Hot and humid but should be clear. Yesterday the humidity was lower than “dripping” so it was nice in the shade. Plenty of breeze too. Today should be similar. Still, it was over 80F when I went to bed.
Did some errands. Picked up some stuff. Did some work for my only remaining client. Petted his dogs. Played with mine. Had chinese food for dinner courtesy of FIL, and will go out for dinner tonight.
This morning I’m going to my non-prepping hobby meeting. It is nice to be getting together again to celebrate our shared interests. I should also see some of my ham lunch guys there too, and learn the fate of our in person lunch meeting. We might finally get that back up too.
Things around here aren’t ever going back to “normal” but they are getting closer. Lots of masks on people still, and I usually wear one when around crowds indoors, but plenty of people without masks too. And I’ll probably just wear a ‘medical’ mask at my meeting, and will remove it at some point, when we’re not shouting in each other’s faces.
I admit I won’t feel comfortable in a shoulder to shoulder crowd for a while. Of course I’m never really comfortable in that kind of situation anyway.
Still looking for a getaway spot. Still priced out of the market. Looks like my next door neighbor sold his house though. The sketchy renters will hopefully be the last for a while. That makes the house across the street, and the house next door into wild cards if things get sporty. I will just hope for the best, and keep my eyes open.
I got another 6 blueberries today with a whole bunch still on the bushes. Baby steps. If only the peach would start to produce. The apple needs to grow in a couple more years but it is growing well this year. At some point I will have to pull out the dead lemon, orange and grapefruit, but it’s really far down my list at this point. They look like alien sculptures after all the pruning I’ve done over the years.
Tomato plants are still huge tropical jungles of foliage, but they are not producing as much fruit this week as last. It is finally too hot. New grape vine died, and the old died back almost to the rootstock. While it is recovering, it hasn’t been very vigorous this year either. Herbs are going gangbusters, far more than we need or could use. Funny, I just realized I didn’t plant any peppers this year. I think this is the first year I haven’t since I started the garden experiments. Ebb and flow.
Well, I’m off to see some people and share a common interest, in person.
Stack your reference library, and your apocalypse library too. They are not the same thing. Stack all the things!
nick
Toyota seem to be the marquee of choice in the Middle East. I’d be surprised to see any Ford F-Series trucks there for military purposes.
From what I understand, 4Runners are popular there because they are real trucks, get decent mileage (25 hwy easy, even in older models) and most were made in Japan until recently. I have no doubt that’s where my wife’s trade ended up.
Yeah, Land Cruiser, but those are not every day bread-n-butter terrorist cell vehicles at those prices, and with the discontinuation in the US, they’re becoming desirable among collectors.
I go back and forth about whether it was a good idea to get rid of the 4Runner. The rack went out, and the track record of replacement racks lasting in that model are not good. OTOH, the engine/transmission ran like the day it rolled off the assembly line at 170,00 miles.
The ride was much rougher than the Exploder, however, and God forbid a tire change is necessary on a 4Runner.
We took the Exploder to Florida last summer. Smooth, quiet, even for a seven year old vehicle. So smooth, however, that I received my first ticket in nearly 30 years.
‘Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to sign a bill passed this week by state lawmakers that, beginning January 2023, will impose a tax of up to 17.5 cents per mile on heavy trucks that use Connecticut’s roadways.’
–well gee Olie, think there’ll be any unintended consequences from that??
FWIW, last time I looked at the numbers, 17c/mile would be double to triple what the DRIVER makes after expenses.
We dealt with CT at the last job where the ORT system on one system was only supposed to toll trucks. IIRC the Teamsters sued the state.
Separating the commercial trucks from private vehicles was getting tougher as people bought progressively bigger F-series behemoths and Amazon started playing games with length and height of their vans to skirt federal regulations regarding driver health while still maximizing delivery capacity.
I figured out a trick to the Amazon truck math last summer, but, prior to being fired, the buildup meant I had to be declared persona non grata at the company first so much of my work, including better vehicle classification was declared “stupid” by my manager’s manager, who I called “Shakes the Clown”.
(Too much T-therapy has bad effects, kids, including twitching hands and shrunken balls. Put that on the list as another potential bad consequence of a 50 year old guy trying to put his d*ck in crazy.)
77F and 93%RH at 730am. Windows are covered in condensation.
Headed out to be with people.
n
(yup, on purpose!)
@greg, headed out, so no google but I’d be interested in comparison of curb wt, 1970 station wagon vs 2020 F150. Or for that matter, 72 New Yorker vs Explorer. Cars have gotten lighter, trucks too to meet CAFE. Did they get light enough that the graphs crossed?
A V12 is heavy no matter what.
n
@greg, headed out, so no google but I’d be interested in comparison of curb wt, 1970 station wagon vs 2020 F150. Or for that matter, 72 New Yorker vs Explorer. Cars have gotten lighter, trucks too to meet CAFE. Did they get light enough that the graphs crossed?
“Cars” are much heavier now with safety requirements, and so-called light duty trucks like the F150 are much bigger/heavier than they were even 20 years ago.
Though in the case of trucks, marketing was a lot of what drove the F150, RAM, and Silverado to their current sizes. That first RAM out of the pipeline in the late 90s not signed off by Iacocca seemed to be the “it” vehicle that changed everything which followed. As trucks got better mechanically and lasted longer, IMHO, everyone wanted a statement, something different than the others, if they bought a new model.
Quick comparison:
70s Gran Torino station wagon (typical, my parents had one): 4000 lbs
*Regular* cab 2020 F150, real “work” truck — how many of those do *you* see on a regular basis: 4000 lbs
Extended cab 2020 “statement” F150 — lots more of these out there: 5000 lbs
Extended cab 2000 F150, pre RAM pipeline influence — 4500 lbs (things that make you say hmm)
2000 Explorer: 3700 lbs
2020 Explorer: 4400 lbs
2021 RAV4 — currently the most popular vehicle actually *sold* in the US: 3400 lbs
Mid 90s Taurus wagon — very popular vehicle at the time: 3300 lbs
Keep in mind, though, that engines/transmissions are *much* better than 40 years ago. The Bandit’s Trans Am stock from the factory had about as much HP as a Sentra/Corolla/Civic do today, but the car weighed about 1000 lbs less … or about three Sheriff Buford T. Justices. The Bandit was only hauling Sally Field and himself.
I’d say the jury is still out about drive trains now vs. circa 2000. The class actions are just getting warmed up.
I just saw an article about Fox body Mustangs becoming desirable among collectors for curb weight reasons to allow tinkering. Yeah, lots you can do with those if you don’t mind the 80s “secretary car” look — all that’s missing is the big hair behind the wheel.
Of course, the “secretary car” was part of the design philosophy for “Mustang” until the E-Mustang abomination.
Except secretaries named Donna. They drove Trans Ams. 🙂
@Nick
Close call:
wiki lists curb weight of a 1968-1972 second gen Olds Vista Cruiser at 4064 pounds.
350 cid standard, 455 optional
three rows of forward seating
121 in wheelbase, 218 inches overall
and skylight
2015-2020 13th gen Ford F-150 is listed as 4069-4653 (regular cab)
3.5L standard, 5.0L optional
one row of forward seating
122.4 in wheelbase, 209 inches overall
no skylight
ADDED: Just thinking about having some little cards printed to tuck under the windshield wipers of truck owners:
My Mom could park better than you park your truck, and her station wagon was bigger.
A V12 is heavy no matter what.
Well, if Ferrari matters, the Colombo series of diminutive 60 degree SOHC V12s were known for their light weight. The famed Jaguar DOHC inline sixes were considerably heavier. Both were produced in a range of displacements for many years. I tried to find weights for comparable displacements, but failed to find reliable numbers.
Here’s an interesting tidbit. Converting a thinwall cast iron block to an aluminum design can save a trivial anount of weight. The reasons are complex.
Early unibody cars were much lighter than their separately framed predecessors, with overall better strength and especially stiffness. They have added weight as mandated crashworthiness has entered the picture. This has outpaced lightness driven by CAFE rules. The recent lower weights were the product of dramatic size reductions.
It’s not all bad. Profitability is up.
@Greg; what’s the tire issue??
Tesla Model S Plaid: 4,767 lbs, 0-60 mph 2.1 seconds, 9.2 second 1/4 mile, 390 mile range, $119,990 msrp
Tesla Cybertruck (tri-motor): 6,600 lbs (est.)
@Greg; hoping all your family and friends are safe…
https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/austin-mass-shooting-12-hospitalized-after-attack-downtown/
So you could say they’re “deflating” their products – and deflation is better than inflation – right??
Yahoo! Voices: Chipotle customers are complaining about receiving ‘tiny’ burritos even as the chain says it’s raising prices.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chipotle-customers-complaining-receiving-tiny-202754692.html
I just got a check from the US government for $155.00. I have no idea why. I was expecting mileage from the VA for about $27.00. This check is a lot more than mileage. No letter of explanation. My middle initial is missing so I don’t think it is VA. All that is left is IRS. I am not due any tax refunds and those letters usually arrive before the check or with the check. Strange.
old joke making the rounds again:
A young engineer was leaving the office at 6 p.m. when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.
“Listen,” said the CEO, “this is important, and my secretary has left. Can you make this thing work?”
“Certainly,” said the young engineer. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.
“Excellent, excellent!” said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine. “I just need one copy.”
@lynn; guessing you never delete old contacts?
I suspect there’d be at least a few Feddies on these flights with appropriate ‘persuasion’ fished from the river that would ‘outrank’ the CPS staff.
Curious as to which Governors want to be responsible for starting a potential carnage on the tarmac?
The actual contact database file isn’t too big, but ACT! integrates custom forms, form letters, invoices, custom layouts layouts and the like. Takes forever to tweak it ‘just so’ but when you do it works great. Mine was even integrated with WinFax, so in a couple clicks I could send out a bill.
@Lynn
Probably be a good idea to export your db to an Excel file periodically if ACT! can still do that. Better than nothing in a situation like yours. You really do have my sympathy… 🙁
plugs be setting you up with his new “give billions to the IRS” budget to get fraudsters like yourself. WHITEY!
Except secretaries named Donna. They drove Trans Ams.
Doh! The rule of thumb is that girls named Donna drove Camaros.
I did know a Donna who went against the trend and wanted a Trans Am.
@Greg; hoping all your family and friends are safe…
We are not big into Austin “culture”. The last time we went Downtown was for an anime show on Memorial Day weekend, and we made a point of being out before sundown.
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/downtown-austin-shooting-leaves-at-least-13-injured
I’m guessing the suspects are either Amish or Menonite.
At that time of the night, the only other common demographics on 6th beyond the occasional tourist at the legacy side of the Driskill are soy boys, crazy women and 50 year old white guys trying to … well, you know. I’ve already used that meme today.
When we first visited Austin 20 years ago, Sixth was respectable to the point that the Mexican Consulate sat right across from the Driskill, but they moved out long ago, replaced by some kind of soy boy bar.
Covid took out the Irish Pub that tried to be something other than Bacchanalia.
@lynn: serious question: why in the world do you have a copy of your DB on every client? That’s what networks are for. How do you ever sync changes?
Thanks for that confirmation.
As for road maintenance taxes, when I was a kid in the 50s, there were discussions about that and trucks. Essentially went nowhere. I left that area in the late 60s, and don’t know anything about what they did after that.
And, just to be clear, a lot of road damage in that area was related to the several freeze and thaw cycles each winter, and the high water table. I have seen concrete two lane highways in the plains states that probably date to before WWII, They had their share of truck traffic, yet some appeared original (with a few patches) in the late 60s.
We can and do build better roads. I am amazed at some that seem to hold up for decades. The engineering exists. The compromises caused by politics are probably a big influence.
“and God forbid a tire change is necessary on a 4Runner.”
@Greg; what’s the tire issue??
If you own one, try a tire change one slow afternoon if you haven’t done so already.
The 4Runner is a real body-on-frame truck so the spare is mounted under the cargo area outside. The raise/lower mechanism is a pain-in-the-a**.
When the 4Runner started to slip in popularity as a grocery getter, Toyota added nearly a foot of length, several inches of height, and a lot of weight to turn the Highlander from a g-ed up Camry wagon to a crossover of roughly equivalent size.
The 4Runner is still popular, particularly in other parts of the world with different tastes than Americans, so a dramatic change to that vehicle was out. IIRC, most are still Made in Japan.
Bank statements – I keep mine for the past calendar year, my bank makes seven years available online. Haven’t received the actual canceled checks for several years, just check images as part of my statements.
Tesla Model S Plaid: 4,767 lbs, 0-60 mph 2.1 seconds, 9.2 second 1/4 mile, 390 mile range, $119,990 msrp
Sets the bar high for hot rodders. It would probably take $10k worth of mods to a $5-10k beater to top those numbers.
I remember a Top Gear episode where the British guys took a couple of Euro super cars and a Dodge Viper on a road trip that included a stop at a drag strip near Las Vegas. Ol’ Jeremy Clarkson was pretty confident in his high dollar plush bucket. This was a public entry night, where entrants were paired rather loosely according to supposed performance. Clarkson was lined up against some guy in a mini pickup that looked pretty innocent… until the green light. Blew him away by a whole bunch of car lengths at the end of the 1320. For all I know, this was probably arranged for show, but point taken. It was all in good fun.
Most stock production cars don’t turn in very good drag race times, but there are many exceptions. That Tesla is notable, and it has sophisticated controls to maintain traction. I drove an early single motor Model 3, and was impressed with it. My friend, the owner, encouraged me to do some full throttle standing start acceleration runs. The torque control was heavily biased for traction safety, but once it got rolling, the performance was pretty good. Almost like the 1960s drag racers with automatic transmissions, but smooth and quiet.
Performance and sports cars used to be brutal. They were hard to drive, and the ride was harsh. Nowadays, cars are very sophisticated, are easy to drive, and have all the comforts. Kinda boring for some of us. Oh, and they are mucho expensive. Maybe why the rat rod culture is gaining popularity.
“Tesla Model S Plaid: 4,767 lbs, 0-60 mph 2.1 seconds, 9.2 second 1/4 mile, 390 mile range, $119,990 msrp”
Sets the bar high for hot rodders. It would probably take $10k worth of mods to a $5-10k beater to top those numbers.
Easy if the expectation isn’t that the company makes money actually selling the cars.
So, I know we have some Ric Edelman fans among the regulars. What is the story behind his sudden stepping down from his leadership role at the company and “goodbye” broadcast of the radio show this morning?
I usually have the Saturday morning paid commercial shows on as background noise when I’m running errands. This morning, backing out of the driveway, I heard the usual Edelman spiel about the new Alzheimer’s drug bankrupting the country whe he suddenly shifted to talk about how he’ll miss the show and his job at FE.
BTW, I’ll give him the point about the Alzheimer’s drug. I wonder whose “beak is getting wet” there.
Swept under the rug early in the pandemic, Biogen’s hookers-n-steaks “leadership” conference in Boston in early 2020 may have been responsible for as many as 600,000 cases of WuXu Flu spreading out from the event according to one story I saw, but the generally held consensus is “only” 300,000.
@jimb:
Reminds me of the Top Gear episode where Clarkson took on the late Sabine Schmitz (the “Queen of the Nurburgring”) in a “quickest lap of the Nordschliefe” battle. She wiped the floor with him, 50-odd seconds faster for the lap, both driving the same diesel Jaguar S-Type.
Clarkson just broke 10 minutes for the lap, and Sabine said,”Bah. I do that in a van!” The Top Gear crew couldn’t resist that challenge, and returned the following year with a Ford Transit (not the Connect, its bigger brother), in which she just failed to break 10 minutes. Here’s the Top Gear segment, courtesy Youtube
Easy if the expectation isn’t that the company makes money actually selling the cars.
And if the buyer expects to take a big loss when it is time to sell. I would very carefully watch resale values and battery life if I owned one.
Still, what Tesla has done is impressive. The cars might not be that practical, but I would be tempted to own one, especially if I needed to drive it a lot. With 5k miles a year, a gasoline car is more practical… for now.
I have also mentioned a hobby electric car conversion (actually a mini PU) I have seen parked at our local supermarket. I haven’t talked to the owner. It looks like something I might do in my shop and drive only locally. My typical local trip is under ten miles, so range would not be an issue. It would be fun and almost practical.
Of course, not everything has to be practical. Ask any sports car owner. 🙂
Geoff, didn’t know about Sabine Schmitz. Thanks for the episode. Too bad she died so young. A real talent, especially if she could give the Stig advice.
Clarkson is a very good driver, with natural talent. Professionals have natural talent AND practice a LOT. Spending time very close to limits is good practice. Has to be done on a track, where they get to repeat each corner every lap. Some never learn, but the good ones go on to be rookies in their field. Some rookies get better, and graduate to be good competitors. The best of them win. The best of the best win consistently. Very few. Same for many endeavors.
https://www.investmentnews.com/ric-edelman-to-step-down-as-chairman-of-edelman-financial-engines-207407
I had not heard. At 63, he can enjoy life. I rarely listen to the radio, and have not heard his program in probably 20 years. I have read some of his books, and like that he is a maverick in the financial world. He has been successful, but I don’t blindly follow anyone. I DO try to read and form my own methods, but not a lot lately.
I recently looked at Charles Payne’s new book reviews. I thought I might buy it, but decided not to. I admire him, but I doubt there is enough useful in the book. I could be wrong.
I have also mentioned a hobby electric car conversion (actually a mini PU) I have seen parked at our local supermarket. I haven’t talked to the owner. It looks like something I might do in my shop and drive only locally. My typical local trip is under ten miles, so range would not be an issue. It would be fun and almost practical.
I could see DIY kits for that being available within the next decade if the states continue this asinine crusade they’re on to promote EVs as part of MAAS and eliminate sales of traditional vehicles. 50-100 mile range with an overnight charge on 120 V might actually be a practical use for what would otherwise be junkyard fodder, but the donor body/frame car would have to be older. Anything small and modern with cr*p drivetrains that will be gone at less than 100,000 miles like a Chevy Cruze will also have massive amounts of metal to meet the safety regs.
Maybe a “Bandit” Trans Am!
“Easy if the expectation isn’t that the company makes money actually selling the cars.”
And if the buyer expects to take a big loss when it is time to sell. I would very carefully watch resale values and battery life if I owned one.
Still, what Tesla has done is impressive. The cars might not be that practical, but I would be tempted to own one, especially if I needed to drive it a lot. With 5k miles a year, a gasoline car is more practical… for now.
Not practical? The thought police are going to be paying you a visit in the near future.
Not practical? The thought police are going to be paying you a visit in the near future.
No worries. They won’t find a brain. Just a slobbering idiot with a keyboard.
“Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration overruled—to much criticism—its own scientific advisory committee and approved the Alzheimer’s treatment Aduhelm. The agency made this decision despite thin evidence of the drug’s clinical efficacy and despite its serious side effects, including brain swelling and bleeding. As a result, a serious risk now exists that millions of people will be prescribed a drug that does more harm than good.
Less appreciated is how the drug’s approval could trigger hundreds of billions of dollars of new government spending, all without a vote in Congress or indeed any public debate over the drug’s value. Aduhelm’s manufacturer, Biogen, announced on Monday that it would price the drug at an average of $56,000 a year per patient, a figure that doesn’t include the additional imaging and scans needed to diagnose patients or to monitor them for serious side effects. The federal government will bear the brunt of the new spending. The overwhelming majority of people with Alzheimer’s disease are eligible for Medicare, the federally run insurance program for elderly and disabled Americans. If even one-third of the estimated 6 million people with Alzheimer’s in the United States receives the new treatment, health-care spending could swell by $112 billion annually. To put that figure in perspective, in 2020, Medicare spent about $90 billion on prescription drugs for 46 million Americans through the Part D program, which covers prescription medication that you pick up at your local pharmacy. We could wind up spending more than that for Aduhelm alone. Most of the costs will be borne by taxpayers. But Medicare beneficiaries will take an additional hit. Because Aduhelm is an infusion drug that will be administered in doctors’ offices and clinics, not taken at home, it will be covered by Medicare Part B—not Part D. Under Part B, beneficiaries pay 20 percent of the costs of their care, which, for a single year of Aduhelm treatment, will be at least $11,200. ”
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/06/aduhelm-drug-alzheimers-cost-medicare/619169/
First response is “No, hell no.”
Second response is “If this stuff worked why is Joe still writing new episodes of VeggieTales?”
Third response is “Put the financials of every one of those yes votes under a forensic audit and find out how they are getting paid.”
and the kicker:
“Worse still, Medicare also pays prescribing physicians 6 percent of a drug’s average sales price, a practice that encourages physicians to prescribe more expensive drugs. At an average price of $56,000 for Aduhelm, a physician stands to earn $3,360 for every annual prescription—which is likely to generate a lot of prescriptions.”
I don’t remember the exact details, but there was a radiologist (West Virginia?) that was pulling in big bucks confirming mesothelioma diagnosis. They busted him after figuring that he was reading patient’s x-rays at a clip of about one per six minutes.
Write two scripts a week and cover college at any school in the world? Tesla needs a new battery? Big weekend in Vegas coming up? Wife wants a new Beemer? Put up a storefront Alzheimer’s clinic for diagnosis, but bus the patients to the ‘burbs for treatment to make it harder for the gangbangers to jack your weekly deliveries? Put a legal clinic in next door for the brain swelling claims?
“A fire at a bus depot in Hanover caused millions of euros in damage. According to fire fighters, the fire broke out on Saturday afternoon at the Üstra transport company where electric buses were parked,
According to Üstra spokesman Udo Iwannek, the fire caused damage running in the millions. Five e-buses, two hybrids and two combustion engines were destroyed, as were also the building and the charging station.”
from a quote in the article:
“Although fires can happen anywhere, they become critical and dangerous when e-vehicles are involved. An affected battery acts as a powerful fire accelerant due to a chain reaction and must also burn out completely, which can take as long as two days. In February, Kulmbach in Bavaria became the first German city to close underground garages to e-cars as a result.”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2021/06/12/electric-bus-inferno-in-hanover-germanyexplosive-fire-causes-millions-in-damages/
How long until Benny the Torch and his associates put this new tool in their bag of tricks?
Drug names just crack me up anymore. What on God’s green earth are they thinking?
https://drugs.ncats.io/substances?facet=Development%20Status%2FUS%20Approved%20Rx
Or you can just order a mini pickup on the internet and have shipped to you from China.
https://electrek.co/2021/06/05/awesomely-weird-alibaba-electric-vehicle-of-the-week-changli-electric-pickup-truck/
Got home. Great meeting. Couple of new faces too.
Sat down at the computer and it is so slow it looks locked up. FINALLY get task manager to open and then Resource monitor. CPU chugging at 86%.
FFox HAMMERING pagefile, despite 24% memory available.
Hard memory faults maxed – FF has memory issues.
Looking at what else is hammering the disk.
FARGING WINDOWS INDEXER is indexing PAGEFILE? I’ve got indexing turned off on everything everywhere. Useless and a resource hog, so WTF?
Also MS updates downloading, DELL backup and recovery running, even though I don’t use it, Defender scanning, and windows MEDIA PLAYER reading each music file in sequence. WTF?
Kill FF, takes 10 minutes to clear out of the running programs list.
Hard memory faults drop to nothing.
Kill media player.
Defender ends it’s scan, reports, but doesn’t REALLY stop scanning.
system is hitting windows/system32/drivers the whole time…
And what do I see accessing the disk? windows READER of all things. I thought that got sh!tcanned a decade ago, so what the hell is it looking for?
Finally get everything killed, and the high cpu was IE with 3 of my cameras on HIGH rez. Set their streams back to lower rez and usage dropped under 20%.
Perfect storm? Or just really crappy practice and rudeness on the part of devs, along with stuff not doing what I’ve told it. READER??? Seriously?
n
@lynn: serious question: why in the world do you have a copy of your DB on every client? That’s what networks are for. How do you ever sync changes?
Speed. It is a large database with 30,000 contacts. The notes and histories are cached, the attached documents are not.
Act! automatically syncs all clients with the server. I did not set this up, it does this automatically. I imagine if two or three people are using the database then it would overwhelm the network.
Or you can just order a mini pickup on the internet and have shipped to you from China.
Cute little thing, but no cigar… yet. Wait for version 3! It is unbelievably low price. We live in interesting times. Still would like to build something, but no real need. I would use it for ~20 6 mile round trips to town per year, but my wife would like something we already have. Comfy, paid for, waiting to be driven.
I measure the life of a car in the number of cold starts and short trips, and try to keep those minimal. However, I will admit we have and have had cars that have done lots and lots of starts. Often, the upholstery wears out first. Lithium batteries ain’t cheap.
–so not gun violence, but likely gang violence….
Mayor jumps right in with the anti gun ownership message, completely contrary to actual statistics, and ignoring the people pulling the triggers.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/austin-mass-shooting-leaves-13-hospitalized-gunman-still-large
n
Gee, yah think?
–the exact reason we elected Trump – because he’s not part of the swamp. And it’s gaslighting to pretend that trump wasn’t “willing to cooperate”, he just tried to put US interests first, and the interests of the non-political classes at that.
n
Story is starting to get some traction and wider reporting…
–and they’re doing it with ez money
n
“Wall Street and the government are conspiring to destroy middle-class home ownership”
https://gunfreezone.net/wall-street-and-the-government-are-conspiring-to-destroy-middle-class-home-ownership/
“A bidding war broke out this winter at a new subdivision north of Houston. But the prize this time was the entire subdivision, not just a single suburban house, illustrating the rise of big investors as a potent new force in the U.S. housing market.”
“D.R. Horton Inc. built 124 houses in Conroe, Texas, rented them out and then put the whole community, Amber Pines at Fosters Ridge, on the block. A Who’s Who of investors and home-rental firms flocked to the December sale. The winning $32 million bid came from an online property-investing platform, Fundrise LLC, which manages more than $1 billion on behalf of about 150,000 individuals.”
This is freaking crazy.
A friend of mine rents a D. R. Horton home here in Fort Bend County. They are a good landlord. I wonder if the hedge fund will be a good landlord ?
“Video proof that qualified immunity needs to end”
https://gunfreezone.net/video-proof-that-qualified-immunity-needs-to-end/
“A cop flipped over a pregnant woman’s car because she didn’t pull over quick enough.”
The video is freaking amazing. I would be ok with defunding this cop.
Note to self: the next time I am driving through Arkansas, stop right there in the middle of the road if pulled over.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9679451/Man-20-caught-urinating-Houston-street-shot-dead-resident.html
–20, very likely drinking involved, macho culture, fairly quiet looking street, maybe new to the area…
n
absolutely NOT anything to do with constitutional carry, despite the fearmongering near the end of the article. 20yo not allowed CC of pistol (under any current laws) and what is his citizenship? And where did he get the pistol? Not allowed to buy a pistol in TX either.
no pix, I’m guessing not a sympathetic victim.
My memory might be going, but it seems to me there are command line switches to turn services on and off. Just a thought. I seem to recall I had a batch file to do that for some reason, for some purpose. Win 7. I may have even set them to run at startup.
Regarding percieved institutional purchasing of housing; I found this article
https://www.vox.com/22524829/wall-street-housing-market-blackrock-bubble
I would be OK with the cop being charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Certainly removed the force and loss of all pension benefits.
According to a local news station, the ASP initiated 144 “PIT maneuvers” last year with 2 drivers and 1 passenger killed…but hey, who’s counting…
https://www.kark.com/news/working4you/womans-lawsuit-against-arkansas-state-police-over-pit-maneuver-in-traffic-stop-gains-national-attention-after-working-4-you-investigation/
Officer involved identified here:
https://www.newsweek.com/rodney-dunn-arkansas-police-pit-pregnant-woman-1599257
I’ll raise you this from further down the article–
and
I wonder what time frame is covered by this statement– “single-family rental home companies accounted for less than 0.14 percent of homes purchased” and remember the weasel words “in some areas “.
Investor groups are probably not buying subdivisions in huge swaths of the upper mid west and the prairie states.. nor Arkansas.
The big funds bought a lot of ‘distressed’ properties after the 2008 collapse and turned them into rentals.
There is that phrase too, that is a red flag for me saying “partisan group” — “decades of locals opposing new home building”. That sounds like the group that wanted to put garden shed sized units in everyone’s back yard in WA and OR, and San Francisco. And a lot like the group that wanted to abolish restrictive zoning during the Obamma administration to destroy the suburbs.
n
(and my final argument/comment, if this is just getting started it might only be .14xxoo whatever, but if it’s the beginning of a trend, the numbers are always small.)
Been on the road for a week plus, hitting Denver to see my brother and the Seattle area to visit with my daughter and her wife for 5 days. Roads are crowded, hotel rooms can be expensive and scarce, even in small towns. Gas prices have been $3.50 and up for regular.
Not many car carriers on the roads, lots of campers and RVs. Trucks everywhere, some with crappy drivers. Why pass another truck at about 1/2 a foot per second on a flat road, when you are driving 10 mph below the car speed limit. Oregon and Washington have a top speed on the interstate of 70, even on long flat rural areas. Glad that other states let you go 80. Not that many cops out there, to my surprise.
Hope all y’all are safe. Still have another 5 days on the road, going to Nebraska to see brother and sister of the Good Doctor.
@ech, stay safe, and please report on what you see.
n