Fri. July 16, 2021 – ‘alf way thro’ teh month

By on July 16th, 2021 in personal, prepping, WuFlu

Just like the weather liars, I was wrong about yesterday. I’ll probably be wrong about today too 🙂 The beauty is no one will be docking my pay! It was nice in the morning so d2 got her outdoor camp time. By about 2:30 it was overcast and threatening. In typical Houston fashion, it was very wet in some places, and dry others. During my driving around (mostly north side) I could see the thunderstorm cells and I ended up going through my share of water on the way out and back. There was some pretty dramatic lightning too.

I’m hoping for similar weather today. Less rain would be nice though.

Did my pickups. It was very little stuff actually. I’ve been bidding on a lot less and trying to only fill gaps. Of course, when some Steiner binos come up, and they are crazy cheap, I might have to pick up another pair. I’m trying to always upgrade the basics. I’ve got Tasco binos, and even Sears, but I’ve been upgrading to Nikon pairs and even a Fujinon when I can. Good glass makes a huge difference. I have them stashed all over the place.

That is kind of a general principal too- get some thing as a prep. Then upgrade it when you can. At least you have the first item, if you need it. You can always keep it as a backup, or to pass to someone who has none of the item. There are a lot of things where this strategy is very effective.

It’s why I don’t vilify anyone for “panic buying”. It’s just buying, and once they have the thing, they can pause, draw a breath, and upgrade or buy something that is a better fit for them than the original purchase. In the mean time, they at least have the item. It also goes along with my “just get started” idea. Don’t sit there paralyzed by choice or by the fear of getting the wrong thing. Get something. Improve on it later.

The imperfect prep in your storage is infinitely better than the perfect prep still at the store.

—————————————————————-

Fedex delivered my replacement Dell monitor last night. I’ll get it out and tested later today. That was crazy fast for a bigcorp. The 10 year old signed for it.

Now I just have to get the resin printer sorted out.

Oh, and sell all the things. So that I can keep stacking.

nick

69 Comments and discussion on "Fri. July 16, 2021 – ‘alf way thro’ teh month"

  1. drwilliams says:

    ” The 10 year old signed for it. ”

    Good for incoming, bad for outgoing.

  2. Greg Norton says:

    Fedex delivered my replacement Dell monitor last night. I’ll get it out and tested later today. That was crazy fast for a bigcorp. The 10 year old signed for it. 

    Dell probably has a logistics fulfillment agreement with Fedex.

    If that is the case, credit Fedex for the efficiency with which the transaction got handled. A monitor is a simple swap.

    It took Dell six weeks to send a tech an hour up the road from Round Rock to CGI in Belton to fix my work laptop when the motherboard went kaput after less than a week of use.

    I don’t want to think about what the timeframe would be now. The parking lots of Dell HQ over at I35/SH45 are empty these days, with the H1Bs working at home in their jammies.

  3. nick flandrey says:

    The parking lots of Dell HQ 

    –lotta empty parking lots these days, and very light traffic.   It’s a bit uncanny driving around.

    78F and 92%RH this morning.  Bits of sun poking thru…

    n

  4. Greg Norton says:

    –lotta empty parking lots these days, and very light traffic. It’s a bit uncanny driving around.

    A lot of companies are targeting Labor Day as the end of the “working” from home extended vacation. We’ll see if the WFH Mafia lets that happen. The local Faux News has been fear mongering about “Delta” all week, and Austin moved their enforcement to “Stage 3” … for rules which expired yesterday and effectively mean nothing for anyone claiming to ve vaccinated.

    I know — Dude, sshhh, there’s day trading to be done and the kids have swim lessons.

    Yes, I have a problem.

  5. ech says:

    Diabetics account for two out of every five COVID-19 deaths in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association

    But, about 30% of those over 65 are diabetics. And I wonder how many diabetics are well-controlled. I know my mom wasn’t until she went into assisted living.

  6. Chad says:

    It’s actually a British dish, invented in restaurants in London by Bangladeshi chefs. It’s usually a mild curry in a cream and tomato sauce.

    Yep, most Indian cuisine sold in American restaurants is really British Indian cuisine. There’s usually some more authentic options on the menu, but the anglicized ones are the best sellers.

    The reasoning I heard years ago was that when India was a part of the British Empire that the British soldiers who rotated in and out of India returned to home and were craving those flavors but couldn’t find them in Great Britain. Nature abhors a vacuum. So, immigrants from the Indian subcontinent living in Britain started opening restaurants like crazy (and not ones targeted at the Indian expats but ones targeted at the British). The recipes were modified due to availability of ingredients and to have more mass appeal. 100 years later we have Chicken Tikka Masala (which, if I recall correctly, is the official dish of London and also included on a list of National Dishes of the UK).

    All I know for sure is that it’s tasty as hell. I could eat at Indian restaurants 7 days a week and naan… naan cooked correctly in a tandoor is the greatest form of bread.

    But, about 30% of those over 65 are diabetics. And I wonder how many diabetics are well-controlled. I know my mom wasn’t until she went into assisted living.

    I’m guessing most Type 2’s are not well-controlled. In fact, of the diabetics I’ve known only the Type 1’s seem to take it seriously. The 2’s, while likely genetically predisposed to their condition, are diabetic in part because of their lack of self control. When they’re first diagnosed (usually as “pre-diabetic”) they don’t make any lasting changes to their diet or exercise. So, their pre-diabetes progresses to diabetes. Then they progress from controlling it with pills to needing insulin injections. They seem to evolve this “I’ll eat whatever I want and just adjust my units of insulin accordingly” attitude. I know some that don’t even check their blood sugar… ever. They just take their prescriptions and continue to eat what they want. The only blood sugar monitoring that occurs is when their primary care doctor or endocrinologist checks their A1C at a regular exam and adjust their meds accordingly. I don’t know if those diabetics are in denial or what.

  7. Greg Norton says:

    I don’t know if those diabetics are in denial or what.

    Most of the US population is in denial about their personal health situations.

    With diabetes, it doesn’t help that the media has stirred the pot about insulin costs in order to keep everyone afraid of an Obamacare repeal. This has been a hot button issue for my wife, especially in the last year when fear = political power.

  8. SteveF says:

    Insulin should be provided for free, as should glucose monitors and other equipment. The costs of diabetes, in death and money, are enormously higher than those of SARS-CoV2, for which the economy was shut down and the federal government provided “free” tests and shots and incentive payments to hospitals.

  9. nick flandrey says:

    There is a huge amount of energy stored in those batteries…

     
    GM tells Chevy Bolt owners to park their EVs on the street and not in the garage at home after two ‘burst into flames’ AFTER their recall repairs

    GM is urging owners of some older Chevy Bolt EVs to not park them inside
    The carmaker has also warned to not charge them overnight due to fire risks
    The warning comes after two Bolt EVs caught fire after getting recall repairs
    The announcement includes Bolt EVs from 2017 through 2019 

  10. ITGuy1998 says:

    In fact, of the diabetics I’ve known only the Type 1’s seem to take it seriously.

    My son, 4 months into living with his Type 1 diagnosis, has the same observation.

    Most of the US population is in denial about their personal health situations.

    Just looking at the majority of people walking around, I would agree. Hell, I have 6 people working for me. 3 are morbidly obese (one is planning on having a gastro bypass later this year). Another was morbidly obese, but to his credit has dropped a significant amount of weight. I don’t predict long term success though, as he did it using a diet, and not a habit change. Of the remaining two, one has chronic health issues not due to weight, though he is overweight, and the other has Type II diabetes. He dropped some weight after diagnosis and is now overweight, but not obese.

    Goodness, just typing the above makes me want to go out for a run instead of taking my rest day today…

  11. drwilliams says:

    Working on a pool for first Bolt class action suit. Winner gets free bragging rights and free sub to this blog (if that’s ok with Nick).

    Each entrant claims a 3-hr weekday block between 8am and 6pm EDT.

    Mine is 3-6pm Mon July 19th.

  12. nick flandrey says:

    Bolt?

    n

  13. Greg Norton says:

    Bolt?

    A small EV GM developed with LG.

    No big deal since not many have sold beyond California.

  14. Greg Norton says:

    Working on a pool for first Bolt class action suit. Winner gets free bragging rights and free sub to this blog (if that’s ok with Nick).

    I’ll take the “No class action suit” slot.

    Again, not many Bolts were sold, and GM is still essentially a ward of the US Government. Plus CEO Mary Barra — former VP of HR — is a poster child for woke diversity in management.

    (Yes, Mary Barra has a EE, but she started developing “pointy hair” early.)

  15. nick flandrey says:

    Galactic fireworks: Astronomers capture stunning images of nearby galaxies that reveal the locations of young stars and the gas they warm up around them

    Researchers made millions of observations of nearby galaxy ‘cold gas’ regions
    It is thought these regions are where new stars gather material for them to form
    They used the Very Large Telescope and ALMA telescope in Chile for the project
    It is hoped the new observations will help astronomers learn more about stars

  16. nick flandrey says:

    One of my local auction houses has been selling off the remains of the Fry’s stores.  Not stock for the most part, I think what little was left got repo’d by the manf’s.

    They sold off all the signage and decor from the ‘oil field’ themed store last month.  I haven’t seen the NASA themed stuff yet.

    https://hodgesauctions.hibid.com/catalog/294485/frys-electronics-consignment-auction-conroe-location/

    n

  17. MrAtoz says:

    Is this a weakness of crypto:

    Nuclear-Powered Crypto-Mining To Begin In Pennsylvania Next Year

    Will Musk now allow you to buy a crypto-Tesla, but only with “green” crypto. This could water down the crypto craze. “Sorry, you have the *wrong* type of crypto, so it is worthless again.”

  18. Greg Norton says:

    One of my local auction houses has been selling off the remains of the Fry’s stores. Not stock for the most part, I think what little was left got repo’d by the manf’s.

    Near the end, Fry’s didn’t pay the manufacturers for stock and required an “on spec” arrangement for most of the last year of operation, only paying for merchandise as units got sold.

    Graphics cards and CPUs are not going to be in the auctions.

  19. nick flandrey says:

    Graphics cards and CPUs are not going to be in the auctions.

    –they weren’t in the stores either…
    n

  20. RickH says:

    I have Type II Diabetes. And it is well-controlled with diet (mostly) and drugs (Metfornim). HDL/LDL levels also good.

    My last A1C (last month) was 6.3, from a high of 7.6 two years ago when I started the meds. That value is back into the ‘pre-diabetes’ range (normal is under 5.7). Doctor is pleased with that number, as am I.

    So, moderation in diet, along with the drugs, has controlled my diabetes. I need to lose some weight, but that’s harder.

    I suspect that there are a good number of Type II Diabetics that are controlling their A1C level with drugs and diet improvements, even though they are still overweight. Metfornim is a great drug to help with that. And it has other benefits to good health – good for heart health, prostate cancer benefits, and offer neuroprotection that may reduce dementia and stroke risk. It also has a minor effect of weight loss.

  21. Greg Norton says:

    –they weren’t in the stores either…

    No one is going to have discrete graphics cards before the end of the year.

    The card hustle game is red hot right now. It will take a while for that to cool down.

    My daughter talks about online contacts who hustle stocks and graphics cards. 14-15 years old (well, in theory). They don’t want to go back to school any more than the adults want to return to day jobs.

  22. nick flandrey says:

    Hah, my girls are finding all sorts of delaying tactics and reasons why they can’t do the lego sales thing, at this time. LATER they surely want to, but not right now…

    n

  23. lynn says:

    “Friday Funnies”
    https://gunfreezone.net/friday-funnies-85/

    “2021 Women Olympics”

    That is just Nasty. Definitely Not Safe For Work. Definitely Not Safe For Lynn.

  24. lynn says:

    Wizard of Id: Social Distancing Knights
    https://www.gocomics.com/wizardofid/2021/07/16

    Shoot, I doubt that they can hold up those eight foot broadswords for more than a few minutes with one hand. And I doubt that they can even swing the broadswords with one hand.

  25. lynn says:

    “Dreamweaver’s Dilemma” by Lois McMaster Bujold and Suford Lewis
    https://www.amazon.com/Dreamweavers-Dilemma-Lois-McMaster-Bujold/dp/0915368536/?tag=ttgnet-20

    Kinda book number one of the the Vorkosigan space opera series. I read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by NESFA (New England Science Fiction Association) in 1997. NESFA has published almost all of the Vorkosigan space opera books in hardback for $25 each and some trade paperback, $12 each.

    The book starts off with a very good Sherlock Homes story, some very different short stories, a story about a pre-wormhole spaceship pilot for the Beta colony (14 years subjective from Earth, 100+ years actual) for a ramscoop spaceship, and third book that I have read containing the most excellent “Mountains of Mourning” novella. And several essays about writing science fiction.

    NESFA books can be bought on Amazon or at their website:
    https://www.nesfa.org/press/

    My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    Amazon rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars (29 reviews)

  26. Greg Norton says:

    Hah, my girls are finding all sorts of delaying tactics and reasons why they can’t do the lego sales thing, at this time. LATER they surely want to, but not right now…

    The kids my daughter knows want to be home hustling graphics cards and stocks instead of being back in school in a few weeks.

    I guess the parents registered Robin Hood accounts for the kids.

    I opened my power bill for last month yesterday to find it was half of the same month last year, with everybody home all day, including my wife, and the thermostat permanently holding at 74 upstairs.

    Earlier this year, the upstairs thermostat went back on the usual schedule.

    We’re definitely having a cooler Summer in Austin. Maybe that is why people are trying the mining thing. What’s another $100 on the power bill?

  27. paul says:

    And I do not get the Carry Pistol picture of the old man.

    Dirty old man = dirty pistol.

  28. Greg Norton says:

    @Nick – Comicpalooza is this weekend at the Houston convention center if you need an idea of the market for various pop culture collectibles. If you have Nintendo games, the Austin Classic Game Fest in a couple of weeks might be worth the time.

    We made the decision to pass on San Japan, the big anime show in San Antonio Labor Day Weekend. The health rules currently state that the show will enforce a “No exceptions 100% mask policy” all weekend inside the event space, and it was something they made up their minds to implement long before “Delta”.

    The shows aren’t fun with masks all day. The San Antonio convention center has limited ways to leave the building once indoors in the main exhibition spaces.

  29. nick flandrey says:


    And I do not get the Carry Pistol picture of the old man.

    –filthy carry pistol watching him detail his truck

    n

  30. nick flandrey says:

    Wife and kids will be way this weekend and then the kids will be at camp all next week. Once I figure out what to do with the dog, I’m headed to my secondary to hit it hard. I have one last chance to get it cleared out to the point I can get stuff out of the house.

    SO OF COURSE my wife is sending my links to get out of town for one last little trip before school starts back up… because we’ve got nothing to do between now and then.

    –replace A/C including all ducts
    –install generator switch — can’t happen until Centerpoint replaces svc drop
    –install whole house on demand water heater – was supposed to happen the day of the freeze.
    –take down kid play structure — replace or put pool there
    —– she’s talked to a contractor about in ground pools – not realistic at this point
    –finish bathroom remodel – 10 years of open studs is enough. She has to pick a floor plan, fixtures, and tile before any more work can happen (which has been true for 10 years, I’m so glad I didn’t pull the plumbing).

    and that’s just the big stuff, and doesn’t count shopping for a lake house, or any of the other things I’d like to do at home or me working at my secondary location to get it cleared out and the stuff sold.

    GAH!

    n

  31. lynn says:

    Bolt?

    A small EV GM developed with LG.

    No big deal since not many have sold beyond California.

    I have seen several GM Bolts here in Fort Bend County. The wokeness is high here in Fort Bend County. And then there is me and most of my neighbors who drive pickup trucks and SUVs.
    https://gizmodo.com/gm-warns-bolt-owners-to-avoid-unattended-charging-or-pa-1847307450

  32. lynn says:

    “South Africa’s largest refinery shut down amid looting”
    https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/news/2021/07/south-africas-largest-refinery-shut-down-amid-looting

    “South Africa’s largest refinery has been temporarily shut down as the country struggles with mass looting and the worst violence in years, an industry official said.
    A 50/50 joint venture between BP and Shell, SAPREF has a nameplate capacity of 180,000 barrels per day and accounts for around 35% of the refining capacity in Africa’s most industrialised economy, a net importer of petroleum products.”

    It is one thing to shut down your infrastructure for a plandemic. It is another thing to shut down your infrastructure for marching hordes of MZBs (mutant zombie bikers).

  33. nick flandrey says:

    Just moved some movies to an external drive for my wife to take with her on this trip.   I could have moved my entire movie collection, ~600 ripped DVDs, because that’s less than half a terabyte.    Jeez, I could fit 100+ movies on a big thumbdrive…

    I’m using an older toshiba 2.5″ SATA drive in a USB3 enclosure, with a USB3 cable, and a USB3 port on my desktop..     The transfer tops out at 100MB/s and runs there  until complete.  Don’t know what the limiting factor is…  It’s still plenty fast.

    n

    n

  34. MrAtoz says:

    We made the decision to pass on San Japan, the big anime show in San Antonio Labor Day Weekend. The health rules currently state that the show will enforce a “No exceptions 100% mask policy” all weekend inside the event space, and it was something they made up their minds to implement long before “Delta”.

    I hope it is a complete failure. Masks, daily temp checks. What’s next: vax passports and anal probes, annual COVID booster? I’m sure the commie Mayor loves it.

  35. nick flandrey says:

    @Dr Williams, re “Bolt”….     in the “catches on fire” article I linked I read “Volt” every time….

    n

  36. drwilliams says:

    Yeah, I checked twice and then had to confirm.

    We need more “olt” words.

    Dibs on “Zolt” for a new product tba.

  37. SteveF says:

    We have too many dolts, though.

  38. nick flandrey says:

    Huh. Google censorship of search results.

    I was thinking of other ‘olt’ words, thought of ‘colt’ then ‘coltish’ as used to describe women.

    google ‘coltish models’ then duckduckgo the same phrase, noting that what I wanted was pictures of models that could be described as ‘coltish’.

    Google tried to get me to change my search, and when I insisted, got one pinterest that didn’t actually have anything but headshots of ‘models’. Can’t describe ‘coltish’ from a headshot. One dailymail article that used the phrase, and a bunch of barely related magazine articles.

    Duckduckgo gave me the very first link (NSFW) pictures of ‘coltish’ models, many with very little clothing on. THen a whole image results section, and an appropriate reddit, and a few magazine articles.

    Quite a difference.

    n

  39. RickH says:

    @nick – did you check for similar ‘safe browsing’ settings in each search engine?

  40. pecancorner says:

    Google censorship of search results.

    Ya’ll do remember that Google has been doing this since the very beginning. right? Way back when there were still other search engines, the first time Google made news was when they got caught censoring Pro-life websites from turning up in any search containing the word “abortion”.  This was in 1995 or 96, IIRC. They got caught, apologized, and swore they’d never do it again. Except they just changed that one, but continue to censor, manipulate, and prioritize their own preferred results.  I don’t know if that story even still can be found… I think it was commented out of results, along with the stories about Amazon’s decade-long postage cheat.

  41. pecancorner says:

    This is remarkable – the way that vise was put together, allowing it to be taken apart and put back together again.

    Antique Fractal Vise Restoration.

    https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/2021/07/rare-antique-fractal-vise-restoration.html

  42. Alan says:

    Got my lawn mowed this evening, finishing just before the rain. It didn’t really need it yet and I was very tired to begin with but rain is expected for the next several days.

    And I’ve been thinking and thinking and still can’t think of a good reason not to just spray the entire yard with gasoline and torch it and not have to mow it again.

    Because…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5uthSOYNEo

    But then again, I’d wager that @SteveF does notf live within an HOA.

  43. Alan says:

    “Trucker Gary Brown Arrest: This is Why We Need National Concealed Carry Reciprocity”
    https://conservativefiringline.com/trucker-gary-brown-arrest-this-is-why-we-need-national-concealed-carry-reciprocity/

    “Texas trucker Gary Brown carried numerous firearms in the cab of his semi, which is completely legal in Texas. After all, at least 30 truckers have been killed in the last 18 months, so defending himself was a priority. But last September, on a run from Texas to Michigan, he was stopped by Michigan State Police and arrested when they found the weapons in his truck. (Bearing Arms)”

    ” “I didn’t realize I was breaking any laws here,” Brown said, “so I was surprised when I got pulled over and arrested.”

    National Reciprocity – yes.

    Bur until there is, Ignorance of the Law as an excuse here – sorry but no. If you think you’re responsible enough to carry a concealed weapon then you should be responsible enough to find out the current reciprocity laws. I’m sure there are plenty of websites that can tell you all you need to know. Or stop at the local gun store where you bought your gubs and ask.

    1
    1
  44. drwilliams says:

    Yes

    but

    are there any other examples of interstate commerce being criminalized by states?

    Maybe I’ve missed it, but I don’t recall any example of people with mary-j-wanna purchased in a state that “legalized” it–contrary to Federal Law (still Schedule I, baby) and many other state laws–being arrested while in another state. How much of it gets passed under the watchful eyes of federal TSA every day?

    Too bad he wasn’t Amish.

  45. SteveF says:

    3. Underage girls.

    I mean, sure, you can argue that people shouldn’t be items of commerce in the first place, if you want to be all legalistic about it.

  46. drwilliams says:

    Back in the day I had a pretty respectable collection of LP’s and a decent stereo system. I dubbed everything onto 90-minute Maxell (“It’s good for your heads”) or TDK cassettes using first an Akai tape deck and later a Nakamichi.

    I bought a lot of albums new, and greatly expanded the collection with used purchases. Many were from garage sales, and that channel was great in the 1980’s when CD’s took over.

    In the last few years the CD’s have been largely replaced by digital files, and that disc collection in turn has exploded. At this point it’s pretty solid, at least with charting albums from the last 50 years in rock, country, jazz and blues. What holes there are are usually obvious, so I do have a short list, and there are several underrepresented bands with 8-10-12 disc sets from their back catalogs that are trickling in as I get the time. At $4 a disc it’s hard to go wrong.

    I find myself listening more frequently to bands that did not make the gold and platinum lists. Some that were local/regional back in the day–Starcastle comes to mind–have not worn well for me. Some have gotten better with re-listening, such as the Freddy Jones Band.

    Some left a limited discography and folded–the Pousette-Dart Band, Guster, Jason and the Scorchers. Others, such as Southside and the Asbury Jukes or G.B. Leighton, had a flirtation with the big time but stayed around and produced a lot of albums that are lesser known.

    Obviously, these are only examples.

    Question:

    Anyone have any recommendations for lesser-known bands/CD’s that are more than worth a listen?

    ADDED: Forgot to mention: I’ve become more and more enamored of multi-artist collections. Time-Life and Rhino have a number of excellent examples, and the series under the Harley Davidson label has some excellent discs. The Canadian company Madacy is a plague to be avoided. Same question: Recommendations?

  47. MrAtoz says:

    Hoo boy, ProgLibTurd heads gonna explode:

    BREAKING: Federal judge rules DACA program is illegal, blocks new applicants going forward

    If only he would have called current DACAs *illegals*. Man is going to have a target on his back. Sorry, DACAs, just because your crimmigrant parents dropped you here doesn’t make you legal citizens.

  48. RickH says:

    Anyone have KiwiSDR (Software Defined Radio)?

    On Wednesday, users learned that for years, their devices had been equipped with a backdoor that allowed the KiwiSDR creator—and possibly others—to log in to the devices with administrative system rights. The remote admin could then make configuration changes and access data not just for the KiwiSDR but in many cases to the Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone Black, or other computing devices the SDR hardware is connected to.

    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/07/for-years-a-backdoor-in-popular-kiwisdr-product-gave-root-to-project-developer/

  49. Alan says:

    Uncle Joe today…
    (paraphrasing)
    “…Covid cases are rising because…Facebook…”
    “…and vaccinations are falling because…Twitter…”

    Sometimes it’s hard to blame him ya know, he just reads whatever ‘they’ put on the index cards they hand him.

  50. Greg Norton says:

    Anyone have KiwiSDR (Software Defined Radio)?

    No, but I seriously looked at it when it came out. Sad.

  51. Greg Norton says:

    Anyone have any recommendations for lesser-known bands/CD’s that are more than worth a listen?

    I always send Cats in Space money for advance orders on their albums.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzNf98z9QLE

    Their best single cr*ps on Facebook so don’t look for them playing the US anytime soon.

    I also buy Molotov Jukebox, but Natalia has been busy lately so new material has been minimal.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4vOkuT4Ero

    Yes, Tonks from Harry Potter. Or, if you prefer, Osha.

    No, I’ve never seen “the” Osha scene from “Game of Thrones”, but I imagine that she saved the show.

    BTW, straight. Her husband plays the violin.

  52. drwilliams says:

    @Greg Norton

    Thanks. I watched the MJ video, and within a second of the opening I had a “Blink” moment and was reminded of Geiger’s Bookstore and the scene after at the Acme Book Store, one of the best in “The Big Sleep”.

  53. nick flandrey says:

    @nick – did you check for similar ‘safe browsing’ settings in each search engine?

    –I don’t knowingly have any browsing restrictions set.  I’m on my machine, not the family one, and even that doesn’t have any browser restrictions that I know of.  Never tried googling for pron before, but my 12yo managed it no problem on her machine.

    @dr williams, I don’t recognize any of the bands you listed so I can’t judge what you like.  Foghat was an “almost was” when I was in high school, I like them a lot.

    Anything on Alligator Records out of Chicago, especially their “houserockin’ blues” artists.

    I grab every cd I can at the Goodwill outlet.  $1.19 per pound.  Some I triage, and after doing a couple hundred country discs for my daughter, I think I’m done with country.   I used to buy a lot of Laserlight discs back in the day, but I avoid them now.  Rip everything.   There were 2 Sony 300 disc libraries at the Goodwill Thursday.  Guy took all the discs, left the hardware.   They bring good money*, but I don’t need projects if they weren’t working.

    n

    *added- about $150 – 250 depending on condition, and they are heavy, so even at $1.20/ pound they’re still not free. And they almost always need a belt kit. More work and time and too big for me.

  54. nick flandrey says:

    I’ve got 430 folders in my ‘music’ directory.   Probably about the same on my wife’s machine with little overlap, but hers is in itunes so I can’t easily look.

    n

    added- folders are by artist, so most of them have several albums in the folder. Windows Media Player is stupid so “Various Artists” has 73 albums in it, which makes them kinda hard to find for playback too.

  55. nick flandrey says:

    I’m glad that Hand Tool Rescue seems to have finally hit teh big tyme with his fractal vise restoration.    It’s showing up everywhere.

    He’s an interesting guy and on my subscriptions list, but I wish he’d narrate more of his vids.

    n

  56. nick flandrey says:

    @dr williams,

    for somewhat out of the mainstream, I really like Gogol Bordello, which led me to modern gypsy and klesmer bands… I love the song American Wedding, and Wanderlust King.

    n

  57. drwilliams says:

    @Nick

    “Alligator Records out of Chicago”

    Two thumbs up. The 2-disc 25th anniversary is awesome.

    I’ve had good luck at Goodwill, but per disc not per pound. The Sony’s would have tempted me enough to do a power on/eject check. With the CD’s in they would have been in my cart.

    I’ve picked up enough good quality boomboxes and shelf systems that I have players in multiple rooms and multiple shop areas. I’ve ignored the ones with iPod connections seem to be plentiful, and I should look into using an adapter to an iPhone, I suppose… Projects… Still have two sets of beautiful speakers that need refoaming…

    Foghat was one of my rock staples in the 1970’s, along with Steely Dan, Blondie, BOC, Chicago, Elton John, Eagles, REO Speedwagon, Eric Clapton, Boston, Jethro Tull, Warren Zevon, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, LZ, Allman Brothers, Lynryd Skynyrd, CCR.

    Yes, and although I love The Guess Who, the world does not need another compilation album.

     

  58. nick flandrey says:

    For current bands but old music, I like electro-swing (a style), and J, Wesley Rowles tipped readers to Pokey LaFarge, who I like a lot. Post Modern Jukebox features a number of very talented ladies, and great versions of pop songs done in other (typically vintage) styles.

    I’m also listening to a bunch of metal from the late 90s, and the last 20 years, particularly out of europe as our metal bands are not to my taste.

    @greg, I’m really digging the Molotov Jukebox tunes.

    n

  59. nick flandrey says:

    The Guess Who, the world does not need another compilation album.

    -preach it brother…

    The Knack, Supertramp, Cheap Trick (still gigging), and all the greats of album rock on FM radio.

    n

  60. drwilliams says:

    “The Knack, Supertramp, Cheap Trick (still gigging), and all the greats of album rock on FM radio.”

    Agree. But FM radio fell out of my habit about 20 years ago, as the music turned to crap IMO. I look at the yearly compilations and past 2000 or so  they are not to my taste.

    $1.19 a pound at about 3 cd/jewelboxes per is too much if that includes Barbra Streisand and most Christmas music. No, I don’t need more Chip Davis, thankyouveddymuch.

    Thanks for the recommendations.

    Listening to a lot more country these days, too. Mostly 80’s and 90’s that I missed at the time.

  61. nick flandrey says:

    if that includes Barbra Streisand and most Christmas music.

    –yeah, I triage out any christmas and most current pop. There are a lot of fairly current bands I recognize the name, but don’t know the music. I triage most of that out too. Any rap or hip hop after about 1999 gets tossed to the side too.

    Found a nice stash of vinyl that must have come from a radio station, lots of classic 80s music, esp. ‘new wave’. I’m keeping those. Some weird spanish punk that sells for crazy money it going on ebay as soon as I get some time.

    When I see a bin full of vinyl, same $1.20/lb, I triage heavily. I look for hand drawn cover art, no UPC code, bands that I either know sell well, or that I’ve never heard of. Lawrence Welk, Feranti and Tisher, any christmas, herb alpert, all gets left behind. Opera and movie soundtracks and musicals I usually look up, but I’ll grab it if there is a lot and I’m rushed. Most of it sells between $8 and $12 per so it’s a good bet. And if it’s very odd and looks like a limited pressing, I’ll grab it.

    n

  62. drwilliams says:

    “going on ebay as soon as I get some time.”

    ha-ha-ha-clunk

  63. Nick Flandrey says:

    )8-)

    n

  64. Alan says:

    The Knack, Supertramp, Cheap Trick (still gigging), and all the greats of album rock on FM radio.

    Dire Straits and the Buggles (first song on MTV).

  65. brad says:

    That was crazy fast for a bigcorp.

    If nothing else, the Corona situation has caused all mail order companies to up their game. I just ordered some special lumber from a big home-improvement place. They shipped the same day, in fact, within about 2 hours. Crazy.

    Of course, one of the hardware pieces I ordered at the same time is shipping later – probably out of stock in the warehouse. So getting the lumber fast isn’t actually going to help. Oh, well…

    Insulin should be provided for free, as should glucose monitors and other equipment. The costs of diabetes, in death and money, are enormously higher than those of SARS-CoV2, for which the economy was shut down and the federal government provided “free” tests and shots and incentive payments to hospitals.

    Careful, there, or you’ll come around to the “free health care” side of things.

    While I totally agree with your comment, the same could be said of a lot of health problems. Heck, just getting regular checkups can be seen as a massive savings, compared to discovering serious problems the hard way.

    Not that we have free health care here, but the insurance system is regulated to the point that it just as well be. Your only meaningful option is saving a few bucks if you take a higher deductible, which still can’t exceed about $3000.

    On which note: I just had a checkup, and apparently have too much iron in my blood. For which the solution is: getting rid of blood. I joked with the doctor that medicine hasn’t really progressed in a couple hundred years, if they still prescribe bleeding as a treatment. I’m not allowed to donate blood, because I lived in the UK during the “mad cow” heyday.

  66. ech says:

    On which note: I just had a checkup, and apparently have too much iron in my blood. For which the solution is: getting rid of blood.

    My brother-in-law has this, hemochromatosis. He goes to the blood center, donates it, and they throw it away because he had HepC from transfusions as a child. He’s been cured via the new biologic, has an undetectable viral load, but they still toss it.

     

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