Jan. 1, 2020 – Welcome to 2020, who ever thought we’d get here?

By on January 1st, 2020 in Random Stuff

I’m writing this during the last dregs of 2019, so I hope that events haven’t taken a turn for the worse while I tried to sleep.

There is enough stuff going on in the world to keep me up, but I’m really hoping none of it got moving last night.

Y2K was 20 years ago. So I’ve been some degree of prepper for 20 years. And for 20 years the big one keeps not happening. WHICH IS AWESOME.

Because the ‘little’ ones were big enough. 9-11. Rodney King riots. Northridge quake. Oakland quake. Katrina. Rita. Ike. the triple play. And many more in other places, and for other people…

There is almost always something bad happening to someone, somewhere. Whether or not you are the someone is really not up to you. How you react, is.

Live your life. Do not be afraid. Be PREPARED.

And welcome to another new decade. Take a moment today to remember those who didn’t quite get here with us.

May we all have a Safe and Prosperous New Year.

nick flandrey

55 Comments and discussion on "Jan. 1, 2020 – Welcome to 2020, who ever thought we’d get here?"

  1. Rick Hellewell says:

    Hmm…..everyone else must be sleeping in ….

  2. SteveF says:

    Didn’t sleep in, or at least not by most standards. I got up 6-ish, which is sleeping in by my standards. I’ve mostly been goofing around this morning.

    We’d planned to go to a First Night, the only remaining one in the area, but it turned out the girls weren’t actually all that enthusiastic. Instead we stayed here, I made chicken nuggets and potatoes and told the girls that after a (kinda) healthy dinner they could eat all the junk food they wanted, play games, and stay up as late as they could. This was met with great approval.

  3. Alan says:

    No, dogs were up at 7 AM so tended to them then breakfast and started attacking the work inbox that had been piling up as I battled that nasty cold.

    Alexa says 64 right now here in SW FL but feels warmer, partly sunny, going up to 71, currently a low 39% RH.

    Btw, interesting what ‘she’ says when you ask her “Alexa, what are the five best words in the English language?”

    Saw this last night from Redbox: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blinded_by_the_light
    Nice ‘feel good’ movie, especially if you’re a Bruce fan.
    In case you’re curious to know, those machines hold ~600 DVDs, no wonder it took so long to browse through their website.

    Onward into 2020 (ABC has already dragged out the old clips of Baba Wawa saying “This is 20/20”). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDmgsV8aL9s

    And let me put the first mention of FLASHLIGHTS out here for the new decade 🙂

  4. MrAtoz says:

    Merry 2020 all. I hope tRump reigns it in. I don’t want Komrade Bernie even close to winning.

  5. Nick Flandrey says:

    Happy New Year! I’m up. Woke briefly every couple of hours from midnight on… but went back to sleep.

    When I’m lying on my back with a rolled up towel under my neck, it isn’t exactly comfortable, but it’s what I need. So I wake up.

    I feel like my neck and shoulders are made of glass this morning, but that’s better than before. My lower back hates me, but that will get better as I move around. These flareups can be triggered by many things, but in this case I think it was hours of reading and sitting still. So today I’m going to NOT sit at the computer, or in a chair reading.

    Plan is for a pork standing rib roast for dinner, and possibly some baked goods. I will see.

    n

  6. Greg Norton says:

    Merry 2020 all. I hope tRump reigns it in. I don’t want Komrade Bernie even close to winning.

    Another establishment war fiasco will mean a rerun of 1976. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mayor Pete won Iowa in that scenario.

    Regardless, the Dems are headed to a brokered convention.

  7. Greg Norton says:

    @Lynn – Have you scanned your desktop with Slim Drivers to see if that machine is missing a recent driver update related to the drive controller? 4 TB is a big memory leak that sounds driver related.

  8. Nick Flandrey says:

    Lots of interesting pictures here

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7841637/Up-4-000-troops-ordered-prepare-rapid-deployment-Middle-East.html

    The thought that keeps passing thru my brain, “Have we no gasoline?” One flame thrower, a couple of gallons of gas and a spray bottle, and this sh!t would be done for the day.

    For that matter, do we not have grenades anymore? Those look like the definition of “killing floor”…

    –so my conclusion? allowed to proceed.

    n

  9. Greg Norton says:

    –so my conclusion? allowed to proceed.

    The priority is keeping the “wars” going, but both the Mullahs and Tampa know that, absent a nuclear device traceable to Tehran detonating in New York City, Americans are not going to support going to full-out war with Iran.

    Those Articles of Impeachment will start moving the moment shooting begins.

  10. lynn says:

    Over The Hedge: Baby 2020 has arrived
    https://www.gocomics.com/overthehedge/2020/01/01

    And it is baby …

    How appropriate.

  11. mediumwave says:

    The thought that keeps passing thru my brain, “Have we no gasoline?” One flame thrower, a couple of gallons of gas and a spray bottle, and this sh!t would be done for the day.

    For that matter, do we not have grenades anymore? Those look like the definition of “killing floor”…

    Or as OFD might have said: “Where were our guys with the Ma Deuces?”

    Happy 2020 to you all!

  12. lynn says:

    Freefall: sleeping on watch on the spaceship
    http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3400/fc03377.htm

    One needs to be careful waking up the sleeping watch officer …

  13. lynn says:

    From BH at the Fort Bend Herald:

    “Punctuation is important”

    “Seen online: “I like cooking my family and pets.” Use commas. Don’t be a psycho.”

  14. lynn says:

    Hmm…..everyone else must be sleeping in ….

    Wow, must be a special day or something. I only had one spam in my spam folder this morning.

  15. Bobfan says:

    “Do not be afraid?” That’s a laugh. You’re all terrified, hateful little people.

    RIP Bob, and I’m sorry for the people who squat in your space and fantasize about killing everybody who isn’t part of their clique.

  16. lynn says:

    Saw this last night from Redbox:
    https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blinded_by_the_light
    Nice ‘feel good’ movie, especially if you’re a Bruce fan.
    In case you’re curious to know, those machines hold ~600 DVDs, no wonder it took so long to browse through their website.

    Saw “Blinded by the Light” on the big screen with my Dad earlier this year. It is a great story about music and assimilation into a culture. Recommended.

  17. lynn says:

    Merry 2020 all. I hope tRump reigns it in. I don’t want Komrade Bernie even close to winning.

    Or Komrade Biden with Mittens (Romney).

  18. Nick Flandrey says:


    “Do not be afraid?” That’s a laugh. You’re all terrified, hateful little people.

    RIP Bob, and I’m sorry for the people who squat in your space and fantasize about killing everybody who isn’t part of their clique.

    –Wow, that’s a weird comment. Anyone here fantasize about killing everyone who isn’t in the gang? Unless bobfan is referring to the people attacking the Consulate? In which case there is some serious confusion in his brain, as those people could not and would not ever be in the gang, have declared themselves our enemies, would kill us if they could (and try regularly). I don’t understand why they weren’t all killed during the attack. I guess you don’t always kill the little yappy dog biting at your ankles.

    –FWIW, I’m not terrified of anything. Bobfan seems to have taken the “xxxx-phobia” naming as a statement of faith. I’m not homo- trans- islobo- or anything -phobic. I either don’t particularly care about them, dislike them (which is not the same as being afraid of them), or consider them the enemy of almost everything I hold dear, but especially secular law and WOMEN.

    –as to “squatting”, I’ve published before Bob’s own words to me with his INVITATION, and he had plenty of time to object to any of the main posters here. If it’s not to your taste, and you can’t disagree in a civil and rational way, then please don’t eat the free icecream… BUT do not put words into my mouth, or project your own thoughts as my own.

    n

  19. lynn says:

    @Lynn – Have you scanned your desktop with Slim Drivers to see if that machine is missing a recent driver update related to the drive controller? 4 TB is a big memory leak that sounds driver related.

    It has a buggy BIOS. It will not boot with an 8 TB drive installed. It is time to upgrade myself as it is a 2010 ??? Gigabyte motherboard and I7-2600K cpu.

  20. Nick Flandrey says:

    @bobfan,

    Seriously dude, you are a patient at Sheppard Pratt Ellicott City?

    General Adult Unit

    The General Adult Unit at Sheppard Pratt’s Ellicott City campus is a safe and welcoming 20-bed inpatient unit that is specially designed for the treatment of adults ages 18 and older who are experiencing a variety of mental health diagnoses.

    Our Philosophy

    The unit is designed for crisis stabilization; our goal is to move individuals to a less-intensive level of care as soon as it is safe to do so.

    Individuals generally come to our unit for care when their behavior has become problematic or unsafe at home, after attempting suicide or experiencing suicidal ideation, or when anxiety is so severe it cannot safely be managed in the community.
    Who We Serve

    We treat individuals with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and more. We know this can be a scary time, and for many, this is their first hospitalization due to a mental illness. Our experts are here to help, and serve as a source of guidance and comfort.

    I hope you are getting the help you need.

    n

  21. Nick Flandrey says:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7842791/Wife-ex-Nissan-boss-Carlos-Ghosn-speaks-joy-escape-Japan.html

    Fled the country while out on bail. Wonder where he stashed the stolen money?

    n

  22. SteveF says:

    fantasize about killing everybody who isn’t part of their clique

    You could have put a period before “who”, at least as regards my occasional persistent thoughts. And RBT never expressed dismay at my thoughts and sometimes indicated he was on the path of agreeing with them.

    As for your “tsk tsk, what would he think?”, bite me.

  23. Alan says:

    From BH at the Fort Bend Herald:
    “Punctuation is important”
    “Seen online: “I like cooking my family and pets.” Use commas. Don’t be a psycho.”

    Like the sign hanging in the wife’s office:
    Let’s Eat Grandma
    Let’s Eat, Grandma
    Commas Save Lives

  24. lynn says:

    @bobfan,

    Seriously dude, you are a patient at Sheppard Pratt Ellicott City?

    @nick, if this is true, I would delete the info. This is the time to take the high road.

  25. lynn says:

    You could have put a period before “who”, at least as regards my occasional persistent thoughts. And RBT never expressed dismay at my thoughts and sometimes indicated he was on the path of agreeing with them.

    Yup, Bob let me put my full crazy on display here. And, sometimes agreed.

  26. mediumwave says:

    @bobfan,

    Seriously dude, you are a patient at Sheppard Pratt Ellicott City?

    @nick, if this is true, I would delete the info. This is the time to take the high road.

    And if it isn’t true, then Nick gave the perfect “shock and awe” response.

    Make the (metaphorical) rubble bounce!

  27. lynn says:

    xkcd: I Love the 20s
    https://xkcd.com/2249/

    Yes, I know that the decade does not really start until the “1” year. But, we are here now with the prefix !

    Explained at:
    https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2249:_I_Love_the_20s

    BTW, I know two people, both men and WWII vets, who will be 100 in a couple of years. Amazing. Both saw combat and thought they would never make it out of the war, especially the B-24 copilot in the Pacific.

  28. MrAtoz says:

    There are a couple of WWII vets who play bing at the Red Rock Casino. Spry for nearly 100.

  29. Nick Flandrey says:

    Anonymous trolls aren’t.

    The only problem I have with it, is he might actually be someone who comes around normally, who is just off his meds. So no guesses or further investigation, but I’m not taking sh!t either. Or he might just live there, or be staff. But his libel of us shouldn’t be ignored.

    On the other hand, he’s got very little understanding of the world around him, or any clear memory of Bob. If anything, I try to be a bit less vitriolic on certain subjects that a keyword search would easily reveal.

    Plus, I’m in a fair amount of pain today and in no mood for any shenanigans. Although the soak in a hot bath helped my lower back a great deal.

    I’m also in no mood to cook the standing rib roast I had planned. French meat pie leftovers coming up!

    n

  30. Nick Flandrey says:

    I don’t know how you would guarantee that they’d open the door for you when you showed up….

    nice way to pay for your own bunker though….

    n

    and I note that he’s sold units….

  31. lynn says:

    “BP Boss: Daughter’s Friends on Anti-Depressants Because of Climate Change”
    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/12/31/bp-boss-daughters-friends-on-anti-depressants-because-of-climate-change/

    “Having said that, there is substantial evidence of a link between anti-depressants, suicide, violence and homicide.”

  32. Greg Norton says:

    It has a buggy BIOS. It will not boot with an 8 TB drive installed. It is time to upgrade myself as it is a 2010 ??? Gigabyte motherboard and I7-2600K cpu.

    Take a look at the AMD AM4 motherboards and processors. I’ve been pretty happy with my last server upgrade, and, as long as you can live with DDR 2400, some of the boards support 64 GB RAM.

  33. Nick Flandrey says:

    I’m headed to bed. I think I’ll take another pain pill and go lay down. Like a good dog.

    Unless I come back out, I’ll see you tomorrow.

    n

    (wife and youngsters are binge watching Harry Potter. They are half way thru 5…)

  34. Greg Norton says:

    Fled the country while out on bail. Wonder where he stashed the stolen money?

    The wife’s jewelry?

    Sadly, Nissan could really use Carlos right now. The Leaf cratered and the interiors of the other vehicles need work.

  35. Greg Norton says:

    I don’t recall expressing interest here in seeing any public figure die. Right now, the Progs don’t have a martyr, and I hope it stays that way.

  36. SteveF says:

    I don’t want the commie scum in the US to have a martyr…

  37. Alan says:

    NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said firefighters were unable to extinguish or even control the raging blazes.

    Still bad ‘down under’…
    https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3044243/australia-braces-more-damage-more-destruction-entire

  38. SteveF says:

    Was it here that someone said Ron Howard had pulled off a miracle with Solo? I’d like some clarification of that statement. Did you mean something that violates the natural order of things?

  39. Greg Norton says:

    Seriously dude, you are a patient at Sheppard Pratt Ellicott City?

    Could be a Tor exit node thanks to a hospital employee doing something they aren’t supposed to do with the IT equipment.

  40. Mark W says:

    You’re all terrified, hateful little people.

    One of the reasons I read this site is that the regulars are able to have discussions about scary and difficult subjects without falling back to the name calling that is prevalent in most other fora. e.g. twitter.

    I’ve never seen any of the regulars express outright hate except for those who already wish the destruction of the USA. Which, BTW, is not the worst country in the world, as many believe. It’s probably the best, although my prior country gives it a run for its money.

  41. SteveF says:

    the USA. Which, BTW, is not the worst country in the world

    Something I wrote almost a year ago, which touches on that topic.

  42. Mark W says:

    @SteveF You’ve seen a lot of things most haven’t. I grew up in a civil war but I was lucky enough not to have seen any unpleasantness up close, and smart enough not to get involved.

    I’ve seen how America is so unbelievably rich that our poorest are fat and have a roof over their heads and carry cell phones, even though less than a quarter of our adult population does productive work.

    This is true. 30 minutes with Google Maps Streetview will convince anyone of that.

  43. JimB says:

    From another site:

    I’ve mostly given the cultural and historical must-sees a miss.

    SteveF, so have I. But, I have seen a few. From high school, I saw a picture of the Parthenon. I read about its layout and construction. I forgot about it for years. Then, after retirement, I had an opportunity to see it. It is the only great monument that has exceeded my expectations, and on several levels. The ancient Greeks, using simple principles and tools, have created one of the most beautiful structures the world has ever seen. I will never forget it.

  44. Greg Norton says:

    Was it here that someone said Ron Howard had pulled off a miracle with Solo? I’d like some clarification of that statement. Did you mean something that violates the natural order of things?

    Not a miracle in the metaphysical sense, but the film was better than many feared. Howard picked up production after the previous directors had been fired by Disney, and a significant chunk of the film was already shot.

    Not a great film, but better than Rian Johnson’s “Last Jedi” fiasco. The key is, I believe, that, unlike Johnson, Ron Howard actually likes “Star Wars” as a whole.

    Two words: Laser Sword.

  45. Nick Flandrey says:

    WRT the mental hospital, the actual google pin for the lat lon was a house on the edge of the grounds. I was looking to provoke a response to narrow it a bit, but it looks like a drive by comment after all. Or maybe that house is the demarc for their service. Unlikely to be TOR as that’s a lot of messing around just for one comment. But who knows? The substance of the comment was so detached from reality that it could have been a patient. Who would let patients have unrestricted web access though? After tomorrow, I’ll probably delete the relevant parts, but I did want to see if there was a response.

    n

    NB, 7.5mg is better than 5, but still not quite effective. I’m back to bed…

  46. lynn says:

    “YouTube TV vs Vidgo vs Philo vs Hulu vs Sling TV vs FuboTV vs AT&T TV NOW – Updated January 2020”
    https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/youtube-tv-vs-vidgo-vs-philo-vs-hulu-vs-sling-tv-vs-fubotv-vs-att-tv-now-updated-january-2020/

    Looks like Sling is the way to go for streaming most of the tv networks at the moment. But the giants are fighting this out and it looks rough out there.

  47. lynn says:

    (wife and youngsters are binge watching Harry Potter. They are half way thru 5…)

    I’ve been binge watching “Travelers” on Netflix. Sill awesome on a second viewing.

  48. lynn says:

    It has a buggy BIOS. It will not boot with an 8 TB drive installed. It is time to upgrade myself as it is a 2010 ??? Gigabyte motherboard and I7-2600K cpu.

    Take a look at the AMD AM4 motherboards and processors. I’ve been pretty happy with my last server upgrade, and, as long as you can live with DDR 2400, some of the boards support 64 GB RAM.

    I’ve bought my last AMD cpu. Too power hungry and noisy.

  49. Greg Norton says:

    WRT the mental hospital, the actual google pin for the lat lon was a house on the edge of the grounds. I was looking to provoke a response to narrow it a bit, but it looks like a drive by comment after all.

    The delivery manager for my current project bought an old house on the edge of a former mental hospital. Real estate in NYC suburbs.

    If I’m on my Linux server in my home office, the Firefox install uses Tor by default. I may post things from there on occasion when I’m monitoring torrents.

    Which reminds me — the new BBC “Dracula” was entertaining enough that we’ll hit Netflix for parts 2 and 3 on Saturday.

    “Doctor Who” still suffers from bad writing and casting, but the new wrinkle tonight was awful photography.

  50. SteveF says:

    the film [Solo] was better than many feared

    I watched the first 17 minutes, asked my question, watched another 2:40, set it aside. Given your response I may try again, under the assumption that the first 19:40 of the movie was filmed before the miracle was pulled off.

  51. Greg Norton says:

    I watched the first 17 minutes, asked my question, watched another 2:40, set it aside. Given your response I may try again, under the assumption that the first 19:40 of the movie was filmed before the miracle was pulled off.

    If I had to guess, the “train” sequence and addition of Thandie Newton to borrow “Westworld” mojo was the bulk of the reshoot.

    The reveal of the “big bad” behind all the antics, tying the story to “Rebels” and “The Clone Wars”, was probably a combination of reshoot/rewrite done at the request of Dave Filoni, who I think will eventually run Lucasfilm.

  52. Greg Norton says:

    And, as always, YMMV. It is just a movie.

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