When I first got into my electronics hobby I found Ali Express was a great source of inexpensive electronics components for projects. Back then there was no sales tax on internet purchases and you didn’t pay any tariff or import duty on so called low value imports. It was kind of fun, wondering when you box of resistors or LED lights would come from China in the mail. You never really knew or what would show up on your doorstep. But, the stuff you find on Ali Express, Shen and Temu is often very low quality, especially anything beyond the basics like simple electronic components for the hobbyist. Many people are scammed by these sites and are delivered exceptionally low quality, quickly landfilled or incinerated products.
It doesn’t seem right that direct-through-them-mail shippers can get away with paying no tariffs and not having their imports inspected unlike bigger shippers. It seems only fair that everybody should have to play by the same rules, and that imported goods are safe and taxed appropriately. I don’t doubt a lot of fentanyl comes through the mail that way, delivered to anonymous door stoops, picked up and imported that way. Not to mention hazardous materials, seeds and all means of bad things coming through the mail. The government shouldn’t be encouraging our country to be awash in cheap, dangerous products.
Rain! Snow! Ice! Who knows about the forecast for tomorrow. Cold today, and probably a bit icy but I think I’ll ride on in. It’s good for the mental health plus it means at the end of day, once I ride back to the express bus, I can come home and relax for the evening.
Sixteen degrees this morning but no wind and sunny, should make for a good ride in today. I won’t argue that my hands probably won’t be cold and it probably won’t be a least a bit bumpy on rail trail with the ice, but it will feel good with the cold on my face not having to deal with buses until the evening and getting my exercise in. No walking around the Plaza after hours, as I’ll have my exercise done by the commute. Which is good because it seemed like their was an abundance of homeless people and other more sketchy characters hanging out around the Plaza last night. Trump isn’t wrong when he says cities have all gone to shit after the pandemic. Or was it the pandemic, or his first term with so many Americans dropping out with their being no hope available to them? Or do I just notice it more walking the Plaza after hours?
Didn’t sleep real well last night, I had a lot of energy being jacked up on all that caffeine. Drank a lot of coffee and popped a lot of caffeine pills yesterday, it doesn’t help that I have that extra large mug and free coffee at work and felt like I needed an extra push yesterday morning before heading out. But that caffeine kind of stayed in my system, and I found myself wanting to pace around with all the energy. I ended up listening to some podcasts and doing some reading of E-Books from the library. As I was up much of the night, I am sure internet advertisers will be paying for my blog with ads of beds for older people. As I don’t have internet at home and sometimes use my laptop at my parents house, I’m associated with their IP address and combined with my love of folk music, I get all of these mildly to quite offensive advertisements for old people. I do need to cut back on the coffee and also make sure I’m staying hydrated as part of the reason I’m drinking so much coffee is I’m thirsty, and your body is trying to piss away all the excess caffeine.
The truth is a need a few nights in wilderness by a fire without the stuffy air of being inside to sleep well. Those days are coming though, I am hoping by Presidents Weekend to get out at least two nights, even if it’s a bit cold and snowy. I would prefer to go to Madison County but Rensselearville State Forest or even at Burnt Rossman Campsite might be fun. That would definitely help with the sleep side of things. I actually like the cold, though not as much as the warmth.
should make for a good ride in today. I won’t argue that my hands probably won’t be cold and it probably won’t be a least a bit bumpy on rail trail with the ice, 
but it will feel good with the cold on my face not having to deal with buses until the evening and getting my exercise in. No walking around the Plaza after hours, as I’ll have my exercise done by the commute. 
Which is good because it seemed like their was an abundance of homeless people and other more sketchy characters hanging out around the Plaza last night. 
Trump isn’t wrong when he says cities have all gone to shit after the pandemic. 
Or was it the pandemic, or his first term with so many Americans dropping out with their being no hope available to them? Or do I just notice it more walking the Plaza after hours? 
I had a lot of energy being jacked up on all that caffeine. Drank a lot of coffee and popped a lot of caffeine pills yesterday, 
it doesn’t help that I have that extra large mug and free coffee at work and felt like I needed an extra push yesterday morning before heading out. But that caffeine kind of stayed in my system, and I found myself wanting to pace around with all the energy. 
I ended up listening to some podcasts and doing some reading of E-Books 
from the library. As I was up much of the night, I am sure internet advertisers will be paying for my blog with ads of beds for older people. As I don’t have internet at home and sometimes use my laptop at my parents house, I’m associated with their IP address and combined with my love of folk music, 
I get all of these mildly to quite offensive advertisements for old people. I do need to cut back on the coffee and also make sure I’m staying hydrated 
as part of the reason I’m drinking so much coffee is I’m thirsty, and your body is trying to piss away all the excess caffeine. 
without the stuffy air of being inside to sleep well. Those days are coming though, I am hoping by Presidents Weekend to get out at least two nights, even if it’s a bit cold and snowy. 
I would prefer to go to Madison County but Rensselearville State Forest or even at Burnt Rossman Campsite might be fun. 
though not as much as the warmth.
