Ran outputs tests for the ride control module on a 2004 Audi A8L D3. The front shock absorbers seem to have had a different setting on "soft" than the rear shock absorbers. Posting to AudiWorld forums for feedback.
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In today’s NJroute22.com VLOG – we chat about the old saying that “mixing alcohol” is not a good idea.

And based on recent experiences – we agree.

But we have no idea why! Not sure if even matters.

The other day we didn’t over-consume to any real degree.

But, we did have FIVE different kinds of alcohol. Almost the whole spectrum.

A couple of beers, some spiked seltzers, a shot of vodka, and some white AND red wine.

And boy oh boy did we feel like hell the next day.

Seriously – why would mixing alcohol types like that matter – if the total alcohol consumed was about the same as usual?

Don’t all alcohols essentially have the same negative effect?

We’re not sure – but we know that different boozes “feel” different to us.

Beers are usually happy to start.
Wines are okay as well, fairly mellow – but just with bad hangovers. White wine being worse than red.
Spiked seltzers are our most tolerated.
And hard liquor can knock you out – as well as make your tempers worse.
Heck, I don’t even know why different kinds of booze alter our personalities in different ways either.

But whatever the case is or was – mixing is a terrible idea.

Stick with one kind per night!
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SEVEN Non-compliance Exercises Everyone Should Practice
Blindly “following orders” is a bad idea. Yes, “compliance” is the "PC" way of saying following orders. Always use critical thinking and basic common sense. Otherwise, it’s a surefire way to end up in a bad place. Just read some history books on how the “frog” was boiled slowly in many instances. This country is no exception.

We have a few easy exercises you can do to wean yourself off the lemming program and gain some self-respect.

1. Traffic Signaling
2. Speed limit
3. Political Correctness
4. Government “Mandates”
5. Recycling and “Environmental” Crap
6. Supermarket Directions
7. Social Distancing

Oh – and if you still are “forced” to wear dumb masks – check out this site – www.minimallycompliantmasks.com. Good stuff. You can still breathe while acting like a sheep.
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In today’s NJroute22.com VLOG – we’ll talk about the most basic and economical buzz in the world.

It’s not sexy – and if you do it right, it’s as cheap as they go.

Vodka. Smirnoff or cheaper.

That’s right. Ounce for ounce, we don’t think there is a less expensive buzz out there than vodka.

If you know of one – please let us know.

But that of course comes with the downsides. We really don’t like the buzz (more depressing than anything else), and the taste is nothing to write home about.

And naturally, you need some kind of mixer. Unless you like drinking like a hobo.

So if you’re down on your luck – or just want to stretch your dollars – switch to vodka. But beware of the over-consumption problem. It’s very easy to over-drink. Try rationing your daily portions to stay in line.

And please don’t become alcoholics!
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What are some good examples of “forced scarcity?” We’ll talk about them in today’s NJroute22.com VLOG.

This is one of those dumb human conditions that relate to “fear of missing out,” or commonly known to younger people as “FOMO.”

It can be Apple products that people wait on line for.
Or video cards everyone wants to game or mine on.
And even more relatable – goods like paper towels, toilet paper, and water!
What about gasoline? Each time there is a “scare,” people go berzerk!
Of course, we also have the so-called “Vaccines” that people are lining up for.
Whether these “shortages” are real, accidental, or (most likely) by design – concerns us.

Not for us in particular – because we try to always remain prepared to some degree.

But for the rest of humanity. It shows how EASY it is to create panic and a swell of spending activity for something that (may or may not be) real.

This is why it’s imperative to be content with what you have – and have your basic requirements covered for a few months out. Not a big deal at all.

And as you watch things come and go – like the seasons – it will all make sense to you.

Nothing has been scarce at all! They just love getting people worked up. Probably by design (forced supply and demand and profits.)

Have a great day!
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One of our best achievements was kicking sugar
In today’s NJroute22.com VLOG – we acknowledge one of the best outcomes of being on the low-carb mindset for more than a decade.

Sugar was the hardest
Seriously – kicking sugar was truly the hardest thing to do (with bread & other chippy carbs a close second).

The times we’d just have “a taste” of a sweet was far too many to count. And we always felt the pain.

But the last five years we’ve been stepping up our game to complete stoppage.

The temptation was always there. But we maintained the strength.

It took many years of strong resistance to win.

But then something happened in the past year. The temptation finally gave up.

We just didn’t want it at all anymore. We see sweets and other fun things from our past – and it doesn’t even register a blip anymore.

That is when we realized we succeeded.

So if you’re doing low-carb and still have struggled – know that it can take many years to officially “kick it to the curb” both physically and mentally.

Stay strong!
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Getting much better! Wild Basin Berry Pack
When we first checked out Wild Basin Boozy Sparkling Water over two years ago – we were generally happy with the product.

Despite having some profoundly bad flavors.

Oddly enough, we simply forgot about them. Perhaps the dumb crisis had something to do with it. I cannot offer a logical explanation other than (like Critter), that I just “forgot!”

Either way – we revisited them again in the first half of 2021, and we are thrilled!

They have new flavors, as demonstrated in their “Berry Pack.”

And this time, there are no “awful” flavors whatsoever.

All the varieties in this pack are acceptable. Sure, some worse than others – but that is exactly what you want in today’s world. If everything was the same – it would be the end of times.

Wild Basin is now our Number One!
Smirnoff Zero Sugar Seltzer has been our top choice since we switched away from wine.

Why?

They had the best combination of positives. Low carbs. Good price point. Decent taste.

But Wild Basin has now superseded Smirnoff in our mind – because they meet all the positives – but have a better value because the alcohol content is 0.5% higher than Smirnoff.

This new “Berry” pack has eliminated any negatives we experienced from the first pack of “new age” flavors.

Strangely enough, one odd combination is our downright favorite – Strawberry Coconut. Delicious. If I was drowning in a pool of this – I would drink my way to survival. That good!

Our first video recommended this. Today – we say MAKE THIS YOU TOP CHOICE FOR SPIKED SELTZERS!

Have an awesome day!
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There is always something to be grateful for {Mailbox Messages}
How many people have ever received mailbox messages like these that were hand-placed?

We recently got one in our mailbox – obviously someone from the area.

It contained two pieces of paper tied with a piece of ribbon.

One – was a printed square that read:

“To whomever this message reaches in your beautiful home;
I hope you find the words on this card to be uplifting and hopeful in a time when positivity can change how we go about our days in times of hardship.”
Kindness and Compassion to you!”

And the second sheet, which appeared to be hand-written in pen:

“There is always something to be grateful for.”

(with some hand-drawn “flowers” of some kind.)

Who does this? And what is the objective?
Sure – we have no issue with this. It’s old-school, compared to how people just quickly post “positive” memes on their stupid social media channels.

But we’re just wondering who does these types of things. And more specifically, why.

Again, nothing wrong with it.

One, it takes a considerable amount of TIME to make messages like this. And more time to run around and deliver them.

What was their motivation?

Is this something from a church? Or people from a church?

They are not promoting anything, except positive energy, which is good. Like we said – nothing wrong with it.

Is this a widespread phenomenon? Was it initiated online somewhere? Or was it just a truly individual idea?

(As you know, most “ideas” or trends that happen these days are usually copycat ideas that spread – like “paying it forward.”)

Were we the only ones that got it? We never asked our neighbors – perhaps one day we will.

If it was a bigger effort – how many could they have “sent out?” A couple hundred?

Whatever the case is – we find this to be very unique and interesting. Unless it was something generated by social media. We hate all social media – whether it’s for good or bad. The end result is always bad – especially when you..

Stop setting goals – change your life instead
Most of the time, when people strive to create lifestyle changes, there are often “goals” involved.

The ones you might recognize, are weight (lose 30lbs) and time (quit drinking for 30 days).

Hardly anyone meets their goals. They repeatedly fall short.

Then they give up.

A better idea is just to adopt a new way of living, and let time take care of the rest.

Weight loss is a prime example.

Switching to low-carb is not an overnight thing, for instance.

It could really take a solid decade to truly come to fruition.

Same with other time-oriented goals.

Taking a little time off from something bad is just a temporary fix. It does not solve a problem. It just delays it.

So when you are looking to improve yourself, perhaps it’s better to just adopt a completely new mindset – and stick with it indefinitely.

The results will come.

Having a time constraint on things is unrealistic and what may lead most people down the road of failure.

The only goal should be sticking with your plan
For us, for instance, our goal was to stop eating sugar and any carbs that raised the infamous “blood sugar level.”

And we did. We’ve gotten really good with it after years of mistakes and cheats.

Because we didn’t have a specific “goal” in mind – we didn’t “fail” at much. We did not become discouraged. We just learned and adapted.

The goals to reach a specific measurement or level are a double-sided sword.

Sure if you succeed, that feels great. But it also leaves you prone to go back to your usual ways prior to the mission.

Sticking with a total life change – without goals or specific numbers is a lot easier.

Hope you enjoyed our viewpoint, and have a great day!
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What was wrong with standard 12-ounce cans? Why slim cans all of a sudden?
Back in the day – all 12-ounce beverage cans were the same.

All sodas, beers, and other drinks in a “tin can” (as they used to say – even though they were aluminum), were the exact same size.

A perfect size, in fact! Fit your hands well, and was not prone to tipping over easily.

Nowadays – you have a massive infiltration of these stupid “slim cans!” Why is that?

We have a few reasons.

Marketing. People can no longer read “left to right.” “Too long, didn’t read” is the saying these days (TL;DR is the format online) and by having taller boxes – people and just read up and down – just like their cell phones. Like their eyes cannot even function anymore unless it’s in a three-inch or less horizontal zone.
Shelf space. You can’t really stack any higher – but by making them slim, you can stack more DEEPER. More inventory.
Sissification. Back in the day – men were men. Size or grip was not an issue. Today – you have both many more WOMEN drinkers, along with their Soy-Boy counterparts. You know, the ones with limp-wrists who have never lifted anything heavy in their life besides their laptop bag – which is too heavy already.
The main reason why we HATE slim cans
You know what? It’s due to physics.

The slim cans are “floppy” to some degree. With the higher center of gravity, they just easily topple over. Sucks stacking them in the fridge.

You can’t just throw them in like a man. You have to carefully and gingerly place them in the fridge as if you were handling a museum exhibit. SUCKS.

Having such a small footprint and higher profile makes no sense to US, however, we do understand the motivation, as we’ve detailed already.

It just stinks that companies pander to their customers in each and every aspect – even if it defies common sense.

I guess if your customers are getting weak, lazy, and stupid – you have to make accommodations, or you will lose out. Such a shame.

This is exactly why we ..

Everyone thinks they know better than you
In today’s NJroute22.com VLOG – we’ll explore what we feel is a recent trend of everyone thinking they know better than you.

Some brief examples are:

social media companies “banning” people…
politicians and what they deem are the best policies to RULE over you
diet and health experts who only peddle wrong information
mindset and ideals – such as equality or inclusivity
Even supreme courts “refusing” to hear arguments! Why in the world?
The internet brain is no substitute for real-world experience
Perhaps we’re barking up a non-existent tree here. But one theory we have for the ordinary “self-proclaimed expert” is that the internet brain is giving many people a false sense of reality.

And that, we feel, is a bit of a problem.

You see – so many people nowadays “look shit up” online – and believe that JUST BECAUSE THEY READ SOME WORDS SOMEWHERE – that it constitutes TRUTH.

This is odd – considering online search giants actually custom-tailor their results for hundreds of thousands of sub-groups of people out there. That gave their privacy away, and as a result, get almost conditioned into a particular mindset because of the types of information delivered to them.

The internet brain makes a lot of people cocky. And most of the time – the people claiming knowledge – had zero first-hand experience about what they claim intellectual superiority over.

We try – at least on this channel – to talk about things we have first-hand experience with. We wish more people did.

But in the end – it’s really one of the most annoying traits when someone acts all knowledgable about something – because they “read it somewhere.” The lack of critical thinking and the validation of sources (and reading dissenting viewpoints), is astonishing.

And of course – real discussion, conversation, and fair debate are likely at an all-time low in society. And will probably continue the downward trend indefinitely.

That’s it for today – what are your ..

Everything is cheap and disposable in 2021
In today’s NJroute22.com VLOG – we continue our series about cheap and disposable products.

Basically – how more and more things you buy and use every day – are becoming “bare minimum.” That is – they hardly do the job you want them to.

In the past – we’ve talked about shoddy packaging and other material items that appear to have gotten so flimsy that they have a tough time holding up.

Cheapening products – nail clippers
Today – we’re going to single out one item. Toenail clippers.

We have here two “identical” clippers bought from a pharmacy chain called Rite Aid. Same exact product. Same price. And the same SKU number.

One was bought maybe seven years ago, and the other maybe a year or two ago.

There is such a difference between the two.

The older one weighs 33 grams – and has a stiff clipping arm, strong enough to cut my manly toenails.

The new one weighs 29 grams (12% lighter) and is noticeably thinner. The clipping arm bends under the slightest pressure. And we cannot muster enough force to cut our big toenail.

This irritates us. The same product has degraded in quality. Yet they still charge the same.

So this Chinese company that makes these things can now sell 12% more product with the same material cost (for the metal at least).

The cost-cutting at companies everywhere cannot continue long-term. Because someone will eventually find a way to once again make long-lasting products that people would rather buy.

It’s a shame we can’t continue getting at least STANDARD quality items and respectable prices. Now we’ll probably have to pay a premium to at least get something that can last a reasonable amount of time.
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What is SESH Hard Seltzer?
The basic stats are as follows: 6% ABV, 1g of carbs per can. The current iteration of SESH is sweetened with Stevia – however, come this summer, they have a new formula coming out with ZERO added sweeteners. Hopefully, it’s still no more than 1g of carbohydrates.

The product is going after the “cocktail” taste, hence the higher alcohol content. They currently have four flavors: Gin + Tonic, Moscow Mule, Mojito, and Tequila Paloma. There are four additional flavors planned later this year.

Their current tagline is “Cocktail meets Seltzer. All flavor, no bullsh*t.”

Note that the seltzer is only available in stores in just a few states at the moment – NJ, NY, OH, and IL. More states coming soon.

So how does SESH rate with us?
Before we bought it and tried it – we were a bit up in the air about this product. Because the price on their website was exorbitant ($30 per 12-pack). But we learned after interviewing founders Nate and Zeke, that the price online was high because of regulations – and that they only make it available so customers can enjoy their product because it is not yet available in their states.

However, once we realized that the in-store price was more competitive (about $19 per 12-pack), which is about 20% more than similar products such as Smirnoff Zero Sugar Seltzer or Dizzy – we felt better. That price disparity is compensated by the 20% higher alcohol content. So “ounce for ounce,” it is on par.

The drinks themselves were quite enjoyable. Every single flavor was very good in its own unique way. We had no particular favorite.

It probably helps to go into this knowing what the mindset of this is. It’s basically a hard cocktail – but in a “light version” format. That is – it’s probably something you want to drink similar to a mixed drink. Slow and steady – just without the “knockout power” of too many stiff drinks!

We have a strange, unique way of consuming our spiked seltzers – in case this is your first time seeing ..

Almost ALL of these are gone due to TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS.

THE PHONE – Half the country doesn’t even know or remember these anymore…

( X ) “I’m waiting for a call – get off the phone!” (everyone has a phone even kids)(BUSY SIGNALS)

( X ) “Can I use your phone – it’s a local call” (unlimited)

( X ) “I’m going to call your manager” (online reviews – anonymously – not in person)

( X ) “Operators are standing by” – what a joke.. call centers. At least it took some effort. But today you just click once, and your stuff is there in a day or two.

( X ) “I have to get home to check the messages” – anticipation added character. Today – no character left.

ON DEMAND – Today everything is instant. But back in the day – not everything was.
( X ) “I’ll ask him the next time I see him.” Things we more low key – and didn’t have urgency. TODAY if you don’t get a response from a text in one minute – you melt down!

( X ) “Mom, hurry home – I’m going to miss my show!” You made every effort to not miss your show. TODAY everything is on your schedule – including binge-watching.

( X ) “Can you tell me where this place is?” Asking for directions. Descriptive language. Memory. Cardinal direction. Kept people sharp. TODAY – people use GPS as their crutch. And are literally stranded without.

OTHER THINGS WE DON’T SAY –
( X ) “Unleaded or leaded gas” (went away almost 3 decades ago).

( X ) “Hey let’s go to the video store” (today is either streaming – or RedBox for those with crappy internet)

( X ) “Cool – I have some quarters – let’s go to the arcade!” We remember Asteroids and Missile command on cigarette-burnt machines. Was definitely an experience you cannot replicate today.

( X ) “Can you tell me where the nearest payphone is?” And no one cared if they were filthy? Try that in 2021.

( X ) “Pick up a six and come over!” Today, binge drinking is standard. Cases plus full bottles of liquor.

( X ) “I got stuck at the tolls” Yep – they were bad. Today EZ-PASS plus less co..

In today’s NJroute22.com VLOG – we’ll explain the absolute easiest way to clean windows without chemicals. Two words: Microfiber towels.

Not afraid of chemicals – but this saves money at least
First off – we’ve never been afraid of chemicals – nor do we think anyone can do squat for the environment by using “green” products.

That is just the way they get you to spend more while making you feel good. Classic marketing scam. Prey on the human condition.

So we’ve always been happy to use almost any cleaning product. Ammonia. Bleach. Degreasers. You name it, we have zero issues.

However, we certainly don’t mind avoiding spending money when we can.

So simple: Three microfiber towels.
Here’s how you clean windows without chemicals.

All you need is three microfiber towels. And don’t buy cheap ones. Higher quality, larger towels make a world of difference.

A. Soak one thoroughly with hot water and wring out lightly.
B. The other two should remain dry.

1. Use the wet one and completely wipe the entire surface of the window you want to clean (both sides.) Don’t be limp-wristed about it either. Have conviction and gusto.

2. Once you’ve covered all the surfaces, take one of the dry towels to wipe up the water as well as you can. This towel will now be damp.

3. The last step is to take the fresh dry towel to do a “once-over.” Clear up remaining spots you missed, and the final “polish” in case there are swirls or leftover dirt.

You’re done.

This can be repeated over and over with the exact same towels. Probably five or 10 times before they have to be retired. Most of the time you just need to rinse them all well and let them dry for later use.

Only when they’re filthy and ineffective do you need to wash them. Remember no fabric softener!

This could probably be achieved with most ordinary towels. But what makes microfiber towels special is their absorbency, and ability to attract and pick up dirt. Also – most high quality microfiber towels leave little to no “lint,..

We take a look at the Fruit Smash Seltzer in today’s NJroute22.com VLOG.

The reason we pick up ANY spiked seltzers like Fruit Smash is because they’re low in carbohydrates. The overall rule of thumb is 2g or less per can. But we’ve tried a couple that were higher.

We’ll give any brand a try these days, with a few exceptions.

We’re not big fans of any sweetener, as we believe they “alter” your body in ways that probably make you consume more. But we have tried a few. In general, we strive to avoid.

For the purpose of sampling and reviewing, price is not a big factor. Price only plays a role if we choose to continue buying it. Paying a premium to try something once is okay.

That’s basically it.

So how was Fruit Smash Seltzer?
As far as seltzers go, these are up there in the “most flavorful” category.

And the price point is not a major deterrent whatsoever. Just about two bucks more per 12-pack.

The alcohol content is 4.7% ABV, which is a nice sweet spot. The carb level was not the lowest – between 1-2 grams, depending on the flavor. Interesting that they didn’t maintain consistency between flavors like almost every other brand does.

Overall – the three flavors that came in the variety pack were all enjoyable. In fact, we’ve kept this in regular rotation many times since we filmed our review. We may have to do a follow-up to "bump" our recommendation.

It’s good to have a reliable backup for your usual brand (our store was out of Smirnoff the other day).

We do recommend Fruit Smash seltzer as a very decent option when stocking your refrigerator with delicious adult beverages.

Try them and let us know!
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What happened to weather forecasts?
All over the map – wildly inaccurate – entirely unreliable.

Some are so bad – radar shows NOTHING, yet it’s raining or snowing out.

Relying on algorithms and AI – not going to end well.

We feel over-thinking and over-analyzing is mostly to blame.

The weather models today, in our opinion, are simply trying too hard. Too much data doesn’t always lead you to better results.

This is also called information bias. More does not always mean better, no matter how much you think it will. Correlation is not causation!

Same goes with trying to predict (or control) trends. This “AI” (artificial intelligence) and machine learning are a bit over-hyped in our opinion.

Maybe it will work one day – as this tech is in its infancy.

However, the machines will NEVER be human – no matter how much “data” they crunch and analyze. Not as long as we are alive!---------------
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Draw the line. There is ALWAYS something better! {VLOG}
We have a problem in society. It’s called “upgrading.” We recently did a video about the upgrade psychology with technology.

And it takes a lot of gusto to throw that mindset in the trash and replace it. Everyone needs to draw the line and establish contentment with their life – and especially with what they HAVE.

The modern world wants you to buy more
If you’ve followed the NJroute22.com YouTube channel – you might know that we recognize that things today, for the most part, are crap.

Unless you pay top dollar – much of what you buy will stop working as intended.

This includes almost everything. Clothes. Food. Appliances. Electronics. Hardware. Tools. You name it.

The “products” that “consumers” have to choose from these days are literally DISPOSABLE.

There is no limit where greedy corporations will go to ensure they have repeat customers.

Appreciate what you have – and strive to live with less
The bottom line here is that the system is rigged against you and me.

If we allow it to be.

There are some instances, of course, where something better *might* net some measurable gains. Like faster, stronger, etc. In some cases – if those measurable gains resulted in more money, or saved time, perhaps they might be worthwhile.

In most cases – there is only the psychological perception that you improved something.

Finding value in what you have (and possibly the money you save) is another way to approach it. Especially if you can train yourself – say, to put the money saved into an investment.

By living without things – there plenty of silver-lining opportunities. Use your imagination to find them all. Such as more time, less complication, etc.

It’s natural to horde and over-consume. That is why finding contentment should be a top priority for everyone.
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To sum it up:

It was okay in the low-carb realm. It had 5% alcohol and 1g of carbs. All fine and dandy.

Cigar City also tasted “okay.”

But it was about 20% more expensive than our usual brand. And we do not feel it was worth the extra expense.

Would we buy it again? Sure why not – if we’re feeling like we need something different.

Otherwise – it’s not a keeper.
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It’s a fake, fake, world we live in {superficial}
Say this out loud: “IMAGE.” That is what today’s NJroute22.com VLOG is about.

That seems to be what everyone strives to achieve.

It’s always been a thing – regardless of the apparatus and circumstances around us.

But the DIGITAL world makes this “image” much worse.

In our online travels – you’ll see that almost everyone has a profile image. It’s an image of themselves that they use to represent them. Like a cover photo.

Instagram is particularly the worst of the bunch – as many folks post hundreds of photos of themselves. A non-stop “look at me” experience. That is why we’ve completely removed ourselves from that platform. Total waste of time.

And many if not most times – you can see that nearly everyone these days presents themselves as celebrities in their own world. They strive to be cool, fit, active, or sexy. Most of the time those are images they want – or feel best about – not let’s say, “an average day in the life.”

It appears that almost all people have a higher image of themselves mentally than deserved. A grandiose image.

It’s a terrible thing these online platforms have created with society.

A competition of superficial impressions.

I guess these days not many people can make determinations on their own. They just need to sum it up in the time it takes to look at one small photo.
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You like to drink – but hate hangovers
Before we get started – let’s state the obvious.

For true hangover prevention – just don’t drink at all. Or at the very least just have one or two drinks.

But who just has a “few” drinks? Why bother?

If you’re like us – you like, want, and enjoy your adult beverages.

However, the consequences are both short and long-term.

Long-term consequences are accumulative. And are hard to remedy. Organ damage being the most obvious. And of course early death.

The same can happen in the short-term as well – but usually ONLY when mass consumption is involved.

Hydration is always mentioned with hangover prevention
Two “tips” to prevent hangovers we’ve always tried in years past were:

1. “Hydrate” – Drink a glass of water between drinks. (Not always possible – hard to sustain.)
2. Drink lots of water before bed!

Frankly – we cannot manage the first option very well – like we said, it’s unsustainable for us.

And we do drink plenty of water before bed. But it either doesn’t work well, or perhaps we’re not drinking enough.

As a result – we get hangovers more often than we like.

New discovery! Pre-hydration!
The other day – we decided to try an idea I came up with (don’t hate if this is out there in the wild – we have no idea if this concept has been talked about already).

To drink TONS of water before our drinking session of the night.

In our case – it was half a gallon of water. 64 ounces. Super-cold water, too.

I decided to experiment – and gave myself 2-3 hours to consume that water before drinking.

The result?

Well, let me say we drank a LOT of spiked seltzer that night, it should have made us feel like shit the next day.

But lo behold – we felt FANTASTIC the next day. Astounded, we were – a hangover prevention cure that works?

So we tried it again the next day. Heavy hydration before drinking. And guess what?

IT WORKED AGAIN!

I think we’re on to something.

We really don’t care about the biological mechanics behind it..

Are volatile cryptocurrencies a huge opportunity?
In today’s NJroute22.com VLOG – we’re going to talk about investment strategies in cryptocurrencies.

From an outsider’s perspective.

We do not “day trade” and we do not own a mining rig. The only thing we do is dabble and observe.

Cryptocurrencies are wild and unnerving for many
If you’ve been following cryptocurrencies – you’ll certainly know that the “ride” is very wild. Or what they refer to in the markets as “volatile.”

Huge swings day to day and week to week. Double-digit percentages both up and down. And frequent “crashes” and “booms.”

But the overall long-term trend for most cryptos is generally up. And up. And up.

You can see the “rainbow chart” for Bitcoin for more information.

Short-term opportunities in crypto are there
As we’ve observed the trends – it appears that a lot of people day trade cryptocurrencies.

There is a huge opportunity to earn compounding profits from quick buy and sell transactions within the crypto markets.

You just have to stomach the tumultuous nature of the swings.

It’s not uncommon to earn single-digit gains on a daily or semi-daily basis. Those profits will compound if you’re fortunate enough.

Sell on substantial profits you pre-determine in your mind (whether it’s just 2% or much higher). Or if you get unlucky and buy at a bad point (we had an issue last month where we bought crypto and it went down 10% that day) you just hold either until you break even or make a modest profit.

Either way – enduring a big loss of over 10% can really stall your opportunity for steady gains. That is why it’s probably smart to not invest your whole bankroll at once.

This way, if you suffer a loss, you can dollar cost average out and buy more at the true dip to regain a profit faster.

My new rule of thumb going forward is to max out at 50% of our bankroll and reserve the rest to cover the dips. Of course, that can hurt if you miss out on a big gain as well.

But missing the gains is l..

Sublify and other lease to own companies rip people off
For some reason – we ended up on a mailing list for a company called Sublify.

They sell trendy popular equipment. Mostly electronics.

And they offer these products RIGHT NOW – with no credit check.

You can have that product you so badly want FAST – even though you cannot afford to buy it today.

Just pay our easy low WEEKLY payments!

I cannot believe people fall for this.

Pay double or triple or more when you lease to own
We took a look at many of their offerings.

In almost all cases – the total payments for the product before you “own” them, was always at least double what you can buy it for.

Sometimes even triple or more.

They are preying on the human condition of “wanting” something NOW before they can pay for it.

I don’t understand why those kids don’t understand that they could just save the money and buy it outright later on for much less.

Or maybe they do understand (sort of), but their desire to HAVE that thing (that will be outdated in short order) is way stronger than common sense and logic.

We strongly recommend avoiding companies like this at all costs.

Learn the value of patience, or better off “doing without.” It’s a psychological game – and you are not playing. They are playing you like a fiddle!
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Our first computer was an “8088” processor. We also had an “8086.”

Then, we got into “286’s, 386’s, and the big leap of 486’s!” It was huge back in the day. Especially when the “Pentium” (586) came out.

If you don’t know what those are – that is okay.

And as technology “evolves” (and we use that word loosely), when we look back – it all seems similar.

Upgrades are still the same today
While computers and technology have become “amazing” when you put it into perspective, the mindset behind “wanting more” remains the same.

We recall always wanting better, or even the “best” thing you could get when it came to computers.

The money I and my poor family literally WASTED on “high tech” 25+ years ago bugs me.

While we did NOT know what the future would bring, looking back makes you wonder what would have happened if we took a different approach.

Part of me thinks that it would not have been possible to be frugal and prudent with our choices.

Because that is the nature of the “upgrade,” regardless of time, place, quality, performance, or subject matter.

This mindset applies to almost everything in life
Naturally – with different “parameters,” the need to upgrade and “get the best” has always applied. Computers are just a bit easier to reference – because there are (so-called) REAL “metrics.”

People like having (on paper) what was once called “the best.” It doesn’t even need to be a statistic. It can even just be a simple “feeling” of having something better.

We see this all the time. For example, some kids boasting how their “computer rig” got the “highest score” in some kind of testing program.

A temporary feeling of joy for those kids. Then they do not realize that IMMINENTLY after that moment of joy – they will be knocked off the throne.

This happens with almost everything
Cars. Homes. Furniture. Clothing. Appliances. Even PEOPLE!

Humans cannot stop “upgrading.”

Contentment seems to be a relic of the past.

Why is that?

Why do people always poke around..

In a sea of confusion – be quiet! stands out
We tinker with computers. Since the very beginning.

Almost all of our PCs have either been built from scratch – or custom-built with added upgrades performed by us.

And recently – we did a semi-major upgrade to our primary workstation.

New CPU. New GPU (video card), new memory, new PSU (power supply), and a new cooling system.

This is in regards specifically to power supplies and cooling. We wanted to change things up.

Supporting a new uncommon company for PC cooling
Anyone that is a PC builder or enthusiast certainly knows that that the choices are astounding.

People always want the best or highest rated things.

However, once you start researching – it becomes a very slippery slope. Especially with computer components.

We needed a new power supply and fans for our computer case. And we spent way too much time trying to feel comfortable with our choices.

Everyone wants to find the “sweet spot” between price, value, and performance. And it is most often exhausting and rarely completely satisfying at the same time.

So during our quest – we realized that this be quiet! company was one that intrigued us. Their claim to fame is quality products that are on the very low-end of the “volume” scale.

They’re also a German company – that has been regarded as the best computer component company in Europe for many years. Why they’re not popular here in America is odd.

So we bought a be quiet! power supply (750W Platinum fully-modular) for about $140. In line with many other companies like Thermaltake, Corsair, Cooler Master, and most others.

At that point, we decided to stick with the same brand for both our liquid CPU cooler as well as most of our case fans. In order to lower the overall noise our PC made.

Very satisfied with be quiet! products.
Everything worked out of the box, and the quality was obvious.

The Liquid Cooler was also unique in the fact that it has use-refillable coolant – which almost no other model ..