Well, it’s 66F with 46%RH which is a nice change. Yesterday was very humid with overcast and storm clouds in the distance. Today is sunny, partly cloudy, cool, and dry. This is the first time that I’ve noticed the NOAA national forecast for the area to be wrong. Yesterday it had Houston in the middle of a t-storm zone. I suppose it’s still possible we’ll get storms later today. I hope not.
This is a bit worrying, and typically it is a tiny mention, way down the page….
Lassa fever death toll hits 110: Fatalities in Nigeria rocket by 22% in a week amid ‘unusually severe’ outbreak of the killer disease
Global health chiefs declared this is Nigeria’s worst ever outbreak of Lassa fever
There has been 1,121 suspected cases of the disease since January, figures show
This year’s outbreak carries a significantly higher death rate than the usual 1%
snip
Elsie Ilori, head of the NCDC’s Lassa Fever Emergency Operations Centre, described the situation as ‘overwhelming’ last week.
In an interview with Bloomberg, she explained that the current outbreak is ‘more than what we have seen before’.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5468093/Lassa-fever-death-toll-hits-110.html
From a tiny, casual mention back when Indonesia was suffering the black plague outbreak to ” the worst outbreak of the deadly bug to have ever rocked Nigeria” in only a month or two.
Good thing for us we’re not allowing unlimited immigration and travel from sh1thole countries….. oh, wait….
nick
Nick, it hasn’t been mentioned in a while, so thanks for putting up these posts. And thanks to Barbara for letting us continue to gather here.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs179/en/
You’ve only got a 1% chance of dying if infected with Lassa fever. I can think of worse diseases.
And I care because…?
Keep the diseased bastards out — in fact, keep everyone out; the US could use a break from immigration except for genius-level STEM types — and let them figure out their own problems. I’m tired of bailing out the world. (And then, as often as not, being blamed for the problem or the solution or for not doing enough or for any damned thing.) Let the Nigerians eat an albino’s liver or something. It’s Not. My. Problem.
“It’s Not. My. Problem.” — unfortunately, like Ebola, it might become my problem… We have a LOT of air traffic between Nigeria and the US, particularly in Houston for Oil and Gas.
@chad, “You’ve only got a 1% chance of dying if infected with Lassa fever.” not this time, this time it’s killing a quarter of those infected. ‘course you can PROBABLY adjust that down in the first world, until the 32 or so beds get filled. Then it’s back to plague wards. Oh, and that doesn’t account for the current shortages caused by the heavy flu this year.
Not saying that this should be top of your list, but it’s a good reason to have enough preps on hand to not leave the house for 45 days. Might want to refresh the bleach and hand sanitizer stocks too.
n
I suppose you know you are in the South when you get a note like this from your local school district educational foundation (a way to make donations directly to schools, for specific things)
“Thank you, donors!
Sporting Clay Tournament Co-chairs Doug Goodson and Rob Stewart hosted a record-breaking event on Feb. 12. More than 200 SBEF supporters fielded 51 teams at the Greater Houston Gun Club. In spite of the cold and blustery day, they enjoyed winning prizes and raising money for scholarships and grants.”
n
25% of all those infected with Lassa fever or 25% of the ones with bad enough symptoms that they seek medical attention? “About 80% of people who become infected with Lassa virus have no symptom.”
Back in San Bernardino for two days. Beautiful weather here, but Kalifornicationers. Yech!
Mr. Nick, let me know if you need moola for the OFD project. Gift card or whatever.
My son, currently in 8th grade, is being recruited. He got a letter from the school system saying he would be an excellent candidate to participate in the magnet school program next year. Thanks, but no thanks. We moved before he became school age to make sure he went to the best schools in our district. Why on Earth would I buss him to a crap neighborhood and crap school, just because he would attend a few advanced classes there? His designated high school is very good, and has all the classes he wants to take. Oh, and it’s not in a slum.
Hope I got my micro/macro aggression quota for the day there…
we’re doing our part to increase test scores in our local school district…. and several principals were willing to spend more than an hour with us to convince us to attend their school…
Yeah, let’s put a desirable program in the worst possible place, to drag people into that area… nothing like social engineering. And the magical power of white kids to improve a school… so much of progressive-ism seems to be based on magical thinking.
Gun Free signs to ward off evil. Incantations (power of words to change reality). Ritual professions of faith. Group confession of sins. Magic dirt. Animism.
A cackling cabal of cavorting caviling co-conspiritors.
n
“Back in San Bernardino for two days. Beautiful weather here, but Kalifornicationers. Yech!”
10-4 on San Berdoo …… so I’ll stay here on the coast, 50 miles SW of your temporary location. Just don’t go streetside at night.
“..the US could use a break from immigration except for genius-level STEM types ”
Roger that, but I’m already here.
@chad, the article says “Health officials have stressed in the latest situation report that Lassa fever is killing nearly 24 per cent of those it strikes.”
But the listed fatalities and number of infected suggest ~10%, unless there is lag, in that another 14% of those already infected are expected to die with no new cases diluting the percentages.
I remind readers that the only domestic cases of Ebola were just a 4 hour drive from my house….. or 45 minute flight. And that the cases treated in the US consumed almost every single high level isolation bed in the country, still managed to infect two nurses, and bankrupted a hospital.
In my personal bucket of joy, I’ll be traveling to a state next week where hantavirus is common and has already struck a couple of people in the last month…
n
Quick update on the OFD project, I’ve received the eye tracker, a hard drive, and the laptop is on its way here. Then I just need to get it all together, loaded, tested, do round two of that, make any changes, and get some one of you to test it out.
But I count that as progress.
n
And thanks to Barbara for letting us continue to gather here.
As well as a “thank you” to @nick for continuing to man the bridge, so to speak!
It is my pleasure to help out, and do what I can.
n
I just voted in the Texas primary at the little church on the way to the office. Fort Bend County now allows anyone to vote at any voting station, you do not have to vote in your precinct anymore. Of course, we have the little voting machines running Windows XP or something like that.
I almost fell down laughing in the middle of voting. The first name on the Republican ballot for Governor of the Great State of Texas was “Secede Kilgore”. What an absurdity !
http://secedekilgore.com/
“the magical power of white kids to improve a school”
Yeah, but only if they are a very dominant majority (together with asians). Remember bussing? Does that still happen?
@Nick: Thanks for the update. Any recent word from Liz? I think we’d all appreciate a monthly update, if she can find the time. Especially: I imagine at some point Dave will be moved to a rehab center. It would be silly if we sent stuff to where he ain’t.
I have a bunch of gift certificates to a local book-and-card shop. I’m hoping to find time on Thursday to go buy a pile of tacky Swiss tourist postcards. I’ll start sending them off, one every week or two.
From the recruitment I got for my two kids, I’m guessing that every little kid helps. A few high scores, kick out a few of the lowest before the test, and you can manipulate your average. We’ve got 450 kids across 5 grades in my daughters’ school. If only 75 kids are taking the test, drop a couple of the worst scores (according to my buddy, charter schools in LA do this, expel the kids before tests, take them back after) and get a couple of above average scores and you start to pull up the average.
We have a convoluted measuring system that attempts to take variations in the student body into account, as well as attendance, and other factors. You get more points for improving than you do for your actual testing level. If you test at 90% proficient two years in a row, you don’t score as well as a school that had 40% proficient that increased to 55% in a year. IMHO the only thing convoluted systems provide is more opportunities to fudge the results or game the system. At least that is my understanding from reading thru the rules…..
n
I received the laptop this afternoon. Hooray!
I haven’t heard anything at all from Liz. LIZ!!!!! Check in, if you have time, please!
Whew, I hoed one raised bed, about 3ft by 10ft, and moved 6 bags of soil, and I’m wiped out. This sucks. It’s not even super hot yet.
n
Well, we are going to convert the middle bathroom toilet in our home to quasi ADA. First we are getting a Toto 18 inch tall toilet,
https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-CST744SL-01-2-Piece-Elongated/dp/B000KQ3ZLK
And we are getting a push up bar assembly for the toilet. Dad got one of these over the weekend and Mom pronounced it helpful. Dad sees no way to secure it to the toilet though which we find a little troublesome since tile is slick.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015789VQI/
@lynn
I’m a bit unbalanced (har har) and needed a shower bar. Super gave me some suction cup thing and I thought to myself, “No way that’ll stay put”.
Whaddya know? It’s been a couple weeks now and is still stuck on tight.
Beats drilling through tile, anchoring, etc.
Just got off the phone with my mom… she didn’t notice the seat was up and slipped into the toilet (low and round bowl). Slid off sideways trying to get out….
So maybe it might be time for an upgrade at her place too.
n
When I was a teenager I was an obnoxious (not so) little snot. I figured that I could remember to put the seat up, so women could darned-well learn to put it down.
One night my mom fell in the toilet & got hurt because the seat was up. I made an effort after that.
Several years later I was discussing the idea with my late grandfather and he told me that he always puts the seat down so kids, pets, and his wife wouldn’t fall into the bowl.
I feel for folks that fall in. Anything to make it safer for those that are vulnerable is a good upgrade. I put our current bowl in several years ago. It’s just a little taller and deeper, and everyone (including the kinder) like it better. I always close the cover. Sometimes I lift it to find a surprise, but that’s better than having someone get hurt.
@Jim~ Yep – suction cups are great. But no way would I depend on them to hold my weight. When they eventually let go it could be catastrophic.
“Texas game warden on 200 pound mountain lion: ‘Until you lay eyes on one, it’s hard to believe'”
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Texas-game-warden-on-200-pound-mountain-lion-12731808.php
I’ve seen one of these on my office property here in Fort Bend County. If I had not been in my truck, I would have been very worried. And he/she has been seen again recently outside a small town about ten miles away from here. Reputedly, just about every county in Texas has one of these mountain lions living in it. After I saw one on my property, I bought a sign and put it on the road into my property:
https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Lion-Crossing-Metal-Sign/dp/B00NX2JHZQ/
“schools in LA do this….”
YUUUP, the data results that LAUSD publishes are totally fraudulent.
Serviced the lawn mower. New plugs, air filter, pre-filter, spark plugs, oil filter, oil (2 quarts), fuel filter and greased all the joints (5 of them). Put anti-seize on the spark plugs as I always do when changing them. Makes it much easier to get the plugs out. Ready for the summer mowing, which, according to my grass should be in less than two weeks.
I always do the maintenance in the spring before starting the mowing. I have heard conflicting stories on which is better. My opinion is fresh oil to start is the best way to start the season. No need letting oil sit for 6 months. Others say get the acids out of the engine. I maintain that good quality oil will control the acids. A mower engine (in this case 22 HP) is not a high compression engine so not as much acids form during operation.
Took about an hour. Messiest part is the oil drain. There is a plug in the bottom on the side above the frame that you attach a hose and extend the hose down a hole to drain. Fairly convenient but you have to be careful on where that tip of the hose goes otherwise you have a real mess. Oil filter drains a couple teaspoons as you spin it off the side of the engine. Plugs are easy, air filters (pre-foam and paper final) are easy to install. Fuel filter needs to be primed to get the air out otherwise the engine is subject to sputtering from being fuel starved. Lubing is somewhat of a pain as their are front idler wheels, front spindle pivots and a bugger to reach under the mower where the front axle pivots. Last year I had to replace the fuel pump mid season. Gas is always treated with fuel treatment, even in the summer. No issues and everything works.
Biggest issues on the mower is the front wheels. Being a zero turn the wheels spin freely on their spindles. Get sideways on an edge and sometimes the tires will pop off the rim. Remounting those tubeless tires is a pain. Inflating the tires to the recommended 20 PSI makes the problem worse. I keep the front tires inflated to 50 PSI and have much fewer issues. Rear tires are inflated to the recommendation for the traction.
My wife had some serious surgery a while back and we had a professional shower bar installer recommended to us. He went right through the slippery tiles and did a great job.
Meanwhile, in Utah: https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/03/03/utahns-as-young-as-18-can-carry-a-concealed-firearm-this-is-why-some-choose-to-get-a-permit/
Side note: the legislator that sponsored the bill (Lisonbee) is an old neighbor of mine whilst living in Utah. And the Salt Lake Tribune is the liberal press in Utah.
I hadn’t considered a ‘worst-case scenario’, but you guys are right. Thanks. I only need something to hold onto with my eyes closed but if it gets worse I’ll have a real one put in.
Trying out my tablet. Will need to use something besides the phone on
I my trip.
Don’t really like Swype on the tablet though.
nick
A few years into our marriage, my wife started giving me a hard time about leaving the toilet seat up. I promptly made it a habit to always leave the lid down. Funny that she never complained about that. After a few months, whenever she left the lid up, I left the seat up. At least she never falls in.
A few years into our marriage, my wife started giving me a hard time about leaving the toilet seat up.
A few DAYS into our marriage, my wife started giving me a hard time about leaving the toilet seat up. After she fell in one night, I stopped leaving the seat up. And she stopped beating me.
Of course, I had made the horrible mistake of laughing when she fell in.
Why can’t wimminz check the seat and lid and adjust accordingly?
Or learn to pee standing up. I’m told it can be done.
I couldn’t imagine not looking before sitting down.
@Nick – I switched to the Swiftkey keyboard over a year ago. I paid the fee & now use it on every device I have my account on. It’s learning (i.e. – sending your data to the cloud & predicting) is pretty good. When I’m texting my wife I only type a few characters & it predicts the rest. “On ” gets “On my way”. “Lo” gets “Love you”. You can adjust height, whether or not it shows alternate characters, numbers row, arrows, etc. It was worth the fee to me. It would swipe, but I never use that. I prefer to “type” with my thumbs, and it’s very good for that.
My kids like it because they can pick the color scheme. Some of the most God-awful pink & purple with curleycues are available. I prefer a light gray keys w/ light blue background scheme. The alternate keys are presented on the key, and a long-press on the key brings up the alternate(s).
AND I just re-read your comment. You like Swype, just not for the table. Well, I spent all that time typing it & checking. I’m not going to erase it.
Second vote for SwiftKey. As long as one trusts a keyboard that phones home, which is a big if. It’s good at detecting context, as well. It doesn’t learn passwords, or URLs entered in private mode, for example. Also good at multilingual – I type in English, German, and sometimes Spanish.
swype phones home too for learning. It used to be great. Really great, almost never made a mistake, suggestions were always right…
Now it sucks. Thou instead of You, and no way to tell it I NEVER use thou. Too instead of to, really low frequency words get suggested as primary choice, etc.
I like the motion of swype. I like the way alternate characters are presented, it just does an increasingly bad job of picking words.
n
@Nick – if there’s a “wipe” function, why not try that? I know Swiftkey does, as I’ve used it.
Like, with a cloth or something?
Why can’t wimminz check the seat and lid and adjust accordingly?
Or learn to pee standing up. I’m told it can be done.
I couldn’t imagine not looking before sitting down.
You were never married, right ?
Women have most of the power in a marriage.
Lynn, were you a male victim of the dreaded ATR?
Why is it so hard for each user to place the seat as it suits them?
It just makes sense to look where you’re putting your arse. Every Australian knows the danger of not looking…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjDAiq2-xeU
in a weird moment of synchronicity…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5474847/Redback-spider-captured-killing-huntsman-Adelaide.html
n
It’s risk/reward.
If I pee on the seat, the worst that can happen is my wife or kids sit in pee. My son HAS peed on the seat and felt awful about it. He cleaned it up.
If my wife falls in the toilet and breaks a hip, leg, or back, it is incredibly worse.
It’s not terribly difficult for me to train myself to do something to prevent a catastrophic injury. Kind of like putting a manhole cover back over the hole.
Look I’m not unsympathetic but who the hell sits on a toilet (even in the dark) without checking the lid and seat? Of course I close mine. Being in water short Cali I don’t flush for yellow and the dog doesn’t need to drink that. Also no one needs the noise at 2am. I do have one of those slow close seats. Just a light pull forward and it goes down smooth and quiet.
Besides with the daughter gone there are two people and three baths. I just use the front one and leave the master br to the wife. But speak of rude I started using the shower in the front one years ago as my wife and daughter have long hair and overuse conditioner. Try stepping into a slick shower, there’s real danger.
The simple solution is that everybody puts the lid and seat down when done. This has been what is taught on both sides of my family ever since the invention of the outhouse and crapper. Yes, the grandparents outhouses (both two-holers) had lids.
Seriously guys, anyone – male or female – should LOOK before plonking their arse down. Talk about the nanny state for couples.
Nick, That’s the smallest Huntsman I’ve ever seen. They’re good, not dangerous. Red backs are well worth avoiding.
In a house full of females, and growing up in same, I’ve always put the seat down.
I recommend a slow close, then you can just flip it and walk away. Don’t get one that’s hard to open or you’ll be frustrated.
n
A divorced friend of mine that had his son living with him had a little sign above the toilet (I think it was to piss my wife off)…
‘Thanks for leaving the seat up’
Lynn, were you a male victim of the dreaded ATR?
Articulated Tail Rotor ?
Americans for Tax Reform ?
Analog Tape Recorder ?
Action for Tinnitus Research ?
But speak of rude I started using the shower in the front one years ago as my wife and daughter have long hair and overuse conditioner. Try stepping into a slick shower, there’s real danger.
Yup, true, very true. The wife has grown her hair long again at my request. She says that it is unbecoming for a woman in her 60s to have long hair though. I have learned to be very careful when stepping into the shower.
The simple solution is that everybody puts the lid and seat down when done. This has been what is taught on both sides of my family ever since the invention of the outhouse and crapper. Yes, the grandparents outhouses (both two-holers) had lids.
Montana has outhouses on the Missouri and other rivers now. The guides tell of a time when a racoon fell in to one of the outhouses and was down there for weeks ? months ? before he got out. Apparently he was really pissed off. They said always look before dangling your dangly bits there.
ATR. Automatic Tampon Remover.
In the days when airliners had seperate toilets for XX and XY…
A guy was flying from London to Houston and needed to go to the loo urgently. All the male loos were occupied, so the flight attendant said he could use one of the lady’s loos.
“Just DON’T touch the buttons marked Spray, Puff or ATR. They’re just for the girls.”
So, he does his business and, against instructions, presses the Spray button. There is a very pleasant jet of warm water that gets his arse and gonads clean. He then tries the Puff button. There is a jet of pleasantly warm air, talcum powder and perfume that dries him “down there”.
Having had such a pleasant experience he pushes the ATR button. And promptly screams and passes out.
The attendant gets the door open, a doctor is called but it’s too late. The Automatic Tampon Remover has pulled off his willy…
“The wife has grown her hair long again at my request. She says that it is unbecoming for a woman in her 60s to have long hair though.”
My sister (68) has quite long hair. Not as long as it has ever been, but about half way down her back. She had four kids but never got a “mum cut”, as her elder daughter (38, who only has two) did. The childless younger daughter (31) has hair that goes on forever.
A young woman from church who used to board at my place lost hair at an inconcievable rate. Her hair was about two feet long, and I can’t believe she wasn’t bald. It got in the carpet and onto my socks, from where I pulled off and binned mats of it.
Fortunately we didn’t use the same shower.