Out, about, and everywhere none the same

Fair warning, this is another Halloween and random storm inspired post. 

The fall season is upon us, y'all. More and more stores are loading up their aisles with the cinnamon scented broomsticks, autumn runners for the tables (in the shape of leaves), orange and brown colors are coordinating themselves with the bite sized candy bars that need to be handed out to tiny human beings.

I had gone to Kohl's the other day and they had a giant display by the registers of various spooky related decorations. One in particular, caught my eye. 

It's small enough to sit on a table, but can also be hung on the wall. "LIVED LAUGHED LOVED" sign, on what looks like it could be a tombstone. Kohl's price is $11.99 currently; yes, I left the price tag on in the picture. I didn't cover it up; I wanted to show what stores are selling things for out in the real world. 

Due to it being a Kohl's collaboration with a design group, I couldn't even find it on the store's website. I think it must be an in person purchase only, as the sku and article numbers, according to Google, state it's a drop ship product. Meaning, there's no record of it online anywhere. The numbers are for internal use only, done by whatever business to business set up the companies have going. 

I couldn't find the specific artwork on Amazon, but I found other related items (kind of). It's not completely the same, but some of them are rather funny and cute, but disturbing at the same time. See link below.

Later on, I was in a completely different store. this place had the room / space for the giant scarers. The items reliant on constant air being pushed in, props the size of real people (or bigger), signs that basically say "you're not invited but still come over!".

 

I guess it's the year of the cowboy, based on how many wild west themed decorations I saw. 

The benches are pretty neat though, I must admit. I keep seeing them pop up in different stores and they're rather sturdy looking. I haven't tried sitting on one (most stores don't let you test the product), so I can't say how great it is. One of these times I'll attempt to touch it and see how it feels and goes.

Providing I don't get squirreled into seeing something else. 

This week we also had to pick up a friend at the airport. They had to come at the last minute due to some issues going on in their house (they're snowbirds). The day we picked them up, the rain was coming in fast and furious. It was "so bad", they heard a giant bang of thunder in the airport, and thought it was part of the construction happening, since there are major renovations going on in the local terminals. 

But alas, the whole thing passed by the time we got our friend home, and they had a reprieve for a few hours before the sky opened up again. 

Welcome to summer! It's still rainy season! 

I had a pickup request at the library, and every time I walk in, it seems like they've got a totally new display going on. 

This time, it's Halloween adjacent; all the cryptids going on. I didn't get a photo of the books and movies they had on the bookshelf, because I was too amused by the decals. 

I even said to one of the librarians "I love the stickers" and she laughed, saying she does too. I don't know if she was being honest, but she does seem to be like someone who would internally appreciate the decorations. 

I couldn't find the exact ones on Amazon, but I found others. I don't know where the library orders their decorations from, or if they have someone who works there, that does everything. Considering one of the signs had the library system logo on it, I think it's all printed in house; so anything is possible with the decals. 

If you're wondering what I picked up, it was a 1959 move, "On The Beach" starring Gregory Peck, Anthony Perkins, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire. 

The synopsis (via Google) is:

"After World War III, Australia is the only remaining haven for mankind. However, wind currents carrying lingering radiation all but condemn those on the continent to the same fate suffered by the rest of the world. When the survivors receive a strange signal from San Diego, Cmdr. Dwight Towers (Gregory Peck) must undertake a mission with Lt. Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins) to see if there is hope for humanity -- leaving behind Moira (Ava Gardner) and Mary (Donna Anderson), the women they love"

I intend on watching it later. When the storms arrive this afternoon (like clockwork. Haha).

Speaking of library, I've got another pickup request there today, so I supposed I should get myself in gear and go pick it up. It's the "book on cd" version of "Zoo 2" by James Patterson. I read the first book, but want to be able to see how the second book continues the story. I've already started a new book, so maybe a CD might help in the car. Who knows. 

Until more things pop up in stores and in my feed, stay healthy and hydrated; safe and sound. Don't be afraid of things that go bump in the night.

Cheers;

All photos taken on an iPhone 17 and edited in Photoshop

See also (aka things on Amazon):

• "cinnamon scented broom keyword search
• "lived laughed loved halloween" keyword search.
• "cowboy skeleton" keyword search
• "halloween skeleton bench outdoor" keyword search (this came up with more skeletons than any bench search)
• "dead and breakfast halloween" keyword search
• "transparent cryptid stickers" keyword search
  
• "cryptid decals" keyword search
• "Zoo (2 book series)" by James Patterson search
• "on the beach 1959" keyword search

People take it literally

I've got a "Free Hugs" shirt that I've worn out in public a few times. It's not a generic shirt that just says "FREE HUGS", but it's the Chucky doll with his hands outstretched. 

It actually looks like this:

Amazon link is here in case anyone wants their own.

One of the first times I wore it, outside of Halloween, my mother and I were in Rooms To Go. One of the sales people sees the shirt, points to it, and asks "seriously?". I didn't realize what was going on and I asked what he was talking about. He said that I'm "wearing a 'free hugs' shirt" and am I "giving away free hugs?". He had put me in an awkward position because what do you say to that, especially since you're trying to shop at a store he works at and may end up buying from him? So I weirdly said "yes?" and he asked if he could have a hug. I had to at that point. What choice did I have.

Yes, I could have told him to kick rocks. It's weird; it's gross; it's something you don't expect. But at least maybe we could get better help in the store if I complied? 

We didn't, as we ended up finding nothing we wanted.

Whomp whomp. 

I know I get stares when I wear it, but no one says anything to me. Or, they hadn't until we were in the furniture store, not have they since.

Speed up to this week and I'm wearing it again.

My mother and I are in Publix and I'm standing in the deli line, waiting to order a Pub Sub of The Day. 

When it got to be my turn, I did my ordering. As I stood there, another deli worker saw my shirt. She started questioning me. 

The first thing she asks if I wear the shirt to any of the colleges and their games. I said no, figuring that would be the end of it. 

Keep in mind what this shirt looks like and what the movie was about.

The employee then asked if I'm part of The Ministry, since I'm wearing a "free hugs" shirt. Again, I said no. She went on to explain "how people in The Ministry go to the colleges and college games, looking to give out hugs in the name of Jesus because the kids don't have family near them and are making friends. But a hug can do a lot of positivity for them because it's a personal connection and contact. The Ministry goes all around the country to do this and it's all in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior". 

I'm standing there trying to hold my mouth shut. Like, this woman, who doesn't even look like she should be a Christian, is asking me if I'm doing the Lord's Work at college campuses. Lady, does this shirt really make me look like I go out and hang with the 18-24 year olds? Maybe they have seen the film, but I doubt they want a hug from a random stranger. 

Hell, even when I was in college (over 20 years ago), I crossed the street immediately when I saw the Krishnas on the sidewalk. I knew better than to engage with them. I'm not going to a ball game and risk getting myself in trouble. No thank you. 

I kindly told her that it is something I don't attend to. It's a nice gesture, but I don't do it. If I had kept saying things, I think she might have wanted to try to convert me, seeing how the customer in back of me ended up becoming part of the conversation and agreed with the employee. 

Guess I'm in the wrong store, city and state if I'm getting asked about specific opportunities while trying to get lunch... 

Then again, a cousin ended up getting hit on at the Entenmann's display at another Publix once... 

Don't get me wrong; everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, there's a type of conversation that shouldn't be had in specific places. A deli employee in a grocery store shouldn't be asking about religion type situations when they don't know what the customer does outside of the store. 

Yes, I understand the context. It was as simple question for the good of humanity. Doing something nice for the community; karma points. There's a difference in how the conversation can be made, however. Once I was asked if I go to the colleges and I said no, it's the end of story. Had the employee finished her inquiry by saying "Oh, okay. I was just asking because I know there's a group who goes out because..." and then drops it, I wouldn't have an issue. There was no need to go into immense detail and ask if I was part of that group, as well as including the person behind me in the discussion. 

I know it's my hang up and I need to get over it. But sometimes it's just a weird thing to me because I'm taking as much of it out of context as they are. Maybe it's a sign I should stop leaving the house. Haha. 

I've got to seriously figure this stuff out though. How to better end a conversation without it being awkward as hell and also not get me kicked out of the business.

Until then, if you want to go hug a stranger, do it, but also, make sure you're not stinky and sweaty. It's still hot out there.

Cheers;

Translation lost, new words found?

I picked up a "new" toilet bowl cleaner at a local Dollar Tree and didn't fully read it until a few days later.

The bottle is bright pink and white, has an angled neck exactly like big name brands, and almost smells like the grapefruit it says it should. The brand is called "Homebright" and the cleaner is "Power Clinging Toilet Bowl Cleaner Gel". I think it's supposed to be like "The Pink Stuff", but I haven't purchased any of those products, so I can't say whether or not they're similar. 

When I was finally ready to use the product, I had read the back in more detail. What had jumped out at me was the (very loosely) translated wording and how the more tough stains needed to be cleaned.

Taken from the back (with no corrections):

"A unique fresh, fruity perfume fills the whole toilet. Its foam cleaning action leaves your toilet sparking clean. The thick cleaning gel clings to the toilet bowl removes limescale when used regularly (3 times per week). Cleans above and below the water line.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE: Direct nozzle under the toilet rim and squeeze bottle to apply liquid. Flush away for a sparkling clean fresh finish. For built-up limescale leave overnight with the toilet seal in an upright position."

It does have a unique fresh and fruity perfume, but I didn't see any foaming action. With the directions stating you can just flush the mess away, it was weird because the gel sticks to the sides of the bowl. You actually need to scrub it a little bit to make sure things go down. What's the point of using a cleaner if it's not going to wash away the dirt? Plus, this is the first part of the translation gaff, or at the very least misinterpretation: "For built-up limescale leave overnight with the toilet seal in an upright position". What does that mean - "leave overnight with the toilet seal in an upright position"?? Maybe leave your toilet seat lid up so the fumes can disperse? 

The next bit of confusion on the label comes from the warning and caution:
"WARNING: Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. Keep out of reach of children. Read label before use. Wash contaminated skin thoroughly after handling. Avoid release to the environment. Dispose of contents/container in accordance with local regulations. 

CAUTIONS: Do not mix with other cleaning products. People with sensitive skin should wear gloves when using this product. 

STORAGE: Store upright in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight and do not expose to extreme temperatures."

Uhm, "Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects"??? What in the actual unprocessed hell is in this thing? This is a product that is meant to go down your drain. Depending on where your pipes lead, it'll wind up in other water systems where the "aquatic life" is around. It might not be immediate, but they'll have their opportunity to swim in it soon enough. Also, "contaminated skin"?? Like this is a biohazard product? Where is THAT on the label?

Moving forward, the rest of the bottle contains ingredients and information about the company (address and phone number):

"INGREDIENTS: WATER, CITRIC ACID, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, DECYL GLUCOSIDE, XANTHAM GUN, FRAGRANCE, RED 33, METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE, METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE.

Contains fragrance allergens.

For more ingredient information visit www.rejoice-us.com.

*Plant-based ingredients: Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Decyl Glucoside.

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS? 1-855-345-5575

MANUFACTURED FOR:

REJOICE INTERNATIONAL CORP.

21800 HAGGERTY RD.

NORTHVILLE, MI 48167, USA

MADE IN CHINA"

Okay, there are a lot of things I can't pronounce in the list, let alone wonder if it's the same kind of wording in all languages. Science is science, right? 

Castor Oil being one of the ingredients would probably explain why the gel sticks so good to the bowl and doesn't move, even when you try to brush it away. It seriously sticks to the sides and does take a couple flushes to fully disappear, as this stuff is pink when it comes out of the bottle and pink when it goes in your toilet. 

The rest of the ingredient list, well, good luck with it. I know there are some regulations with the "methyl" products listed, and it has some restrictive use.

I guess this will be the last time I purchase this product and will truly be reading the label better when I am in the store. I know there are cleaning agents out there that are better and some that are worse. Since this is a Dollar Tree product, it's not that widely available outside of that "less expensive" bubble. Which means, if you search for it online, it'll be a lot more money and come from third party vendors on auction sites (like eBay) or big name seller sites (Amazon did have it as a two pack and grossly over prices from some random seller). 

Honestly, it's my fault for not paying attention to things. I was looking for cleaning products while shopping at the Dollar Tree, and when I saw something that looked like another name brand, I thought I'd try it. Little to my knowledge, this would turn out to be something I'm turning into a big deal, without wanting to make it a big deal. 

I mean, it works to an extent. Once you squirt it in the bowl, it's not as easy as the directions state. You just can't flush it away because the gel is too thick and it stays on the sides. Therefore, you have to take a toilet bowl want and smush it around; do your usual cleaning. Then you flush it away, but the color stays for another flush or two. It's not staining my white bowl by any means, if that's what you're wondering. I think I had more of a problem with a slight stain with one of those blue cubes you drop in the tank and it cleans that way, then this get leaving "it's a girl!!" pink marks. The blue stain only happened once, but it's not getting clean, which is a bummer. Those cubes aren't the best and they're a bigger and better brand. I wasn't impressed, truth be told. 

Not that I'm impressed by this Homebright product either. The citrus smell does hit you, but then it goes away after that second flush, which is a good thing. It's as thick in the aroma department as it is in the gel department. For a liquid, it surely clings! 

This is truly not something I would buy again, and although I've not read the label for other products, I am hoping the translations aren't as bad as this one. The descriptions threw me for a loop, so based on that, I wanted to do a post. Share something I've seen and tried, and hopefully let others know to be careful with what they're purchasing and using. Hopefully something will change, regardless of what that "something" is. It's one thing to buy a knock off or pick something up that is less expensive, but it's something different when the wording on the product is warning you of the materials being harmful for the fishies and instructs you to leave something in an upright position when it doesn't really state what that something should be. Read between the lines and choose your own adventure? 

Until I finish this product and don't purchase it again, stay clean, for the most part. Stay out of the radioactive beds of water as well. 

Cheers;

(True) Crime doesn't pay...?

I started a new podcast this week. It's authored by HBO and the Boston Globe and is called "Murder in Boston". 

Via the synopsis on the Amazon page:

1989 Boston. The crack epidemic is raging, the murder rate soaring, and white flight has taken hold. Charles Stuart and his pregnant wife, Carol, are carjacked, drawn deep into a dangerous “inner city” neighborhood, and allegedly shot by a Black man. All of Boston – and the nation – is gripped by the hunt for the suspect. What follows will reveal truths about the city... and ourselves. Presented by The Boston Globe and HBO Documentary Films, Murder in Boston: The Untold Story of the Charles and Carol Stuart Shooting is hosted by Adrian Walker who, along with a team of Pulitzer-winning investigative reporters, unveils explosive new findings and change the narrative of a story long cemented in the city’s lore. The HBO Documentary Series Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning is available to stream on Max starting December 4.

According to the "product details", the podcast was released November 27, 2023. Which would match the December 4 2023 drop of the HBO series. As I just started the podcast, I haven't seen the television series. Unfortunately, I do not have HBO, so I may end up not seeing it. It should be fine; the podcast is feeling more in depth anyway, as there are ten episodes where the HBO show is 3. The audio version is broken up into 35 to 55 minute segments where the video version are single 55 minute segments.  

So far, it's interesting. It's a culmination of interviews, reporting and speculation, all wrapped up in a neat little box. I was too young to know about this story when it was happening, but it's a part of Massachusetts history that you'll never forget. Plus, the areas they are talking about, I've been in; whether it's in passing (Mission Hill), visiting (Dorchester, Roxbury) or other (Tremont Street, hospital district). Life happens and you don't know what's going on unless it's on the 10 o'clock nightly news some times. 

What hasn't been on the news, except for being on my blog, is I've got new flower pictures. It seems like this will be the last week of iPhone 11 photos, as I've been upgraded to a 17. I don't have the new iteration just yet, as it won't be in my hands until the weekend, more than likely. 

Before anyone starts screaming, "how can you afford a new phone?? You're always talking about being poor!", I am poor. Hence the reason I'm using an 11 that I bought in 2019. It's just that the store we usually buy from, called us back in December and offered us a deal to trade in our phones (my mom had the 13) and it all works out in our favor due to the value of things. After a month of a cluster bomb with these new devices, my mother has her new phone as of Monday and I will allegedly have mine at some point this weekend. They got shipped from two different places. 

That's why I am taking advantage of having the phone while I still can, even during the chaos of having our cellular service preemptively shut off and me having to figure out how to get an eSim downloaded and turned on. 

Allegedly, my phone was trying to look for service on my physically Sim while Verizon tech was telling the device to install an eSim. So I had to take out the card and scan a QR code.. it was a mess. I have service once again, however, I don't want to attempt this in the future. 

It's no wonder why Rach once called me a "neo luddite" and it stuck! I have a love hate relationship with technology. 

Anyway, the flower pictures.. the bush at our front door was sprouting again, and I attempted to get some fancy views of it. 

As per usual, I didn't want to get all involved with my Canon camera. It was one of those random moments in time where I was at the front door to see if any packages had arrived before we went out to do errands. I also didn't do much editing of the photos in Photoshop, except a little sharpen in some places. Added my name to the final product. What you see is what you get. 

Final result is something I am okay with. I know it could be better, especially in editing them for color, contrast, and so forth, but I'm still not calibrated for that on my laptop. One day I will be. One day. 

I guess that's it for now. I'm thinking of another post idea, but need to research it a little more before I start writing about it. Want to get the opinion of some of my friends first.

Until then, stay curious and watch what you do in the day light hours and at night.

Cheers;

Feels a little apocalyptic

Past few weeks, whatever is happening in the world, the sunsets have been wild. 

Burst of reds, oranges, purples.. colors so vivid and odd, it really feels like a scene in one of the "end of the world" movies. The type where the undead will come creeping out of a corner if you're not careful because you thought you checked every inch of that abandoned town you've been hiding in. 

But we aren't there... yet. It's still too Hollywood science fiction. 

What we have is something completely different and it's just as weird. 

I think part of the reason the orange is showing up more, is due to the Saharan Dust coming our way. It's lingering a bit longer this summer and won't stop until the end of the month. So they say. It's also why we haven't had an influx of tropical storms turned hurricanes. The sand is prohibiting the Atlantic from doing it's churning and delivering us a big case of "oh damn, get the shutters up". 

The photos and video I'm posting were taken on an iPhone 11. No edits on the photos except my name. There are two with different fonts. Those I put my name on via the photos app in my phone and sent them to friends. The video was edited in Pinnacle Studio, and all I did for that was add my name and stock music (which came with the program). 

When I sent the photos to my friends, Shawn had said that one of them "looks like it could be a postcard, calendar, or something tourists would buy up" and that overall, they are "really cool picture[s]". 

That's why I'm going to do a little housekeeping and say "like what you see? Show some support. I am using a site called Ko-Fi, if you want to drop something there [aka "Buy me a coffee"]. Comments here are welcome as well". It's not easy generating stuff on a weekly or monthly basis and I keep saying I'm working bettering my photo skills. I'm trying to get enough work done where I can swiftly and easily do so much more. Everyone likes my photos and videos, but I know they need work. That's why Ko-Fi and comments are helpful if you're looking at my blog and potentially saving a picture or two (I know it happens. I'm not that naïve). Hence, drop a dime, drop a line. Be nice. 

Anyway, without further ado, the proof or it didn't happen:

Overall, the pictures and video also prove that there is a difference between being able to auto focus in a phone and being able to know your digital camera (or film camera) well enough to focus and manipulate the images before processing. During the film days, there were more blurry photos than still photos in my books and with digital, it may be easier to delete the image, but there's still trial and error. Look at my moon pictures from yesterday. The difference between holding a lightweight machine the length of a brick (but the heft of a small pack of crayons) can take a better image than holding a camera with a heavy lens, and have some shaking going on. Even if you use a tripod, you're probably better using a wired remote to shutter the lens, or you might not get the photo you're looking for. I should have used a tripod yesterday, but I didn't. I used a phone last night. It's literally night and day, even though it was not totally night nor totally day when they were both taken. Just happened to be 14 hours apart. 

I don't know. I'm probably talking nonsense. It's still a valuable lesson and it's a learning experience and experiment. Things happen. 

Much like I was texting Cat and she was telling me about her daughter wanting to go into photography as a job, but "due to AI, photography is dying", so the girl will probably pick a more favorable employment opportunity. I told Cat that her daughter should still check it out - there's still random types of work to do. It's not the best, but she could do the "school picture day" pictures with some sort of roaming portrait studio. If she can get some sort of low level apprenticeship or internship with a local photo studio, she can still learn a lot and gain valuable skills. As long as the drug stores are printing photos on the big plotters, there's a need for photographers. 

I worked for two different photo studios and one of them actually went to Costco for bulk printing. I learned a lot from both companies - talking with the graphic designer and printing tech at the first one, taught me how to use the newer versions of Photoshop and how to use industrial printing machines. I was able to do a lot more corrections and manipulations with speaking with them and watching them, than I was doing on GIMP. I knew enough that each keystroke translated and transferred easily to the Adobe product, but I still was a novice. I still am a novice; I admit that. I also got to know more about processing photos. What it takes to edit the image for proper sizing and printing on big chemical machines like the Fuji photo printer lab contraption we were using. I had dark room experience from college, but this is a whole different ballgame. The other studio I worked at, made me aware that you really need to type out your business materials in a Word document or have someone else read the information before you embed it on a photo in Photoshop. We were printing flyers (business information) that were so misspelled and misaligned, it was a real embarrassment. Yet no one checked for errors because it was one of those in house promotions and there was a need for foot traffic. I learned more of what not to do in a business from this one shop, than anything else, quite honestly. I know that sounds mean and rude, but I learned a lot about how to run a company and what stuck with me was how things were being done from a business standpoint instead of a client standpoint. Flash in the pan easy and quick to get a body in, versus take your time to make sure you get the right person in. If you're doing professional portraits (headshots), you need professional advertising. Don't have half your flyer read like a second grader wrote it. 

Yes, I have my faults. "Don't throw stones at glass houses". My blog is littered with problems and I know that. I also know I'm not an LLC or a proper business. This is something I do as a hobby - share reviews, pictures, opinions. I don't mind talking about things and I hope people read what I type and maybe change their own thought about the topic. I'm not looking to convert anyone. I'm just free writing until my mind says "enough". If it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense. I tend to ramble and not check my work. Yet here I am, talking smack about a company who didn't check theirs either. I only worked there - I didn't have a major stake in the company, so their advertising was on them. I wasn't part of those meetings or that department; I stayed in a corner working on videos all day. 

It's not a bad thing and it's not a good thing. It was something I learned and can pass on to other people. Which is why I said to Cat her daughter should still think about doing photo stuff. If anything, she will learn some new ways to do everything and if she goes a different job route, so be it. At least she has gained more knowledge on something she likes to do. 

Isn't there some sort of adage where "knowledge is power"? We should be enabling our kids and our friends to seek out things they like to do and encourage them to work / collaborate with others to learn more about whatever it is. Just like I am slowly learning more about my own camera and I try to do things with it, even if the picture comes out horrible, I know what not to do the next time. 

Long story longer, I completely squirreled away from the original idea of this post. 

At any rate, stay glowing and keep your eyes peeled to the sky (and ground. Always look around you)...

Cheers

See Also

* Kind of feeling like "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" by REM (off their "Document" album - track 6 for reference)