Darn it, Aliexpress, TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!

 Aliexpress.us is basically the international website of China's Alibaba group, sort of their international Amazon that long predates sites like Wish, Shein, and Temu. It has a ton of bargains, long recognized by bargain hunters willing to put up with longer shipping times. If you look at watch enthusiast sites, you'll find frequent mentions of Aliexpress as where you find Chinese "homage" watches (read: clones of well known watches) for nearly the same quality but at bargain prices, under $100 USD, or even under $50. But that's not what I was looking for. 

Just the other day, I saw that "Fashion Over 40" guy was advertising a special collar stay that's reusable, that goes around the whole collar instead just under the tip of the shirt collars. I swear I've seen this before elsewhere, and Google search finally located them on Aliexpress... for $2.00 (or less) instead of 2 for $25 in the US. 

So I tried to order one. Then Aliexpress started doing the Temu dance... Throwing various special deals at me, free shipping if you take X items, etc. etc. Got me distracted with a variety of items, from a tiny display screen for PC internal status to $1 infinity cube fidget toy to name-brand (Lenovo, Xiaomi, etc.) ANC BT earbuds for a few bucks, and much more. There are even a deal where $1.00 gets you a watch plus a couple "leather" bracelets (it won't be a good one, that's for sure). Fountain pens for a few bucks, comes with 10 to 50 extra ink carts... Add to cart they were. 

Then I placed an order, and in order NOT to enter my own card info into their site, I went through Paypal. Unfortunately, I forgot I hadn't made the payment on my CC, so the Paypal was rejected. I had to swap payment method in Paypal (to draw from my bank account) to make it go through. And that order went through... Except for the collar stay, why I got on there to start with, ARGH! 

So I went back to make a new order. 

And Aliexpress refused to take my money. Keeps saying "Account protection, contact customer service". Tried logging out and back in, won't let me check out. Talking to customer service did not help. Tried waiting 48 hours, didn't help. Tried waiting a week, didn't help. Tried making a new account, did not help. As soon as they detected the same address, same error! Chatted with customer service multiple times, didn't help. They assured me the issue is being escalated, then nothing. 

I must be mad, because I refused to give up on buying that collar stay. This time, I'm going to enlist two new tools: my mail.com account, and privacy.com virtual card. 

Weapon 1: Mail.com

Mail.com is where you can get a new email address. If you pay a reasonable price per year, you get a email linked to a domain name that doesn't say gmail, yahoo, or outlook. As for what you do get, why don't you go there and take a look? What's even better deal, mail.com premium allows the creation of up to 10 "alias" email addresses, all of them using the various premium Mail.com domains, and wipe them out when you no longer need them. This will allow me to register a truly new account on Aliexpress. 

Weapon 1.5: Google Voice

If they want a new phone, I have my Google Voice phone number for them. 

Weapon 2: Privacy.com

If you haven't heard of privacy.com, you should check it ASAP. It makes shopping online MUCH safer. This is how it works: by connecting to your bank account, it will provide "virtual credit cards" for you. The free-tier account gives you up to 10 card numbers, all of them with their individual numbers and expiration dates. Generate one for each online merchant if you wish. Pay a monthly fee to generate even MORE card numbers. Cut each off at any time, or set a spending limit to each number, by day, by week, by month, by transaction... Set a ridiculously low amount like $35. You can't lose more than that. Get notified each and every time a charge goes through. Or use the card a SINGLE time, and have it automatically expire after 72 hours so it can't be used again. It's all up to you. And there's even a Chrome extension to help you shop online.

Yep, this card cannot be linked back to me personally, as long as I don't put in my own address into Aliexpress. Fortunately, my neighbor already takes my packages when I am not there. So I'll just put in his address. 

And this time, the order *did* go through. Half dozen items. 

I am trying to SPEND money on your website, Aliexpress. I should not have to outsmart your pathetic "security" measures to do so. 

Turns out, it's NOT self-inflicted AFTER ALL...

Seems my PCP had gone pretty senile... Considering he's well over 80, it's understandable. 

Basically, he missed my jaundiced condition until I pointed it out to him. THEN he sent me to a gastroenterologist. Jaundice basically means I had turned a shade of yellow. And that, is an indication of loss of liver function. My previous self diagnosis of air fryer contamination, lactose intolerance, and my attempt to self-medicate with pre- and probiotics were just... irrelevant. 

What I do have is bile duct obstruction... basically, liver and gall secrets stuff through a tube into the intestines. If that duct is obstructed, I get bad digestion, and possibly worse. 

What's worse, I've done both a CT and MRI, and they can't figure out what's obstructing the duct, so the next step is an ECRP: a stomach scope, basically. Looks like I'll be unconscious for this one. And it's scheduled for less than 7 days. 

This problem had basically caused me to stop producing, and basically put me into a bit of depression. But hopefully, this news will get me moving again. 

So, stay tuned. 

P.S. Here's a bit of funny incident. My gastro doesn't do ECRP, so he had to refer me to someone else, and the first guy I was referred to (yes, he's on the list, literally FIRST doctor listed when you look for gastro)... is in the wrong medical group and does NOT take my insurance! Took another 48 hours for my gastro to sort it out. Nice of him. :) 

My Recent Health Struggles were... Self-Inflicted

It's been a while since I've offered an update, that's because I had been feeling sick for a WHILE, months. 

Without making it too gross, let's just say, I've gotten into a LONG bout of stomach upsets, diarrhea, that lasted months. OTC drugs didn't really help, and even prescription strength stuff barely kept it under control. Let's just say, I had to standby near the toilet quite a bit. 

And I just realized I did this to myself. 

Basically, it's caused by 2 things: my air fryer, and my lousy cleaning habits. 

I have a personal air fryer, and I used to use it a lot. Let's just say, the hot air exhaust is... oily as I tend to cook frozen chicken thigh w/ skin. It's simple, decent protein, and you can do all sorts of sauces to make it edible. 

However, I don't clean it enough. I bought one of those silicone "trays" that goes inside, and promptly forgot about cleaning the inside. And grease started to accumulate inside I didn't rinse out after each use. As I said, I had a lousy cleaning habit. 

I think there was a month or two where I ate something else, so I didn't use the air fryer for a month or two. When I opened it up again, there's a mount of MOLD that grew on the leftover grease in the silicone tray. 

I tossed the whole tray, found a backup silicone tray I had purchased, rinsed the inside of cooking basket with the hottest tap water I can get out of the faucet, and proceeded to cook two more chicken thighs, and ate at least one. 

I suspect there are mold inside the fan assembly, and I basically fed myself mold and mold spores. I don't want to look, now that I think about it. It'd explain the prolonged stomach problems. 

I'm going to toss the air fryer, of course.  Already bought the replacement. 

There is a bit of a benefit... I lost 50 pounds during the ordeal. Now I don't have to diet. 

Not sure all that suffering (even now) is worth it though... 

Some random thoughts about the situation at Israel and Gaza

So Hamas did a major terroristic incursion into Israel, and it appears THOUSANDS of Israelis (and a dozen Americans) have been killed, and many are held hostage, and both Gaza and Israeli border have been turned into hell. Details are now just emerging, where entire kibbutz have been slaughtered, including the children. 

This is basically Israeli's 9/11. The Israelis will chase down whoever's responsible for this to the ends of the Earth, just like US did, and while they probably do not need to level Gaza to do it, they really aren't going to hesitate. Hostages? They are already considered martyr to the cause for continued existence, and to borrow a cliche... "They will be avenged." 

I am not going to argue who's evil and who's right in the Israel / Palestine mess, i.e. "who came first" and all that. There is plenty of land to share. It is this absolute refusal to share that is causing the modern problems, and it only gotten worse with this attack. The current situation is bad, but at least it's not open warfare. Now it is open warfare. 

Frankly, whoever at Hamas screwed up. Instead of playing the long-game, gain international sympathy by highlighting the brutality of the situation, and try to established neutral zones where they coexist, they allowed their bloodlust overshadow their senses. The Israelis now have no choice but to destroy and replace the entire Hamas leadership to find somebody "reasonable", or basically force a regime change in Gaza. While plenty of Middle East hate Israel, few are dumb enough to provoke in in this manner. 

And the sooner the two sides realize they must coexist, on the same piece of land, the sooner we will have peace. This sort of attack is the exact opposite of peace. Enough said. 

The Car that Got Away... Sorta?

Recently a couple channels featured "the car that got away", basically a car that one regret not keeping. 

I don't really have something like that. I have owned... 6 cars total in my life. Pontiac T-1000, Mercury Topaz, Ford Taurus, Oldsmobile Delta, Ford Contour, Volvo S70. Three of those are family hand-me-downs, and 3 I bought myself. So never was THAT attached to these. 

There was a car I never got the opportunity to own... But it never was offered to me. 

My grand uncle on my grandpa's side (my grandpa's sister's husband) drove nice cars: a Cadillac boat, and a BMW 5-series, the old one before Bangle mangled it. The classic one. 

I coveted that BMW for several years. :D  Until I found that my grand uncle traded it in for a newer model (but smaller) MB. 

Books Unbanned: Special Library E-cards for LA County, Brooklyn, Seattle, and Boston residents:

With the recent GOP "moral panic" about kids getting access to "pron" and other "banned books" there are more "banned books" than ever. The American Library Association wants to make sure that Americans gain access to books they may have problem otherwise getting... and the following 4 library systems have stepped up, giving access to their books online:

Brooklyn: residents of the area from 13-21

Seattle and Boston: residents of the area from 13-26

LA County: residents from the ages of 13-18

Please click through to each library system's website for details on eligibility. Basically, those libraries are not beholden to government funds, which restricts their choice of books. 

Most library systems will let you become a e-member for a donation per year, but you need to do some research yourself, if your area is not on the list. 

Please support your local library system everywhere. And if you have a few extra bucks, reward these library systems with a few bucks for stepping up. 

GOP's "Crusade" Against ... Taylor Swift?

It's pretty obvious Fox News can't exist without GOP, as they feed off each other. But today, both seem to picked an opponent they don't realize they how much of a juggernaut will be... The mega-star Taylor Swift. Yes, that Swift. 

I am NOT a Swiftie. I like her music well enough, but I liked a LOT of artists, and I have eclectic tastes in music, from speed metal to country, I listen to all sorts of stuff. But this is not about my tastes. 

It's how Fox News (and presumably, GOP), turned on Swift... because she Instagram'ed at her followers to register to vote. Not for any party leaning, just "register to vote, and exercise your rights". 

Now you're probably going: why would Fox/GOP be hostile to that? Turns out, younger voters tend to vote blue. 

Now that Swift is dating Travis Kelce, Kelce, who was never political, was getting Fox pundit ill wishes such as "how will his heart break: by Swift, or the COVID vaccine". This is all well documented on X / Fox News. 

Apparently, Swift, who's rich, has a rich family, and is lily white, is an enemy of Fox and GOP values because she tends to lean Democrat (for whatever her reasons are, not relevant) though has mostly remained neutral. And Kelce is getting ill wishes because he's close to Swift... collateral damage. 

But has Fox / GOP bitten off more they can chew this time?