Cool and clear, dry and very nice. That’s the forecast anyway.
Yesterday was very nice. Clear and mild all day. A bit windy as the front pushed the weather out, but you’ve got to have one to get the other.
Spend some time at my secondary. Got some more stuff moved and organized. Pulled out some stuff for the industrial auction. I’m supposed to drop off a load to them today. I’m also supposed to drop off a few more items at the other local auction. Then back to the secondary to try and get the forklift sorted and stowed.
I didn’t get anything done around the house however. I’m very sore from all the lifting and moving I’ve been doing and the change in the weather is always good for a few extra aches and pains. Hands are like paddles, for example and the knees ache. Getting old is not for the weak.
Good thing I’ve got help. Last night my wife made chili in cast iron, over a wood fire using our firepit/cooker. Corn bread muffin mix in tiny cake pans, and cheese and onion rounded out the meal. SO GOOD. And practice cooking over wood…
One of the spring tasks it taking down the pecan in the back yard. Whether it’s to make room for a pool, to allow sunlight to get to my garden, or because it’s hollow and might crush the house in a storm, it’ll be coming down or getting cut WAY back this spring. We got a quote and it was reasonable. He’ll remove the stump, cut everything into logs and stack it. I hate to lose the shade on the house and yard, but it’s turning into a safety issue. It’s always something. And the squirrels have never let me get any nuts anyway in 13 years, so as much as I like watching them, they ARE going to lose their home at some point. Then I’ll have LOTS of wood for back yard firepit.
I have to say, maybe my wife is right, if I can barely keep up with the maintenance here and at the rent house- 11 acres of homestead might have been a bit much for a one weekend a month time budget. It’s pretty clear I’d have to change my habits at a minimum.
Could be a lot of people might have to change their habits real soon now. This mess in the stock markets, and possibly in commodities as well, could blow up in everyone’s face. Consider your current financial situation, and think about if you want to move some stuff around. I think this might be one of those times when having more cash close to hand might be a good idea. If stuff blows up, there will certainly be restrictions or outages wrt banking.
And typical prepper advice is in full effect. Cover your basics, take some precautionary measures, keep your eyes and ears open.
And keep stacking while you can.
nick
41F this morning. Chilly willy.
n
Time. There’s never enough of it. Add to that: as I get older, I find my motivation and/or energy levels dropping. It’s nice to just read a book in the evening, instead of working on some project.
I’ve actually taken on a second job (just a few days a year, but next to my full-time teaching), with an eye to what I might want to do in my retirement. Even though it is just a few days a year, I’m regretting the lost time and extra stress.
Also: it’s snowing again. I have definitely shoveled enough snow this winter. Geez.
The Social Security site, SSA.GOV, has been down for over 24 hours. Seems the clueless dolts that work on the system don’t work on weekends, or the incompetence level is such that no one knows what is wrong. Or maybe Biden had it shut down, just because.
And time to slam the IRS.GOV site. Apparently my user credentials that I used last year are no longer good and must be renewed. Need to provide a lot of information including last 8 digits of a credit or a loan account number. That means the IRS is reaching into the credit bureau information.
I must also provide a cell phone number to get an activation code. The IRS is looking up this number against providers thus indicating the IRS is reaching into the subscriber databases for cell phone providers. Unfortunately (or maybe good), the IRS cannot, or will not, validate my cell phone number with Xfinity Wireless. Thus I have to wait 15 days for an activation code that will be sent by US Mail.
Government agencies are many times run by clueless dolts, managed by idiots, and clods for workers.
The whole GameStop frenzy makes me wish I still had a US brokerage account. I would happily spend a bit to contribute. It’s really just like the way Trump was elected: ordinary people fed up with the elites, and showing it. Even if this particular event doesn’t lead to change, the next one will, or the one after that. Another brick torn out of the wall.
Regardless of the ethics of shorting the stock, the activity isn’t illegal, and GameStop is still a poorly run company which has allowed itself to become a wholesaler for the arbitrage economy. Helping burn the shorts by willingly losing money is still putting money into someone’s Porsche down payment.
A lot of American retail will have to be rebuilt and relearned when the Brown Truck Mall and Food Court (TM) implode under rising energy costs.
“A lot of American retail will have to be rebuilt and relearned ”
–as long as it doesn’t mean nothing but farmer’s markets and swap meets in the town square, trading local scrip for necessities.
n
“A lot of American retail will have to be rebuilt and relearned ”
–as long as it doesn’t mean nothing but farmer’s markets and swap meets in the town square, trading local scrip for necessities.
No. That’s not any more energy efficient than the Brown Truck Mall and Food Court (TM).
Government agencies are many times run by clueless dolts, managed by idiots, and clods for workers.
Private companies, too. This 2 part authentication thing is just stupid. It adds inconvenience and very little security. I have accounts that will send me a new code via email. Fine. Many assume I prefer an SMS, but I have that disabled, and will not accept them. So far, I have not found any provider that requires SMS, but that might happen. I will probably terminate with them. Having USPS mail as an option is so 19th century. SMS is so 20th century, and reminds me of cheap European phones.
SMS is so 20th century, and reminds me of cheap European phones.
As I’ve noted here before, erding people into SMS and away from services like AIM was deliberate.
It’s useful when it’s done right. If you have a smartphone, use Authy. Don’t use Google Authenticator – if your phone is lost, the codes are lost with it. Authy works wherever Google Authenticator works and is smarter.
A video by Tony Robbins (the motivational speaker):
Tony Robbins on scamdemic
He claims John Hopkins posted a report that total deaths in 2020 were within 10-15K of deaths in 2016-2019. It was then taken down, but the Internet Way Back Machine has a copy. Death by heart attack, cancer and flu are down. Gee, I wonder why. The only difference between the years is when you look at deaths by disease.
I can’t wait to see how ProgLibTurds spin this and when the goobermint posts final numbers. Robbins became a favorite with Lefties after advising BJ Klinton. Probably on how to sneak around Hillary’s back. Oh, wait, she knew the whole time.
And now that Fuhrer Fauci has flip flopped on *two masks* by saying there is no data to support it, what do you think of the experts? Fauci makes over $400,000/yr. The highest paid goobermint employee. His expertise sucks dead bunnies.
I’m reminded that this is the anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Columbia_disaster
on angel’s wings…
n
and that this is a very bad week for NASA historically.
I’m reminded that this is the anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.
on angel’s wings…
The last great bit if showmanship and public service from Richard Feynman. Regardless of his motivations and the true source of the information about the O rings, the icewater demonstration still took down a lot of powerful interests with a simple explanation anyone could understand. The ultimate expert witness testimony.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raMmRKGkGD4
As Dr. Pournelle noted many times, Shuttle ate the dream.
It’s a big club….
https://gunfreezone.net/why-kamala-harris-step-daughter-got-a-modeling-contract-miguel-was-wrong/
and you ain’t in it.
n
It’s the bushy tails that makes them loveable. Shave their tails and you’d be freaking out about rats running around in your trees. 🙂
The claim will be that total deaths are down because people aren’t driving and are having fewer workplace accidents because of the lockdowns.
Thanks @drwilliams and @lynn. None of those links list him near as I can tell. Interesting about Mike Connors, though, I never knew he was of Armenian heritage.
The books were written in the 1960s/1970s, same era as McDonald etc, and similar form. I was reading in the early 80s, but I think they had been out for a while. I worked in a law office back then, and my bosses were fans of the author.
The setting was on the east coast in a city – NYC or maybe Boston, some place like that. The lawyer/detective lived in a brownstone apartment, and his girlfriend lived in the apartment up or downstairs from his. All the characters lived in apartments, one lived on a boat or owned a boat the circle frequented.
No biggy – it has been so long I can’t even remember the stories, just snippets of scenes or conversations: his telling someone “The Armenians are who the 20th Century practiced on”, an anorexic woman (maybe his ex?) who was always cooking, and him listening to hear if the girlfriend was awake – she kept odd hours. Goofy details that don’t sound interesting today, and one wonders why the memory seized on those to keep up with LOL
I call them Bushy Tailed Tree Rats. Hate them. Always emptying my bird feeders.
Speaking of trees, I just spent some time watching a flock of ROBINS swarming one of my trees (some sort of japanese cherry, with little black fruits people don’t eat). I don’t recall ever seeing a flock of robins before, and certainly not one swarming a tree. Weird as hell.
Dozens in the tree at one time, constant swooping in and flying off….
n
Speaking of trees, I just spent some time watching a flock of ROBINS swarming one of my trees (some sort of japanese cherry, with little black fruits people don’t eat). I don’t recall ever seeing a flock of robins before, and certainly not one swarming a tree. Weird as hell.
Some species’ migratory pattern over Austin changed this year. My back porch is covered with bird exhaust for the first time in the six years we have lived here, and my guess is that they use the big tree above the porch as a pit stop.
Well, that’s a shitty thing to do. 🙂
I have to say, maybe my wife is right, if I can barely keep up with the maintenance here and at the rent house- 11 acres of homestead might have been a bit much for a one weekend a month time budget. It’s pretty clear I’d have to change my habits at a minimum.
You need staff. I have both salary staff (7) and part-time staff (4). Otherwise I would never get anything done.
Over The Hedge: Roomba Watching
https://www.gocomics.com/overthehedge/2021/02/01
Poor Mr. Snuggles.
His expertise is whatever will keep him in the job. I have never trusted anything he says as he is out of touch with reality.
That’s what happens when you don’t provide some food specifically for the squirrels. We feed the squirrels unsalted peanuts, corn-on-the-cob, and a few walnuts, which they consider treats. We use various squirrel feeders that also provides them with mental stimulation. Here are some suggestions on Amason: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=squirrel+feeder&rh=p_85%3A2470955011&dc&crid=3NZNZ4M5BM6S7&qid=1612202571&rnid=2470954011&sprefix=squirrel%2Caps%2C302&ref=sr_nr_p_85_1%5C%22%3E&tag=ttgnet-20
BTW, I have cameras that include the bird and squirrel feeders in their view so I can attest to the fact that the squirrels leave the bird's food alone.
“Fauci makes over $400,000/yr. The highest paid goobermint employee. His expertise sucks dead bunnies”
His expertise is whatever will keep him in the job. I have never trusted anything he says as he is out of touch with reality.
Fauci should have been shown the door at the end of the Reagan Administration.
Biden doubled down on retreads, reaching way back and installing, among others, former FDA head David Kessler as the person in charge of Operation Warp Speed.
It’s the bushy tails that makes them loveable. Shave their tails and you’d be freaking out about rats running around in your trees.
I call them Bushy Tailed Tree Rats. Hate them. Always emptying my bird feeders.
Just think of them as a backup food supply ! Yes, prepping !
My grandparents ate squirrels regularly into the late 1970s. And they both lived to be 86. Just fry them up good in the pan with the chicken.
And Florida of course…
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/polk-fire-rescue-paramedic-arrested-in-the-theft-of-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-vials
Where I’ve worked, for most external-facing apps, and many large-scale internal apps, there were dedicated UI designers as part of the project. The better ones had enough technical knowledge so as to not design something not easily implemented. For smaller projects I’ve managed I’ve done my share of wireframes in Visio and mock-ups using MS Paint. Tried to keep the developers away from designing from scratch.
Dang, my secret is out.
As a kid, I would hunt squirrels in the timber on my grandfather’s farm. I used a single-shot bolt-action 22 with a scope and got to be an expert at clean head-shots, all meat useable. My crazy cousins used shotguns so they got virtually no useable meat. My grandfather finally got fed up with them and would not allow them to hunt on his property. My grandmother loved the clean-kill squirrels I brought back. She was the one who taught me how to clean and cook them.
Fond memories of better times.
I think I read something like that in Chuck Yeager’s autobiography – his parents would give him a gun and just one round, and send him out hunting and expect him to come back with dinner at the end of the day.
“The vaccines can’t end up like Playstation 5s.”
And Florida of course…
Florida has a lot of weathy people stashed in out of the way places like Polk County, but the salaries in the healthcare racket are ridiculously low. That leads to problems.
He’s full of beans.
The official CDC number for deaths in the US in 2019 was 2,854,838.
The preliminary CDC data for deaths in the US in 2020 is 3,312,673.
That’s 457,835 more.
The final number for 2020 won’t be available for a while, as there is a lag of up to 6 to 8 weeks in getting death certificate data from county to state to CDC. The CDC data is available at:
2019 deaths: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db395.htm
2020 data can be downloaded at: https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Provisional-COVID-19-Death-Counts-by-Week-Ending-D/r8kw-7aab (This has downloadable data in various formats that has weekly and monthly breakdowns of deaths by state and the country as a whole. I summed up the 2020 monthly data to get that total.)
his parents would give him a gun and just one round, and send him out hunting and expect him to come back with dinner at the end of the day.
One shot: meat.
Two shots: maybe.
Three shots: no meat.
…bolt-action 22 with a scope…
I went with some experienced squirrel hunters a couple times. My bolt action 22 had iron sights, but same idea. We could get plenty close. Squirrel stew is good with the right seasonings.
Went crow hunting with a friend, once. Wily crows never let me close enough to try a shot.
Change just for the sake of change. Full employment for the product owners and UI designers.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
I only hunt in the grocery store nowadays. Very productive, and cheaper. Some friends go deer hunting every season. Their wives call it the annual nonhunting trip. They haven’t bagged a deer in years. They jokingly calculate the cost per pound, and it is now astronomical.
Someone did the math and estimated that squirrels comprises 2500 calories per suburban acre. That isn’t much for post apok dinner….
n
Oh, that crow hunt: the farmer who gave us permission to hunt on his land said as we were leaving that we mustn’t have been hunting much. We answered that we were hunting the whole time, just not shooting.
Grandpa taught me to hunt squirrel in his pecan grove. He would walk around the other side of the tree whilst I waited patiently and quietly. Then the squirrel would scurry to my side to hide and BANG. Marlin semi-auto 22lr at no more than 15 yards over iron sights. Rarely missed and grandma fried them up like chicken with mashed potatoes and corn. I sure wish he’d given me that old Marlin when he passed. Sweet shooting gun.
Do as I say, not as I do…
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2021/01/21/pathetic-press-secretary-jen-psaki-dodges-question-on-bidens-mask-mandate-hypocrisy-n1403208
and Circle Jerk (SFW)…
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2021/01/28/circle-back-watch-biden-press-secretary-jen-psaki-repeatedly-dodge-questions-in-her-first-week-n1415028
“Medical Tyranny: CDC Announces All Travelers Must Wear Two Masks, Threatens Arrest”
https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/medical-tyranny-cdc-announces-all-travelers-must-wear-two-masks-threatens-arrest
I keep on looking for the Babylon Bee source of this article but I just do not see it.
@lynn …
My reading of the actual CDC order says that the masks must be two-layers. Not two masks. From the order (not the article or link)
The CDC order is here https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/masks/mask-travel-guidance.html . The quotes were taken from the actual CDC document, not the articles you mentioned.
The big problem with most of the masks out there is fit. The paper ones with elastic ear loops aren’t wide enough to get a good seal at the side. (And those aren’t medical masks, btw. Look at the box.) Medical masks are wider and have a ties. The cloth masks we made are sized and made like medical masks, with two layers. The only problem is the seal near the nose isn’t that good due to the lack of a metal strip inside. I’m going to do a cheap paper mask with a cloth over. That will do a good seal all around.
I have found Zero Hedge to have either:
– an inability to get facts straight
– decided to twist and distort for maximum clicks.
I consider them to be very, very unreliable.
and
What is the CDC’s authority for issuing these orders? Has the federal government dissolved all state and local governments and taken complete control? Even in interstate travel, unless commerce is involved the federal government’s Constitutional authority is negligible.
Regarding CDC ‘authority’, it is explained here: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/aboutlawsregulationsquarantineisolation.html
That indicates to me a clear ‘line of authority’ for the face-mask rules for travel, and other rules they issue.
How nice for them. The federal government granted itself power.
Nope, not buying it.
The federal and state governments may be able to force people to follow the dictats because they control the biggest gangs, but that’s a separate thing from a just law.
Also, you didn’t address my main point: what’s the CDC’s (purported) authority for requiring anything at all within a state, whether or not on public property or public transportation?
I made a cynical image on the subject “Government is just a name for things we do together.” Let me figure out where I saved the blasted thing and I’ll upload and put in a link.
“The government told you that you can’t leave your house, which means that we collectively decided that you can’t leave your house, so you have to do it!” Nope, sheep logic don’t cut it.
I have found Zero Hedge to have either:
– an inability to get facts straight
– decided to twist and distort for maximum clicks.
I consider them to be very, very unreliable.
Tyler Durden byline?
The CDC link I included (again: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/aboutlawsregulationsquarantineisolation.html ), if you bothered to carefully read it, explains the ‘line of authority’ for their rules.
Specifically, their rules as they apply to states:
But the face mask rules that you complain about are regarding interstate travel (between states) or on airplanes (over which the federal government has authority). They have the authority to issue and enforce those rules, as previously stated.
Specifically, from the ‘line of authority’ link (emphasis added):
So, in my ‘not-a-lawyer’ reading, the CDC rules requiring double-layer masks on all interstate travel – or though Ports of Entry (which most international airports are) – are backed by applicable federal authority.
Nowhere in the rule does the CDC require masks on intra-state (inside a state) travel. You may have inferred that requirement. But that is not within the CDC’s authority. A state may decide to issue similar rules, or have the CDC federal rules applied. And that is within the state’s powers.
As to your statement that “The federal government granted itself power” . Yes, they did. And they have the right – by law, and by the Constitution – to grant themselves that ‘power’.
ZeroHedge is very much a mixed bag. They get stuff from all over the net, some of it ridiculous and some quite incisive.
Rick, here’s a better cite on the government’s quarantine powers:
https://reason.com/volokh/2020/02/10/the-coronavirus-and-the-constitution/
or find a penumbra…
or not
The problem with this particular penumbra, and a lot of other progressive faves, is that the ones doing the mandating don’t have the facts to back them up.
The data show that lockdowns and masks don’t work.
Kabuki theater.
Great takedown on Fauci here:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/02/peter_barry_chowka_explains_the_real_story_of_dr_fauci.html
All you need to know to make the correct conclusion about Fauci is in one fact: At no time during the AIDS crisis did he advocate contact tracing.
Yes, that’s right: When AIDS was a death sentence, there was no contact tracing. When Wuhan coronavirus has a death rate less than 1%, the contact tracers are calling to see who you talked to.
Any bets on the security of that data? How long the goobemint will keep it? Copies of the database to the Feds? How long it took the cell phone companies to agree with provide proximity data for any number?
Paper out of China a year ago said that masks don’t work. In twelve months the U.S could have built enough non-woven and fabrication capacity to have every citizen fit-tested and equipped with a reusable N95 respirator and enough filters for a year. Instead we have the House masturbating twice with phony impeachment circuses, and a death toll that conveniently provides the government with authority to do any damn thing the pols want.
Two more cases at child’s school, one staff one student. It’s only monday.
Had to pick up a prescription so I hit the meat aisle at HEB. Glad I did! Prime sirloin steak, $4.97/lb. Yes, I did buy the best looking 6 packages.
Spiral sliced ham marked down to $1.5o/lb, with an additional $10 PER HAM off….. That’s 50c/lb for my 10 pound ham. I only bought one, because it wasn’t clear how the $10 off coupon worked until I asked at checkout. I did have my wife tip off the mom’s group in the neighborhood. Either deal alone would be worth a special trip. Both together is a no brainer.
Turkey never did go on sale at HEB, and Costco never had it in stock.
I’m happy with red and pink meat.
n
zerohedge is an aggregator so you have to look for the original source if it’s not pseudonymously Tyler Durden.
They do exercise editorial discretion on what they choose to display, and it is often “doom porn” but in years of tracking them, they often lead the pack by 3 to 5 days on developing stories. ALL of the news sites are suspect in one way or another, which is why I read many and compare.
n
Of course they don’t. And WTF don’t we know the cop’s name by now?
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. 51 years old.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9211097/Rutgers-professor-developed-Covid-19-saliva-test-dies-heart-attack-age-51.html
n
BTW, I posted here in the recent past that I was concerned about possible YouTube discrimination against Oil and Gas firms such as mine in the future. I did come up with with a partial solution with help here. I appreciate the help !
Not only did I upload my new tutorial AVI file (396 MB) to YouTube, I also created a M4V file (43 MB) using HandBrake. I am adding the new M4V file to our software distribution which I anticipate increasing in size from 145 MB to 165 MB. The partial reduction is due to to the fact that I removed the old Flash tutorial file. Not a big deal in this big pipe world.
“A.F. Branco Cartoon – Les Deplorables”
https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-les-deplorables/
“John Kerry says to recent laid-off energy workers to go make solar panels. Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2021.”
Captures Kerry perfectly !
Branco is a brilliant satirist and a real nice guy.
I had a real surprise this morning. The contractor that is doing my building pad and slab called ne at 7:15 and asked if he could pour the slab this week. I said I would love that but … we don’t have a building permit. I need the name of a plumber and electrician for the permit. The plumber he suggested hasn’t called either of us back. We agreed that the permit was a problem he had forgot about and before he could pour the slab we had to have the plumber and electricians do some work.
The electrician promised me a quote by last Saturday but I haven’t heard from him. By the end of the day I had two plumbers who said they be here this week.
I got a referral to an ENT Doctor last week and Friday got a call about an appointment today regarding my sinus headaches. Spent a couple of hours on this as he is in Montgomery, the pharmacy is near me, etc.
Discovered the files for my web site are on my laptop and not my PC (because I was between houses and living in hotels and filled my spare time working on my web site). But I stopped doing that 18 months ago. I had to copy the directory from one to the other this evening. Hopefully I’ll have pictures up tomorrow.
I submitted my taxes via snail mail as I couldn’t recall my IRS access code and their instructions advised me that they would mail it to me. So I stopped doing the on-line version and mailed.
User interfaces are a pet peeve of mine. I could write a book about the dumb things I’ve seen and the problems created as a result. I suspect many people here could do the same.
As a consultant I’ve been asked to join a team that was late on a programming project on several occasions. I gave a copy of the “Mythical Man-Month” to the lead manager trying to hire me a couple of times as the best way to explain why it was a not a good idea.
As a consultant I’ve been asked to join a team that was late on a programming project on several occasions. I gave a copy of the “Mythical Man-Month” to the lead manager trying to hire me a couple of times as the best way to explain why it was a not a good idea.
Some managers see that book as a challenge.
https://www.amazon.com/Mythical-Man-Month-Software-Engineering-Anniversary/dp/0201835959/?tag=ttgnet-20
I worked with a manager for four years who insisted that the deliverable was always six months out. There was never a real deliverable.
He always slotted a full month for the user interface work in his plans. Me, I have always found the user interface work to be the hardest part which is why I always do it first.
@Nick
” And WTF don’t we know the cop’s name by now?”
Because the proles don’t need to know?
I looked at the article. One photo caption includes:
“The officer said he had used tables and chairs to barricade the door to the highly restricted area and said he had 31 rounds in his gun.”
Is that standard issue? If not, what were the circumstances under which it was issued and what were the instructions? Was this a magazine for his service weapon or a different weapon? If a different weapon did the officer have current training in the use thereof?
And another hundred or so follow-up questions.
How about a poster “Capitol Police have 30-round magazines to protect Nancy Pelosi, but you only get 10 to protect your family.”
Oleg did a nice one with a dad holding his child with weapon drawn, and some tagline about Clinton’s kids or Obabba’s kids having a security detail to protect them, but his kid only has him…iirc.
n
I’m going to head to bed early tonight. I’m beat and I haven’t gotten enough sleep lately.
n
And now, the night crew takes over…
Sleep well. Bwahahaha!
Raycist.