Anyone know where Ashful went?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
I think this forum would be boring if we all thought the same. I like variety and think this forum is light years ahead with all the different thought processes that happen, makes us a unique but united group of people from around the world, hopefully we can get more people to join to.
Here, here, Kenny!

Focusing on differences, very bad. Focusing on things we have in common, very good. This site automatically starts folks on the things we have in common. Sometimes, folks stray into the other territory.

I'm a big fan of folks intelligently and passionately disagreeing on something (except politics and religion here). The entertainment value is much higher, and it's where positive change and growth occurs.

That's sort of my point with this thread. Despite all of thousands of posts saying my house is bigger than yours, my stoves are better than yours, my stuff is better than yours, my beer is better than yours, my work is better than yours, my hobbies are better than yours, and on and on, I still like having him around here. My closest friend of over 30 years was just like that. My boastful friend died just over a year ago in his mid-40's of the cancer. I'd rather he still be around, too. And why Ashful's absence was of concern to me.

All that said, beware the people who work to have us focus on our differences.
 
Ashful last logged in here Sep 7, 2020.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Easy Livin’ 3000
Ashful last logged in here Sep 7, 2020.
Thanks BB. That's a lot more recent than his last post.

On another similar site, a heavy user that I enjoyed reading, abruptly stopped showing up. I think his wife discovered that he was posting pictures of her on the site that were clearly intended for his eyes only. Not too risque, but still stuff where she was posing suggestively in dresses, presumably for him.

I'm sure the mods here would have put a stop to that pretty quickly and saved him from himself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Seasoned Oak
Ashful last logged in here Sep 7, 2020.
I was wondering were you went BB. You must be slowing down , i dont see you post much. Or im not in the right place at the right time.
 
Thanks BB. That's a lot more recent than his last post.

On another similar site, a heavy user that I enjoyed reading, abruptly stopped showing up. I think his wife discovered that he was posting pictures of her on the site that were clearly intended for his eyes only. Not too risque, but still stuff where she was posing suggestively in dresses, presumably for him.

I'm sure the mods here would have put a stop to that pretty quickly and saved him from himself.
Photos or it didn't happen. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dobish
I was wondering were you went BB. You must be slowing down , i dont see you post much. Or im not in the right place at the right time.

Slowing way down these days.
 
Slowing way down these days.
I'm with you on this. I think we've probably earned it.

Always enjoyed your style, BB. Straight shooter, seasoned by real experience, with a touch of dry humor at just the right times.

Enjoy your holiday season, much as you can during these times.. Glad your still here, slowed down or otherwise.
 
I have been on a hiking forum, VFTT.org for 30 plus years. Its specific to the Northeast. Many of the frequent posters and viewers started in college or in their early careers. Some like me are getting ready to retire. The woods really havent changed and anyone who knows how to search can pretty well find out any info they need because its been discussed a couple of times in the past. That forum is slowly getting moribund as many have switched to facebook like forums and new people tend to gravitate to facebook type forums. Thus our forum group is getting older as a whole. As we discuss on occasion , the "signal to noise" ratio with facebook tends to be far lower due to lack of moderation but newbies do not realize that. Luckily Hearth seems to have steady stream of newbies and that keeps it fresh enough that it keeps me interested.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nate R and Alpine1
I have been on a hiking forum, VFTT.org for 30 plus years. Its specific to the Northeast. Many of the frequent posters and viewers started in college or in their early careers. Some like me are getting ready to retire. The woods really havent changed and anyone who knows how to search can pretty well find out any info they need because its been discussed a couple of times in the past. That forum is slowly getting moribund as many have switched to facebook like forums and new people tend to gravitate to facebook type forums. Thus our forum group is getting older as a whole. As we discuss on occasion , the "signal to noise" ratio with facebook tends to be far lower due to lack of moderation but newbies do not realize that. Luckily Hearth seems to have steady stream of newbies and that keeps it fresh enough that it keeps me interested.
Good points. It's unfortunate. Not just because of the signal to noise thing, but also because folks are (mostly) unwittingly becoming the resource that these large companies are harvesting (data, and it's valuable). Also, these sights are engineered to be addictive, and are bad for us emotionally, as many of the participants display a highly unrealistic view into their lives that are not true, and make us feel bad about ourselves.

The Matrix was originally written with mankind being used as a network of biological microprocessors. They changed it to batteries for the movie (to dumb it down for the masses). The reality turns out eerily similar, but we are not microprocessors or batteries, just a network of data generators, and that data is then used to transfer the resources of all, to a just a few.

I sure hope we find a way out of this future. It's not looking good right now. I still hold out hope.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bholler
Yup. A lifelong friend is liberal. I am conservative. We never talked politics. Now that Republicans have gone nutso right wing and Democrats have gone nutso left wing, we seem like moderates. We now talk politics. :)
 
That forum is slowly getting moribund
I'm afraid we started going that way once "code" became the end of all discussions. I understand as well as anyone the need for standards but it can be stifling.
 
I'm afraid we started going that way once "code" became the end of all discussions. I understand as well as anyone the need for standards but it can be stifling.
I must have been out of it for too long. What does "code" mean?
 
I'm afraid we started going that way once "code" became the end of all discussions. I understand as well as anyone the need for standards but it can be stifling.
So we should not advise people how to make their systems safe and make sure it can pass inspection and you don't have insurance issues? Believe me I don't enjoy repeating the same thing over and over. But it is my responsibility to tell people the proper way to do it.
 
When I was looking for property I looked at a couple of places in the county east of here. They do not use a building code in that county. It was plum amazing some of the things people did. I cannot understand why the news is not full of reports of house fires, caved in roofs, electrocutions, and cholera.

Some code stuff is dumb, for instance I placed a cabinet in my living room adjacent to the kitchen. It matched the kitchen cabinets, so the inspector insisted it was part of the kitchen. I had to put a GFCI outlet on it even though its purpose is to hold the TV. However, if the cost of having a safe inspected structure I intend to sleep in was a GFCI outlet in the living room it is well worth it. The same holds true for every fuel burning appliance install. Doing it right is cheap insurance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SpaceBus
I must have been out of it for too long. What does "code" mean?
Oh, that code.

I, for one, find it invaluable to have knowledge of what the code is. I don't let it censor my opinions, though.

Here's an example- there's the code that requires a liner to be insulated if the chimney isn't separated from the structure by at least two inches (which may also be code, but is almost never done). I'm sure than an uninsulated liner in my thick stone chimney poses no fire threat to the structure. So, I didn't insulate the liner because of the fire threat. I insulated it because it improved draft, keeps it cleaner by reducing creosote condensation, and made the liner just big enough to make it a monumental pain in the ass to get it down the chimney.

Ok, maybe not that last reason. But I'm happy, and I'm better off having the liner insulated. That code required it wasn't instrumental to my final decision other than as a minor data point. And I actually really appreciate having someone here to tell us what the code says.
 
SInce we are drifting this article ,may be in interest https://newrepublic.com/article/159662/libertarian-walks-into-bear-book-review-free-town-project. I have not read the book but NH has traditionally allowed towns to get away with ignoring building code enforcement. The towns most popular with free state just take it it to its logical conclusion. The standard approach is "you have to live in it so you had better make it safe" the results are predictable. Houses burn down on occasion, roofs collapse and new homeowners get expensive surprises. The local contractors know about the lack of enforcement and take advantage of it. They almost all are working under shell LLCs with their assets protected so they are real good at making it look nice but skipping on the details. If there is a accident due to negligence, the affected parties can try to sue all they can but with no license enforcement there are no assets to attach.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: bholler
SInce we are drifting this article ,may be in interest https://newrepublic.com/article/159662/libertarian-walks-into-bear-book-review-free-town-project. I have not read the book but NH has traditionally allowed towns to get away with ignoring building code enforcement. The towns most popular with free state just take it it to its logical conclusion. The standard approach is "you have to live in it so you had better make it safe" the results are predictable. Houses burn down on occasion, roofs collapse and new homeowners get expensive surprises. The local contractors know about the lack of enforcement and take advantage of it. They almost all are working under shell LLCs with their assets protected so they are real good at making it look nice but skipping on the details. If there is a accident due to negligence, the affected parties can try to sue all they can but with no license enforcement there are no assets to attach.
Does license enforcement entail asset attachment? I'm unfamiliar with this stuff, but this would be good to know.

My folks had a bum roof job years ago where the installer didn't properly seal the seams on their flat roof and it almost destroyed their house with all the leaks. The roofers llc filed bankruptcy, and they were left with their insurance paying it. This was at least 20 years ago. I saw the roofers truck in the lowes parking lot about 3 weeks ago, undoubtedly under another llc, and he's probably used the llc shelter a number of times over the years. It was sickening to see all the leaks in the house after a brand new roof, and my folks were senior citizens then.
 
Does license enforcement entail asset attachment? I'm unfamiliar with this stuff, but this would be good to know.

My folks had a bum roof job years ago where the installer didn't properly seal the seams on their flat roof and it almost destroyed their house with all the leaks. The roofers llc filed bankruptcy, and they were left with their insurance paying it. This was at least 20 years ago. I saw the roofers truck in the lowes parking lot about 3 weeks ago, undoubtedly under another llc, and he's probably used the llc shelter a number of times over the years. It was sickening to see all the leaks in the house after a brand new roof, and my folks were senior citizens then.
Sorry to skip the connection. If the service is done by a licensed tradesman the licensee is liable for doing the install to code. If he/she does not, most states have a mechanism to send a complaint to the licensing board for that trade and ultimately the licensing board can pull the individuals license which limits his ability in the future to do work that requires a license. That reputation can follow him state to state if he needs to get a license in another state. The argument against licensing is that it is sometimes used to anticompetitively to drive up the cost to the consumer, usually by limiting the number of active licensees. I have run into several slick talkers who will make this claim to a unsuspecting homeowner to get in the door and from there the homeowner is hostage to the whatever the contractor does to get away with it cheap. A guy with a license can still do crap work but he taking a bigger risk as he usually has several years invested in getting one.

Sadly roofing seems to be in the top 3 for piss poor workmanship and I suspect few states have a license category for it. Most folks go on price without checking references and most general contractors sub it. Its easy to make a roof look pretty when installed but there are lot of hidden shortcuts that will ultimately doom the roof. The good guys dont need to advertise and the one who do usually have some skeletons in their closet.

My elderly parents also had low pitch roof, they got quite a few years off their roof but when it started to fail is was from a shortcut that the original installer had did.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Easy Livin’ 3000
Sorry to skip the connection. If the service is done by a licensed tradesman the licensee is liable for doing the install to code. If he/she does not, most states have a mechanism to send a complaint to the licensing board for that trade and ultimately the licensing board can pull the individuals license which limits his ability in the future to do work that requires a license. That reputation can follow him state to state if he needs to get a license in another state. The argument against licensing is that it is sometimes used to anticompetitively to drive up the cost to the consumer, usually by limiting the number of active licensees. I have run into several slick talkers who will make this claim to a unsuspecting homeowner to get in the door and from there the homeowner is hostage to the whatever the contractor does to get away with it cheap. A guy with a license can still do crap work but he taking a bigger risk as he usually has several years invested in getting one.

Sadly roofing seems to be in the top 3 for piss poor workmanship and I suspect few states have a license category for it. Most folks go on price without checking references and most general contractors sub it. Its easy to make a roof look pretty when installed but there are lot of hidden shortcuts that will ultimately doom the roof. The good guys dont need to advertise and the one who do usually have some skeletons in their closet.

My elderly parents also had low pitch roof, they got quite a few years off their roof but when it started to fail is was from a shortcut that the original installer had did.
Thanks for the good explanation.

When we had our roof redone several years ago, we paid close attention to the reviews on both Angie's list and home advisor. The two young guys who started the company were focused on this feedback loop. Been very happy with it and referred them to two neighbors. One just used them, another went with someone else. Guess who is happy with the job and who is not?
 
Thanks for the good explanation.

When we had our roof redone several years ago, we paid close attention to the reviews on both Angie's list and home advisor. The two young guys who started the company were focused on this feedback loop. Been very happy with it and referred them to two neighbors. One just used them, another went with someone else. Guess who is happy with the job and who is not?
Home advisor is a great resource. I am a Home advisor contractor in NJ. A consumer can read all my reviews. What else beside licensing does a consumer have?
 
All of those sites constantly send me messages asking me to pay for premium accounts so I can review and moderate my reviews. I will stick with my word of mouth reputation.
Home advisor is free to the consumer. The contractor pays.
 
Home advisor is free to the consumer. The contractor pays.
That contractor payment ensures they can moderate and edit customer reviews. It is a system that favors the contractor over the consumer. A more equitable system would be one in which the consumer pays, effectively creating a third party watch dog group which can make or break a contractor. Sure, all the burden is on the contractor, but that only makes sense when you consider what can happen to a home with poor workmanship.
 
When we got started we used various lead finders and Thumbtack. The next year we used Home Advisor. We ended up doing our own advertising last year as the leads home Advisor was providing were tough to contact. We suspect they were recycling old leads from the past.

With our own advertising, we have fewer calls, but they are much higher in quality, and our close rate is much higher.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SpaceBus
Now that we have that sorted out ;lol...still no @Ashful sightings? _g