Fri. Mar. 4, 2022 – If it weren’t for disinformation, there’d be no information at all

Cool but not cold, still damp, and maybe sunny later.  It was finally sunny after noon yesterday and I actually got a little sunburnt standing around outside while doing my errands.   Now I’m itchy and sore.

I decided to consolidate some of my storage units to one closer to the house.  Besides being burgled, and not having any video or suspects, the company recently posted a slew of ‘no guns’ signs.   They are legally posted, legal wording, and I’m ignoring them completely.  They weren’t in the contract, so since I’m unable to end the contract before my monthly anniversary date, I consider them to be invalid.  No way I’m going to be unarmed on the property when they can’t even keep thieves from robbing my unit.

I’ll be sorting for ebay and local auctions while I move the stuff to the new unit.  And of course, it needs to happen immediately so I don’t end up paying for an extra month on the old unit.   As a side note, there are a lot more storage units available now than there were a year or two years ago.  Don’t know why.

Took another couple of bins to one auctioneer, and he says he wants more stuff next week.   He’s expanded his business and now he needs to keep feeding it, so he wants my stuff.  I got the check and report from the last auction and I made money.  Most of the stuff that sold well came from the Goodwill outlet store  (the ‘bins’).   If I could double the gross, and do it twice a month, it would be a really nice part time income again, just with the one auctioneer.

Sold one item this week on ebay, that has been listed for 3 years.  It’s the first sale of the item that I can recall, and I’ve got 79 more listed.  Made 12$.  Ebay has not been paying off for smaller items like I’d hoped, but my daily listing stopped, and that kills you in the search results.  I’ll take the blame for now.

Today I really need to end up at my client’s after I do a pickup or two.

Then home to do weekend stuff.

We still don’t have an actual “closing date” for the BOL, but there is a plan to do the paperwork, transfer, and handover separately, instead of doing it all on one day, in person.  Should work ok.   We just need to actually DO it.

Once I can start the process of moving and fixing at the BOL, I’ll feel better, although the work will be harder.  I do better when I have more external deadlines.

The world seems to be imposing some deadlines on all of us.  We don’t get to see the timeline, but the feeling is very strong that there IS one.   I think things will be getting very ugly, and it has already started to accelerate.   I’m reminded of the thought experiment about the pond and the water lilies that double in number every few days.   The question is, how much of the pond is covered the day before the last doubling?  And the answer is “half”.    The pond goes from half covered to fully covered in one final doubling.   It takes a while to get to ‘half’ but only one additional period to get to ‘full’.   “It happened overnight!”  “It came out of no where!”   We’re in the early stages, but the end will seem sudden nonetheless.

So stack food, fuel, and friends, plus whatever else you are still short of.  I’m increasingly sure we’re gonna need ’em.

nick

74 Comments and discussion on "Fri. Mar. 4, 2022 – If it weren’t for disinformation, there’d be no information at all"

  1. Nick Flandrey says:

    57F and 99%RH this morning.  I still think it should be clear later.

    n

  2. drwilliams says:

    I see internet articles with valid complaints about the authenticity of reports out of Ukraine, particularly photos that are months and even years old. 

    They miss the point: 

    The Russians are losing the propaganda war. Their poor military performance has opened the door for people to believe other unlikely things.

    But the news out of Russia is not good for Putin, and a lot of it seems to be accurate. Russian Orthodox priests are not on board at all. Famous people are saying anti-war things, albeit mildly, as one would do with a murdering psychopath in charge. Slogans are getting scrawled in public places at night. 

  3. Nick Flandrey says:

    I don't know how this isn't a lead story… especially with the sort of breathless hyperbole that an explosion in DC would normally receive…

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10574951/Multiple-people-unaccounted-explosion-destroyed-four-story-apartment-block.html

    Multiple people remained unaccounted for Thursday afternoon, hours after a four-story apartment building collapsed outside of Washington D.C. and injured 10 people, three of whom are critically-ill. 

    Fire Chief Scott Goldstein, of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, announced in a news conference on Thursday afternoon that 'several' residents were unaccounted for after fire officials conducted a second sweep of the Friendly Garden Apartment complex in Silver Spring, Maryland. He said he couldn't say exactly how many, as the situation remains 'in flux.' 

    The fire was first reported at the apartment complex at around 10.30am, after an explosion tore through one of the buildings, with video posted online showing a fireball and cloud of smoke pushing through the outer wall of the structure as rumble sounds echoed.

    Parts of the building could be seen collapsing before a chorus of screams could be heard, and a cloud of gray debris enveloped the area. A huge fire then ensued. 

    Officials have said at least 12 to 18 of the apartments completely collapsed in the explosion at around 10.30am, and the building was deemed 'unsafe to occupy.' 

    n

  4. Greg Norton says:

    I went to the Round Rock Home Depot late yesterday to pick up an order, and about half of the staff on duty lacked masks. Finally. Of course, it wasn't City of Austin proper but Williamson County, where the Right Reverend Judge Gravell was exposed early as a hypocrite.

    (The Right Reverend won the Republican primary this week but the opponent got quite a few votes.)

    I've always viewed masks as kabuki, but doubly so in Home Depot/Lowes.

    Of course there was the obligatory dog running around with the owner, which would cause me a problem in a closed environment capable of spreading a virus. I didn't even have as much as a sniffle, and the owner/dog walked right by me.

  5. MrAtoz says:

    I cannot decide if I want Trump to run in 2024 or not.  I definitely want Desantis to run.

    I want tRump to run just for the popcorn factor. He would have a very tough time in the primaries. Don't forget, the spineless Redumblicans can snatch defeat out of the mouth of victory like nobody else. Who want four more years of McSpongeBrain?

  6. MrAtoz says:

    So what do you guys think?  I've been tagging these posts with "wuflu" since March of '20.  At what point is that not the overall concern or a relevant tag?

    I say keep it active until the Federal mandates are gone. I'm still flying a lot and still carry a face diaper in my front shirt pocket. Once you see all the cloth masks and improperly worn ones, you know the kabuki is still afoot. Thanks to plugs and FauXi.

    Of course, WuFlu 2.0 will cause the Federal Vax Machine to reinstate everything. We can only hope plugs, FauXi and Stretch have cashed in their Neptune Society chits by then.

  7. ~jim says:

    This is interesting, and possibly sets a very bad precedent. Has our heretofore transparent judiciary suddenly become slightly opaque? 

    US Supreme Court blocks testimony over Guantanamo detainee

    https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2022/3/3/us-supreme-court-blocks-testimony-over-guantanamo-detainee

    >>The court found that the government could assert what is called the “state-secrets privilege” to prevent the contractors from being questioned because it would jeopardise national security. <<

    It seems the equivalent of saying that lower courts have found you guilty and we're letting you rot in jail and we're not going to explain why or even allow you an argument.

    Granted, it's reported by Al Jazeera, but I don't think they are misrepresenting the facts.

    "State secrets" or "The Official Secrets Act" have their place, but I find it interesting that the justices swept it under the carpet without so much saying, "OK, we'll explain our reasoning at a later date."

  8. Greg Norton says:

    I say keep it active until the Federal mandates are gone. I'm still flying a lot and still carry a face diaper in my front shirt pocket. Once you see all the cloth masks and improperly worn ones, you know the kabuki is still afoot. Thanks to plugs and FauXi.

    You mean the cloth masks and the improperly worn N95s on the airline workers and terminal vendor employees?

    The Federal mask mandates will continue at least until the midterms are over.

    At this point, it is about reminding you who is in charge for at least a little while longer, particularly in Atlanta.

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  9. Chad says:

    Cool but not cold, still damp, and maybe sunny later. 

    It's that annoying time around here where it's cold enough at night you need the heat, but warm enough in the afternoon you either need to open the house up or turn the A/C on. So, you either wake up in the morning and think, "Why is the house so cold?" Or, get home in the afternoon and think, "Why is the house so warm?" Likewise, the coat or hoodie you needed to head out the door in the morning isn't needed the rest of the day. The same thing happens in the autumn. Modern HVAC has improved a lot on auto switching between heat/cool, but it's still not perfect. 

    It's great camping weather! Warm enough (without being hot and muggy) for daytime activities like hiking. Cool and crisp enough and still getting dark early enough to enjoy a campfire and snuggle into your sleeping bag.

    The Russians are losing the propaganda war.

    When it comes to the "winning of hearts and minds" the Ukrainians delivered a quick and stunning defeat to the Russians. Unfortunately, that's not (yet?) translated to a military victory. It's so bad that I'm embarrassed for Putin. I mean, talk about a PR clusterfuck. Congratulations! I seriously can't remember a time since maybe Gulf War I where another nation was so universally ostracized and hated.

    I want tRump to run just for the popcorn factor.

    I concur. I would find that extremely amusing. Even better if he won. Just watching election night reactions would be hilarious. I'd love to see Rachel Maddow deliver that election news. I'm chuckling just thinking about it. I still do a YouTube search for "2016 election tears" when I want a good laugh. Would Trump make a good President? Likely not. Would he be better than Biden? Probably. However, the misanthrope in me really wants to see Trump elected.

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  10. ~jim says:

    >>I'm shocked! Shocked!<<

    I'm having lots of fun on the newfound https://www.criterionchannel.com

    Yet I found it surprising that _Casablanca_ wasn't among their offerings.

    So I had to go to my Russian site. I hope they don't block it in a fit of pique! 

    https://ok.ru/video/259058567843

    Of course it's romantic and over-the-top but it's theater. Why can't people accept theater anymore? 

  11. Nick Flandrey says:

    What was the point here supposed to be?

    google "soccer players heart attacks" if you seriously don't know.

    n

  12. Greg Norton says:

    Yet I found it surprising that _Casablanca_ wasn't among their offerings.

    Of course it's romantic and over-the-top but it's theater. Why can't people accept theater anymore? 

    It could be censorship, but Criterion only owns the rights for the special edition on disc. Discovery Media probably has plans for an expanded set of streaming offerings once the sale closes, and Warner's ownership of the IP goes back to making the film.

  13. Nick Flandrey says:

    ….except that this individual committed suicide

    yep, I guess we'll have to count her death as 'covid' rather than 'vax side effect' then.

    n

    🙂

    ADDED— and here I am using my magic powers of site admin to edit a comment, which I never do! so that the ironically recursive nature of my comments (see below about not editing) can bobble some heads…

    I’ll just jump in my time machine and go back to when the story first aired, and make a different comment, with the knowledge that my future self has. Damn that future self. I’ll fix him, you just wait and see….

  14. drwilliams says:

    Na-No has no Google-fu

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  15. EdH says:

    NaN is back. Don’t feed the troll.

  16. ITGuy1998 says:

    I'm letting my Prime membership expire in a couple days. We don't watch anything on streaming at the moment, and my ordering from them has drastically decreased over time. Not to mention I almost never receive prime items in two days anymore. I'll re-up if it becomes valuable again in the future.

    So right now I'm not directly subscribing to any streaming service. We do get Disney+ thru our Verizon phone plan.

    I'll add Netflix when Stranger Things season 3 finally arrives.

  17. Chad says:

    NaN is back. Don’t feed the troll.

    On the contrary, keep feeding him. I'm amused at how much time he spends reading, raging, and commenting on a site he seems to so wholly disagree with. Another outrage-addict searching for a trigger.

  18. ITGuy1998 says:

    Copious use of quotes – check.

    Belligerent tone – check.

    Mad – check.

    Boys and girls (no non-binary intentional), we have the internet keyboard commander trifecta.

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  19. lpdbw says:

    @Nick, re: Storage units

    I visited my storage unit for the first time in a while, and noticed all the big anti-gun signs and the "mask required" signs and the karen who actually held up her hand when I walked in and made me mask up.

    Life Storage, right?

    I wrote about my experience over at Bill Quick's place, and I used words and descriptions that are not welcome on this site.  

    I'm hopeful I can get my stuff out of there in a couple months, and then I'll write them an invective-filled letter.  Postponing the letter because I expect Covid karens and gutless cowards to be vindictive and retaliatory. 

  20. nick flandrey says:

    @lpdbw,

    yep, got it in one. First noticed the signs in the new year. Manager that came to help me get into my burgled unit said corp policy had changed some time ago, but they were only recently getting the signs up.

    @rick, one weirdness in the comment box editor happens if I copy/paste text from another comment. I can't get additional appended text to stop being italicized by just hitting ctrl i, and the button isn't highlighted when I place the insert cursor there… so I looked at the source using the 'source' button, and there is a tag called < c i t e > inserted before and after my pasted text, not the simple , < i > tag I expected. the behavior of the cite tag isn't consistent so there might be a conflict between the various editors and site formatting.

    @NAN, no I am not going to change anything. I don't, as a rule. This site started as two things for RBT, his "Daynotes" and his "Journal". Meaning pretty clearly his notes for the day, and a journal of activity or ideas. I have continued in the same vein. I rarely even copyedit before posting, and only occasionally copyedit the most egregious text mistakes after, as should be clear to any long time reader. I never make editorial edits after the fact. And please, give me a little credit with almost 2 million words written online, I MEANT THE TITLE OF THE POST to mean what it means and to apply where it applies. Writer's voice, sarcasm, irony, self deprecation, and exaggeration for effect are all tools of the writer.  Sometimes I even reach for "sly".  Occasionally I descend to puns.   Often I quote others or quote from pop culture.   Usually the post title is unrelated to the text but may make another point that I didn't feel like expanding into a post.  This week I went for three post titles tied together to make a feeble joke… 

    DAYNOTES JOURNAL.  Not academic research paper.

    @ed, it guy, et al,   @Nan is a person, probably, who wants attention.  I'm hoping s/he/it learns that the best way to get attention here, where it might actually mean something given the quality of the readership, is to participate and not just belligerently negate.  Plus, the irony (or complete lack of self awareness) of an anonymous commentor calling me out for using a nom de plume is amusing.  Briefly.  The lack of self awareness, the lack of empathy, and the blunt tone all suggest someone 'on the spectrum' and kicking puppies usually isn't my thing.  

    It might be a fools errand, but it doesn't cost me much.

    n

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  21. Chad says:

    @Nan is a person, probably, who wants attention.  I'm hoping s/he/it learns that the best way to get attention here, where it might actually mean something given the quality of the readership, is to participate and not just belligerently negate. 

    Excellent point. I could stomach NaN's pissing and moaning a lot easier if he also contributed other stuff. It seems the only time he takes the time to comment is when he wants to disagree or complain. So, what's he here for? Just to shit on everything? When was NaN's last comment where he positively added anything to the discussion? What's his conversing-to-complaining ratio?

  22. drwilliams says:

    “So, what's he here for? Just to shit on everything? ”

    Have to find a bigger ladder to stand on—way too deep in the rut. 

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  23. drwilliams says:

    SCOTUS to Boston Marathon terrorist: Buh-bye

    Lot’s of coverage on this, but I liked the title at HotAir. 

    The proper ending would have this p.o.s. Staked in a field next week with a pressure cooker full of ball bearings and dynamite duct taped to his body and the timer ticking loudly. 

  24. lynn says:

    Would Trump make a good President? Likely not. Would he be better than Biden? Probably. However, the misanthrope in me really wants to see Trump elected.

    Trump’s prior four years was some of the best presidency that the USA has had. 

    1. Trump INSTALLED three conservative SCOTUS judges

    2. Trump made the bureaucracy reverse two regulations for each new regulation

    3. Trump made the USA energy independent

    4. Trump made illegal immigrants wait in Mexico for their fake refugee processing

    5. Before our record economic success was artificially halted by a global pandemic, President Trump built the hottest economy in the world.

    I could go on for days.  Perfect, no.  Effective, yes.  Here is a succinct list:

       https://www.loraincountygop.org/images/91080/July_2020_Accomplishments.pdf

    Why do you think Trump’s next four years would be any different ?

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  25. Clayton W. says:

    I believe that the Presidents main job is to pick good people for all of the various posts.  President Trump did very poorly by that measure.

  26. Greg Norton says:

    1. Trump INSTALLED three conservative SCOTUS judges

    Kavanaugh has gone along with the Old School Marm Roberts for important issues on occasion which reinforces my belief that the chairs (Kennedy's in his case) shape the Justice and not the other way around.

    Gorsuch is arguably a 1-1 swap for Scalia, but less hardore in his conservatism. Gorsuch also lacked the close friendship with Ginsburg to bring her along on occasion for big business case decisions like overturning National Bellas Hess, expanding sales tax collection the first time a case came up in the Internet shopping age.

    (The decision was later overturned.)

    Comey-Barrett is a rightward shift in that chair, but it is the Payola seat, luck of the draw.

    I'd say Trump was simply in the right place to prevent a leftward shift with only marginal improvement originating with his last nominee. Jeb! probably would have put up the same nominees with the possible exception of the woman from Miami who Trump decided to keep in reserve for the Roe seat and gave Pence the Payola nomination with an eye on Jan 6.

  27. drwilliams says:

    @Nick

    ”I decided to consolidate some of my storage units to one closer to the house.“

    ”Transport empty” and “transport loaded” are two of the original therbligs. Both very important. 

    But one thing not captured in the original or revised list is “urgent access”. The fire extinguisher and safety supply cabinet may take up vsluable real estate that could be used for more efficient day-to-day work, but when you need it, you need it now. 

    So, yeah, closer to where you live now, but hopefully not further from the lake. 

    I have no idea how your storage is organized, but making efficient vertical use of the cubic is a game changer. If you have 12’ ceilings, 14’ pallet racking cut to just barely short enough to set up with extra low shelves does wonders. 

  28. Greg Norton says:

    Why do you think Trump’s next four years would be any different ?

    Putting Trump back in the White House in 2025 would result in four years like 2019 before Trump lost his nerve in 2020.

    The moment Trump secured the nomination, all of the local Congressional races would turn into midterms like a Republican incumbent was in office.

    Here's the thing. Trump. I'm jus' sayin'.

    Yeah, [Dem nominee]. Trump, tho.

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  29. lynn says:

    It's great camping weather! Warm enough (without being hot and muggy) for daytime activities like hiking. Cool and crisp enough and still getting dark early enough to enjoy a campfire and snuggle into your sleeping bag.

    The last time I went camping, I woke up and it was 17 F in the Texas Hill Country.  The temperature rose all the way to 65 F that day.  It was a Boy Scout trip back about 1998 or so.

  30. lynn says:

    I believe that the Presidents main job is to pick good people for all of the various posts.  President Trump did very poorly by that measure.

    I won't disagree. But, look at the continuous fire he took from ALL sides for his picks.  Who would want to be in the middle of all that ? Trump had just as much incoming criticism from his repuglican buddies as the idiot dumbrocrats.

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  31. lynn says:

    1. Trump INSTALLED three conservative SCOTUS judges

    Kavanaugh has gone along with the Old School Marm Roberts for important issues on occasion which reinforces my belief that the chairs (Kennedy's in his case) shape the Justice and not the other way around.

    Gorsuch is arguably a 1-1 swap for Scalia, but less hardore in his conservatism. Gorsuch also lacked the close friendship with Ginsburg to bring her along on occasion for big business case decisions like overturning National Bellas Hess, expanding sales tax collection the first time a case came up in the Internet shopping age.

    (The decision was later overturned.)

    Comey-Barrett is a rightward shift in that chair, but it is the Payola seat, luck of the draw.

    I'd say Trump was simply in the right place to prevent a leftward shift with only marginal improvement originating with his last nominee. Jeb! probably would have put up the same nominees with the possible exception of the woman from Miami who Trump decided to keep in reserve for the Roe seat and gave Pence the Payola nomination with an eye on Jan 6.

    Kavanaugh was a favor to the Bush clan with extreme pressure from the Senate.  Note that everything with the Bush clan has gone to crap.

    I severely doubt that Jeb would have beat Hillary.  And I doubt that Jeb would have gotten half the things done (see list at https://www.loraincountygop.org/images/91080/July_2020_Accomplishments.pdf ) that Trump got done.  Remember, Bush clan.

    A SCOTUS giant like Antonin Scalia only comes along once in a hundred years.  We got two !  Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia.

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  32. lynn says:

    Why do you think Trump’s next four years would be any different ?

    Putting Trump back in the White House in 2025 would result in four years like 2019 before Trump lost his nerve in 2020.

    The moment Trump secured the nomination, all of the local Congressional races would turn into midterms like a Republican incumbent was in office.

    Here's the thing. Trump. I'm jus' sayin'.

    Yeah, [Dem nominee]. Trump, tho.

    This why I think that Trump should let DeSantis take it.  Trump is a total lightning rod for both sides of The War Party.

  33. lynn says:

    Dilbert: Laughing At Boss Jokes

        https://dilbert.com/strip/2022-03-04

    Oh Wally !

  34. Greg Norton says:

    I severely doubt that Jeb would have beat Hillary.

    Good Lord, no, and I voted for Jeb! twice living in Florida.

    The cabal put the boots to Jeb!. Now the family bench is empty unless they can get P. Diddly elected Attorney General.

    Jeb! was supposed to be the brother the family ran for President in 2000, but the family severely underestimated the self-proclaimed “old he-coon”, Florida Governor “Walkin'” Lawton Chiles, when pitting Jeb! against Chiles running for reelection in 1994.

    The Bush family played dirty, but Chiles played dirtier.

  35. lynn says:

    Arlo and Janis: Emotional Support Animal

        https://www.gocomics.com/arloandjanis/2022/03/04

    I've got nothing.

  36. lynn says:

    BC: Thor's Used Wheels

       https://www.gocomics.com/bc/2022/03/04

    One of my favorite business names is "Rent-A-Tire".

       https://www.rentawheel.com/

  37. lynn says:

    "Nuclear Explosion"

        https://www.ready.gov/nuclear-explosion

    "Go to the basement or middle of the building. Stay away from the outer walls and roof. Try to maintain a distance of at least six feet between yourself and people who are not part of your household. If possible, wear a mask if you’re sheltering with people who are not a part of your household. Children under two years old, people who have trouble breathing, and those who are unable to remove masks on their own should not wear them."

    I can assure you that if there is a nuclear explosion nearby, I will spend more time looking for a shelter than trying to grab a few face masks.

    Hat tip to:

       https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/dont-forget-to-wear-a-mask-during-a-nuclear-holocaust-34712/

  38. Chad says:

    And remember, prevailing winds will generally carry the fallout east.

  39. lynn says:

    "The US Space Force plans to start patrolling the area around the Moon"

        https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/03/the-us-space-force-plans-to-extend-its-operations-to-the-moon/

    "Until now, the United States space mission extended 22,000 miles above Earth."

    April 1 comes early this year.

  40. lynn says:

    “Ford Maverick Named Cars.com Best Of The Year 2022”

    https://www.carprousa.com/blog/ford-maverick-named-cars.com-best-of-the-year-2022

    “Car Pro Show radio host Jerry Reynolds is a fan of Ford’s newest pickup, the Ford Maverick. He calls the Maverick XLT a “great truck for light towing and hauling, a joy to drive, and a great price point for a new pickup”. He’s not the Maverick’s only fan either. Cars.com just named the compact pickup truck its Best of the Year 2022 winner (it also won Best Pickup Truck of 2022.) Cars.com says pickup trucks are consistently the number-one searched vehicle on its site and the new Maverick is getting its share of attention, making up nearly 14% of new-truck searches. Cars.com calls the Maverick a “shining example of Ford’s top-quality innovation for the pickup truck body style.””

    If you can find one of the $20K Mavericks, it is an amazing deal.

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  41. Chad says:

    One of my favorite business names is "Rent-A-Tire".

    I was always partial to "Sam & Ella's Chicken" 🙂

  42. MrAtoz says:

    A SCOTUS giant like Antonin Scalia only comes along once in a hundred years.  We got two !  Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia.

    Yup to the googolplex. Scalia was right on abortion (up to the States). ProgLibTurds like NaN want abortion up til the head is coming out as a Constitutional right. Nothing in the Constitution, so it should be reserved for the States, not enforced by the Feds.

  43. Greg Norton says:

    If you can find one of the $20K Mavericks, it is an amazing deal.

    The local dealer has the XL — the $20k trim level — but stickered for $22.5k since it has the "optional" 2.0L 4 cyl.

    https://www.machaikfordlincoln.com/new-Georgetown-2022-Ford-Maverick-XL-3FTTW8E98NRA41601

    We have to take the Exploder for oil at 7AM tomorrow. I'll take a closer look while wearing my yard work clothes — salesman repellent as long as I skip the Big Nerd Ranch t-shirt.

    I doubt the dealers are going to carry the $20k with the … 2.5 L engine … ? … outside of a fleet deal, even when things start to be more “normal”.

    I thought the $20k engine was a 3 cyl. 1.8 L?!?

  44. Ray Thompson says:

    Well, I almost went over to the dark side. I bought an Apple MacBook Air. Cheapest one that was offered. 8 gig of memory, 256 gig (which Apple reports as 200 gig), and a Magic Mouse. Should be enough for my exploration efforts. I don't see myself doing any high powered processing, same scenario as my Surface Laptop. Something to take with me use for trivial tasks.

    Scroll action on the mouse is the opposite of my Windows mouse. I have not found out how to make the screen scroll using the just the trackpad.

  45. Greg Norton says:

    Scroll action on the mouse is the opposite of my Windows mouse. I have not found out how to make the screen scroll using the just the trackpad.

    Two fingers doesn't work?

    With the M1, the MacBook Air is not that much different than the 13" MacBook Pro in terms of specs anymore. 8 GB does a lot with the silicon so heavily integrated.

    I have this dock that works well for most of the newer laptops in the house. It is seamless for the newer Apple products, combined with a wireless Logitech mouse/keyboard from Sam's.

    https://plugable.com/products/ud-cam/

    The 85 W charging limit is only an issue with my work laptop. The previous job issued higher spec i9 MacBook Pro, but the power consumption was a lot lower than the i7 I have now.

    The i7 came with a 95 W adapter.

  46. MrAtoz says:

    I bought an Apple MacBook Air. Cheapest one that was offered.

    I'm sorry to say this does not get you a ticket to Elysium.

  47. Rick H says:

    Regarding gas prices – here in my little corner of the Pacific NW (just opposite Mutiny Bay, WA – look for it on the map)….

    Last week the price was $3.52. Today, same station (an Arco that is usually very close to Costco over in the next town) is priced at $4.09.

    The local two-pumper in my little village has gone from $4.09 to $4.59.

    Also went to the local WalMart. Most shelves are full, not much 'two-deep and 20 wide' items. Chips/crackers stock was low. Everything else was available.

    Regarding the 'paste' into the comment editor causing a 'cite' tag; I suspect that you may have copied the 'cite' from the source. Not something that the editor is doing.

    You can highlight all text, then apply a 'heading 1' and then back to 'paragraph'. Then you can highlight the quote and use the blockquote button.

    You can also paste without formatting (Ctrl-Shift-V) if you want.

  48. Robert "Bob" Sprowl says:

    Yesterday some one commented

    >> I have not owned a house or a building yet that was not a money and sweat pit. I still have quite a bit of damage from the Feb 2021 (winter storm Uri) to fix at my office complex.

    Everything you own requires maintenance or replacement at some point.  I expect to spend a house payment or two each year to repair the house (and property).  Same is true of a car.  In the shop I spend time (and money) maintaining my tools also.  

    That's life.

    11
  49. ~jim says:

    >> therblig<<

    Ohh, that's a cool word/concept. Never heard that one before. Thanks! 

  50. Alan says:

    >> “Ford Maverick Named Cars.com Best Of The Year 2022”

    I'm guessing *buying* Cars.com's Best Of title cost Ford less than what Motor Trend asks for.

  51. Alan says:

    >> Same is true of a car. 

    "Change the oil? Nah, it's leased."

  52. SteveF says:

    Everything you own requires maintenance or replacement at some point.

    I tend to hang on to cars longer than most, doing a decent job on upkeep but noticing that the maintenance gets more and more expensive and the annoyances build up until it's gotten to the point that it's not worth keeping anymore and anyone sensible would have gotten rid of it years ago. The next trouble to come up, just dump it.

    See also: Wives

  53. Greg Norton says:

    I'm guessing *buying* Cars.com's Best Of title cost Ford less than what Motor Trend asks for.

    I wonder what CarPro costs. I've heard him cheerleading that truck going back at least a year.

    The auto press acts like the vehicle is the second coming of the early 2000s Frontier or Tacoma, but they know better. Turbo or hybrid, the repair costs will be a problem in about 8-10 years.

  54. lynn says:

    "Fantasy author raises $19 million on Kickstarter in two days to self-publish new novels"

       https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/03/brandon-sanderson-kickstarter-tops-19-million-in-two-days.html

    "Brandon Sanderson’s Kickstarter to self-publish four new novels has topped $19 million.

    The prolific sci-fi and fantasy author initially asked for $1 million, which was funded in 35 minutes.

    Sanderson is best known for creating the Cosmere fictional universe, in which most of his novels are set, and for helping to finish the final three novels in Robert Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time” book series."

    I need to figure out how to do a kickstarter to fund my retirement in a style that I could become accustomed to (maybe one of those seized oligarch yachts) .

  55. Ray Thompson says:

    Two fingers doesn't work?

    I am learning. In Windows the scroll bar appears when the mouse is at the edge, not so in Mac Land. Need to have two fingers on the magic mouse, not so magical.

    I'm sorry to say this does not get you a ticket to Elysium.

    Well, that just ruined my day. To think I got all dressed up for the occasion.

    Things are just different. I wanted to get extra memory but am not paying $200.00 for another 8 gig. Could have got a bigger SSD, but nope, not going to spend that much for space I will probably never use.

    This entire thing is just another learning curve to figure out how things worked. Suffered through some learning when I got an iPhone and iPad.

  56. Alan says:

    Hopefully on a one-way ticket…

    https://nypost.com/2022/03/04/kamala-harris-to-visit-poland-romania-to-demonstrate-strength-of-nato/

    Or…is it better to have Joe and the Kamel stand for re-election as easy opposition.

    Who's on Ron's VP short list? And the Donald as SOTH.

  57. drwilliams says:

    ~jim

    "Ohh, that's a cool word/concept. Never heard that one before. Thanks! "

    If you've only been exposed to the Gilbreth family through the modern movie, I'd recommend getting a copy of the book "Cheaper by the Dozen".

    https://gilbrethnetwork.tripod.com/qv1n2.html

    I was able to study Taylor and Gilbreth as an honor's project. Long story short, Gilbreth worked with Taylor and split over philosophical differences. As a simplification, Taylor's work can be described as "speed up the line and take breaks at the same time", and Gilbreth's as "work smarter, not harder".

    Without the work of the Gilbreths (Frank and Lillian), U.S. output in WWII would have been diminished, perhaps fatally.

  58. drwilliams says:

    @Lynn

    "I need to figure out how to do a kickstarter to fund my retirement in a style that I could become accustomed to (maybe one of those seized oligarch yachts) ."

    Nah:

    1) "Hole in water into which you shovel money."

    2) Pettifogging officialdom in boats will constantly be demanding to board for "inspection". Sure, just don't trip over my photon torpedoes–I'm cleaning the tubes.

  59. drwilliams says:

    Anyone remember the old joke:

    Bill calls Hillary into his office and says, "I've decided to send you to Bosnia."

  60. lynn says:

    "Debate over Ukraine no-fly zone heats up"

         https://thehill.com/policy/defense/596942-why-the-us-and-nato-refuse-to-declare-a-no-fly-zone-for-ukraine

    The first time that a German fighter plane shoots down a Russian plane or helicopter, the nukes will be flying in Europe.

  61. ~jim says:

    >>Without the work of the Gilbreths (Frank and Lillian), U.S. output in WWII would have been diminished, perhaps fatally.<<

    The whole Manhattan project is a study in risk/reward and efficiency. The whole idea of distilling a hundred tons of rock into a few pounds of bomb is outlandish, but crazy is as crazy does. It all worked out in the end.

    I was a windowwasher before I ever got into Windows. Time-and-motion is elegant, and if you don't believe me just watch a good windowwasher some time. 

  62. Nick Flandrey says:

    Without the work of the Gilbreths (Frank and Lillian), U.S. output in WWII would have been diminished, perhaps fatally.

    And without the Gilbreths’ work in Japan after WWII, Japan wouldn’t have risen as a manufacturing powerhouse.
    n

  63. drwilliams says:

    Japan listened to Deming. America didn't until we were forced to.

  64. lynn says:

    Looks like the USA is going to pass one million deaths with COVID in the next ten days or so.  The total deaths with COVID in the world is at six million. 

         https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

  65. drwilliams says:

    China alone probably has more than 6 million.

  66. lynn says:

    China alone probably has more than 6 million.

    One does wonder how they could only have 4,636 deaths since they are the originator of the Koof.

        https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

  67. Alan says:

    >> The first time that a German fighter plane shoots down a Russian plane or helicopter, the nukes will be flying in Europe.

    Good thing those "launch codes" that Uncle Joe carries around in his pocket are really just from a Captain Crunch decoder ring. 

  68. lynn says:

    Well, this sucks.  I created a 18 inch wide by 60 inch long banner in Word for my conference next month (April 4-7).  I have rented a literature stand and they will place a vertical banner on it for me. 

    But, Word cannot create a 60 inch long banner.  It can only create a 22 inch long banner.  So I am hosed.   I guess that I will need to get a better desktop publishing software than Word and recreate my banner.  And of course, I waited until the last minute as my PDF or PNG file is due today.

    Any suggestions on how I fix my situation without having to learn yet another cryptic software package ?

  69. Alan says:

    >> China alone probably has more than 6 million.

    And amazingly still no cases in North Korea…damn.

  70. lynn says:

    "The Trial of Humanity Never Ended"

    "Penance for Humanity May Never End"

  71. ~jim says:

    >>America didn't until we were forced to.<<

    We (as far as car manufacturers are concerned) were not forced by any Outside Agency. It was in our own self-interest. To maximize our profits.

    A critical distinction, don't you think? 

  72. Nick Flandrey says:

    Perhaps "forced by circumstance" should be how that was meant.

    n

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