Cool and clear. Sunny, warming nicely after noon. It ended up shirtsleeves weather by dusk but got cooler quickly. Really nice day.
Yeah, plans. Too bad the universe tends toward maximum perversity.
I did eventually get out to my client’s but didn’t get as much time as I would have liked. The rest of the day was eaten by ducks.
And I figure today will be too.
I’m taking the kids to school, then I have to go to one of my storage units (the one I was going to empty this week) and inspect it. They found the lock “tampered with” and want to know if anything is missing. It’s the opposite direction from my client’s house. I’m sure that will cost me two hours before it’s done. Then off to the store, and finally to the client. Do some work, but have to get the kid from school so leave early…
At least my wife will be home at some point.
And no food for the dog after 11am, he goes in for his snip tomorrow early. Better him than me, I guess.
I did get to the grocery. Told the stocker that they were doing a good job keeping stuff in stock, but I did notice the extra faces and the very shallow shelves in some places. He mentioned they were having trouble getting cream, of all things. The egg case was cleaned OUT. I filled my cart to overflowing and didn’t get a lot of any one thing. I got what I needed, and 3 flats of pork chops for my cheap protein of the day.
Keep stacking, the shortages are continuing. Quality and choice are both still reduced. Plan accordingly.
nick
About three weeks ago, in the middle of a holiday weekend, I had to visit the emergency room. Turned out to be a severe bladder infection, but anyway: 2-3 hours in the emergency room, physical examination, blood lab, plus (of course) a Covid test. I've been curiously waiting to see the bill. It arrived today: Fr. 490 (so about $500). Less than I expected – I was guessing Fr. 700 to Fr. 800. I suppose that's the advantage of a rural hospital on a Sunday, where I was literally the only patient.
I suppose in the US the bill would have been several times as much. Obamacare is the worst combination of all worlds, but the political will to fix it is completely absent…
I suppose in the US the bill would have been several times as much
In the U.S. the bill would be somewhere between $3K and $5K. Insurance would knock it down to about 2K. Just for the hospital. The ER doctor, who is a private contractor would be close to $1K.
My wife’s heart attack was billed at almost $100K (hospital and ER docs, two of them due to shift change) as she spent 4 days in the hospital. Medicare knocked it down to $30K, paid $24K, supplemental paid the rest.
20 minute visit? If the doctor sees $100 out of it before taxes, they've got a better deal than most.
Cramer should have been in prison 20 years ago.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/jim-cramer-demands-biden-impose-vaccine-mandate-enforced-military
Put a military general in charge, give him/her a goal of 0 deaths, and some questions are going to get asked that would make many people … and special interests … uncomfortable.
I have an external BD reader/ripper attached to my Mac Mini. Software let me rip the Blu Ray set of UFO without a problem. I just bought an external DVD/CD USB C* powered drive for my MacBook when I travel. Every now and then a parent comes up with a CD of stuff for help with.
*Correction, it’s BD level
"Musk wrote in the email that he planned to take the long Thanksgiving holiday off. But, after discovering the Raptor situation, Musk said he would personally work on the engine production line through Friday night and into the weekend."
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/30/elon-musk-to-spacex-starships-raptor-engine-crisis-risks-bankruptcy.html
I'm sure the people on the assembly line were overjoyed at the sight of The Real Life Tony Stark walking through the factory door.
No, my new gig is not with Tony. Ironically, they don’t seem to be very interested in locals, much like Apple.
I went to a Halloween party with Tesla engineers present, and no one working for the company was hired out of Austin. Colorado seemed to be a big origin point. One brand new female engineer came from Wisconsin.
Ka-ching!
Pfizer’s CEO on the need for endless boosters. “I think we're going to have an annual revaccination and that should be able to keep us really safe."
Throw in a mid-year booster to make us "really, REALLY, safe."
I think that was always inevitable, just like the annual flu shot. In fact, I'm hoping for it. It's time to accept that Covid is going to be part of life going forward. Time to stop the lockdowns (we're heading into another one) and just get on with life. If an annual vaccination is the price to pay, I'll happily pay it.
Right now, I think all (Western) countries are in the mode, where governments do not readily give up newly acquired powers.
Eric Zemmour is leading the presidential polling in France ahead of spring 2022 elections. Translation of video released yesterday is here:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/11/will-france-save-the-west.php
We noticed the cream shortage at HEB. We use cream regularly, but Thanksgiving was especially hard on us, because we make homemade ice cream and eggnog. For these very special recipes, we use a lot of cream, and usually high-end grass fed stuff. We couldn't find the good stuff, even at Sprouts, and yesterday, I couldn't even find HEB brand in quarts, only pints.
Could population growth be part of the reason for shortages in TX? I just finished eleven days in Orange County, CA, and the grocery stores and the two Costco stores we visited didn't have any shortages my wife and I noticed. She shopped for some Thanksgiving dinner items, and I bought wine.
Relatives and family friends that gathered were surprised when I asked them if they saw any shortages. The difference I note is that population is stable here, with what seems to be a high ratio of stores to population, a result of past growth. Most stores we visited, and this includes some Black Friday shopping, were not crowded. Traffic where we visit is usually light, and was about normal.
One difference: I have a cousin who does small business IT support. His business is booming, and he wants to retire. He noted the shortage of qualified people makes that difficult, but he will retire anyway. He works for a medium size company, and says he will let them deal with his retirement. Just another shortage of a qualified worker.
Same. Other than the nationwide shortages about 18 months ago for toilet paper, disinfecting sprays/wipes, and whatnot I've not seen any shortages in our stores either. What's going on with supply chains in Texas? 😜
It is not the government, it is the government workers, people such as Fauci, who see themselves as saviors of the world and can lord over people. It even goes down to the local level. Health department heads demanding that people do their bidding with masks and isolation. Getting their faces on the news, great political exposure.
Basically people who were essentially nothing now see themselves in a position of power, and fully abuse that power. Who knew who Fauci was until Covid? I didn't know he existed. Now his face is plastered on every newscast for several minutes each day. The guy is a self made fraud.
Congress critters and senators who consider themselves leaders. Nope, not leaders, elected representatives. They seem to forget that simple fact as does the news media.
Because…Tony…
https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-unveiled-sold-out-50-dollar-whistle-inspired-by-cybertruck-2021-12
Texas and Florida do not have lockdowns or "vaccine passport" nonsense. Lots of people show up down here for major holidays.
I'm also guessing there was a price differential in Orange County. The lower cost of living in Texas comes with tradeoffs at times.
It certainly does blow.
Wasn't the Cybertruck supposed to be rolling out the doors of the Austin factory by now?
Waterloo.
@greg:
Tesla has always over-promised and under-delivered. Unlike other Musky enterprises.
G.
I've always believed that the portion of SpaceX that delivers in California and Florida is under the direct supervision of Gwynne Shotwell, the adult in the room at the company.
Re lockdowns and vax passports, we went to a lot of stores while in Orange County. Didn’t wear a mask in any place. We did see a higher percentage of shoppers wearing masks, maybe 20% in some stores, compared to our last trip a month ago. Lots of employees wore masks. Ironically, I had an eye doc appointment, and had to wear a mask. Also had to take my aunt to the dentist, and same. Both places handed out masks, probably because masks seem to be over in So Cal. Sure, there are some who wear them, but not many. I saw lots who had their masks hanging down around their throat. Never realized how many people have tracheostomies. :-p
Subbing today through Friday for the same teacher. Scheduled six weeks ago. Has last period planning so I get to leave early.
Took up a cell phone. Little fungus faced maggots never learn. I warn them before class. It is almost as if it is such a habit they grab the phone without thinking. To have the need to text so entwined in my life is unfathomable.
Former exchange student is attempting to come on the 19th for Christmas. She has the kung flu shots but will need to get tested the day before she flies. And even that is up in the air with the new variant.
I am becoming more of the opinion that those that are destined to get Covid, are going to get it, regardless of masks and isolation. Just like when I grew up in the 50's, some were destined to get polio, and they did. I was in the same environment as a couple of my friends that contracted polio. Why them and not I?
Covid is going to be the like the flu with the virus companies always one step behind. They can guess at future strains and hope.
@JimB: Let me know next time you are coming down to OC and maybe we can get together. I'm in NW Huntington Beach and very close to Sunset Beach.
Grrr, still not on site.
Nothing was missing from my burglarized storage unit. Spent a short while talking with the manager there, nice young guy, recently red-pilled. Black but a trump voter, not culturally US inner city black, immigrant from the Caribbean. Very interesting to talk with.
But I have to get to work.
n
Puppet masters at work…
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2021/11/30/as-biden-goes-off-script-white-house-tech-team-cuts-the-mic-and-blasts-music-n2599853
WRT Californication Mandated Auto Insurance: All vehicles in use on public thoroughfares must be insured by their registered owner.
Considering two vehicle collisions, one of which is mine and driven by a licensed driver: (1) If the driver is me, I will be sued; (2) If the driver is other than me, I will be sued and the driver of my vehicle may also have suit filed against their auto insurer.
Freefall: Wagging the Tail
http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3700/fc03678.htm
I still think that humans would do well with a prehensile tail.
@JimB: Let me know next time you are coming down to OC and maybe we can get together. I'm in NW Huntington Beach and very close to Sunset Beach.
Thanks for the offer. Right now, things are up in the air, but I will keep you in mind. I am not really as anti-social as it seems, but just committed. I have to be available for care for my 100 YO aunt while we are visiting, and that is something that can’t be neglected. My wife does all the day-to-day stuff, but I run errands and sometimes have to drive her to the urgent care place nearby. We have spent many hours in waiting rooms. So far, the med personnel have kept her out of serious trouble, but she is frail, and the trend is in the wrong direction.
Say what you might about dementia, but having someone whose mind is sharp but whose body is failing might be worse. She understands what is going on, but is usually powerless to alter her condition. Some days I think the doctors don’t know what they are doing, others I admire their work. She is on a lot of meds, and some days I think too many. Other days, not enough.
I treasure my health, and do as much as I can to preserve it. Some days, not enough.
I will disagree with you. Doesn't mean you are wrong; I just don't agree based on my experience. My aunt had dementia and I saw what it does to the mind. With a good mind the person understands the physical issues. With a bad mind there is always confusion, anger, and sadness. Lose your mind and you basically lose your sole, your personality, you.
Significant arguments could be made both ways and all would be perfectly valid. Given a choice I would rather my body go before my mind. That is just me and my worthless opinion.
I read SCOTUS in monkeying with Roe v. Wade. I hope for the Scalia tact, it's up to the States. Seems that would satisfying the majority of the people.
"The Bestselling Science Fiction Books of All Time" by Dan Livingston
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/the-bestselling-science-fiction-books-of-all-time/
I have read 11 of the 14 books: "Stranger In A Strange Land", "Snow Crash", "Fahrenheit 451", "Ender's Game", "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Ready Player One", "The Martian", "The Time Machine", "Foundation", "1984", and "Dune".
I am shocked that "Dune" is number one. And this list does not address the Fantasy side of SF (speculative fiction). "Harry Potter" rules over there.
"Dune"?
Three film adaptations in the last 40-ish years, two of which are watchable.
Universal is currently sitting on the Sci-Fi Channel adaptation from ~ 20 years ago, which I remember being decent despite a basic cable budget. They had the best casting of the three, IMHO, for Reverend Mother (Susan Sarandon) and The Baron (Ian McNiece). The follow up adaptation, combining the next two books, added Alice Krige as the Emporer’s daughter.
If the name sounds familiar, Krige was the Borg Queen in “First Contact”.
You can buy the Sci-Fi adaptations on DVD, but they are not available streaming for now.
"Business Insider: ‘Electric Vehicles Won’t Save Us — We Need to Get Rid of Cars Completely’"
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2021/11/30/business-insider-electric-vehicles-wont-save-us-we-need-to-get-rid-of-cars-completely/
I was wondering when they would get to this. Feet and bikes only for the common people !
Doocy: Doocy challenges Psaki on Biden's previous claim that "anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as President of the United States of America."
Psaki: tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump tRump, tho.
Doocy: “You advised the president about the possibility of new testing requirements for people coming in to this country, does that include everybody?”
Fauci: “The answer is yes.”
Doocy: “What about … these border crossers?”
Fauci: “That’s a different issue.”
Me: ???
Crimmigrants get a pass under plugsy McSpongeBrain.
They don't have to get rid of the cars. You won't be able to afford to pull out of your driveway once surface streets are sold to private interests and tolled.
@Lynn
“The Bestselling Science Fiction Books of All Time" by Dan Livingston”
Apples, oranges, and bananas.
I doubt there are two books on the list with comparable “sales”, and it looks like half of them are positioned by pure made-up numbers.
@Lynn
“The Bestselling Science Fiction Books of All Time" by Dan Livingston”
Apples, oranges, and bananas.
I doubt there are two books on the list with comparable “sales”, and it looks like half of them are positioned by pure made-up numbers.
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/the-bestselling-science-fiction-books-of-all-time/
I do wonder where this list came from ? I am surprised that "Lucifer's Hammer" by Niven and Pournelle is not on the list. Pournelle used to say that "Lucifer's Hammer" put all five of his kids through college, paid off his California house mortgage, and paid for a beach house in California. You could find the MMPB in airport bookstores until recently.
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lucifers-Hammer-Novel-Larry-Niven/dp/0449208133/https://www.amazon.com/Lucifers-Hammer-Novel-Larry-Niven/dp/0449208133//a/p?tag=ttgnet-20
I am so suspect of reviews and "best of" lists anymore. I just assume they're all bullshit. Cynicism and realism have become synonymous.
I do have some YouTubers I watch who do book reviews. They’re all fairly small and don’t generate enough traffic or views for YT to monetize their content. So, they’re not on anyone’s radar to pervert.
I've read Frankenstein, Stanger in a Strange Land, Farenheit 451, Ender's Game, Hitchhiker's Guide, Foundation, 1984, and Dune. All a long time ago. I may have started Cats Cradle, but I never liked Vonnegut.
I am surprised that The Martian Chronicles is not the Bradbury book on the list.
I thought The Martian was just a movie, and have never heard of Ready Player One.
My son bought an external DVD writer from Samsung that is USB and does not require any extra power. Draws enough from old laptops. That was several years ago and still doing the job.
I think it is time you upgraded yours…
Nah, works just fine. It is an LG DVD/CD reader / writer, GE20LU11.
I read Dune about a hundred years ago. 1975? I forget, it was the SFBC edition. I think I read it before my Dad. Yeah, he would get the books but "no one" can touch them until he has read them.
Ah, yeah, well, wash your hands, put the dust cover in a safe place, and do not ever crack the spine. I don't know if he knew I read most of his new books within a week of arrival.
Ok book and it needed an editor. No interest in sequels. HBO had the movie in '84 or so. It took me a couple of weeks to watch it all because I kept falling asleep.
Sooner or later, everyone comes to The Wisdom of SteveF.
Yeah, across all of the "Dune" series Herbert was sloppy with two character dialogue going on for pages, just quoted lines, without any break.
The new movie moves fast despite being 2 1/2 hours (?) long. The biggest problem with the film is that Part Two isn't even in production yet.
If you must have the complete story, get the Sci-Fi Channel adaptation DVD set. Right now, that stands as the best *complete* adaptation.
I thought The Martian was just a movie, and have never heard of Ready Player One.
"The Martian" was a book first, published in 2014. The movie came out in 2015.
https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025//p?tag=ttgnet-20
"Ready Player One" was published in 2012 and made into a movie by Spielberg in 2018. It is a tribute to the 1980s.
https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448//p?tag=ttgnet-20
I thought The Martian was just a movie, and have never heard of Ready Player One.
Ah, I haven't bought anything but old books in years. Oddly, Brownwood is a college town with no bookstores. Not even paperback exchanges. Used to be a Hastings but they didn't bother stocking new books, mostly dvds and music and giftware.
I'll get to those when they show up in the junk stores out here in the hinterlands about 20 years from now LOL
I thought The Martian was just a movie, and have never heard of Ready Player One.
Ah, I haven't bought anything but old books in years. Oddly, Brownwood is a college town with no bookstores. Not even paperback exchanges. Used to be a Hastings but they didn't bother stocking new books, mostly dvds and music and giftware.
I'll get to those when they show up in the junk stores out here in the hinterlands about 20 years from now LOL
Half Price Books should have a copy or ten of each. But you will have to drive over to Dallas where there are seven stores.
https://hpb.com/stores?address=Brownwood%2C+tx
https://hpb.com/all-stores-list
Warning: HPB stores are very addictive.
Brownwood to Dallas is a bit further than to Austin.
@Greg, in case you didn't see this…
https://www.kxan.com/investigations/paid-to-park-in-austin-but-still-ticketed-license-plate-problems-persist/
Latest Headline: Dog Bites Man
…
…
…
And in other news the first case of the Omicron variant has been detected in the US.
I know the OCR on the toll roads can be iffy depending on the state. My previous employer's cameras with integrated OCR would provide a confidence value in EXIF which would be extracted and embedded back into the image before being sent on, but, most of the time, no one looked at that statistic downstream unless someone complained.
I used the confidence value in choosing which image of a plate was best to send to nearby law enforcement for "hot" vehicles, wanted by law enforcement for whatever reason, but the one customer who payed for the feature got so many *real* positives for non-payment that they turned the system off.
Oh no!
Epstein ‘sex slave’, 14, met Trump at Mar-A-Lago & was in beauty pageant he sponsored, Ghislaine Maxwell trial hears
Except when you read the article, it really has nothing to do with tRump being involved with Pedostein. tRump, tho
LOL! In a clip of killer Baldwin interview, he says he "never pulled the trigger". I wonder if ProgLibTurds will claim "crocodile tears" as the killer cries.
Here in north Los Angeles County the WinCo on Sunday was well stocked, but the 99 Cent store had serious amounts of empty shelving, despite efforts to stage things to make them look full.
Even the aisles of cheap Xmas goods were nearly bare.
Of course any sane shipper is going to prioritize shipping containers full of small, dense, and expensive goods (iPhones and the like) over bulky and low margin items.
“Of course any sane shipper is going to prioritize shipping containers full of small, dense, and expensive goods (iPhones and the like) over bulky and low margin items.”
iPhones get airlifted to the US from China.
My last MacBook Pro purchase was a refurb, but other Apple laptops we’ve purchased have been sent directly from the factory via DHL or Fedex.
I suspect that any low stock / shortages at the Dollar-type stores are more because of pricing pressures, rather than 'supply chain'.
Getting harder to make money on $1.00 purchases. That's why Dollar Tree is starting to price everything at $1.25 or higher.
>> LOL! In a clip of killer Baldwin interview, he says he "never pulled the trigger". I wonder if ProgLibTurds will claim "crocodile tears" as the killer cries.
Not in the script…
Check the film. May have been a second shot from the grassy knoll.
The "best seller" list is very suspect. I've read them all, but Cat's Cradle, I think. C'nae remember for sure…
Ringworld was a phenomenon when it came out and for years afterward, hard to believe it didn't make 'best seller'.
Star Wars the novelization isn't on the list either, but I read the book before seeing the movie. Parents were not interested in taking me.
n
1 December 2021 at 22:19
The "best seller" list is very suspect. I've read them all, but Cat's Cradle, I think. C'nae remember for sure…
Ringworld was a phenomenon when it came out and for years afterward, hard to believe it didn't make 'best seller'.
Star Wars the novelization isn't on the list either, but I read the book before seeing the movie. Parents were not interested in taking me.
n
The list did not come from Wiki since Dune is listed there at 20 million copies and 1984 is listed at 30 million copies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books
"The Hobbit" (fantasy) is listed as the 5th best selling book of all time at 141 million copies behind the Bible, Koran, Book of Morman, and Mae Tse-tung's Little Red Book. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (fantasy) is 120 million copies.
Or is it "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"?
@Geoff
Will agree with me how much the dumbed-down 'American' version screwed children out of learning Latin and culture, and history.
Picture it: _The Once and Future King, maybe Queen_
Harummph. /rant
I missed the opportunity to play with the date! 12/1/21 ….
n
The "best seller" list is very suspect. I've read them all, but Cat's Cradle, I think. C'nae remember for sure…
Ringworld was a phenomenon when it came out and for years afterward, hard to believe it didn't make 'best seller'.
Star Wars the novelization isn't on the list either, but I read the book before seeing the movie. Parents were not interested in taking me.
n
Larry Niven does not even make the top 50 SF (speculative fiction) authors:
59) Larry Niven (17 million+)
Larry Niven has sold 10 million copies of his collaborations with Jerry Pournelle alone. His Ringworld books add a further 7 million sales on top of that.
https://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-sff-all-time-sales-list-revised.html
Throw out the fantasy books (JK Rowling, Stephen King, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis) and Niven might make the top 20 science fiction authors by sales.
I read Dune about a hundred years ago. 1975? I forget, it was the SFBC edition. I think I read it before my Dad. Yeah, he would get the books but "no one" can touch them until he has read them.
Ah, yeah, well, wash your hands, put the dust cover in a safe place, and do not ever crack the spine. I don't know if he knew I read most of his new books within a week of arrival.
Ok book and it needed an editor. No interest in sequels. HBO had the movie in '84 or so. It took me a couple of weeks to watch it all because I kept falling asleep.
Yup, I read the SFBC version of Dune in 1975 or so. My hardback was severely damaged in the Great Flood of 1989 but I kept it anyway. I think that I own the first five Dune books, all packed out in the garage.
Congrats on beating your dad to his books. However, I'll bet that he knew. I could always tell when my son got to one of my books first.
I used to give books as gifts, but sneakily read most of them first… I thought no one could tell.
n