Equipment Crew- Part IV

[KBKB]

anyone watching the Olympics? i'm kind of annoyed by how difficult it is to keep up with 6 channels spread out across my guide, but it's been fun catching up at night with the wife after work.

I'm having trouble figuring out what I want to watch too. Like you, I've been watching the prime time program on NBC at night. (I've been recording it so I can skip commercials and other stuff I don't want to watch. Last night, they spent a lot of time showing swimmers waiting to compete when they could have been showing me something else. Yes, there's commentary which maybe builds drama, but I don't care much about that.)

[Mech6]

anyone watching the Olympics?

I'm having trouble figuring out what I want to watch too

Well, normally I would watch the weightlifting (streamed, because no one is carrying that on tv). But with all the bans this year, it's looking lackluster.
Then the only ones I have a mild interest in seeing are hammer throw, shot put, 100m, and some of the wrestling.
But you know, yay for 146 kinds of swimming.

[urbanlifter]

Ha. Yeah my workout buddy just bought an old house and decided to refinish the wood floors himself.. the whole house.. He thought it would take a weekend or two. Try SIX WEEKS. Pretty much every day after work he was there, and on the weekends. They ended up nice, but he learned a lot in the process.

Yep, sounds about right.

We attempted 3 upstairs bedrooms (11'x11' - ish), hallway/landing, and the stairs. Sanding was complete over Friday/Sat/Sunday and we were ready for stain on Monday. Monday evening we did a first coat of stain on two of the rooms only to find that previous stained spots looked TERRIBLE, the edges around the trim had swirl marks, and the stain was not taking dark enough (20/36/80/100 grit was the progression). So, we rented machines again and I spent another 8 hours taking off the new stain and then redid all the rooms with a round of 20, 36, 80 grit so that everything would match. For the old wood stains we used a mixture of peroxide and bleach to lighten the wood, only to find in the end it was pretty much futile and the boards probably needed replaced. All in all the project took two weeks to complete, and I'm putting on an extra coat of Poly tonight to the stairwell since its a high traffic area. So we are about 5-7 days out still from being able to put our lives back together, the poly has to dry for a week before putting furniture back on it.

And in the meantime, not a single weight has been lifted

[Wildtim]

I'm having trouble figuring out what I want to watch too. Like you, I've been watching the prime time program on NBC at night. (I've been recording it so I can skip commercials and other stuff I don't want to watch. Last night, they spent a lot of time showing swimmers waiting to compete when they could have been showing me something else. Yes, there's commentary which maybe builds drama, but I don't care much about that.)

We cut the cord last year. So all I get is the main NBC coverage, well except for the Canadian Broadcasting Company who is pretty near 24/7 Olympics but not focused on the right team, LOL

[deadwoodgregg]

Pretty fair Rogers Athletic Pendulum order placed.


45-60 days until pron.

[Domicron]

We cut the cord last year. So all I get is the main NBC coverage, well except for the Canadian Broadcasting Company who is pretty near 24/7 Olympics but not focused on the right team, LOL

i've been considering ditching Dish and going with a dedicated satellite to get Hong Kong programming for the wife. it'd be sad to lose ESPN and stuff like that but honestly i barely watch TV. what's annoying is that i'd need to mount an antenna on the chimney because the area gets really poor reception with in-room units.

Pretty fair Rogers Athletic Pendulum order placed.


45-60 days until pron.


[img]http://www.glazierclinics.com/portals/0/sponsor-logos/Rogers-Athletic-Pendulum.png[img]


[img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RwajHt-3vJg/maxresdefault.jpg[img]

on spread, but ready for the equipment pr0n

[BulkMore]

Does anyone here use a seedbox? Have a couple in mind but wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations? After 15 hard years of torrenting I finally received a warning letter from my isp. Let my guard down and downloaded something from a public tracker I dont normally use cause I didnt want to hurt my ratio. Out of countless tb's of data pulled down I got nailed downloading ballers, sigh. Yeah ive also used newsgroups in the past so those fanboys can save it for someone else as to which is better.

[thejosef]

i've been considering ditching Dish and going with a dedicated satellite to get Hong Kong programming for the wife. it'd be sad to lose ESPN and stuff like that but honestly i barely watch TV. what's annoying is that i'd need to mount an antenna on the chimney because the area gets really poor reception with in-room units.

I put an HD antenna in my attic and it works REALLY well. I get about 15 or so channels, but more importantly, all the major networks in glorious HD (NBC, ABC, CBS, & FOX). Picture is surprisingly clear and it's FREE! (Ok, the HD antenna was like $80, but well worth it).

[AttyGuy]

Any advices on aerial antennas?

[Cleveland33]

I put an HD antenna in my attic and it works REALLY well. I get about 15 or so channels, but more importantly, all the major networks in glorious HD (NBC, ABC, CBS, & FOX). Picture is surprisingly clear and it's FREE! (Ok, the HD antenna was like $80, but well worth it).

I was looking into those - the key thing for those considering is to look up how far away the transmission towers are. Most of them have a 50 mile range - but what people don't realize is that it's a 50 mile diameter with the antenna in the center, so if you are more than 25 miles from the towers it's not so great. At least that was my experience - I am 28 miles from the towers and it's a valley between the towers and my house but I could barely get anything.

[CliveWarren]

For some stupid reason, the "Welcome back Kotter" theme jumped into my head. The one particular line "your dreams were your ticket out" seems kind of depressing. Do you think he helped those kids?

It's kind of hard to Google, the obvious problem being these are fictional characters and all. Like I don't care about the actors, obviously Travolta did very well. Kaplan did okay.

But what about Juan, Arnold, and Freddie?

[CanadaBuilder2]

For you DIY types, do a search on Gray Hoverman antennas. You can make your own and stick it anywhere. Some are reputed to perform better than commercially sold antennas.

I made one out of foil, but I'm now back to some cheap $20 antenna I stick out the window.

[thejosef]

I was looking into those - the key thing for those considering is to look up how far away the transmission towers are. Most of them have a 50 mile range - but what people don't realize is that it's a 50 mile diameter with the antenna in the center, so if you are more than 25 miles from the towers it's not so great. At least that was my experience - I am 28 miles from the towers and it's a valley between the towers and my house but I could barely get anything.

Very good point. Yeah I searched online for local HD channels before I purchased my HD antenna. I live right outside a big city (Baton Rouge) so we have a few stations close by. Those websites (such as antennaweb.org) will show you the direction you need to be pointing the antenna for optimal results.

I purchased this one about 3 years ago and it's worked very well mounted in my attic.. it goes for $90.

http://a.co/2HKZ6cg

[BIgOrange865]

Very good point. Yeah I searched online for local HD channels before I purchased my HD antenna. I live right outside a big city (Baton Rouge) so we have a few stations close by. Those websites (such as antennaweb.org) will show you the direction you need to be pointing the antenna for optimal results.

I purchased this one about 3 years ago and it's worked very well mounted in my attic.. it goes for $90.

http://a.co/2HKZ6cg

Very good info gents. I will be cutting the cord in the next house.

Update on the house sale. We've been live on the mls for around 24 hours and have received a full price cash offer. We're really stunned at the moment. The kicker is they want to close in 15 DAYS!!!! Gotta sit down with the realtor later and go over the particulars and see what the wife thinks. Anyways it's a great day so far.

[Synthetickiller]

5% Nutrition: Quick Review

Price:
It's always cheaper if you can cook at home. I won't bring up that comparison here. It's obvious that if you have the time, facilities and access to everything you need, you go that route.
I ordered 49 meals @ $398 shipped. This comes out to $8.12 a meal. This is comparable to getting a combo at whatever fast food restaurant you choose.
The actual price is $294, which is pretty cheap. The shipping set me back $104. Read on as for why I think $100 to ship this stuff is acceptable...

Shipping quality:
Before everyone screams about the $100 shipping cost, all 49 containers of food were cold when I got them. I want to say there were 15+ cold packs packs. They were the same brand a lab I worked in used when shipping DNA/Protein long distance. They are using quality cold packs. That's a huge plus in my book. Shipping anything that's needing to stay cold is always going to be expensive.

Nothing was damaged in shipping. I had no food loss. Can't beat getting 100% of a perishable food order totally intact.

Billing & Shipping:
I'm in region B, so I am billed on Tuesday & I receive the food on Thursday.
I had to wait an extra week for the initial shipment. This only occurs for the initial shipment. All subsequent orders are shipped weekly.
If you don't need or want more meals, you can pause the shipments or cancel the order entirely. Otherwise, it's an auto-pay / auto-ship system. There are multiple places mentioning how to go about cancelling your auto-ship. I'm impressed that they offer this. Most companies require you to sit & call to cancel anything.

Food quality:
What's shown on the site is how the meals actually look. I really thought that they dressed it up, but as a whole, what you see is what you get.
Turkey meatballs, turkey meatloaf & the like are all meat. There is not added bread to stretch it.
The macros are on point. The containers list the macros on both the front & bottom. You always know what you're getting out of every meal.
I want to add that salt is not added to the meals. I didn't see sodium levels above 200mg. Many meals have high levels of potassium, though. I consider that a pro.

Taste:
I originally thought that this was going to be a really, really bland food option. When I only go out to eat for entertainment, I usually eat well seasoned ethnic food. If you like bland food, this isn't for you (and you're dead to me, lol).
I've had two meals so far. Sweet & Tangy Twisted Beef w/ Brown Rice and Fiest Ground Beef w/ Brown Rice. Both are highly seasoned. The first meal reminded me of higher end Chinese cooking, in terms of seasoning (spicy). The fiesta ground beef tasted like high quality taco meat. Neither meal was greasy.

I have to say, when I get to the point when I can cook again, I am going to steal a lot of these recopies. Color me impressed, this food tastes amazing.
I was disappointed at the end of the meal that I didn't have more to eat. That said, the portions are correct. I was full & satisfied, but not bloated or sick from eating too much.
It's probably obvious, but the seasoning really helps you get in more water & stay hydrated.



My experience seems to line up with what other people are saying about the meals. They are just good & it seems really impossible to find anything of this quality for the price.
I'm looking forward to trying more meals & seeing how they stack up.

[Greybird2]

What was the reason you cant cook?

[Synthetickiller]

What was the reason you cant cook?

I don't have any cookware (it's all inaccessible in storage), no dish washer & the water in my rental kills my plants. I can barely deal w/ bathing in the stuff. Everything else is bottled water.
Oh, I have zero countertop space... it's a nightmare.

[Domicron]

I don't have any cookware (it's all inaccessible in storage), no dish washer & the water in my rental kills my plants. I can barely deal w/ bathing in the stuff. Everything else is bottled water.
Oh, I have zero countertop space... it's a nightmare.

interesting review; are the ice packs reuseable or do you toss them? any way to sell them in bulk to recoup the cost of shipping?

this sort of thing isn't for me, but always interested to read a review.

[Synthetickiller]

interesting review; are the ice packs reuseable or do you toss them? any way to sell them in bulk to recoup the cost of shipping?

this sort of thing isn't for me, but always interested to read a review.

They are reusable. I'll be using them in a cooler.
I'm using these in a type of "emergency situation." I plan on cooking at home once I live in 1st world conditions. Clean air? Clean water? Nope... I don't have that...

[Domicron]

They are reusable. I'll be using them in a cooler.
I'm using these in a type of "emergency situation." I plan on cooking at home once I live in 1st world conditions. Clean air? Clean water? Nope... I don't have that...

yeah, hopefully not too much longer...

is the flooding near you at all? i saw some casualties resulted from it...

[EricAtl]

I have a 37" tv in my basement exercise room where my rower, pull down, and Dumbbells are. We replaced our 52" tv that was about 7 years old with a new 55". I put the old tv which plays great into my garage section. Had to watch some olympics and then some music videos. Video feed comes from secondary output of a Yamaha a receiver in my movie room. This runs to an Hdmi splitter that supplies both tvs and our bedroom tv. Video choices include TiVo, Apple TV, blue ray, and xbmc/kodi. Everything but this tv is controlled with roomie/simple control. I use the Apple TV to stream music from my phone or iPad to speakers in the garage. HDMI cable is in the ceiling. Will work on the power cord next.

[Synthetickiller]

yeah, hopefully not too much longer...

is the flooding near you at all? i saw some casualties resulted from it...

I'm 90 miles east of Baton Rogue. It just rained/drizzled for 3 days. We might have gotten 2 or 3 inches, max. We have had absolutely no issues here.

thejosef's house might be flooded. I'm hoping it's spared. I text him earlier & he and his family had to evacuate. I'll be talking to him tomorrow, so hopefully I'll hear good news.



Interestingly, I recall a very different storm that hit here back in May 95' that most people refer to as the "May flood." We had 24" of rain in one day... just to the west of us, they had 36". A train of thunderstorms hit a high pressure front & stalled, dumping rain. It wasn't very heavy (we don't consider 1" per hour a big deal), but over a period of a day or longer, it's just too much rain. I don't recall anyone dying. I think that there was far less infrastructure & more places for the water to flow into lake Ponchartrain, the Pearl River & the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the second historic flood of the year. The weather has been pretty crazy.
Here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbiP...ature=youtu.be
I feel lucky that the rain missed us here by 10s of miles, but it sucks that other people are getting hit.

[daniel327]

This is the second historic flood of the year. The weather has been pretty crazy.

Probably caused by global warming. We should all pay more personal taxes.

[Domicron]

I have a 37" tv in my basement exercise room where my rower, pull down, and Dumbbells are. We replaced our 52" tv that was about 7 years old with a new 55". I put the old tv which plays great into my garage section. Had to watch some olympics and then some music videos. Video feed comes from secondary output of a Yamaha a receiver in my movie room. This runs to an Hdmi splitter that supplies both tvs and our bedroom tv. Video choices include TiVo, Apple TV, blue ray, and xbmc/kodi. Everything but this tv is controlled with roomie/simple control. I use the Apple TV to stream music from my phone or iPad to speakers in the garage. HDMI cable is in the ceiling. Will work on the power cord next.
[img]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8407173&d=1471143366[img]

your kid is clearly doing it all wrong...that bench is for pressing, not for watching tv.

he should be using an incline bench for optimal tv watching...

I'm 90 miles east of Baton Rogue. It just rained/drizzled for 3 days. We might have gotten 2 or 3 inches, max. We have had absolutely no issues here.

thejosef's house might be flooded. I'm hoping it's spared. I text him earlier & he and his family had to evacuate. I'll be talking to him tomorrow, so hopefully I'll hear good news.



Interestingly, I recall a very different storm that hit here back in May 95' that most people refer to as the "May flood." We had 24" of rain in one day... just to the west of us, they had 36". A train of thunderstorms hit a high pressure front & stalled, dumping rain. It wasn't very heavy (we don't consider 1" per hour a big deal), but over a period of a day or longer, it's just too much rain. I don't recall anyone dying. I think that there was far less infrastructure & more places for the water to flow into lake Ponchartrain, the Pearl River & the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the second historic flood of the year. The weather has been pretty crazy.
Here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbiP...ature=youtu.be
I feel lucky that the rain missed us here by 10s of miles, but it sucks that other people are getting hit.

damn, hope his house made it...glad to hear you're clear.

[Greybird2]

Very good info gents. I will be cutting the cord in the next house.

Update on the house sale. We've been live on the mls for around 24 hours and have received a full price cash offer. We're really stunned at the moment. The kicker is they want to close in 15 DAYS!!!! Gotta sit down with the realtor later and go over the particulars and see what the wife thinks. Anyways it's a great day so far.

What state are you in?

[AttyGuy]

I have a 37" tv in my basement exercise room where my rower, pull down, and Dumbbells are. We replaced our 52" tv that was about 7 years old with a new 55". I put the old tv which plays great into my garage section. Had to watch some olympics and then some music videos. Video feed comes from secondary output of a Yamaha a receiver in my movie room. This runs to an Hdmi splitter that supplies both tvs and our bedroom tv. Video choices include TiVo, Apple TV, blue ray, and xbmc/kodi. Everything but this tv is controlled with roomie/simple control. I use the Apple TV to stream music from my phone or iPad to speakers in the garage. HDMI cable is in the ceiling. Will work on the power cord next.

Wasn't your gym somewhere else in the house previously?

[EricAtl]

Wasn't your gym somewhere else in the house previously?

Yes.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1421273751

[AttyGuy]

You should post copiously on the move. Love the Legendary equipment.

[EricAtl]

You should post copiously on the move. Love the Legendary equipment.

Thanks atty. I did previously when I made my expansion into the garage when I bought my rack last fall. So it was an expansion, not a move. I'm on the lookout for some more equipment, but I want it to be legendary.

[Stasher1]

Any of you gentlemen ride a fixie or single-speed bike?

I've been doing some bike shopping lately, and I find myself really drawn to the simplicity and clean lines of the fixie/ss bikes. In the process of my shopping, I found some conversion kits that would allow me to convert my dusty ~20 yr old mountain bike into a single-speed for about $30. Replace the cheap suspension fork with a rigid for another $30 and, if I like it, replace the cranks/chainring with a SS setup for another ~$50. Much cheaper than buying a new bike.

Thoughts?