Massive Silver Find in Cincinnati Home: 19,400 One Troy Ounce Silver Bars Cincinnati 2013-09-29 | Someone had apparently been hoarding silver for years, perhaps decades, hiding individual one ounce silver bars in this chest until it contained 19,400 silver bars and weighing in at over 1200 pounds. At current silver prices in the $21 - $22 range, the silver is worth $417,000, give or take, but who's counting?Not a bad find!Not sure who owns the silver, why it was stored where it was found, and what the intent was behind the accumulation. Also unsure is the purpose of aluminum foil inside the trunk, separating layers of silver bars; perhaps to help keep them clean, or to enhance organization? No clue really.The silver bars were organized in three separate layers, or shelves, if you will. Each shelf had 195 stacks of silver bars arranged in a 13 x 15 grid pattern, maximizing the efficiency of the storage compartment. A small, separate bag of silver bars was also found, along with US silver coinage: a mixture of silver war nickles, silver dimes, quarters, halves and Morgans.Most of the silvers bars that were identifiable had themes to them: Easter, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas were popular themes, as were various graduations. Also included were numerous bars commemorating certain locations or famous people. Others were simply blank. Most of the bars are clean and in extremely good shape, too. Most are clean and shiny, and look as if they could have been "minted" yesterday. I'm guessing the ones toward the top of the chest (the ones visible in this video) are the newest additions to the hoard. I have no real way of knowing how old the undated bars are, who put them here, or when. All we really know for certain was that the house had been sitting vacant for about a year after the former owner died, and we acquired the property. It would seem plausible that the newest bars were added no sooner than about a year ago (September 2012).Not sure why the investor chose to acquire all single ounce bars, as opposed to a mixture of 10- and 100- ounce bars, and why the exclusivity toward silver. Why not gold or platinum as well? Plenty of questions, and no ready answers. All we can surmise is that the owner was a hoarder, and had plenty of money to burn on precious metals. Maybe he had so much money that another chest just as big, completely full of gold bars is hidden somewhere else!We had already begun to take some of the bars out when we realized no one was recording this. After we picked ourselves up off the floor, I ran to the other room to find the camera and a memory chip. Hence you will see a single layer of aluminum foil partially covering one layer.Absolutely no reason to suspect the bars as anything other than genuine. If they're fakes, someone's taken a LOT of time and energy to pull off such a massive ploy. Obviously, the next step will be to validate them as genuine, and then find a big enough safe deposit box for them all.The chest measures about 48" W x 36" H x 30" D. Aside from a 3" space at the very top, the rest of the interior was as full as practical with silver.For obvious reasons we are not showing ALL of the silver. A couple follow up notes: Someone had asked why the bars show no patina, if they had been in storage for so long. All we can surmise is that the ones seen in the video, being at the top of the "stack", if you will, are likely newer additions to the horde. We have absolutely no paperwork to go with the find; nothing to indicate when bars were added, on what dates, and so on. Our guess is that someone was adding bars to the chest little by little, placing newer acquisitions on top of older, with a layer of aluminum foil between each sheet of bars. The ones on top, seen in the video, are likely so "new" that they wouldn't have had time to develop a patina. Older bars found deeper within the chest had acquired various degrees of "patina-zation".Another viewer offered an explanation for the layers of aluminum foil: stability. The bars, when stacked, had very little stability on their own. Indeed, I knocked over a couple stacks in this video without even trying. The layers of aluminum foil were likely added to add tensile strength to the grid pattern, much like a spider's web. So, we tested this theory. We retrieved about 1,000 bars out of storage, and began stacking them, first w/o using aluminum foil. Indeed, they toppled quite easily, as the bars are of varying thicknesses and sizes. Then, we did the same a second time, but using aluminum foil. We found that then entire stacked pile of 1,000 bars stood erect, and was quite stable. So, stack stability is the best theory we have for the aluminum foil.The deeper we delved in to the chest, we saw that the walls and "floor" of the chest were reinforced, for added structural strength. Be skeptical if you must of the video. I'm just showing you what we found. It's up to you to decide what to believe.
Stunning Soundesign 5044 BLK CD Player; 1988; 163786032021 Cincinnati 2019-07-21 | Ebay item # 163786032021
Stand Up- (Dennis Day) Cincinnati 2017-01-02 | Not quite finished yet. Still some minor editing left to do, but, until then, enjoy what's completed thus far!
Vintage Early 80s I.A.N.: Invisible Alien Neutralizer Game/ Toy Cincinnati 2016-11-22 | In absolutely excellent, unused condition for being close to 35 years old, give or take. Seems practically unused.
Vintage Early 80s Speak & Read Electronic Talking Toy Cincinnati 2016-05-20 | ebay item # 361567194761
Vintage Working 74 Jamex Batman & Robin in Analog Alarm Clock Cincinnati 2016-05-16 | ebay item # 361560611814
Genius DIY PVC Mouse Trap Cincinnati 2016-03-11 | I made a better mouse trap out of an ordinary 5-gallon bucket and some ordinary PVC tubing. Took me about an hour to assemble. Very easy to assemble, safe, odor-free and quite effective (as you'll see in the video). Want me to make one for you? Look on ebay... search for item # 361509147430 .
Easy, Creepy Halloween Decoration Idea Cincinnati 2015-08-17 | This idea is so simple, and so cheap, too. I made a creepy looking "eyeball" with nothing more than a hard boiled egg, and a cheap ebay contact lens. I simply wet the lens, stuck it to the moist egg white surface, and, voila, what you see is the result. Two eggs are shown in the plastic cup, but I only had one lens. Decorative contact lenses can be bought on ebay quite cheaply, and should stick to any peeled hard boiled egg quite easily, as I've done. The egg surface mimics the flat surface of the eyeball, creating an instant bond.
Modified 90s Ford Thunderbird Pick-Up Truck Cincinnati 2015-08-17 | Unusual to say the least, but interesting nonetheless. Someone's begun the conversion process to turn a standard 90's model Thunderbird in to a unique pick-up "truck". Is "truck" even the proper word? Hell if I know. Anyway, my guess is the mod is still in progress, as it appears there's some body work and painting left to be done. Will be interesting to see it once completed. Filmed in the northern Cincinnati suburb of Sharonville. Ford, Thunderbird, thunder, bird, mod, modify, modified, modification, pick, up, truck, convert, conversion, home, made, do, it, yourself, unique, unusual, car, auto, automobile, Cincinnati, Sharonville,
How I Forced Fifth Third Bank to Reverse $200+ in Fees Cincinnati 2014-08-10 | [I know the video is blurry in places. Just bear with it and don't dwell too much on the blurriness. Just listed to the facts as I mention them and follow along. I am not re-doing a 12-minute video just to correct some blurriness.]What started out as a $89 paypal payment that left me negative in one of my accounts turned in to a battle with Fifth Third to get the ensuing fees reversed. Here's how I did it.First, let me say that it helps having two things on your side, if you want to deal with banks: time (how long have you been dealing with the bank) and stability (do you bounce checks and rack up fees every other month, or are you able to glide through a couple years before getting a NSF fee?). You will have more leverage with your bank the more time and stability you have with them. If you are with XYZ Bank for two months and begin bouncing checks and getting fees, they will likely reverse the first fee as a courtesy. From then on, you're on your own. And, likewise, if you are a bank customer who can't seemingly get his finances straight, continually racking up fees time and time again all throughout the year, your chances of getting the bank to reverse multiple fees for you diminish greatly.Well, my bank did happen to impose $200+ in fees recently. I never received anything in the mail alerting me to my account being overdrawn, although a bank manager later claimed that they had been sent.I found out of the mistake when I went in one day and a teller notified me that one of my accounts was overdrawn. She then proceeded to give me a printout right over the counter with all the details.Later on, I called my local branch, and had a discussion with the manager on duty. He was a nice fellow, and I didn't really mean to beat him over the head. I told him that I do not pay bank fees, EVER, and that I would be in to discuss what happened.A few days later, I went back to the same branch to see if the manager had done what he'd said he'd do, and I was not happy to see that the bank was STILL imposing fees, after seemingly doing nothing about the error.Finally, the manager said that a dispute would be filed with paypal, and if all went well, "maybe we can reverse some of these fees, but some will likely stick."Wrong thing to tell me. "First of all, nothing was done about the issue when I came in a week ago. Second, I do not pay bank fees. EVER. If you review my other accounts, you will discover I am extremely shrewd with my accounts and never get fees imposed to begin with. Third, in this digital age, banks should be alerting of account issues IMMEDIATELY, by text.... not by the painfully slow mail service. Your competitor down the street informs by text AND gives customers 24 hours to make a deposit to correct such shortfalls. And forth, I've been a Fifth Third customer for 15+ years. I am more than happy to close all my accounts and visit your competitor down the street. I do not NEED Fifth Third in my life."After this exchange, all the fees were reversed, as you can see in this video.
Small Wasp Dragging Around a Stunned Green Caterpillar Cincinnati 2014-06-17 | Not sure exactly what the little bugger was intending to do with this his newly found green soulmate-- elope, perhaps? Anyways, I found this little wasp-like insect trying profusely to drag this little green guy around the window sill. He went this way. Then he went that way. Then he'd get frustrated and flap his wings in an apparent attempt to take off. All to no avail.So I watched with continued interest to find out exactly what he would do next, hoping that something dramatic would happen, as he was seemingly wandering around the window sill making little progress. Finally, I grew bored and stopped recording. Then, he decided to take off-- or try, at least. Like a 747 0ver-laden with bricks, he nose-dived off the edge a microsecond after gaining flight, and in to the weeds at the base of the outside wall.
66 MPG on an 01 Honda Insight With a Faulty IMA Cincinnati 2014-04-12 | [I know that the video starts out showing an average of 58.7. Continue viewing to the end of the video to see a second clip showing an even better 66+ average, and with the same faulty IMA system.]Proof that you don't necessarily need the IMA battery in back to still achieve better-than-average fuel economy. The battery in my '01 Insight finally gave out, in a manner of speaking. It's begun its unstoppable downward spiral of degradation, unable to maintain a charge sufficient enough to provide pulses of propulsion as had originally been designed. The battery is, however, still able to hold a charge, which it discharges upon start-ups.Nevertheless, I am still able to hit nearly 70 mpg without the IMA system operative. That is, operating the car on gasoline only.This should be proof positive that once the IMA battery does begin to fail, the car is still driveable, and respectable mileage is still attainable. As far as I was concerned, the IMA system was only providing me a minimal boost in overall fuel economy, and that I likely wouldn't see any real economic benefit if I had the battery replaced. I know, one of the primary benefits of the IMA system is the ability to shut the engine off at red lights, thus saving fuel. But if I am able to hit nearly 70 mpg as it is, without an operating IMA system, I don't see the need for a system replacement at this time, and I'll likely continue driving as-is until such a point comes (if at all) that an IMA replacement becomes necessary. I know it's possible to circumnavigate the IMA system altogether, which I have not yet done, and that will likely be my next course of action. I plan to drive the car until the wheels fall off, and hope to get another 200 - 300k miles out of it.For me, 66 avg mpg is as good as anything else on the road, so if your Honda Insight has a battery in a similar situation, you need not fret too much. Respectable mileage is still attainable without a working IMA system.
You Know Its Freezing in Your Garage When... Cincinnati 2014-01-30 | The winter of '13/'14 was especially brutal, especially in January when it had dipped in to the negative double digits outside. My garage is unheated, and happens to be where the washer and dryer is. I didn't know a slow leak had developed in the washer at some point. I had already gone ahead and set up low-current warmers for the pipes behind the washer. I just wasn't expecting to open the washer the next day and see it half full of frozen water from a constant drip.The tiny column of ice was the result of the constant drip that froze over time.
Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Fl., with Canon Firing Cincinnati 2014-01-27 | An amazing piece of history, and well worth the $7/ person admission fee (I think that's how much we paid). Touring the fort was literally like taking a step back in time, as the fort is hundreds of years old (nearly 450 to be more precise). I couldn't help but to try and imagine what life must've been like back then, with no cars, planes, electricity, internet, digital cams, iphones and air conditioning. Heck, even the flush commode hadn't even been invented yet.
Bahamas Celebration Cruise Ship; Jan 2014 Cincinnati 2014-01-27 | We decided to try our hand at cruises, and settled for a budget-priced, bottom-of-the-barrel Bahamas Celebration cruise. We were disappointed, to say the least, but, alas, there is the age-old saying: you get what you pay for, and in our case, we paid next-to-nothing.The ship was old and woefully outdated. Being a European-made ship, it lacked common American household-type electrical outlets. If you didn't bring your own electrical converters, they could also be had aboard the ship- for a fee. Everything aboard the ship was an added fee. Soft drinks? Extra. Wifi? Extra. Using one of the three or four internet computers in the lounge? Extra ($.50 per minute extra!). Room service (changing of linens, bathroom tidying-up), extra, to the tune of $25 per day. This fee we avoided by placing the "Do Not Disturb" insert in to the key slot on the door. As far as we know, no crew member stepped inside our room to change the towels and such, and so no such fee was added to our bill. The rate we paid for the cruise included on-board meals, but, these, too, were lacking in taste and substance. The food was most comparable to high school cafeteria food. But, alas, here, too, was an upgrade option: diners could upgrade (for an added fee, of course) to a higher-class dining area than the ones included in the standard fare rate. Alcohol is served aboard, but is also an upgrade, and woefully over-priced. Neither myself nor the person I went with drink, so this had no effect upon us whatsoever, but, still, there were the constant upgrade offers by the wait staff. When we arrived in Freeport, Bahamas, several off-ship excursions were available. These were WAY over-priced. We opted for a $51/person shuttle to a resort (the Grand Lucayan, if I remember correctly), which was a beach-front resort. Lunch was served, but, too, was little better than the on-ship dining choices. We liked the area we visited on the island, but discovered that a taxi could've taken us there for far less than what we paid for the shuttle. We both could've gotten to the Grand Lucayan, enjoyed the beach, and grabbed lunch somewhere at any of the nearby eateries for a total of about $50 for the both of us, far less than the combined $102 we paid. The Bahamas Celebration was little more than a ferry boat with accommodations. As you are boarding, you can easily see the bow of the ship wide open, allowing cars and tractor trailers aboard for ferrying to and from the island. Want to see some more reviews? Visit cruisecritic dot com. There, you can view posts from other "travelers". You'll note that most of these are positive reviews, which makes me wonder whether actual "cruisers" posted them, or if any random person did (i.e., ship employees, to dress up the other dismal reviews left by real tourists). So, take the reviews there with a grain of salt. My full review is posted there under the title "We'd Have Rather Taken The Titanic".
Playful Bahamian Piranha Fish Cincinnati 2014-01-27 | Well, ok, not exactly piranhas. But, these playful little aquatic critters were an unusual, unexpected delight on our cruise to Freeport in the Bahamas.Unsure of exactly what type of fish these are. They are about the size of a hand, with black accents along the upper fins. What made these fish so unusual was their playful interaction with us. While standing in the crystal clear water at the Grand Lucayan Resort, this pair came towards us to investigate. They apparently liked what they say, as they continued to repeatedly whip our legs gently with their tail fins. I have no idea what compelled the fish to visit and get close enough to interact, but they did, repeatedly. This video only lasts about a minute, but the fish playfully swatted at us with their tail fins for about half an hour.
Roaches Found at Ormond Beach, Fl. Scottish Inn, I 95, exit 273 Cincinnati 2014-01-20 | Never really had an issue with the low-budget motel rooms we'd stayed in up until now. This room was disgusting, and the roaches we found in the room (one is in this cup) prove it. The motel is the utterly disgusting Scottish Inn, located at 1608 US 1, Ormond Beach, FL. It is right at exit # 273 off of I 95, just a short ways northwest of Daytona Beach, Fl. The motel is across the street from a truck stop.I do not recommend staying at this flea trap. We only did as a last resort, finding ourselves stuck while a vehicle broke down, and other motels in the area had no vacancy. While the rooms were pretty disgusting upon check-in, we had little other choice, not knowing the area.The roaches were the last straw. I collected one of the two I saw. Who knows how many others marched through our room in the middle of the night. The next morning I took the captured roach to the motel manager at the front desk.I expected an apology, which I did not get. I would have settled for a refund of the night's stay, which apparently was too much to ask for. The manager told me that I could have refused the room upon checking in the previous evening. I told him that the dirtiness of the room was tolerable- just barely. It was the roaches that I was not expecting nor tolerating.He told me that I could have refused the room on the basis of the roaches. I told him that roaches are nocturnal, and that I'd never have seen them during daylight hours the previous day. It was only upon getting up in the middle of the night that I discovered the critters. He was unapologetic, refused to hear me out, and refused to give a refund. So, I turned to hotels.com to post a negative review, and to YouTube to post my video. Maybe in doing so I can get the word out that Scottish at that exit is utterly horrible and to avoid it at all costs.
Black Cat HATES To Be Held Cincinnati 2013-11-07 | Here, Banshee is being quite calm.Normally she is kicking and squirming- anything to be set free from the deplorable cage which is someone's arms, holding her against her will. Her usual pitiful cries sound much like she is bellowing "Noooooooo!". And normally, while being held, she is forcing her body away from ours with her two front paws..... anything to make it painfully obvious that she absolutely detests being held in any way, shape or form. We have two females, Rotten and Banshee (Banshee is in this video), and both are so fiercely independent that they absolutely abhor being held.
Vintage Mitsubishi Visitel Videophone Working Pair Cincinnati 2013-10-29 | ebay item # 161138823772See the unit functioning as I send and receive pics back and forth with my dad and stepmother. The other unit is a hundred miles away, so this demonstration clearly illustrates that the system works as it should. We sent pics back and forth of a can of Coca Cola, a can of peas, a $2 bill, pictures of my cat sitting next to me, as well as facial pics. Although you cannot hear what's being said on the other end of the phone, you can see the setup working, i.e., pictures being sent to me. The system is slow, and compares little to the instantaneous webcamming we have today. But, the system dates to 1988, well before the internet, and also well before webcamming on the internet was even feasible. The Visitel videophone system is able to transmit low-resolution B&W still pics over standard phone lines, whether they are placed in homes next door to one another, across the street, across the state or across the country. Although designed to work in the US, the system might even work internationally. And, as tested, the system works over cable-accessed telephone systems, completely unheard-of in 1988.
Vintage Novelty Childs Circus-Themed Clown & Balloon Lamp/ Nightlight Cincinnati 2013-10-01 | ebay item # 360755907436
Retro 1991 McDonalds In-Store Counter Happy Meal Display: 4-Pc Set of Looney Toones Figures Cincinnati 2013-09-30 | ebay item # 61119119063
Get Your F*CKER Halloween Fright Lights! Cincinnati 2013-09-29 | LOL, I had to do a double take in Kroger upon walking down the Halloween decor aisle. Up on the shelves, lo and behold, were some awkwardly packaged strands of lighting. Obviously the intended wording was to have read Flicker Fright Lights. However, casual observation of the font might allow one to easily misread the wording, as I'd done. See what you think.
Vintage Bell & Howell TDC Robomatic Slide Projector Model 765-A Cincinnati 2013-09-26 | ebay item # 360752841051
Ugly Bug Clinging to my Cars Tail Light Cincinnati 2013-09-25 | Not sure what he was doing walking around in circles, or even what kind of bug it was. He apparently has good taste in cars, though. Kudos if you can name the type of car upon which he is resting.
Human Embryo-Shaped Piece of Fried Chicken Cincinnati 2013-09-23 | To me, this just looks freaky. The first thing I was reminded of when I saw it was the pictures of crescent-shaoped human embryos developing in the womb. After taking the video, I dove right in and swallowed the thing right up.
Beautiful 2-Pc Stoneware Jar Carved From Single Piece of Stone Cincinnati 2013-09-22 | ebay item # 360746571289
Childs Spiderman Toy Displays Devils Symbol W/ Left Hand Cincinnati 2013-09-21 | Does this appear to anyone else like the hand gesture indicative of Satan? I know that on this toy the thumb is extended, but focus upon the other two raised fingers.
Our Pre-Halloween Setup; Stage One Cincinnati 2013-09-20 | Decided to start a little early with setting up for halloween this year. Dragged out the electric- and candle-lit plastic pumpkins and strings of lights already. We generally only decorate for Halloween and Christmas, as well as setting out about 25 flags for July 4th, Flag Day, Memorial Day and September 11th. We'll add a lot more as Halloween approaches.
5,000 Ants Running Around After Their Nest Was Uncovered Cincinnati 2013-09-20 | Found this old piece of plywood, and just had to look underneath to see what was hiding there. Totally wasn't expecting to find a nest of ants. I wonder why they insist on keeping their eggs above ground? If you look closely, you'll see two areas of white masses- the clumps of eggs. You'll also notice ants running in every direction, some carrying eggs this way and that. By the time I'd finished recording, the masses of eggs had been completely removed.
