Hot and humid again. Brief respite after the storm yesterday, but back to normal summer now. 90s, for temps and humidity, but it will start nicer.
Well, I finally finished the major projects and some of the ‘since we have the machines and dumpster here’ projects too. There are some follow on new projects, like stairs from the house down to the yard and lake… since I took out the broken concrete and brick stairs, and some landscaping, like grass seed at a minimum. I did complete a massive amount of work.
So onward. Home for a couple of days, then maybe back with one child. Other child has camp, and wife suggested I could head back up. Hmmm.
Today I’ll be getting some good measurements for supplies to build the stairs. I’ll be looking for cheap and quick alternatives when I get home to my fast internet. Maybe a salvage set, or something industrial will pop up. Stranger things have happened.
Then I’ll be packing up and closing up. Oh, first I’ll fuel and wash the rentals. Do NOT want to get charged, although how realistic is it to expect construction equipment to come back clean? I’m certainly not hand detailing them, but I’ll hit them with the pressure washer and knock off most of the red mud.
It’s been a long couple of weeks and I’ll be glad to be home, if only for a few days.
Been stacking up skills, and improving my position. Been showing the locals I’m not afraid of hard work, and can get things done. Those are good things.
Stack good things.
nick
Here in East TN old radiators are rated at SPM (shine per minute). It’s not real moonshine unless it has been condensed through the old radiator of a ‘57 Chevy and sold from the tailgate of ‘63 Ford pickup. Having just a hint of antifreeze taste is a bonus.
It also isn’t real moonshine unless the distillery’s t-shirts sell in child sizes.
Unfortunately, I won’t get out east again on this weekend’s trip. I may not even make it to McKay’s.
Well, what a pleasant surprise. Only 74F this am…
Getting breakfast and coffee out of the way. Sadly, no bacon today, just the sausage patty on the sandwich. Frozen, as I’m out of eggs. Also out of cream. MUST be time to go home.
Gotta make hay while the sun shines today. Then get out of here.
n
Last day in San Diego today. Weather is awesome. Too bad Kalifornia is in the toilet. I sold 15 books to the tightwad high falutin’ Latino Administrators. Back to Vegas tomorrow, early.
Nick, check your email when it’s convenient.
Crime doesn’t pay! Hilarious video shows would-be robber trying to hold up Atlanta nail salon by screaming threats at staff and customers – who calmly ignore him while continuing their treatments
He jus’ don’ get no respec’! 😀
@Lynn
you might want to respond to Peter’s request for comments
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2023/07/not-what-i-would-have-expected.html?m=1
In particular the Forbes article’s characterization of coal and natgas being “more vulnerable to cold”, but also the reliability of wind and solar during a heat wave.
Just wrapping up. Found a half flat tire on the truck so I”m going to change that before leaving. Can’t trust it on the highway, and much easier to change here in the shade and safety of the carport.
Machines got picked up. Dumpster scheduled for Monday pickup.
Did a quick and sloppy mow, and it does look better. (only cut the parts that grew)
Wow, storm just blew in. Last one put one of my patio heaters in the lake. Fished it out this morning. This one is dark and windy, no rain yet.
Better get the tire changed….
n
>> I wonder how long Cruise can keep doing these massive action movies? Age catches up to us all. Eventually.
Until he gets “nominated” for a Darwin Award…
>> Much better.
I used to carefully open a pack, toast them, let them cool, rewrap and reseal, and stick them in my ruck for day hikes or bike rides.
Brown sugar cinnamon was best.
+1 for the BSC. The new(-ish?) Eggo Maple flavor is a close second and Frosted Strawberry is third.
A little wary of @nick’s predilection for Cherry…
>> I change the oil and filter in my vehicles every 5000 miles. Have been doing this since the mid ’60s. Easy to remember – if the speedometer has three (or four) zeros on the right it’s time to change the oil.
I sometimes change it early if my plans have me a trip when a change will be due or a bit late if I was on a trip. If its going to be late, I check the oil level, etc., before the trip. If my engine uses/drips more than a quart between changes, its repair time.
Now that I’m retired and having three vehicles (1999 Ranger 205,000 miles; 2000 F250 399,000; and 2016 Fusion 66,000 miles) I am only changing the oil three or four time a year across all of them, i.e., the F-250 will gets its first change since 2019 in a few months. The Fusion was changed was twice in the last year.
@Bob, with your reduced mileage, are you using each vehicle enough to burn off any moisture build-up in your engines? Are you using synthetic oil?
“Not what I would have expected”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2023/07/not-what-i-would-have-expected.html
“All of this added renewable energy production capacity has made the Texas energy grif much more resilient. Not only does it give the grid a greater diversity of energy sources to fall back on in case of disaster, it’s also easing the state’s reliance on fossil fuels for energy security. Past grid failures in Texas have shown that coal and gas plants are much more vulnerable than renewable ones to extreme weather events in both hot and cold conditions. In fact, when the state lost 9,600 MW of electricity capacity last week due to the failure of several natural gas and coal plants, solar and wind provided that lost energy and then some, generating a record 31,500 MW on Wednesday.”
Well, that is almost a total lie. Renewables are not reliable above 105 F or below 25 F. The wind does not blow above 105 F in Texas. And the wind turbines freeze up below 25 F and trip offline due to uneven ice loading on the causing extreme vibration. Most of the wind turbines in Texas do not have heating systems in the blades. And, the solar panels are usually covered with ice and snow below 25 F and do not produce power. And the solar panels stop generating power at 6 pm to 8 pm, right at the end of the power usage peak (called the Duck Curve) when people are getting home and turn on their stoves and a/c units.
During Winter Storm Uri in Feb 2021, the solar panels and wind turbines produced a grand total of 3,000 MW per hour to ERCOT from Sunday night until Thursday night. BTW, ERCOT caught a falling knife on Sunday night when they lost 400+ (SWAG) power generating units over two hours, managing to catch the demand at 45,000 MW day and night for four days. I am still amazed that they did not drop or separate the grid into its various regions. The last time ERCOT was down was in the middle 1950s. So long ago that ERCOT is not sure exactly how to rebuild the grid, they have a plan though and they are resourceful. The other grids in the USA do not even come close to that record.
I worked as a power plant engineer, a field engineer, and in one year dispatch for TXU back in the 1980s for eight years. I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1982. I am a registered Professional Engineer with The Great State of Texas since 1989. I am now the President of a small engineering software company in south Texas since 1995 writing and selling chemical process simulation software to chemical, mechanical, petroleum and other engineers in USA and 75 other countries.
The problem with the Texas grid (ERCOT) is that the number of users has been growing at approximately 5% per year for the last 40 years. ERCOT covers almost 90% of Texas and is run with dual conflicting goals: reliability and economy. You have probably noticed that we have some of the lowest electric rates in the USA for a state with almost no hydroelectric power plants, just 600 MW out of 154,378 MW. That is because ERCOT takes their economic goal very seriously. They watch the generation mix every five minutes and reallocate the economics using a Dutch Auction based on prices submitted by the power generators. ERCOT is very good at this.
However, reliability is a totally different animal than economics. Reliability is a long term goal, not a short term goal. And, reliability means different things to different people. To me, reliability means that a power generation unit is ready to produce power 24×7 hours a week unless a maintenance outage has been declared. That means no sneaky outages in the middle of the night. That means that plans have been written and followed to make power in the extremes of summer. That means plans have been written and followed for the extremes of winter. I have seen 113 F and -4 F in Dallas in the last 40 years. I have seen 113 F and 6 F in Houston in the last 40 years. That means that fuel is ready for the power plant to convert into electricity and is on site. That means that operators are onsite during the agreed upon times and ready to start any or all the units required for generation by ERCOT dispatch.
ERCOT has added quite a bit of new power generators in the last ten years. They have also shut down 7,000 MW (SWAG) of coal power generation and 10,000 MW (SWAG) of natural gas / fuel oil power generation due to economics and age. They have added 10,000 MW (SWAG) of new gas turbine power generation that can be online in 6 to 20 minutes. They have added 10,000 MW (SWAG) of solar panels that usually stop generating right at the peak of the day (this is called the Duck Curve). They have added 20,000 MW (SWAG) of wind turbines that generate 80% (SWAG) of their power in the middle of the night when it is not needed.
BTW, SWAG is Scientific Wild Assed Guess.
“Future Headline: French Caliphate Celebrates Five Year Anniversary”
https://www.sovereignman.com/future-headline/future-headline-french-caliphate-celebrates-five-year-anniversary-147785/
“Over one million revelers have taken to the streets of Paris to celebrate the five year anniversary of the French Caliphate with celebratory gunfire and shouts of “Allahu Akbar”.
“Following the death of a Muslim teen in 2023, and the ensuing thirteen straight months of uncontrolled rioting and looting, a council of Islamic leaders in France formally rejected the democratically-elected government and declared a new French Caliphate on July 7, 2024.”
OFD’s times of great change in Europe are upon us.
you might want to respond to Peter’s request for comments
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2023/07/not-what-i-would-have-expected.html?m=1
In particular the Forbes article’s characterization of coal and natgas being “more vulnerable to cold”, but also the reliability of wind and solar during a heat wave.
I did so poorly even though I do not have any time this week. I am desperately trying to get a release out the door and it keeps boomaranging back at me. I am down to 4 problem benchmarks out of 647.
Another excellent comment on the power generation in Texas that natural gas and coal are unreliable:
“This article is garbage. Coal and natural gas plants fail more often in cold and hot weather than wind and solar? If that were true, Texas would have been the blackout capitol of the nation before “renewables” came around. You might note that “renewables” only came about because they were legislated into existence.”
A little wary of @nick’s predilection for Cherry…
I stand with Nick. And Blueberry and Blackberry are awesome too.
“Future Headline: French Caliphate Celebrates Five Year Anniversary”
https://www.sovereignman.com/future-headline/future-headline-french-caliphate-celebrates-five-year-anniversary-147785/
“Over one million revelers have taken to the streets of Paris to celebrate the five year anniversary of the French Caliphate with celebratory gunfire and shouts of “Allahu Akbar”.
“Following the death of a Muslim teen in 2023, and the ensuing thirteen straight months of uncontrolled rioting and looting, a council of Islamic leaders in France formally rejected the democratically-elected government and declared a new French Caliphate on July 7, 2024.”
OFD’s times of great change in Europe are upon us.
Ah, I found OFD’s book, “The Camp Of The Saints”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Camp_of_the_Saints
“Fireworks ERUPT at Disney Meeting Over Indy 5 Box Office FAILURE | Iger FURIOUS at KK Source Says!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umm8oZh8hAw
“After making a paltry $60 million at the box office domestically, Indy 5 appears to have dialed up a destiny of losing money, and Disney is extremely unhappy with the opening weekend grosses. My Hollywood spies, along with a walk-in source, claim that an emergency executive meeting was called, and that exchanges between Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Iger got very heated, with factions inside Disney and Lucasfilm trying to assign blame for this box office catastrophe. Here are details from a walk-in source, relaying to me the rumor that’s spreading through the halls of Lucasfilm about what allegedly happened at that meeting, but of course as with all walk-in sources, take this with an extra teaspoonful of salt!”
Made it home safely. Had rained here. D1 says about an hour’s worth. There were active thunderstorm cells visible from the Beltway as I headed into town. Blue skies too. Typical Houston. It’s nice at the moment.
Good to be home.
n
I liked the cherry un-frosted Pop Tarts the best. I haven’t had a Pop Tart in many many years.
Unfrosted strawberry poptarts are my favorite.
But, like all other products, they are smaller than they used to be. Seems like less filling inside. And cost more.
My pointy headed understanding of the power failures during the last big freeze is that a lot was caused because the pumps that keep the nat gas moving had been converted from nat gas to electricity because of Reasons. Having the system being self sufficient was bad because of what?
But the folks that handle power lines were not informed.
Anyway. Follow the money. Who pushed using electric pumps instead of nat gas fueled pumps? Heads on pikes….. after lamp posts.
plugs: “Cluster munitions are a war crime. Except when I use them”
Biden claims it was ‘difficult’ decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine: President claims Zelensky NEEDS them as he is ‘running out of ammunition’ in U-turn after White House said it would spark World War Three
Next up, World War III. This is dangerous. Think Vlad is gonna sit on his azz after this. He’s nuts, you know, could launch a nuke.
My pointy headed understanding of the power failures during the last big freeze is that a lot was caused because the pumps that keep the nat gas moving had been converted from nat gas to electricity because of Reasons. Having the system being self sufficient was bad because of what?
But the folks that handle power lines were not informed.
Anyway. Follow the money. Who pushed using electric pumps instead of nat gas fueled pumps? Heads on pikes….. after lamp posts.
Two failures in that direction:
ERCOT now understands the fuel systems in Texas and actively asks well owners and pipeline owners to sign up for the “do not kill power to” list. Since ERCOT seems to learn by disaster, I think that ERCOT has more lessons to learn.
Note: There have been over 100 new 48 MW and larger gas turbines installed in the non-attainment areas of Texas in the last five years. 100 more are expected to be installed in the next two years (maybe, the financing is dicey). The EPA has exempted these from current regulations since they are only run during near emergency conditions with annual capacity factor of less than 10%. They are fueled with pipeline natural gas or a week’s worth of diesel on each site.
>> But, like all other products, they are smaller than they used to be. Seems like less filling inside. And cost more.
They’ve also cut back on the frosting…more unfrosted crust as compared to the picture on the box.,
@Lynn
Thanks. Solid A, curve-raiser.
The only things that you didn’t address was the nameplate capacity scam for wind and solar, the instability that comes with too much of the power coming from wind and solar, and the flat out lie that wind and solar cost less than natgas or coal
When I was a DoD contractor, we were required to do life cycle costing.
Not just “what does it cost to buy?”, but “over the lifetime of the system, what does it cost to buy, maintain, operate, and dispose of?”
Funny how favorite programs of the weak-minded, like “green” energy, don’t have to meet that standard.
See also my comment about the Precautionary Principle, from a week or two ago. (I think that I commented here. Not quite sure. I’m tired and stressed enough that my brain has turned to dog biscuits.)
I finished off the new PC today. Firefox? Mostly the same as how you move t-bird to a new PC.
Cleared off the desk. It took a while to dust and untangle wires and just pull about six years of clutter out of the way. Mounted the new PC on the back of the monitor.
It’s a slick install. HDMI from PC to monitor. New mouse and keyboard to the PC. A USB cable to the UPS…. oh, and it shows the load at 22 watts.
Win11 offered to use the speakers in the monitor. I went back later and tried that and nope. The monitor has volume controls…. oh, wait, maybe I have to unplug the speakers from the headphone jack? Tomorrow. I’m tired of screwing with this project.
The wacky part is being told that “I boot my PC and my desktop has a row of icons down the side and not a screen full of crap”. Uh, yer wrong, you’ve saved carp on your desktop for years and years. Anyway. I tossed Documents and Pictures and Etc into the the standard folders. Deleted a chunk of stuff dating back to Win98. Got the desktop down to three icons.
No worries about deleting too much. The original SSD is untouched.
“Oh, now much better but it’s all tiny.” Right-click Desktop, Display settings, change Scale to 125%. I might bump that up to 150%, his eyes are getting bad.
Tomorrow’s task is to put shortcuts to Documents and Pictures and etc on the Desktop. So he can save whatever from where ever and it’s an easy drag to sort stuff. Pretty much “lets go with skipping the Start Menu altogether” is my plan.
I dunno. I wasn’t happy with Win11 but It’s mostly ok now. I do get a laugh when something from WfW3.11 pops up…. 🙂
@SteveF
Ruh-roh!
Yeah, amazing how a short wweek that shoulkd be a cakewalk turned into a shiite sandwich.
Short week because of the four-day weekend. I did get a fair amount of extra sleep but not enough.
Work hasn’t been a problem. The stress, aggravation, and utterly unnecessary fuss, bother, and time-consuming nonsense is entirely from the non-work portion of my life.
11. Jonathan Turley via Twitter:
Deputy press secretary Andrew Bates just invoked the Hatch Act to refuse to answer a question about Hunter and the White House cocaine. FYI: Eric Clapton wasn’t referring to politics when he sang “When your day is done, and you want to run, cocaine.”
Game Shows in The Headlines:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/07/cocaine-runnin-all-round-wh-brain.php
Clue: White House Cocaine Edition
Hunter in The WH Library with a Laptop and a Razor Blade
If Xi was on Jeopardy would he choose:
“Hopelessly Compromised Pitiful Addicts for $10 Million, Alec!”?
I’ll bet anyone a nickel that the SNL writers were told not to go there but the sketch was written anyway, has been circulating all week, and the crew is laughing their burros off.
[Okay, I’m not a professional comedy writer, but if you start with the dope scene in library detention from The Breakfast Club it pretty much writes itself.]
Keep getting flak–must be over target.
Except that the bad boy is making out with his brother’s wife and older, useless teacher is trying to get the quiet, disturbed teen girl into the shower.
Cocaine Blues
Vanguard decided it was open season on Iger and the Disney management.
Hey kids, look over there…COWS!
https://reason.com/2023/07/07/tesla-solar-factory-not-living-up-to-new-yorks-1-billion-investment/
Steve, it sounds like you are going through a hard time. Your posts don’t reflect your usual joviality, and are getting a rather hard edge. If you need someone to talk to who is outside of your usual circle, you are welcome to say so. Nick and the mods have access to my email address, or put something here and I will give you contact details, as, I am sure, will others of your friends here. No man is an island, and you are not alone with your travails, even though it might feel that way.
@Lynn, nice summary of the ERCOT situation in Texas. People throw sticks and stones at California’s power situation, but here on the inland side of the mountains we have only had two major outages in the 51 years I have been here, and those were caused by local equipment failure. One lasted about four hours, and only affected about a quarter of our community. The other was three quarters of the community, a couple hours on one day, followed by about four hours two days later to install the permanent fix.
Of course, we have very little lightning, and no hurricanes or tornadoes. We do have earthquakes, but our biggest one only caused a momentary flicker. Not bad for a 7.1 quake. There was a remote power line near the epicenter, where the poles were sheared off at ground level for about a half mile, but the affected area was only used intermittently. Imagine the horizontal acceleration required to shear an old fir power pole.
We used to have about ten outages a year at our house site. Most lasted a few seconds, and a couple were a minute. They were nuisances that caused most electronics to reset. Our power company has actually made improvements as part of a road widening and substation upgrade. In the three or so years since, we have had only a couple of flickers that lasted less than a second. We did have one planned outage of an hour or two to replace a transformer. Our service is underground, and the transformers are not in parallel, so there is no redundancy.
I really can’t complain, except that our rates are going up steadily. Maybe that buys us some reliability.
We used to have about ten outages a year at our house site. Most lasted a few seconds, and a couple were a minute. They were nuisances that caused most electronics to reset.
I am getting daily outages at the office right now. I only have UPSes on half the PCs so it is a pain. For instance, the Windows 7 pc I use for debugging in my office. Just a pain.
And the office is just 5 miles away from the 4,200 MW Parish power plant just down the road. Does not seem to help.
SNL hasn’t done real satire in decades, but the pandemic and cancel culture have made comedy impossible.
When Joe Rogan opened his new comedy club here in Austin – located in a former Alamo Drafthouse theater which closed when the chain committed fiscal suicide by PC during the pandemic – cough – the rule for the audience for the first night was that all cell phones had to be off and placed into a mesh bag laid on the table in plain sight if staff for the entire length of the show. Content of the performers routines, including a visibly stoned Dave Chappelle, was not for Twitter or other social media.