Random thoughts...

[Brian861]

Left the last book collecting group I was in on FB today. Drama that didn't belong followed by a torrent of hateful misguided activists who think their reaction and replies were so much better and more righteous than the original posters comment.

It was a great reminder why social media truly isn't social and why places like this are so rare and special.

I am so thankful this forum is still up and running.

It can be unhealthy environment for sure. As far as collecting or collecting related Facebook groups; I'm currently only following 19th Edition, Lividian, and Suntup. I rarely actively participate in them though.

[Ben Staad]

I hadn't heard of that one before. I don't think they sell it in my market. Mines a Troy-Bilt with a pretty good engine on it. The failure is that the steering fails due to garbage parts. Hopefully this new model has been upgraded. Time will tell.

I bought a Toro Timemaster 30" in 2014 for $1099, and now it's $1499 at Home Depot (1 in stock!). It's running fine, though. I change the oil at the start of each season, and that's about it.

[Ben Staad]

Left the last book collecting group I was in on FB today. Drama that didn't belong followed by a torrent of hateful misguided activists who think their reaction and replies were so much better and more righteous than the original posters comment.

It was a great reminder why social media truly isn't social and why places like this are so rare and special.

I am so thankful this forum is still up and running.

[Dave1442397]

1st world issue but my small riding mower bit the dust today. Went and bought the exact same mower, purchased 4 years ago, for 40% more. Oooff. It was expensive but glad I had the cash to buy this. $1,700 for a 30" riding mower. My have things changed.

I bought a Toro Timemaster 30" in 2014 for $1099, and now it's $1499 at Home Depot (1 in stock!). It's running fine, though. I change the oil at the start of each season, and that's about it.

[RonClinton]

You would think this technology would have been perfected by now. It's mowing grass for goodness sake. LOL

Sorry about your poorly designed mower.

You certainly would think that...it's not rocket science. Oh well, at least now I know what to doublecheck before buying my next mower (which will probably happen sooner rather than later, even though I've only had this one for a short while...the frustration level is only surpassed by the extra time I have to devote to mowing now, since I can only mow a few inches in each pass or it clogs.

[Ben Staad]

You would think this technology would have been perfected by now. It's mowing grass for goodness sake. LOL

Sorry about your poorly designed mower.

I bought a new Toro mower this Spring, and the opening from the well into the bag is so damn small, it inevitably gets clogged if the grass even hints at being lush or damp. I didn’t think that was even something I needed to check. Live and learn.

[RonClinton]

I bought a new Toro mower this Spring, and the opening from the well into the bag is so damn small, it inevitably gets clogged if the grass even hints at being lush or damp. I didn’t think that was even something I needed to check. Live and learn.

[Ben Staad]

1st world issue but my small riding mower bit the dust today. Went and bought the exact same mower, purchased 4 years ago, for 40% more. Oooff. It was expensive but glad I had the cash to buy this. $1,700 for a 30" riding mower. My have things changed.

[Ben Staad]

I 100% agree with you regarding the watermelon. My guess is people were scared of it and in particular because it was free.

The human condition is an interesting one indeed and it's neat to experiment with it from time to time in a healthy way. I bet if you were actually selling the watermelon, water, and soda, people would actually have stopped. Maybe the being "free" scared them off. Fear of being poisoned and the like.

As far as the yard sale stuff; I think people will take absolutely anything they have no use for just for the fact that it's free. I once lived in a house where the garage was next to an alley. I'd put stuff out there to dispose of later and the next day it would be gone. And not nice stuff either. Stuff that was destined for the dump when I had enough for a truck load. My daughter was young at the time and I told her the Redneck Fairy would come each night to carry the stuff away. Not very nice I know but it was all in good humor between my daughter and I. I never had to go to the dump though .

[Brian861]

In lieu of a yard sale I have now set-up tables by the road twice with a sign that said free with a box/can which states donations welcomed and appreciated. Both times 90% of items were removed from the tables with zero money put in the box/can.

I'm not upset but I am surprised that no one would drop a buck or two into the box. These items were typical yard sale stuff but nothing nasty, dirty, broken, or gross.

It's an interesting experiment.

Last 4th of July I set up a table with two coolers with a big colorful sign stating free watermelon, water, and soda. Not one person stopped.

Weird world we live in now. Maybe I'm just the weird one. I don't know.

By the way in all examples I stayed in the house to avoid making anyone feel uncomfortable.

Hopefully the folks who took the free stuff put it to good use.

The human condition is an interesting one indeed and it's neat to experiment with it from time to time in a healthy way. I bet if you were actually selling the watermelon, water, and soda, people would actually have stopped. Maybe the being "free" scared them off. Fear of being poisoned and the like.

As far as the yard sale stuff; I think people will take absolutely anything they have no use for just for the fact that it's free. I once lived in a house where the garage was next to an alley. I'd put stuff out there to dispose of later and the next day it would be gone. And not nice stuff either. Stuff that was destined for the dump when I had enough for a truck load. My daughter was young at the time and I told her the Redneck Fairy would come each night to carry the stuff away. Not very nice I know but it was all in good humor between my daughter and I. I never had to go to the dump though .

[Ben Staad]

In lieu of a yard sale I have now set-up tables by the road twice with a sign that said free with a box/can which states donations welcomed and appreciated. Both times 90% of items were removed from the tables with zero money put in the box/can.

I'm not upset but I am surprised that no one would drop a buck or two into the box. These items were typical yard sale stuff but nothing nasty, dirty, broken, or gross.

It's an interesting experiment.

Last 4th of July I set up a table with two coolers with a big colorful sign stating free watermelon, water, and soda. Not one person stopped.

Weird world we live in now. Maybe I'm just the weird one. I don't know.

By the way in all examples I stayed in the house to avoid making anyone feel uncomfortable.

Hopefully the folks who took the free stuff put it to good use.

[Ben Staad]

Thanks. Wife moved out today so that was a good start. LOL.

I hope everybody has a nice Fathers Day!

[mhatchett]

I hope everybody has a nice Fathers Day!

[Ben Staad]

I appreciate that.

That sucks, Tim. All you can do is move on, I guess. As John Lennon said,
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”

[Dave1442397]

I have been fortunate enough over the last 14 years to be able to pursue my passion for collecting small press specialty books. Due to a crazy, soon to be ex-wife, I find myself in a position to step back from my collecting.

It's a weird moment for me. I am losing two things I love dearly. My wife and collecting books.

Just give me a silent, "Atta, Boy." and I will certainly feel the good vibes rolling in.

She put me in a tough spot which is requiring me to buy her out of the house among other things.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." I'm not a very religious person but I remind myself that a few moments of discomfort will ultimately leave me a better and stronger person and that there is always a path forward either from divine intervention or rainbow farting Unicorns. Pick one.

Either way I will still be around and drooling even more heavily at all of the fantastic new books you folks will be taunting me with.

That sucks, Tim. All you can do is move on, I guess. As John Lennon said,
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”