Random crap with Uno.

[Unorthodox]

It's hard to tell if this is clever telemarketing or real.

"Hi I'm calling from (insert pest control place here) letting you know we're going to be in the neighborhood spraying for insects today, and wanted to know if you had any problems we could take care of."

"Not really"

"Your neighbors are reporting problems with bees and hornets, we could take care of such pests for you."

"I don't consider them pests."

"You don't have any pests that need to be killed?"

"Companies killing bees probably don't count, do they?"


Don't know if someone really called in something or not, but company soliciting in the area spraying for bees is probably not a good thing. 

[Buster's Uncle]

You got a sales call from a live person?  Boy that takes me back; the recordings calling constantly are driving me nuts.  You can't tell them to stop.

[Unorthodox]

Its the door-to-door folks that have become a plague recently who annoy me. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Haven't seen anyone but missionaries doing that in over a decade, thank God.

[Unorthodox]

We got the standard college kids with the magazines and cleaning products, but there's also all KINDS of delivery services up here.  You probably wouldn't need to head to a grocer other than for personal care products.  Dairy, bakery, meats, frozen foods everything delivered, and door to door salesmen trying to get you to sign on.   

Lawn care, pest control, etc.  Someone in your neighborhood signs up for something, a salesman will knock down doors trying to sign up more people at least once a month, it's better for routes, I assume. 

Then there's the insallers...TV/Phone/Internet guys love to do a neighborhood at a time, so any time someone switches/signs up, they knock down doors.  Someone gets new windows/siding/roofing/etc, same routine. 

Maybe it's a utah thing, all those missionaries come back and need a job...

[Buster's Uncle]

Could be worse; I'd rather talk to six Mormons than one Jehovah's Witness.

[Unorthodox]

messin with the new camera's "digital macro" mode.



unfortunately, you have to be within a few inches and the autofocus doesn't always pick right.  tachinid fly



Has a zoom that lets you back off, but that makes the macro mode's focus problems amplify and pixelates the image.  Damsel fly.



There's also a macro setting within manual mode that doesn't go fully 1:1, I'll try it out later. 

Just a point and shoot replacement here, I know it's not the greatest quality in shots, but good for the shop. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Are you leaning towards liking it?

[Unorthodox]

Oh, the camera will do it's job as a string camera replacement, I don't know that the macro mode is going to be worth much. 

[Rusty Edge]

It's hard to tell if this is clever telemarketing or real.

"Hi I'm calling from (insert pest control place here) letting you know we're going to be in the neighborhood spraying for insects today, and wanted to know if you had any problems we could take care of."

"Not really"

"Your neighbors are reporting problems with bees and hornets, we could take care of such pests for you."

"I don't consider them pests."

"You don't have any pests that need to be killed?"

"Companies killing bees probably don't count, do they?"


Don't know if someone really called in something or not, but company soliciting in the area spraying for bees is probably not a good thing.

 

Well, with your pollinators buzzing, and the other neighbor's runaway hives, there were probably enough bees about to bug somebody enough to make a call... even if they were just seen or heard. It only takes one allergic person to make an entire family nervous.

I'm guessing somebody actually called.

[Unorthodox]

We saw a definite drop in my squash bees, but not catastrophic, so I can guess who it was to spray.  Same guy that sprayed my bees 2 years ago.  It's not inconceivable there was a squash bee hive or 5 in his yard.  (they build lots of littler hives)

Honey bee with macro setting on the manual mode of the camera.  Not true macro. 



Squash bee in "digital macro" mode. 



If there was a manual focus, this would actually be a useful setting instead of situational. 

 

[Unorthodox]

I must say, this is severely tempting me to take $500 out of the Halloween budget and buy a proper macro lens for Bertha. 

[Rusty Edge]

I like to eat squash blossoms. This makes me hungry.

I'm sure you would put the macro lens to good use.


I know there are things that I can afford, but cannot justify to myself. Sometimes because I think the price is excessive. Sometimes because the purchase or donation is sort of frivolous. Sometimes because of financial uncertainty in my life, and I need contingency funds to feel secure.

You'll have to work that out for yourself. I'm sure if you really want it, you could create a marketable Halloween sculpture to offset the costs.  Few people can compare to you when it comes to combining creativity, productivity, and time management.

[Buster's Uncle]

Squash blossoms being good eatin' is a new one by me.

[Rusty Edge]

For an overview and explanation of eating squash blossoms -
http://seattletimes.com/html/homegarden/2009448964_yardsmart11.html

For Recipes -
http://www.thekitchn.com/five-ways-to-eat-squash-blosso-87564