is not bad enough that politicians, health officials and water treatment regulators down play what is happening... they are lying to us as well. The water WILL NOT be safe to drink or bathe in for at least the next 60-days.

First... the St. Bernard Parish water system is a chloraminated system. This is part of the problem... it is the use of chlorine that is sequestered by adding ammonia. This is done so the chlorine does not react with the dirt in the water which forms regulated disinfection byproducts. IT MAKES CHLORINE WEAK AND LESS REACTIVE WITH BACTERIA... as it breaks down it causes distribution system nitrification which supports biofilm growth!!!

Clean the damn water up, remove the organics...and stop making excuses...

Now... they are going to do a chlorine burn out...in your drinking water. That means turn off the ammonia and turn up the chlorine. Let me tell you what this will do... it will cause skin irritation and asthma attacks. It WILL form cancer causing compound above the health standards... ugh!!!

It will not be safe to drink or bathe in for at least the next 60-days.

This is their politically correct crap:

Louisiana health officials confirmed Wednesday the presence of the Naegleria fowleri amoeba in the St. Bernard Parish Water System at the site of a leaking sampling station. The water system, which serves 44,000 residents in St. Bernard Parish, was tested by the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals (DHH) as part of the State’s new public drinking water surveillance program. DHH notified the water system and local officials Wednesday evening.

The Department asked the water system to conduct a 60-day chlorine burn to ensure that any remaining ameba in the system are eliminated. Parish President Dave Peralta confirmed that the system would conduct the burn out of an abundance of caution.

Based on current monthly chloramine residual compliance reports, the water system has met the requirements with Louisiana rules for chloramine disinfectant levels set forth by the 2013 by emergency rule and additional requirements in 2014 by the Louisiana Legislature. Five other sites on the system tested negative for the amoeba and one site did not meet the required level of disinfectant.

Tap water in St. Bernard Parish is safe for residents to drink, but the Department urges residents to avoid getting water in their noses. Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba that occurs naturally in freshwater.

As Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare, testing for this amoeba in public drinking water is still relatively new and evolving. Fewer than 10 deaths in the United States have been traced back to the amoeba, with three occurring in Louisiana over the last several years. The amoeba was identified in St. Bernard Parish Water System in the summer of 2013; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that the system no longer tested positive for the presence of the amoeba in February 2014.

DHH conducts sampling of public drinking water systems for Naegleria fowleri each summer when temperatures rise. So far, DHH has tested 12 other systems for the amoeba and still awaiting lab results for each.

Naegleria fowleri causes a disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is a brain infection that leads to the destruction of brain tissue. In its early stages, symptoms of PAM may be similar to bacterial meningitis.

DHH Safe Drinking Water Program staff sampled seven sites along the St. Bernard Parish Water System. Two of the seven sites tested positive for the amoeba. One positive test was at a site at the water treatment plant before the water was treated. The second positive test occurred at 948 Angela Street, which may have been contaminated by ground water due to a leak at the sampling station. Chlorine levels at the site of the positive sample did meet the 0.5 mg/l requirement. The Department will continue to consult with the water system and the CDC.

The Department requested that the water system conduct a 60-day free chlorine burn in the water system. The chlorine burn will help reduce biofilm, or organic buildup, throughout the water system and will kill the amoeba. The parish has agreed to conduct this precautionary measure.

Precautionary Measures for Families

According to the CDC, every resident can take simple steps to help reduce their risk of Naegleria fowleri infection. Individuals should focus on limiting the amount of water going up their nose. Preventative measures recommended by the CDC include the following:

DO NOT allow water to go up your nose or sniff water into your nose when bathing, showering, washing your face, or swimming in small hard plastic/blow-up pools.

DO NOT jump into or put your head under bathing water (bathtubs, small hard plastic/blow-up pools); walk or lower yourself in.

DO NOT allow children to play unsupervised with hoses or sprinklers, as they may accidentally squirt water up their nose. Avoid slip-n-slides or other activities where it is difficult to prevent water going up the nose.

DO run bath and shower taps and hoses for five minutes before use to flush out the pipes. This is most important the first time you use the tap after the water utility raises the disinfectant level.

DO keep small hard plastic/blow-up pools clean by emptying, scrubbing and allowing them to dry after each use.

DO use only boiled and cooled, distilled or sterile water for making sinus rinse solutions for neti pots or performing ritual ablutions.

DO keep your swimming pool adequately disinfected before and during use. Adequate disinfection means: Pools: free chlorine at 1 to 3 parts per million (ppm) and pH 7.2 to 7.8, and Hot tubs/spas: free chlorine 2 to 4 parts per million (ppm) or free bromine 4 to 6 ppm and pH 7.2 to 7.8.

If you need to top off the water in your swimming pool with tap water, place the hose directly into the skimmer box and ensure that the filter is running. Do not top off the pool by placing the hose in the body of the pool.

Residents should continue these precautions until testing no longer confirms the presence of the amoeba in the water system. Residents will be made aware when that occurs.

13
SMF Forum tips & tricks / Highlight text
« on: May 15, 2015, 11:21 PM »
This will enable you to highlight text in a post.

Upload highlight-text.gif to your theme directory. Theme may vary if using a different theme from the default.

/Themes/default/images/bbc/highlight-text.gif

NOTE: This mod is installed the old fashioned way using Boardmod. I may eventually get around to making this work with the SMF package manager.

Files to edit:

Themes/default/css/index.css
Themes/default/languages/Modifications.english.php
Sources/Subs-Editor.php
Sources/Subs.php

14
My Blog / De-stupefying Windows 8
« on: Feb 12, 2015, 9:01 AM »
So, if you are like me.... You have a hard time dealing with changes when it comes to Windows. After taking forever to finally migrate to Windows 7, I recently bought a new laptop with Windows 8.

Originally, I had planned on downgrading this new laptop to Windows 7.

After some discussion with my buddy Lefty, I have decided to keep it and at least give it a shot. Following some of my buddy's advice, I am up and running on Windows 8.

Note that some programs may differ on your system, depending on the manufacturer.



1. First thing, plug it in and turn on.

2. Search internet on another system for kinda obscure way to setup computer without making account with Microsoft - there is a way!...doing it because I only want to be tracked by google and not have my email data-mined by Microsoft - being snooped on by one company (and the government, of course) is enough. ;)

3. Once finished with initial setup - now to loose the "stupid".

4. Download Classic Shell and install - set it to boot directly to the desktop. Metro blows big time! Now I have a real start menu again - 60% of stupid gone!

5. Download Firefox and install - set as default browser. IE sucks - buggy - 10% more of stupid gone!

6. Uninstall office 365 trial version - I do not want to let Microsoft read all of my documents for data mining purposes in order to sell me crap (don't laugh or be amazed, Google docs and Gmail do the same thing)...and I'm not going to pay a yearly subscription fee to access my docs and edit them - Up yours Microsoft! - 10% more stupid gone!

7. Open Windows (File) Explorer, press alt-key, on the View Ribbon (part of the Stupid that can be removed, see #8) click Options. On the Options Dialog that pops-up under the General tab - check "show all folders" and check "automatically expand to current folder". Now select the View tab - check "always show menus", check "display full path in title bar" and UNcheck "hide extensions for know file types"(one of my biggest pet peeves!). - Click Apply at the bottom of the Dialog. - 5% more stupid gone!

8. Note: you can never get more than 90% of stupid removed from Microsoft products - it's built in too deep!

9. Now it's time to loose the "FAT".

10. Uninstall Pokki - I don't care what it is, it's gone.

11. Uninstall Wildtangent - Adware games and crap, useless, gone.

12. Uninstall Symantec Norton Anti-*whatever* or McAfee *whatever*- It might actually work nowadays, I don't know and don't care, buggy and bloated, gone!

13. Uninstall Amazon 1-button app - Why? Website still works in Firefox, right? - not using metro apps anyway - useless bloat-crap ware, gone.

14. Run Windows Update. Twice - just to make sure it's completely up-to-date.

15. Download AVG Antivirus and install. Why pay for something when there are other options that work. It's free and works great. I have been using it for almost 10 years with no problem.

16. Download Malwarebytes and install.

17. Install office suite, take your pick Libreoffice, OpenOffice, Microsoft 2003, 2007, 2010, even 2013, etc.

18. Copy files from old system to new system...don't forget to save backup!

19. Enjoy new system!

15
Recipes / Sweet Potato Casserole
« on: Feb 09, 2015, 12:47 AM »
Sweet Potato Casserole

Casserole:
3 cups sweet potatoes (1 large and 1 small can)
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup milk

Topping:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Boil and mash potatoes. Mix in sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Put in 13x9 in. baking dish.

Topping:
Melt butter and mix remaining ingredients. Sprinkle on top of potato mixture. Bake 25 minutes at 350°.

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