this is the unofficial odd or random question thread

[Marzipan]

Wapo, NYT, Local paper (unfortunately now just a NP affiliate), and Ars Technica.

I do the same thing with Wapo & NYT.... whenever it's time to renew at "regular" prices I cancel and get another 1yr/2yr offer. Seems to me that NYT finally got tired of playing that game and offered me a reasonably low annual subscription, although, in all honesty I doubt I read more than one NYT article a month.

I got tired of smacking into the paywall garbage for NYT / Wired articles so when I saw the promo, jumped at it.

 

[Marzipan]

here's one for you. I need a letter opener...what's out there that is exceptional at what it does but not ridonkulously priced?

 

[Bond007]

here's one for you. I need a letter opener...what's out there that is exceptional at what it does but not ridonkulously priced?

Index finger?

With the smart ... comment out of the way, I am curious why someone would need an exceptional letter opener anymore? How much mail do you still get?

 

[LaughingCrow]

here's one for you. I need a letter opener...what's out there that is exceptional at what it does but not ridonkulously priced?

Stationary, Walmart, Amazon, etc. small, handy, safe - works good in the kitchen too for all the items in plastic. I've made similar out of dense hardwood but without a metal blade.

 

[Marzipan]

Index finger?

With the smart ... comment out of the way, I am curious why someone would need an exceptional letter opener anymore? How much mail do you still get?

a fair bit. it's mostly for my father-in-law...being how bad his eyesight is now my wife, and I have taken over most everything for him and at 91, he's from a generation that's very old school and doesn't trust anything digital, so everything comes by paper. anyhow, he uses a small flip blade knife, but that's his tool so I want to get one of my own.

I've been setting up everything so it can be taken care of digitally, but getting his bills and stuff is one of the few connections he has to the outside world, so I'm not going to take that way from the poor guy. he's mostly deaf and immobile from a stroke too and likely hasn't been out of the house in 5+ years now.

my wife goes out once a week to run errands for him because he's always done everything by paper and in person, but now she can go out when she wants to do stuff and not worry about most of it because I've got it all under controll.

btw, hurray for being able to setup aliases for my old Hotmail account! I created one each for both my in-laws.

 

[Marzipan]

Stationary, Walmart, Amazon, etc. small, handy, safe - works good in the kitchen too for all the items in plastic. I've made similar out of dense hardwood but without a metal blade.


View attachment 43005

I saw these and wondered how good they are. simple and easy to store, which appeals to me!

 

[Bond007]

a fair bit. it's mostly for my father-in-law...being how bad his eyesight is now my wife, and I have taken over most everything for him and at 91, he's from a generation that's very old school and doesn't trust anything digital, so everything comes by paper. anyhow, he uses a small flip blade knife, but that's his tool so I want to get one of my own.

I've been setting up everything so it can be taken care of digitally, but getting his bills and stuff is one of the few connections he has to the outside world, so I'm not going to take that way from the poor guy. he's mostly deaf and immobile from a stroke too and likely hasn't been out of the house in 5+ years now.

my wife goes out once a week to run errands for him because he's always done everything by paper and in person, but now she can go out when she wants to do stuff and not worry about most of it because I've got it all under controll.

btw, hurray for being able to setup aliases for my old Hotmail account! I created one each for both my in-laws.

That is by far a better reason than I could think of! Good luck on the hunt for one.

 

[Marzipan]

That is by far a better reason than I could think of! Good luck on the hunt for one.

thanks. he likes his mail to be opened and stored in particular ways, so I want to accommodate that as much as I can too. LoL.

 

[LaughingCrow]

I saw these and wondered how good they are. simple and easy to store, which appeals to me!

If it's your FIL, you'll have to explain that you still have to be careful so you don't cut any of the contents. Hold the envelope by the side edges and tap it so the letter, bill, etc goes to the bottom.. Then use the opener to slit the envelop top.

 

[Marzipan]

is there q difference in the heat generated when charging a phone with 10w via wire or wireless?