51F and saturated.
I’m volunteering for science class today so ‘no soup for you’!
Electricity and magnetism= should be fun.
n
Tues. Dec. 18, 2018 – school day
40 Comments and discussion on "Tues. Dec. 18, 2018 – school day"
Comments are closed.
51F and saturated.
I’m volunteering for science class today so ‘no soup for you’!
Electricity and magnetism= should be fun.
n
Comments are closed.
34º and partly cloudy / clear today. Roads are clear, so running is a doable thing again today. I’m looking forward to it.
RE DEF Delete – yes, it violates the law. Theoretically, if you modify the code that slows the engine when DEF runs out, you could fill your tank once and nobody would be the wiser. Theoretically.
Modifying the code that does the lane-keeping and such would not violate any current law that I know of. Shoot – imagine driving down the road and lane-assist nudges the wheel of somebody easily startled. Imagine that driver panicking and jerking the wheel. Imagine the accident that could cause. Imagine.
It apparently came on the scene in 2007, so pre-2007 would be the way to go. I don’t drive a diesel myself. Cost/benefit simply doesn’t work out for me. Were I to need one, I’d think about it. DEF system on my employer’s two tractors has kept them in the shop a LOT. DEF is doing nothing for durability or drivability of today’s trucks.
Excellent. I volunteered a couple of days for the robotics class at the high school. Helped the students with the breadboard wiring and most importantly the software. All Arduino stuff. I have a couple of kits that I bought specifically for the purpose of learning so I could help the students. Well worth my time to see the joy on their faces when they get their project working. There are a couple of students that are really intelligent and needed nothing more than a couple of hints.
Modifying the code that does the lane-keeping and such would not violate any current law that I know of. Shoot – imagine driving down the road and lane-assist nudges the wheel of somebody easily startled. Imagine that driver panicking and jerking the wheel. Imagine the accident that could cause. Imagine.
The first time the collision avoidance on my car pumped the brakes was unexpected and unnecessary. I’ll ask the dealer to turn it off permanently the first time I’m in for service.
Only part of the problem is government meddling leading the way towards a fleet amenable to automation. The rest is two-fold IMHO: (1) People fascinated with car gadgetry and (2) an obsession with safety and “five star” ratings among certain car buying demographics.
It apparently came on the scene in 2007, so pre-2007 would be the way to go. I don’t drive a diesel myself. Cost/benefit simply doesn’t work out for me. Were I to need one, I’d think about it. DEF system on my employer’s two tractors has kept them in the shop a LOT. DEF is doing nothing for durability or drivability of today’s trucks.
DEF is another reason why coal power plants are shutting down. The newer coal power plants built since 1995 ? 2000 ? are using a modified version of DEF fluid for NOx control. The DEF fluid (a weakened ammonia) is causing incredible problems when the controls are not running well. Imagine dumping hundreds of gallons a minute of ammonia into a power plant exhaust and the resulting smell, etc.
Questionable Content: A robot bumps into a cow …
https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3897
Yup, that is gross. And I have a bad feeling about the survival of the cow.
Worst design of a learning module to date. More later, got errands to run.
n
Drudge story says we are giving $11B to Mexico and South America. Game over, man, game over. There’s the wall right there.
“Trump directs creation of Space Command as 11th combatant command”
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/421861-trump-directs-creation-of-space-command-as-11th-combatant-command
I wonder how much SpaceX will be selling those BFS spaceships for ?
I wonder how much SpaceX will be selling those BFS spaceships for ?
SpaceX isn’t the only player. Three of the high bays of the VAB at Kennedy are dedicated to the SLS boondoggle, but Orbital ATK negotiated a lease on the fourth for … something big related to the Air Force.
Lots of interesting things happening at Kennedy right now. Sadly, NASA’s activities seem to concern construction of shiny new admin buildings.
Over at http://www.commanderzero.com/ he links to an Amazon deal.
https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-44931-Compact-Alkaline-Batteries/dp/B00DII7CTI/ref=as_sl_pc_as_ss_li_til?linkCode=w00&linkId=b5ae998f731c524d6602e5c77fa4ab18&creativeASIN=B00DII7CTI&tag=ttgnet-20
I’m just linking to him in case the above link doesn’t work. “Streamlight 44931 Siege Compact, Rugged 7.25″ Hand Lantern 540 Lumen Uses 3D Cell Alkaline Batteries – 540 Lumens ” $19.99 On sale for about 11 more hours.
Limit three. It looks like they run about $40 and up on eBay.
(Added by RickH: FLASHLIGHT !!! You’re welcome.)
Ordered one just because you can never have enough lights or FLASHLIGHTS. Streamlight makes some pretty good stuff and FLASHLIGHTS.
Good timing as my Amazon Prime membership expires in four days. I signed up at Thanksgiving to order Christmas gifts and get free two day shipping. Then I canceled about a week ago but Amazon keeps the trial for the full month.
Next year I will do the same thing. You would think after awhile that Amazon would get wise to me signing up for several free trials. This is probably my fifth or sixth free trial. Just so I can get the free shipping.
@Paul
Thanks for the heads up. I’m in for three. One can never have too many FLASHLIGHTS!
Gah! I forgot the FLASHLIGHTS tag. 🙂
I ordered three.
$59.97 + 3.75 tax. Just 6.25% state tax. 1% county tax wouldn’t bother me much. City tax would…. I don’t live in the city.
Then again, why the hell do I have to pay sales tax on something I didn’t buy in state? I know, “because we said so”. If I have to pay tax I’d rather pay Texas tax and not California tax.
Good timing as my Amazon Prime membership expires in four days. I signed up at Thanksgiving to order Christmas gifts and get free two day shipping. Then I canceled about a week ago but Amazon keeps the trial for the full month.
Next year I will do the same thing. You would think after awhile that Amazon would get wise to me signing up for several free trials. This is probably my fifth or sixth free trial. Just so I can get the free shipping.
I used the wife’s Prime membership to order a book for a Christmas gift for our extended family Christmas on Saturday. The book got here via USPS on Monday !
The wife uses the Prime viewing extensively so she got it for a year. She likes old 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s tv series such as “My uncle, the Martian” and “The Guardian” (which was 2000s).
They are betting that you will get hooked soon and renew Prime for a year.
That’s what my meth dealer thought. Fooled him.
You would think after awhile that Amazon would get wise to me signing up for several free trials.
I think your free trials are built in as part of the cost everyone pays for Prime and the price of everything else they sell that has “free shipping”. It’s cool. You get to stick it to the man and we cheer you on. We pay maybe an extra 25¢ a year for the joy of cheering.
I’ve run into a couple of folks that have Prime just for the video with just a couple of packages delivered a year.
It evens out.
I think your free trials are built in as part of the cost everyone pays for Prime and the price of everything else they sell that has “free shipping”. It’s cool. You get to stick it to the man and we cheer you on. We pay maybe an extra 25¢ a year for the joy of cheering.
Prime is all about predictable cash flow to Amazon which it uses as part of its float games in the retail operation. A lot of income/cost streams are factored into the annual fee, but I believe the long term goal of Bezos is to get Prime/Fresh covered under SNAP (or whatever they call Food Stamps these days), and that long-term revenue source is figured into current value calculations as well.
My 50+ year old Coleman still works … also, would have to find a hisser for any electrical lantern at my campsite.
That’s what my meth dealer thought. Fooled him.
Heh, he probably gave you 100% baby bottom powder.
“Amazon Has More Than 100 Million Prime Subscribers, Jeff Bezos Discloses”
https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/amazon-prime-100-million-subscribers-jeff-bezos-1202757832/
Good night ! 100,000,000 * $119/year = $11.9 billion/year !
Hope it was not from Johnson & Johnson. I could be doomed.
I doubt my little game is causing them any grief. My son has Prime. Gets packages almost every day, streams movies. He says it is worth the money. I would use it more, and pay, but spousal unit is still tied to Walmart and other physical stores, regular TV, etc. I don’t think Prime has The Hallmark Channel. She still uses the checkbook rather than the credit card (Costco) that gives cashback, or the debit card, in spite of my urging.
Good night ! 100,000,000 * $119/year = $11.9 billion/year !
Cash flow.
Still, I don’t think Bezos can continue the SNAP waiting game without a big fee increase beyond the 2020 election if Trump holds the White House. That may be why he doubled down by putting part of HQ2 in Crystal City instead of New York.
The beautifully over-engineered device to catch those jerks who steal packages from doorsteps.
I would use it more, and pay, but spousal unit is still tied to Walmart and other physical stores
I’m not tied to Wal-Mart. It’s just what we have 15 miles from here.
For stuff like paper towels and TP and the like, while buying it from Amazon is easy, it seems very wasteful to have UPS or FedEx rumbling down my mile of dirt road and through a gate and then through dogs barking around the house just to deliver a box of Cascade Complete when I can pick it up for the same price when I go to Wal-Mart.
Sure, if I still lived in Austin on Space Lane, no problem. Maybe.
Ya do your version of “green” and I’ll do mine.
Anyway. Prime is good for video. If we watch two movies a month we come out ahead of driving four miles (up a mile of dirt road) to town, to the RedBox at the HEB grocery store for a DVD and then back to the house. And repeat the next day to return the DVD. Sixteen miles at, oh, 12 MPG if the wind is blowing in the right direction on a twisty road. Call it $3 a gallon for gas plus the time to go to the RedBox. Figure you make $10/hour. 15 minutes to the grocery store is quick, 20 is more like it.
Let’s round it all off. $10 for travel time, $3 for gas, plus the RedBox charge. $18 to watch a DVD. Times twice a month. Yeah, Amazon Prime is steal. Free shipping is a bonus.
The beautifully over-engineered device to catch those jerks who steal packages from doorsteps.
https://althouse.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-beautifully-over-engineered-device.html
I laughed so hard that I cried. That guy is an awesome engineer, it would take me a thousand years to build that. And it was reusable too !
That may be why he doubled down by putting part of HQ2 in Crystal City instead of New York.
Crystal City == DC ???
ADD:
“How Crystal City, the future home of Amazon’s new headquarters, got its name”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2018/11/13/how-crystal-city-future-home-amazons-new-headquarters-got-its-name/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6b41d6bfc91b
I spent a month working there.
Crystal City == DC ???
Yes. The reason I spent three months in a trailer in Taylor was that my employer has a contract on the 395 expansion which the Virginia DOT was determined to avoid having a slip in the schedule.
Now we know why. Virginia knew in July. Easily. Bezos still made the puppets dance in places like Austin.
The fart spray was the piece d’ resistance. Incentive to pitch the device for recovery. GPS map seemed to be my hometown, hmmm.
another shot by the deep state to get CWII started:
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2018/12/18/three-progun-groups-file-a-lawsuit-over-the-bump-stock-ban-heres-what-you-need-to-know-n2537738
n
Such lovely people, we should get some more here….
“ Child bride, 16, attempts suicide by jumping off a roof when two-year marriage to her cousin ends – after her parents blame her for the relationship’s failure
The teenager, named only as N.H., ended up in intensive care after plunging from the top of her mother and father’s home in Arsal, Lebanon.
”
I think they meant, “Child rape and incest victim” when they wrote that. I’m sure it was just an editorial oversight….
n
Anyone think this is a LEGAL weapon?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6508833/AK-47-shootout-Texas-Wal-Mart-parking-lot-leaves-cars-riddled-bullet-holes.html
n
The fact that no one was injured reminds me of “The A Team.”
HAH! that is the FIRST think I thought of.
n
Anyone think this is a LEGAL weapon?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6508833/AK-47-shootout-Texas-Wal-Mart-parking-lot-leaves-cars-riddled-bullet-holes.html
I can run through a 30 round mag on one of my ARs in about 10 seconds or so just by pulling that trigger 30 times. Or at least I used to be able to when I was younger and could hold that barrel down better. Nowadays I go a lot slower due to the cost of ammo.
No kidding. I bought 1000 rounds of russian surplus at a time when I was in COLLEGE.
n
Anyone think this is a LEGAL weapon?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6508833/AK-47-shootout-Texas-Wal-Mart-parking-lot-leaves-cars-riddled-bullet-holes.html
San Antonio. Great. Mayor Nirenberg is a prog in search of a mission. The already city turned down the Republican convention for 2020 on the basis that it would be too traumatic for the snowflakes working in the hospitality industries.
“turned down the Republican convention for 2020 on the basis that it would be too traumatic for the snowflakes”
seriously? What a flocking idiot. Hmm, I’d rather go hungry and live in a box than work for republicans…. said no one actually hungry, ever.
n
seriously? What a flocking idiot. Hmm, I’d rather go hungry and live in a box than work for republicans…. said no one actually hungry, ever.
I doubt anyone actually asked the people working in the hospitality industries outside of the city staff at the convention center.
Last Summer, the Charlotte NC city council voted against allowing the GOP convention to take place in their fine city. I was only listening on the radio so I lost track of whether council cretins or activist cretins were talking, but the objections boiled down to “we don’t want intolerant racists to pollute our city”.