Fri. Dec. 18, 2020 – one week ’til Christmas.

By on December 18th, 2020 in decline and fall, ebay, personal, solar power, WuFlu

Cold and dry or maybe cold and damp.  But certainly cold.

Cold all day yesterday but above freezing by mid morning.

I spent the afternoon doing pickups that I was going to do today, so that I can go to my client’s house today instead.  And I would really like to drop off a couple of bins, and pickup some stuff, but that auction house has pickups for yesterday’s auction and they’ll be busy.

I’ll also try to get my expired ID exchanged for current for the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association today.   The training officer will be close to somewhere I will be driving by, and is willing to make the exchange.

It will be a busy couple of days today and tomorrow.

On my way home yesterday I stopped in the Goodwill Outlet.  In the weird items category, I grabbed two new sealed tubs of Cascade dishwashing pods.  These are the very same ones I buy normally.  At ~$3 each, that was a pretty good deal compared to $19 each in the store.  I grabbed a dozen DVDs for me, and a dozen name brand ladies’ purses for the auction with the money I saved.  I should make good money on the purses, they’ve been selling really well.

The batteries I picked up will add to my future solar bank.  I now have 4 or 5 identical 65AH batteries, 3 or 4 identical 55AH batteries, and a mix of others mostly car or truck batteries.  I’ve got a 100w panel, and 70 panels at 10w.  I’ve got a couple of big inverters.  Still need charge controllers though, as the one that I have is NFG.  Once I have all the pieces, I’ll start on cobbling some sort of system together.  Or maybe 2 or 3 systems right next to each other.  Future project though.

If CWII breaks out and the Monkey Wrench Gang goes to work, solar and supplemental energy will be really important.  And if not, it will be an interesting project that I can use to run the air conditioner in my garage.

Cisterns for water, local solar and batteries, these are current tech and part of everyday life in places like Cancun Mexico.  I think we might see them here too, and too soon.  So I’ll keep stacking the stuff to make that work.

Keep stacking the stuff you think you’ll need.

nick

 

73 Comments and discussion on "Fri. Dec. 18, 2020 – one week ’til Christmas."

  1. Ray Thompson says:

    I have so much wifi running in my neighborhood that 80 MHz channels just aren’t possible

    The only WiFi networks that any of my devices can see is two that I run. One is my network WiFi. Another is the network that Arlo uses for it’s camera. The third is some AT&T signal that I am guessing is from my neighbor as they have a dish antenna on the roof and the signal from them is weak. Thus crowding is not really an issue for my WiFi network. Speed tests on my wireless network using my iPhone can exceed 350 Mbits per second.

  2. Greg Norton says:

    Our future VP of the USA, “Radical on the Rise, A close look at Stacey Abrams and her pernicious agenda.”

    John Roberts would vote for her.

    The more important question is whether Mittens would vote for her.

    The Dems will need one Republican who will end up forever being a life imitates art Jar Jar Binks.

  3. Greg Norton says:

    Cisterns for water, local solar and batteries, these are current tech and part of everyday life in places like Cancun Mexico. I think we might see them here too, and too soon. So I’ll keep stacking the stuff to make that work.

    Developers recently built a townhouse condo complex near us with cisterns and solar powered external lighting, designed to appeal to Subcontinent tastes, but sales bombed so the buildings turned into rental units. I’ve been meaning to check if the place is Section 8.

    The cisterns, catching water from roof runoff, are massive, easily filling a third of the teeny backyards. I understand why Subcontinent passed since the whole complex screams “Servant Quarters”.

    I think the place is also zoned for the schools in the H1B neighborhood which sit half empty while the rest of the district deals with overcrowding.

  4. Ray Thompson says:

    The cisterns, catching water from roof runoff, are massive, easily filling a third of the teeny backyards.

    I believe in CA and many other states there are restrictions on what can be, and how it is, captured. My brother tried to install a catching system for what little rain he got in the high desert. The neighbors reported him and he was forced to remove the system or face significant fines. His may have been an issue with how he was collecting, the amount he could collect, or the storage. Some states it has to do with water right laws from the horse and buggy days. His issue may have been a local restriction.

    The water is not suitable for drinking unless significantly purified. Too many things picked up in the atmosphere, especially drainage from a roof where birds have crapped. The water should only be used for plant irrigation. Which was my brother’s plan.

    He has since left the state of CA because of stupidity and insanity from the government. Sold his house at a loss just to get out of CA. He moved to Idaho. Second brother is also planning to leave for Texas. Both have lived in the state of CA for 65+ years and eventually got tired of the antics of the liberal government.

  5. Greg Norton says:

    I believe in CA and many other states there are restrictions on what can be, and how it is, captured. My brother tried to install a catching system for what little rain he got in the high desert. The neighbors reported him and he was forced to remove the system or face significant fines. His may have been an issue with how he was collecting, the amount he could collect, or the storage. Some states it has to do with water right laws from the horse and buggy days. His issue may have been a local restriction.

    WA State lifted a restriction on rain barrels for home users during our time up there. The cisterns at the development near me go way beyond that, most likely intended for irrigation during the summer months. Since the complex turned rental, the landscaping installed is minimal, however.

  6. Greg Norton says:

    He has since left the state of CA because of stupidity and insanity from the government. Sold his house at a loss just to get out of CA. He moved to Idaho. Second brother is also planning to leave for Texas. Both have lived in the state of CA for 65+ years and eventually got tired of the antics of the liberal government.

    Texas is heading towards being CA lite. Our immediate area is definitely headed that way. Willimson County went Dem for Sheriff and will probably boot the Republican hypocrite “Judge” in 2022. Also, a Congressional seat is probably headed for Round Rock, where the precincts lean Dem.

  7. Nick Flandrey says:

    Someone asked if the Solarwind thing was as big a deal as hyped.

    If anything, they are probably downplaying it.

    If DoD had to take SIPRnet offline to deal with it, then they were inside the network. SIPRnet is the DoD’s classified network. It’s the day to day network for all the secret stuff we do. NIPRnet is the non-classified net, and there are networks classified higher, but they are supposed to be literally air-gapped.

    If the chinese/russians/aliens were inside SIPRnet they had an unknown amount of access to literally everything, depending on what credentials and privileges they were able to get.

    The sprawling attack, which targeted critical government infrastructure using a Trojan horse hidden in network management software from SolarWinds Corp, also compromised broad swathes of the private sector, including Microsoft and likely most of the Fortune 500, it emerged on Thursday. Officials say the attack went undetected for nearly nine months, allowing the hackers free range in the affected networks, including at the Pentagon, FBI, Treasury, State Department, nuclear security agencies and the top secret Los Alamos nuclear lab, and that the true scale of the stolen information may never be known. ‘There will be a price to pay for this,’ vowed Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (left) in a floor speech on Thursday. ‘This is nothing short of a virtual invasion by the Russians into critical accounts of the federal government.’

    –my feeling after Dick’s comments? Nothing will happen.

    n

  8. Nick Flandrey says:

    The cisterns they use around Cancun are black plastic tanks on the roofs of the homes or in the attics, or up on stilts like a water tower. They have city water, in theory, but it only runs sporatically and part of the day. So they leave it on to fill the cistern whenever it is running, and they use the stored water as needed and when needed. It’s not rainwater.

    I have storage tanks with clarified and treated rainwater (220 gallons) that I’ll run thru a hiking filter if needed. I’ve also got another 140 gallons of rainwater in barrels for irrigation, as needed to get thru dry spots. In a pinch it could be used for sanitation, or filtered. I’ve got 4 stainless barrels of treated tap water for drinking, 100L each. The number of aquatainers varies, but is usually 3 or 4 of treated tap water. I have another 4 or 5 ready to fill if needed. I’ve also got half a dozen of the big drinking water fountain bottles ready for collecting and storing water.

    In addition to all that, I’ve got two poly tanks on wheels, about 40gallons each iirc, that can be filled.

    None of that is exactly configured or deployed to be a cistern but I can get there pretty easily if needed.

    n

  9. Nick Flandrey says:

    Humorless wokescolds

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9063849/Tropicana-apologizes-ad-campaign-suggested-alcohol-answer-stressed-parents.html

    Tropicana has been forced to apologize following uproar over an ad campaign featuring Gabrielle Union, Jerry O’Connell and Molly Sims with a secret mimosa fridge in their homes.

    The campaign urged parents to #TakeAMimoment and pour themselves a drink as a mini break from their families.

    It was slammed by sobriety groups and activists who claimed the ad was tone deaf and dangerous by encouraging parents to drink in secret.

    Tropicana has since deleted the campaign and Union, O’Connell, and Sims have removed their posts.

    Once empowered, it will take a long time to stop.

    n

  10. Nick Flandrey says:

    At some point, “coincidence” needs sneer quotes. If this isn’t completely fabricated, I think we’re there.

    https://theferalirishman.blogspot.com/2020/12/remember-young-man-harrison-deal-who.html

    Remember the young man, Harrison Deal, who was dating GA governor Kemp’s daughter and was a staffer of Sen. Kelly Loeffler who killed in an auto “accident” later thought to be a car bombing?
    The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s agent who was investigating this case, James O’Sullivan, was found dead of an apparent “suicide” this past Monday.

    – ‘member back a while when I said I thought assassination was back on the table and we were headed back into the 70s?

    n

  11. ech says:

    I don’t think any of it has force of law in TX. Abbott said cities and counties can’t preempt state law.

    But mask mandates and the like are allowed on a countywide basis if the COVID activity passes certain thresholds. The big cities are, as far as I can tell, over the thresholds.

  12. ech says:

    Texas has a COVID vaccine dashboard that has the current status of the vaccine campaign. There seems to be lag of a day or two in the numbers being reported.

    The vaccines are now going to health care workers and those in nursing homes/assisted living centers. After that, it looks like a few essential workers (cops, firefighters, etc.) from the CDC list (but not all), then those with comorbidities, then anyone 65+, and then everyone else.

    There is a link there to the policy and procedure documents.

  13. Greg Norton says:

    Someone asked if the Solarwind thing was as big a deal as hyped.

    If anything, they are probably downplaying it.

    The big deal is why the software was installed in the first place. Friends who know it is in their organizations always say that the purchasing decision came from the C-suite or, in the case of the military, high ranking officers. Hookers and steaks marketing.

    Hopefully, the hype accomplishes two things:

    – Puts a spotlight on tech purchasing decisions that do not originate with the techs.

    – Blow a hole in the Austin myth that this place is the next Silicon Valley.

  14. Greg Norton says:

    “I don’t think any of it has force of law in TX. Abbott said cities and counties can’t preempt state law.”

    But mask mandates and the like are allowed on a countywide basis if the COVID activity passes certain thresholds. The big cities are, as far as I can tell, over the thresholds.

    Austin is talking about a curfew, but the Governor’s order prevents the city from closing bars or locking down again.

  15. Ray Thompson says:

    Why give nursing homes priority? The residents can be isolated. Most are there waiting to die. The vaccine will give them a few more months, maybe a couple more years. Give the vaccine to those who benefit most. Healthcare workers, first responders, those at higher risk, 65+, general population and nursing homes.

    1
    1
  16. Greg Norton says:

    Why give nursing homes priority? The residents can be isolated. Most are there waiting to die. The vaccine will give them a few more months, maybe a couple more years.

    Hourly staff knowingly show up at the facilities sick and the middle management tiers let it slide to avoid immediate labor relationship problems. I’ve seen multiple sources recently cite nursing home patients as 40% of the deaths.

    2
    1
  17. Nick Flandrey says:

    Because the care homes are a captive test group? Because 40-60% of the others are saying “my chances of being ok are good without an experimental vax so “no thanks”?

    Better to test on the old and sick than wipe out a generation of medical staff, if you were inclined to think that way, and weren’t entirely sure of the safety, no? Because it wasn’t tested on old people, but most of the ‘ruling class’ are themselves old and want to see it demonstrated as safe and effective on old people before getting it themselves?

    Because it looks bad to continue culling old folks while ignoring precautions yourself?

    Everything makes sense with the right POV.

    n

    4
    1
  18. MrAtoz says:

    Why give nursing homes priority?

    Because tools like Cuomo need a political canard. He doesn’t give a shit about the elderly, ala, Dr. Death Emanuel. “Not one will die” is a political mantra for these ass violins. I saw this all the time in the military with lip service from commanders “take care of the troops” just to get a ticket punch. The elite live on Elysium while us sheeple grub around in the dirt. I really need to get an iPhone 12 to renew my Apple ticket to Elysium.

    3
    1
  19. MrAtoz says:

    Cowards:

    Breaking: SCOTUS Punts 6-3 On Trump Effort To Exclude Illegals From Apportionment

    They had a chance to return citizenship as a fundamental strength to the FUSA. Now illegals remain equals to citizens. We should just immigrate en mass to Mexico and make it The Southern States of America.

    LET THE HEELING AND IMMIGRATING BEGIN!

  20. Ray Thompson says:

    Everything makes sense with the right POV.

    Test subjects, political points, I missed that entirely in any speeches I have heard. How could I have been so shortsighted.

    COVID test today, 12:30 scheduled. Not looking forward to the test.

  21. Nick Flandrey says:

    This is interesting not because of the data, but because of who is providing it and how it was collected.

    Another company with high-frequency data called Brivo, which has security and the employee-access system in more than 2,600 locations in Manhattan, said activity has fallen to the lowest levels since June.

    Similar building-access data from Kastle Systems shows occupancy rates in the city have declined from 16.4% to 14% since late October.

    –does building management (or the tenants) know that their access control vendor is collecting and SELLING data about them? ‘cuz no one would ever use occupancy data in a nefarious way…

    n

    https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/high-frequency-data-reveals-nyc-office-towers-are-empty

  22. Greg Norton says:

    Breonna Taylor: The True Story of a BLM Hero

    Just wait until BLM gets a pretty white coed martyr. Even if the girl is captured on video, multiple cameras, aiming a gun at the police, it won’t matter.

    That could be my daughter/granddaughter!

  23. Greg Norton says:

    –does building management (or the tenants) know that their access control vendor is collecting and SELLING data about them? ‘cuz no one would ever use occupancy data in a nefarious way…

    No one cares at the level that makes the purchasing decision. Hookers and steaks for everyone!

    The card readers are a pain in the a** to own outright and manage. The building manager at CGI who covered things like that at the Texas offices doubled his salary by going to work for … the card reader manufacturer in Austin!

  24. ech says:

    They had a chance to return citizenship as a fundamental strength to the FUSA. Now illegals remain equals to citizens.

    They had little chance to win in the court, because of the plain language of the Constitution. The provision is “counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.”

    3
    1
  25. Greg Norton says:

    “They had a chance to return citizenship as a fundamental strength to the FUSA. Now illegals remain equals to citizens. ”

    They had little chance to win in the court, because of the plain language of the Constitution. The provision is “counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.”

    Using illegals for apportionment works to the advantage of Florida and Texas. with New York and Illinois being the big losers.

    3
    1
  26. Nick Flandrey says:

    Given previous penumbras and extensions and ‘modernizations’ of language, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that illegal aliens are the ‘indians’ in the intent of the phrase. Especially when representation is so fundamental.

    n

    4
    2
  27. lynn says:

    From BH in the Fort Bend Journal:

    “Help me understand:”

    “Let me get this straight: You’ve eaten bologna your entire life, but you’ll refuse a vaccine because you don’t know what’s in it ?”

    10
  28. ~jim says:

    Given previous penumbras and extensions and ‘modernizations’ of language, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that illegal aliens are the ‘indians’ in the intent of the phrase. Especially when representation is so fundamental.

    Let’s call them Ferengi, used in Hindi to mean foreigner. 🙂

  29. lynn says:

    “Trump is so evil that has Jews and Muslim celebrating Hanukah together…in Israel”
    https://gunfreezone.net/trump-is-so-evil-that-has-jews-and-muslim-celebrating-hanukah-together-in-israel/

    “A delegation from both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain took part Monday evening in the central menorah lighting at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, in a ceremony described by the site’s chief rabbi as a “Hanukkah miracle.””

    And the Biden administration is pledging to restart all of the negotiations with the Palestinians, people who cannot be negotiated with as their goal is genocide of Israel.

    An awesome comment from SiGraybeard:

    “They’ve called Trump antisemitic so many times I can’t even recall.”

    “Worst anti-semite ever.”

  30. ~jim says:

    Hmmm, guess I can’t post another link until the first one expires?

    It’s beginning to look alot like Seattle

    Edit — Ah, a link with no text is blocked. That makes sense.

  31. Ray Thompson says:

    COVID test is done. Self administered. Went through the drive through at CVS pharmacy. Had an appointment for 12:20, got there at 12:00, nope, wait and try again. Wife’s appointment was at 12:20, mine was at 12:30 so we both did the test at the same time.

    Open a package, remove vial, remove swab, open swap, jam up the nose until it stops (uncomfortable), twist three times, repeat on other side, remove cap from vial, insert swab, break off stem, close vial, place in bag with paperwork, wipe back with alcohol wipe, insert in box outside. Took about 10 minutes for both of us including the wait in line with one vehicle in front of us. Results in three or four days. Must create a login for their website to get results. The will not call, nor text, results. Medicare is supposed to cover 100% of the cost.

    And in other news I bought some wild bird seed that is supposed to be hated by squirrels and loved by birds. Big chunk all glued together. There is some coating on everything. I made the mistake of handling the chunk, then rubbed my nose. I have sneezed about 20 times in the last 15 minutes. So apparently effective against squirrels, and humans.

  32. lynn says:

    Our future VP of the USA, “Radical on the Rise, A close look at Stacey Abrams and her pernicious agenda.”

    John Roberts would vote for her.

    The more important question is whether Mittens would vote for her.

    The Dems will need one Republican who will end up forever being a life imitates art Jar Jar Binks.

    Nah, don’t forget those two new dum-bro-crat Senators coming from Georgia in the new year. The ballots have already been printed and filled in for the counters to add to the mix in Fulton County. The counters have already received their new BMWs.

    We will never have another fair election in the USA. The dum-bro-crats have figured out how to fix elections now so that the “right” people win.

    9
    2
  33. SteveF says:

    I have sneezed about 20 times in the last 15 minutes.

    Dude! You’ve got the rona!

  34. Greg Norton says:

    “The Dems will need one Republican who will end up forever being a life imitates art Jar Jar Binks.”

    Nah, don’t forget those two new dum-bro-crat Senators coming from Georgia in the new year. The ballots have already been printed and filled in for the counters to add to the mix in Fulton County. The counters have already received their new BMWs.

    At least one Republican defection will be required to confirm a new VP even if both Dems win in GA.

    The VP chair will be empty the moment Biden is pushed out. Lack of a tie breaker means that the chair will remain empty and the Speaker of the House steps in if something happens to the new President.

    Kerry would be easy to get through the Senate with Republican support. If nothing else, “Teh-ray-sah” can write lots of campaign donation checks now that Warren Buffett and private equity bought out Heinz.

    BMW. Yeah, you see one of those with a Florida A&M license plate on the freeways, you give it a wide berth.

  35. lynn says:

    “The Dems will need one Republican who will end up forever being a life imitates art Jar Jar Binks.”

    Nah, don’t forget those two new dum-bro-crat Senators coming from Georgia in the new year. The ballots have already been printed and filled in for the counters to add to the mix in Fulton County. The counters have already received their new BMWs.

    At least one Republican defection will be required to confirm a new VP even if both Dems win in GA.

    The VP chair will be empty the moment Biden is pushed out. Lack of a tie breaker means that the chair will remain empty and the Speaker of the House steps in if something happens to the new President.

    Yup, you are correct. I did not do the math. And I am assuming that the senator from West Virginia, Joe Manchin, will vote for Stacey Abrams which is doubtful. I am sure that mittens will vote for the Tank though. And probably the senior senator from Maine, Susan Collins.
    https://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/live_results/2020/senate/

  36. lynn says:

    Hmmm, guess I can’t post another link until the first one expires?

    It’s beginning to look alot like Seattle
    https://youtu.be/7TLqfnwFd3o

    Edit — Ah, a link with no text is blocked. That makes sense.

    I always separate my links and text so I can directly see the link. Just my preference as I do not like hidden things.

  37. lynn says:

    Speaking of walkers, the wife bought the daughter a new offroad walker for walking in grass (when it is not muddy like now), “Drive Medical RTL10266 Nitro Euro Style Rollator Walker, Standard Height, Red”
    https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Medical-Nitro-Rollator-Walker/dp/B009SOC9PI/?tag=ttgnet-20

  38. lynn says:

    “That will be on January 21, 2021”
    https://gunfreezone.net/that-will-be-on-january-21-2021/

    “The Left has been in tears since Trump ordered the killing of the man who coordinated the delivery of advanced Iranian produced armor-piercing weapons to Iraqi insurgents to use against US troops.”

    “They mourned the “murder” of the “austere religious scholar.”

    “They know if they struck back now, the hell that would rain down upon them would be fission powered.”

    “If they wait until the day after Biden is sworn in, the Left will naval gaze and explain to the rest of us how we deserved it because Trump murdered a great Iranian leader and we should not respond and just take our lumps, and Biden will listen.”

    “Personally, I think Trump in his last week of being a lame-duck President, should do the US and the Sunni Muslim world a favor and have the weather over Iran on January 19th be mushroom cloudy with a 100% chance of W88s.”

    I am ok with this. My former USMC son was in the third humvee of a convoy in northern Iraq when the first humvee blew up, rising 20 feet into the air in front of their unbelieving eyes. He was the radioman for the convoy and on the air requesting medivac immediately. Other Marines were burning themselves trying to get the three Marines out of the burning vehicle. They got the gunner out, he lives at the San Antonio burn unit with two fingers on one hand and three fingers on the other hand. My son visits him occasionally.

  39. Greg Norton says:

    “Personally, I think Trump in his last week of being a lame-duck President, should do the US and the Sunni Muslim world a favor and have the weather over Iran on January 19th be mushroom cloudy with a 100% chance of W88s.”

    I still believe Trump did the Iranians a favor taking out the general whose remains were identified by the gaudy cocktail ring he favored. Only Americans are still upset about Soleimani.

    Iranians are Persians, not Arabs, and the population has no interest in living in the 8th century. Trump played it brilliantly. It is in our best interest to be patient as long as the Mullahs do not get a nuke.

    In his last week in office, Trump can let slip to the Iranians where the Vindman twins are golfing that week. “I did you a solid. You know it. I know it. Generals with cocktail rings. We have a few of those. Ever see ‘Animal House’? Neidermeyers. Got a lot of our kids hurt. Now do a solid for me …”

    4
    3
  40. Chad says:

    Dude! You’ve got the rona!

    I wonder if the pothead they used in those early 2000s Dell commercials is available? “Dude, you’re getting the ‘rona.” 🙂

  41. Chad says:

    COVID test is done. Self administered. Went through the drive through at CVS pharmacy. Had an appointment for 12:20, got there at 12:00, nope, wait and try again. Wife’s appointment was at 12:20, mine was at 12:30 so we both did the test at the same time.

    I did a “COVID-19 Rapid Antibody Test” yesterday. I was texted my results before I even got home. Negative. No antibodies in me. I figured I’d get it checked out since I’ve had a mild fever a few times in the last 9 months. Then again, I think the false negative rate is like 20%, so…

  42. Greg Norton says:

    I guess vaccine arbitrage was inevitable.

    https://news.yahoo.com/wealthy-patients-scramble-covid-19-130040305.html

    One upside of Medicaid For All is that concierge care will become illegal.

    1
    1
  43. Alan says:

    Went through the drive through at CVS pharmacy.

    Oh how I dread pulling up to the CVS drive-thru line to pick up an Rx (ET usually 2 minutes max) and having to wait while someone on the left end of the IQ scale tries to follow the steps that took Ray about five minutes to complete. Argh!

  44. lynn says:

    I guess vaccine arbitrage was inevitable.

    https://news.yahoo.com/wealthy-patients-scramble-covid-19-130040305.html

    Hey it shows that there is a demand for the vaccine after all.

  45. lynn says:

    One upside of Medicaid For All is that concierge care will become illegal.

    Nah, it will just go to the back alleys. You know, like abortions used to be.

  46. SteveF says:

    it shows that there is a demand for the vaccine after all.

    Assuming you believe there’s a word of truth in the linked article.

    I follow the principle, “Liar in one thing, liar in everything.”

  47. lynn says:

    Swan Eaters: Shut down until Jan 4, 2021
    https://www.gocomics.com/swan-eaters/2020/12/18

    I am not sure if I can stand the holiday break !

  48. ~jim says:

    having to wait while someone on the left end of the IQ scale…

    Just like race and gender, the scientific consensus tells us that IQ does not exist.

    Eppur si muove!

  49. lynn says:

    “Ford’s new F-150: America’s favorite pickup goes hybrid (in more ways than one)”
    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fords-f-150-americas-favorite-184722662.html

    Finally, a serious review of the new F-150 hybrid. $1,900 option for the F-150 with hybrid 3.5L V6 ecoboost dual turbo, 430 hp, 570 ftlbs, 24 mpg city, 24 mph highway, full size spare.

    Me like ! They will sell like hotcakes. I will wait a couple of years before I get one as I have already paid off my 2019 F-150 4×4. Maybe I will give mine to my son.

    The original review is at:
    https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-12-18/ford-f-150-review

    BTW, my 2019 F-150 4×4 with the 3.5L V6 twin turbo is getting 18 mpg city and 20 mpg highway (65 mph), 18 mpg highway (75+ mph).

  50. SteveF says:

    Regarding my “Shut up! You’re stupid!” comment yesterday, I used that and variations several times in a humorous short story earlier this year. One of the characters, a preteen girl, didn’t take kindly to being informed that she wasn’t as clever as she thought she was and that’s why her evil plans kept failing catastrophically. (Think: Wyle E Coyote.)

    A number of readers complimented me on nailing the preteen girl voice and attitude. I showed the story and comments to my daughter, who had just turned thirteen but had been a preteen when I wrote the story, and said, “Hmmm…”

  51. Greg Norton says:

    Me like ! They will sell like hotcakes. I will wait a couple of years before I get one as I have already paid off my 2019 F-150 4×4. Maybe I will give mine to my son.

    Once Biden is sworn in, the contingency plan for the pipeline will have to be dusted off and put into action as soon as the ink is dry on the EO reversing Trump’s reversal of 54 MPG CAFE penalties. God only knows what that will entail since they only have five years to meet the standard, but they aren’t jeopardizing sales this Christmas by making any announcements.

    The new Crown Vics were already sidelined after the election in 2018, and they were so close to production in Chicago that I have pictures of one shrouded, running around the streets near the Michigan Avenue bridge in March 2019.

  52. lynn says:

    “One upside of Medicaid For All is that concierge care will become illegal.”

    Nah, it will just go to the back alleys. You know, like abortions used to be.

    When my wife was in medical school in South Florida and Hillarycare emerged out of the hot tub sessions at Esalen, banning any form of payment except the government’s plan, a group of us used to joke about getting the Pacific Princess out of mothballs and running the Med Boat daily out of Port Everglades in international waters. Gavin McLeod would star in the commercials.

    You now, I am fairly sure that the government forbidding private payments to doctors is unconstitutional. But then I look at the rumors about John Roberts being beholden to the CIA and shake my head.
    https://nationalfile.com/resurfaced-justice-roberts-accused-of-being-hacked-by-cia-rumors-swirl-about-alleged-meltdown-over-texas-scotus-lawsuit/

  53. lynn says:

    “Ford’s new F-150: America’s favorite pickup goes hybrid (in more ways than one)”
    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fords-f-150-americas-favorite-184722662.html

    Finally, a serious review of the new F-150 hybrid. $1,900 option for the F-150 with hybrid 3.5L V6 ecoboost dual turbo, 430 hp, 570 ftlbs, 24 mpg city, 24 mph highway, full size spare.

    And of course, here is the Car and Driver review from Nov. How did I miss this ?
    https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a34716469/2021-ford-f-150-hybrid-by-the-numbers/

  54. Marcelo says:

    Water tanks in suburban Oz cities are encouraged and may even be mandated in some places.

    I have a 9000 litre water tank that collects rainwater from the house roof and the garage’s roof. It serves a few purposes. My land is quite slopey and council wanted me to build a pit to slow down the flow of the rain water before exiting my property. I convinced them that a water tank would do a better job for all of us. I can fill it up up to two thirds and the rest is a buffer just in case it collects too much water too fast…

    The tank services all three bathroom toilets, has an outlet in the laundry as an optional cold water source for the clothes washer and there are three garden taps.

    Since water is normally not aplenty around here all of the distribution has a water mains feed as fall-back. When the water level in the tank is very low and can’t be pumped out of it, the mains water is used to feed all of that.

    Works a treat and saves quite a few dollars given that water is not cheap.

  55. MrAtoz says:

    They had little chance to win in the court, because of the plain language of the Constitution. The provision is “counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.”

    That hasn’t stopped SCOTUS from sticking their noses in anchor babies, abortion (yeah health rights), Obuttwadcare, commerce clause, imminent domain, etc. One could argue the Constitution is silent on all of that, too.

    IMHO illegals are federal criminals and should get no consideration at all for anything. Put them in trebuchets and fire them back to their shirthole(-r) countries.

  56. ~jim says:

    Regarding my “Shut up! You’re stupid!” comment yesterday…

    I loved your argument blocker, “If race doesn’t exist, how can you call me racist?”

    Good for your daughter to say Hmm, and not dismiss it out of hand. The world needs more skeptics! 😉

    I have two more which ought to make a thinking man/woman/it think:

    1. Does your hunger give you a ‘right’ to my bread? Does your anemia give you a ‘right’ to my blood? If yes, how can that ‘right’ be enforced, and by whom?

    2. If small changes in initial conditions can perturbate large outcomes (Chaos Theory), is it possible to predict the climate even assuming a marginal understanding of a starting point?

  57. SteveF says:

    IMHO illegals are federal criminals and should get no consideration at all for anything.

    Illegal aliens are a non-uniformed invading army. They have no rights at all. They can be, and should be, executed summarily whenever they’re identified. Perhaps issue a citation for littering if the good citizen doesn’t clean up the mess afterward.

  58. Mark W says:

    The big deal is why the software was installed in the first place. Friends who know it is in their organizations always say that the purchasing decision came from the C-suite or, in the case of the military, high ranking officers. Hookers and steaks marketing.

    Every company I’ve worked for that had it had already bought it before I started, so no hookers and steak for me.

    Cisco resellers like to take their customers out for steaks. No hookers though.

    It’s actually a good product, but as I said before, it has strange limitations. The problem is that it’s a web app and it’s common to put it on a public site.

  59. lynn says:

    IMHO illegals are federal criminals and should get no consideration at all for anything.

    Illegal aliens are a non-uniformed invading army. They have no rights at all. They can be, and should be, executed summarily whenever they’re identified. Perhaps issue a citation for littering if the good citizen doesn’t clean up the mess afterward.

    You do realize that undocumented aliens are getting ready to flood across the border when Beijing Biden throws open the borders. I guess that no passports will be checked, that customs and immigration officials will just stand in place in the airports and border crossings, watching people walk by.

  60. Nick Flandrey says:

    Something will trigger the shooting war. That could be it.

    n

    Sleepy more later.

  61. lynn says:

    “Georgia Poll Workers Who Raised Election Concerns Terminated”
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/georgia-poll-workers-who-raised-election-concerns-terminated

    “Poll workers in Georgia who raised concerns about election irregularities were informed this week that their contracts are not being renewed, according to letters obtained by Epoch Media Group.”

    “Bridget Thorne and Susan Voyles say they witnessed abnormal actions taken during the election in Fulton County. They’ve spoken to news outlets and state legislators about what they saw.”

    Nothing to see here, just move along.

  62. lynn says:

    “21 Best Computer Science Fiction Books” by Dan Livingston
    https://best-sci-fi-books.com/21-best-computer-science-fiction-books/

    I have read ultra weird “The Ware Tetralogy”, “When Harlie Was One”, “I, Robot”, and the amazing “We Are Legion (We Are Bob)”.

    The list needs “Ready Player One”.
    https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448/?tag=ttgnet-20

  63. ~jim says:

    Something will trigger the shooting war.

    The end is Nearer! The end is Nearer!

  64. nick flandrey says:

    Before I forget, I needed to pick up my prescription at the grocery store, so I decided to do some shopping. I’m glad I did. They had bone- on ribeye roasts for $3.77/lb, marked down from $9. I bought 5 of the best looking 5 pounders. That is a lot of tasty meat for roughly the same price as hamburger ($3.39/lb at that store today). I was able to do that because I have space in my new freezer. Probably should have bought more of it, but since I didn’t, my wife alerted the moms club to go get the rest anyway.

    I also bought canned and boxed food to make up 12 Christmas dinners, sans meat. $175. Not much at all for a cart full of cans and boxes. 2 cans green beans, one can mushroom soup, one can crispy onions; one can each peaches, corn, peas. One box stuffing mix. One package cookie mix, one package biscuit mix. And because it’s Texas, one can borracho beans.

    I don’t know yet which food drive we’ll donate them to, but depending on timing and capability, I’m willing to add a turkey or ham to each box, come the day, and maybe some milk and butter too. Cold stuff makes the logistics a whole lot more difficult though. It was windfall money, and I’m feeling like we need to do something local during this ongoing disaster. In a hurricane we’d have donated whatever was asked for when we could. In this disaster all we’ve done so far is some toys for tots.

    If you have the means, consider doing something local this year. We’re going to need all the good karma we can get.

    n

  65. nick flandrey says:

    Guess I didn’t get to sleep early after all.

    n

  66. lynn says:

    If you have the means, consider doing something local this year. We’re going to need all the good karma we can get.

    The wife and I have been supporting Second Mile Mission Center in Fort Bend County for well over a decade now. In addition to our 2,700 member church who support it also. A Christian man that I deeply respect helped found it 20+ years ago, he has moved on to his reward.
    https://www.secondmile.org/

    Second Mile is feeding 600+ families a day right now. They take food and clothing. And cash. They occasionally bring in doctors and dentists to help those who desperately need it. It is grim out there for the lower class.

  67. mediumwave says:

    “21 Best Computer Science Fiction Books” by Dan Livingston
    https://best-sci-fi-books.com/21-best-computer-science-fiction-books/

    I’ve read “The Shockwave Rider”, “The Cyberiad”, “When Harlie Was One”, “I, Robot”, “We Are Legion (We Are Bob)”, “Cryptonomicon” (twice!), and gave the snooze-inducing “The Three-Body Problem” my best shot but gave up three-quarters of the way through.

  68. ~jim says:

    Richard Powers (Galatea 2.2) is an author not to be missed if you love English. I will say no more…

    Edit — Yes, I will. Stephenson can spin a sentence, but Powers can weave one.

  69. SteveF says:

    If you have the means, consider doing something local this year.

    I give cash to the Salvation Army and to a few veterans’ groups, but otherwise I don’t deal with charities or organizations, only people. Almost all charities, and not for profits in general, consume too much of the donation as overhead rather than spending it on the program area. Food drives are probably mostly immune to that, but the habit sticks.

    Fortunately, if that’s the word, I always know a number of people who are in hard times due to bad luck or external forces rather than because they can’t control their drinking. I’ll slip them a C-note or buy a cart of groceries or some tires so they can get their car back on the road. (And sometimes provide advice along with it: you can get four tires from a salvage yard for the price of one new tire, so if someone’s giving you a not-unlimited amount of help you can get all of your car legally inspectable again, not just a quarter of it.) And I’m always willing to feed kids, even if by doing so I’m just enabling the parents’ bad behavior.

Comments are closed.