Maybe raining and hot today, maybe just raining and humid, or maybe just sunny and hot. Weather liars. I can be one of them…
It was a bit cooler at the lake with the breeze coming across the water, but in the sun, and out of the wind? It was STEAMY.
We did learn some things on our trip. We want trees on the lot. The difference it makes is dramatic. Many of the lots we’ve looked at online are as bare as a golf course. The grass grows better, but that’s about the only plus. Trees and shade are very important for comfort…
There are a lot of really sketchy decks and porches on lake houses. Especially given that the building code for decks has been dramatically upgraded in the last decade, the decks I saw were terrifyingly under built. Not a lot of code enforcement at most lake communities, and a whole lot of DIY.
I know very little about marine architecture, but I can recognize deferred maintenance and weather damage. Everyone I’ve talked to confirms that anything having to do with boats costs a LOT, and docks are no exception. One of our friends told us at the very beginning of our search to get a property with a good dock. Having talked to a bunch of lake home owners, I now have a better idea of why. And I can say with relief, at least we’re not looking at salt water. Bulkheads- improving the water’s edge with steel or concrete panels to prevent erosion/wave damage, are apparently $2700 PER FOOT. Yep, you want a property with good bulkheads. The takeaway is there is a LOT of money ‘hidden’ in the infrastructure. You buy the house and especially the view, but you PAY (through the nose) for the stuff most people overlook.
————————————————————-
There are lots of people out in web land making very good arguments for getting away from the cities to avoid what seems to be inevitable at this point. Lot of other people are making very good arguments that for work or access to healthcare or other reasons they need to stay close. I’m inside the second ‘ring road’ of a ‘purple’ city. I feel a lot better about Houston than I would about Chicago or Philly, but I still would like to have somewhere to go if need be. The simple thing would be to just get some cheap property, or a small lot in a small town, and maybe put a trailer on it, but that wouldn’t pass the spouse test.
The end is always nigh, but it usually doesn’t actually come. That means that any out of town property will have to fill an ordinary need or want, not just be a BOL, or “only if things get really bad” retreat. That does complicate things, but life is complicated. Add in the crazy run up in prices for anything outside of cities and it’s even harder to balance needs vs wants vs making good choices.
Think about where you’d go if you couldn’t stay where you are. Think about family or friends, or owning your own property. Think about what would make you leave, when or if you’d come back, what you’d take, what you’d burn on the way out… Even if you don’t do it, thinking about it is helpful. A lot of prepping is asking ‘what if?’ and answering to the best of your ability. For most things, you need to go ahead and take the next step and actually DO some of the things you’ve identified, or you don’t get the benefit.
Some things are so expensive or difficult that doing the thought experiment is the closest most people will get, and the benefit STARTS with the thoughts. Mentally rehearsing can be very useful, and having a plan is always better than trying to think something through under stress and ‘in the moment’.
Ike said that “in preparing for battle, plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
Get to planning. Think about what might be coming and what that will mean for you personally. Do what you can. Stack it high.
nick
“Washing out of law school I can kinda-sorta understand. ”
–I had a neighbor in LA that was pretty nuts. He’d taken and failed the bar exam 5 times. He was still studying and intended to try again…
That could get expensive. Maybe he is one of the 200+ Navient tracks who owe more than $1 million on their student loans.
As I noted the other day, dental school was a big one, but I imagine law school in California could be up there.
Five times, though. That’s probably Daddy Cash. West Coast is another giveaway.
Off to see the surgeon this morning about the blown incision. He had me in a knee brace the kept the leg straight all weekend. Which I doffed while in the recliner and sleeping. Personally, I don’t see any real issues. Maybe a slightly larger scar. Big deal. Infection was a concern thus antibiotics prescribed but nothing happened. In the office Friday he said the split looked superficial which matched my non-medical opinion. I have had worse cuts in which I just wrapped shut and kept clean. Hopefully the Dr says everything is ok and continue as normal. The initial rupture was a significant amount of blood very quickly, then quickly stopped. Makes me think there was a puddle just under the skin.
Does California still require a law degree to take the Bar exam? I recall some years back that they were one of the few (if not only) states that allowed people to just read law and take the test for a license.
There was a time when many/most lawyers around the country just got a first job as a law clerk, and learned their trade that way, then got accepted to the Bar. Back when I worked in a law office, Legal Assistants still did that in all states – there weren’t any degree programs and “certification” was new and novel.
Leg brace is gone, good riddance. Knee looks like nothing happened when I busted the incision.
I have been cleared to drive which is much sooner than expected. I was originally told no driving for six weeks, it has only been 25 days since the surgery. I was told no ladders at all. I am also now scheduled for 12 weeks of therapy 3 times a week. That is going to suck. It will not be at-home but instead at the orthopeadic office. Which is what the doctor really wanted from the beginning.
Odd, I did not post that twice, but edited the comment.
Killed it for you Ray.
Left the note for when @rick gets up.
good news on the stitches and the therapy. Please learn from this! You are not whole yet! Twists my gut to hear about the setback.
n
88F and 77%RH with at least part sun this am. Kids are unhappy about being up but they need to start getting up earlier and going to bed for school nights. They’re coming soon.
I kinda got used to staying up late and sleeping late too. So I’m not feeling chipper myself.
n
Yeh, yeh, mother. You sound like my wife. Probably well deserved and lesson learned.
My goal is to be able to stand, with some periods of sitting, for an entire three hours of a football game, with multiple trips up and down the field, by August 20. I may not make the entire game but will try.
Stitches, rather staples, have been gone for a week. All that is left is steri-strips. A couple more were added on Friday when the seam busted.
I’ve got a good stock of steri-strips and butterfly closures.
I’ve also got skin glue.
You can buy surgical staplers, and removal kits on ebay and amazon.
You can buy suture kits on ebay. You can buy rubber pads to practice with there and amzn too. I had a dr teach me suture stitches twice and I’ve still forgotten. It’s more fungible than pretty much any other skill I’ve tried.
n
added- my daughter’s cut on her cheek has healed invisibly. Yea steri-strips. I’ve ‘stripped’ or glued or taped myself back together in a whole bunch of different places and ways too.
Since my son is soon acquiring an EV I’ve been doing some reading online and discovered one interesting fact I hadn’t known before – the $7,500 federal tax credit available (except for Tony-mobiles and some others) is a non-refundable tax credit, meaning if, when you file, your total tax due is less that $7,500 you lose that part of the tax credit that exceeds your taxes due. Supposedly Uncle Joe, in one of these trillion dollar plus bills wants it changed to a refundable credit.
List of tax credit eligibility:
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxevb.shtml
Since my son is soon acquiring an EV I’ve been doing some reading online and discovered one interesting fact I hadn’t known before – the $7,500 federal tax credit available (except for Tony-mobiles and some others) is a non-refundable tax credit, meaning if, when you file, your total tax due is less that $7,500 you lose that part of the tax credit that exceeds your taxes due. Supposedly Uncle Joe, in one of these trillion dollar plus bills wants it changed to a refundable credit.
Right now, EVs won’t sell without the tax credit subsidy since they are not competitive. Uncle Joe is attempting to change that.
Even with a subsidy, a Nissan Leaf at $20,000 isn’t even remotely close in terms of overall quality to a similarly priced Mazda3, Civic or Corolla. And we’re setting aside potential longevity without a repair equivalent to swapping out the battery, essentially the same as replacing the engine in an IC car.
There is a reason Honda opted not to build their own EVs and let GM take the hit for the development. “No, no. You build the Hot Skillz Karz. We will keep toiling away making Civics. Such is our lot in life. Woe is us.”
Ike said that “in preparing for battle, plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
Get to planning. Think about what might be coming and what that will mean for you personally. Do what you can. Stack it high.
I like that. And true, very true.
I’ve got two BOLs (bug out locations). One is four miles away from my house. Has its own water well and septic. But no power generation as we sadly found out during the freeze last February. I am thinking about putting in a 48 kw or 60 kw natural gas generator since the heat is electric (two 10 kw strip heat in the air conditioning).
The other BOL is my parents house in Port Lavaca. 110 miles away. During Hurricane Harvey, they lost power for two+ weeks. No flood water in the house though even though they are on the coast. They did have natural gas so Dad is considering a natural gas generator, like he has for the last 20+ years. The February freeze was their third time to lose power for almost a week or more. And they lost fresh water during the freeze and during Harvey also. And they are continuously under boil water notices since the town water supply is having severe fresh water issues. My son says that is the new normal so get used to it as the fresh water aquifers in Texas along the coast are having salt water incursions due to overpumpage.
And their 200 ft bulkhead along Lavaca Bay sucks. Very expensive to fix, I think your estimate of $2,700/ft is low, very low for salt water. Dad occasionally has some oyster shells thrown behind it where the waves come over the bulkhead during storms and washes out the land. Just getting down that 25+ ft tall steep hill without going into the water with a heavy load is a trick. No dump truck will do it.
I think the ABA has pretty much made it so that nationwide the only way to be allowed to sit for the Bar Exam is if you have a degree from an ABA-accredited Law School. They’ve turned it into a bit of a racket. It’s not like you can do anything about it as pretty much any authority you would appeal to about it are members of the Bar.
There’s a similar problem with getting a Private Detective’s license in most states. They’ve slowly steered the laws and licensing to make the career field only realistically available to retired cops. It allows retired detectives to continue playing detective, but in the private sector, while also drawing their policeman’s pension.
…the $7,500 federal tax credit available (except for Tony-mobiles and some others) is a non-refundable tax credit, meaning if, when you file, your total tax due is less that $7,500 you lose that part of the tax credit that exceeds your taxes due.
I wouldn’t have trouble with non-refundability, but I am nowhere close to buying an EV. I am surprised at the gov subsidies, which must add up to a massive national total; my tax dollars at work.
What struck me looking at that gov site is the sheer number of EVs. Also the brands: Bentley? Ferrari? Really?
Yesterday I watched a Car Wizard video where he bought a used Nissan Leaf from Euroasian Bob. I don’t think the price was mentioned, but he apparently will make it a project car. He said the range when new was probably something less than 100 miles, and now is considerably less. Not determined because it wasn’t fully charged when he picked it up. He had range anxiety just driving it about 25 miles. Here is the link for those interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaFAeTYjIgk&t=3s
Paul, you should watch this because it is a seldom seen tour of Euroasian Bob’s place. Note especially the Chevy PU, which starts at 8:00:
https://youtu.be/yaFAeTYjIgk?t=480
I don’t know what this PU sold for, but it is a good way to get a really nice used vehicle. They are out there; you just have to find them. I have been incredibly lucky finding two older vehicles over the years, and I didn’t pay the kind of premium you would if you used an agent like Bob. OTOH, with Bob you would get a hard to find vehicle of exceptional condition, ready to go. Might be worth it for you to watch Bob’s site, as it is within driving distance for those used to some long distances.
I had wanted to respond to your story of your PU, especially how much you have already put into it. I have bought some cars where I spent a lot of time (not much money) getting them up to snuff. I have learned that I would prefer to spend more on a better example. I have also learned is that nicer cars often don’t cost much more than some of the beaters. It takes patience and diligence.
Dave Long (Car Wizard) has owned over fifty cars over the years. He constantly looks for the next one, and has often said he doesn’t know how Bob finds such good examples. That is a great compliment, coming from someone who knows how to find good deals. In the video, Bob simply says he works hard at it, and I believe him. I also know that people who are dedicated cultivate connections that sometimes help a lot. It might be good to be known as that guy who wants an exceptional used car, and who is willing to pay a fair price. Has worked for me at least twice. It also helps to be patient.
Good luck finding your next car (PU or whatever.) Be choosey.
The simple thing would be to just get some cheap property, or a small lot in a small town, and maybe put a trailer on it, but that wouldn’t pass the spouse test.
“The Dirt-Cheap Survival Retreat: One Man’s Solution” by M.D. Creekmore
https://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Cheap-Survival-Retreat-Mans-Solution/dp/1983810592/?tag=ttgnet-20
Not very long but full of life experience. The real problem with trailers is the lack of good insulation for heating and cooling. And the fact that they seem to attract tornadoes. Most of the coastal counties in Texas do not allow new trailers.
BTW, I went to my HEB last night. As usual lately, they were all out of wet dog food. Why ? Are people stocking up on wet dog food ?
As usual lately, they were all out of wet dog food. Why ?
Maybe there are a lot of wet dogs? Doesn’t it rain a lot in your area? I think Nick writes about rain often. 😉
wrt wet dog food, china? Higher margins on other products? Supply issues with the cans?
“he doesn’t know how Bob finds such good examples. That is a great compliment, coming from someone who knows how to find good deals. In the video, Bob simply says he works hard at it, and I believe him. I also know that people who are dedicated cultivate connections that sometimes help a lot.”
–this is what works. When I was very active in a forum where people compared their scores doing thrifting and garage sales (mostly yard and garage sales), I’d often hear the lament that garage sales were nothing but baby clothes, and so they just drove by. LAZY. I pointed out that you have to do the work. You have to get out of the car and look in the boxes under the tables. I found really good stuff at sales other people drove right by. It only takes a second or two to jump out and look.
Same thing happens with thrifting. You have to go in the store and LOOK. All the time. Whenever you can. Walk thru and out if there isn’t anything, but you’ll never see the good deal if you aren’t in the store looking.
Ditto with auctions. Even though my spending is way down, I still mark and watch hundreds of items every week. That way I know generally what stuff is available and what it sells for. And then I’ll grab something for $5 that sells for $600 when I see it.
You have to be out there looking in order to see.
n
Yes, they do. One of the Kardashians was doing this. A handful allow it, they also require some kind of internship/supervision by a licensed attorney. In Texas, it used to be possible for a former member of the legislature to skip law school and sit for the exam.
AOC is playing the drama queen again. Discussing the capital riots and her first term in Congress. Painting herself as a victim of long past racial issues. Basically blaming her stupidity and ineffectiveness on everything, or everybody, other than the real point of failure, herself.
Should be able to make the round trip without recharging once you get your F-150 Lightning.
Those are PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) which qualify for a lesser tax credit.
At the top of the page you can filter the list just to show the EVs.
@lynn, moving toward the coast and into the hurricane zone doesn’t equal ‘safety’ to me, but there are different threats….. and it is somewhere to go that you’ll be welcome.
Small town Michigan with a good sized DoD presence would be ok for us, but getting there would potentially suck, as would Sarasota FL. All of FL is someplace I’d be looking to leave if things got really sporty, although you can make arguments for the easy access to the water if you are equipped to take advantage of that.
n
One problem with the Leaf, both Gen1 and Gen2 cars, is they are still using the CHAdeMO charging system, which while popular in Japan, is becoming ‘BetaMax’ in the US in favor of CCS. And an adapter between the two systems is not technically feasible. Why have one “standard” when you can have three.
Those are PHEVs…
Thanks. I just glanced. My driving patterns don’t fit any kind of EV, whether hybrid of pure. We take a trip to a relative’s every couple of months. It is only 170 miles, but that would be an issue for a pure EV. Also, our destination has very poor electric service, so would have to recharge somewhere else, not practical. We haul home major amounts of goods, often several hundred pounds. And so on…
When home, a pure EV could work, but I have older cars that work fine, and which cost very little to own.
Over the years, I have analyzed automobiles from many angles. Some are from pure cost, and some from passion. I also tend to keep a car for a long time, decades. An EV just doesn’t fit, yet. I might like one of the first Tesla sports cars, but their batteries are probably at or near EOL. They probably also command a hefty premium. There are just too many gasoline cars I haven’t tried yet. Sometimes I wish I could have a much more modest version of Jay Leno’s Garage, where I could pick a car and just enjoy it for a couple of days. I have done that with rental cars over the years, but very few of the newer cars interest me. There is no Rent a Wreck or other interesting rental company anywhere near me. I could enjoy some of their stock. Maybe.
In the mean time, I really NEED to get another motorcycle. I do. Really. They are simple, fun, and take up very little space and money. Bicycles, too.
Hmmm.
http://voxday.blogspot.com/2021/08/less-than-nothing.html
Well I had Moderna. Will we see those studies soon?
Or…are people eating wet dog food?
Hey Nick, why not Montana or Wyoming? You seem to like extreme weather, and those places certainly have it. What? Just the other direction. And white stuff!!
A cousin grew up in Maine. Met his father while he was still living there. Asked him how he liked winter. He said he went out a lot and cut wood. Said he “got used to it.” A few years later, they moved to near Palm Springs. Asked him how he liked summer. Said he had just finished building a fence. He said he “got used to it.” I admired his sincerity. Waay tougher than me. I couldn’t like working outdoors in either.
I don’t like being cold and have too many injuries that are exacerbated by cold. Being in the midwest in winter is one long agonizing pain fest.
n
Generator Supercenter is going to install the new house generator slab Tuesday Aug 10. They will install the generator Thursday Aug 12 starting around 930 am. Will need to cut the power for two hours around noon. And relight the water heater pilot lights. And run 190 foot of natural gas line. In August.
Just in time for hurricane season to really heat up.
BTW, I went to my HEB last night. As usual lately, they were all out of wet dog food. Why ? Are people stocking up on wet dog food ?
Or…are people eating wet dog food?
That is what I am wondering. Or storing wet dog food to eat for emergency ? There are several brands, all out of stock. We buy the HEB brand for our dog at 50 cents a pouch.
https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-texas-pets-top-sirloin-flavor-in-savory-juices-wet-dog-food-3-5-oz/2810029
“BTW, I went to my HEB last night. As usual lately, they were all out of wet dog food. Why ? Are people stocking up on wet dog food ?
Or…are people eating wet dog food?”
That is what I am wondering. Or storing wet dog food to eat for emergency ? There are several brands, all out of stock. We buy the HEB brand for our dog at 50 cents a pouch.
We have experienced problems buying Sheba for our cat at HEB. The entire shelf will be empty, not just particular flavors/textures.
I noticed Sheba advertised heavily during the NBA Finals sitting in a restaurant one night with the game running on the TVs in the dining room, but broadcast TV advertising supposedly doesn’t work anymore, hence the rise of Facebook/Google/Amazon.
The other BOL is my parents house in Port Lavaca. 110 miles away.
Should be able to make the round trip without recharging once you get your F-150 Lightning.
Not gonna happen. I do want the F-150 Hybrid with the 7.5 kw generation option though. No fancy Lariat for me though. Maybe I will get one when my truck hits 75K miles in 3 or 5 years. I figure by then all F-150 trucks will be total electric or hybrids.
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a34716469/2021-ford-f-150-hybrid-by-the-numbers/
“BTW, I went to my HEB last night. As usual lately, they were all out of wet dog food. Why ? Are people stocking up on wet dog food ?
Or…are people eating wet dog food?”
That is what I am wondering. Or storing wet dog food to eat for emergency ? There are several brands, all out of stock. We buy the HEB brand for our dog at 50 cents a pouch.
We have experienced problems buying Sheba for our cat at HEB. The entire shelf will be empty, not just particular flavors/textures.
I noticed Sheba advertised heavily during the NBA Finals sitting in a restaurant one night with the game running on the TVs in the dining room, but broadcast TV advertising supposedly doesn’t work anymore, hence the rise of Facebook/Google/Amazon.
Uh, I noticed that also. Somebody is definitely stocking up.
Honey, what is for supper ? Baby, you are getting wet beef dog food and I am getting the Friskies wet sardine supper. Yum !
Several of my friends are retired without pensions. Just their social security and savings. Scary, that is. They are very tight with money and count their change.
Spam is cheaper, doesn’t smell as bad, and is less likely to have blood vacuumed from the slaughterhouse floor mixed in….
n
Questionable Content: 4586 Don’t Fight the Feeling
https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4586
Yup, Moms.
“Papers please.”
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“Or we’ll F-YOU UP”
n
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/08/dystopian-nightmare-french-police-patrol-restaurants-checking-patrons-covid-passports-video/
–again with the ‘hate crimes’. If we’re gonna have a travesty like that, then by all means, apply it to the violent lefties too.
n
Keep stacking.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/tyson-foods-ceo-says-costs-rising-faster-it-can-hike-prices
n
Several of my friends are retired without pensions. Just their social security and savings. Scary, that is.
That is the future of most of my generation. And most don’t have savings.
We are the only couple in our social circle who bought our houses without any parental cashflow involved.
And before anyone cites my wife’s income, the medical license has never generated decent money until recently, *working for the Feds at the VA*. I bankrolled the houses and most of the savings, which is why I had to suck it up at the last job until they terminated.
I won’t accept yelling ever again, however, especially not from an HR fembot.
“Operation Hard Rock”
https://vimeo.com/359653317
“Animation inspired by ‘The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress’ by Robert A. Heinlein. Commissioned by the late Bruce R. ‘Spike’ MacPhee, this is a monument to his patronage of the Arts and a tribute to great Science Fiction.”
Yeah people cited the USSR example of what doctors “should” be paid and we’re danged close now, especially starting out.
HUGE loans. Residency at very low wages. Insurance at crazy high rates. Buying into a practice. 90-120 day receivables, and then at 10% of billed value. Service providers like billing, cleaning, IT, etc. All the normal costs of having a small business…
Took a couple of decades for my sibling’s spouse to start making money in any decent amounts, considering the amount of work it took.
n
Two women have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of theft, child endangerment, and hate crimes after stealing a “Make America Great Again” hat from a 7-year-old kid and assaulting his mother outside of the Democratic National Convention in Wilmington, Delaware, last year.
Olivia Winslow and Camryn Amy, both 21, accepted guilty pleas on Monday and are scheduled to be sentenced for their crimes in September, according to the Delaware News Journal.
Other charges such as assault, attempted assault, and conspiracy were dropped as part of the plea deal, according to the site. Prosecutors are said to have offered the plea bargain with “approval of the victims” and are unlikely to seek jail time for the offenders.
–again with the ‘hate crimes’. If we’re gonna have a travesty like that, then by all means, apply it to the violent lefties too.
n
They have been plea bargaining violent crimes for ever. The two guys who murdered my brother-in-law in 1982 by shooting him in the back with a .357, stealing his money and trying to steal his car, were plea bargained to 1.5 years by the Fort Bend County district attorney. One of the guys was caught at the scene by the cops trying to start his car, did not know about the depress the clutch trick for starting. The DA called it a drug deal gone bad. But, there was no drugs except a baggie of pot seeds under my BIL’s seat, he had smoked the doobies way before the incident.
Took a couple of decades for my sibling’s spouse to start making money in any decent amounts, considering the amount of work it took.
Anymore, we tell young’n’s considering a career in general medicine to go the nurse practitioner route unless they have family money.
The ARNPs in Washington State were bitter about my wife’s partnership since they couldn’t participate, but, net, that check meant $100 extra per month to our bottom line, a negative value for anyone living as a Fancy Lad (or Lass) in Portland. Plus the partnership was forced — sign the buy in paperwork at two years when offered or hit the road.
Part of the problem is the general racket medicine has become, but a big part is my wife actually wanting to help people and being extremely naive about personal motivations. Ironically, it is the wrong way to approach medicine.
“14 Israelis Have Caught COVID-19 Even After Booster Shot, Some Hospitalized”
https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/14-israelis-have-caught-covid-19-even-after-booster-shot-some-hospitalized
“The population of Israel has been looked upon of late as a global guinea pig of sorts given it was the first country out of the gate to implement a large-scale booster shot program for people 60 and up who’ve already been vaccinated with two rounds of the COVID-19 shot. This was announced only at the end of July, and the early data is beginning to trickle in.
Israel is considered to have among the world’s highest vaccination rates, with 5.3 million of its citizens having been inoculated with two doses, with weeks ago headlines declaring it had reached ‘herd immunity’ – only for the headlines to give way to reports of the alarming rapid rise of breakthrough cases.
And now it appears that even the much touted COVID booster shot could be failing to protect: “Internal Health Ministry data shows that 14 Israelis have been infected with COVID-19 a week after receiving a booster shot, Channel 12 news reports,” The Times of Israel writes Sunday.”
Well, that sucks. I wonder if the Pfizer third booster shot is anything different from the first two shots ?
So how does this correlate to the current numbers where the percentages of Covid hospitalizations and Covid deaths of people that are unvaccinated are in the high 90s?
There is something else going on with the shots and these infections. The whole thing has been sketchy from the start, and now with these infections (that are bad enough to require hospitalization) it’s even sketchier.
Some stuff I’m not competent to have an opinion on is starting to bubble up in various places involving spike proteins ‘collecting’ in various places, and something called ADE
https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-safety/antibody-dependent-enhancement-and-vaccines
n
“Tesla Cybertruck Production Delayed to 2022”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-production-delayed-to-2022
“No reason has been given for the delay or a firm date for when production will begin.”
My guess is lack of batteries. Plus opening the plant in Austin is complicated.
My guess is lack of batteries. Plus opening the plant in Austin is complicated.
Fremont NUMMI was essentially a Toyota factory with transportation infrastructure and a highly-trained local workforce ready to go.
Austin has zero history with heavy industry, and Del Valle lacks Fremont’s workforce and infrastructure.
I’m still surprised Tesla didn’t buy GM Arlington. It isn’t like GM is doing anything productive there.
100F in the sun. Got the back yard mowed. Didn’t break a sweat it was so quick. Still plenty hot though.
n
Yeah, it’s hot. 95 here in N Alabama and the humidity level is, well, soup.
I stopped at Walmart on the way home. Weird shortages continue. One bag of Splenda on the shelf, no sugar at all. Flour stock was very low. No juice boxes to be found- completely wiped out. Bottled water was also in low supply, as was coffee creamer. Worst of all, the big jars of sliced jalapeños have been non existent for months. I guess this is the new normal. When you see something you need, get 3 or 4 so you have a buffer.
100F in the sun.
We hit 101 F here in the shade briefly. Very briefly.
My guess is lack of batteries. Plus opening the plant in Austin is complicated.
Fremont NUMMI was essentially a Toyota factory with transportation infrastructure and a highly-trained local workforce ready to go.
Austin has zero history with heavy industry, and Del Valle lacks Fremont’s workforce and infrastructure.
I’m still surprised Tesla didn’t buy GM Arlington. It isn’t like GM is doing anything productive there.
Two reasons. One, Tesla does not want to have anything to do with the UAW workers that worked at GM Arlington. Two, The Real Life Tony Stark ™ wants to live and work in Austin with the cool kids.
I stopped at Walmart on the way home. Weird shortages continue. One bag of Splenda on the shelf, no sugar at all. Flour stock was very low. No juice boxes to be found- completely wiped out. Bottled water was also in low supply, as was coffee creamer. Worst of all, the big jars of sliced jalapeños have been non existent for months. I guess this is the new normal. When you see something you need, get 3 or 4 so you have a buffer.
From what I can tell, the shortages are going to get worse. Lots of people in line management (baby boomers !) are retiring right now. Those front line supervisors keep the lines moving and the boxes of stuff going out to the shipping docks. And there is a shortage of truck drivers at the moment (see previous note about baby boomers retiring). Jobs from 55 to 65 are all about health insurance. People hitting 65 years file for Medicare three months before they turn 65 and start marking a calendar for when they can tell the boss to shove it. Lots of my friends are retiring or have retired. Several of them retired the minute they were eligible for early social security.
Of course, they probably don’t understand that Medicare does not cover doctor visits and drugs without extra cost insurance because their current insurance covers everything. The conversion to Medicare is eye opening.
I’ve been shopping the past couple of days, at Aldi’s, at Brookshires, and at a small-town independent. Gatorade Zero was nearly completely sold out at both the ones that usually stock it (Aldi’s doesn’t) – I got the last one left at one store: one 8 pack of the 20 ounce bottles, and nearly all of the last left at the other store – 8 of the big bottles. I left 2 on the shelf. Gatorade in general has been in short supply for a while. The little independent told me a couple weeks ago that the pallet of regular they had on the floor was the first Gatorade delivery they had had in 2 months.
The Viva kind of cloth-like paper towels we like are unobtainium. I bought Scott to try, in a pack of 20. Viva has out another kind which I bought last week and they are terrible, just disintegrate – I was glad I only bought an 8 pack. We still have a few packs of Bounty and others on hand, but I’d finally run out of Viva …. this month is my first paper towel purchase since COVID started.
Nitrile or other disposable gloves have skyrocketed in price. At Harbor Freight yesterday, they were over $17 per box of 100. No vinyl gloves available. Three weeks ago they only had vinyl at $11something but none of the nitrile, completely bare shelves. Size small has also disappeared, in all gloves, medium is as small as they had. I’d had enough on hand that these are the first I’ve bought since late 2019, as I’m down to 3 boxes. I bought three more boxes, but am going to see if anyone local has food service gloves, which are fine for protection against hot peppers and such.
Two reasons. One, Tesla does not want to have anything to do with the UAW workers that worked at GM Arlington. Two, The Real Life Tony Stark ™ wants to live and work in Austin with the cool kids.
Tesla kicked the union out of Fremont NUMMI to the point that the company bought the union hall.
Of course, they probably don’t understand that Medicare does not cover doctor visits and drugs without extra cost insurance because their current insurance covers everything. The conversion to Medicare is eye opening.
The “boss” uncle Chinese relation — I’m not kidding that his family title is “Big Acoo” (sp?) — sold off his WA State employee union healthcare retirement benefits when we moved to the Northwest ten years ago. Six figures worth of money that he handed to his kids.
Now that his wife needs a kidney, he’s learning the hard way what life on Medicare without supplement means.
And why the state gave him six figures to get off their healthcare plan.
I’ve always believed that “Big Acoo” planned to guilt my wife into providing care on the cheap … well, free .. when the time came, but it isn’t like we keep kidneys of the right blood type at the house with an operating room and staff ready to go.
Indeed. My surgery thus far, paid at Medicare rates, is over $15K. With Medicare paying 80% I would be stuck with $3,000 dollars out of pocket. My premiums for the year about $1.5K. Seems worth it.
@ ITGuy1998
Get yourself one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Famous-Daves-Signature-Spicy-Pickle/dp/B00UIY8JK6/ref=pd_sbs_2/138-2093295-0774661?tag=ttgnet-20
(preferably from a local store) or the Devil’s Spit version.
Eat ’em. Won’t take long.
Then visit your local farmer’s market. Get a 3-4 pints of jalapenos, take ’em home, slice ’em up, and dump the works in the pickle jar. Put it in the fridge.
I leave a fork in the jar.
@pecancorner, I’ve been buying small gloves because my surplus auctions are full of them. $2/box is normal for the non-latex latex ones. I haven’t seen heavy nitrile in a while. I bought all I wanted to have on hand for the kids.
I bought a bunch of small leather gloves too. I’ve been buying all kinds of gloves because they’ve been both cheap and plentiful. There are all kinds of things we won’t want to touch if SHTF. (Got your ‘corpse handling gloves’?)
Lots like this one–
https://www.directbids.com/medical-equipment-auctions/1-pallet-of-overalls-and-gloves-iy99r8iy
and
https://www.directbids.com/medical-equipment-auctions/1-pallet-of-3-ply-masks-2ye9wt1j
and
https://www.directbids.com/medical-equipment-auctions/1-pallet-of-gowns-and-gloves-nyw0d9sj
are starting to show back up.
Even good masks are back.
https://www.directbids.com/medical-equipment-auctions/1-pallet-of-3m-n95-masks-9z182rvy
n
@pecancorner
I’ve used these for several years:
https://www.rshughes.com/p/TGC-Chloronite-Chemical-Gloves-2XL-Bag-Of-24-440615/348098_00144/
The Glove Company has them in all sizes in single and multiple packs. Dexterity is similar to 8mil nitrile They will last indefinitely if not exposed to chlorinated solvents. Even then, they will last a long time if the exposure is intermittent and you wash them off with acetone. If you get them too small they will wear you out by working your hands like a finger strength trainer in reverse.
@Nick
The photo for
https://www.directbids.com/medical-equipment-auctions/1-pallet-of-3m-n95-masks-9z182rvy
isn’t a full pallet, which is immediately obvious.
What is not obvious is the packaging looks a bit dicey. I’d check the counterfeit tracking websites to update my notes before bidding.
Yeah, there is a lot of other stuff on that pallet. IDK if they skimped on packaging during the massive demand times. I’m probably not a bidder, as I still have masks from before wuflu, but then again….
n
and I wouldn’t mind getting a few boxes of gloves with the masks.
United airlines is going to require vax to continue employment…
https://news.united.com/pub/cc?_ri_=X0Gzc2X%3DAQpglLjHJlTQGg9zafSDblS5sI4vOwyMfKcCsmgD1E8UW8uAkzflDzdszbMmu7McC4uoVXtpKX%3DWBRWRYCT&_ei_=EitIYE-oo1XQ9Vur5zwtHFu7zl7xBZwZP1nun77md54CSsvGbbV3RJHVyExYJDdMUABxD2e5kIChE-MrPB5eJJXg601ylsPn3TtsGlKVjS_Alu_HrRRdZ_TZaOiBFo4fZ8suyLA0LDzJalfPbSr8JlTx-R9IO3tnSNV9Uok.&_di_=2ul1138nlagmjnk3t6qaetug6h66bfjakspjvcrvgfk3i4cr8e60
n
Update on my friend in hospital:
He’s off the ventilator and they have him up and walking.
@Nick
The thing that seems to be missing in the whole vaccination requirement thing is the natural immunity conferred by having had the virus.
I saw a report last week that one study found that getting the vaccine after having the virus reduced resistance to infection.
Yeah and the whole ‘can’t be required to take a vax under EUA’ regs.
n
Yeah and the whole ‘can’t be required to take a vax under EUA’ regs.
Pfizer will see FDA approval before the end of the year regardless of the science.
United airlines is going to require vax to continue employment…
Our rationale for requiring the vaccine is simple. Our greatest responsibility to our employees is to ensure their safety when they’re at work at our airports and on our aircraft. And the facts say that we’re all safer when we’re all vaccinated.
https://news.united.com/pub/cc?_ri_=X0Gzc2X%3DAQpglLjHJlTQGg9zafSDblS5sI4vOwyMfKcCsmgD1E8UW8uAkzflDzdszbMmu7McC4uoVXtpKX%3DWBRWRYCT&_ei_=EitIYE-oo1XQ9Vur5zwtHFu7zl7xBZwZP1nun77md54CSsvGbbV3RJHVyExYJDdMUABxD2e5kIChE-MrPB5eJJXg601ylsPn3TtsGlKVjS_Alu_HrRRdZ_TZaOiBFo4fZ8suyLA0LDzJalfPbSr8JlTx-R9IO3tnSNV9Uok.&_di_=2ul1138nlagmjnk3t6qaetug6h66bfjakspjvcrvgfk3i4cr8e60
n
I figure that when Pfizer gets their full approval then just about every employer in the USA will require the jabs. If nothing else, their insurance (liability and health) will probably force the issue. Do you know how much a three month stay in the ICU costs ?
@Nick
Taking a closer look at the blow-up of the second photo, it appears that the two bottom layers are 3M boxes with bar-coded b&w 3M adhesive labels. If the package on top is representative they are peg cards of Cool Flow masks.
Can you physically inspect or request additional photos? Check the labels for sequence numbers and the package for an expiration date. If legit, definitely worth bidding on. Exhalation valves don’t meet requirements for general medical, but will protect the wearer and be cooler.
I have been reading this guy
https://healthy-skeptic.com/commentary/
off and on since I found him in a link here a few days ago. Interesting guy who seems to be a very prolific writer. A bit controversial, but I can’t find anything I would call seriously wrong. I was a bit burned out trying to read various studies, and Kevin is refreshing. Good commentary, backed up with some data.
Anyone here have any impressions?
@Greg Norton
“Pfizer will see FDA approval before the end of the year regardless of the science.”
Unless someone with the funds puts a stick in the spokes with the right lawsuit. There’s overwhelming evidence that ivermectin is an effective treatment, and my understanding is that that would obviate the EUA and throw the train off the fast track if the law were followed.
@ech may have better info.
@JimB
I posted the link, having got there via Scott Johnson’s reporting on Powerlineblog. I have a huge respect for SJ, so take his recommendation seriously.
@drwilliams, thanks. I was too lazy to trace it back. I probably should see what SJ has written. Meanwhile, KR is interesting.
Now the gangbangers in Chicago are shooting the cops. This will not go well. “Chicago cops turn their backs to Mayor Lightfoot at hospital after two officers shot”
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chicago-cops-turn-backs-mayor-lightfoot-hospital-officers-shot
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
“Offspring drops drummer Pete Parada for not getting vaccinated”
https://www.cnet.com/news/offspring-drops-drummer-pete-parada-for-not-getting-vaccinated/
“The drummer says he won’t be touring with The Offspring for the band’s upcoming shows.”
It getting real out there.
And my tinnitus is still screaming from listening to “Gone Away” and “Self Esteem” at level 15 in my truck yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40V9_1PMUGM
My entertainment trade magazines have most production companies and tours requiring a vax. There are a couple that have alternatives but most are prove your vax, or swab every day. Crew is swabbing every day. Locals are swabbing at start of work.
Lollapalooza in Chicago was supposed to have the whole audience with either vax or negative test results to get in. Supposed to.
n
@DrWilliams,
Yeah, I saw those boxes… they usually have one day you can inspect in person but you typically can’t open boxes or break pallets, so not much help. I very rarely inspect. I’m pretty good at reading the pix, and I know the sellers and the auctions (for the most part) and know who puts junk in with good, or who tries to cheat. It’s the one off estate sellers that have been killing me lately. This seller had a previous auction with the same sort of stuff. I think they are shuttering medical centers.
I might bid on that pallet, I’ve got several ‘favorite-d’ from that auction. The last one they had, stuff went super cheap and I missed out because I hadn’t even put out placeholder bids. Ended at a weird time or something.
At this point, IDK if masks and PPE are a good investment money-wise, but I like to have stock on hand. And backups to that stock.
n
I’d be surprised if it came past the end of September. The screws are tightening by all the businesses that are waiting for the approval to push out their vaxx mandates. Many CEOs want ‘butts in seats’. I’m glad my son negotiated his full-time WFH before Covid arrived.
“Is America Becoming a Failed State?” by Patrick J. Buchanan
https://buchanan.org/blog/is-america-becoming-a-failed-state-149897
“Biden is failing in his first constitutional duty — to defend the United States from foreign invasion. We Americans no longer decide who comes into our national home and whom we shall adopt as new citizens… We defend the borders of scores of nations; we cannot, or Biden will not, defend our own.”
Just the title of the article alone is sad.
Played Catan with the kids. Late night. dang.
n
I mentioned that our neighbor is building a garage/workshop, mostly DIY. We went down to pick up his roofing material yesterday, in his US-made pickup with my trailer. Now that’s a pickup with an interesting history, if only one knew what it was. He bought it here in Switzerland, but it was imported from somewhere in the Middle East – probably Saudia Arabia. The mirrors (“objects may be closer than they appear”) are in Arabic.
It’s about 20 years old, automatic, 4WD. Age is showing, though: the transmission doesn’t shift down when it should, and I killed the engine trying to back up a gentle hill with the trailer attached. Still, it’s a fun beast to drive.
Don’t take Vox seriously. He has his axes to grind, and has zero problem misrepresenting data (e.g., lying) to support his viewpoints. From private correspondence, I can confirm that he gets really pissy when you call him on this.
The paper is available as a pre-print. They were looking specifically for efficacy (ability to prevent Covid infections) and safety. Efficacy is shown on page 15, and is quite good (around 90%) starting about 2 weeks after the first vaccination.
The study was too short and too small to measure the effects of vaccination on Covid-caused deaths. During the study, one vaccinated person died of Covid and two non-vaccinated people died of Covid. That’s too small a sample to mean anything, but it leans in the right direction.
The table that Vox presents shows the total number of deaths during the study. The number of deaths is what you would expect from normal mortality tables. Surprise, the vaccination is not an immortality drug.