Well, yesterday never did get stormy, and was partly sunny for most of the day. The 40mph wind was cool enough, when it blew, but the rest of the time it was a bit on the stifling side. Temps dropped 10+ degrees while I was cooking dinner and the wind was variable and gusting hard, but the rain held off. Today is probably going to be similar with a bit more chance of rain.
Yesterday I met with the new auctioneer’s rep and we’re good to proceed. I’ve got to get a space either cleared, or in a neighbor’s space to set up the pallets so we can get some listed. It’s back breaking work and I’m in no condition for it today.
Went to the chiropractor and got some stuff to move. Will try to get in today too.
Went through some stuff in my storage unit, getting ready to take some bins to the other auction.
Today I need to do a Costco order or run, and a couple of auction pickups. More supplies for the house, and not resale. I can fit it in my Expy if it’s raining, if not I’ll use the pickup just because it’s easier.
Then pickup child 2 from school mid-afternoon. Both kids are doing STAAR testing this week. That is the big Texas progress evaluation test. In reality the questions are whacked out. NO idea what they are trying to evaluate, other than reading comprehension. All the questions come down to that. Still, you can’t improve if you don’t measure, but it would be nice if they were measuring the right things.
Anyone waiting in line to buy gasoline because of this pipeline issue, is measuring their preparedness, and if they’re in line, they are coming up short. The general recommendation for storing gas is one full tank for your bug out vehicle, or one week of disaster usage for your generator, whichever is more. The amount is a bit arbitrary, but there are reasons and rationales for it. Too tired to list them atm, left as an exercise for the reader. Think ‘the amount of time it takes to get outside help into the area’ and ‘leapfrog the locusts’ on the way out of town. It’s also a good example of why people suggest always filling up at 1/2 tank instead of running dry (which is not something I routinely do, because I’ve got MORE than 1 full tank stored.)
In any case, you and they might have some stacking to do.
nick
66F and 82%RH at 630.
Slept without meds from about 1130pm on. Feel much better this am. Still very sore in spots and a lot of twinges in various parts of my back but the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a train… and I need to avoid triggering anything today.
n
When I mentioned the French model yesterday, I was not referring to their reactor model. One thing they did was to standardize the designs and procedures so that an operator from one plant can walk into a different plant and immediately know how it is run. Even the clocks on the walls are in the same place.
Intel does something similar when they create a new production line: Everything is the same, right down to the paint on the walls being the same manufacturer and part number. Don’t take any chances when you’re building a $5B facility, or nuclear power plant.
It’s funny, how you can identify styles so easily. My house in Austin, when I had the bathroom redone: The painters peeled of layer after layer of wallpaper. Basically one per decade, and each one was absolutely iconic. They gave up after peeling off 3-4 layers, and just plastered over the 1950s stuff.
Layering new paper over existing wallpaper is definitely Austin lazy.
The practice creates a mold issue, especially in bathrooms, where wallpaper should never be hung anyway. When I was a kid, the fad was to install wall to wall deep pile carpet in the bathroom to coordinate, doubling down on the problem.
The 70s were a huge wallpaper era in the South. If you go to the “Dallas” ranch filming location and take the tour, you’ll see “Southern Living Magazine 1976” on the walls of the rooms in the main house except for the Master, which has been redone as a unique B&B experience.
The real interior of the house has only been seen twice on TV. The interior scenes for both the original and reboot series were, for the most part, shot on soundstages in Hollywood.
@greg, lazy knows no bounds in time or place. I’ve peeled multiple layers of wall paper in houses of different eras all over the country. Humans are lazy apes.
Whenever I see a new set of interior design ideas, I mentally wonder if they will be the harvest gold/avocado green of this decade. White countertops with ‘waterfall’ edges, forex.
There is some blurring of trends as they sort of ‘smear out’ in time. As they become more available, they move ‘down market’ too.
n
BTW if someone was redecorating in the early 70s, in the US, they probably went with a patriotic theme, and red white and blue. The Bicentennial was a HUGE influence on pop culture at the time.
JEP’s house:
“on the market for the first time since 1967”
Year built:1933
Seems they liked it.
Jerry mentioned many times which book or movie option bought the house. Cali in general and Studio City in particular, is one of those places where it’s very difficult to buy into certain areas now, vs ‘back in the day’. There is a much wider spread between ‘normal’ and ‘kinda exclusive’.
n
BTW if someone was redecorating in the early 70s, in the US, they probably went with a patriotic theme, and red white and blue. The Bicentennial was a HUGE influence on pop culture at the time.
Maybe not the color scheme, but “colonial” was a huge theme for furniture and exteriors in the mid 70s.
My parents built two houses in the decade, a pre-US Home Arthur Rutenberg in 1973 and a custom home in 1976 drafted from blueprints advertised in … Southern Living Magazine!
The kitchen theme in the first house was orange-ish. The second was “avocado gold”.
Jerry mentioned many times which book or movie option bought the house. Cali in general and Studio City in particular, is one of those places where it’s very difficult to buy into certain areas now, vs ‘back in the day’. There is a much wider spread between ‘normal’ and ‘kinda exclusive’.
Dr. Pournelle mentioned having Ed Begley Jr. and Jamie Farr as neighbors, with Daryl Dragon (the “Captain” from Captain and Tenille) in a big house inherited from his father up in the hills.
It isn’t hard to figure out which house is Begley’s from the satellite photos.
Every time we go to Florida, we try to take the trip out to Cabbage Key for lunch. The boat’s other scheduled stop is Useppa, the former CIA training facility for various operations, including the Bay of Pigs, turned exclusive residential club. Depending on the political climate of the day, the captain may or may not go into detail about Useppa’s past.
Whenever I see a new set of interior design ideas, I mentally wonder if they will be the harvest gold/avocado green of this decade. White countertops with ‘waterfall’ edges, forex.
“Smart” refrigerators with the LCD screen are my choice for the big long-term design choice flop of this decade.
Last decade – front loading washers. Not only impractical, but the reason Maytag imploded, taking Hoover with them.
Yes, you can still buy Maytag and Hoover, but they are now owned by Whirlpool and Dirt Devil, respectively.
This is literally two blocks from Jerry’s house, updated, and 100K less.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3716-Laurel-Canyon-Blvd-Studio-City-CA-91604/20028149_zpid/
Will be interesting to see what Jerry’s sells for. I’d guess the first number is a 1, not a 2.
Missed this yesterday.
Watch the videos down the page.
https://gunfreezone.net/time-to-send-in-teller-and-ulam/
–that’s a lot of rockets
n
Piling on…
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/12/996158514/judge-finds-aggravating-factors-in-chauvin-case-opening-path-for-longer-sentence
Piling on…
Just wait. The DOJ is pursuing charges which could carry the death penalty.
We’ll see if the union lets things go that far before they intervene with money for better lawyers.
Mebbee so. OTOH, that one is ~500 sq.ft. smaller and ~35 years newer. I didn’t notice the difference in lot size.
Waterfall edges are a practical way to finish cabinet ends and whiteish quartzite counters are reputed to be indestructible and maintenance free.
My parents bought a custom ranch style in the midwest from a divorcing 3rd trophy wife couple in 1972. White formica covered some high end semi custom dark cabinets over an ORANGE low pile carpet extending to the garage entrance/laundry room. Baths had carpet, too. Dad yanked that out after awhile, but the kitchen is *still* carpet. Lottsa foil wallpaper in various places as well.
Re: Front loading washers.
The last two we have bought were front loaders. They work quite well, are very quiet, and use less water. Yes, they take longer to do a load, but for a couple, that’s not a problem. The key is to get the stand – raises it up and makes getting things in and out easy. (The first we bought worked fine until we got flooded in Harvey.)
Bribes for the unemployed to go back to work?
What about the people “working” from home but who really need to be in the office to be productive? Will we have to bribe them too?
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/economist-proposes-re-employment-bonus-bribe-government-sponsored-couch-sitters
Screw front loading washers. I ditched our fancy LG front loader after 5 years and multiple leaks. After fixing leaks on two different occasions, with the third I put the thing on the curb. I replaced it with a Speed Queen. Top loading, no electronics. Apparently one of the last years of the fully analog control models. It’s louder than a front loader, but we just close the laundry room door. It uses a little more water, but the clothes always come out clean. 7 years in and it just keeps going. The matching LG dryer has been solid however. It’s on year 12 and going strong. Hopefully I didn’t just jinx it…
quoted for truth. That is my exact experience and solution. The SQ dryer works perfectly too.
n
MrsAtoz is too short for top loaders, so we put LG front loaders in the Vegas condo and moved the LG top loaders to SA. I got her some “tongs” to grab clothes, but she didn’t like them. The Twins also have trouble reaching the bottom of top loaders.
Screw front loading washers. I ditched our fancy LG front loader after 5 years and multiple leaks.
The front loaders are definitely a mixed bag, but the fad seemed to start with an early 90s Wired Magazine article featuring an interview with Steve Jobs before he returned to Apple. Jobs spent a bunch of the interview talking design and his new high end European front loading washer, purchased with the input of every member of the household.
We’ve had an LG front loader for 11 years. I had to replace the drain pump a year or two ago but otherwise it’s been trouble-free. Works fine. Family of six, down to four now as the sons moved out.
I’ll look at getting a stand to lift it a foot or so. Grandma hasn’t complained about having to squat down when she’s doing laundry, but it may not have occurred to her that this is something that can be made more convenient. The only problem is that I’ll probably have to take out the shelves over the washer and drier and remount them higher … which will be too high for Grandma and my wife.
IIRC, the Palestinians were supposed to be taken up by the surrounding Arab countries. They ultimately refused, because they actually didn’t want Israel to exist, and had only acquiesced due to international pressure. Someone with better historical knowledge is welcome to correct me here.
Anyway, Hamas is being supplied and supported from outside. Sure, the Palestinians cheer them on, because they’re in a shitty situation, and have been taught to see Israel as the problem. The real problem are the Arab countries pouring fuel on the fire. IMHO Israel has been very restrained. One of these days they’re going to stop being restrained, and some Arab city somewhere will cease to exist.
There must be fundamental differences between US and European machines. Here, you only ever see front-loaders. I have never, ever heard of a leak. But then, the water level never reaches as high as the door seal, whereas I’ve seen pics of US washers with the water level part way up the door.
I’m less happy with the new tumble dryers. Europe no longer allows the ones that vent to the outside. New dryers must be self-contained heat pumps: the hot side warms air to blow onto the cloths and the cold side condenses the water from the vented air. Which all sounds great, and is supposed to be really efficient. But the clothes don’t actually get dry, at least, not with the one we have.
Lots of our neighbors hang their laundry out to dry. It’s almost always breezy here, so that works well, and isn’t a lot more work than a tumbler, except for carrying the clothes out and back in.
– – – – –
More progress on the house, finally. The rainwater tanks are in. I’ve made my own Rube Goldberg addition to the filter, hoping to increase the percentage of water that’s caught by the filter. Not sure it made any difference. The shed is being delivered on Tuesday. I ran out of rocks on the dry stone wall, so I’ve ordered another 7 tons. I thought we had plenty, but the rocks are big – meaning also deep – so they got used up faster than expected. I’m not presently doing my usual weight lifting routine, but probably should – lifting rocks is hardly a balanced workout.
It’s cold here, for the time of year. Coldest February since ages, coldest April, and now a cold May. Large parts of the fruit harvest has been lost to late frosts, and all plants are way behind where they normally should be.
I remember front loading washers from the 1950s. A relative had one, and seemed to like it. Had a small door by today’s standards. The rest of my family has always had top loaders. My wife prefers them, but mostly based on her friends’ bad experiences with the new front loaders. All of ours have had agitators, but next time we will have to decide whether we want one of the new ones without an agitator. Always something.
Anyone remember the Frigidaire washer with the pulse agitator that moved up and down? When I was single in the early 1970s, I went to a laundromat that had those. They had signs bragging that they were very fast. That was true. They seemed to clean fine, and didn’t seem hard on the clothes. What do I know; I’m a guy. Clean, dry, fast, not destroyed; seems OK. Another possibly good idea that disappeared.
The new top loaders have a computer driven brushless 3-phase motor in place of a transmission, belts, and solenoids. This seems like a good idea, as I have had a couple washers over the years with trans trouble. Usually not worth fixing, although I did fix one with a solenoid linkage problem. It was time consuming, but didn’t need any parts. That was an old Whirlpool that was a beast; it lasted a long time. I bought it with a broken suspension rod and fixed it. We used it for six years, and gave it to a friend who used it for more years. Most trouble-free washer I have had, and that includes two older Maytags made when Maytag was still its former self.
Global warming. It can do anything.
Between the late frost and the stupid deer over the Winter, I’m not seeing many buds on our fruit trees. Annoying, as they were finally producing more than a few shriveled fruits last year.
Global warming. It can do anything.
True. I try to tell some of my friends this, but they don’t believe me. Of course, I only extoll the good things it can do. 🙂
IMHO Israel has been very restrained. One of these days they’re going to stop being restrained, and some Arab city somewhere will cease to exist.
The rumor is that Golda Meier had four F-86s in the air heading to Cairo with two specials each in 1973 during the Yom Kippur war on day three when Israel was losing. She then called Nixon and told him what she was going to do. Nixon reputedly said we will resupply you and she called them back. That afternoon, all 300 F-15s out of Germany landed in Tel Aviv and the USA pilots were taken to a waiting destroyer in the harbor. The planes were refueled, re-armed, and the Israeli pilots immediately took them and stuka dived on the Arab tanks to change the direction of the war. The USA resupplied the entire Israeli army and air force.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Nickel_Grass
The USA also gave Israel many A4 airplanes between the six day war and Yom Kippur war. My uncle was a decorated Navy pilot with over 4,000 carrier landings. The Navy sent him and 5 or 6 other Navy pilots to train Israeli pilots for a year to fly the A4 since it is a single engine delta wing plane. They invited my uncle and the other Navy pilots back about five years ago for a reunion. He was surprised to find that out of the hundred or so pilots that they trained, less than ten of them survived the Yom Kippur war. BTW, the A4 is the rabbit plane in the Top Gun movie, with a single B-52 engine and a 12,000 lb weight, it is highly maneuverable but it can carry two fuel pods and six 500 lb bombs.
So, the Israelis have in the past not gotten serious about destroying other nations until Israel was in danger itself. I wonder if this is still the same policy.
As a turntable fan (those things you play records on – what the kids call “vinyls”), I have always preferred direct drive over belt drive.
We have a top-loader without an agitator. A little easier to load and seems to get out of balance less frequently. Are the clothes any cleaner? Hard to tell…
So, the Israelis have in the past not gotten serious about destroying other nations until Israel was in danger itself. I wonder if this is still the same policy.
The long-held theory is that Israel has had, since the early 90s, nuclear armed cruise missiles on the Dolphin class submarines which serve as their “second strike” deterrent, but the missiles would only be used as a last resort, if the continued existence of the state was in doubt.
If not, certainly, the lesson of Khadafy was not lost on the Israelis … or their adversaries — if you have the capability to develop a nuclear deterrent, do so quickly.
Had a new front loader at a previous house – about 7 years ago. Had continual problems with a moldy smell because of the front gaskets. And this was in Utah, not a place known for high humidity.
We left it there for the new owners when we moved. The new house in WA came with a top-loader washer/dryer. Probably original to the previous (only ) owner. So I suspect at least 15 years old. Both still works fine for our 3-4 loads a week. I like it much better than the front loader – faster load throughput.
RE: Washing Machines
The trick with front loaders was to leave the door ajar between loads. That allows them to dry and keeps the air moving avoiding that funky old water/mildew smell.
We only ever owned one front loader. We bought it in 2007 when they were all the rage. When it was time for a replacement we went back to a top load. We never had any issues with leaks, but we did have the occasional issue with the edge of a shirt getting closed in the door and then rubbing the gasket while it washed ruining the shirt. I also didn’t care for the soap/bleach/softener dispenser. It’s just another unnecessary point of failure and something else to keep clean.
I prefer top loaders for several reasons. I like the “lots of water” method of washing. I like that the lid isn’t air tight so it can ventilate and dry between uses. They’re easier to load for someone tall like myself. They tend to hold more clothing. Finally, I like that since it’s a top load the top of the wash machine doesn’t get piled full of crap.
89.7 So, the Israelis have in the past not gotten serious about destroying other nations until Israel was in danger itself. I wonder if this is still the same policy.
The long-held theory is that Israel has had, since the early 90s, nuclear armed cruise missiles on the Dolphin class submarines which serve as their “second strike” deterrent, but the missiles would only be used as a last resort, if the continued existence of the state was in doubt.
If not, certainly, the lesson of Khadafy was not lost on the Israelis … or their adversaries — if you have the capability to develop a nuclear deterrent, do so quickly.
Israel got their first breeder reactor from the French in the 1950s. They have been in the nuclear game for a long time.
Plus their Jericho ICBMs are capable of hitting anywhere on the planet.
My uncle was a decorated Navy pilot with over 4,000 carrier landings.
Wow. Did he have any vertebrae left?
I’m a big fan of Heinemann’s Hot Rod, the Douglas A-4. All business. No frills. Tiny Terror. To walk around one, and then any other attack or fighter is revealing. I have known a few pilots, and even those who haven’t flown one list at the top of their wish list. It is one of the greatest designs of all time. Burt Rutan listed Ed Heinemann as one of a handful of designers who influenced him. Maybe the last military aircraft not designed by a committee.
–well waddayaknow.
n
–guess we’ll get a little preview of the post-apocalypic fiction staple, bridges over the Mississippi down…
n
Pffftttt, my grandmother had a washer that was 40 years old and she never had a problem. A top loader. A ringer washer. It was the only machine that could clean my grandfather’s clothes. My mother tried to do a load in her new modern washer, then she had to wash again, still not fully clean. But that ringer washer had no issues. However, it was a pain in the buttocks to use the machine. My grandmother used to do three loads of laundry using the same water.
I have seen a picture of the “crack”. Uh, no. The girder is broken. It will take some time to build a reinforcing plate and get it installed. The bridge will be closed for at least a couple of weeks I would guess. It will also require a detailed inspection of the entire rest of the bridge.
After some bridges had failed with a single component failure, modern bridges are designed so that one structural member failing has a very low possibility of collapsing the entire bridge. Of course there are single points of failure but designs are supposed minimize those failure points. Based on the picture I saw of the broken bridge girder the bridge engineers did a good job at designing the bridge.
My uncle was a decorated Navy pilot with over 4,000 carrier landings.
Wow. Did he have any vertebrae left?
He is 79 now with beginning dementia. Vertebrae are good. My dad is 82 without the dementia.
My uncle and dad are both 6’2″. Too tall for fighter pilot but my uncle was 20/10 vision so they let him through. The A4 cockpit is 24 inches wide, his shoulders are 28 inches. He resolved to never eject as he figured that he would lose at least one shoulder. The last A4 he landed on the carrier had 130 AA holes in it. The deck chief got the fork lift and pushed the A4 off the back of the carrier.
The A4 had another distinguishing characteristic. Until the space shuttle, it was the fastest landing speed at 175 knots. The space shuttle is 190 knots IIRC.
We had a Frigidaire washer when I was kid. Sometimes it walked so Mom would sit on it. Or put one of us kids on it.
My current washer is a Maytag. Maybe 25 years old. We inherited it around 2005. I think it was 7 or 8 years old at the time. Still looks new except for a scratch on the edge of the control panel. I replaced the fill valve a few years before I installed the water softener.
The matching dryer has had the cycling thermostat replaced. Easy, $20 or so part. I spent more time figuring out the problem than replacing the part. It still looks new except the drum is turning blue.
A few months ago I decided to stop using Downy. It would turn into a clot in the bottle. Adding water didn’t help, the stuff would re-gel. I cleaned out the softener dispenser and ran a load of towels with hot water, extra detergent, and about half a gallon of vinegar. I think my clothes are cleaner now. The inside of the washer looks cleaner.
I have a package coming via UPS. The tracking is weird. “Shipped” 5/5/2021. It was “Out for Delivery” yesterday but I guess the rain was a problem. “Out for Delivery” today.
And that is all. No other details.
We are so lucky this dooshnozzle is not on the SCOTUS:
Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies that white supremacists are our greatest domestic security threat
plugs is doing his best to start a race war NOW!
And went immediately to NBC for an interview. I guess she is still gonna try to keep tRump out of ANY goobermint office.
Fair is fair. Trump is orchestrating personal loyalty to him as a test for Republican party membership. It is not my country, but how will turning all members of one party into shameless yes-men serve the USA well? This is not fun to watch.
Man, they must be worried about him. He’s still the boogie man to frighten liberals with.
n
Ahh, you haven’t seen our top load washer – just another horizontal surface to use 😉
Today sucks. My eye doctor just diagnosed me with glaucoma. Turns out the halos that I am seeing are not the cararacts, it is optic nerve damage. I am at our Walgreens getting eye drops for my new adventure. He says that we caught it early which is good as the drops will minimze the damage. I did know this was a possibility as my mother has had glaucoma for over a decade and they caught it late on her.
8 And went immediately to NBC for an interview. I guess she is still gonna try to keep tRump out of ANY goobermint office.
Fair is fair. Trump is orchestrating personal loyalty to him as a test for Republican party membership. It is not my country, but how will turning all members of one party into shameless yes-men serve the USA well? This is not fun to watch.
We could do worse than Trump. In fact, we have done worse with GW Bush. He got us into that mess with Iraq. Don’t even get me started with Biden and Obama.
Dang, that does suck, Mr. Lynn. I hope the drops keep your eyes stable.
You just described our Dumbocrat Party. In the end it doesn’t matter. Both parties suck dead bunnies. At least tRump cut taxes and had semi-peace in the ME.
Gas prices, upstate NY, an hour ago: Up an average of about $0.15, 5-6%, since last Wednesday. Most stations were up closer to 20 cents, but one cluster of intersections has half a dozen gas stations within a 150m radius and they all went up only about 10-12 cents.
This despite the pipeline shutdown not directly affecting us.
Next up: Lynn’s comments having a lot more typos and a lot more rambling as he starts toking “for his glaucoma”.
@lynn, that does indeed suck. It’s good to catch it early though. MUCH better than late.
n
Next up: Lynn’s comments having a lot more typos and a lot more rambling as he starts toking “for his glaucoma”.
Hey, I’ve been doing the typos and rambling without any toking, thank you very much.
And I just spilled a Diet Dr. Pepper on my Northgate keyboard. Not the worst thing I have ever spilled on it though in 30 years.
It is not my country, but how will turning all members of one party into shameless yes-men serve the USA well?
You just described our Dumbocrat Party. In the end it doesn’t matter. Both parties suck dead bunnies. At least tRump cut taxes and had semi-peace in the ME.
OFD said it best, the two sides of The War Party.
Diet soda – at least not sticky. Rinse and dry.
@lynn, that does indeed suck. It’s good to catch it early though. MUCH better than late.
n
Yeah, my mother caught it late and has some pretty good damage. She takes two drops a day in each eye.0
My right eye optic nerve is about 5% damaged. The left eye optic nerve is about 15% damaged. Not good, I thought it was just my cataracts and floaters. But my night vision has gotten really bad.
We could do worse than Trump. In fact, we have done worse with GW Bush. He got us into that mess with Iraq. Don’t even get me started with Biden and Obama.
For 2024, when he’s 77? Time for the Republicans to move on IMHO. Trump second guessed his instincts and Fauci ran the country for the last year.
And the good Dr. has joined the “zero sugar” fray.
https://www.mashed.com/383938/this-is-the-difference-between-dr-pepper-zero-sugar-and-diet-dr-pepper/
IIRC it was RBT that went with ‘dishwasher, top rack’.
So, are you going to use a top loader or a front loader?
My right eye optic nerve is about 5% damaged. The left eye optic nerve is about 15% damaged. Not good, I thought it was just my cataracts and floaters. But my night vision has gotten really bad.
Don’t get old.
I had a scare last summer after the trip to Florida with a large “bright” spot that developed in the vision of one eye, but it turned out to be something minor that the doctors are just watching. The spot mostly faded over the winter.
This Summer’s fun will be the ~ age 50 physical and addressing concerns the dentist raised that I may have blood pressure issues.
After the last year, it wouldn’t be a shock. The last two trips to the dentist coincided with the beginning of my hell with the ROTJ Wally at the last job and my subsequent termination.
“Let them starve”
https://gunfreezone.net/let-them-starve/
“This has to be peak stupid.
American farms produce enough footage to feed every single American and export surplus for trade.
But what really worries the Washington Post is the pollution that keeps 320 million Americans from starving to death.
It’s time to reduce farming capacity and stop shipping food into America’s urban centers.
We can call it a climate change reduction initiative as the Blue metropolis denizens starve to death.”
Yup. Don’t screw with the farmers. The not ready for prime time emission controls that we have put on their farm equipment has doubled their costs in the last ten years of farming.
On the origins of COVID-19
This is a long read, but seems very objective:
https://nicholaswade.medium.com/origin-of-covid-following-the-clues-6f03564c038
“Conversation from this morning”
https://gunfreezone.net/conversation-from-this-morning/
“Wife: “What’s going on with gasoline, you mother said there was a line at Costco and the map shows Alabama is red that we’re out?”
Me: [Explains] “(Cliff’s Notes version) there is oil and the refineries are making gasoline, the pipeline that ships it from Texas up the east coast is shut down due to hackers.”
Wife: “Well, I need gas.”
Me: (Excitedly) “We can take the war rig to bring back guzzaline from Louisiana all shiny and chrome.”
Wife: (Deadpan) “No, you cannot go all shiny and chrome.””
Oh man !
I have seen Fury Road three times now and am ready for my fourth viewing.
To put it mildly. Problems with vision are scary events. Good you got it early without extensive damage.
One Friday night many moons ago I was going out to dinner with friends. Suddenly my left eye had millions of tiny spots in my vision. I did not think much about it as the spots only showed when looking at a large expanse of a single color, basically the sky. So carried on as if what was wrong, could wait.
Monday I scheduled an appointment with my eye doctor. He immediately made room for me. After a quick examination he sent me to a retina surgeon in the next building over. Of course he first scolded me heavily and said I should have called his office’s answering service immediately. He stated he would have opened his office at 10:00 PM as the situation was that critical. The retina surgeon immediately scheduled me for a vitrectomy the next day after also discussing my stupidity.
That started a long road of vitrectomies, retina lasered, cataract surgery, and some sort of laser ablation of some membrane behind the lens. All very costly, insurance covered most of the procedures after the hefty deductible. I had been put under three times during those procedures.
Basic wisdom from the doctors. Get an full examination every year from an eye doctor, preferably a surgeon. If anything suddenly changes call the eye doctor immediately or go to the ER. I have been warned.
Good luck with your condition Lynn. You may eventually learn to ignore the halos. Glaucoma is easily treatable and the daily drops are not that much of a hassle. The technology on the affliction is excellent.
The laundry area in our forever home is recessed into the concrete floor with a drain forming a tub to deal with leaks and suck. It was set far enough down that my petite wife could just reach the bottom of the tub
I have seen Fury Road three times now and am ready for my fourth viewing.
When you take the Warner Brothers Studio Tour, in the museum behind the gift shop, you will see a glass case with all of the “Fury Road” Oscars … including one conspicuously empty space.
Take your pick — Director, Visual Effects, or Best Picture.
Maybe that should be three empty spaces.
Who is going to watch “The Revenant” (Best Director) in 20 years?
Make it a double feature with “Baby Driver”. George Miller consulted on the driving sequences.
@MrAtoz
Call for a vote on electing Garland and Biden to the poc caucus.
Lynn, I echo others’ comments on your glaucoma. Most of the time it is easily treatable. I developed it several years ago after cataract surgery, although my new eye doc says that was a coincidence. People seem to develop it based on genetics, I think. Use two kinds of drops, one three times a day, and the other once. Simple for me. I go for a visual field test about once a year, and have had stable results until about six months ago. I go for another in a couple weeks. Doc says it might have been a test issue, but should be careful to have another look. The pandemic messed up my schedule.
Interesting fact. I have always had good night vision, and still see better at night than in bright daylight. I used to do astronomy, and would be careful of my dark adaptation, and that experience might be in play. My wife sees much better than I do in the daytime, but I see better than her at night. She calls me a bat. I think that is related to vision.
House Republicans voted to oust Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as conference chair in a Wednesday morning vote, following months of brewing friction over her constant criticisms of former President Trump, according to Axios, citing two sources in the room. The decision was made by voice vote – which means there will be no accounting for who voted her out, or who wanted her to stay. According to The Hill’s sources, “it was an overwhelming vote against Cheney.”
–well
“RINO hunting season has begun.”
“RINO hunting season has begun.”
My wife’s nephew is working on a commercial in Florida for someone planning to challenge Little Marco in the primary next year.
@Lynn
“RINO hunting season has begun.”
That one’s not done until she’s primaried out and then loses the general election. It’s going to be a Murkowski situation with all the Dems in Utah crossing over to vote for her in the general, so she needs to lose Yugely!
“Biden’s energy sec says ‘pipe is best way’ to transport fuel, sparks backlash regarding Keystone XL pipeline”
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jennifer-granholm-pipeline-comment-backlash?fbclid=IwAR0rGQRRcu9A3T3UETah1vrRzRVsfQNB05zOVYoX-7SNrdRgq-3pU3sEr8Y
“President Biden’s energy secretary is facing renewed backlash for canceling the Keystone XL pipeline permit after she admitted this week that using a pipeline is “the best way” to transport fuel.”
“At a Tuesday press conference, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm was asked by a reporter about the “feasibility of using rail cars” to transport fuel across the country as the nation faces a gas shortage from a Russian cyber attack.””
Yup. Idjit.
Opinions on the quality of the Presidents may vary, but none of them tried (or certainly did not come close to succeeding) to turn their party’s congressional caucus (that may not be the right term) into a worshipful monolith. As a Canadian in a parliamentary democracy, I live in a political system with strong if not ruthless party discipline where the leaders policies ARE and MUST be the policies of all his elected party members. To disagree publicly is to get the boot from the party and you will likely be unable to get re-elected as an independent. That works in Canada, due to a different system with different rules (and you can debate if it really works that well). It does not seem to me to be the American political tradition and I don’t see this as a good idea in a system that emphasizes a separation of powers and checks and balances. I am not historically savvy enough to know if this situation has ever occurred before in the US but I don’t think it has in my lifetime.
Since they all lie, about all you can judge a new candidate on is personality and party affiliation.
Trump exposed the one party system that has been allowed to develop since the adoption of the changes to the way senators are elected. That was a serious blow to State power and a huge boost to the ‘Senator for life, beholden to the money guys’.
n
Yes pipelines are better. A lot safer than railcars. There was a derailment in Quebec in the town of Lac-Megantic a few years ago of a train with 72 tank cars full of crude oil. The explosion and fire destroyed the town and killed 47:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac-M%C3%A9gantic_rail_disaster
Without Keystone XL, a great deal of Alberta oil is going to US refineries via railcar. What could possibly go wrong?
What could go wrong HAS gone wrong already.
————————————————————————–
and if anyone needs MORE evidence that social media can’t do anything but hurt you…
–drew the wrong kind of attention, gonna pay for it.
n
Mao would be proud and Stalin must be clapping. Xi is a real worry.
Wonder if the US Generals who wrote their letter are facing the same risks as the French Generals?
None of the letters bode well for health of our country.
n
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9572723/More-120-retired-generals-admirals-wrote-Biden-suggesting-wasnt-legitimately-elected.html
Oh dear!
https://jalopnik.com/james-may-had-to-dismantle-his-tesla-model-s-to-charge-1846881619
How interesting. For those who are not fans of Top Gear, James May is British. I suppose I didn’t need to say that, but it does explain some of this polite rant. I don’t think Google has an English to American translator. No car is perfect. Some less than others.
Lemmings are hilarious. Sad, but hilarious.
Seeing pics of people filling gas into tupperware containers, plastic storage bins, etc.. Lots of folk vying for Darwin awards. Even if the gas doesn’t eat through the plastic (which it generally will), what’s the end game? How, exactly, are you going to get gasoline from your plastic storage bin into your car? With a spoon?
That’s a lot of vinegar. If you imagine doing something like that on a regular basis, consider buying concentrated acetic acid from a chemical supply shop. You can get up to 80% (do be careful of your eyes). Dilute it down before adding to the wash (concentrated, it will bleach some colors). Vinegar from the store is usually 3%.
Trump was only elected, because he was better than the alternatives. Which was a low bar to clear.
Trump appears to be the type who wants to be surrounded by yes-men. In his administration, anyone who opposed him, was summarily fired. “Two rules: 1. I’m always right. 2. If I’m wrong, see rule 1.” Not a good look on a chief executive.
One sure wishes the US would come up with better candidates, but after filtering through the political machine, the only people left are corrupt. Once a generation, you get some outside maverick like Perot or Trump.
@Lynn: Sorry to hear that. Getting old sucks. At least you caught it early.
It’s hard for the ordinary person to know what’s important and what’s not. See Ray’s story about floaters. Floaters are perfectly normal, but sometimes…they aren’t.
There’s an interesting initiative on the ballot here. Initiatives here become constitutional amendments, so they are pretty important. This one says: No subsidies to anyone who uses pesticides, herbicides or prophylactic antibiotics. Oh, and you can only have as many livestock as you can feed from your own land.
There are a lot of subtleties and fine points to consider – the whole issue is hugely complex. But there’s little question that this would substantially reduce farming in Switzerland, because most farmers here live off of subsidies.
I’d really like to see the whole world follow the New Zealand model: no agricultural subsidies for anyone. If you do it across the board, it’s an even playing field. Sure, food prices will go up, but taxes (should) go down.
Always like to start my mornings with a good laugh!