Tues. May 18, 2021 – let’s keep the party going, comrade.

Weather system is supposed to be all over the area, but who knows? We got a nice break in the overcast and some weird yellow-green light at sunset, so I’ve got no idea what to expect out of today.

Spent yesterday doing mostly cleaning and paperwork sorting. Did a bit of organizing in the food storage shelves. Found some popped cans that I’ll look at today, I think they were pears. I still need to do a bit more organizing and get my new can storage FIFO sections assembled. It’s always something.

Today will be more of the same. Office, paperwork, cleaning, and a couple of auction pickups too. If it’s raining, that will have some challenges. If it’s nice and dry, I’ll take the pickup truck for convenience.

I still haven’t taken a load to the estate auctioneer yet. Although he and the industrial guy both have stuff that hasn’t been listed yet, so I’m not missing a cycle, it would be nice to get some more stuff out of here. I might have to do some more ebay listings.

The other daughter has a birthday on Saturday, so I need to start getting ready for that too. She’s been surly and out of sorts lately, I’m hoping it’s just temporary, and not the start of the next phase. Summer will purely suck if it doesn’t improve. I did find some girl’s boxing gloves at the Goodwill outlet, and we spent a few minutes hitting the heavy bag the other night. It’s good exercise but not great self defense training. Still fun though and hitting things usually improves people’s outlook.

I don’t see anything changing much for the better in the last few weeks, so I’m still thinking we’re gonna have a violent summer, filled with ‘incidents’. The masks are starting to come off, literally and figuratively. Time to be like Santa and make a list of who’s been naughty and nice, while trying to stay off of other peoples’ lists.

And it’s time to gather and store resources– stuff, skills, friends. Stack them up.

nick

78 Comments and discussion on "Tues. May 18, 2021 – let’s keep the party going, comrade."

  1. Nick Flandrey says:

    66F and wet this morning. No active rain. Bits of clear sky.

    We’ll see….

    n

  2. Greg Norton says:

    Charlie Crist working the room -er- state in Florida. Even the Dems aren’t happy about Crist making yet another run at the Governor’s Mansion because his family’s name and reputation in the district allowed them to win a Congressional seat that Republicans held for decades.

    https://www.captivasanibel.com/2021/05/14/progressive-club-to-hold-monthly-meeting-10/

  3. Nick Flandrey says:

    Linked for reference- some time ago we were discussing how much steel is in a vehicle and the changes over time. Article in Machine Design has a nice breakdown.

    https://www.machinedesign.com/fastening-joining/article/21156335/workholding-solutions-have-a-grip-on-lightweighting

    Take as an example the automotive industry, which has for decades depended on steel. On average, OEMs use about 900 kg of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) per vehicle. The World Steel Association notes that 40% of that total is used in the body structure, panels, doors and trunk closures; 23% is in the drivetrain (consisting of cast iron for the engine block and machinable carbon steel for the wear-resistant gears); 12% is used in the suspension; and the balance is distributed to a variety of components, such as the wheels, tires, fuel tank, and steering and braking systems.

    n

  4. Nick Flandrey says:

    gold spot price is about $1800 with deliverable retail around $2000/oz, and silver is ~$28/oz spot. That is almost double the prices of not that long ago, 2 years maybe? IIRC gold hit a low of $1200 and silver was $16.

    Another way of looking at it is that the dollar has lost almost half of its purchasing power in 2-3 years. Of course there are other factors besides inflation, but how much do you think IS monetary inflation? Even half would be bad.

    Crypto is up crazy amounts, and there are psychological factors there too besides inflation.

    Home prices. Food prices. Both up, with people pointing out that there are supply/demand reasons for the increases, but SOME of it must be inflation.

    There also seems to be a lot of talk about inflation in the media and in person as well.

    Given all the money creation and government spending, one would expect inflation.

    Well, looks like we’re getting it.

    Make a plan for dealing with it, and don’t wait too long to execute…

    n

  5. Nick Flandrey says:

    More detail about the child abduction and murder is coming out.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9590491/Surveillance-footage-captured-moment-Dallas-boy-4-snatched-bed-stabbed-death.html

    You need a chart to keep track of the relationships of the people involved, but they do appear to be connected. What a mess.

    “An arrest affidavit suggested Sherrod [the adult female in the household, was dating the dead kid’s dad before he took off, no biological relationship to the dead kid] did know Brown [the 18yo black suspect who was wearing an ankle monitor for a previous arrest] prior to the kidnapping [of the 4yo kid] but the nature of their relationship remains unclear [but she ID’d him from the video]. ”

    Jeez what a mess.
    n

  6. Greg Norton says:

    gold spot price is about $1800 with deliverable retail around $2000/oz, and silver is ~$28/oz spot. That is almost double the prices of not that long ago, 2 years maybe? IIRC gold hit a low of $1200 and silver was $16.

    I received the latest mailing from the US Mint last week, and they won’t even set a date for 1 ounce un-circulated Eagles beyond “Fall”. Last year, the entire production run was sent to the preferred dealers, which adds to the ounce price delivered.

    The last silver I picked up for a fishing trip was somewhere in the low $30s delivered.

  7. Nick Flandrey says:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9591141/Jews-freely-Germany-Merkel-condemns-anti-Semitism-pro-Palestine-protests.html

    ‘Jews cannot move freely in Germany’: Merkel condemns anti-Semitic abuse and attacks on synagogues during pro-Palestine protests across the country

    ‘What has been heard in the last few days of hatred of Jews and anti-Semitic abuse is shameful,’ Steffen Seibert said on Monday following week of protests
    He called an attack on a Jewish journalist during a demo in Berlin ‘outrageous’
    Seibert said it showed that ‘Jews in Germany cannot move around as freely’
    Police were deployed outside synagogues across the country after protests

    Seibert said that the recent spate of anti-Semitism showed that the problem existed across the political spectrum.

    ‘There are anti-Semites in various camps in Germany,’ he said. ‘Right-wing extremists and neo-Nazis have always been part of it. And in these days it becomes clear again to us: There are also Muslim anti-Semites.’

    –really? Ya think?

    n

  8. Greg Norton says:

    You need a chart to keep track of the relationships of the people involved, but they do appear to be connected. What a mess.

    One thing I’ve noticed since moving to Austin/Texas is that a lot higher percentage of the parents here are not focused on what is most important.

  9. Nick Flandrey says:

    @greg, my local dealer, and my internet dealer both have coins in stock, as well as other forms of gold and silver. I was actually a bit surprised that they have good inventory levels, but maybe they have been buying from people cashing in a stash…

    n

    added- the estate and local auctions have been CRAZY for PMs with people paying high premiums, which is why I thought there must be a shortage of inventory.

  10. Greg Norton says:

    @greg, my local dealer, and my internet dealer both have coins in stock, as well as other forms of gold and silver. I was actually a bit surprised that they have good inventory levels, but maybe they have been buying from people cashing in a stash…

    Someone keeps trying to establish a talking point that the gold run is over so that may explain why people are cashing out at this point.

    I’m not buying right now, but I find the disconnect between the price of GLD and physical delivery interesting.

  11. MrAtoz says:

    LOL! I love Mr. Ricks new submit button.

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    1
  12. dcp says:

    @lynn

    I had not known that the Jumper series had a fourth book. I’m about half-way through. It’s a lot of fun. Thanks!

  13. ~jim says:

    The end is Nearer! The end is Nearer!

    How much time does humanity have left?

    Star Trek question that’s bugged me for years:

    How did they manage to snag Jean Simmons in the STTNG episode _Chain of Command_? Just lucky?

    I think that was the title. Excellent morality play and she was nailed it.

  14. ~jim says:

    Damn, it was _The Drumhead_.

    Where’s that edit button? 🙂

  15. lynn says:

    The wife is binge watching Gene Roddenbery’s Andromeda on the Roku Channel on her Roku. She loves Kevin Sorbo, I can take or leave him. Anyway, the Roku channel is now presenting interactive commercials to her. One of the commercials is a Mini car that allows you to change the colors on the Mini car. The future is here and I am not sure that I like it.

  16. lynn says:

    @lynn

    I had not known that the Jumper series had a fourth book. I’m about half-way through. It’s a lot of fun. Thanks!

    You are welcome. I love all of the books in the series and that one is very interesting, espeically with the SpaceX stuff ongoing.

  17. lynn says:

    @greg, my local dealer, and my internet dealer both have coins in stock, as well as other forms of gold and silver. I was actually a bit surprised that they have good inventory levels, but maybe they have been buying from people cashing in a stash…

    n

    added- the estate and local auctions have been CRAZY for PMs with people paying high premiums, which is why I thought there must be a shortage of inventory.

    I am feeling especially dull today. What is a PM ?

  18. lynn says:

    @lynn

    I had not known that the Jumper series had a fourth book. I’m about half-way through. It’s a lot of fun. Thanks!

    You are welcome. I love all of the books in the series and that one is very interesting, espeically with the SpaceX stuff ongoing.

    BTW, if I had a special power, it would be teleportation. Reading people’s minds would be a disaster, I would think that anyone would go insane after a while. Being able to transport yourself to anywhere on or off the planet at a moments notice would be amazing.

    BTW2, I am buying second copies of all my six star books and putting them at my bug out place. Just in case. Acquiring some of my six star books has been difficult though.

  19. MrAtoz says:

    PM = Precious Metal

  20. lynn says:

    “This 9-0 SCOTUS Ruling on Guns Shows Just How Extreme (and Dangerous) the Biden Administration Really Is”
    https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/bryan-preston/2021/05/17/this-9-0-scotus-ruling-on-guns-shows-just-how-extreme-and-dangerous-the-biden-administration-really-is-n1447608

    “Did you hear that Joe Biden’s Department of Justice wanted the Supreme Court to rule that police could search Americans’ homes for firearms — and confiscate them — without a warrant?”

    I just cannot believe that even Sotomeyer agreed that warrant less searches of people homes is a ery bad thing and 100% unconstitutional.

    This ruling kills every red flag law in the country. The powers that be must get a warrant to sieze your guns. Period.

  21. Greg Norton says:

    How did they manage to snag Jean Simmons in the STTNG episode _Chain of Command_? Just lucky?

    Yes, “The Drumhead”.

    Jean Simmons worked with Jonathan Frakes in “North and South”, but once the show survived the first couple of seasons, I don’t think the producers had a problem getting anyone they really wanted.

    Maybe Robin Williams in “A Matter of Time”, but I think the episode aged better with Matt Frewer as the guest star.

  22. Chad says:

    I was watching an episode of Star Trek Voyager several months ago and was surprised to see Sara Silverman make an appearance. It’s a season three episode named “Future’s End.”  Rumor has it her character was actually going to be a regular on the series, but they switched gears and decided to have Jeri Ryan come on as a regular the next season instead.

  23. Greg Norton says:

    I was watching an episode of Star Trek Voyager several months ago and was surprised to see Sara Silverman make an appearance. It’s a season three episode named “Future’s End.”  Rumor has it her character was actually going to be a regular on the series, but they switched gears and decided to have Jeri Ryan come on as a regular the next season instead. 

    IIRC, Jeri Ryan was on the cover of Maxim the year before as part of the PR push for “Dark Skies”, NBC’s attempt at “X Files” weirdness.

  24. lynn says:

    “AT&T stock heads for worst day in 11 months as future dividend cut viewed as ‘somewhat surprising’”
    https://finance.yahoo.com/m/843bd937-6b9f-3ced-b422-c7224c948e80/at-t-stock-heads-for-worst.html

    I totally forgot that the wife owns a thousand or two shares of AT&T stock that she and her sister just inherited from her father. Actually only a 20% drop so far.
    https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/T?p=T&.tsrc=fin-srch

  25. lynn says:

    “Ransomware Takeaways: 2021 to Date”
    https://www.backblaze.com/blog/ransomware-takeaways-2021-to-date/

    “If you’re responsible for the care and feeding of a business’ or organization’s IT infrastructure, you understand the risks ransomware poses. But sometimes it’s challenging to convince your organization of the threat when staying ahead of danger requires change or investment.”

    “That’s why we’re kicking off a regular ransomware digest—not because you need the information, but maybe five quick, up-to-date, shareable takeaways will convince the staffer on your team that does.”

    Just a matter of time before most everybody gets hits by ransomware.

  26. lynn says:

    “Incoming Geomagnetic Storm Expected To Hit Earth Tuesday”
    https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/incoming-geomagnetic-storm-expected-tuesday

    “”Minor G1-class geomagnetic storms are possible on May 18-19 when a pair of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is expected to hit Earth’s magnetic field.”

    “”The two CMEs left the sun on consecutive days: One from sunspot AR2822 on May 13th, the next from sunspot AR2823 on May 14th.”

    “”Individually, the CMEs appear to be weak and insubstantial; however, they could add up to a geomagnetic storm when they arrive in quick succession this Tuesday.””

    We are not going to die from this CME.

  27. Chad says:

    IIRC, Jeri Ryan was on the cover of Maxim the year before as part of the PR push for “Dark Skies”, NBC’s attempt at “X Files” weirdness.

    Feminist trigger warning, I am about to objectify some actresses…

    I used to think Jeri Ryan’s character, Seven of Nine, was probably the hottest woman in the Trekverse, but then I watched Enterprise and saw Jolene Blalock’s character, T’Pol. Wow. Just wow. Jeri still makes my #2.

    A buddy of mine and I used to joke that Roxann Dawson (who plays B’Elanna Torres) was hotter as a Klingon than she was in real life as a human. We were both watching some cast interviews and they were interviewing her in her civilian clothes without makeup and I was like, “Is it just me, or…” and he interrupted with “…is she hotter as a Klingon? Yes. Yes, she is.”

    When I was a kid it was Troi, Crusher, and Yar. Now that I’m older I think, “Yar, sure, but were Troi and Crusher ever hot? Attractive, yes. Hot? Meh.” 🙂 Remember the stretching scene from ST:TNG episode “?” That has to be on some list of “Most Paused-On Scenes in TV Shows.”

    That is all. I’ve sunk deep enough into the abyss of geeky sci-fi fantasies for one day. lol

  28. Chad says:

    Butchered part of that and can’t edit it (why?!). It should have read:

    Remember the stretching scene from ST:TNG episode “The Price” That has to be on some list of “Most Paused-On Scenes in TV Shows.”

  29. dkreck says:

    Submit? I’m just not too sure what that means.

    2
    1
  30. Greg Norton says:

    “AT&T stock heads for worst day in 11 months as future dividend cut viewed as ‘somewhat surprising’”

    I totally forgot that the wife owns a thousand or two shares of AT&T stock that she and her sister just inherited from her father. Actually only a 20% drop so far.

    Nothing surprising. Going $85 billion in debt to buy TimeWarner was a disaster, and they still haven’t figured out what to do with DirecTV.

    Again, this (now) upper management team is the same group of in-duh-viduals who inspired “Dilbert” as middle management at legacy PacBell when Scott Adams worked there in the 90s.

  31. Greg Norton says:

    Nothing surprising. Going $85 billion in debt to buy TimeWarner was a disaster, and they still haven’t figured out what to do with DirecTV.

    The only information about the debt offloading I’ve seen is that the new Discovery-Warner company will get $55 billion of the paper. AT&T eats the rest.

    I predicted “Friends” would be back on Netflix by this Christmas when it disappeared from the service at the end of 2019. Thanksgiving, coinciding with the return of the TNT marathon of Turkey Day-themed episodes, wouldn’t surprise me.

  32. Chad says:

    For those of you in urban/suburban settings is there a stigma associated with satellite dishes where you live? Around here there is. Most people considered them ugly and if you have one the assumption is because you didn’t pay the cable company so they cut you off and you had to resort to a dish.  Obviously, in rural areas it’s frequently the only option (outside of just an antenna) but every metro area I’ve lived in treats them like the preferred TV provider of trailer trash.  A close second would maybe be above ground pools. Most newer/nicer developments around have covenants outright forbidding above ground pools.

  33. paul says:

    Around here Dish must have a very good deal compared to the Spectrum or whatever it’s called.  Brand new houses with cable boxes on the wall, for Internet, and a Dish or DirecTv dish (or two) on the roof.  Seems wacky to me.

     

  34. Greg Norton says:

    For those of you in urban/suburban settings is there a stigma associated with satellite dishes where you live? Around here there is. Most people considered them ugly and if you have one the assumption is because you didn’t pay the cable company so they cut you off and you had to resort to a dish. 

    No stigma around here. I guess it depends on where you live.

    Back in the 90s in Florida, the Hitler Wannabes and Colonel Bat Guano (Ret) types who dominate the condo and HOA boards tried to have the dish antennas banned, but DirecTV and Dish, still fairly hip and early in their growth curves, managed to have the FCC issue a blanket ruling for all 50 states preventing the prohibition of the receivers on the basis of interfering with communications. That left an impression on a couple of generations depending on which side of the issue you supported.

    Our neighborhood used to have just two cable options — either Fiber-to-the-curb Uverse or Spectrum, at nearly $80/month for just the basic channels once the introductory period ended. Even though AT&T Fiber went in a couple of years ago, I still see the dish antennas around.

  35. Rick H says:

    Around my place, where there are fairly strict HOA rules, Dish/DirecTV dishes are OK, and are on about 75% of houses. The really big (old) dishes aren’t allowed.

    I’ve had DirecTV for several decades. Happy with them. Tried Dish for a year, didn’t like the interface.

    For the webs, Wave Broadband. They have fiber in the area, with cable for the ‘last mile’. I get 90-108 MB download, 10-15 MB upload. (Results from a couple minutes ago as I type this.)

    No landline phone. Wife and I have MetroPCS 4G. 5G hasn’t made it up here yet. Good enough.

  36. paul says:

    I finally hacked up and vac sealed the two spiral cut hams.  What, two weeks later?

    A couple of meaty bones for soup or pot o’ beans.  Six packages of sliced ham, about two hearty meals per.  All in the freezer.  There’s a tub in the fridge for snacking and supper tomorrow.  Another tub is packed with odd bits for the dogs.  I have a bowl of diced ham to add to a box of au gratin potatoes for tonight’s supper.

    I tossed the corn syrup flavored with molasses pouches.  I tasted and saved the dry pouches.  “Sugar, brown sugar, spices.”  Spices seem to be nutmeg, allspice and a pinch of clove.  Tastes and smells like “yeah, sprinkle this on Sugar Cookies”.  Or on buttered toast.

    The next little pork loin on the grill is going to get salt, pepper, chili powder, and this stuff.

    And that’s all the excitement happening here.  Time to feed the dogs.

     

  37. paul says:

    I tossed the corn syrup flavored with molasses pouches. I tasted and saved the dry pouches.

    Sorry. This is the glaze mix that comes with the hams.

  38. Chad says:

    A couple of meaty bones for soup or pot o’ beans.

    I love a great ham-n-bean soup! When is dinner? 😋

    I never cared for the spiral sliced hams. I just like my slices much thicker than what the spiral slicer is typically defaulted too. I love a ham and cheese sandwich where the slice of ham is as thick as the slice of bread.

    …and now I’m hungry.

  39. lynn says:

    Feminist trigger warning, I am about to objectify some actresses…

    I used to think Jeri Ryan’s character, Seven of Nine, was probably the hottest woman in the Trekverse, but then I watched Enterprise and saw Jolene Blalock’s character, T’Pol. Wow. Just wow. Jeri still makes my #2.

    Was ? Was ? Was ? I have you know that Jeri Ryan is in Picard and she is still hot.
    https://decider.com/2020/02/20/star-trek-picard-7-of-9-jeri-ryan/

    Did you ever see the interview where she talked about the corsets that she wore as 7 of 9 ? Turns out one was a really tight fit and she passed on on set during a scene. Whoa, four times !
    https://screenrant.com/star-trek-voyager-bodysuit-costume-change-why/

  40. Greg Norton says:

    Did you ever see the interview where she talked about the corsets that she wore as 7 of 9 ? Turns out one was a really tight fit and she passed on on set during a scene. Whoa, four times !

    Somewhere on Youtube is the publicity panel Jeri Ryan did for “Picard” where she talks about the “Voyager” silver catsuit strangling her and being surprised at cons when fans would willingly show up in the output … including a few males.

     

  41. Greg Norton says:

    “willingly show up in the output … including a few males.”

    That’s *in the outfit*. Bah. I wasn’t paying attention to the spell check pulldown selection.

  42. Marcelo says:

    Butchered part of that and can’t edit it (why?!).

    Now, now gentlemen. You are missing the Big Picture. Rick is trying to make this a better site.

    The thought goes like this:

    – Do you have some worthy comment to share with your fellow posters? If not forget it.

    – Type your comment in the provided area.

    – Now, READ what you have just typed to see that what your brain thought was worthy does come across as such.

    – Check your grammar. ( When in doubt use Grammarly. )

    – Do a thorough review of any typos you may have introduced. When in doubt do some searches using the Internet provided services.

    – Now consider pressing that menacing green huuuge button.

    – Have another go at typos.

    – Finally, press the button and read what was posted and hate yourself because you missed one or two typos…

    So, good luck with your efforts. I’ll just keep praying for The Return of The Edit!

     

  43. lynn says:

    “Heads up Houston—it looks like the serious rainfall is coming tonight”
    https://spacecityweather.com/heads-up-houston-it-looks-like-the-serious-rainfall-is-coming-tonight/

    “We think most of Houston and the surrounding counties will see 2 to 5 inches of rainfall between now and sunrise on Wednesday, with higher isolated totals. These storms will be capable of producing intense rainfall rates above 2 inches per hour, which will quickly back up streets. Almost certainly some part of our region will see 10 inches of rainfall, or more, during the overnight hours. For now we are maintaining a Stage 2 flood alert, but this threat may need to be adjusted upward later this evening.”

    I love getting up to 10 inches of rain in the dark.

  44. lynn says:

    So, good luck with your efforts. I’ll just keep praying for The Return of The Edit!

    I don’t think that the Edit feature is coming back. Sounds like it was causing a problem.

    Too bad as Rick trained me well to post my comment and then edit it to “good enough” (hat tip to JEP).

  45. ~jim says:

     

    The next little pork loin on the grill is going to get salt, pepper, chili powder, and this stuff.

    Try a little lime juice, too. The acidity perks up the flavor. Sometimes I cheat and just use a pinch or two of citric acid.

  46. Greg Norton says:

    Try a little lime juice, too. The acidity perks up the flavor. Sometimes I cheat and just use a pinch or two of citric acid. 

    A pinch isn’t sufficient.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNwbdMwI0MU

    Favreau’s done a lot of cool movies over the last decade, but that one is my favorite.

  47. mediumwave says:

    RBT added the ability to edit comments in response to popular demand.

    @RickH unilaterally first shortened the time to edit and then removed the ability to edit altogether in response to …?

  48. SteveF says:

    RickH unilaterally first shortened the time to edit and then removed the ability to edit altogether in response to …?

    In response to his desire to make Lynn’s life miserable, I think. A worthy goal, I think.

  49. lynn says:

    In response to his desire to make Lynn’s life miserable, I think. A worthy goal, I think.

    Too late. These glaucoma drops are making my eyes burn and water constantly.

  50. lynn says:

    They are forecasting the Brazos River to come up to minor flood stage this weekend. Not good.
    https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=HGX&gage=RMOT2

  51. Nick Flandrey says:

    There was a conflict between the edit widget and the site theme, and the post comment widget.

    I think Rick is just letting us stew….

    One small but welcome difference is I don’t miss something upthread that got added as an edit to the comment…

    ]n[

    minor issues, but I do like the ability to edit.

    And Rick did it because he’s Webmaster. He’s the only tech support there is, so if it makes his life hard, it’s G O N E . . .

  52. Rick H says:

    @RickH unilaterally first shortened the time to edit and then removed the ability to edit altogether in response to …?

    It all started with you guys wanting to have more formatting options in the comment edit box. So I added the TinyMCE editor, which lets you do bold and stuff. (Yes, there was something like that before TinyMCE, but it worked inconsistently.)

    The addition of TinyMCE (which is native to WP; already built in – it’s used when editing pages/posts in the admin area – I just added  it to the comment box) caused some problems with the other plugin that allowed you to edit comments after submission. They seemed to ‘fight’ over the formatting buttons/processes.

    So the ‘after-edit’ was disabled. I figured that youse guys were smart enough to read what you wrote before you submitted.

    Not sure that assumption is correct for some of you. Which brought about the text on the button down there to remind you to “RTFS” before submitting your comment.

    Which brought about more complaining. (which might be the appeal of this place…)

    But, I can take the written abuse. I’ve raised teenagers.

  53. Nick Flandrey says:

    On a more serious note, anyone got contact info for Mr DadCooks? He’s not responded privately or publicly to pings.

    n

  54. Nick Flandrey says:

    Ummmm, I think I might move “aliens are real and are here” a bit higher up the list…

    ‘We don’t know what they are and can’t explain how they move’: Obama confirms UFO sightings by military are real and says they ‘must take them seriously’

    Former President Barack Obama says he has seen footage of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) that defy rational explanation
    ‘We can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory… they did not have an easily explainable pattern’
    His comments come days after a US fighter pilot revealed airmen have seen unknown aircraft off Virginia coast every day for two years
    Speaking on The Late Late Show, Obama says he was curious to learn about the US Government’s UFO secrets when he came to office in 2008
    ‘I was like, ‘All right, is there the lab somewhere where we’re keeping the alien specimens and spaceships?’
    ‘And the answer was ‘No,” he quipped.
    The Department of Defense is due to release a report into unidentified aerial phenomena sightings by military personnel next month

    –n

  55. Nick Flandrey says:

    @paul, I save the dry packets too. I’ve used one on baked carrots. I’ve used one on my home cured ham experiment. They are just dried honey and good stuff.

    I was saving the wet packets too, but I think they have corn syrup in them, and I can’t think of anything I’ve used one on.

    n

  56. Marcelo says:

    Which brought about more complaining. (which might be the appeal of this place…)

    Yep, one of the best things here. We can have a go at each other and Nobody gets upset. 🙂

    So, it seems that it is either formatting features [exclusive] Or edit and you have decided that formatting trumps. I am ok with that but would there be any place in your heart to put that to a vote?

    [ This assumes that it is just a couple of keystrokes to get things changed.].

    We can then have some fun with thumbs up and down and some emojis. Should be the most thumbed post since feature inception and probably would never be beaten! If it is not then you can ignore the few whingers and leave things as you have determined.

     

  57. lynn says:

    THERE IS A NEW BLOOM COUNTY STRIP TODAY ! Three days in a row, what is going on ?
    https://www.facebook.com/berkeleybreathed

    The world must be coming to an end and Berkeley Breathed feels the need to get a few out the door.

  58. Nick Flandrey says:

    WRT dish or direcTV dishes, no stigma around here. Get out of town even 10 minutes and satellite is the only option besides OTA, with DSL or cell the most common internet access.

    My 50yo HOA specifically allows antennas and towers, and dishes, but they can’t be in front of the “front plane” of the house. No big C or K band in the front yard… and there is a house I drive by in another neighborhood that does have a big C band antenna in the front yard so people did it.

    n

  59. Greg Norton says:

    On a more serious note, anyone got contact info for Mr DadCooks? He’s not responded privately or publicly to pings.

    When was the last time he posted?

    Kinda concerning since seemed more soured on society than the general tone around here.

  60. Nick Flandrey says:

    I did 4 pickups today. From IAH down to Hobby and on down to Alvin, then back up and out to my house. Almost all of it was household, with only a couple of resale items.

    I stopped at the new Goodwill Outlet on the north side of town, just to see what it was like. Smaller and much quieter than my local one, with almost nothing except clothes. I did pick up a couple of small things. I hit my local outlet on the way home and just got a couple of things. I had a chat with a young guy I’ve talked to before. He’s just getting started, and he’s concentrating on books. He doesn’t use a barcode scanner and just grab anything that will sell on amazon, he looks at them. He says he sold one for $700 this week. Good score says I! Last time, I told him he should be looking at the books without barcodes and let the volume guys do their thing. I guess he took my advice, and he hit big with an antique. He’d been at the store for 3 hours already today. Good money if he can keep it up and he should be able to. Even just a few good sales a week beats unemployment, and there is always the treasure hunt aspect of fun.

    n

  61. dkreck says:

    So the ‘after-edit’ was disabled. I figured that youse guys were smart enough to read what you wrote before you submitted.

    Which was exactly the blunder I made yesterday. Not only was there a misspelling, I pasted a link that was in my clipboard instead of the quote I had intended. Didn’t even look once much less twice. Any time I’m posting anything of length I use LO then copy and paste but not when it’s only a few lines.

  62. SteveF says:

    I was saving the wet packets too, but I think they have corn syrup in them, and I can’t think of anything I’ve used one on.

    Drizzle them on dogfood? Dogs lick their own butts, so HFCS should be acceptable to them.

    We can have a go at each other and Nobody gets upset.

    Was… was that a challenge?

  63. Greg Norton says:

    Good money if he can keep it up and he should be able to. Even just a few good sales a week beats unemployment, and there is always the treasure hunt aspect of fun.

    People have money and pent up demand. I’ve had offers on some things I put on EBay months ago. Lowball, but offers none the less.

    The mailings I receive from the upcoming anime shows still read “tentative”, but neither has been cancelled.

    The first test is Memorial Day weekend. I’ll keep an eye out for Pokemon card prices.

  64. drwilliams says:

    @Lynn

    Catching up:

    The wife is binge watching Gene Roddenbery’s Andromeda on the Roku Channel on her Roku. She loves Kevin Sorbo, I can take or leave him.

    The writing on Andromeda was a bit hit or miss. I thoroughly enjoyed Hercules. Haven’t circled back to either one.

    Sorbo did a cover of Blade Magazine. Bought an extra copy, back in the day.

    BTW2, I am buying second copies of all my six star books and putting them at my bug out place. Just in case. Acquiring some of my six star books has been difficult though.

    Did you post a list?

    “This 9-0 SCOTUS Ruling on Guns Shows Just How Extreme (and Dangerous) the Biden Administration Really Is”

    But what does it say about the lower courts that they all ruled the opposite way?

    This article has a good summary of Justice Thomas lambasting the First Circuit:

    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/05/the_supreme_court_bans_most_warrantless_gun_seizures_from_homes.html

    The precedent cited by the First would have been an easy call the opposite way for a first-year law student.

    Also of note are the police tactics in deceiving the plaintiff and his wife.

     

  65. lynn says:

    BTW2, I am buying second copies of all my six star books and putting them at my bug out place. Just in case. Acquiring some of my six star books has been difficult though.

    Did you post a list?

    Several years ago. I will recompile the list and post it some day. The list tends to vary depending on the position of the Earth relative to the Sun, Moon, and stars. Here are a couple:

    1. Mutineer’s Moon by David Weber
    2. The Tar-Aiym Krang by Alan Dean Foster
    3. Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein
    4. Jumper by Steven Gould
    5. The Moon is Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
    6. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
    7. The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein
    8. Red Thunder by John Varley
    9. Emergence by David Palmer
    10. Dies The Fire by S. M. Stirling
    12. Live Free Or Die by John Ringo
    12. Footfall by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
    13. Lucifer’s Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
    14. Under A Graveyard Sky by John Ringo
    15. Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
    16. Freehold by Michael Z. Williamson
    17. Human By Choice by Travis S. Taylor
    18. DarkShip Thieves by Sarah Hoyt
    19. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
    20. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

    That should be enough for a while.

  66. lynn says:

    “This 9-0 SCOTUS Ruling on Guns Shows Just How Extreme (and Dangerous) the Biden Administration Really Is”

    But what does it say about the lower courts that they all ruled the opposite way?

    This article has a good summary of Justice Thomas lambasting the First Circuit:

    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/05/the_supreme_court_bans_most_warrantless_gun_seizures_from_homes.html

    The precedent cited by the First would have been an easy call the opposite way for a first-year law student.

    Also of note are the police tactics in deceiving the plaintiff and his wife.

    Yup, the east coast courts suck. Once the bastion of freedom, now the bringer of chains.

    Great article.

  67. Nick Flandrey says:

    Holy cow, there is a massive front about to hit us. Tornado warnings just hit both our phones. Wind suddenly picked up and the rain just started. It’s lashing down.

    n

  68. lynn says:

    Holy cow, there is a massive front about to hit us. Tornado warnings just hit both our phones. Wind suddenly picked up and the rain just started. It’s lashing down.

    n

    We have gotten 6 to 10 inches of rain in the last hour. 3/4rds of my front yard is flooded and 1/2 of my back yard is flooded. This is my 1.2 acre lot.

  69. lynn says:

    That should be enough for a while.

    21. A Matter For Men by David Gerrold

  70. Alan says:

    Which brought about more complaining. (which might be the appeal of this place…)

    Yep, one of the best things here. We can have a go at each other and Nobody gets upset.

    So, it seems that it is either formatting features [exclusive] Or edit and you have decided that formatting trumps. I am ok with that but would there be any place in your heart to put that to a vote?

    [ This assumes that it is just a couple of keystrokes to get things changed.].

    We can then have some fun with thumbs up and down and some emojis. Should be the most thumbed post since feature inception and probably would never be beaten! If it is not then you can ignore the few whingers and leave things as you have determined.

    I vote to keep @Rick happy and let Mr. Murphy rule.

  71. Nick Flandrey says:

    Well rain tapered off with only a slight increase in total rainfall to this point.

    Wind has died down too.

    We did have one power blink.

    And I’m headed to bed.
    n

  72. Alan says:

    I vote to keep @Rick happy and let Mr. Murphy rule.

    Too bad the tag is obsolete.

  73. Alan says:

    Too bad the tag is obsolete.

    Argh! Did it to myself – above comment was meant to say “Too bad the {blink} tag is obsolete.”

  74. lynn says:

    I sure am glad that Perry Homes put down two feet of dirt, clay, and sand down on my lot before they poured my home foundation. Because, my home is two feet above the standing water right now. The house is islanded except for the driveway which is six inches above the water in the front ditch. There is a LOT of water out there. Houston is a swamp and swamps flood, even though I am 30 miles away from downtown Houston.

  75. Nick Flandrey says:

    @lynn, wow. On the other hand, your planning paid off, you’re still dry.

    n

  76. Chad says:

    Not sure that assumption is correct for some of you. Which brought about the text on the button down there to remind you to “RTFS” before submitting your comment.

    If that was realistic everything would stop at version 1.0. 🙂

  77. paul says:

    I was saving the wet packets too, but I think they have corn syrup in them, and I can’t think of anything I’ve used one on.

    Corn syrup, molasses for color, two different preservatives, honey.
    I have a several year old bottle of Karo in the cupboard, it’s not something we use often.
    The dogs do not get sweets. Stale cake or pie goes into the trash if I don’t have chickens.

    Great idea about adding lime or citric acid.

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