Fri. Jan. 17, 2025 – another week gone, no canned sunshine… hooray

By on January 17th, 2025 in culture, decline and fall, lakehouse

Still, cold and damp. It did clear up and turn into a nice sunny day, so that was nice. I’m hoping for more sun today. Probably cool to cold though, since winter is coming through later.

I took a nap after breakfast and felt better yesterday. Did my southerly pickups. I’ll do the northerly pickups today. Hit the goodwill bins, but it was mostly clothes so I didn’t get much. Some days the product mix is off and there isn’t much for me to look at. I only had time to stop at the surplus because D1 kept moving her pickup time around. Kid doesn’t plan. It did give me more time for my stuff, but meant no practice driving time for her.

Today I’ve got a bunch of moving stuff around and putting stuff away to do, then pickups to the north of Houston. I am headed to the BOL for the weekend so I’ll load the truck and get ready first. Then I’ll do the pickups on the way. No sense in coming home, then going back up that way later. I’ll have to do my pickup in Sugar Land first. Most of the stuff is headed to the BOL anyway.

Hopefully, we won’t lose power in Houston and freeze while I’m at the BOL making sure we don’t lose power and freeze up there. I will stop and get some extra gas for the gennie on the way. I can always put it in the truck later if I don’t use it up there.

First world is sliding to third world status.

That’s just one reason to prep. There are many more…

So stack up what you need. And be prepared…

nick

61 Comments and discussion on "Fri. Jan. 17, 2025 – another week gone, no canned sunshine… hooray"

  1. Greg Norton says:

    Hopefully things go better this time.  We have more gas turbines that have a week’s worth of diesel fuel on site now.   Maybe 5,000 MW.  And we have more solar panels, about 17,000 MW more.

    The upcoming weekend is a double Federal holiday, but both are on the same day.

    Feb. 2021 had Chinese New Year on Friday, Presidents Day on Monday, and Valentines Day thrown in for good measure on Sunday. 

    People lost their minds, crossed their fingers, and prayed someone else would be on the job Monday morning.

    The big problem this time around is more dweebs know about TeamViewer, and the WFH Mafia has been entrenched for four years.

    No one will be Downtown today working in the state or Federal offices.

  2. Nick Flandrey says:

    42F, and no breeze at the moment.

    Coffee is ready.

    n

  3. Nick Flandrey says:

    I added “drain sprinklers” to today’s list.   Maybe I won’t blow up the dang thing this year.

    n

  4. Ray Thompson says:

    Yes, but the thing I do believe: we impact way too much of the surface area. Not enough left for bugs and wildlife and such, especially not in fertile regions.

    Very much true in many cases, not all.

    In Oregon the greenies stopped logging operations where I used to live. The roads deteriorated, the undergrowth was uncontrolled. Then lightning struck. A massive fire that consumed thousands of acres of forest land. Firefighters could not get access because the logging roads were not usable. The fire did more damage than the logging.

    In the states logging is no longer clear cut and is instead done in patches. The patches are then replanted. The forests are well managed in the states and Canada.

    This is not so true with third world countries. That is a very real problem. These countries destroy with rampant disregard for the land.

  5. EdH says:

    From a reddit thread about a Carribean airliner being diverted because of rocket debris, with video from the plane window:

    Starship blew up in front of us. Had to divert

    “I’ve seen things… seen things you little people wouldn’t believe. Starships on fire off the wing of an airline bright as magnesium…”

    “All those moments will be lost in time…like tears in rain.”

  6. nick flandrey says:

    Only with wealth does one become “worried about the environment”.   And since that wealth often comes at the end of a long exploitation of the environment, there is a bit of “I’ve got mine, but now you don’t get to get yours.”

    add to that, our “environmentalism” often/usually just means we are exporting the pollution to somewhere else.  We aren’t stopping using the resource, we’re just not tearing up our backyard to get it anymore.  We let others tear up their backyard, and use the fruits of their labor.

    Since we are using those fruits, they don’t get the benefit of tearing up their backyard, like we did.

    ——–

    So I am skeptical of any call for environmentalism, while the resource extraction continues somewhere.

    n

    10
  7. Greg Norton says:

    So I am skeptical of any call for environmentalism, while the resource extraction continues somewhere.

    The entire EV grift is based on resource extraction happening elsewhere.

    Jesus Trucks were never going to cost $40k.

  8. Greg Norton says:

    The driver whose 2017 Silverado was hit by my daughter last month has hired an attorney and notified our insurance that he will pursue a personal injury claim.

    The Gecko only gave him $14k for the truck, which doesn’t even come close to replacing the vehicle.

    The personal injury cap is $30k on the policy, but try to find a half ton truck in reasonable shape used for ~ $40k.

     New? Fuggedaboudit. Even non-EV half tons are above that price point with an extended cab and decent bed like the other driver had, obviously for work reasons.

    I can’t believe a Corolla totalled a Silverado. We fixed the Corolla, but it was pricey.

  9. Ray Thompson says:

    The driver whose 2017 Silverado was hit by my daughter last month has hired an attorney and notified our insurance that he will pursue a personal injury claim.

    General rule is the maximum that will be paid is twice the medical bills unless there is a loss of limb, sight or hearing; only up to the limits of the policy. If he did not go to the hospital and does not have medical bills, he may get nothing or $1K to make him go away. The insurance companies have very good lawyers.

    When my wife hit a guy I was notified that he was suing for $25K for pain and suffering and I was to pay within the next two weeks. I wrote back and told the lawyer that courts are the only ones that can force me to pay anything and to deal with the insurance company. Other than that, “pound sand”. Yes, I used those words. The other guy was not injured. He had been contacted by an ambulance chasing sleaze bag lawyer.

    There was a scratch on his bumper, my damage was $750.00. The insurance company paid $2K in medical bills. He got nothing else. He threatened to sue for more. The insurance company told him he could sue for more but they had very good lawyers. When they won they would go after him for legal fees for expensive lawyers and his insurance does not pay those fees. He backed down.

  10. Greg Norton says:

    General rule is the maximum that will be paid is twice the medical bills unless there is a loss of limb, sight or hearing; only up to the limits of the policy. If he did not go to the hospital and does not have medical bills, he may get nothing or $1K to make him go away. The insurance companies have very good lawyers.
     

    The other driver was spry enough to change his shoes and work the fender with a crowbar sufficiently so the truck would move without the tire scraping metal.

    I gathered he was in some kind of trade, possibly in the US illegally. The truck was important to him to earn a living.

  11. EdH says:

    Another California battery storage center on fire, with evacuations:

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/01/17/massive-fire-engulfs-moss-landing-battery-plant-triggers-evacuations/

    They need to rethink the engineering on these.   Or the siting.   Or both.

  12. Ray Thompson says:

    The other driver was spry enough to change his shoes and work the fender with a crowbar sufficiently so the truck would move without the tire scraping metal.

    That should be communicated to the insurance company. The insurance companies are good at recognizing a scam.

  13. Ken Mitchell says:

    Here’s a link to the video of the Starship burning up that EdH referred to above. 

    https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1i34dki/starship_blew_up_in_front_of_us_had_to_divert/

  14. EdH says:

    @Ken, yes, that’s the one, thanks for the save.

     I guess while formatting the text I zapped the actual link.

  15. Ken Mitchell says:

    EdH, I have NEVER in my ENTIRE LIFE forgotten to add the link (or attachment, or whatever) to the message I’m trying to send.

    NOOOO, NEVER!!!!

    (Well, maybe once. Or twice. Or a few dozen times, but that was ALL!) 

  16. Brad says:

    The personal injury cap is $30k on the policy

    Um…that seems crazy low???

  17. Lynn says:

    “Texas-headquartered BP announces massive layoffs, workforce reduction”

        https://www.chron.com/business/article/houston-bp-layoffs-20040507.php

    “Nearly 5,000 employees will lose their jobs and roughly 3,000 contractors will be cut.”

    And so the massive layoffs in the crude oil and natural gas industry start.

  18. Greg Norton says:

    Um…that seems crazy low???

    $30,000 is Texas minimum. I pay an insane amount of money for that policy.

    Checking quickly, I actually have $50,000/$100,000, but Geico indicated that they told the other party’s attorney that they would only cover up to $30,000. At least, that was in my quick notes — yesterday was not a “WFH” day.

    I wonder what is going on.

  19. lpdbw says:

    Mr Atoz (others welcome to respond)

    1. Air fryer brand/model recommendations
    2. How long do you cook the steaks?
    3. How thick are they?
    4. From frozen, fridge, or room temp?
    5. How do they end up?   Rare, medium, etc.?

    Considering going stricter carnivore than my current meat-heavy diet.

  20. Ray Thompson says:

    Geico indicated that they told the other party’s attorney that they would only cover up to $30,000.

    Geico should have never even told the other party that information. That information on policy limits should be reserved for the judge while in court. By divulging that amount the other party will seek the maximum, maybe more. There is a lot that takes place behind the scenes in the insurance game when dealing with auto accident claims. Maybe the company has to provide an amount. Which is sort of useless when they lie.

    In both of the accidents I was involved where the other party was at fault, it was difficult getting the settlement. It was about twice the medical bills (ER visit) for one where the other guy had insurance. It took 11 months to get that settlement of $3K. The other guy had a crappy insurance company that refused to pay the medical as I had health insurance and basically said “sue us.” THP ruled him 100% at fault, he was on drugs, but his insurance still ruled me at 15% at fault for the liability. I complained and they still said “sue us.” My underinsured motorist coverage would not pay the difference as it was his insurance not paying so it was not their problem. Traveler’s Insurance, my now former insurance company, sucked.

    I have learned to never say anything about the accident at an accident other than to a police officer.  And only answer questions and nothing else. Additionally, do not say anything about the accident to the other insurance company. Tell them to look in the police report or send them the police reports. Threats of not paying unless a person talks to the insurance company are bogus. Talking with the other insurance company risks maybe saying something that will compromise the settlement.

    In my accident with the DUI guy I was told by the DA I would get screwed twice, once by insurance, once by the legal process. She was right. However, since it was a DUI, what his crappy insurance did not cover had to be paid by him. If he failed to pay a warrant would be issued for his arrest.

  21. Lynn says:

    “Through the Storm (2) (TransDimensional Hunter)” by John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer
       https://www.amazon.com/Through-Storm-2-TransDimensional-Hunter/dp/1982193840?tag=ttgnet-20/

    Book number two of a two book science fiction series.  I read the well printed and well bound MMPB that I bought new from Amazon that was published by Baen in 2024.  I look forward to the third book in the series.

    Lynn Raven is a 17 year old girl living with her ER nurse widowed mom in the Baltimore area of the USA in the 2040s.  Lynn moonlights after high school as an old mercenary named Larry Coughlin, a Tier One player in the WarMonger 2050 FPS (first person shooter) online game.  She collects guns and health in the game for resale for hard cash dollars, helping her mom out with the bills and saving money for college.   And she also torments boys in her school, killing their characters randomly in the WarMonger game.

    Lynn was personally recruited by the billionaire inventor, Robert Krator of WarMonger 2050, to move to his new game, an outdoors AR (augmented reality) FPS game called TransDimensional Hunter, as a beta tester with free equipment and such.  She and her team of fellow high school students ended up winning the first worldwide competition of the game. But now the AR game is getting more intense and their team is having conflicts.  And weird things are happening around planet Earth with electrical supplies.

    As usual with John Ringo books, Ringo dedicated the book to:
    “As always
    For Captain Tamara Long, USAF
    Born: May 12, 1979
    Died: March 23, 2003, Afghanistan
    You fly with the angels now.”.
    Lydia Sherrer dedicated the book to her dear readers.

    My rating:  5 out of 5 stars
    Amazon rating:  4.8 out of 5 stars (724 reviews)

    Lynn

  22. Lynn says:

    I added “drain sprinklers” to today’s list.   Maybe I won’t blow up the dang thing this year.

    What the ??? are drain sprinklers ?

  23. Lynn says:

    Pearls Before Swine: Watching A Movie With Rat

       https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2025/01/17

    Oh no, I am Rat !  A very large Rat.

  24. Lynn says:

    “”Sorry, Bill”: Android co-founder says Bill Gates is responsible for “the greatest mistake of all time,” costing Microsoft $400 billion”

        https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/android-cofounder-bill-gates-responsible-for-the-greatest-mistake-of-all-time

    Yup.

  25. Lynn says:

    “Texas company raises $200 million to make Jurassic Park happen”

        https://www.chron.com/life/wildlife/article/colossal-biosciences-mammoth-20038093.php

    “Colossal Biosciences wants to resurrect the woolly mammoth, the dodo bird, and the Tasmanian tiger.”

    You know, the woolly mammoth was killed off by humans for a good reason.  Walking through people’s forts and homes is a bad thing.

  26. nick flandrey says:

    @lynn, “TO drain the sprinklers…”

    and now I’m loading and headed out.

    Rain is just starting.

    n

  27. Lynn says:

    “New GOP bill seeks to hold private universities to same tax standard as corporations: ‘On notice'”

        https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-gop-bill-seeks-hold-private-elite-universities-same-tax-standard-corporations-on-notice

    “Private universities are currently taxed 1.4% on endowment investment profits”

    “Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, is expected to introduce legislation on Wednesday, the Endowment Tax Fairness Act, to raise the excise tax on annual private university endowment investment returns by nearly 20 percentage points, from 1.4% to 21%.”

    I suspect that Troy, my congresscritter, may get some pushback on this.  I am ok with the increased tax.

  28. Lynn says:

    “US will hit debt limit on Tuesday, Yellen says in letter”

       https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-hit-debt-limit-tuesday-214303929.html

    Biden has given away the entire USA treasury.  Even though it was really empty to start with.

    Biden is the worst President ever.

    10
  29. Greg Norton says:

    Geico should have never even told the other party that information. That information on policy limits should be reserved for the judge while in court. By divulging that amount the other party will seek the maximum, maybe more. There is a lot that takes place behind the scenes in the insurance game when dealing with auto accident claims. Maybe the company has to provide an amount. Which is sort of useless when they lie.

    The Gecko is pretty sharp so my guess is that they didn’t state that we had more than Texas minimum and simply agreed to accept responsibility for a possible injury due to the nature of the collision.

    Things are on fire at work this week so I could only listen, take a few notes, and be careful not to agree to something while distracted. The call was FYI from Geico, a one way flow of information, except for me describing the driver working the crowbar and changing his shoes.

    I think that the other driver will try to get a replacement truck. Figure another $10k on top of the $14k already received.

    The societal cost of turning half ton pickups into commuter vehicles and grocery getters in suburbia over the last 25 years is that the trades people pay a high price for a work truck.

  30. Lynn says:

    “LA home spared during fires gets split in half by mudslide, raising new concerns for officals”

       https://nypost.com/2025/01/17/us-news/la-home-spared-during-fires-split-in-half-by-mudslide-raising-new-concerns-for-officals/

    Unreal.

  31. EdH says:

    You know, the woolly mammoth was killed off by humans for a good reason.  Walking through people’s forts and homes is a bad thing.

    There’s a reason prehistoric stone structures are described as megalithic:

     megafauna.

  32. Lynn says:

    The societal cost of turning half ton pickups into commuter vehicles and grocery getters in suburbia over the last 25 years is that the trades people pay a high price for a work truck.

    Not really.  The reason why the trucks cost so much is the cost of 6,000+ lbs of raw materials that go into them.  Raw materials have doubled in price in the last 6 or 8 years.  Plus there are more computers in trucks too.

    My neighbor two streets over has a 1964 Chevy C10 parked next to his 2017 F-150 4×4.  The 2017 crew cab F-150 is huge compared to his 1964 single cab C10.  The F-150 is a foot taller and five foot longer.  Wider too by six inches.  Yet the C10 has a 390 cubic inch big block in it but weighs less than 4,000 lbs (SWAG).

  33. Greg Norton says:

    “”Sorry, Bill”: Android co-founder says Bill Gates is responsible for “the greatest mistake of all time,” costing Microsoft $400 billion”

    Windows Phone was not terrible in the end, with some interesting tools for developers, crisp native C++ app performance, and decent integration with Microsoft services, but the adults in charge in Redmond seemed determined to purge the BillG and “Slaphead” (Ballmer) CEO eras.

    As of late, BillG is rumored to be back in charge behind the scenes, pushing the company into AI.

  34. EdH says:

    Just resecured a translucent fiberglass side panel on the RV structure.   Heard it banging earlier but didn’t realize what it was until  just after lunch.

    Actual Repair time: 5m,   

    Assembling  tools, ladder, metal screws, some battens, carrying it all up, then carrying it all down: 1hr+.

    The west winds aren’t bad today (30 gusting to 40), I think it was the nearly 60 mile an hour winds from the north east direction a couple of weeks ago. That’s a bad aspect,  it pressurized the structure and pushed the older fiberglass away from the posts.

    There really should be a metal corner piece on the north end I noticed, the south end has that but the north doesn’t for some reason.

  35. Greg Norton says:

    My neighbor two streets over has a 1964 Chevy C10 parked next to his 2017 F-150 4×4.  The 2017 crew cab F-150 is huge compared to his 1964 single cab C10.  The F-150 is a foot taller and five foot longer.  Wider too by six inches.  Yet the C10 has a 390 cubic inch big block in it but weighs less than 4,000 lbs (SWAG).

    The new Camry we drove in Boston had a spec-ed curb weight of 3500 lbs.

  36. Lynn says:

    The new Camry we drove in Boston had a spec-ed curb weight of 3500 lbs.

    IIRC, the 1985 ??? Camry that I looked at weighed 2,200 lbs.  It was smaller than today’s Corolla.

    I did not fit in it. I am 6’6″ from fingertip to fingertip. Very long arms at 37 inches.

  37. Lynn says:

    “Houston: Your Auto Show Is Coming Right Up!”

       https://www.carpro.com/blog/houston-your-auto-show-is-coming-right-up

    I want to drive my lifted 2019 F-150 4×4 over that Jeep Experience !  I am sure that I could make it.

  38. MrAtoz says:

    Mr Atoz (others welcome to respond)

    1. Air fryer brand/model recommendations: Dreo by ChefMaker and Tastee Sensor Magic Smart Air Fryer. Ninja foodie for everything else (kids love it), but I’ve done steaks in it with the thermo probe. The Dreo and Tastee are smaller inside and are made for steaks, chops, chicken, and fish and do a great job. Pan frying or grilling for the best steak, but air fryers save so much time and effort.
    2. How long do you cook the steaks?: Both have meat and doneness settings for automation. The Dreo has a “sous vide” function that uses steam to help tenderize steaks. If I don’t want to wait for sous vide (30-70m) I’ll use the Tastee which is faster (14min tops) for regular air frying.
    3. How thick are they? 1 ¼” to 1 ½” from HEB Prime.  But thinner/thicker will cook well, like small breakfast steaks. Using the thermo probe eliminates guessing on doneness.
    4. From frozen, fridge, or room temp? I usually set the steak out from the fridge for at least hour, but just throw one in right from the fridge happens a lot. Haven’t done from frozen, but there are YT vids.
    5. How do they end up?   Rare, medium, etc.? I like them medium rare. Browning is not the best, but if you select medium they will brown more or you can do a manual “broil” after cooking for a crustier outside.
  39. MrAtoz says:

    Dreo by ChefMaker

    The Dreo is my favorite because of the sous vide function. I discovered it while watching Ferrigno Freeom on YouTube. He uses his all the time. The Tastee is a close second and works well.

  40. Lynn says:

    “Kamala Gives JD Vance Cold Shoulder On Courtesy Visit To VP Residence”

       https://www.zerohedge.com/political/kamala-gives-jd-vance-cold-shoulder-courtesy-visit-vp-residence

    “According to CBS News, in November, Usha Vance’s staff reached out to staff for Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to seek details on what was needed to childproof it – as the Vance’s children are all under the age of eight.”

    “The questions were initially rebuffed by a Harris political appointee, however there has since been communication between the Navy aides in charge of the residence and the Vance team.”

    Wow, we really dodged a bullet with Harris !

  41. Lynn says:

    “Trump Orders Inauguration Moved Indoors Due To ‘Dangerous Conditions’”

        https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-orders-inauguration-moved-indoors-due-dangerous-conditions

    “Of course, it may be the weather, or it may be something else. As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene opined on X, “I have personally attended countless rallies where President Trump spoke in extreme weather conditions from cold to rain to heat,” adding “Is there a security threat other than extreme cold temperatures?””

    Security threat.  The Ex-Mossad security people surrounding Trump (he will not use Secret Service due to their incompetence and politicization), have told him something.

  42. Lynn says:

    “Pete Buttigieg’s Farewell: A Masterclass in Futility, Ends Just as He Served … Pointlessly”

        https://twitchy.com/justmindy/2025/01/17/pete-buttigieg-farewell-address-n2406849

    “Welp, Pete Buttigieg has given his farewell speech. What happens when someone leaves, but you barely even knew they were there? I mean, he took the first several months of his job off to chest feed and it went downhill from there. ”

    Good riddance.  What a waste of good air.

  43. drwilliams says:

    STUDY: For Pregnant Women, a Vegetarian Diet May Be Worse for the Baby Than Alcohol

    https://redstate.com/wardclark/2025/01/17/for-pregnant-women-a-vegetarian-diet-may-be-worse-for-the-baby-than-alcohol-n2184480

    Trump’s new Surgeon General should hold a press conference about putting a label on that…

    on second thought…

    “Strict vegetarian diets during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of small-for-gestational-age infants and lower birth weights.”

    Push it to the Dems.

  44. Lynn says:

    “T-Mobile: Cellular Starlink Helped 198,000 Users in Areas Hit by Wildfires”

       https://www.pcmag.com/news/t-mobile-cellular-starlink-helped-198000-users-in-areas-hit-by-wildfires

    “The emergency satellite connectivity has ferried 96,000 text messages to residents in fire-stricken areas of Los Angeles since T-Mobile activated the cellular Starlink access.”

    Awesome.

  45. Greg Norton says:

    DeSantis don’t surf. Neither does Ashley Moody.

    Just ask Ryan Wesley Routh, who will rot safe and sound in a Martin County jail cell until September at a minimum.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/ron-desantis-picks-florida-attorney-general-ashley-moody-fill-rubios-s-rcna187938

  46. Lynn says:

    “Trump plans big immigration raid in Chicago on day 2, WSJ reports”

       https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-plans-big-immigration-raid-in-chicago-on-day-2-wsj-reports/ar-AA1xpdqt

    “(Reuters) – Donald Trump’s incoming U.S. presidential administration plans to launch a large immigration raid in Chicago the day after he takes office, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing four people familiar with planning.”

    “The raid, expected to start on Tuesday, will last all week, the newspaper said, adding the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will send between 100 and 200 officers to carry out the operation.”

    “Trump’s transition team did no immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.”

    “His incoming border czar, Tom Homan, told an event in the city that the administration is “going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois,” the Journal reported.”

    “”And if the Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside. But if he impedes us, if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien, I will prosecute him,” he was quoted as saying.”

    I approve of this !

  47. Lynn says:

    “Biden commutes more sentences, this time for 2,500 non-violent drug offenders”

        https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/biden-commutes-more-sentences-this-time-for-2-500-non-violent-drug-offenders/ar-AA1xmw4w

    I am actually ok with this.  The modern day prohibition has caused more problems and deaths than it solves.

    BTW, my wife strenuously disagrees with me on this. She worked for the Harris County (Houston) juvenile probation department for two years and says that the authorities would usually wave lesser charges like burglary for a drug charge conviction. I tell her that the authorities should have prosecuted the people to the full extent of the law.

  48. Ken Mitchell says:

    “Biden commutes more sentences, this time for 2,500 non-violent drug offenders”

    I am actually ok with this.

    My main concern would be, are these REALLY non-violent? Users, and not pushers or dealers?  I would agree, then. But anybody actually IN the drug business doesn’t get to claim “non-violence” because so much of the drug trade DEPENDED on violence.

  49. drwilliams says:

    ”And if the Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside. But if he impedes us, if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien, I will prosecute him,” he was quoted as saying.”

    He has to be arrested first, and communists have a history of arrests gone wrong.

    Just sayin’.

  50. Alan says:

    >>As a reminder, we were told he was hired because he likes trains. 

    Hey, i like trains too…oh wait, i don’t get paid $220K/yr to play with them. 

  51. drwilliams says:

    Week was busy and productive, carrying right through today. Got a truck repair done this afternoon and planned out the cold snap so I don’t lose momentum. 

    Looking forward to my annual rewatching of MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and Trump’s inauguration, or as history will soon call it “Second Coronation”. 

  52. nick flandrey says:

    @lynn, I’m with your wife on this.

    All of them pled down from more serious charges.   No one pleads up.   DAs like to get convictions.

    You don’t start your career with hard time.   I’d bet every dollar bill in my wallet that they ALL had a laundry list of priors, that maybe didn’t look serious because they pled down.

    Minimum 40% will re-offend and that will just add more victims to their account.

    ———————–

    It’s actually warmer here at the BOL (55F) than at home.    Lake is back to normal level.

    ———————–

    I got two of the 3 pickups before I ran out of time.   Traffic in the Woodlands, Kingwood, Conroe area is REALLY bad around 5pm.

    ———————

    So many people on the road tonight, it was nuts.    Not many here at the lake, yet.

    Wife and kids should arrive any moment.

    ——————–

    Blonde oreo cookies dipped in sweetened coffee are really good.

    Dinner so nutritious…

    n

  53. Alan says:

    >>“T-Mobile: Cellular Starlink Helped 198,000 Users in Areas Hit by Wildfires”

    How many ‘pizza boxes’ did this require? What about power? Gennies? Armed guards for all the hardware?

    BTW, not criticizing, just curious…

  54. Lynn says:

    Somebody wrote into Michael Berry tonight with the following message:

    “Do you know how unusual it is today (Friday) that so many regular people in the USA can hardly wait for this coming Monday ?”

  55. Lynn says:

    >>“T-Mobile: Cellular Starlink Helped 198,000 Users in Areas Hit by Wildfires”

    How many ‘pizza boxes’ did this require? What about power? Gennies? Armed guards for all the hardware?

    BTW, not criticizing, just curious…

    I think that T-Mobile placed a large number of truck and trailer mounted wifi / 5G hubs around the affected areas with Starlink antennas on them.

        https://x.com/JohnSaw/status/1877572068331675854

        https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-t-mobile-activate-cellular-starlink-in-areas-hit-by-la-wildfires

    I have no idea how many truck and trailer combos were needed.  I suspect that each truck had a generator / battery system.

  56. Lynn says:

    They just lowered our Wednesday morning temperature prediction to 18 F with three inches of snow on Tuesday and Wednesday.  32 F on Sunday morning and 28 F on Monday morning.

        https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/tx/richmond?cm_ven=localwx_10day

    My father was driving in on Monday morning from Port Lavaca.  I put a stop to that.  He can barely walk with that messed up right knee from the 17 year old young lady in the Tahoe hitting him in the parking lot on the Monday after Thanksgiving.  And the skin is still growing back on his right arm and wrist.  We don’t need for him to have some weird happen in 28 F weather.  He actually listened to me for once.

    He going through PT for his right knee but it is not getting better.  Crap.  He is too old to have a knee replacement.

  57. Lynn says:

    Dadgumit, it is Friday.  I forgot to download my 15 GB website this afternoon.  So I started it after uploading a patch for a user.  Now I have another user that wants a patch.  I will start the testing now and see what it says on Monday.

    I feel like a Gerbil on a wheel !

    I have to finish the office complex cold weather prep.  I broke three pipes in the warehouse in Feb 2021 freeze (winter storm Uri) and one pipe in the small office building ceiling (I still have it demoed).  I am going to try to drain down the warehouse before the freeze this time.

    Why are we having a hard freeze now ? It has not been ten years since the last hard freeze (Feb 2021). Oh well, my house generator is ready and I will drain the big office building if the grid gets blacked out again.

  58. Ken Mitchell says:

    How many ‘pizza boxes’ did this require? 

    None. Starlink and T-Mobile have been collaborating on a “direct to Satellite” system for many models of T-Mobile phones. I think it’s mostly for texts rather than voice, but it’s still new. And other cellular carriers are working on similar deals.  If there’s no cell service, the phones are supposed to automatically connect to a Starlink satellite, as long as you have a clear view of the sky.

  59. Ken Mitchell says:

    I think that T-Mobile placed a large number of truck and trailer mounted wifi / 5G hubs

    No, but Musk did deploy 1300+ Cybertrucks with Starlink systems to provide “free” WiFi in the burned out areas, especially near fire stations and police stations.

  60. nick flandrey says:

    Time for bed.   Everything is wet, although I think it’s mostly dew and not moisture from the sky. 

    I decided to skip the little fire and radio time.   Perhaps tomorrow.

    n

  61. Lynn says:

    I think that T-Mobile placed a large number of truck and trailer mounted wifi / 5G hubs

    No, but Musk did deploy 1300+ Cybertrucks with Starlink systems to provide “free” WiFi in the burned out areas, especially near fire stations and police stations.

    That is cool ! I had no idea that Musk did that.

    https://x.com/JohnSaw/status/1877572068331675854

    So what are these T-Mobile trucks and trailers ?  There are not that many phones that can connect direct to the Starlink yet.

    https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/t-mobile-stands-prepared-as-wildfires-impact-southern-california

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