Wapsi Square Forum

Well, it only did it at work, and I'd been using it there since last Monday. So if it happens tonight, then tomorrow (or more likely Tuesday, as I have yet to get any sleep before work tonight, thanks to my sister's kids constantly being loud) I'm going to get ahold of the bank and see if I can get this settled. They never even ask if I did anything, they just put the hold on it, and whenever there's been a data breach where I'd used the card, they cancel it and sometimes they'll tell me afterwards, instead of informing me first and getting my input. I don't remember the last time I had a card expire, either. It was probably before I started working at Home Depot.

SKULLMASTER INSISTS YOU READ HIS POST!

Why are there different brands of bananas when they're all clones of the same fungus-resistant Cavendish found in some lord or duke's home in China or something?

GlytchMeister wrote:Why are there different brands of bananas when they're all clones of the same fungus-resistant Cavendish found in some lord or duke's home in China or something?

Because "brand" is a commercial thing - an association of growers. It has little to do with the origin of the product(s) being offered for sale. The growers are competing for customers; the store chains probably buy from distributors who buy from multiple growers based on price and availability. So, the store often end up with multiple, differently branded batches of the same product. Some may be fresher than others, or have been grown under better conditions, hence larger or tastier (even though the genetics are the same), so the prices might vary a bit.

The alternative would be a worldwide legal monopoly, where only one company or trust is allowed to grow and market Cavendish bananas. Big Ag has been moving in that direction, in some areas involving the original supply of certain sorts of seeds and plants (either traditionally-bred F1 hybrids, or genetically engineered strains) but this hadn't yet reached the point of monopolizing the actual worldwide growing of a commodity product.

Don't let this specific case worry you too much... it sounds as if the Cavendish may be commercially extinct in a few years if the TR4 strain of Panama disease continues to spread.

jwhouk wrote:SKULLMASTER INSISTS YOU READ HIS POST!

"Her"

Yeah, I'm kinda hoping in a sort of odd way that the TR4 makes people stop panicking about GMO food and hopefully there will be several varieties engineered - they'd all get patented, but hopefully there'd be enough different patented genomes to allow for regular competition, as opposed to the slow creep towards Uber-conglomerate-companies.

AnotherFairportfan wrote:

jwhouk wrote:SKULLMASTER INSISTS YOU READ HIS POST!

"Her"

No, she's pointing at your post, so it's "his" - unless I've been thinking you're a "he" all this time incorrectly?

GlytchMeister wrote:Yeah, I'm kinda hoping in a sort of odd way that the TR4 makes people stop panicking about GMO food and hopefully there will be several varieties engineered - they'd all get patented, but hopefully there'd be enough different patented genomes to allow for regular competition, as opposed to the slow creep towards Uber-conglomerate-companies.

Hmmm. There'd still be the risk of somebody trying to make smoothies out of two or more varieties at once, and then you'd have an awful legal battle. Patent Blending.

(Dave throws a banana into the Vitamix along with some good Trader Joe's European-style Yogurt, runs it on Medium for about 15 seconds, and pours the resulting beverage into the Pun Jar).

Actually, there are other banana varieties out there that are much more interesting (to my taste) than the Cavendish. Granted, they're not as huge, consistent, seedless, and bland... but they're tastier, I think. Little "strawberry" bananas come to mind.

A few hours ago, my brother rescued a kitten that someone tossed out of their car window without stopping the car first. So far, the little fuzzy seems to only have a scuffed lip and a need for some hugs. Even though we have three cats, I might get a couple more litter boxes and bring the kitten here.

Alkarii wrote:A few hours ago, my brother rescued a kitten that someone tossed out of their car window without stopping the car first. So far, the little fuzzy seems to only have a scuffed lip and a need for some hugs. Even though we have three cats, I might get a couple more litter boxes and bring the kitten here.

There is a special circle in Hell for that type of vermin. At least I hope there is. Not a cat person, but that's just wrong.

Good for you, and bravo for stepping up.

Thank you for saving it, but take it to the vet just to be safe. Might have internal hemorrhaging or some other sneaky problem.

Plus, new animals always go to the vet, for shots, anti parasitical chewies, getting sterilized, etc.

GlytchMeister wrote:Thank you for saving it, but take it to the vet just to be safe. Might have internal hemorrhaging or some other sneaky problem.

Plus, new animals always go to the vet, for shots, anti parasitical chewies, getting sterilized, etc.

Make tomorrow better today... spay your catgirls!

GlytchMeister wrote:Why are there different brands of bananas when they're all clones of the same fungus-resistant Cavendish found in some lord or duke's home in China or something?

Three reasons.

One, because they're not all the same. There are different subgroups of the Cavendish cultivar.

Two, because even when you have the exact same genetics in the plants, where and how they are grown can make a difference in their appearance and taste.

Three, economics. Different brands have different licenses and different places of origin. Bananas from one place or company might have higher tariffs placed on them than those from another, and so one brand might sell well in one market while a different brand can sell theirs in a different market. When both brands can sell in the same market, then they just compete with each other.

ShneekeyTheLost wrote:

GlytchMeister wrote:Thank you for saving it, but take it to the vet just to be safe. Might have internal hemorrhaging or some other sneaky problem.

Plus, new animals always go to the vet, for shots, anti parasitical chewies, getting sterilized, etc.

Make tomorrow better today... spay your catgirls!

Wait. Catgirls? What?

Just Old Al wrote:There is a special circle in Hell for that type of vermin.

That reminds me of a bastard I ran into about 30 years ago. He was a friend of a friend's housemate or something. He had a young, medium large, adolescent dog, friendly but still learning discipline.

One day, this little shit lost his temper with the dog. So he drove it down to the river hills and left it there.

Later, he regretted it (the sheer anger of everyone who heard about it might have helped), and he did go back to look for the dog. Don't know if he ever found it. I avoided him ever after.

Well, turns out that my mom is wanting to see if a coworker's son wants it first. Still, the idea of internal injuries had already crossed my mind, and I was expecting to take him to the vet ASAP. Speaking of which, I need to take my cat to the vet for a rabies shot, and whatever else he would need.

In either case, please post a photo of the kittie if possible.

This is the Internet, after all!