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j_sum1
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Happy opening Texium. I have some inside knowledge on yours and think you will love it.
Shipping name is a good idea. I will incorporate that next time.
I ama away from home at the moment but hear that some packages have arrived. Delicious anticipation.
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arkoma
Redneck Overlord
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Santa knows I DO have a sense of humor. One-legged man and all..... The T-shirt was in with this LOVELY low actinic glass sep funnel. A thing of
beauty!
And no, I don't wait til Xmas, being a bachelor with grown kids not close by, why not?
Isn't this year four of SS? Tradition status,
"We believe the knowledge and cultural heritage of mankind should be accessible to all people around the world, regardless of their wealth, social
status, nationality, citizenship, etc" z-lib
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fusso
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Registered: 23-6-2017
Location: 4 ∥ universes ahead of you
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Waht make post office staff to asj for the recipient's real names? Provided the address is right the post office can still deliver it to the right
address, just not necessary that exact person, and it really doesnt matter who's receiving it, if it isnt some confidential/legal docs right? And they
can still ask for it if the post is declared to be some confidential/legal docs so they can ensure the post is delivered to the correct person right?
and even if the name is fake then the liable person (goods return etc) will be the address owner/whoever signed right? Fake name/pseudonym is for
privacy reasons (sex toys for example), dont they know?
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Texium
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Registered: 11-1-2014
Location: Salt Lake City
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Well, after doing some research it appears that the lady at my post office was full of it. Everything I can find online from actual post office
employees and otherwise says that it’s fine to send a package with no names- or even no return address at all! The USPS even explicitly states that
packages will be delivered even if the name on the package is different than known residents! (Source: https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Refuse-unwanted-mail-and-remo... ) Man I wish I had found that FAQ when I was at the post office the other day.
Could’ve wiped that condescending look right off her face.
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MadHatter
International Hazard
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Shipping
I have shipped AND received equipment internationally
without problems: Canada, U. K., Sweden. Compounds
Interstate only - no point in raising red flags.
From opening of NCIS New Orleans - It goes a BOOM ! BOOM ! BOOM ! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !
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SWIM
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Registered: 3-9-2017
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Quote: Originally posted by Texium (zts16)  | In the last week I have received not one but TWO packages addressed to me as Texium! How exciting! I also sent out my own gift, which should be
arriving within the next two days. The post office gave me some grief about needing to put a real name on the package, and not knowing the actual name
of my recipient, I had to make up a name on the spot. So if you receive a package from Texas addressed to an unfamiliar name, fear not!
Edit: Also, that incident at the post office got me thinking: it seems like it’s largely up to the person behind the desk whether they’ll require
a “real” name on the package, as I’ve received plenty of packages via USPS that have been addressed to my username or only my first name, and
yet I was required to put real names on the package that I sent. To make things easier, it might be a good idea to make a shipping name a required
part of the secret Santa survey form. Of course, you wouldn’t have to put your real name on there, but it will prevent awkwardness at the post
office, and ensure that everyone is getting the packages they’re supposed to.
[Edited on 12-20-2019 by Texium (zts16)] |
I figured there was a problem like that when I received a big old package addressed to "Sam Wim'. (fighting the urge to open it early)
I addressed by username except where customs regs required a real name. I didn't give any thought to the return address though.
I just automatically filled it out the way I always do.
It's just a happy coincidence that I always use a false name.
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SWIM
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Just opened a big old box to find a remarkable selection of chems and glassware.
Numerous organic precursors and reagents. A very useful selection.
Even some Aluminum chloride. (It's FC time. Or maybe demethylation time)
Threw in some nice 14/20 glassware too.
Thanks Santa!
Now I'll have to come up with some reactions worth posting to show them off.
@Arkoma, yeah, I'm stoked.
Looks like you got red stuff this year. Maybe green next year will even it out.
[Edited on 26-12-2019 by SWIM]
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arkoma
Redneck Overlord
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Heck, this my third year participating in SS, and I started getting antsy in August this year waiting for it. I've gotten thoughtful gifts, and I
like the giving at least as much or more. Santa has fulfilled a strange request or two........
*edit* SWIM--that is dang sure some cool stuff.
[Edited on 12-26-2019 by arkoma]
"We believe the knowledge and cultural heritage of mankind should be accessible to all people around the world, regardless of their wealth, social
status, nationality, citizenship, etc" z-lib
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Phosphor-ing
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I received 4 separate packages this year!!!! I almost couldn’t contain myself. My wife even asked how much this secret Santa thing was costing us!
Best year ever for this. I’m like Arkoma I start getting antsy, thinking about this, every year WAY before the Christmas season.
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" -Ronald Reagan
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Texium
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| Quote: Originally posted by SWIM | Just opened a big old box to find a remarkable selection of chems and glassware.
Numerous organic precursors and reagents. A very useful selection.
Even some Aluminum chloride. (It's FC time. Or maybe demethylation time)
Threw in some nice 14/20 glassware too.
Thanks Santa!
Now I'll have to come up with some reactions worth posting to show them off.
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On my end, I received two packages—a cheerful red sep funnel to match arkoma, and from the forum redneck himself, a 16th edition CRC handbook from
1931! Wow! I’d never even seen one that old in person, and 16 is my lucky number, so I’m really happy to have it. They’ve expanded the handbook
a bit over the past 88 years, that’s for sure!
  
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arkoma
Redneck Overlord
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you'll need those logarithm tables........LOL
"We believe the knowledge and cultural heritage of mankind should be accessible to all people around the world, regardless of their wealth, social
status, nationality, citizenship, etc" z-lib
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j_sum1
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The story goes that after the ark landed, Noah commanded all the animals to go forth and multiply.
A little while later, a couple of snakes came to see Noah and said that they were having great difficulty doing the deed. Noah inquired as to why they
were having so much difficulty mulriplying and the snakes explained that they were adders.
After some thought, Noah retreated into the ark and came back with the first edition of the CRC handbook which he presented to the snakes. He then
sent them off to try again.
Months passed and Noah went round to check on all the animals. When he visited the snakes he was delighted to discover lots of little snakes all over
the place. So he asked the snakes, "How did you adders manage to multiply so successfully?"
One of the snakes replied, "We discovered we could do it by logs."
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CharlieA
National Hazard
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Registered: 11-8-2015
Location: Missouri, USA
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groan..........
arggggghhhhhhhh........
good one
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mayko
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Location: Carrboro, NC
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Mood: anomalous (Euclid class)
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Santa kindly left me a sturdy looking 365 nm UV LED flashlight! I've only ever used 400 nm ones, so I'm learning all sorts of new things, like that
coffee is fluorescent, and that everything around me is covered in lint.
Tonic water, UV responsive fluorite, scorpions in alcohol, a lichen, orange oil, zinc sulfide, fluorescein, curcumin, and a stick of hot glue
Closeup on the lichen & orange oil
Thanks!
al-khemie is not a terrorist organization
"Chemicals, chemicals... I need chemicals!" - George Hayduke
"Wubbalubba dub-dub!" - Rick Sanchez
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Tdep
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Posts: 519
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Location: Laser broken since Feb 2020 lol
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Mood: PhD is done! It isn't good but it's over lol
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Hi mayko, that was from me! I hope you didn't mind the Amazon drop ship. I hope it's okay quality, you can never know when looking at them online.
I was really impressed with your webcam spectrometer project, and I was wondering about the possibility of you using the UV torch with the
spectrometer, to perhaps obtain some cool fluorescence spectra. I think it came with a UV short pass, unsure it that is any good. If you give it a
shot, make sure you post the results here, I think it.could perhaps be a useful lab tool!
I received a very rad package from someone whose name I don't recognise! Thanks very much for some very cool vintage glassware. Includes a Sep funnel
from West Germany, some Bunsen burners and one of the strangest bits of glassware I've ever seen.
Does anyone know... What this is? I like it.
Thanks j_sum1 for organising it this year!
 
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CharlieA
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Looks like a small scale reaction vessel. The large size joint would make cleaning a mess of gunk out of the reaction vessel (the round-mouthed
bottom). Isn't that Kontes logo on the neck? May be you could find it on their website if they have an on-line catalog.
Happy New Year
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Chemetix
Hazard to Others
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Registered: 23-9-2016
Location: Oztrayleeyah
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Mood: Wavering between lucidity and madness
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Hi Tdep, the package was from me, glad you like it.
I have someone here in melb who makes arduino based instruments. A quite advanced little spectro if you want to know more I can get you in touch.
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j_sum1
Administrator
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The secret bit of secret santa seems to be too taxing a concept for us this year. Hilarious.
I suggest next year we do a "Marginally Anonymous Santa" instead of ss.
[Edited on 2-1-2020 by j_sum1]
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Chemetix
Hazard to Others
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I guess its a case of Australians and their respect for orthodoxy...rules are there to be interpreted with a sense of creativity.
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arkoma
Redneck Overlord
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aw heck it was ALL I COULD DO to not tell, and I'm not exactly sure who Santa was this year.
"We believe the knowledge and cultural heritage of mankind should be accessible to all people around the world, regardless of their wealth, social
status, nationality, citizenship, etc" z-lib
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j_sum1
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Mine arrived today. I will post details and photos later. Suffice to say, I am stoked. Lovely choices. And good educational value too; which is what
it will probably be used for.
At some stage over the weekend I will send out a bulk email just to find out if everyone has received something or if items are still stuck in
transit.
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j_sum1
Administrator
Posts: 6333
Registered: 4-10-2014
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Mood: Most of the ducks are in a row
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Mystery element to identify. As a first guess I will say Mo: it has the right kind of twanginess for Mo foil. I'll drop some in some peroxide and see
what happens.
Also some Ge. Missing from my element collection for a while.
And some raw sapphires. My kids were most impressed.
I'm going to have some fun with these.
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arkoma
Redneck Overlord
Posts: 1763
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Location: On a Big Blue Marble hurtling through space
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Santa came AGAIN today. Wow. Got some lumps of coal (really, including a piece of "peacock" coal), some airlocks, distillers yeast (for preparation
of reagent grade ethanol, I'm sure), some samples of silicon and cadmium, some freshwater mussel shells (I love local stuff!!), some Sichuan pepper
oil (LOVE hot food too) and a couple other odd chems. Santa, thanks for the CAS# on the one mua-ha-ha.
ScienceMadness is the Greatest "Social" site on the Net!
*edit* @KaintuckSanta---good clue to figure out "mystery" substance, but I did cheat and look up the CAS#. But that is probably EXACTLY what I'm
going to do with, and use the clue.
[Edited on 1-6-2020 by arkoma]
"We believe the knowledge and cultural heritage of mankind should be accessible to all people around the world, regardless of their wealth, social
status, nationality, citizenship, etc" z-lib
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SWIM
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| Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1 | Mystery element to identify. As a first guess I will say Mo: it has the right kind of twanginess for Mo foil. I'll drop some in some peroxide and see
what happens.
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I still wonder how you would have explained that package to customs:
"Well, I don't know what it is. I don't know who sent it to me either."
I bet they would have gotten a little surly.
Or did the customs slip say what it is and you're just not reading it to preserve the mystery?
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j_sum1
Administrator
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The customs slip said metal foil. It all fitted in a standard envelope so probably was not treated as a package anyway. It certainly was not opened.
And if there had been questions to answer, I would simply have told them what I know. There was a hint in the accompanying letter that would have
helped in the explanation.
And in my case, I do know who sent it. One of the perks of organising this thing.
I do think it is possible to be overly paranoid about justifying purchasing and shipping of chems and equipment. Western nations at least do have an
underlying philosophy that allows people freedom to do what is reasonable and the laws reflect this. In Aus, there is not much related to this hobby
that is illegal to purchase, own and use. Because LEO are continually on the hunt for drug cooks you might occasionally need to give a reasonable
explanation for some items. I doubt a piece of foil would ever be on that list though.
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