Cool and dry, hurricane headed right for us, although the model says it’ll turn.
Which is good because I’ve got stuff to do. Roofer will be back Monday, ready to finish by Tuesday unless there is rain or the storm track is wrong. That means I’ve got stuff to move and clear away from around the house.
Add it to the list.
Home all day because my wife’s at work. I’ll have plenty to do.
Making room for the next load (or just making room), keep stacking.
nick
Wed. Oct. 7, 2020 – nothing clever left to say
93 Comments and discussion on "Wed. Oct. 7, 2020 – nothing clever left to say"
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Trump’s move to declassify and release documents is going to stir the hornet’s nest. MIGHT be juicy enough to shift focus away from him for a bit. I guess we’ll see what comes out.
n
“We have 20-year experienced Seniors who won’t grep log files and will look at my like I’m from another planet when I suggest it. I think it has more to do with a Windows background vs. Unix, where the philosophies are much different.”
Why in the world would anyone want to share their command-line and programming super-powers with those who are not only unable to comprehend them but also sneer at the mere suggestion? If you have an advantage over your fellow cubicles dwellers, why give it up?
Asking as someone who has in the past been taken advantage of by his less-skilled and less-knowledgeable cow-orkers.
The job is essentially grep-ing log files and tweaking XML configurations for binaries which are difficult to change due to bureaucracy. A lot of tech jobs are like that anymore. I did almost the exact same thing at CGI, and I left because, ostensibly, I would get to write C++ code at the current gig. Bzzzt.
I don’t give away the store. If someone complains about not being able to write shell scripts and hasn’t been through the OReilly Bash book cover-to-cover, I probably can’t help them anyway.
If you don’t know Unix shell scripts, that’s the shortcut. Cover-to-cover. A used copy of the Korn Shell book (my copy is 27 years old) works too if you are on a budget.
Two steps forward, one step back. Working to finish the street, they dug through our internet connection. So part of today was lost, waiting for a new cable to be run. Still, progress is being made. Looks like they’ll be completely finished with the access road – except for the actual asphalt – by the end of the week.
I can’t judge the overall mood in the US very well, but the UK betting odds are 2:1 against Trump now. For whatever reason, it’s not looking great. On the other hand, the 2nd and 3rd debates could change that. On the gripping hand, Biden was on some good drugs for the last debate, and apparently managed to hold his own.
Meanwhile, here, after a successful lockdown and recovery, people are getting careless again. Increasing numbers of Covid infections, as people start to hold private events again – where they forget all about social distancing. Plus, numbers are really exploding in neighboring countries, which undoubtedly slops over with all the people who commute or socialize just across the border.
Jimbo Fisher’s old boss. Big news in Florida because Bobby Bowden is always a class act, even if you went to that school with the alligator mascot.
Caregivers continuing to go to work under the cover of being “asymptomatic” has been another unique feature of this pandemic situation. As Dr. Pournelle used to state, it isn’t a “dark age” until we forget that we could ever do something. It wasn’t that long ago we knew how to contain far more infectious/deadlier diseases just with public health policy.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/florida-state-seminoles/os-sp-fsu-bobby-bowden-covid-19-hospital-1007-20201007-gpuhwpykd5gpnclix4g3pjxram-story.html
We enjoy going to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Comfortable seats. There’s wait service available throughout the movie and a decent menu to go with it. You can drink a beer or cocktail at your seat. They fresh brew their own iced tea. You can order “bottomless” popcorn and they make it with real butter. There’s a strict no talking no phone policy (and a stern warning about each before the movie starts).
I’m not a huge fan of the reclining seats. Most people tend to fully recline them and then halfway through the movie you can hear 2 or 3 people snoring or breathing loudly while sleeping.
Yes, yes, go ahead and panic about the predictions of the UK betting market.
We enjoy going to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Comfortable seats. There’s wait service available throughout the movie and a decent menu to go with it. You can drink a beer or cocktail at your seat. They fresh brew their own iced tea. You can order “bottomless” popcorn and they make it with real butter. There’s a strict no talking no phone policy (and a stern warning about each before the movie starts).
Theaters like Alamo Drafthouse are not going to disappear.
The difference with the independents and small chains is that the people running the businesses *love* movies as much as their customers.
We specifically go to Drafthouse when we know the pre-show will be good. “Baby Driver” featured an awesome interview with Edgar Wright running down his lists of favorite movies and specific scenes. The cell phone policy enforcement was not necessary — you could have heard a pin drop in that theater during quiet moments in the interview’s running time, especially when “Fury Road” came up.
The pre-show “The Florida Project” had Burt Reynolds commercials from back when he was a spokesman for Florida Orange Juice. Genius.
We like the Drafthouse too.
Bigger houses with home theatres are making a comeback from what I hear. My client likes to have a glass of wine or several when watching movies, and doesn’t like to drive home.
The plusses of seeing a film with the shared audience experience are usually outweighed byt the minuses of that same shared audience. Talkers, phone users, and the general feral population make it much less attractive to me.
n
I read many Hollyweird movies are delayed to next year. I guess HW thinks masks and social distancing will be gone. Maybe HW is voting for tRump and not Plugs’ Nation wide mask mandate. I think if masks and SD continue, theaters are dead. Indy movie houses will survive.
Home theaters – depends what you mean. We have a projector, a screen, and run the audio through our stereo. The screen is bigger than any TV you’re going to buy. Not surround-sound, but we have very good stereo speakers, so it’s more than adequate.
On top of that, the projector and screen were less expensive than any decent big-screen TV (around $2k), and the screen rolls up to the ceiling when you aren’t using it. Absolutely the only disadvantage is that you cannot watch TV in bright daylight.
Home theaters – depends what you mean. We have a projector, a screen, and run the audio through our stereo. The screen is bigger than any TV you’re going to buy. Not surround-sound, but we have very good stereo speakers, so it’s more than adequate.
On top of that, the projector and screen were less expensive than any decent big-screen TV (around $2k), and the screen rolls up to the ceiling when you aren’t using it. Absolutely the only disadvantage is that you cannot watch TV in bright daylight.
One of my neighbors has one of those 12 foot wide blow up screens that they occasionally watch movies on in the back yard. They have movie night on Friday nights and half the neighborhood comes over. And then the mosquitoes show up and ruin the party.
https://www.amazon.com/VIVOHOME-Indoor-Outdoor-Inflatable-Projection/dp/B07GDKKC9P?tag=ttgnet-20
The mosquitoes have been vicious around here since the 13 inch rain two weeks ago. Our mosquito spray truck has been running several times a week. They are still out there.
We enjoy going to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Comfortable seats. There’s wait service available throughout the movie and a decent menu to go with it. You can drink a beer or cocktail at your seat. They fresh brew their own iced tea. You can order “bottomless” popcorn and they make it with real butter. There’s a strict no talking no phone policy (and a stern warning about each before the movie starts).
I’m not a huge fan of the reclining seats. Most people tend to fully recline them and then halfway through the movie you can hear 2 or 3 people snoring or breathing loudly while sleeping.
But will they have new movies to show ? Or just endless reruns of old movies ?
Most of the known actors in the movie industry are now making new products for Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, and Hulu. “The Old Guard” on Netflix was awesome.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81038963
The five Regal theaters in the Houston area are now closed. Those buildings will decay rapidly as no one takes care of them. Regal had 536 theaters and 45,000 employees in the USA.
https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/Farewell-for-now-5-Houston-movie-theaters-15625389.php
Anyone want to buy a PET scanner?
https://www.slapsale.com/ss/#!/1-mda-pet-pqs-technology-scanner-203258
It’ll probably go for scrap value.
n
I watched a US series a while back (Picard). It was great, except that it was clearly made for TV, with lots of spots for built-in commercials. Every 10 minutes a minor cliff-hanger, at the end of every episode a larger cliff-hanger. The series was crafted as a frame for commercials, which seriously detracted from the actual story being told.
Can Netflix & co. change the paradigm? Imagine telling a continuous story, rather than breaking it into arbitrary pieces with contrived suspense. Netflix & co. have the chance to do something really new – I wonder if they will take it?
Anyone want to buy a PET scanner?
https://www.slapsale.com/ss/#!/1-mda-pet-pqs-technology-scanner-203258
It’ll probably go for scrap value.
I wonder if my wife had a scan with that device ?
I watched a US series a while back (Picard). It was great, except that it was clearly made for TV, with lots of spots for built-in commercials. Every 10 minutes a minor cliff-hanger, at the end of every episode a larger cliff-hanger. The series was crafted as a frame for commercials, which seriously detracted from the actual story being told.
Can Netflix & co. change the paradigm? Imagine telling a continuous story, rather than breaking it into arbitrary pieces with contrived suspense. Netflix & co. have the chance to do something really new – I wonder if they will take it?
I call those pee breaks.
Dilbert: Everyone But Ted
https://dilbert.com/strip/2020-10-07
Oh yeah, all software projects have a Ted or two on them. All of their code submittals have to be checked by the senior staff. And usually rejected.
But will they have new movies to show ? Or just endless reruns of old movies ?
Believe it or not, there is quite a market for the old movies, one of the reasons that Disney bought out the Fox catalog. The problem for the independent theaters and small chains which depend on booking the films is not that the audience isn’t there but the movies are increasingly unavailable, reserved to build the studio’s allied streaming service.
Disney pulling Fox classics into “The Vault” concept has been particularly painful. The Alamo nearest to our house has a heavy theming for “Planet of the Apes” but hasn’t been able to do occasional screenings of the film for a while.
People still go to movies under normal circumstances. My wife was stunned when she headed out to an 8 AM screening of “Downton Abbey” at the Alamo last year, and the theater was packed, turning people away at the ticket counter. Sure the movie was headed straight to video, but the audience wanted that shared experience.
My wife was stoked for the “Miss Fisher Mysteries” movie at the Alamo this past March when it was booked for a run just a week out from the streaming release. Then Covid canceled the sold-out shows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1JC9ue8Y8
House hunting and the decline of Anchorage.
Now the administration is sending out Nixle alerts from our Emergency Operations folks for the city (intone breathlessly with a note of hysteria)
“Wear your mask! COVID is on the rise! Comply unless you want People to Die!!!”
Anchorage has lost its mind.
If we were smarter than we are we would quit mooning over the two acre Tragedy Hall property in Anchorage, suck up a few years of commuting and commit to living on one salary or significantly smaller salaries.
$280k buys a 16 acre property just outside Wasilla with a house described as ‘livable’. Flipping thru the pics we could easily tackle the updates. (added – home is on high ground. 14.5 of that 16 acres is in the 100 year flood plain. Property is a bell T shape with the home out of the flood plain in 1.6 acres at the foot of the T, and the cross bar of the T swelling across the river (renown as a salmon river). Most of the property is Spruce trees and probably scrub)
Commute would be 45-90 minutes each way. Ironic given that’s in part why I gave up on California in 1993 – I recognized then the misery of 15 hours spent commuting weekly. I’ve never lived more than 20-30 minutes from work. More typically 15 minutes.
https://www.alaskarealestate.com/Search/Property/PropertyDetail.aspx?li=20-15294
@lynn, there are two of those PET scanners in that same auction.
but they look small, too small to put a body part inside
n
Oh yeah, all software projects have a Ted or two on them. All of their code submittals have to be checked by the senior staff. And usually rejected.
At The Death Star, the lead developer with two patents did nothing all day but work on his next patent and reformat code in the repository under the admin username to meet his own aesthetic standards and Microsoft interpretations of ANSI C.
He didn’t touch my most critical code, however. He did once, and my response was, “I don’t care how many f*cking patents you have, one misplaced semicolon or uninitialized buffer submitted to fread(), and if the last user check-in was ‘admin’, you’ll be on the phone at 3AM with that sh*t breaks in China.”
Literally, it was used in China by IBM employees “phoning home”.
Any wonder I have a meeting with HR in 45 minutes about the two F-bombs in the meeting about the failed demo?
No, Catbert’s boss will be there instead of Catbert himself. I declared Catbert a non-person after the former Chipotle regional manager (!) botched the investigation into my behavior, possibly creating a liability for the company.
Jeez, I have a pickup at one of our community colleges (something my wife wanted for #1 daughter) and I had to do an online prescreen questionnaire. They “approved” me and I got a special email to display when I arrive at one of the restricted entry points for the campus. Presumably college kids are still hooking up? Having parties? Very close intimate encounters? yet for my 10 minute visit to an empty building I’ve got to submit to preapproval and a health questionaire.
n
“Wear your mask! COVID is on the rise! Comply unless you want People to Die!!!”
Anchorage has lost its mind.
I know it is home, Jenny, but the population is so small, sooner or later they’re going to turn that state.
I have a 45-60 minute commute in Austin. I had a similar commute in Tampa. I think it is just the nature of the beast with tech jobs.
The cops are working like crazy today. All the interop channels are in use by surveillance teams. New groups come on and ask if the channel is available too.
n
@jenny, the views sure are nice. Weird to have the basement kitchen, set up as an illegal rental? those carpets are NASTY.
n
@jenny, I’m a big fan of not wasting your precious life in a long commute, but, sometimes ‘needs must’…. and the job might not be there forever either.
We opted for shorter commute when we bought this house. We could have either gotten more sq ft, or saved $50K if we were farther out. Wife’s job changed, and now her commute is different anyway, although not longer. When she commutes.
n
@Greg
I know and it’s awful watching the fall.
But where else to go? We’ve had a lot of conversations about this over the years. And in particular this summer. We can financially manage moving out of state, but can’t find a place that isn’t just as screwed.
I would mind the commute less if it weren’t for the real risk of death by moose collision or the icy roads for much of the year.
What we, and I think most people, want is to just be left alone. And that pursuit of being left alone has perhaps permitted this unhappy state of affairs. Because while we were collectively minding our own business, lots of other folks were busily nosing into ours and not so quietly changing and manipulating our society into an unrecognizable mess.
What we needed was a lot of snarling biting and outrage when these insidious changes were first broached years ago. Instead we tucked our toes back from the line and let the damn camel push us right out of the damn tent like that unhappy Bedouin in one of the Aesop fables.
Lots of folks moving to Wasilla. Walking away from Anchorage leads to Alaska’s fall all that sooner. How to reclaim the other states? Oi.
@jenny, the views sure are nice. Weird to have the basement kitchen, set up as an illegal rental? those carpets are NASTY.
Maybe inlaw suite or home catering business.
I saw a couple of dual-kitchen single-family homes when looking on the WA State side of the river outside Portland. The local community college has what was billed then as the only public college baking program west of the Mississippi, and a lot of laid off HP employees in the neighborhoods along the river picked up the trade.
Would the owners have bothered with an island for an illegal rental?
My wife was disappointed when we had to ultimately pass on the houses. She would love a second kitchen for baking where everything just gets left in place ready to go.
Jeez, I have a pickup at one of our community colleges (something my wife wanted for #1 daughter) and I had to do an online prescreen questionnaire. They “approved” me and I got a special email to display when I arrive at one of the restricted entry points for the campus. Presumably college kids are still hooking up? Having parties? Very close intimate encounters? yet for my 10 minute visit to an empty building I’ve got to submit to preapproval and a health questionaire.
My IRS agent friend came to my father-in-laws funeral visitation in Merkel, TX. He is based in Abilene, TX as a field auditor. He counts sheep and goats as a part of his duties.
Anyway, he was telling me about the memos that they get from the IRS head threatening a week of vacation with no pay if they go into their office without explicit permission from their immediate supervisor. There are three IRS agents and three US Marshalls in their office (bullpen). The US District judge has an actual office with walls next to them. They are allowed to go into the office once a week now for a full day. So, agent #1 goes on Monday, agent #2 goes on Wednesday, agent #3 goes on Friday. It took three+ weeks of negotiation with their boss in Dallas to get that schedule.
Any wonder I have a meeting with HR in 45 minutes about the two F-bombs in the meeting about the failed demo?
No, Catbert’s boss will be there instead of Catbert himself. I declared Catbert a non-person after the former Chipotle regional manager (!) botched the investigation into my behavior, possibly creating a liability for the company.
Good luck !
@lynn, there are two of those PET scanners in that same auction.
but they look small, too small to put a body part inside
They are big enough to squeeze into. And they are freaking noisy, I had to hold my wife’s hand while she was in one for a 30 minute scan. I am standing there while this thing is whirling about as the operator continuously tells her to stop shaking (she has claustrophobia).
@nick
It wouldn’t be a “to the studs” but job however those carpets would be ripped out the first week. I’d rather be on plywood than carpet. I can and have torn out carpet, laid flooring, painted, replaced electrical outlets and light fixtures. I’m not physically strong enough or tall enough to handle full sheets of drywall but I can mud and tape and sand.
It’s not uncommon to add a second kitchen on the first floor as occupants age and can no longer get upstairs. Or to add a second story and second kitchen when families are young. Mother in law (walk out) basements are a thing here. Looking at the floor and colors of the first floor kitchen this home probably had a second story added.
I would appreciate having a second kitchen for cheese making, food preservation, etc. it would be convenient to not need to unpack and repack my tools when I’m doing my “Little House on the Prairie” impressions.
Don’t know if this link will work. It’s supposed to show you the plat for the property.
https://mapping.matsugov.us/Html5Viewer/index.html?viewer=MSB_Parcel_Viewer&runWorkflow=MSB_Parcel_Search&ResultFieldValue=74788
More recall petitions have been filed. We aren’t quite up to 9 of the 11 Assembly but we are getting close. So far every petition has been denied. Rule of Law is shattered under this Administration. The Battle for Anchorage slogs on.
I know and it’s awful watching the fall.
But where else to go? We’ve had a lot of conversations about this over the years. And in particular this summer. We can financially manage moving out of state, but can’t find a place that isn’t just as screwed.
I think Texas could turn this year.
Florida hasn’t turned but that’s only because this generation of Dem leadership is inept. The demographics are there for a fast turn and the current homestead exemption statute has a constitutional hole you could drive the proverbial truck through and collapse the whole house of cards.
We’re sucking it up and staying put for now until our youngest child gets out of school. Who knows then.
I feel your pain. Seriously, not in the Bill Clinton sense of that phrase. You can always come here and commiserate.
I think Texas could turn this year.
Only by fake absentee ballots. Another eight years though, Texas may turn blue and then the USA is gone.
Only by fake absentee ballots. Another eight years though, Texas may turn blue and then the USA is gone.
I won’t be convinced MJ Hegar is losing until she pulls out the abusive father story, casting aspersions on Cornyn, like she did with John Carter locally in 2018.
MJ Hegar’s mother divorced the husband and moved to Texas when Hegar was seven, but the commercials will make it look like the mother endured a lifetime of pain until MJ graduated school.
Regarding yesterday’s discussion of heat pumps and AC systems, Paul said he has a “Goodwin” system and likes it. From the description (also makes Amana branded systems,) I think this brand is “Goodman” . Robert V Sprowl had bad luck with “Goodwin”, which could also be an HVAC installation company. Are you talking about Goodman or Goodwin?
The reason I want to know is that Goodman makes a line of heat pumps marketed for DIY and maybe sold directly, and I might be interested, based on very preliminary research. Any further clarifications appreciated, thanks.
There is a lot of pushback amongst younger adults. They now know what they’ve lost as they are old enough to understand when they watch old shows, or hear their parents talking, and they’ve got kids of their own to raise.
The pendulum always swings, and the 30 somethings might be the impetus for the swing.
n
Delta ! Delta ! Delta ! “Delta makes landfall on the Yucatan, next stop Gulf of Mexico”
https://spacecityweather.com/delta-makes-landfall-on-the-yucatan-next-stop-gulf-of-mexico/
“7 am CT Wednesday Update: Good morning. We’ll take a quick look ahead at our forecast for this week and then turn our attention to Hurricane Delta, which made landfall near Puerto Morelos, in the Yucatan Peninsula, around 5:30 am CT today. It had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. The hurricane will move into the Gulf of Mexico later today.”
@nick
pushback amongst younger adults
I see this as well. Had a long meeting with our life insurance guy this week. He’s easing his 30 something son in to take over the business. Our conversations tend to be frank as our families have been doing business for 30 some odd years. We were discussing retirement, etc, and segued into what’s coming for the sons generation.
It’s bleak, and they know it. And at least some of them will work to change it.
My mistake. It is Goodman.
I bought from here: https://www.theacoutlet.com/
I have
Condenser Model #: DSZC160481AC
Evaporator Model #: AVPTC426014AA
This seems to be the new version:
https://www.theacoutlet.com/gsz160481-avptc61d14-4-ton-16-seer-goodman-heat-pump-system.html
Just got an email from Intuit that Turbotax will no longer install on Windows 7. Jerks. There is no reason to do this other than being a corporate jerk.
https://www.intuit.com/support/windows-7-end-of-life/?cid=dr_email_win7eos_us_email-direct
They advise upgrading to Windows 10. I don’t want to upgrade my personal pc at this time.
Or, they advise using the online version of TurboTax. No freaking way.
I think Texas could turn this year.
Only by fake absentee ballots. Another eight years though, Texas may turn blue and then the USA is gone.
Sweet, my first down vote of the day.
“Delta’s path toward Louisiana coming into focus”
https://spacecityweather.com/deltas-path-toward-louisiana-coming-into-focus/
“Hurricane Delta is emerging into the Gulf from the Yucatan this afternoon.”
“After being one of the quickest intensifying storms on record, Delta has taken a beating over the last 18-24 hours and, while it’s holding its own, maximum sustained winds of 100 mph may be a bit generous here. Either way, Delta is now back over warm water with relatively low wind shear, so odds favor it beginning to reintensify tonight.”
Looks like them there poor folks in Lake Charles, LA gonna get it again after Laura. That sucks.
Just got an email from Intuit that Turbotax will no longer install on Windows 7. Jerks. There is no reason to do this other than being a corporate jerk.
Microsoft probably forced the issue with the latest MSVCRT or one that’s coming. I don’t keep up anymore.
Something tells me VS 2020 won’t run on Windows 7 like VS 2019, and Microsoft is usually behind on full support for the standards. C++20 adds coroutines, and a lot of developers used to the language feature in Python will want to take advantage of it in their C++ code.
My mistake. It is Goodman.
Thanks. I will put that in my bucket for future study.
I started a while back, and won’t be needing anything for at least a year. I am not replacing anything, just will be adding to a solar space heat system for winter, and an evap system for summer. Needs some careful design and tradeoffs.
Your electric bill cost that you mentioned is impressive, but your rates are likely much lower than ours. Also, different climate, so hard to compare. Some people find it a bit bizarre that we have to humidify year around. Deserts are different TM. 😉
Daughter was sobbing inthe other room. What?
She’s fighting her way thru her science assignment.
Teacher pulled worksheets off the web and they are at least 4 grade levels too high. Every sentence has 3 words she doesn’t know. There is no background or introductory material. It amounts to mentally cutting and pasting from the ‘reference’ pdf to the ‘question’ pdf and then doing a web search to find a picture that captures the answer, because they can’t ‘draw’ in the space provided. So she has to define a ‘mixture’, then find a picture that describes a ‘mixture.’ She chose salad.
The actual assignment is learning about the ‘groups’ on the periodic table, and their characteristics. No intro about the table, how it’s organized, what the symbols mean, why it’s organized that way. All the language is college level. She’s 11. It’s her first real science class.
FFS, I have to carefully read and parse each sentence.
n
added- and there is no teacher support today. The 8th graders are taking the PSAT, and since the PSAT doesn’t offer anything but in person proctoring, all the eighth graders are in school today. In order to keep distances legal, ALL the rest of the students have an ‘asynchronous’ learning day at home. That means they’re working on their own- no teachers, no zoom.
Nick, would this be a good opportunity to discuss the uselessness of the typical government employee?
I’ve shared what I see in school before.
It ain’t good. I was actually hoping the remote solutions would be better.
n
I don’t know how my electric prices compare to anyone. But, last month,
Service Availability Charge = 21.00 <– to have a meter
Delivery Charge 962 kwh @ 0.02712 = 26.09
Base Power Cost 962 kwh @ 0.04550 = 43.77
Transmission Cost of Service 962 kwh @ 0.01256 = 12.08
Total $102.94
Works out to .107 kwh this month.
Climate? The coldest I've seen here is 12F. Just once since 1983. But 20F isn't any kind of fun. Hottest I remember is 118F. In the shade. 135 in the barn on a bright and sunny day.
Various random websites average out (ha!) with the average of 38°F to 94°F.
Yeah. About that "rarely". Anyway, whatever the Austin weather said when the TV reported temps from Camp Mabry, I'm usually 5F cooler. Now they use Bergstrom which is oh, not very useful… the terrain is different when you get half way to Creedmore.
Surely you jest. They don’t work when they are being monitored. Without monitoring most, correction, all, of them are doing something else. Even when classes were in full session and some lessons were on Google Classroom, the copying and cheating were rampant. It was not unusual to have 18 students with identical answers down to punctuation. Questions that require a choice were simply looked up on Google and the answer filled in the space. I asked the students if they were learning anything or why that was the answer. The response was always they don’t know and don’t care.
The virtual sessions since Covid started are making an entire year of students who have learned nothing. Except perhaps how to be lazy, cheat, copy and otherwise mooch off others. No critical thinking skills or ambition.
I have an a/c question. Anyone using a mini-split? What brand?
I see Mitsubishi units around. Just a little box outside and a box on the wall inside. Sort of like central air with no ducts.
Climate? The coldest I’ve seen here is 12F. Just once since 1983. But 20F isn’t any kind of fun. Hottest I remember is 118F. In the shade. 135 in the barn on a bright and sunny day.
What, I would expect your area to be at least 0 F in 1989. Christmas Eve of 1989 was 6 F right here in Sugar Land, TX, 40 miles inland from the coast. With a 30 mph wind straight off the north pole. We drove down to my parents house in Port Lavaca, TX on Christmas Day, 8 F. My brother and I walked across their swimming pool which was frozen solid. Then we walked out Lavaca Bay about a quarter mile which was frozen solid. We suddenly realized that we were in 10 ft of water and if the ice broke beneath us, we might not make it back, so we hightailed it back to shore.
Dallas, TX was -4 F (yes, minus 4 F) on Christmas Eve 1989 and barely hanging on. I called my former boss at TXU and they were turning 330,000 barrels/day of fuel oil and diesel into electricity. That is 14 million gallons/day of fuel oil and diesel. Most of the natural gas in Texas wellheads was frozen up due to hydrates (water in the natural gas).
I have seen 113 F here on Labor Day 1999 in Sugar Land, TX. Texas was rotating brownouts with outages running up to two hours long. I have seen 115 F in Dallas in August 1984 during the Republican National Convention in Dallas when I worked for TXU. We were under standing orders to “don’t touch anything !” so we just sat around all week and played 42.
@Paul
With out breaking it out to all the sub-charges, last month I used 501kWh and my bill was $120.33. That is $0.24/kWh.
From my point of view you are getting some economy electrons. Mine are probably the the fancy kind.
Can’t quickly locate my file on the Heat Pump. Not sure if it was Goodman or Goodwin. Will do some more digging thigs evening.
added- and there is no teacher support today. The 8th graders are taking the PSAT, and since the PSAT doesn’t offer anything but in person proctoring, all the eighth graders are in school today. In order to keep distances legal, ALL the rest of the students have an ‘asynchronous’ learning day at home. That means they’re working on their own- no teachers, no zoom.
PSAT/NMSQT? Oh, yeah. Serious money is involved with the PSAT since it is tied to college scholarships, and the incentive for cheating there is even higher than the normal SAT. I believe NHS membership is also determined in part by the test score.
I’ll refrain from discussing the demographic most inclined to cheat, but the school systems have to stop pretending once in a while. That same demographic around here has the entrance exams to the gifted programs circulating among the parents, but security isn’t as tight about admission to those — a really determined parent could push their child’s way into the programs just by annoying the counselors and administration enough.
8th Grade. Wow. I took it in … 10th?
OK, I have just been scammed on Amazon. I should know better ! I ordered “WOLF BRAND Lean Beef Chili Without Beans, 15 oz. (Pack of 12)” for $31.98. A fair price for 12 can of the Lean Beef Chili.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B04048I/?tag=ttgnet-20
I got Wolf Brand Chili no beans in a Sams Club box. Scam ! This is not the Lean Beef Chili.
They have offered $7 partial return discount or some convoluted return process. I am going to try the full return as I could care less about the regular Chili.
What, I would expect your area to be at least 0 F in 1989. Christmas Eve of 1989 was 6 F right here in Sugar Land, TX, 40 miles inland from the coast
We had rolling blackouts in Florida that day, all day. Florida is mostly electric heat on the Peninsula south of Gainesville, and it is every Floridian’s God-given right to wear shorts at Christmas, even in 40 degree highs.
I worked for the Egghead Ponzi Software racket at Christmas that year, and things were so bad that we gave up on the registers, pulled out the click-click credit card machine, and rung sales the old fashioned way, not bothering with the lookup book if the sales were below $100.
“Surprising science – There’s no such thing as clean energy”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/10/07/surprising-science-theres-no-such-thing-as-clean-energy/
“A meticulous new review published in the scientific journal, Energies, conducted by a team of Irish and US-based researchers including CERES researchers, raises surprising and unsettling questions about the feasibility and the environmental impacts of the transition to renewable energy sources. Concern for climate change has driven massive investment in new “green energy” policies intended to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental impacts from the fossil fuel industry. The world spent US$3,660 billion on climate change projects over the eight-year period 2011–2018. A total of 55% of this sum was spent on solar and wind energy, while only 5% was spent on adapting to the impacts of extreme weather events.”
“The researchers discovered that renewable energy sources sometimes contribute to problems they were designed to solve. For example, a series of international studies have found that both wind and solar farms are themselves causing local climate change. Wind farms increase the temperature of the soil beneath them, and this warming causes soil microbes to release more carbon dioxide. So, ironically, while wind energy might be partially reducing human “carbon emissions”, it is also increasing the “carbon emissions” from natural sources.”
Everybody wants something for nothing. And energy, our workhorse of the modern age, does have “polluting” costs to make it. All so we can have our cars, trucks, lights, heat, and air conditioning.
I love the full fat Wolf.
I got Wolf Brand Chili no beans in a Sams Club box. Scam ! This is not the Lean Beef Chili.
They have offered $7 partial return discount or some convoluted return process. I am going to try the full return as I could care less about the regular Chili.
The regular chili is the one canned meat product I have not seen move very fast at Sam’s since March. My kids will eat it from time to time on baked potatoes so we have a six pack in the stash.
On the last Sam’s club run on Sunday, all the pork cuts were gone again. I haven’t seen that since March/April. Beef was skimpy. Dry beans were back, but only in the 20 lb bags.
@Paul
With out breaking it out to all the sub-charges, last month I used 501kWh and my bill was $120.33. That is $0.24/kWh.
From my point of view you are getting some economy electrons. Mine are probably the the fancy kind.
YEEK ! We have been keeping the house at 71 F lately for the ill daughter who is constantly running a fever now. I wear a sweatshirt over my tshirt. My last electric bill with all taxes was $220.50 for 2,277 kwh. That is a cost of 9.7 cents/kwh (0.097 $/kwh) for electricity for my house in rural Fort Bend County, TX. Cheap natural gas and gas turbines !
Ha, ha. I upvoted to counter the troll.
Ha! Received yesterday, ChiliMan No Beans chili:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C58OHM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=ttgnet-20
More than a bit more expensive than Wolf brand at $38 for 12 cans, but marked down from $50 according to “Honey”.
The Hormel packing plant in Beloit, WI, right on the freeway, has a very large vertical propane tank painted out with their Chili label. Gas, fair warning!
“REPORT: Joe Biden under ACTIVE criminal investigation for his role in Russia gate and Ukraine”
https://therightscoop.com/report-joe-biden-under-active-criminal-investigation-for-his-role-in-russia-gate-and-ukraine/
“Paul Sperry, who the president loves to retweet, is reporting now that Joe Biden is under an active federal criminal investigation for his role in the 2016 phony Russia investigation that led to spying on his campaign. Also, his Ukraine misdeeds are under investigation as well:”
“BREAKING: Joe Biden is the subject of an active federal criminal investigation into his role in the counterintelligence investigation directed @ the Trump campaign during the 2016 election, incl the former vice president’s activities in Ukraine.Ukrainian witnesses are cooperating”
If true, this is big. I have been wondering how he got around the financial laws in Ukraine. Lets see, the last VP USA that went down was Spiro Agnew. But he resigned in office for his actions as governor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiro_Agnew
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
BTW, no meeting today. Cancelled suddenly at the appointed time.
It is a sad statement in the modern workplace that simple problems snowball into people on both sides acting like sociopaths.
Firing me isn’t enough for management. I giggle at the thought of Catbert losing his job when he probably has kids to feed.
I’ve seen a couple in equipment rooms. About the same as those units you see in motels that go through the wall but more flexible to install. Quieter too but usually cost more. Usually rated about 1 ton.
Technically the heat is on in the house but I don’t think it’s come on at all. Thermostat is 64F during the day and 60F at night.
A few mornings ago, before I turned the heat on and some windows were still cracked open before the cold front rolled in, the dining room was 57F at 06:30. My daughter was chilly while getting breakfast so I plugged in an electric heater for her to huddle over. It was chilly enough that I pulled a flannel shirt on over my t-shirt. Didn’t bother with socks or long pants.
My office gets up to 100F in the peak of summer, even with the insulated curtains drawn. (Large, west-facing windows and the room sits over the large, uninsulated garage.) (And it’s at the far reach of the HVAC system, with the air pipes passing over the ceiling of that same garage. Air coming out of the registers is cool but not cold.) I’ve repeatedly declined suggestions by my wife to put in a window AC unit. It’s uncomfortable but I deal with it.
Check out Range by David Epstein. Aside from the purpose suggested by the subtitle, he advocates for trying as many possible experiences. In an interview he strongly pushed for exposing yourself to, among other things, wide temperature ranges in order to maintain your body’s ability to deal with different circumstances. If you spend all of your time in a controlled environment, such that you can feel a one-degree temperature change, you’re damaging systems and handicapping yourself. I was inspired to look into medical research on the topic and it seems that he’s right. Think of it as never exposing yourself to germs: your immune system will be crippled and you’ll likely develop problems not obviously related to infection. (That’s my comparison, not his. If it’s wrong, don’t blame him.)
I have an a/c question. Anyone using a mini-split? What brand?
I see Mitsubishi units around. Just a little box outside and a box on the wall inside. Sort of like central air with no ducts.
The Battleship Alabama has a bunch of the units which have seen better days but still seem to work. Seeing the Mitsubishi logo on the deck of a WWII ship is kinda surreal.
I have a Mitsubishi mini split in my work garage, which is a big one car (roughly 16’x25’). It’s fully insulated. It was easy to install and does a great job cooling and heating. The only time it struggles is when it is really hot or cold and I have to open the garage door. I minimize that as much as possible.
Sorry, Paul, I should have simply asked how many kWh. Thanks for your detailed answer. 962 kWh is sufficient, except that the climate details are important, too. I was just curious.
That will teach me to underestimate the people on this site. I have asked friends, many of whom are engineers and scientists, how much electricity they use, and they almost never know. They will tell me their bills in dollars, but they might have different rates than are available to me, making that number useless. Same for natural gas, although I don’t have gas to our site.
Reminds me of some of the real but useless units I have used just to be snarky, such as furlongs per fortnight, millimeters per month, or culombs per sabbatical cycle. Some of those are less fun now that Google will convert almost anything to anything.
Someone mentioned ductless mini-splits (sounds like a bogus unit, doesn’t it?) These are popular in many parts of the world. They got their start in retrofitting buildings that never had heat or cooling. They come in many varieties, and as someone said, they are quiet and efficient. Some of the cutting edge development went into them, and I would use one if appropriate. Ductless is the key: if you already have adequate ducting, they are not the best solution. They are great for an addition, however. I would probably not use them in new construction, unless on a very small house.
“BREAKING: Joe Biden is the subject of an active federal criminal investigation into his role in the counterintelligence investigation directed @ the Trump campaign during the 2016 election, incl the former vice president’s activities in Ukraine.Ukrainian witnesses are cooperating”
After Trump’s sham-peachment on charges of Ukrainian impropriety, how sweet it would be were Biden to run afoul of actual wrong-doing in that part of the world!
Currently attending service at Our Lady Of The Dauber in Vegas. New rules: can’t sit next to ANYBODY, no food can be brought in, drinks won’t be garnished, masks. We would always get wings at the snack bar and a giant bucket of ‘corn from the theater. Casino income must be way down.
Poker tables have the “Cone Of Silence” over them so each player has a cubby and can unmask. Gotta read those tells. And, Holy Cow, the ciggie stink is worse than ever!
Poker tables have the “Cone Of Silence” over them so each player has a cubby and can unmask. Gotta read those tells. And, Holy Cow, the ciggie stink is worse than ever!
I saw the words Vegas and Holy Cow and got excited.
The Holy Cow Brewery was the coolest place we went in Vegas.
The Star Trek Experience was fun, but it had Klingons, not cows.
Leaving Cumberland Mountain State Park tomorrow. Have to be out by noon, will probably be gone by 10:00. Need to dump the tanks and that takes about 20 minutes for all three tanks and the flush of the black water tank.
Had excellent weather. Days were in the mid 70’s to the mid 80’s. Mid 40’s at night. Have not turned on the forced air (propane) furnace in the RV yet and probably will not. A simple electric heater warms the place up slowly. The forced air heater freaks out the dog for some reason. A/C comes on during the afternoon. A/C is ducted through the ceiling, furnace through floor vents.
The new shower head is a massive improvement over the old shower head. Probably the cheapest available installed by the manufacturer. Electric jack works, slowly, but the wife can operate and no more tedious cranking.
The park is quite full, a lot of people. Lot of kids for what I would think is a school season. Probably able to do virtual learning allowing the parents to more easily schedule vacations. Several groups with two or three trailers, family or friends.
TN has some really great state parks. Especially in the plateau region in the area between Knoxville and Nashville. Crossville and Cookeville area. About $30 a night for a site, water and electricity. Sewer at some sites for another $10.00 a night. If I was staying a week I would opt for a site with sewer.
We are under an Oak Tree at our site. Every so often an acorn will fall. The sound is startling, quite loud. Annoying in the middle of the night when the three of us almost jump out of bed (me, spouse and dog; get your minds right).
Anyway, a good camping trip. May have one more before I have to purge the water lines, fill with anti-freeze, drain the hot water heater, and otherwise prep the unit for winter. Leave a roof vent slightly open and set up an electric heater set to come on a 45f. Keeps the moisture down.
Wife and I will then start installing some slide out drawers in the area under the bed and the seats at the dining table. Stuff can be stored there now but it is necessary to raise the bed or the seats. Easier if we can install drawers in that area so they can be pulled out. I also need to work on getting the sound from the TV through the ceiling speakers. I gave it a half hearted attempted but got no sound. I only have optical out of the TV and analog into the receiver that runs the speakers. Something is not working right and will take some time to investigate.
There is a LOT of discussion of mini-splits over at garagejournal.com in the forums. I used to hang out there a lot and the conversations were always very good.
If you have A/C in china it’s probably a mini-split. The builders don’t put anything in residential towers. Every unit has a mini hanging outside the window.
n
Dilbert: Everyone But Ted
https://dilbert.com/strip/2020-10-07
Oh yeah, all software projects have a Ted or two on them. All of their code submittals have to be checked by the senior staff. And usually rejected.
OK, one day I am sitting in my office working on some code. I hear the office door of the senior programmer in the office next to me close. I suddenly realize that her entire team is in there, all eight of them. She and I have 10 ft x 15 ft offices so she can stuff them in.
I can hear their voices through the wall because they are already elevated. Apparently the “Ted” on her team had checked in a C header file which was incompatible with everyone else’s header file. And this is not just any header file but the main header file at the top of every source code file. “Ted” could not check in his more than a year old version of his file routinely because it was so out of date. So, he logged in as our source code manager (how did he get the password ?) and forced his way out of date main header file into the repository.
The next morning every one did a code update and got his new main header file. Immediately every compile started failing. The main system build had failed overnight. Ted’s new main header file of less than 100 statements had replaced a main header file of over 1,000 statements. The senior programmer first went after the source code manager who proclaimed innocence even though the new main header file used his login. So she then got all her team in her office and tried to figure out what had happened. “Ted” shortly confessed and for 30 minutes I thought that they were going to kill him and throw his body out the window (we were on the 5th floor). “Ted” survived but after that point nobody trusted him very much.
@ray, there is a little box that will turn the optical into rca analog jacks, geffen makes a good one but there are cheaper. I use them all the time. They do fail sometimes, and you have to remember that they are in the line, or you’ll think the failure was elsewhere. Amazon has a good selection.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=optical+to+rca&crid=1U5ZE0OS1H88O&sprefix=optical+to+%2Caps%2C163&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_11&tag=ttgnet-20
Camping right now sounds like fun, it’s the perfect time of year.
n
There is a LOT of discussion of mini-splits over at garagejournal.com in the forums. I used to hang out there a lot and the conversations were always very good.
If you have A/C in china it’s probably a mini-split. The builders don’t put anything in residential towers. Every unit has a mini hanging outside the window.
Dad has two mini-splits in his garage that he converted into a sewing room for my mother. They park their cars in the breezeway between the house and the garage. Both mini-splits routinely trip their breakers and nobody knows why. They are about a ton each, 20+ SEER, and do not require much amps to run. The A/C guy blames the electrician and the electrician blames the a/c guy. They were installed about a decade ago.
Did I put this in yesterday’s comments? Or just forget to actually comment.
—this is how you get a civil war.
n
I have one installed but am not getting any audio out of the speakers. I need to check and see if I am getting any audio out of the converter to isolate the issue. It may be the optical out of the TV is not working, it may be the converter, it may be the receiver (combination DVD player, radio, Bluetooth, AM/FM, clock, amplifier; cheap RV crap but it does play DVD’s and Bluetooth works). May even be the USB port on the TV is not providing enough power even though the lights on the converter light. I have a small oscilloscope I can use to trace the analog, optical is a little more difficult.
Did I put this in yesterday’s comments? Or just forget to actually comment.
Nearly half of US voters believe the election will not be ‘fair or honest’ and 61% are worried the outcome could spark a civil war, surveys find
A YouGov survey of 1,999 registered voters found that 47% do not think the election will be ‘fair and honest’
51% said they did not think that Americans will ‘generally agree’ on the outcome
56% said they expect to see ‘an increase in violence as a result of the election’
Another survey found that 61% of 491 respondents fear the election could spawn a new ‘civil war’
Voters’ anxiety over the outcome of the election was shared equally by Democrats and Republicans
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8815833/Nearly-half-voters-believe-election-not-fair-honest.html
—this is how you get a civil war.
Nope, I do not remember this.
So, what would a civil war in the USA look like ? Just civil disobedience (refusal to pay federal taxes, congressional reps and senators refuse to go to DC, etc) ? Or would states declare against each other ?
I suspect that people will be shooting at rioters fairly soon. Shoot, I think that people will be shooting at protestors who are blocking roads, gas stations, etc fairly soon.
A State of Disobedience Kindle Edition
by Tom Kratman
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AP9CO4G/?tag=ttgnet-20
First, seize the mint.
n
We had an errand in Wasilla tonight so added a stop at the 16 acre I posted earlier.
Wow, it’s cool. We walked the acre or so on the bluff. There’s a sharp drop, cliff like, of 50 feet or so to the other 15 acres. A lot of living happened on that property. Several decrepit outbuildings, abandoned treads from large snow equipment, large parts from engines. Also a substantial fenced garden plot. Fence for garden was well kept. Raised beds need heavy weeding and walls reset. Retaining wall on garden plot will need serious attention soon. Could keep a horse, goats, chickens pretty easily.
Views for miles, and evidence of a robust wildlife population. Moose hunting in your own backyard.
I startled a ruffed grouse. Haven’t seen one fir ten years or so.
Clean up and carting away the decrepit outbuildings would be a serious cost. It’s a long damn drive. Over an hour with zero traffic. I think the drive and cliff are going to kill this idea.
Boy was it a beautiful property. The cliff separating the house from the other 15 acres was frustrating. It would take a lot of downing trees and earth moving to make a narrow road down for a small four wheeler. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine even a 100 year flood overcoming it to float away the house.
I think I disposed of the records for the Goodman-Goodwin heat pump after I sold the house 18 months ago. It replaced the original Goodman-Goodwin heat pump that my repairman recommended. (I think it was an easy install for him.)
I shouldn’t have let him convince me to get it as the original compressor had been replaced a couple of times, but I was distracted with my wife’s illness.
A State of Disobedience Kindle Edition
by Tom Kratman
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AP9CO4G/?tag=ttgnet-20
First, seize the mint.
n
Next, drop the interstate bridges on the borders.
Great book.
Kratman is hated in the sci-fi reading group. I love it !
Kratman is the anti-pc, anti-snowflake. Of course they hate him, Ringo too. He treats NAZIs well in his Posleen war novel. He pretty much destroys the idea of women in combat units. His characters get revenge even if they have to burn down half the world.
Yep, I’m a fan.
n
Robert V Sprowl, thanks for looking. Not an issue for me as I am a way off on this.
So many choices to start on, lots of opportunities to fail! I love troubleshooting [when it is finished after the fix].
A smartphone camera can “see” infrared if that’s what it’s putting out. Great way to test TV remotes.
@Jenny: That link to the plat doesn’t work for me. From what you say, it sounds like the previous owners didn’t even use the lower 15 acres?
Anyway, free advice, worth every penny you paid for it: Avoid a long commute. Commutes are just killers – stress and just plain lost time. I spent a couple of years commuting just over an hour each way, and – I could just write off the weekdays, because there just wasn’t enough time left in them (or energy in me) to do anything at all.
– – – – –
Biden under criminal investigation? If true, this should have been revealed months ago. Saying it now looks like a desperate election tactic, which is likely to increase his support, rather than decrease it.
@Brad
Try this link, then selecting “ interactive webmap” in the upper right quadrant. The site is hinky bubble gum and duct tape cobbled together GIS and may not work on all platforms. I’ve viewed it on an iPad and Win10 / Chrome.
https://myproperty.matsugov.us/mydetail.aspx?pID=74788
I assume they had some way to get down to the lower 15 acres. It looked like good hunting, and the edge of the property is defined by the Little Susitna. Good fishing. In winter they probably snow machined all over the property.
-added- Ahhh. A family member owns the lot next door. On that next door lot it appears there’s access to the lower section. We observed a dirt track to the next door lot when we were on site tonight – it wound away into the gloom. We thought there must be a relationship between the land owners, confirmed that when I found the obituary. The owner that passed away staked the land in the 1960’s as an agricultural homestead. Wow. That’s some neat history.
I agree regarding commute. For many reasons even beyond the obvious soul sucking stress bomb it would be.
The Navigation Center on the submarine was crazy climate controlled. 70 for days on end. We would put on jackets at 69 and roll sleeves up at 71. The rest of the sub was not so controlled.
The other weirdness was waking up in the middle of the night when they cleaned the filters. Turns out that lack of noise can wake some people, like me, from a deep sleep.
I can feel the difference between 74F and 76F here in the house. We leave the Tstat set all year round at (used to be 76) 75F and if my wife or kids touch it, I can tell.
The deep thrum of big diesels is very relaxing to me. When I lived on a tour bus, I would sleep deeply until the driver parked, and switched to a small gennie to run the ac. The change woke me. The only time I spent aboard ship, a cruise for work, our interior cabin was perfect for sleeping. The deep sounds of the ship put me out like a trank.
n