Hot and humid. Again. Because I still have brain that hasn’t melted out of my head. Yet. But if this weather holds, I’ll be wiping brain off my shoulders…
It was hot yesterday. Really, no surprise as it’s Houston, and still summer. We were blessed with a long mild Spring, so I really shouldn’t complain, but… it’s sweaty hot.
I did get a few things done. I got the trash from the BOL and from the last trip to the BOL finally disposed of. I moved some stuff to my buddy’s shop. I answered a couple of questions about stuff for sale. And I picked up the kid from band practice. Not really very much when I look at it.
Today, I’ve got a pickup or two. I wasn’t going to bid on stuff but I backslid. But whatever I do it will be AFTER sending my kids off to high school for the first day of school. Time is flying by. I’ve got to do some domestic bliss and I really should list a few more easy and high dollar listings. End of the month is coming up too soon.
I’m also hammering out statements like a machine gun, without enough connective phrases, so I better stop now.
Things to do, people to see, preps to stack…
nick
Back to school already? The poor children! Whatever happened to June, July and August? As a child, I always thought the summer holidays were endless…
Me too. We didn’t go back until Memorial Day. The State says “X number of instructional hours you will have.” And the schools add enough days to meet that demand. Given how little they manage to teach, it’s a crime against kids.
———–
79F and dark out.
n
School in general, yes.
Nick, did you mean Labor day (September) or as you stated Memorial day (May)?
Nick, did you mean Labor day
— yup, too early, not enough caffeine. And the idea stuck in my head that labor day is in May.
m
In my area the kids started back to school on July 31st.
Dutch Bros. is DEI driven. Many of the baristas are “broistas”, hired to appeal to females.
The chain started in Southern Oregon, and the initial expansion was driven by offering a counter to the coffee outlets in the region staffed by “bikiniristas” appealing to Y chromosomes.
The nationwide expansion is driven by a majority female private equity group who are darlings on Wall Street … for now.
Funnily enough, I like Dutch Bros. coffee. At least, it doesn’t tast like three-day old burned beans.
Had no idea about the background stuff.
Pretty much don’t care, either. I buy coffee out about 4 times a year.
I’m planning on taking an 8 week CERT course that’s being held near the local Dutch Bros., so I’ll probably pick up coffee on my way into the once-a-week classes.
The founders were actually brothers who got bored with life on a dairy farm in Southern Oregon.
When we left Vantucky 11 years ago, Dutch Bros. was still a regional chain and pre IPO.
BROS is lousy return on capital regardless of product quality. To be fair, SHAK is worse.
Life is good as long as someone on Wall Street likes the product or believes in the possibility
Of course, things change fast. Just ask investors in CRWV this morning.
I really enjoyed my CERT classes. Harris county takes it very seriously and it’s well supported.
n
Tropical Storm Erin – Atlantic
Situation: (Advisory #8, as of 5:00 a.m. ET)
Located 1,400 miles E of the Northern Leeward Islands@ Moving W at 20 mph@ Maximum sustained winds 45 mph@ Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center@ Gradual strengthening is forecast to begin today, and Erin will likely become a hurricane
by late Thursday or early Friday
Huh, something in the copy paste for my comment breaks the comment box.
n
Gas “shortage“ for Labor Day!
Well doggies. There are now three recalls for my F-150. Two of them are software updates. Why Ford cannot do those with a download or over the air is short sighted. The other is the half shafts on the rear axle. Ford has to replace the axle on both sides and the hubs. This cannot be a cheap recall as it apparently is affecting many F-150’s. Something about bolts working loose and doing significant damage.
I found out because the Ford.com app on my phone showed a message that recalls are needed.
The software update will not take long. The rear axle takes a couple of days. I am supposed to get a loaner during the repair.
I am waiting for a fix to the blower motor recall, and I need to get service for another recall on my expy.
I absolutely WOULD NOT like them to be able to remotely update vehicle firmware.
n
“This fast-food giant is tanking hard. Texas could be severely impacted.”
https://www.chron.com/food/article/jack-box-houston-texas-restaurants-20815451.php
“Let’s just get this out there: Jack in the Box isn’t doing so hot. In a recent earnings report, the San Diego-based restaurant chain reported that same-store sales fell more than seven percent in the past quarter, a performance that’s even worse than during the pandemic. And this is all happening while Jack in the Box is shuttering hundreds of stores nationwide to get “Jack on Track.””
“It’s a sobering and disappointing result for the fast-food chain as it attempts to right the ship in rocky economic waters. So far, Jack has closed 21 restaurants in the third quarter of 2025. Thirteen of those restaurants were shuttered as part of the “Jack on Track” initiative, which was announced in the spring to correct its long-term financial performance. The initiative also includes plans to shutter 150 to 200 “underperforming” locations.”
Nice to have known you Jack.
“I am supposed to get a loaner during the repair.”
Get some driving tips from Mr. Lynn. Then schedule lunch 500 miles away.
You might have to do it again the second time–you do know there will be more recalls? Mention Indianapolis.
By the third time the service manager will be giving you next-day service. Maybe same day.
“Nice to have known you Jack.”
Might have eaten there, once.
When Blackie goes to the locker every year, I have the round steak put in the burger. I estimate the result is 90+% lean. No excessive flaring on the charcoal. I make four patties from a defrosted 1.5-lb chub and season with salt and pepper, cook medium-rare. My rating is 8/10 straight-up on a toasted bun. The burgers release a bit of juice on the plate, and it usually gets mopped up with the bun.
A MacD quarter-pounder is a 5 on my scale. (Might seem like a 6 if you’re hungry) It’s overcooked and no way to order it otherwise.
I grilled some “award winning” “Black Angus” frozen burgers last weekend as an experiment. Solid 4. Reheated they don’t change much–still a 4. I should have read the package closely before I tossed it. Not sure how you get that rubbery texture with real black angus. Might be the addition of the Canadian floor sweepings.
Most likely, the update files are too big.
The Jack in the Box near the entrance to my subdivision closed within the last year, not long after Chik Fil A opened across the street.
The chain had brilliant TV commercials 10 years ago. The head of the ad agency was the voice of “Jack”.
Retail will have to be relearned, but time is growing short for the existing companies.
Chick Fil A is doing great business, and even Dairy Queen nearby is steady.
“The Federal takeover of Washington D.C. law enforcement”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-federal-takeover-of-washington-dc.html
“A number of interesting perspectives have emerged on President Trump’s takeover of the Washington D.C. police department and other law enforcement functions.”
“Quoth The Raven points out a very basic and inescapable logic behind this step.
Nasty.
maggot with a badge:
https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2025/08/13/new-video-from-uvalde-shows-chief-trying-to-negotiate-with-shooter-n3805779
Oh, noes!!! Jack in the Box is my 3rd favorite burger place, after In-n-Out and Wendy’s. And Jack’s egg rolls are better than most dedicated Chinese places.
I do like a Sourdough Jack with a side of fries. Same for Arby’s roast beef. But they have gone away from here and I don’t want either enough to drive to Austin.
Heck, same for Taco Cabana… carne guisada plate with a Tecate to sip.
I tried Jack’s tacos. Once. Corn tortilla with some taco meat, folded in half and deep fried. I suppose they should be crispy? Maybe so yo ucan dip them like tortilla chips? And not soggy with french fry grease? I ate one, I was both hungry and amazed at how bad it was. The other two were tossed (unwrapped) out the truck window somewhere on Mormon Mill Road. I would have tossed out halves for better sharing amongst critters but they were too limp.
And folks talk trash about Taco Bell.
“From “Medical Care” to “Medical Couldn’t Care Less””
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2025/08/from-medical-care-to-medical-couldnt.html
“The steady, inexorable bureaucratization of health care in the USA has been visible for many years. As a partly disabled person who relies on permanent medications to function, and has more routine contact with the medical profession than I’d like, I’ve watched it happen. However, over the past two to three years (post-COVID, to be precise) the process appears to have accelerated alarmingly, to the point where I feel more like an unwanted annoyance to many medical practitioners rather than their bread and butter, paying their salaries. They’ve become fully invested in the medical system, rather than their patients. In just the past six months I’ve experienced:”
“More and more doctors and medical practices appear to be refusing to accept Medicare and/or Medicaid patients, because they claim the reimbursements no longer cover the cost of treatment. I can’t speak to this, but if true, I suspect the Canadian approach – encouraging patients to die, and actively helping them to do so – can’t be long delayed in this country, purely on economic grounds. It’s cheaper for the bureaucrats to kill their problems rather than treat them.”
If doctors stop taking Medicare then we old people are toast because we will not be able to afford health insurance due to our comorbidities. If you can make it to 65 without a few problems then you are fairly rare in my experience.
And Jack’s egg rolls are better than most dedicated Chinese places.
Yup, Jack’s egg rolls are awesome. My wife stops by there occasionally and grabs three, two for her and one for me.
“New Details Emerge About Golden Dome’s Four-Layer Missile Defense Shield”
https://www.zerohedge.com/military/new-details-emerge-about-golden-domes-four-layer-missile-defense-shield
“The “Hemispheric Defense” theme is gaining momentum with new details emerging that the Golden Dome missile defense system will comprise of four layers: one space-based and three ground-based, including 11 short-range batteries positioned across the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii. “
I just wonder if it will work.
I ate at Jack-in-the-box in El Cajon, CA, in about 1964. I wonder if it was the original restaurant? I was in the back seat of my uncle’s car, and he wouldn’t let us eat until we got back to his house. I would have been 10 or 12 at the time.
Their tacos are an acquired taste, and I acquired it a long time ago. I’ve heard them referred to as “drunk food” or “going home from the bar” food. Not so for me; it was my reward after a hard day’s house rehabbing.
I have four potted plants. Which isn’t many. They have needed re-potting for quite a while. Ok, one done yesterday. Into a small 10″ red clay pot from a split from UV plastic pot.
I dumped most of the pots of dirt sitting on the patio. Old dirt, not much for organics left. Pots falling apart from UV. Unfenced patio and so forget planting something the cows will leave alone. They might not like the taste of tomato or jalapeno plants but they would still sample often enough that I’d not get any tomatoes or jalapenos.
I made enough noise to attract my bovine helpers. I called it a day. Freaking hot, too.
Today, one of ti plants. From cracking plastic to a slightly larger 17 inch across red clay pot. But much deeper soil. Replaced the old garden hose that was a flexible as rebar. Hosed a lot of dirt off of the patio. My bovine helpers came to inspect. One wandered away and the other just stood there for 15 minutes. Looking around. I guess the damp and cool patio stones under a shade tree agreed.
One more ti plant for tomorrow but it’s just a re-potting job. That’s just a 16 inch pot but it will have several more inches of soil in the pot. .
I think the funeral plant will be re-potted tomorrow, too. Funeral plant? I don’t know the name. I only see them at funerals. Ovalish leaves about 4 to 6 inches long by 3 inches. Usually shiny, not quite St. Augustine grass green. Sometimes they have a white flower looking.
OK, THIS is crazy. I just looked at DDG for “funeral plant” and it’s called a “Peace Lily” . Very first hit. The top of the page has a row of pictures under “Shopping for funeral plants”.
This plant has been in the EDC since forever. It gets nothing but water. It has 4 or 5 leaves about 3 inches long. It’s pale, needs more light. I’ve had it since Sam’s mom Bobbie died. It was almost a shrub. It was at her funeral and Sam don’t do potted plants, anyway, about 36 years in the same pot.
Heck, maybe it will live another 36 years with fresh dirt. But in the house.
Just go the ER. They have to take you, right? No habla English Senor Mister Doctor.
I’m on no drugs. Other than aspirin once in a while. A Tums, too. Vit I once a month, sorta, both for me and the dogs. Oh, yeah, and Vit B eer.
Medicare sent e-mail today about “how to choose a nursing home”. I guess I’m suppose to be that decrepit?
The Jack in the Box Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger is my favorite after an Double Double. It’s the only burger that tastes good enough to eat without onions. Their breakfasts are superior to any other chain too.
BUT. Last time was $32 for me and two kids, and we split fries, and I skipped a drink.
I can get 4 pounds of prime sirloin steak, a bag of taters, and some corn on the cob for the same price, when the steak is on sale.
n
The problem isn’t the doctor as much as the doctor’s wife.
The Burger King near work is always just a little short of $10 when I stop.
A Whopper, ketchup only, and a drink. No fries.
Chick Fil A is cheaper and closer, but using cash means parking and purchasing at the walk up window.
I hate the concept of using a credit card for fast food.
Double Double is best with grilled onions. I don’t care for raw on a burger. Plus it just about the best price of all the major chains. Of course any local is usually best.
Medicare sent e-mail today about “how to choose a nursing home”. I guess I’m suppose to be that decrepit?
I got that email from Medicare yesterday. I would not feel special.
Just go the ER. They have to take you, right? No habla English Senor Mister Doctor.
I’m on no drugs. Other than aspirin once in a while. A Tums, too. Vit I once a month, sorta, both for me and the dogs. Oh, yeah, and Vit B eer.
If I have lung cancer then I would like a shot at treating it before I start coughing up blood on a regular basis. All of the cancer treatment places are incredibly expensive. Some of them actually cure people.
I remembered yesterday that I worked with asbestos insulation back in 1982 and 1983 when we were stupid about asbestos. But I did not smoke much (1 cigarette and 3 cigars).
Most likely, the update files are too big.
My last free update file for my 2019 F-150 was 2.4 GB. I downloaded the file and put it on a USB thumb drive. It updated perfectly when I plugged the thumb drive into my console.
“The Federal takeover of Washington D.C. law enforcement”
Concentrate on making the tourist areas safe. Do regular sweeps–just pick up the bums and transport them elsewhere, with the drop-off points showing amazing correlation with the residences of the mayor and council. Out of our sight and out of their minds. Failure has consequences. Now where’s that list of Dem lobbying firms?
2.4 GB across millions of vehicles would get expensive on whatever bulk wireless plan they have for telemetry and minor updates.
Anti-Trump Seattle-area man charged in shooting of wheelchair-bound veteran
https://thepostmillennial.com/anti-trump-seattle-area-man-charged-in-shooting-of-wheelchair-bound-veteran?utm_campaign=64470
“Criminal mischief” my left one. Run a van into a tent of Antifa in Portland and see what the charges are.
Really tired of the supposed good guys not doing their job to the fullest. This piece of garbage should be getting ready for his first parole hearing in 2035 after his conviction on six counts of attempted murder.
Hope they publish his new address–I’m sure there are people there that need contributions to their commissary accounts.
Seattle. DOJ needs to look at federal hate crime charges.
That was most likely for Ford’s Sync system or the maps, not the vehicle firmware. My last firmware update was done in my driveway by a dealer service vehicle.
Wasn’t somebody dropping off “migrants” and “refugees” in front of Pelosi’s house a few years ago? Or was that just something that was talked about but no one did?
It seems to me that we right-wing murderous nazi fascist literallyhitlers aren’t doing our share of murdering, rioting, assaulting, or even putting up nooses or burning crosses. So far as I can tell, all that is about 99% on the side of the party of peace, love, caring, and inclusivity.
>>Most likely, the update files are too big.
Or you’re crusing along I-10 at 85 and on the driver’s display up pops a flashing message saying “MS-DOS Mandatory Reboot in 3…2…”
Nah, there isn’t just one computer in the car, there are dozens. The one which controls the breaks will be offline for 30 seconds while it reboots. If you’re doing 85 along the highway, probably no problem. If you’re doing 25 coming to a red light, probably a problem.
Nah, there isn’t just one computer in the car, there are dozens. The one which controls the breaks will be offline for 30 seconds while it reboots. If you’re doing 85 along the highway, probably no problem. If you’re doing 25 coming to a red light, probably a problem.
Over a hundred computers in the average car or truck. Each subassembly has its own computer. I think that the F-150 is about 120 or 130 computers.
That was most likely for Ford’s Sync system or the maps, not the vehicle firmware. My last firmware update was done in my driveway by a dealer service vehicle.
Yup, navigation, radio, cellphone, speech recognition, etc. The new version was not better.
I’ve seen more WA State plates around my neighborhood as of late. That seems to be the big source for the relocations this summer.
The Sheriff will start the plate traps soon.
DeSantis flew a plane load of Venezuelan “refugees” from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard in 2022.
We drove by the airport a couple of times during our visit to the island last Fall. The terminal is in the middle of a whole lot of nothing, and 50 people suddenly showing up there needing housing, food, and financial support was a very big deal.
No, Obama’s house isn’t anywhere near the airport. Obama is a serious 70s/80s movie and TV nerd so his house is over near Edgartown, “Amity” for you “Jaws” fans.
I’ve been seeing a lot of out of state plates lately. Far more than the previous 20 years.
n
Some of them should be treated like infections.
Interesting take on Elon
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ewnbQrEA8LE?feature=share
Basically, all his [major] ventures relate to Mars exploration and colonization.
n
>>There was an article that confirmed that many IVR systems (phone tree) will respond to anger and profanity by immediately routing your call to a live person.
Our Alexas will process “Alexa, shut the f*** up” the same as “Alexa, stop.”