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Stirred UP

I've used paper straws and I haven't had the poor experience of them disintegrating before I've finished my drink. Here's a little bit of info that I think is actually accurate and not spin. If paper straws bother so much, why use straws at all? I rarely use a straw. When they put one on the table for me I give it back or just don't use it and leave it in it's wrapper. Here's some food for thought:

When plastic does make it into the ocean it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces known as “microplastics” rather than biodegrading or dissolving, which poses great threats to marine life including fish.

It is projected that by 2050, 99% of all sea bird species will have ingested plastic. Mortality rate can be “up to” 50%. And, already, research has shown plastic in sea salt, 94% of U.S. tap water, and shellfish.

Scientists at the the UGA New Materials Institute conducted a new study which discovered microplastics particles smaller than dust or powdered sugar inside baby sea turtles. Of the turtles studies in this research, 100% were found to have eaten plastic. These baby sea turtles were likely dying due to ingested plastic pollution, which threatens the species’ survival.
 
So a while ago, an acquaintance of mine who I've seen off and on for the last 3 years or so asked about getting a kitchen knife made. He had a cooking competition coming up and wanted to use it there, so I rushed and managed to get it done in enough time he could get the feel for it before the competition.
He paid a little down on it, but ran into a problem and didn't have the balance which was a major portion of the agreed upon price. Being the guy that I am, I told him to take it and use it.
I figured I could get some good feedback from someone who uses them more often than the standard home cook, and he said he could pay the balance in two weeks when he got paid again.

I saw him three or four weeks later and it was another thing that had came up and he didn't have the money. Myself of all people, know that things happen and money can be extremely tight. I told him it wasn't a big issue, and to pay me what he could when he could. Even if it was only five bucks every once in a while.
Well, I hadn't heard from or seen him since that day.

I pretty much just wrote it off. I got about enough that I wasn't out of pocket for most of the materials, just time and propane. Whatever. It never really bothered me until today....

I went to the vape shop to get some coils, and guess who I met in the parking lot. I got a "Just the guy I wanted to see". He was messing with some ceiling fan boxes that were in his trunk. Told me that he had to put them up at his church. He asked if we were going to be there for a few minutes because he was on his way to meet his preacher to get longer hanging tubes for the fans. 10 or 15 minutes tops....

45 minutes later I got tired of waiting and left to go down to home depot to pick up some pvc pipe ends for my acid etch tank. Guess who is the BSing with one of the associates....
I'm not even upset about the money. I'm over that. But to leave me sitting waiting when you had no intention of coming back really pisses me off...
 
ShawnF said:
So a while ago, an acquaintance of mine who I've seen off and on for the last 3 years or so asked about getting a kitchen knife made. He had a cooking competition coming up and wanted to use it there, so I rushed and managed to get it done in enough time he could get the feel for it before the competition.
He paid a little down on it, but ran into a problem and didn't have the balance which was a major portion of the agreed upon price. Being the guy that I am, I told him to take it and use it.
I figured I could get some good feedback from someone who uses them more often than the standard home cook, and he said he could pay the balance in two weeks when he got paid again.

I saw him three or four weeks later and it was another thing that had came up and he didn't have the money. Myself of all people, know that things happen and money can be extremely tight. I told him it wasn't a big issue, and to pay me what he could when he could. Even if it was only five bucks every once in a while.
Well, I hadn't heard from or seen him since that day.

I pretty much just wrote it off. I got about enough that I wasn't out of pocket for most of the materials, just time and propane. Whatever. It never really bothered me until today....

I went to the vape shop to get some coils, and guess who I met in the parking lot. I got a "Just the guy I wanted to see". He was messing with some ceiling fan boxes that were in his trunk. Told me that he had to put them up at his church. He asked if we were going to be there for a few minutes because he was on his way to meet his preacher to get longer hanging tubes for the fans. 10 or 15 minutes tops....

45 minutes later I got tired of waiting and left to go down to home depot to pick up some pvc pipe ends for my acid etch tank. Guess who is the BSing with one of the associates....
I'm not even upset about the money. I'm over that. But to leave me sitting waiting when you had no intention of coming back really pisses me off...
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I too understand that things happen but that is absolutely horrid behavior. Sorry you had to deal with that Shawn.
 
uacowboy said:
I too understand that things happen but that is absolutely horrid behavior. Sorry you had to deal with that Shawn.
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Like I said, it wasn't even the money. I took the risk so bad on me. And I know stuff happens, I mean I'm way behind on my shop work but I try to stay in contact and give progress reports as I have them. The telling me he was coming right back with no intentions of doing so was what really irked me. That was just a flat out richard cranium move....
 
NurseDave said:
Just saw this on the interwebs
View attachment 7826
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That’s a cool way to go. I’ve seen candy straws too.
There are also corn based plastics that break down (biodegrade so completely they are considered “edible”) very quickly and completely that are being used in some areas as food wrappers and containers. Why there aren’t corn based straws and shopping bags I don’t know, it seems we would welcome such items.
 
ShawnF said:
Like I said, it wasn't even the money. I took the risk so bad on me. And I know stuff happens, I mean I'm way behind on my shop work but I try to stay in contact and give progress reports as I have them. The telling me he was coming right back with no intentions of doing so was what really irked me. That was just a flat out richard cranium move....
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Yeah, the guy needs to be called out on his BS behavior for sure. Sounds like you live in a small enough town you will have plenty of opportunity to run into this guy.
 
CBLindsay said:
Yeah, the guy needs to be called out on his BS behavior for sure. Sounds like you live in a small enough town you will have plenty of opportunity to run into this guy.
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He actually lives in Olean NY, which is about a half hour away from me. Bradford PA is about the same distance. Those are the two places I go just to go grocery shopping since the small town 5 miles away doesn't even have a grocery store anymore... But unless I need to go to home depot for something or the vape shop, I usually go to Bradford since the taxes on everything but fuel are higher in NY. So I actually don't run into him that often.
I used to see him in the vape shop all the time. It's where I first met him actually. But since the time he couldn't pay, I haven't even seen him there so I think he's been actively avoiding me.

I have his number, know where he works, and know some of his friends, so it wouldn't be impossible to track him down. I just don't feel it's worth the effort or headache to be honest.
 
ShawnF said:
Like I said, it wasn't even the money. I took the risk so bad on me. And I know stuff happens, I mean I'm way behind on my shop work but I try to stay in contact and give progress reports as I have them. The telling me he was coming right back with no intentions of doing so was what really irked me. That was just a flat out richard cranium move....
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Sorry you had to deal with that nonsense. You were forgiving and generous with your time and money. It sure seems like this guy has a problem with telling the truth. He lied about coming back to meet you. While it's fine to be understanding that financial troubles can happen to anyone, in hindsight I'd bet the financial troubles are just as much of a lie as his saying he'll be back in 10 minutes. And to say you're just the guy I've been wanting to talk to was also a load of crap. I've heard all of the lines he's fed you from lots of people and they were all BS artists. I think you're too understanding and agree with Chris. Not only does he need to be called out but you should get paid. Letting him off the hook is just enabling his behavior and he's just going to keep doing it to lots of other people for sure. Some people deserve generosity and understanding. Some people deserve to pay double. This guy is the latter.
 
MntnMan62 said:
Sorry you had to deal with that nonsense. You were forgiving and generous with your time and money. It sure seems like this guy has a problem with telling the truth. He lied about coming back to meet you. While it's fine to be understanding that financial troubles can happen to anyone, in hindsight I'd bet the financial troubles are just as much of a lie as his saying he'll be back in 10 minutes. And to say you're just the guy I've been wanting to talk to was also a load of crap. I've heard all of the lines he's fed you from lots of people and they were all BS artists. I think you're too understanding and agree with Chris. Not only does he need to be called out but you should get paid. Letting him off the hook is just enabling his behavior and he's just going to keep doing it to lots of other people for sure. Some people deserve generosity and understanding. Some people deserve to pay double. This guy is the latter.
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You are more than likely correct. I was feeling the same way when he said that today. But like I told Chris probably while you were typing, it seems he is actively avoiding me. At this point I just really don't want to deal with it. I think it would take me more effort and money in fuel trying to get the payment out of him than it would be worth.

I thought about it when I got the second brush off and decided at that point I probably wasn't ever going to see the money. I have been fortunate in this hobby and have had excellent experiences with my customers save this one. So I didn't want this one to ruin that experience for me and decided to just write it off. The unplanned chance encounter today really rubbed me the wrong way though. I think I'm actually as mad at myself for actually falling for it and being dumb enough to wait.
 
ShawnF said:
You are more than likely correct. I was feeling the same way when he said that today. But like I told Chris probably while you were typing, it seems he is actively avoiding me. At this point I just really don't want to deal with it. I think it would take me more effort and money in fuel trying to get the payment out of him than it would be worth.

I thought about it when I got the second brush off and decided at that point I probably wasn't ever going to see the money. I have been fortunate in this hobby and have had excellent experiences with my customers save this one. So I didn't want this one to ruin that experience for me and decided to just write it off. The unplanned chance encounter today really rubbed me the wrong way though. I think I'm actually as mad at myself for actually falling for it and being dumb enough to wait.
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Yes, I saw your comment while I was typing. And I hear you. I'm not a big fan of confrontation either. But when someone seems to actually go out of their way to screw me, that's where I draw the line. You mentioned that you know his friends. When the opportunity presents itself, maybe tell them the little story in an offhand way so they know what a low life douche he is. Maybe they already know or maybe one or more of them will say something to him and make him feel bad about it. In that case, he might chase you down to make things right. Or he may not care what people think of him and he'll disappear from your life forever. Either way, you win.
 
When your coworkers throw something together under the “pressure”, that isn’t up to snuff, but they tell you it’s done. You discover it later, fix it (basically do it all over), and still meet the deadline.
 
GearNoir said:
When your coworkers throw something together under the “pressure”, that isn’t up to snuff, but they tell you it’s done. You discover it later, fix it (basically do it all over), and still meet the deadline.
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Totally hate that kind of crap! But feel good knowing that you do quality work!
 
If I block a scam robocall number, why in the world would I still want to hear the voicemails it leaves? So now I have to use an app that automatically answers and hangs up.
 
Aaron said:
If I block a scam robocall number, why in the world would I still want to hear the voicemails it leaves? So now I have to use an app that automatically answers and hangs up.
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I have a function on my phone where it screens the caller for me. It will ask the caller to state what they are calling for and then translates it into text. I then decide if I want to answer it or not. Most of the time they hang up. Not sure if is part of my Phone (Google Pixel 2) or something to do with my carrier (Verizon) But it is handy. I used to block all these numbers, but same scammers just call back with a different number.
 
@dangerousdon I think it might be you phone. Back in the day I used google voice for a hot minute and it had that function. Pretty slick. Maybe I should give it another shot.
 
The app didn't work but I found a code I can send in to my carrier and have them block the calls, not just identify them as spam. We'll see how it works.
 
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