Tues. Aug. 12, 2025 – let’s try again

By on August 12th, 2025 in culture, decline and fall

Hot. Oh my hot. Mid 90sF in the afternoon, no breeze, but at least there was some overcast. That’s what today will be like too, probably.

I hid indoors. My back was killing me. Standing. walking. sitting, all hurt. Eventually I got the shiatsu machine to work on it, followed by a hot shower and stretching, then more stretching. It finally moved, and felt good for about an hour. Not much productive happened. I think it was caused by the time I spent standing on the sloped roof, pressurewashing. That was very awkward and I did it for a couple of hours. In any case, it really hurt and I didn’t feel like doing anything more than catching up on paperwork and online auctions.

Today I’ll have to do some stuff. I’ve got a craigslist guy and an ebay guy that need more info about stuff I’m selling, so I have to go figure out the answers to their questions. Fortunately I told them I’d get back to them on Tuesday.

I’ve got kid taxi, and domestic bliss to do today too. No rest for the wicked. Or wrest ‘or the wicket. Sticky or not.

Today is the 7th anniversary of my dad’s passing, and I miss him. I’ve been thinking about him a lot this last week, when I wasn’t focused on the job. His legacy is me, my siblings, our kids, and a some things he made for us. I feel like I’ll have done pretty well if I turn out just like him.

In the mean time, I’ll keep working. And stacking. And hoping.

nick

45 Comments and discussion on "Tues. Aug. 12, 2025 – let’s try again"

  1. Greg Norton says:

    Don’t ever suggest to a college sports fan that they should cover the full costs of the weekly nationwide feed for their beloved Golden Woodchucks, win or lose (mostly lose).

    Hey, I resemble that !

    College Station is part of the SEC, big time sports and ratings, hardly Golden Woodchucks level.

    The university also has oil wells and a gold reserve larger than many countries’ holdings. The $20 million athlete payroll spending cap will not be a problem.

  2. Greg Norton says:

    I have a new friend.  My heart doctor’s PA called me today and said that my recent heart scan revealed a 0.4 cm lung nodule.  They are recommending me to a lung specialist.  “Lung nodules (pulmonary nodules): What you need to know”.

       https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/lung-nodules–what-you-need-to-know.h00-159703068.html

    Should this get serious, I am heading to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

    Don’t ignore it. Write the check for the MRI if it comes to that and the insurance company balks.

  3. Greg Norton says:

    College Station is part of the SEC, big time sports and ratings, hardly Golden Woodchucks level.

    Of course, it is possible that the A&M Furry subculture has a few woodchucks among the chosen “spirit animals”.

    A Furry doesn’t choose their spirit animal. Their spirit animal … and gender … chooses them.

    We won’t even touch some of what I’ve seen out in Todd Mission on weekends in the Fall.

  4. Greg Norton says:

    College Station is part of the SEC, big time sports and ratings, hardly Golden Woodchucks level.

    BTW, Jimbo and Gruden have been making the media rounds this week, letting it be known that they are Tanned, Rested, and Ready (TM) should any college program need a sudden coaching change.

  5. nick flandrey says:

    84F and partly cloudy.   

    Tea is in the mug.

    youngest needs a pickup at 10am, and I need some breakfast.

    Back is sore, but better than yesterday.

    n

  6. lynn says:

    Don’t ignore it. Write the check for the MRI if it comes to that and the insurance company balks.

    I already had the MRI as a part of the nuclear stress test.  The nodule was not there three years ago.  My cardiologist forwarded the MRI to a radiologist who said tell him to get a followup.  

    If the pulmonary doc says lets do a biopsy then I am off to MDACC 

  7. lynn says:

    I spent saturday through yesterday with Mom.  We went through a lot of stuff and visited the lawyer about the lots and the provate park that I want to seize through adverse possession.  The lawyer said that co-tenants cannot do adverse possession but we should replat.  So we are headed down the replat route.

    I now have copies of the deeds from the county.  I opened the last of the file cabinets by clearing the precious stuff away and throwing most of it out.  Found more guns in the piles.  I still could not find the original deeds and purchase agreemebts.

  8. nick flandrey says:

    More guns is a good thing!

    n

  9. nick flandrey says:

    @paul,   I wear shorts while using the string trimmer but I got really tired of all the little cuts I was getting from flying debris.

    Now I wear muey thai shin guards to cover my bare legs and it makes a huge difference.

    https://www.amazon.com/FIST-Fusion-Martial-Arts-Guards/dp/B0F89LCF63?tag=ttgnet-20 

    I paid less in an auction, and I have a pair for home and the BOL.

    n

  10. nick flandrey says:

    Seriously?  There’s enough of this going on that the chinese can make money selling kits?
     

    https://hibid.com/lot/259009193/portable-glory-hole-wall-kit-luxury-design 

    n

    or this

    https://hibid.com/lot/259117415/l-bondage-bed-furniture-restraints-kit-black

  11. Greg Norton says:

    Seriously?  There’s enough of this going on that the chinese can make money selling kits?

    “Value” hotels at Disney with suite arrangements spring to mind.

    The Coronado Springs at the edge of the Pedo Junction section of the property.

    The Hilton Garden Inn at Boston Logan is another business opportunity, with the hotel offering limited discreet transportation options once the rental car is returned.

    We stayed there twice last fall, and the vibe of the place late at night  was weird.

    The kit seems pretty flimsy, though, like everthing Hecho en China.

    Trump wasn’t wrong about de minimus packets. 

  12. SteveF says:

    The only portable hole I’m interested in buying is sold by Acme. But I’m not getting one until they’ve fixed the defect where you get run over by a train every time you try to use it.

  13. Lynn says:

    “Another Trillion”
        https://areaocho.com/another-trillion-2/

    “It didn’t make major news, but it should have. The US government borrowed another $724 billion last week when it sold large amounts of government paper. The odd thing is that the Treasury and the Fed appear to be coordinating their efforts in transitioning US debt from long term bonds into shorter term T bills.”

    “This means that the national debt has grown to $37 trillion. Six years ago, we were at $23 trillion. We hit $36 trillion in late November of last year, meaning that this last trillion in debt was borrowed in just 9 months. We are doubling the debt every 8 to 9 years, and have been for decades– since Nixon took us away from the gold standard.”

    “Of course, this sort of thing can’t go on forever, and whatever can’t go on forever has an end. When is the end coming? In 1891 Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a short story called “The Bottle Imp” that reminds me of this.”

    DOGE is not coming to the rescue.

  14. Ken Mitchell says:

    More guns is a good thing!

    Only true if you remember where they are, and can retrieve one quickly. 

  15. EdH says:

    DOGE is not coming to the rescue.

    No, it always needed bipartisan legislative work, or a balanced budget amendment, and that’s just not happening.

    The only thing keeping us afloat is that most of the other major economies are even worse.

  16. Lynn says:

    “Paxton urges arrest of Beto O’Rourke in contempt motion”

       https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/paxton-urges-arrest-beto-orourke-contempt-motion

    “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday filed a motion to hold Beto O’Rourke in contempt of court over his fundraising efforts for the Texas Democrats who fled the state over a redistricting effort.”

    “Paxton previously sued O’Rourke, alleging that he was raising personal funds for those Democrats while falsely labeling the effort as a political fundraiser. Paxton secured a court order to stop O’Rourke, who has allegedly continued his efforts. Paxton specifically highlighted comments from O’Rourke after the decision in which he said “there are no refs in this game, f*** the rules.””

    “”Robert Francis is wrong on both counts. There is a referee—the Honorable Megan Fahey—and there are rules—namely, that a person violating a temporary restraining order can be fined up to $500 and jailed for up to six months,” stated a press release from Paxton’s office. “Given Robert Francis’s vulgar disdain for the rule of law and immense personal wealth, imprisonment is absolutely necessary to persuade him to obey the lawful restraining order issued by the Tarrant County court.””

    Looks like Bozo may have gotten himself in trouble.

    Hat tip to:
    https://thelibertydaily.com/

  17. EdH says:

    RFI:

    I need to replace the Delta shower mixer valve in the master bath, we are up to almost 5 gallons a day of bypass leakage.

    So, does anyone know if the standard off the shelf kit from Home Depot will work for a 30-year-old unit?

  18. paul says:

    I guess the standard kit would work.  Maybe look at the Delta site to see if they have different valves?  Like, Type A or Model B. 

  19. Greg Norton says:

    “It didn’t make major news, but it should have. The US government borrowed another $724 billion last week when it sold large amounts of government paper. The odd thing is that the Treasury and the Fed appear to be coordinating their efforts in transitioning US debt from long term bonds into shorter term T bills.”
     

    Not all of the paper sold so the Fed printed enough money to buy the rest, the real origin of inflation.

    A quick check at Highroller Lobster Co. in Portland, ME shows lobster rolls holding the line at $30 so figure lobster salad in The Hamptons is probably still $120/lb.

    The bond traders on Summer holiday know the score first even though the Fed stopped printing the auction numbers decades ago.

  20. Nick Flandrey says:

    That plumbing stuff is very well supported in my experience.   Should work.

    n

  21. Lynn says:

    RFI:

    I need to replace the Delta shower mixer valve in the master bath, we are up to almost 5 gallons a day of bypass leakage.

    So, does anyone know if the standard off the shelf kit from Home Depot will work for a 30-year-old unit?

    I had the same problem recently with my 1998 shower valve and got my plumber to install a new Delta valve kit.  He could not get the old handle off the valve so he had to cut it off.  I bought a trim kit also to replace the cut off trim.   “Delta Foundations 13 Series Single-Function Valve Trim Kit, Chrome Handle Set for Shower Faucet System, Chrome BT13010 (Valve Not Included)”

        https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003N8E56Q?tag=ttgnet-20

  22. SteveF says:

    Ed, I’d talk to a Delta rep and find out what you need. Their web site might have info, as Paul says, but talking to a human is your best bet, if possible. Failing that, are you anywhere near a plumbing supply store staffed by a master plumber? We had one where I used to live and they were always able to kludge something together when I needed to work on 100-year-old pipes and fixtures.

    Our house has Kohler hardware and their phone reps have always been helpful, which maaaaaaay suggest something about one of their competitor’s service.

  23. Greg Norton says:

    Looks like Bozo may have gotten himself in trouble.
     

    Kabuki.

    I wonder which office  Robert Francis is running for this time, Senate or Governor.

  24. EdH says:

    Re: Delta mixer valve replacement.   Thanks for all the suggestions!

    There is, or used to be, an old style commercial plumbers place in town, I will try asking them.

    If I don’t destroy the ball and collar getting it off (done that) then I can put it back and put a stop valve on the outlet even if I can’t immediately fix the valve itself. Because   when it’s 106F out you really don’t want to be without water in the house for any longer than you have to be. 

    Particularly when you run swamp coolers.

    The whole master bath needs gutting and remodeling,  but preferably not this year.

  25. lynn says:

    The whole master bath needs gutting and remodeling,  but preferably not this year.

    Mine too.  The shower has serious rot.  Getting ready to lose a row of tiles.

    I have a $52k estimate for a total gut.

  26. drwilliams says:

    Byron York of the Washington Examiner:

    Trump is imagining a Washington DC with a far lower crime rate than its residents have become accustomed to. Many of those residents will oppose him for it. It’s like they are protective of their crime rate, now that Trump is threatening it

    https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/08/feds-take-over-dc-police.php

    Make CCW permits available to DC residents with a valid dl out of vending machines and see what happens to the carjacking rate.

  27. drwilliams says:

    I compiled this for a friend earlier this year:

    Youtube video with single handle chrome lever, turn only:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYaTy4GOH6Q

    The handle removes with a 5/64″ Allen wrench. You can then see the end of the cartridge. The trim ring pulls off so you can see the outer housing of the cartridge. The colors identify the cartridge in the first Delta link below:

    Brass shaft/white core with white plastic outer housing: 1300/1400 series (RP19804)
     

    Brass shaft/white core with gray plastic housing: 13/14 series (RP 46074)

    White plastic shaft/black core with gray plastic housing: 17 series (RP46464)

    Delta tub/shower faucet cartridge ID:

    https://www.deltafaucet.com/service-parts/find-parts-and-identify-product/common-parts/tub-shower/leaks/tub-shower-cartridges

    Series 17 video, chrome with separate handles to control volume and temperature:
     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6CydASrVPY

    This YT video shows an another style of valve with a clear plastic ball control with motion up/down and turn:

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

    I didn’t look up the parts for this one.

  28. lynn says:

    The whole master bath needs gutting and remodeling,  but preferably not this year.

    Mine too.  The shower has serious rot.  Getting ready to lose a row of tiles.

    I have a $52k estimate for a total gut.

    When I was a kid, you could build a 2,000 ft2 house for $52k.  I am shocked at the rate of inflation since the 1960s.

  29. Greg Norton says:

    Trump is imagining a Washington DC with a far lower crime rate than its residents have become accustomed to. Many of those residents will oppose him for it. It’s like they are protective of their crime rate, now that Trump is threatening it
     

    Trump is threatening the never ending supply of yummy pizza inside the district at all hours of the day and night.

  30. SteveF says:

    Make CCW permits available to DC residents with a valid dl out of vending machines

    How about no. “Shall not be infringed.” The federal district is the perfect place to put genuine Constitutional carry in place without having to bother with state legislators and regulators getting in between. If residents and visitors want to walk around with rocket launchers on their shoulders, let them.

    I am shocked at the rate of inflation since the 1960s.

    You don’t need to go that far back, though the Carter/Miller  malaise certainly didn’t help anything. You only need to go back 17 years for the most significant price inflation. (Which corresponded nicely with the increase in the money supply. You know, I’m so old that I remember when the primary mission of the Fed was to keep inflation under control.)

  31. drwilliams says:

    @SteveF

    Make CCW permits pre-loaded 9mm semi-autos available to DC residents with a valid dl out of vending machines.

    7
    1
  32. Lynn says:

    Trump is imagining a Washington DC with a far lower crime rate than its residents have become accustomed to. Many of those residents will oppose him for it. It’s like they are protective of their crime rate, now that Trump is threatening it
     

    Trump is threatening the never ending supply of yummy pizza inside the district at all hours of the day and night.

    I get the feeling that “yummy pizza” is not a real food product.

  33. drwilliams says:

    I was gifted with some Hoplark (Boulder, CO) sparkling water “Craft Brewed with Mosaic Hops”.

    It is not beer, not NA beer, and not a fruit-based sparkling water.

    The first taste was interesting. We’ll see how it holds up.

    Their website is a mess. The organization is murky, the web pages undisciplined, and navigation is impaired by lack of a discernible search function. 

    They have “Beer-style”, “Sparkling water”, “HopTea, and some nebulous multi-flavored ”One” category. Prices range from $2+to $4+ per can. One the website today there were about 40 products, with many showing sold out and many discounted. They ship free of $50.

    There is a Citra HopWater and a Citra 0.0 (beer style). Both list water and Citra hops as the only ingredients. The Mosaic HopWater shows water and Mosaic hops as the only ingredients, but the can also shows citric acid. 

    I don’t believe that “craft brewed” is accurate. It seems likely that you could “brew” the same results with a Sodastream and a few drops of flavoring. 

    I’m going to find out where my gift came from and see if it’s a single product or if they have others. Seems there are too many choices to make this a successful product to be carried by a local shop as a beer alternative/NA adult beverage.

  34. Greg Norton says:

    When I was a kid, you could build a 2,000 ft2 house for $52k.  I am shocked at the rate of inflation since the 1960s.

    My friend’s parents bought a 1900 sq ft stucco cr*p shack in the Tampa suburbs for $72k in 1987.

    The house resold within the last couple of years for $500k, a little less than three doublings over 36 years, giving an inflation rate of “only” 5.5% annually.

    Even single digit inflation is devastating over a few decades.

  35. Greg Norton says:

    They have “Beer-style”, “Sparkling water”, “HopTea, and some nebulous multi-flavored ”One” category. Prices range from $2+to $4+ per can. One the website today there were about 40 products, with many showing sold out and many discounted. They ship free of $50.

    One of the new fast food buildings rising at the entrance of my subdivision is an HTeaO.

    That will be the last to open in the vicinity and probably the first to go if I had to guess.

    Private equity. Not that it means much with BROS at 143 PE.

    Dutch Bros. will probably stick around on the corner.

  36. lpdbw says:

    The vending machines could dispense Liberator pistols, or the most recent 9mm equivalent.

    I wouldn’t want to defend myself with a one-shot pistol, but if I were inclined to robbery in D.C., I’d think twice if every third person had a single-shot.

  37. Lynn says:

    I wouldn’t want to defend myself with a one-shot pistol, but if I were inclined to robbery in D.C., I’d think twice if every third person had a single-shot.

    I’ve heard that meth and cocaine do a number on one’s cognitive skills.

  38. Greg Norton says:

    I’ve heard that meth and cocaine do a number on one’s cognitive skills.

    Weed is legal to possess in DC, and oversight from the city government is limited.

    The “selling” process is complex and creates a Show Ya environment skirting Federal law.

  39. Nick Flandrey says:

    Dutch Bros. will probably stick around on the corner. 

    – D1 wanted to meet her friend at Dutch Bros.  the other night.  I didn’t think they had any seating, the building is so small.

    Says “bros” not “brothers.”   

    She doesn’t even drink coffee.  W had no idea what she was even talking about, despite there being at least three stores near us.

    n

  40. Greg Norton says:

    The “selling” process is complex and creates a Show Ya environment skirting Federal law.

    Anymore, I really hate going to the UPS Store closest to my house and getting the smirks from Show Ya going in and out of the Trippiez – the actual name of the place – smoke shop next door.

    I miss the Subway that used to be there if for no other reason than customer base.

  41. Nick Flandrey says:

    Kid 2’s playlist last 10 minutes

    Cindi Lauper – Girls Just wanna have fun

    Billy Joel – Uptown Girl

    Berlin – Take my breath away

    n

    #dadwin

  42. Lynn says:

    “ExxonMobil begins production at Yellowtail Field offshore Guyana”

        https://www.offshore-mag.com/regional-reports/latin-america/news/55308782/exxonmobil-exxonmobil-begins-production-at-yellowtail-field-offshore-guyana

    Now that is a beautiful FPSO !

  43. Lynn says:

    Local terrorism group in Houston: “Undercover Video: Houston Socialists Coordinate Targeting of ICE Operations”

       https://texasscorecard.com/local/undercover-video-houston-socialists-coordinate-targeting-of-ice-operations/

    “A volunteer orientation meeting hosted by the Party for Socialism and Liberation in partnership with Houston Leads outlined plans to establish a rapid response network against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Houston.”

    Which one is the fed ?  All of them ?

  44. Nick Flandrey says:

    Which one is the fed ?  All of them ? 

    – gotta be crawling with Feds and CIs

    n

  45. Alan says:

    >>“A volunteer orientation meeting hosted by the Party for Socialism and Liberation in partnership with Houston Leads outlined plans to establish a rapid response network against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Houston.”

    Kinda vague as to their planned ‘responses.’ But I guess that’s as intended.

    But of course it’s a two-way street. As we know, not all that difficult to make someone disappear from “here” and reappear “there.” Sorta like Penn & Teller…just adding in the lady with the snakes.

    And too, they don’t think these ‘orientation meetings’ will be infiltrated?

    Things can get spicy real fast…

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