77F and not as damp. Nice change from yesterday which ended in Houston at “hot and humid” but no rain.
I’ve got a pickup that is almost all the way to Corpus Christi, so 7 hr round trip. I didn’t even unload my truck, just emptied the cargo carrier.
Gotta get the kids and wife out the door, so I can get out the door.
n
In the Bluff City this morning it dawned 79f and 82% humidity. In other words, miserable before the day begins. Had a row with the wife yesterday over a toilet. The bathroom fixtures in our retirement home are black, odd color but it works. She noted the toilet in the master bath was a standard height and since we moved abroad we have become used to the taller toilets, easier for old folks like us. I replaced the toilet in our current master bath with a “chair height” one when we moved in 11 years ago. Wife sensibly wanted a taller toilet for the new master bath. I started research and found that there is a $250 premium for black toilets. In other words, I could put in a white toilet for $250 but they charge $500 for the same in black. So I, sensibly I thought, asked her if the color was important. This must have been a trigger, because she ignored my question and launched into a rant about money and how it’s the only thing I think of. After 47 years, I know her irritation isn’t about the subject but something else. I ordered the black toilet. That extra $250 is an investment in both harmony and bathroom comfort. Yesterday was a bad day for her. She had a low blood sugar incident followed by a painful dialysis treatment. I can understand if she is grumpy.
@harold, that sucks. Hang in there…
n
It is. I have never been in a bad Hyatt. Really nice places to stay, a little pricey as they cater to the business crowd and thus a business expense for the companies using the facilities. I have come to the point in my life that comfort is worth more than going cheap. I try to find a Hyatt when I can. I no longer like the motels you find along the interstates. Lacking a Hyatt, Holiday Inn Express is my second choice.
Hyatt the check in process is easy and you can use the app to check in and even use as the room key. Check out is just as easy. Rooms are nice, spacious, and the beds are comfortable with none of the “thru the wall” A/C units.
Yes, I am getting spoiled in my old age.
I try to find a Hyatt when I can. I no longer like the motels you find along the interstates.
Since we moved to Austin five years ago, some really bad things have happened right in front of the half mile stretch of motels along the freeway near our house, including the famed Austin Bomber blowing himself up.
That said, we stayed in the Best Western there without any problems a couple of times, both when house hunting and the night we first arrived in town. The rooms were a little dated, but the staff worked hard to keep the place up.
Fortunately, the jurisdiction in Williamson County Sheriff and/or Round Rock PD, not Austin PD.
I’m sure you’ve read about Crazy Eyes at the border crying “Border agents physically and *sexually* threatened me!” Yet, no arrests of said agents. The woman is coo-coo for Coco Puffs.
And, I just read on Bearing Arms, What-A-Burger was sold to some company in Illinois. Let the pussification begin!
Occasional Cortex somehow saw bits out of some sort of private ICE chat group. Lots of inappropriate comments, stuff that theoretically shouldn’t happen, but reality is like that, and people are like that. Among other things some people apparently find her attractive, and wanted to know if she looks good in person. That’s not even remotely offensive, given the context, but she had to blow it up into misogyny.
They showed bits of the Democratic debate on the news here. I didn’t see it, but my wife did. She’s anything but a Trump fan, but she had to wonder WTF the Democrats are thinking. You can’t have a “debate” with 20 people – you can’t even have 20 serious candidates. I can only assume that the entire DNC has gone senile.
Over The Hedge: whats wrong with the world
https://www.gocomics.com/overthehedge/2019/07/02
Can raccoons get diabetes ? And I may have had a spoonful of ice cream last night.
Questionable Content: Spookybot is freaking Roku out
https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4035
Spookybot is freaking me out too. There is an agenda here.
“Episode 582 Scott Adams: North Korea, Portland and Other Places I’d Never Visit”
https://blog.dilbert.com/2019/06/30/episode-582-scott-adams-north-korea-portland-and-other-places-id-never-visit/
“Portland independent reporter Andy Ngo ATTACKED by Antifa
Event with guaranteed violence…masks allowed by police?”
I admit, this is very bothersome.
I haven’t followed Scot Adams blog since he switched to video. I’d rather read, and there is no shortage of material out there.
Masks? I’m very much of the opinion that masks should not be allowed in general. Also not by the police. They provide too much anonymity, they shield the person too much from the consequences of their actions. If you’re going to misbehave, it ought to be possible for your friends, family and acquaintances to recognize you. If you’re not going to misbehave, then you don’t need the mask.
I’m sitting in a parking lot so I’m not reading a links but the Pacific Northwest was always heavily socialist if not outright commie. after all that’s where the co-op movement started and REI was based along with several other co-ops that are since faded.
With regard to the purported ice Facebook group there’s always someone who’s willing to turncoat for a favor.
Got here to my pick up 5 minutes before 12 and nobody was here because they go to lunch from 12 to 1. anybody want to bet they won’t be back right at the crack of 1? Anyone want to take that bet if I tell you that their school district and County employees?
Thought not.
N
I’m sure you’ve read about Crazy Eyes at the border crying “Border agents physically and *sexually* threatened me!” Yet, no arrests of said agents. The woman is coo-coo for Coco Puffs.
New York stands to lose at least two House seats after the Census. My guess is that will be the mechanism the Dems use to bring the cocktail waitress to heel. Until then, she’s a useful idiot with whom many in the party hierarchy want to have sex.
And, I just read on Bearing Arms, What-A-Burger was sold to some company in Illinois. Let the pussification begin!
Schlitterbahn also sold most of their parks to Cedar Fair within the last month. The Henry family will keep Corpus Christi Schlitterbahn and, for now, the Kansas City park, location of the decapitation tragedy.
I’m sitting in a parking lot so I’m not reading a links but the Pacific Northwest was always heavily socialist if not outright commie. after all that’s where the co-op movement started and REI was based along with several other co-ops that are since faded.
Based on what I saw living up there, away from the population centers and the Portland-Seattle I-5 corridor, OR and WA are fairly red states. The problems are Portland and Seattle, respectively.
Costco is still around and technically a co-op. They own the current occupant of the WA Governor’s mansion, and their lobbyists literally wrote the liquor deregulation seven years ago.
Shopping at REI. like Costco, doesn’t involve reading a little red book or other indoctrination.
I admit, this is very bothersome.
The shooting war will start in Portland.
My wife’s associate from her Vantucky office lives there with her idiot husband after the couple fled something stinky the husband did politcially in Fredericksburg during the 2010 elections. I’m sure their story isn’t unique.
A lot of people on both sides have so much pent up frustration from the last decade that a violent confrontation involving multiple deaths is inevitable.
Coming soon to your town–assuming it hasn’t already arrived:
Even violent felony suspects overwhelmingly recommended for release
Occasional Cortex somehow saw bits out of some sort of private ICE chat group. Lots of inappropriate comments, stuff that theoretically shouldn’t happen, but reality is like that, and people are like that. Among other things some people apparently find her attractive, and wanted to know if she looks good in person. That’s not even remotely offensive, given the context, but she had to blow it up into misogyny.
I still maintain that AOC will be president in 2025. You ain’t seen nothing yet, the 2023 – 2024 campaign will be a freak show of previously unseen levels of craziness.
I can hardly wait for her global warming taxes. Do it for the children ! Illegal aliens children of course, citizens children do not matter.
Austin Goes from Harmlessly Weird to Dangerously Stupid by Legalizing Camping on City Streets
From the comments:
BTW, I got learned by a caller to the Rush Limbaugh show last week. The caller told Rush that the Q in LGBTQXYZABC stands for “questioning”. Rush thought that Q stood for “queer”, so did I. Who knew ? So we both learned something last week. Rush did thank the caller very much.
The city council made it perfectly legal to camp out on the city’s public spaces and sidewalks, under bridges and overpasses and, well, everywhere all over town – except, notably, parks and Austin City Hall.
I’m looking forward to seeing the camp on the city-owned property in The Domain, Austin’s imitation of CA “lifestyle centers” and sterilized communities such as Irvine.
Yes, Q was changed to Questioning since it used to mean homosexual.
The VP is called back to DC from AF2 and cancels an event at literally the last moment for “high level” meetings with the President yet we are told it’s nothing important …
Methinks there’s something BIG going down.
“What Exactly Is Going On With Mike Pence’s Abrupt Return To The White House?”
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/pence-cancelled-event-plane-diverted-washington
I hope that we are not going to war. Or that Israel is going to war.
Hat tip to:
https://drudgereport.com/
A Transwoman was a man.
A Transman was a woman.
Get it right, fools, or suffer the consequences.
Yes, Q was changed to Questioning since it used to mean homosexual.
I guess that I missed the memo.
Get it right, fools, or suffer the consequences.
Which are ? Do I have to move to Austin and live in a homeless camp under I-35 ?
A Transwoman was a man.
A Transman was a woman.
I thought that our God given sex organs did not matter anymore ?
The wife simply calls them the “Rainbow Alphabet” people as the specifics seem to change weekly.
BTW: My BEST FRIEND FOR LIFE died of AIDS 15 years ago. He was the stereotypical gay, except he was conservative. He was a FANTASTIC chef, threw GREAT parties, and I miss him every day. His desk plaque read “Nuke the Whales” !
You mean
A Transwoman IS a man.
A Transman IS a woman.
Your genes don’t change just because you put on panties.
I hope that we are not going to war. Or that Israel is going to war.
The Russians had something bad happen on one of their “research” subs.
https://news.usni.org/2019/07/02/14-sailors-die-on-secretive-russian-nuclear-submarine
“Tesla stock surges after setting new delivery and production records”
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/02/tesla-q2-2019-production-and-delivery-numbers.html
“Tesla delivered 95,200 cars during the the three months ending June 30, besting its previous record of 90,700 deliveries set in the fourth quarter of 2018. It also blew away analysts’ estimates of 91,000 deliveries, according to data compiled by FactSet. A disappointing 63,000 vehicles were delivered during the first three months of the year, when Tesla was plagued by challenges transporting its cars from its factory in Fremont, California, across the world and questions about waning customer demand. Tesla’s orders aren’t fully reflected in its delivery numbers until a buyer takes possession of their new car.”
I am seeing lots of Teslas around here in Sugar Land, Texas now. The supercharger in Rudy’s BBQ parking lot had five Teslas nuzzled up to it last last week (it can handle twelve cars).
Austin Goes from Harmlessly Weird to Dangerously Stupid by Legalizing Camping on City Streets
I’m glad I moved to Burnet in ’92. Yeah, I did miss the shopping and restaurants. But Northcross Mall was mostly dead and Highland Mall was getting full of ah, coloreds, and white trash, hanging out in the air conditioning…. not any fun when you feel like you have to carry your wallet in your underwear and not in your back pocket. So, go to Penny’s, go out, drive around to Joske’s. Er, Dillards. Er, Macy’s. Macy’s sucked. Not sure why. Skip the rest of the mall. Now Highland’s an ACC campus?
I suppose if I stilled lived there I would get a ticket for running the sprinklers and watering their tents. Tho… back then I could water the yard on odd number days. So…
“Nuke the Whales”
Yes!
As for the LBGalphabet, I don’t care. Stick or be stuck by whoever you want. Just shut up. You like guys? Fine. You like girls? Fine. I don’t wan’t to hear about what anyone does for sex. Quit making a big deal about who you are banging.
Now Highland’s an ACC campus?
Yes. Mall retail operations stopped not long after we moved here five years ago.
The big Sears just north of Downtown is gone too. That’s where I bought my current lawn mower.
A Transwoman IS a man.
A Transman IS a woman.
Your genes don’t change just because you put on panties.
Preach it, brother!
Men Who Love Women Who Love Men
The big Sears just north of Downtown is gone too.
That would be at 34th or 45th and mumble mumble Street. There was a good sized HEB there, also. I know how to get there….
That shopping center had a nice aquarium supply store. And a place that sold coins and stamps.
I don’t wan’t to hear about what anyone does for sex. Quit making a big deal about who you are banging.
Amen. No one wants to hear about other peoples’ sex lives, and if they’re smart they’ll keep quiet about their own.
The big Sears just north of Downtown is gone too. That’s where I bought my current lawn mower.
Recently the Sears out here in the Crescent City suburbs also got the ax. Up ’til now I’ve always bought all of my major appliances at Sears; fortunately there’s a Lowe’s nearby at which I can find a replacement for my recently-defunct fridge.
I thought all of the Sears / K-mart stores were closed when they filed bankruptcy ?
I may have to leave this xenophobic blog. 😉
I solved a mystery today.
The nursing home doesn’t want to deal with charging Mom’s bank account. They are happy to charge her Discover card. Ok, charge it. Pay the merchant fees. Idjits.
This is probably for the best. If they charge her card after she dies and her SS and pension have stopped feeding her bank account, well, I’m not paying the bill. Hitting the bank account, well, yes, joint account puts me on the hook. [never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer] [sometimes you just muddle through and cross your fingers]
She gets 1% cash back. Most of the time. On her anniversary the numbers are re-set. She gets .25% on the first $3000 charges. Then 1% for the rest of the year. She’s had the card since 1988.
I’m cool. It’s not me screwing things up by paying the bill the day after it arrives.
And now you know.
Yes, another tidbit to clog up your head. 🙂 You’re welcome.
Currently in The Dalles Oregon for the night. Drove by the old place that I lived when I was 7-9. That house most certainly looks smaller, and dumpier. Had a hard time recognizing the place. Only by the shape of the hill and the pump house that is still standing at the lower end of the hill.
Tomorrow is a leisurely trip through the Columbia River Gorge back to Portland.
Did leave Eugene this morning and went to Mount Hood. What a bust. Cloudy, misty and cold, about 48F. No real views of the mountain. Lot of snowboarders still hitting the slopes in the areas where there is still snow. Generally an annoying group with limited vocabulary, terms such as gnarly, rad, etc. mixed in with “like” every third word. Bunch of slobs that think it is OK to block aisles with their crap.
I bought my current KitchenAid dishwasher at Lowes. Not by choice.
Lowes promised I could pick it up in a few days. Sears was like TWO weeks.
I bought my first fridge at Sears. 1982? At the big store Greg mentioned. Had a SearsCharge card. They delivered a week late. From a warehouse in San Antonio. I still have the fridge. I added the ice maker. The fan from the freezer to the fridge was noisy after a couple of years. Chatty bearings. But a friend dropped off his Whirlpool fridge here, in 94 or so…. someone else wanted a fridge to make a meat smoker… I pulled the fans and shelving. Six months later the donor fridge went to the dump. Anyway, I replaced the fan in my fridge. The fan that blows over the coils is hanging on the wall in the shed.
In September ’01 (and yeah, I had to look at the receipt) the fridge died. I went to the local Sears. Not actually a full blown Sears, but they sell appliances and lawn mowers. Ok, it’s going to be a week. No… it’s not. I want this fridge delivered today. Floor model. Hem and haw and finally it came down to “sell and deliver this machine today or I’m going to Austin”.
I think they kept the ice cube trays and butter dish. They were there but I don’t care.
Three hours later, the delivery guys were very eager to take the old fridge. I turned them down. I know where the dump is and I can use the shelving in the barn.
The light in the old fridge worked. “thump” with a screwdriver on the back wall and the stupid thing turned on. Well, re-install the shelves. The defrost timer was stuck. I replaced it, all of $16 plus a trip to Austin. The beerator has had no problems since.
What the heck. Eighteen years ago?
Sheesh. I’ve read stories where folks have 40+ year old refrigerators. And here I am. 🙂
I thought all of the Sears / K-mart stores were closed when they filed bankruptcy?
No. Some Sears/K-mart stores remain open.
The Sears near where we lived in FL is still there and, IIRC, one of two left open in the state, probably for logistics more than sales out of the store.
Currently in The Dalles Oregon for the night. Drove by the old place that I lived when I was 7-9. That house most certainly looks smaller, and dumpier. Had a hard time recognizing the place. Only by the shape of the hill and the pump house that is still standing at the lower end of the hill.
We immediately knew that “I, Tonya” had been filmed somewhere other than Portland simply because the period houses weren’t dilapidated.
Sheesh. I’ve read stories where folks have 40+ year old refrigerators.
Scuttlebutt has it that modern refrigerators last only a decade. I purchased the fridge I’m replacing in March of 2009.
Just sayin’.
Sheesh. I’ve read stories where folks have 40+ year old refrigerators.
Urban wisdom has it that modern refrigerators last only a decade. I purchased the fridge I’m replacing in March of 2009.
Rotary compressors blow their seals out after a thousand starts or so. Maybe after a couple of thousand starts if you have a real good brand. They sure do look good on the efficiency and noise standards though when those seals are tight. The old reciprocating compressors could take a lot more beating. And used twice as much electricity as the rotaries (with good seals).
Rotary compressors blow their seals out after a thousand starts or so.
Yep, it’s most definitely the compressor (I’ve seen this movie at least once before.) Rather than replace the compressor, I’m figuring that it’s cost-effective to spend a bit more and buy a whole new fridge.
consumer fridges are so good at energy savings that they won’t stay cool if you open the door too much. The inverter driven motor and the undersized compressor just can’t keep up. That’s why you can’t use a modern consumer fridge in a restaurant kitchen. We learned that lesson at our pool concession stand.
Like the HE clothes washers, so efficient they don’t actually clean your clothes.
n
RIP Lee Iacocca
“Tesla stock surges after setting new delivery and production records”
Convenient timing for more “Apple has lost its mojo” stories.
I wonder what the numbers would have looked like without the money extorted from Fiat-Chrysler essentially for turning Silverado pickups into fleet fodder.
Tomorrow is a leisurely trip through the Columbia River Gorge back to Portland.
This is the time of year to stop at Vista House.
If you drive back on the WA side of the river, this place is one of the few things we miss in Greater Vantucky. The owners and the crew work really hard.
https://kmdrivein.com/
RIP. K-Cars ran for about 50,000 miles tops and the van was terrible, but Chairman Lee could sell ’em.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshmax/2019/07/02/lee-iacocca-giant-of-auto-industry-dead-at-94/
“Tesla stock surges after setting new delivery and production records”
Convenient timing for more “Apple has lost its mojo” stories.
I wonder what the numbers would have looked like without the money extorted from Fiat-Chrysler essentially for turning Silverado pickups into fleet fodder.
Hey, income is income. I am sure that Musk built his Tesla sales model on getting lots and lots of handouts. Shoot, Obola was probably over there cheering him on and whispering sweet nothings in his ear.
RIP. K-Cars ran for about 50,000 miles tops and the van was terrible, but Chairman Lee could sell ’em.
Yeah, we ran a 1987 Dodge Caravan with the first V6 at the dealership to 100K miles. It took three transmissions, a full top end rebuild by yours truly (ok my brother helped me), replacement of all plastic parts including power windows gear strips (yes, I have duck taped a window in place), and two air conditioning system rebuilds. I stupidly bought a 1993 model and sold it at 3oK miles when it started having problems (had to pull the intake manifold and steam clean it).
I have driven my last Dodge vehicle no matter how much I want a Jeep.
All I have to do is remember when the planetary gear on the automatic tranny shotgunned itself at 89K miles. That was an unpleasant experience. And the dealer did not want to rebuild it even though it was still under the 90K mile warranty.
I would not drive a Dodge/Chrysler vehicle if someone gave me the vehicle. The trucks are probably better than the cars but not by much. I have seen too many trucks with issues to even trust the cars. Chrysler is building crap, trying to make the trucks macho, and selling them to rednecks who don’t care.
The wife simply calls them the “Rainbow Alphabet” people as the specifics seem to change weekly.
I am so gonna steal that! 🙂
It took three transmissions, a full top end rebuild by yours truly (ok my brother helped me), replacement of all plastic parts including power windows gear strips (yes, I have duck taped a window in place), and two air conditioning system rebuilds.
I had a 1993 Ford Probe and experienced no end of plastic deterioration issues, including a spark plug harness arcing at 30,000 miles. Something went wrong with automobile plastics for a while.
I have driven my last Dodge vehicle no matter how much I want a Jeep.
Ford probably would have ended up with Jeep if Chrysler had gone through a normal bankruptcy.
Ford execs of my father’s generation held Iacocca in high esteem. Henry II nearly destroyed the company in the 70s.
Agree on refrigerators and especially freezers.
Not all the old ones used a lot of energy, though. I still have a c1952 GE refrigerator that runs perfectly. I used my Kill a Watt meter to prove that it uses very little energy. Too lazy to look it up, but less than even my modern box. The secret is manual defrost. No problem for me, because I only open the door less than five times per week, and defrost once every five years.
A year and a half ago, our upright freezer blew the seals on its rotary compressor, at only age five. Its nearly identical predecessor did the same at age ten, not a good trend. Anywhoo, I emptied the GE box and crammed it full. Turned the stat all the way cold, and it kept the contents frozen for over a week, running continuously. (The rest of the food was kept frozen by a neighbor.) Figured the old GE might quit, but nope. Put it back in normal service afterwards. It might outlast me. They really don’t make them like they used to.
Oh, and nearly silent.
white goods used to be called “durables” did they not?
“white goods” is probably triggering someone …
bed time, mostly caught up on my blog reading.
a site devoted to the humble bucket. I believe I mentioned recently that buckets were a versatile and underrated prepper tool???
http://fivegallonideas.com/
the articles are light a breezy, but several are worth a closer look.
n
Ok, Big River (Amazon) is now emailing me pictures of boxes dropped on my front porch to prove that they delivered the box. Wild.
I am ordering way too much crap from Big River. I just got some more Science Diet puppy food for Lily (who loves it over Beneful) and four more 2 AA LED Maglights for my stash. Highly recommended for $18 each. I keep on giving them away and people keep on “borrowing” them so I have to buy more continuously. I feel naked if I don’t have ten or so around.
https://www.amazon.com/Maglite-2-Cell-Flashlight-Holster-Black/dp/B005UUSAAM/?tag=ttgnet-20
Am watching the Eagles Australian special on AXS TV. Man, Glen Frey was a wonderful singer and song writer. I got to see them live in person twice.
And then there is the magnificent Joe Walsh.
“11 One-hit Wonder Science Fiction Books” by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/11-one-hit-wonder-science-fiction-books/
I have read eight of the eleven of this exotic list. I also highly recommend the wonderful _Emergence_. I have read the unpublished as a novel sequel to it also, _Tracking_.
Work actually thinks that they are going to get detailed telecom tech tasks done this week. If the connectivity wasn’t there Monday, it won’t be there until next Monday at the earliest.
This junior programmer spent 17 years at telephone companies … but what do I know.
The real howler was a customer in the Northeast thinking they could have network connections run to allow us to start an install on Friday. In the Northeast!
But YOU”RE the @sshole for pointing out that it won’t happen. Not the guys that won’t be doing the work, you.
Been there and done that.
n