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Misc General Banter Thread

YetAnotherRDUGuy said:
Fair enough. Any thoughts on if improving 95 in SC could benefit the port of Charleston? (specifically to help compete with other regional ports)
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Yes and no, they opened the Leatherman terminal it bled money so they consolidated back to Wando and North Charleston. They have some struggles with the largest of the vessels having to be tide dependent with the biggest vessels getting to Wando and there is a 100% height restriction getting to North Charleston. There are also some transit time limitations with Charleston, we do about 750 containers through Charleston per year but if we have a container that is time sensitive we book it to Norfolk and save about 2 weeks. 95 improvements would help once they are at port, we had to move our container delivery time to evening because the drivers hated getting to and off port in the morning with the congestion and traffic.
 
SD said:
Yes and no, they opened the Leatherman terminal it bled money so they consolidated back to Wando and North Charleston. They have some struggles with the largest of the vessels having to be tide dependent with the biggest vessels getting to Wando and there is a 100% height restriction getting to North Charleston. There are also some transit time limitations with Charleston, we do about 750 containers through Charleston per year but if we have a container that is time sensitive we book it to Norfolk and save about 2 weeks. 95 improvements would help once they are at port, we had to move our container delivery time to evening because the drivers hated getting to and off port in the morning with the congestion and traffic.
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Alright SD, tell me you know logistics without specifically telling me you know logistics. šŸ¤£

But seriously though, I figured Norfolk/Hampton Roads was quicker to here but not by 2 weeks. (!) I assume Charleston's cheaper due to container volume you cited. So basically improving 95 in SC wouldn't significantly improve distribution to here. (not enough to justify costs at least)

You get anything from Wilmington btw? (I suspect not much)
 
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YetAnotherRDUGuy said:
Alright SD, tell me you know logistics without specifically telling me you know logistics. šŸ¤£

But seriously though, I figured Norfolk/Hampton Roads was quicker to here but not by 2 weeks. (!) I assume Charleston's cheaper due to container volume you cited. So basically improving 95 in SC wouldn't significantly improve distribution to here. (not enough to justify costs at least)

You get anything from Wilmington btw? (I suspect not much)
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We can get some direct routes from Asia to Norfolk that we can't get to CHS so that saves quite a bit on transit time also the reverse transit through the Suez to ORF vs through the Panama canal can be a time saver.

Not much through ILM, thats gradually being phased to CHS, I will say though if you are importing from South/Central America ILM is a great option
 
YetAnotherRDUGuy said:
Fair enough. Any thoughts on if improving 95 in SC could benefit the port of Charleston? (specifically to help compete with other regional ports)
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No. More rail links are needed more than traffic lanes. Go south and Savannah/Brunswick are your primary ports. Go north and you have Wilmington and soon to be an expanded Morehead City. Those two are more bulk than container though. Charleston will continue to serve the corridor up 26 and 77. At some point I would think the federal government would look at rehabbing the port in Georgetown as it's less vulnerable to sea level rise and to take pressure off Charleston especially if there's a navy expansion down there. Charleston will always get the bigger ships as the channel is maintained deeper, but Georgetown could take a lot of the smaller ones. It might wind up being cheaper than the infrastructure improvements needed in and around Charleston not to mention a hedge against the seismic hazard in Charleston.

It would be rebuilding from scratch essentially but I have my doubts the city/county will ever actually do anything worthwhile with the site. There will always be a need for bulk transport of materials and keeping the option open just seems wise for future climate resilience.
 
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SD said:
We can get some direct routes from Asia to Norfolk that we can't get to CHS so that saves quite a bit on transit time also the reverse transit through the Suez to ORF vs through the Panama canal can be a time saver.

Not much through ILM, thats gradually being phased to CHS, I will say though if you are importing from South/Central America ILM is a great option
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Bizarrely I've seen/heard of a decent amount of stuff going from Wilmington to Australia/Oceana.
 
SD said:
Yes and no, they opened the Leatherman terminal it bled money so they consolidated back to Wando and North Charleston. They have some struggles with the largest of the vessels having to be tide dependent with the biggest vessels getting to Wando and there is a 100% height restriction getting to North Charleston. There are also some transit time limitations with Charleston, we do about 750 containers through Charleston per year but if we have a container that is time sensitive we book it to Norfolk and save about 2 weeks. 95 improvements would help once they are at port, we had to move our container delivery time to evening because the drivers hated getting to and off port in the morning with the congestion and traffic.
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The new port and associated infrastructure has been a massive cluster ****. I think the only thing moving down there right now is the new Coast Guard stuff on the other side of the FLETC. There's still some development occurring a bit up the river around the old Navy yard but that's always been questionable with the amount of tidal flooding over land.
 
Heelyes said:
shoes on the beachā˜ ļø
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I got big ass, sensitive šŸ¦¶šŸ»
Plus, it was the Bahamas, didnā€™t want to step on any needles!
The 3-4 days after it was done( on a Saturday, I believe) The Monday or Tuesday afterwards, that hurricane decimated Puerto Rico, stalled over the island!
 
ChrisAMB said:
No. More rail links are needed more than traffic lanes. Go south and Savannah/Brunswick are your primary ports. Go north and you have Wilmington and soon to be an expanded Morehead City. Those two are more bulk than container though. Charleston will continue to serve the corridor up 26 and 77. At some point I would think the federal government would look at rehabbing the port in Georgetown as it's less vulnerable to sea level rise and to take pressure off Charleston especially if there's a navy expansion down there. Charleston will always get the bigger ships as the channel is maintained deeper, but Georgetown could take a lot of the smaller ones. It might wind up being cheaper than the infrastructure improvements needed in and around Charleston not to mention a hedge against the seismic hazard in Charleston.

It would be rebuilding from scratch essentially but I have my doubts the city/county will ever actually do anything worthwhile with the site. There will always be a need for bulk transport of materials and keeping the option open just seems wise for future climate resilience.
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Charleston's biggest competition regionally to the north as a port is Norfolk/Hampton Roads. It's not Wilmington, and it's definitely not Morehead City.

I really haven't heard anyone argue otherwise besides some very, very optimistic NC politicians. There's a history on this subject that goes back to the 1600's. That's the tl;dr version anyway.
 
weather bubba said:
I've been drinking diet sodas since high school when I went on a diet and lost around thirty pounds in high school. I started with Tab and I still drink diet soft drinks to this day. My current favorite is Diet Mountain Dew (got to have that caffeine). My wife drinks Coke Zero.

I was on a bus to take a field trip my senior year in high school. One of my friends asked me if I had another soda when he saw me pull out a Tab. I handed him a can, he took one swallow, and proceeded to spit it out on the floor. Tab wasn't the best tasting soft drink in existence.
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Mountain Dew is actually my favorite. Especially the Baja Blast. Also, CHEERWINE is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!
 
Friends; just be careful with the diet drinks. Artificial sweeteners are HORRIBLE for you; basically toxic chemicals companies use to make your body think it is getting sugar. There is a large body of research connecting them to weight gain, multiple cancers, cardiac disease, gut problems, mood dysregulation, attention and hyperactivity disorders, and even dementia. Use sparingly.
 
snowc said:
Happy 25th Birthday to me! I have turned 25 as of 9:15am. And I'm heading out to Bdubs in holly springs to spend time with my parents. God I love being 25!
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Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoy your birthday and time with your family. Twenty five was a long time ago in a far away kingdom for me.
 
Iceagewhereartthou said:
Friends; just be careful with the diet drinks. Artificial sweeteners are HORRIBLE for you; basically toxic chemicals companies use to make your body think it is getting sugar. There is a large body of research connecting them to weight gain, multiple cancers, cardiac disease, gut problems, mood dysregulation, attention and hyperactivity disorders, and even dementia. Use sparingly.
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I always get a laugh when I see fat people drinking Diet Coke like itā€™s helping in anyway.
 
Iceagewhereartthou said:
Friends; just be careful with the diet drinks. Artificial sweeteners are HORRIBLE for you; basically toxic chemicals companies use to make your body think it is getting sugar. There is a large body of research connecting them to weight gain, multiple cancers, cardiac disease, gut problems, mood dysregulation, attention and hyperactivity disorders, and even dementia. Use sparingly.
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NoSnowATL said:
I always get a laugh when I see fat people drinking Diet Coke like itā€™s helping in anyway.
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Keeping the weight off is more than drinking soft drinks and eating sugar free foods. It takes discipline when it comes to what and how much one eats and physical activity. I've done a pretty good job over the years, all in all. My waist size is only a couple of inches bigger than it was in college forty years ago. The new weight loss drugs make things easier for many people but they have their side effects so if I decide to lose weight again, I'll stick to the old fashioned way of diet control and exercise.
 
weather bubba said:
Keeping the weight off is more than drinking soft drinks and eating sugar free foods. It takes discipline when it comes to what and how much one eats and physical activity. I've done a pretty good job over the years, all in all. My waist size is only a couple of inches bigger than it was in college forty years ago. The new weight loss drugs make things easier for many people but they have their side effects so if I decide to lose weight again, I'll stick to the old fashioned way of diet control and exercise.
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Diet drinks r bad for u anyways ā€¦ sugar gets a bad reputation. Hell all
Natural.
Just donā€™t indulge
 
Iceagewhereartthou said:
Friends; just be careful with the diet drinks. Artificial sweeteners are HORRIBLE for you; basically toxic chemicals companies use to make your body think it is getting sugar. There is a large body of research connecting them to weight gain, multiple cancers, cardiac disease, gut problems, mood dysregulation, attention and hyperactivity disorders, and even dementia. Use sparingly.
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How do you feel about stevia?
 
YetAnotherRDUGuy said:
Charleston's biggest competition regionally to the north as a port is Norfolk/Hampton Roads. It's not Wilmington, and it's definitely not Morehead City.

I really haven't heard anyone argue otherwise besides some very, very optimistic NC politicians. There's a history on this subject that goes back to the 1600's. That's the tl;dr version anyway.
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I didn't mean they were competition, only the nearest viable ports. There was some discussion of what it would take to get auto imports through Wilmington in 2020 ish, but nothing ever came of it. With the big EV/battery storage industry getting stood up in both Carolinas there's going to be more opportunity for bulk carriers in both Wilmington and MHC.

My crackpot theory is Charleston is going to get a lot more Navy traffic in 10-20 years. Especially if the domestic shipbuilding industry ever gets going again. HII and Leonardo have set up shop on higher ground of the Cooper River just north of the naval weapons station. With sea level rise accelerating in the lowcountry around Charleston because of subsistence and the perpetual earthquake hazard it would make so much sense to send some infrastructure money to Georgetown and Wilmington/MHC.
 
Rain Cold said:
How do you feel about stevia?
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I'm certainly not an expert on all that but I think Stevia is a relatively newer one that is supposed to be less processed, but I have read it still can have a lot of side effects for some; headaches, GI issues, mood changes. I am not sure there the is enough longitudinal evidence on it to know if it can contribute to cancers or mental complications later on.

I mean if we're honest, our regular cane sugar is processed too, and has plenty of risks on its own. I've read a lot about how when companies took out fat from foods in the 70s and 80s people stopped eating them, so they added sugar to make them taste better, and found that sugar made people buy them even more and is very addictive. Maybe ironically, this is when Americans started having a huge increase in eating addictions and obesity.

I think the healthiest sweeteners are fruits and honey; in moderation of course. If you think about natural foods, that is what we are built for. We weren't really meant for diets with added sweetener in everything; that's just a ploy to get us hooked and buy more.
 
Iceagewhereartthou said:
Friends; just be careful with the diet drinks. Artificial sweeteners are HORRIBLE for you; basically toxic chemicals companies use to make your body think it is getting sugar. There is a large body of research connecting them to weight gain, multiple cancers, cardiac disease, gut problems, mood dysregulation, attention and hyperactivity disorders, and even dementia. Use sparingly.
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There's another thing about this too... Most of the stuff at the grocery store that people buy all day everyday is ultra processed and not good for you...

I've seen people talk about groceries in Europe they don't have a lot of the "added" stuff we have

Even a lot of the stuff it claims is healthy just read what's in it. People don't care
 
Iceagewhereartthou said:
I'm certainly not an expert on all that but I think Stevia is a relatively newer one that is supposed to be less processed, but I have read it still can have a lot of side effects for some; headaches, GI issues, mood changes. I am not sure there the is enough longitudinal evidence on it to know if it can contribute to cancers or mental complications later on.

I mean if we're honest, our regular cane sugar is processed too, and has plenty of risks on its own. I've read a lot about how when companies took out fat from foods in the 70s and 80s people stopped eating them, so they added sugar to make them taste better, and found that sugar made people buy them even more and is very addictive. Maybe ironically, this is when Americans started having a huge increase in eating addictions and obesity.

I think the healthiest sweeteners are fruits and honey; in moderation of course. If you think about natural foods, that is what we are built for. We weren't really meant for diets with added sweetener in everything; that's just a ploy to get us hooked and buy more.
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Since health has been discussed in here lately: Any opinion from you or others about the ideal level of vit D in the blood?

For those who donā€™t know, D is very important for helping the immune system fight off viruses, bacteria, and even cancer!

If you donā€™t get enough from the sun (which one has to be careful not to overdo near midday especially in spring/summer due to sunburn risk), you can get it from fatty fish and cod liver oil or from D3 supplements. I take 2K IU of D3 daily at breakfast.

Because D is fat soluble, you can actually have too much and it thus lead to toxicity. That can happen if one takes too high a level of D3 supplements.
 
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Iceagewhereartthou said:
I'm certainly not an expert on all that but I think Stevia is a relatively newer one that is supposed to be less processed, but I have read it still can have a lot of side effects for some; headaches, GI issues, mood changes. I am not sure there the is enough longitudinal evidence on it to know if it can contribute to cancers or mental complications later on.

I mean if we're honest, our regular cane sugar is processed too, and has plenty of risks on its own. I've read a lot about how when companies took out fat from foods in the 70s and 80s people stopped eating them, so they added sugar to make them taste better, and found that sugar made people buy them even more and is very addictive. Maybe ironically, this is when Americans started having a huge increase in eating addictions and obesity.

I think the healthiest sweeteners are fruits and honey; in moderation of course. If you think about natural foods, that is what we are built for. We weren't really meant for diets with added sweetener in everything; that's just a ploy to get us hooked and buy more.
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All of that is a great point.
 
GaWx said:
Since health has been discussed in here lately: Any opinion from you or others about the ideal level of vit D in the blood?

For those who donā€™t know, D is very important for helping the immune system fight off viruses, bacteria, and even cancer!

If you donā€™t get enough from the sun (which one has to be careful not to overdo near midday especially in spring/summer due to sunburn risk), you can get it from fatty fish and cod liver oil or from D3 supplements. I take 2K IU of D3 daily at breakfast.

Because D is fat soluble, you can actually have too much and it thus lead to toxicity. That can happen if one takes too high a level of D3 supplements.
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I can't quite make up my mind about supplements and multivitamins. I think for some people with certain conditions they can be very helpful but they bring risks as well.

Many of them are synthetic vitamins which are broken down and absorbed differently with some being, arguably, ineffective. The small intestine and colon, where most absorption takes place, can only absorb so much at a time. So they can sell you a pill with 150% of everything you need but you may only absorb a fraction of that with the rest, literally, getting flushed down the toilet. There can also be harmful effects from fillers and coatings. And yes, there are risks of toxicity with some of these. Many nutritionists and doctors swear they are just money makers; after all the vitamin/supplement business is a multi billion dollar industry.

I remember from a class that we only need about 20 minutes of sunlight a day to get adequate vitamin D, of course there are different types of vit D and I don't know if skin cells synthesize all of them. I think a decently balanced diet combined with a bit of sun will do it.

Ok, here is more I found on that topic; pretty amazing our bodies have a built in way of balancing this from sunlight:


How the Body Regulates Vitamin D
    • Natural limit: Your skin has a built-in safety mechanism that stops making vitamin D after a certain point. [1, 2]
    • Breakdown of excess: When you stay in the sun past your limit, ultraviolet (UV) rays degrade extra vitamin D and previtamin D3 as fast as your body creates it. [1, 2]
    • No toxicity from sun: Vitamin D toxicity (hypervitaminosis D) causes a dangerous buildup of calcium in the blood, but this only happens from taking large doses of oral supplementsā€”never from natural sunlight. [1, 2]

The Risks of Staying in the Sun Too Long
    • No extra benefit: Most people produce all the vitamin D they need in just 10 to 30 minutes of midday sun exposure, depending on their skin tone. [1, 2]
    • Skin damage: Spending extra hours in the sun does not raise your vitamin D levels any higher, but it drastically increases your risk of sunburn, premature aging, and skin cancer. [1]


Here's some more technical information if interested.

Vitamin D: Do We Need More Than Sunshine? - PMC

There is an astounding amount of conversation and research about vitamin D. It carries many claims, and there is controversy as to what adequate levels should be, how to ensure reaching appropriate serum levels, and what the consequences are of ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
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YetAnotherRDUGuy said:
I have wondered more than once how much stuff weā€™re currently eating/drinking that is now considered safe, but 20 years from now we find out it wasnā€™t.
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Yeah. I'm not a super health freak or anything but I do think it's good to think a little about all this. I try to avoid plastic water bottles, but of course our milk and most beverages from the store are all plastic containers too; I mean plastic is everywhere. Until the 80s most of our containers were glass. I truly think microplastics in our foods and beverages are a big factor in the explosive levels of cancers, heart disease, brain disease, dementia, and even emotional disorders. Plastics are made from crude oil for Pete's sake, and we're putting all our food in it.
 
Thanks, Dr. @Iceagewhereartthou! Great info about vit D!

One option is to get vit D/D3 measured in your blood like I just did for maybe 1st time ever. Then one can figure out if D supplements would be beneficial. For many, taking 2K IUs of vit D3, which is what I take, is beneficial. My level is 65, which is good. If I werenā€™t taking supplements, it likely would be too low.
 
Iceagewhereartthou said:
I'm certainly not an expert on all that but I think Stevia is a relatively newer one that is supposed to be less processed, but I have read it still can have a lot of side effects for some; headaches, GI issues, mood changes. I am not sure there the is enough longitudinal evidence on it to know if it can contribute to cancers or mental complications later on.

I mean if we're honest, our regular cane sugar is processed too, and has plenty of risks on its own. I've read a lot about how when companies took out fat from foods in the 70s and 80s people stopped eating them, so they added sugar to make them taste better, and found that sugar made people buy them even more and is very addictive. Maybe ironically, this is when Americans started having a huge increase in eating addictions and obesity.

I think the healthiest sweeteners are fruits and honey; in moderation of course. If you think about natural foods, that is what we are built for. We weren't really meant for diets with added sweetener in everything; that's just a ploy to get us hooked and buy more.
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Amen. It's all a big scheme. I remember in elementary school there was only one overweight person in the class now is the majority.
 
Brent said:
There's another thing about this too... Most of the stuff at the grocery store that people buy all day everyday is ultra processed and not good for you...

I've seen people talk about groceries in Europe they don't have a lot of the "added" stuff we have

Even a lot of the stuff it claims is healthy just read what's in it. People don't care
Click to expand...
I think there's even a brand of Ritz crackers that's not allowed in Canada that's allowed here
 
GaWx said:
Since health has been discussed in here lately: Any opinion from you or others about the ideal level of vit D in the blood?

For those who donā€™t know, D is very important for helping the immune system fight off viruses, bacteria, and even cancer!

If you donā€™t get enough from the sun (which one has to be careful not to overdo near midday especially in spring/summer due to sunburn risk), you can get it from fatty fish and cod liver oil or from D3 supplements. I take 2K IU of D3 daily at breakfast.

Because D is fat soluble, you can actually have too much and it thus lead to toxicity. That can happen if one takes too high a level of D3 supplements.
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I take 10,000 IU's of it and just had a blood test and mine is perfect. It was low. I don't eat a lot of fish.
 
GaWx said:
Since health has been discussed in here lately: Any opinion from you or others about the ideal level of vit D in the blood?

For those who donā€™t know, D is very important for helping the immune system fight off viruses, bacteria, and even cancer!

If you donā€™t get enough from the sun (which one has to be careful not to overdo near midday especially in spring/summer due to sunburn risk), you can get it from fatty fish and cod liver oil or from D3 supplements. I take 2K IU of D3 daily at breakfast.

Because D is fat soluble, you can actually have too much and it thus lead to toxicity. That can happen if one takes too high a level of D3 supplements.
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Vit D is amazing! I have been taking supplements for about the last 10 months, and my physical strength has improved dramatically.
 
I've been taking daily vitamin supplements for years. Vitamin D, Fish Oil and Co Q 10 are all part of my regimen along with Vitamin C, a multivitamin and herbal supplements like Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng. I decided to start taking of the body the good Lord gave me after years of chain smoking and moderate to heavy drinking around thirty years ago and I feel as good today as I did when I was in my thirties although I have a little less energy than I used to. Lots of people spend their money running back and forth to physicians. I decided that preventive care was a better option that that alternative.

I used to lay out in the sun and even used tanning beds for a short period of time in my younger years. My mother's bout with melanoma and her eventual death from cancer changed that. The sun screen goes on anytime I am outside in the sun for extended periods of time. I need to start lifting weights again and exercising more. I have slacked up in that regard since I've passed the big 60.
 
Lunch is brought to you by Alpaca Chicken and the Carolina Hurricanes!!
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