I ran across this video from somebody I previously couldn’t stand (because his online persona was something of a stoner), and he says a lot of the stuff that I don’t have the platform to express.
The TL;DR version is that if you see an ad online that claims there’s a mom-n-pop handcrafter business shutting down and liquidating its merch at deep discounts, it’s 99.999% likly to be a total scam. One of tghe most egregious he identified was a wat6chmaker selling “habndcrafted” watched at $ marked down from $200, when in fact the exact same watch was available on AliExpress for 99 cents. That’s $1.06 with tax (in his area), *with free shipping from China. Even the brand name badge on the bezel was identical. He identified the faces of the “craftsmen” as professional actors available for hire online, too.
Scumbags and slime.
OBTW, there’s an AliExpress seller who claims to have an 800W laser welder for $24. I ordered one just for S&G, knowing that I could protest it and get a refund, and after two weeks it cancelled because it had never shipped. Gosh, I can’t imagine why, I guess they must have been out of stock. (I hope to be able to afford a real one next year after the tariffs collapse and the price falls back to under $2K. It would be incredibly useful.)
… One of the most egregious he identified was a “watchmaker” selling “handcrafted” watches at $45 marked down from $200, when in fact the exact same watch was available on AliExpress for 99 cents. That’s $1.06 with tax (in his area), with free shipping from China.
The TL;DR version is that if you see an ad online that claims there’s a mom-n-pop handcrafter business shutting down and liquidating its merch at deep discounts, it’s 99.999% likly to be a total scam. One of tghe most egregious he identified was a wat6chmaker selling “habndcrafted” watched at $ marked down from $200, when in fact the exact same watch was available on AliExpress for 99 cents. That’s $1.06 with tax (in his area), *with free shipping from China. Even the brand name badge on the bezel was identical. He identified the faces of the “craftsmen” as professional actors available for hire online, too.
Scumbags and slime.
OBTW, there’s an AliExpress seller who claims to have an 800W laser welder for $24. I ordered one just for S&G, knowing that I could protest it and get a refund, and after two weeks it cancelled because it had never shipped. Gosh, I can’t imagine why, I guess they must have been out of stock. (I hope to be able to afford a real one next year after the tariffs collapse and the price falls back to under $2K. It would be incredibly useful.)
@werehatrack Poofreeding errers.
… One of the most egregious he identified was a “watchmaker” selling “handcrafted” watches at $45 marked down from $200, when in fact the exact same watch was available on AliExpress for 99 cents. That’s $1.06 with tax (in his area), with free shipping from China.
James has his moments, but yeah, he makes excellent points about all the AI slop. I never engaged with watching any of that and don’t plan to ever.
Yes, I use the AI here, but it’s mostly for the absurdity of it all.
/showme a cat putting a penguin into a microwave
Something went terribly wrong. Please try again.
/showme an orange cat stuffing a neon blue penguin into a microwave
Something went terribly wrong. Please try again.
Looks like the censorbot dislikes the idea of penguin abuse.
/showme an orange leopard seal chasing a neon blue penguin
@werehatrack It’s hasn’t minded ovens and BBQ grills before, though.
/showme a cat about to put a penguin into a toaster oven
Something went terribly wrong. Please try again.
/showme a cat chef preparing a BBQ penguin
That looks like tofu … same prompt, take #2.
/showme a cat chef preparing a BBQ penguin