54F and damp this am. Intrepid backyard campers are still asleep.
My 54th birthday happened this week, marking 53 years on this earth. I always get a bit down near my birthday. Don’t know why.
That’s long enough to have seen several things come and go. It really does give some perspective when you can live thru the various cycles, and remember. It makes it harder to credit the ideas of younger people. EXTREMELY frustrating when I WAS the younger people, but clear as day now. Politicians NEED that sense of perspective and stored experience. 35 was fairly old in the 1700s. You had 18 or so years living as an adult, and yet were still vigorous enough for the demands of the job, with a dozen more good years left in you. I’d say the modern equivalent age is 50. So when people are talking about a 35yo (or YOUNGER) President, I want to start smashing heads. 16yo voters? These are the same kids who are too dumb to know not to eat SOAP fer Pete’s Sake.
Anyway, while I’m out filling my head and hands with only marginally useful info, what did you do to prep this week?
My grape vines now have 4 inches of green shoots. The Meyer lemon is heavy with great smelling flowers. The potted citrus is either flowering or in bud. Wife got some herbs planted in her garden. General spring cleaning has been happening.
I am buying extras every grocery trip to replace what got eaten or spoiled by the rats. Haven’t seen any evidence, but I’m pretty sure I heard the pitterpatter of rat feet while in the garage the other day. I’m going to move my super trap to the garage.
I cleaned out the new water tank. It’s the size of a 55 gallon drum on its side, with a big cleanout hole, and mounted on a frame with wheels. I haven’t sterilized it or filled it, as I need to replace 2 of the wheels.
I’ve been out and about, meeting new people and taking the mood of the clans…
What have you gotten done?? (or started?)
n
Politicians NEED that sense of perspective and stored experience.
Keep an eye on the age 40s-50s Republican Governors in flyover country. Abbott in Texas, DeSantis in Florida. The bench is far from empty.
If a Democrat wins in 2020, he/she will be a one termer.
I made a mistake when I posted a link to one of my church’s services. I was logged in as administrator and used that link. Thus the system asked for a logon. That should not be necessary if using the proper link.
Here is the proper link. No signing in is required. While it is a funeral it is an example of the quality of the church’s live stream. Yes, there are a couple of focus issues but the church is relying on volunteers and you get what you get.
It wasn’t me! I don’t even go to the Bellagio.
I used do Arizona Charlie’s when the had country bands.
Keep an eye on the age 40s-50s Republican Governors in flyover country. Abbott in Texas, DeSantis in Florida. The bench is far from empty.
Do you really think that Abbott is electable on a national basis ? He fits Texas because we like his energy and spunk. But, we have known him for a long time as a Judge, Attorney General, and Lt. Governor. He became governor of Texas when Rick Perry joined Trump’s cabinet. Abbott has been reelected twice to the Governorship of Texas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Abbott
For those who do not know, Governor Abbott is disabled and in a wheelchair since he was 25 or so. He is a lawyer and was jogging down his street when a tree cutter firm dropped a large tree on him, crushing his back and paralyzing him.
Swan Eaters: The family has been saved !
https://www.gocomics.com/swan-eaters/2019/03/13
Winnie, the family pet monster, went hunting in the forest and caught two deer for the family to eat just as the food ran out. The seven kids will not go hungry.
But, the craziness is not over. Because Uncle Offal brought home more food !
https://www.gocomics.com/swan-eaters/2019/03/15
Bonus question: How do they get the seven kids, Grandma, and Uncle Offal in that wagon ?
“New Zealand welcomes gun control after mosque massacre: ‘There will be no opposition'”
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/17/new-zealand-welcomes-jacinta-ardern-gun-control-af/
So are the New Zealanders burying their guns now ?
Do you really think that Abbott is electable on a national basis ? He fits Texas because we like his energy and spunk. But, we have known him for a long time as a Judge, Attorney General, and Lt. Governor. He became governor of Texas when Rick Perry joined Trump’s cabinet. Abbott has been reelected twice to the Governorship of Texas.
I wouldn’t bet against him, but my point was that the Republicans have a lot of options long term.
Losing my mind, here. I have a couple of turntables for spices in the cupboard over the stove. I have a gap, about the size of a coke can. I don’t see what is missing. I don’t see anything extra in the wall pantry or in the fridge.
It’s probably with the box of q-tips I can’t find. Next to the super glue.
I’m hungry for chicken and dumplings. I’m not good at making them but what I make is edible. It might not be great but unlike my Dad, the dogs have never refused to eat anything I cook. Being lazy, hey… oh right, I can make better and actually have more chicken in there than a can of chicken noodle soup. That’s why I don’t have any cans of Sue Bee in my pantry. I’ll fix that soon. It’s half an hour of heating canned stuff on the stove compared to a few hours from scratch after the chicken is thawed.
The mesquite are still showing just a few green twigs. A few hummingbirds are here. The hackberry by the house is showing buds and it usually looks dead until mid-April. The elm are leafing. The various kinds of oaks are doing oak things… shedding, budding, blossoming.
I need to air the tires and charge the riding mower’s battery. I can mow this week and be done in a couple of hours or wait a week and mow for about six hours. If I wait, I know it will rain and then it will be another week of letting things dry. Call it another month and then two days at six hours mowing. Voice of experience over here. 🙂
The new ISP? Who knows. They were supposed to be here last Tuesday morning. No show, no call. We called and yeah, I don’t get on wet roofs either. Ok, let’s do this Friday from 1 to 3. No show, no call. We called and an hour later we were called back and “nobody told the installers”. Ok, the latest plan is for Monday, tomorrow. And it turns out the Boss is on vacation.
The neighbor has this ISP and has had zero problems or down time. But (now she tells me) getting it installed was a chore.
Oh well, 25 down / 5 up for an extra $10/month compared to 5/1 with random outages for three or four hours a couple of times a month will be nice.
Almost forgot.
Happy Birthday Nick!!!!
And if you think you’re already decrepit, it just gets worse. I use to laugh at it, but damn, I hit 60 and whoa…. As long as we are on the green side of the grass.
My 54th birthday happened this week, marking 53 years on this earth. I always get a bit down near my birthday. Don’t know why.
Sorry to be a nitpicker, but if you’ve just had your 54th birthday then you’ve been on the planet for 54 years.
As for having any birthday, consider the alternative.
Happy birthday, however long it’s been!
listening to the radio traffic as multiple agencies continue to fight an out of control chemical fire on Houston’s east side.
Giant tank of naptha and a bunch of other stuff is burning.
Multiple tanks are now burning in their pressure relief valves, crews are trying to cool tanks and foam the fires. Unfortunately there is a lot of equipment not working. Several trucks have broken foam pumps. At least one truck wouldn’t start when they needed to move it.
n
@mediumwave,
I was being tricky. Most people celebrate the anniversary of their birth, starting on the first one year anniversary.
I started counting with the first birthday on the actual day of my birth, when you are 0 years old. So on this 53rd anniversary of my birth, I’ve actually had 54 birth days…
Or that was the intent at 0:darkthirty this morning 🙂
I suppose I could have used hexidecimal, octal, or binary and been more traditional for this blog, but without beer homer no think good….
n
and I guess I SHOULD have labeled today with some nod to St Paddy’s Day. But I forgot! Since I don’t drink alcohol anymore, the purely drinking holidays pass me right by.
To those who do, please raise a glass to ‘absent friends’.
n
@mediumwave,
I was being tricky. Most people celebrate the anniversary of their birth, starting on the first one year anniversary.
Too subtle for this old codger–at any time of the day! 😀
To those who do, please raise a glass to ‘absent friends’.
A virtual mug of root beer raised high in memory of RBT and OFD!
Coming in November: The Best of Jerry Pournelle
Sweet, more to read.
n
WRT to birthdays, I refuse to acknowledge them anymore, no cards, no cakes, no presents, and no parties.
We are all born with a finite number, randomly distributed, and an unknown number. So, at any time, we don’t know how many we have left. With that, I refuse to have anymore so that they will all be used up and I’m gone. As long as I don’t use or have anymore, I’m still here.
10-4? Roger that?
Roger that.
n
Dick Dale, KING of the surf guitar–
”
Dick Dale, Guitar Legend who pioneered surf rock, dies aged 81 after lengthy battle with multiple illnesses”
“‘You’ve gotta always laugh at life,’ Dale said. ‘Laugh at the pain. Our life is nothing but a minefield that you must learn how to walk through. You must learn how, when you wake up – if you’re lucky enough to wake up and open your eyes, no matter what you’re dealing with, be thankful that your eyes woke up and that you can see and hear- and then deal with it. Deal with the situation and forget about yourself. Help others and then you’ll forget about the pain.’ ”
n
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6819323/Puzzling-number-men-tied-Ferguson-protests-died.html
“Mystery surrounds the deaths of six men who were heavily involved in the Ferguson protests of 2014 as activists speculate whether ‘something sinister is at play’
Attention has been drawn on social media and there’s speculation in the activist community that something sinister is at play
Six young men, all with connections to Ferguson protests, have all met untimely deaths in St. Louis County over the past four years
Some express fears that Ferguson protesters are being systematically murdered
However, there is no evidence to suggest it is anything more than coincidental”
“Forty-five of the county’s 60 homicide victims last year were black in a county where less than a quarter of the population is black, according to police statistics.
‘Here in St. Louis, unfortunately, we have allowed the culture of crime and violence to morph into dimensions that anybody’s at risk any day, any time,’ said James Clark of the nonprofit Better Family Life.”
–or maybe, being a violent thug is bad for your longevity.
n
–or maybe, being a violent thug is bad for your longevity.
Bad lifestyle choices!
Far more likely than being in Dallas in ’63. Or having dealing$ with the Clintons.
Been listening the the interop channels for the fire on the east side. They’re still fighting, since 10am, and they sound tired. That side of town is small towns and I’ve heard from several with men and equipment on the fireground. The private contractors are fighting too, Exxon, Kinder Morgan, ITC, and probably others.
They are having trouble with water pressure, with getting foam to the trucks, and with the fire. They are having to refuel the fire trucks on the fly. They pulled out 2 divisions from the hot zone, and I don’t think they moved them back yet.
n
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6819409/DNA-breakthrough-leads-arrest-cold-case-murders-two-girls.html
“Suspect, 54, is arrested for cold case murders of two girls, 17, who were found shot dead in the trunk of their car 20 years ago after one of his relatives submitted their DNA to a genealogy website and it matched traces found at the scene ”
— I am all for catching and punishing murderers and rapists, but I am concerned that people are building the world wide DNA database of nightmares, and without any regulatory or legal framework. .gov doesn’t have to build orwellian databases, they just buy the results from the private companies that do. The implications of stories like this should scare the cr@p out of people.
n
Hmm, wrt the chemical fire, they have to move the command van. That can’t be good. They’ve also got engines shutting down to conserve fuel while waiting to be resupplied. And some more fire broke out, while some died down.
All in all, a long night for a bunch of guys. I don’t think this will be out in the morning.
speaking of, I’m off to bed.
n