36F, clear and sunny. Cold last night, Cold today. Maybe thinking about the garden was a BIT premature.
MLK Jr was, like the other ‘great’ politicians of his time, certainly a flawed man. What we think we know about anyone subject to biased reporting and as polarizing as he was is bound to be a caricature of their real self. Nonetheless, his legacy lives on. The world is certainly a different place than it would have been without him.
I wonder if he would be happy with the result?
n
Kids have a ‘day camp’ today, so I better get them fed, brushed, clothed, and out the door….
n
If he cared as much about character and not skin color as I think he did, he would be appalled by the modern world.
MLK Day is a “big” holiday here in Memphis but my firm no longer observes it as a company holiday. Still, a lot of parents take the day as PTO because the schools are closed. I never followed the career of MLK (jr) other than to remember that it seemed wherever he went riots followed. I was 16 at the time and not at all political.
MLK day is one of those politically correct holidays. While he was a good person, had some good ideas, good dreams if you will, he was not worthy of a national holiday. In my opinion.
I worked for a company in Oak Ridge whose owner was black. Got the contract because he owned an 8A firm, minority. Such smaller contracts were generally a shoe-in for these companies and the bigger guys did not even try. Anyway 60% of the people that worked there were veterans. But when MLK national holiday came along the owner dropped Veterans Day as a holiday and observed MLK day. No one was given the choice. The number of days that could be taken as holidays were fixed in the contract.
The country had no holidays celebrating a black person, because, well, no black person had made substantial contributions to the country. I guess MLK is probably as close you can come as his platform of equality for all is definitely correct, the way things should be. But over time that has morphed into inequality as evidenced by all the programs (and contracts, see above) that have been offered to minorities. The US should be color blind but we are not.
Anyway, MLK day is here to stay, every town has a street named MLK, has a church named MLK something, and probably a few other entities named MLK such as a park (just ask some unfortunate weather people). If it makes people happy so be it.
MLK was obviously a very intelligent person unlike the scum Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. If MLK were alive today I think he would be appalled at where we have morphed. Everyone offended at everything they don’t agree, people that have used their skin color and nothing else to advance themselves. MLK was also religious and I suspect he would not be happy with Planned Parenthood and their record, the failure of black people to really make advancements in spite of the opportunities afforded them, the black on black crime, the unrest that overruns black communities (typically housing projects), the massive drug problem among black people, the gangs warfare that strips young people of the their, the lack of progress in black communities.
But then I am a white, heterosexual, male and thus am by default a worthless piece of racist toxic male scum.
7º and clearing. Up from -1º when I got up this morning. Brrr. Makes my digits stiff.
Yes, MLK Jr. was flawed. Who isn’t? But he instilled a great sense of justice and equality in us, and I find value in that. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” I look for a good character when I work with someone.
Kids have today off in honor of Dr. King. I’m of two minds about it. It’s good that kids are learning about things like that, and a day off is a way that kids can appreciate. On the other hand, why do they need another day off? What about President’s day? (Turns out they don’t get that off anymore.)
But I’M working. That’s something I can be happy about. Sure beats the alternatives.
Didn’t get out to see the blood moon. Clouds. Cold. Sleep. Sorry I missed it this time around. But I’ve seen plenty.
From another “white, heterosexual, male and thus am by default a worthless piece of racist toxic male scum” (add to that cranky “get off my lawn” old man), well said, @Ray Thompson.
Add: Yesterday we received 0.52-inches of rain. I know that is not a lot for many of you folks, but for our desert steppe it is a lot. We have had no accumulating snowfall so far this Winter; very unusual. The upper atmosphere winds have been keeping warm winds blowing up the Pacific Ocean then through the Columbia Gorge. At least the mountains are getting a normal amount of snow so the reservoires should have adequate water for this summer’s irrigation season. Our temps look to be 10-degrees warmer than normal.
I think he would be appalled by the genocide of Planned Parenthood, and the fratricide of gang warfare. But I don’t know.
I do know that ‘he who pays the piper calls the tune’ and the .gov has been paying the bills so they can dance for a long time, and by almost any objective measure, they are worse off.
What would it look like in the hispanic community, to cause them to abort most of their babies, give up their religion, destroy their families, and self segregate?
n
Mid 20’s last night for the eclipse in northern AL. ,The moon was directly overhead, and unfortunately my son’s fancy celesteon auto tracking telescope won’t angle up that far. No problem, we just get out his small starter scope and can *just* get the moon in view. That, combined with binoculars, made for a good viewing session. He also grabbed a few decent pics with the iPhone connected to the starter scope.
It’s amazing how I can’t handle the cold anymore. Many layers were donned and several breaks inside to warm up. This in comparison to the 14 yo who managed in a medium weight jacket, though he also participated in the breaks.
But then I am a white, heterosexual, male and thus am by default a worthless piece of racist toxic male scum.
You forgot murdering, baby killer Vet, Sir!!!
My viewing was thru a pair of 7×50 Bushnell binos, a pair of Nikon 10×50 binos, and a bushnell spotter scope of unknown magnification.
The Nikons had the best image, bright, clear, easy to stabilize and acquire the moon.
The Bushnell binos did a good job, slightly less big and bright, easier to acquire.
The Bushnell scope is not intended as a telescope for general viewing, so the color was a bit muted and the brightness was a bit less. The image filled the FOV so it was harder to hold still and to acquire the moon.
Last time we looked at the moon with the kids, I put the spotter scope on a tripod… Unfortunately the moon moves fast enough in the sky that by the time I got set, and handed over to the kid, the image was moving out of frame. This year we just used a long walking stick to help support the binos and scope. It worked pretty well.
We had good viewing, if a bit hazy, with only a few minutes of thin clouds. I didn’t see the variety of colors I remember from the eclipse I watched in high school, but it did get some lemon yellow and lots of orange, with a hint of red. It passed directly overhead, so we were sitting slumped back in chairs.
It was nice to see and just to sit by the fire.
n
MLK forced the US to live up to the ideals of the founders. He did so via non-violence, by using our right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances”, and by the power of his words. It’s worth honoring him.
@MrAtoz – the baby killers are at Planned Parenthood. By the millions.
Breaking Cat News: Our IX Lives
https://www.gocomics.com/breaking-cat-news/2019/01/21
I love watching Our IX Lives.
Nothing to see here, ‘cuz billionaires shoot themselves in the head from the window side of their vehicles all the time…. (just try mocking it up with your fingers, and the space between the window and your head)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6615411/PICTURED-Billionaire-Mexican-businessman-dead-car-suspected-suicide.html
n
Arlo and Janis: Growing up in the South
https://www.gocomics.com/arloandjanis/2019/01/21
I admire that kid too.
Sound dampening question for the experts.
Background – I just got a new air compressor – a Kobalt 60 gal. I got the wiring and air lines finished yesterday and it’s running beautifully. I have it in the main garage. There is a nook under the stairs where it fits perfectly. The problem is noise.
The little closet is concrete floor, Sheetrock walls and a regular hollow interior door. I would like to knock down the noise level a bit. I’m not worried about total silence, it doesn’t run that often. Any suggestions for wall/floor materials to help? I’m. I’m not worried about looks since it’s a garage closet.
The next project for that room is to get a cheap car muffler and connect it the intake. I’ll route the inlet port to at least outside of the closet, and maybe outside if I’m feeling froggy…..
IT Guy: I’d drop by my local hardware store and get some rubber anti-vibration bushings, and put them under the feet of the compressor. You might also try something like the anti-fatigue mat I’ve linked. You can cut it into small squares and make a stack of four of them for each of the compressor’s feet.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gray-Anti-Fatigue-Mat-Common-4-ft-x-4-ft-Actual-49-21-in-x-49-21-in/3111467
ItGuy,
In order to block the sound getting out, you need to block the AIR getting out. Since you can’t do that with a compressor (air needs to get in), your remedies are limited.
Before you do the walls, open them up (drywall is cheap) and fill the cavities with dense fiberglas insulation or something like Roxul. Then put back the acoustic drywall. Resilient channel mounting the drywall is probably overkill.
Double the drywall inside the closet, using ‘sound damping drywall’ (which our local lowes actually carries). GLUE the sheets up with green goo sound control glue. Seal every joint and small void in the corners and between sheets. You can add ‘mass loaded vinyl’ as a layer between too. The goal is to fill every hole you can, make every surface heavier to damp some of the transmitted sound, and break paths for vibration wherever possible.
The resilient channel, mass loaded vinyl, and flexible sealant/adhesive are all attempts to control vibration. If the space inside the closet vibrates, it will make the walls vibrate like a drum skin, which will radiate the sound on the outside walls.
Put anti-vibration pads under the compressor. Break the path for vibrations into your building by using flex to connect the electrical and the air line to the compressor.
Control reverb and resonance. Get some sound absorbing material on the walls. Fiberglas mats, covered with perforated metal work well. The perf metal lets sound into the mat, then blocks a percentage of the reflected sound coming out. To change resonance, a couple of buckets of sand stacked in a corner might help change the space enough to help. That will take experimenting. Get in the closet, and make some deep humming sounds, see if there is a resonance. Changing the angle of a wall can help too.
Replace the door with a heavy fiberglas or solid wood exterior door. Habitat For Humanity reStores are a great source for that. Weather strip and seal the door as if it were an exterior door, including the threshold.
Control vibrating THINGS. Listen for ducts, pipes, wires inside conduit, etc that have induced vibrations.
You should be able to do some or all of these things fairly cheaply and to good effect.
If it were me, I’d start with the compressor, isolating it on pads and with flex. Pack the walls with Roxul, then two layers of drywall. Change the door. If needed, then add dense fiber mat to the walls and cover with perf metal.
For your air entry, you want to put a lined box behind your vent*, maybe two, with at least one right angle turn.
n
added- mcmaster-carr has all the antivibe pads you need, and once you have a model number you can look for cheaper….
*think of the outdoor part of a dryer vent, in shape, but writ large. It can be 3/4 ply lined with 1″ fiberglas board. That gets you one right angle turn, then make a bigger one, and surround the first, only pointing up or to the side, which gives you another right angle turn or two….
Not the first social media wannabe or star to die trying….
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6614815/Woman-known-Bikini-Hiker-scaling-mountains-swimwear-freezes-death-Taiwan.html
Seems to be an increasing number….
n
Nick’s plan is impressive. Sounds “prettier”, too.
Does it already have rubber feet? To keep it from vibrating around? If it’s on concrete I don’t know what anti-vibration pads will do. I’ve never used them.
Being cheap, I’d go buy a sheet or two of 4×8 duct board. It’s silver foil on one side, with fiberglass and about 1.25 inches thick. Easy to cut with a box cutter. Fasten some 1×2 blocks or even the 1/4 inch thick stuff around the edges for a bit of air gap and use blobs of cheap caulk to attach the duct board.
I used duct board to make a new plenum when I replaced the central air. I used my scraps to line the inside of the box the air handler sits on, behind the air filter, it’s very quiet. I did angle the boards a bit to make the front and bottom a bit smaller than the back and top. My idea was to bounce the sound back in. It’s not shiny foil pretty but it works and I only see it when I change the air filter.
To validate the system’s warranty the lines had to be connected by a pro. Yes, my neighbor can and has done A/C but he isn’t a company. So it cost $160 vs a 30 pack of Natural Light. Ten years warranty on the system with life (as long as you own the house) on the compressor? $160 is cheap. But anyway, the A/C pro asked if I needed a job. He seemed impressed with my work.
The egg carton shaped foam might work better but I don’t know the price.
At the house in Austin I used egg cartons. I cut off the lid and stapled the bottoms to the wall using the flap. Then I learned to leave part of the top to have two flaps. High blower sucked the first few carton bottoms off of the wall. 🙂 For the floor a scrap of shag carpet. It made a huge difference as you could still hear the TV when the A/C turned on.
Just had an idea. Frame around with 2x4s, cut the duct board to “wedge fit” and cover with peg board. Because “garage”.
Arlo and Janis: Growing up in the South
The Tampa Theatre used to have the separate water fountains roped off and preserved for a teaching lesson, complete with posters offering the history. Of course, this was not enough to satisfy the race pimps in town so all traces were removed completely as part of one renovation ~ 25 years ago.
Thanks guys – lots to consider. I do have rubber pads under the compressor, and it’s anchored to the concrete.
For the pads to be really effective, you need careful detailing of the bolt, and the bolt can’t directly touch the metal of the foot. So the pad sits on the floor, the foot sits on the pad, and the bolt goes thru a washer, a pad, the foot, a pad, and finally into the floor. The bolt should be smaller than the hole in the foot, and the shank of the bolt shouldn’t touch the sides of the hole either. Get that wrong and you’ll have vibration transferred to the slab.
I’m not an engineer, but I played one for years. I had to manage noise in a theatre-like environment, and vibration caused by and transferred to the projectors. You’d be surprised how small a vibration can be and still make the image move if the projector throw is long… you also might be surprised how much the image can move without it being noticeable, if it doesn’t go off the edge of the screen.
I got pretty good at the anti-vibration game.
n
And let’s throw some feminism on top of the discussion.
Wilder, Wealthy, and Wise has an interesting look at it.
https://wilderwealthywise.com/
n
FWIW, I’ve worked in several theaters in the South that had Colored sections, and separate entrances. That was mid-90s. Don’t know if they survived any subsequent renovations.
It’s important not to forget.
n
Skip the foil and just get the foam board. Multiple thicknesses available up to at least two inches. Or just use rock wool insulation. That stuff will absorb a lot of sound but is a little more difficult to install as it needs support whereas the foam board will stand on it’s own.
I need a drink.
I’ve spent MLK doing my initial groundwork for our personal taxes. We itemize. I can’t find receipts for 5 of the meals we did for a local shelter in 2018. I know the approximate purchase dates and amounts so Costco may be willing to reprint the receipts. I also cannot find the documenting photos for several of the Goodwill donations we made. I used to be organized, not sure how I lost the knack.
It may not matter because of the changes to the standardized deduction.
When I play with the charitable contributions dollar amounts, even though we contributed heavily this year we miss the cut off. I am trying to decide if that is good or bad. It would be nice to not have to muck with the receipts. But since I’m going to muck with the receipts anyway…
On the other hand baby sitting counts for our income level again. For which I have virtually no receipts. Because it never benefited us in the past. Groan. I’m thinking bank statements showing the checks (on which I did write the purpose).
My brain hurts. Time to stop.
I know the approximate purchase dates and amounts so Costco may be willing to reprint the receipts.
Yup. Just go to customer service.
I file about an inch of paper, and my wife the same, even though we don’t itemize anymore. I’m happy to pay the accountant to do the filing. Wife uses Quicken to keep track of it all, and if you stay on it, it makes it SO much easier to do the prep work.
n
Your donations are subject to the 50% rule which limits what you can deduct. You may not even need to itemize with the new standard deduction limits.
I would not be too concerned about receipts if you have careful records. Unless you get an in person audit, slim chance, I doubt your donations will get questioned. My donations exceed my taxable income and I am not concerned as I have detailed registers of everything in Quicken.
Get a copy of TurboTax and see if you need to itemize. After I went through entering all my deductions and found out I really did not to itemize.
My biggest issue is this Obuttwadcare and avoiding having to pay a lot. I have to contribute to an IRA to keep my AGI below 300% of the poverty level.
Have to play games with the IRS. Hopefully this is the last year for that.
pussyhat marchers, completely clueless-
https://youtu.be/3iHKSQKuNTw
unable to answer simple questions about WHY they are there
First one is typical Austin.
n
I use TurboTax and Its Deductible. Pretty easy most years.
Between mortgage, property taxes, and charitable donations, we are near but not at the $24k standard deduction for married couples. Standardized deduction fir first time in 15 years. That feels weird.
I won’t worry about it this year. I’ll maintain receipts and records as usual. Tax code is subject to the will of the empire.
Ray (and any others who have ACA insurance): Don’t forget to complete & submit form 8962. If you don’t do so you’ll get a nastygram from the IRS, saying that they are holding your refund until you do submit the 8962, and this time you have to provide a copy of the 1095A, too. PCB_Duffer racked up lots of O/T last year dealing with people who made that mistake. Or who didn’t get their 1095A because they never bothered to tell anyone about the 3 changes of address since they applied for the insurance. And who don’t like to be told that the 1095A can’t be faxed or emailed, only snail mailed.
My husband reminds me that we discussed the enlarged standardized deduction earlier this year.
Speculated that the standard deduction was enlarged to kill donations to non profits like churches.
But that’s just tin foil hat foolishness.
Isn’t it? Fewer successful non profits serving the public, greater dependency on government. Nah…
Some interesting numbers here.
https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/sites/default/files/documents/tax-bill-summary-chart.pdf
“Ocasio-Cortez on Millennials: ‘We’re Like the World Is Going to End in 12 Years if We Don’t Address Climate Change’”
https://news.grabien.com/story-ocasio-cortez-millennials-were-world-going-end-12-years-if-w
“OCASIO-CORTEZ: “And I think the part of it that is generational is that millennials and people, in gen z, and all these folks that come after us are looking up and we’re like, the world is gonna end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change. You’re biggest issue, your biggest issue is how are going to pay for it? — and like this is the war, this is our world war II. And I think for younger people looking at this are more like, how are we saying let’s take it easy when 3000 Americans died last year, how are we saying let’s take it easy when the end person died from our cruel and unjust criminal justice system? How are we saying take it easy, the America that we’re living in today is dystopian with people sleeping in their cars so they can work a second job without healthcare and we’re told to settle down. It’s a fundamental separation between that fierce urgency of now, the why we can’t wait that King spoke of. That at some point this chronic reality do reach a breaking point and I think for our generation it reached that, I wished I didn’t have to be doing every post, but sometimes I just feel like people aren’t being held accountable. Until, we start pitching in and holding people accountable, I’m just gonna let them have it.””
Ah, liberals, the gift that keeps on giving. Or, is it the gift that is scaring me ? This person is not rational. And she gets a government paycheck, unlike my furloughed friend at the IRS who is now looking for another job that will not suck his soul out one day at a time.
Hat tip to:
https://drudgereport.com/
Why does one have to go visit the parents for a day to find out the latest news ? Mom is walking somewhat on no cartilage in her knees and a ripped tendon that is apparently unfixable due to other leg issues (I knew this already). On the way out the door, “BTW, your dad is coming to town Friday for a pre-surgery checkout for his upcoming elbow surgery”. What ?
On the gripping hand, the movie that I saw with dad, “The Upside”, was quite good. Recommended. The critics do not agree. Kind of a modern day version of “The Bucket List”. And I am with Kevin Hart’s character, I do not want to change another man’s catheter. In fact, I do not not want to change my own catheter should I ever have one again.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_upside
TurboTax takes care of that. I also got my 1095 information off the website. Electronic filing again this year as I have done in the past. Refund in the account within a week. Not sure this year due to shutdown. I cannot file until the end of a February as I have to wait on some documents that don’t get mailed until February 20.
I would not even attempt doing my taxes without using software. People with simple returns should one of the free online services.
What annoys me about those free services is they charge $40.00 for doing the state. It seems to me the state should pay those services for electronic returns. Easier for the state. But no. TN charges the taxpayer $25.00 for using a paper return. Another tax on elderly who do not have a computer. You also get charged if you use a credit card to pay the taxes. You should not have to pay to pay your taxes.
First one is typical Austin.
Again, as soon as first kid comes along, they’ll go shopping for a house in my neighborhood, preferably as close to the Mormon temple as possible.
More typical Austin, but with Y chromosomes.
http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/austin-couple-beaten-unconscious-for-sexual-orientation
By no means do I believe these two deserved to get beaten, but I know better than to wander down 4th St. at 2:45 in the morning.
And -er- guys, can you give it a rest for the cameras?
You also get charged if you use a credit card to pay the taxes. You should not have to pay to pay your taxes.
Probably a State law about not being able to eat the credit card cost. We have it in Florida, as well.
For many people, because in TN it is the Hall Tax on investment earnings, it affects mostly older people. To pay by check, as in filing a paper return, incurs a cost of $25.00. Thus the state is charging people to file their taxes. Use paper, you get charged, file online using a credit card, you get charged. Only other option is a debit card and most people, including myself, do not want the state to have a record of my debit card number. Not a good idea in case of a hack of the state systems, fraud in the system, and most importantly giving the state a method to pull money from a bank account at the whim of the state.
I have a bill-pay account. I used it for paying tuition at school when the kids went to a school on a payment plan. I only put in enough to pay the current payment. Otherwise, we keep it nearly empty. I could use that to pay taxes. Since I don’t keep other money in there, there’s nothing about it to steal. Would that work?
Really? You think the state doesn’t already know what bank accounts you have and can pull the money? La La La La.
As of a few years ago, the “State” already knows the numbers of ALL your bank accounts as well as any other type of banking, savings, stock, mutual fund, etc. This includes many foreign/overseas accounts. The “State” can go into any of those accounts at any time for any reason and seize any amount of your assets. It does take a little longer for the “State” to get their fingers into the foreign/overseas accounts.
A “hack” is the least of your worries.
The “State” not only refers to the federal gooberment but also to the state gooberment.
Don’t believe me at your own peril; these regulations are a result of the home loan and savings and loan debacles a few years back.
My Dad (with over 50 years working for Big Banks and Big S&Ls at the Executive VP Level), and a few other similarly qualified and experienced gray beards served as consultants for the Big Banks and Big Savings and Loans as these entities tried (to no avail) to prevent the “State” access. Like Obuttwab-No-Care the laws give the regulators autonomous ability to create rules and regulations that are immune from Congressional oversight or regulation.
Who is in charge is not who the Constitution says should be. BTW, it is supposed to be us “We The People.”
A debit just make it easier for the state. In addition the protections offered with a credit card or check are not offered on a debit card. I also don’t trust state employees to be diligent and not make a mistake.
As do I. I paid my property taxes one year with that account. Big mistake. City said I had not paid my taxes. I had but did not have the cancelled check, or rather the image of the check. I had to jump through some significant hoops to get an image of the cancelled check from the bill pay service. Turns out the city applied the taxes to my water bill.
Then the city said it was my problem to fix. I needed to get a refund check from the water department (part of the city) and then pay the taxes. Which by the way we’re now late and had penalties for being late. A nasty letter to the mayor with a copy to the state followed up by a statement at the city council meeting got that fixed.
On another site, I recently read an article about worldwide incarceration stats. I knew the US was up there, but… 1 in 38 adults is either in jail or under supervision (probation, etc.). More people locked up than any other country in the world, both as a proportion of the population, and even in absolute numbers. I know the causes are complex, but geez, that’s just insane.
The “State” already knows the numbers of ALL your bank accounts as well as any other type of banking, savings, stock, mutual fund, etc. This includes many foreign/overseas accounts.”
If there is any account that the government doesn’t know about, then it’s your fault, and you are subject to some pretty amazing penalties. “Secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects” – right, whatever happened to probable cause? I’ve always thought that this incredible lack of privacy is the proof that income tax is a stupid system. If the government can’t collect taxes without a massive invasion of privacy, then the tax system needs changed.
Interestingly, the US does have bank secrecy for everyone except US citizens and corporations. From outside the US, the Cayman islands have nothing on Delaware corporations.