Warmish, damp. Maybe clear after the rain yesterday. Who knows? The shadow knows. Weather liars certainly don’t.
Yesterday’s predicted high wind and storm missed me here in Northwest Houston. Southeast Houston didn’t get so lucky. I got about 1.5″ of rain in a couple of hours, with misty drizzle the rest of the time. Some thunder and lightning. They got high winds and tornadoes.
Looking at the pictures, you can clearly see why you should have preps stored offsite. It was years ago, looking at pictures of the aftermath of several tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma, that I got serious about putting some resources elsewhere. I haven’t kept up with clothes as the kids have grown, nor feminine products, but we’ve got food, heat, cooling, light, power, etc. and some place to stay if needed. Adding the BOL has really helped my peace of mind that we now have somewhere to go, and stuff waiting for us there.
If you don’t have a BOL, and most people don’t, talk seriously with friends or relations. Put a plan in place ahead of time. In California they used to suggest NOT keeping your earthquake kit in the house. Instead they suggested bins in a light shed, or out behind the house. The idea being the kit wouldn’t be buried under collapsed house when you needed it most. Think hard about doing something similar, no matter where you are.
Another option would be a small storage unit. Ideally it would be out of town, not too far away, but on your most likely evac route. Should have 24hr access even without power. A few bins of canned food, some water, some clothes, some hygiene products, a couple of toys for the kids, an encrypted thumb drive with critical paperwork stored on it- doesn’t take up that much room, but could go a long way toward keeping you alive, comfortable, and sane if something should happen to your home. Doesn’t have to be like a prepper novel… just enough to keep body and soul together for a few days while you figure out the next step.
Prepping is fractal in nature. That is, for every task, there are dozens of prerequisite tasks, and follow up tasks, the deeper you go, the more tasks reveal themselves. Like a mandelbrot set though, they keep repeating their basic nature. Get some stuff. Learn some thing. Learn about more stuff to get, more stuff to learn. Rinse and repeat. It’s a journey, not a destination. You can put as much or as little into it as you are comfortable doing, but do SOMETHING.
Stacking is easy. And useful.
nick
–as usual, if anyone is in the affected areas and needs something we can help with, let us know.
43F and 85%RH this morning.
Chilly and damp.
I’ve cut back on what breakfast I make, since the kids haven’t been eating it, so I have a few minutes to myself in the morning now. Not sure what to do with them. Better drink some coffee.
n
If you have a few minutes and an internet connection, why aren’t you looking at cute cat videos?
That is, if you aren’t filling your day with cat pictures and videos, are you really living life to the fullest?
Clearly I am not… better work on that some.
n
If I make a cute cat videoo
Ladies and Gentlemen (and Mr. Ray), yet another study on why masks failed to stop the pandemic:
Why N95 Masks Fail to Stop the Spread
Gee, you think the “science experts” didn’t know this, or, just lied to control us dirt people? I remember a video a guy did breathing out in cold weather and the condensation cloud produced. The “science experts” cried the WuFlu particles were much larger than that water vapor and easily captured by a mask. Maybe forcing all those old geezers dying in old folks homes to constantly mask reinfected them beyond their ability to fight the ChinkyFlu.
The article is a little long, but easily understood.
I’ve been consistent that masking was Kabuki, the theory being that if you wore the mask, they would be able to make you get the jab. The Feds were in court in Miami last week asking to get the *power* to impose mandates back in their hands, appealing the Tampa judge’s decision ending the mask mandates on planes.
https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2023/01/17/appeal-over-federal-mask-mandate-heads-to-court
It is all about the power.
Around here, the Good Germans still have their armbands ready for the return of ze good old days, ja.
Oh, I’m sorry. masks. Yes, they’re masks not armbands. That’s right.
Big Smile!
For the most part, we can use face diapers as a display of IQ test results and personality profile. If you’re wearing one, you failed one or both.
This is not entirely reliable, as there is some small fraction of the population with real health concerns where a mask might do some good. But even with them, the surgical-type masks do probably no good at all.
I’ll have to admit, I originally thought masks might be a good idea, back when I thought Wuflu was actually a deadly plague. Before I came to the realization that it’s an unavoidable serious version of a common cold.
And before I saw any of the science going back to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that shows masks were completely ineffective.
Aesop still thinks masks are a good idea. Which might be true, for his situation: ER nurse, N95 masks that fit right, well-trained and diligent to not touch his face or adjust his mask, and enough common sense to realize it’s stupid to mask up outside, or in your car or home.
On the rental car shuttle last week, I saw a woman get on the full bus, THEN put on a mask, and start a zoom meeting. In the short ride to the airport, I saw her touch her face/adjust her mask 5 times. It was a surgical mask, not N95.
That woman’s employer might have required that everyone be masked on camera. Moronic, but I’ve heard of that enough times to realize that it’s a Thing. Bare-face anxiety or some such crap, I imagine.
Prepping information from, checks notes, The New York Times?
The Food Expiration Dates You Should Actually Follow
For Mr. Nick, from the first paragraph:
Emphasis added.
Billy Gates, billionaire, philanthropist, lying bastard:
Bill Gates concludes that mRNA shots aren’t actually useful, warns of ‘next pandemic’
BillyG has more jets than most people have cars. I’m sure he is global warmist, but he must get to Australia ASAP to push the next pandemic.
What am I, a turnip? You silly savage.
I saw the current “bright” comet finally, C2022 E3 ZTF, in 5×25, 10×50 and 15×56 binoculars last night.
There was a hint of a tail in the 15×56’s, but it was only about 11:30pm local time, so really just out of the haze at my 34 degrees north location.
No color, and I am probably kidding myself, but I thought that I could see it with averted vision.
I may head out to a dark sky site tonight – but the warmer (freezing) desert site or the (well below freezing) clearer mountain site? Hmmm.
Some of the people are so ugly the wearing of a mask is to protect others from seeing their faces. So, yeah, there is some benefit to wearing a mask.
I’ve seen fringe loony sites reporting that Australia’s Covid deaths for 2023 to date exceed the numbers from 2020, but I haven’t seen that confirmed in more mainstream sources.
There are no two ways of looking at this. We, the FUSA, are at war with Russia:
BREAKING NEWS: Biden will send 31 Abrams tanks worth $400 million to Ukraine: White House adds to Zelensky’s arsenal after diplomatic row with Germany
It is time to start worrying that we are going to shed our troops blood in Ukraine. German and Polish armor might drive Crazy Ivan over the line. Who knows what Vlad will do.
Sponge Brain has no idea what he is doing. His brain is too far gone. Spongey is being manipulated by others with nefarious goals to benefit them.
German tanks in the Ukraine. Ze old days are back, ja!
Abrams tanks have a very complicated support infrastructure and training requirements. The “war” might be over by the time the Ukrainians deploy them.
Good article in the NYTs. Surprising. And since they are spokesman for the .gov, kinda disconcerting.
Nothing new for people here, but maybe a good bookmark to send skeptics.
BTW, yesterday I cut up and packed the 8 pounds of pork loin I got for $2/pound, and made 3 pounds of it as roast for dinner. As accompaniment I made baked carrots in brown sugar, with marshmallows (fresh carrots, but brown sugar from last decade and molasses from last century), and canned green beans with onion and bacon bits added. Can date in ‘14. Dessert was peanut butter cookies from a pouch mix from ’20… Everything was delicious.
I was careful to make sure the can was under vacuum, and dumped the beans into a bowl and inspected the cleaned up inside of the can, looking for any discoloration or indications the can had issues. Since no issue were found, into the bowl went some garlic salt, butter, bacon crumbles and chopped onion, then the microwave to heat… and my wife even told D1 she should give them a try as they were “actually good.” Praise doesn’t get much higher than that. Or as left handed.
n
My 35 year old daughter is now a patient at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. My wife took her back to the ER last Saturday for extreme abdominal pain. They found a five cm diameter mass on each of her ovaries using a CT scan. Plus there is another mass connecting the two masses together that is not the Fallopian tubes. These masses were not there three months ago when the obgyn starting talking about a hysterectomy. So they are fast growing.
My wife took the info to the obgyn who immediately bowed out and said that she could not do the hysterectomy anymore since she was not qualified for cancer and multiple segmented masses. The obgyn does not think that the masses are cancerous but, she is not willing to take the risk. So she referred my daughter to an obgyn oncologist who is located at M. D. Anderson here in Sugar Land. We have been trying to save her ovaries to keep her from going in menopause but it now sounds like that option is out too.
@Lynn – best wishes for your daughter. I hope she gets some relief soon. Same for the parents. It sucks to see your kid have health issues.
Billy Gates, billionaire, philanthropist, lying bastard:
Bill Gates concludes that mRNA shots aren’t actually useful, warns of ‘next pandemic’
BillyG has more jets than most people have cars. I’m sure he is global warmist, but he must get to Australia ASAP to push the next pandemic.
You forgot good close friend of Jeffery Epstein. And fired from Microsoft for perving on the employees.
There are no two ways of looking at this. We, the FUSA, are at war with Russia:
BREAKING NEWS: Biden will send 31 Abrams tanks worth $400 million to Ukraine: White House adds to Zelensky’s arsenal after diplomatic row with Germany
It is time to start worrying that we are going to shed our troops blood in Ukraine. German and Polish armor might drive Crazy Ivan over the line. Who knows what Vlad will do.
This is turning into the rearming of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. When are we going to drop off the F-22s and F-35s ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Nickel_Grass
BTW, there was an AWOL SEAL killed in Ukraine last week. Wink, wink, AWOL, right. CIA.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/navy-seal-daniel-swift-killed-ukraine-official-says/
German tanks in the Ukraine. Ze old days are back, ja!
Abrams tanks have a very complicated support infrastructure and training requirements. The “war” might be over by the time the Ukrainians deploy them.
I’ll bet 24 hours to learn how to drive and load the big gun without losing an arm with the auto loader.
And if the lifetime of the Abrams in Ukraine is three days then you don’t need support.
“Southwest Airlines pilots union calls for ‘historic’ strike vote”
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/southwest-airlines-pilots-strike-17733172.php
This ain’t the same SWA that I flew on in the 1970s for $15 each way from Houston Hobby to Dallas Love and back. I remember looking out the window and seeing us fly past, not over, a 40+ story building in downtown Houston. Then the pilot rammed the throttles to the firewall and got about 5,000 feet in altitude, I figure he was having a low altitude bombing flashback from Vietnam and suddenly realized he was in Texas. Landing was fun on one wheel strut and a big bounce with every woman screaming.
Interesting. That one flew under the radar. I don’t have anyone I vote against on the Microsoft board like I do with Gore at Apple and used to do with “Lean In” at Disney so I didn’t look at the list on the last proxy.
Melinda Gates was a Microsoft employee. Guess who was product manager on Microsoft Bob.
Ah, I see you got the good experienced pilots based on my memories of flying SWA between San Antonio and Love Field. At least a weekly trip to from the EDS office in San Antonio and EDS HQ in Dallas.
The planes used to land over the roof of the building in which I worked. A couple times several us went up on the roof to see how really close they planes were. SWA seemed to be a lot closer than the others almost to the point of being able to spit and hit a tire. Or so it seemed. Probably much further away or the FAA would be having fits.
One of those trips I sat next to Ross himself. What an egotistical jerk. Knew the answer to everything and knew it better than anyone else. Maybe that is how he got to where he was. At least he was not flying on a private jet.
Best wishes for your daughter Lynn. Hoping the lumps are benign. Living is better than avoiding menopause.
“Texas, Florida see biggest population gains as over 600,000 flee New York, California”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/texas-florida-see-biggest-population-gains-as-over-600000-flee-new-york-california-185038289.html
“A growing number of Americans packed up and moved south in 2022, while bailing out of New York and California. Texas saw the largest net population gain for the one-year period ended July 1, 2022, with more than 450,000 people moving to the state, according to a new report from analysts led by Rafe Jadrosich at Bank of America Global Research. The firm cited data from the U.S. Census Bureau data and U-Haul rates in building its report. Florida saw the second-largest net population gain over this period, as more than 400,000 people moved to the Sunshine State. In contrast, both California and New York saw net population drops north of 300,000 over that period.”
The red states are getting more conservative and the blue states are getting more liberal.
And the battleground states are getting more liberal. We will not have a conservative president again for a long time.
“Windows 11 is getting ReFS support: what it means for you?”
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/01/24/windows-11-is-getting-refs-support/
“Recent Windows 11 Insider builds include support for ReFS, the Resilient File System. The file system is currently only available in Windows server operating systems, but not in client systems. Could this feature mean the end of NTFS? Is ReFS as safe as NTFS?”
Perot had rich people toys, but he kept them hidden. He used to keep a huge yacht docked at his house on Useppa Island off of the coast of Southwest Florida in the 90s.
The Perot family is more about real estate development now. What was left of Perot Systems, H. Ross last IT shop, was sold to Japanese telecom company NTT in 2016, a few years before he died.
That Giant Sucking Sound ™ ….
The last time I saw Perot on TV was after Steve Jobs died, and H. Ross had some kind of “handler” present when he did the interviews. Something was definitely up with him cognitively by 2011.
Perot was an early investor in NeXT, which eventually became the OS of the iPhone and every current Apple computer when Steve Jobs returned to the company via acquisition in the 90s.
“Ukraine will now push for F-16 fighter jets, government adviser says”
https://thehill.com/homenews/3830293-ukraine-will-now-push-for-f-16-fighter-jets-government-adviser-says/
Hat tip to:
https://www.drudgereport.com/
I saw that one coming.
I have found I learn better when I read a physical document versus digital. I’ve observed the same with our daughter and the children whom I’ve helped with schoolwork.
When digital reading is assigned I try to print it for the children rather than indulge in the screen time.
https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/reading-memory/
LOL, we should send them all our F-35s. They have a lot of problems. Then we can build a new Skunk Works plane. Everybody’s happy!
I guess all the Ukraine pilots would come here for flight training? I don’t think they have any Falcon variations. I wonder how many would apply for citizenship. I also guess plugs would pay for the training.
I guess all the Ukraine pilots would come here for flight training? I don’t think they have any Falcon variations. I wonder how many would apply for citizenship. I also guess plugs would pay for the training.
Poland flies F-16s since 1998. Owns about 48 of them. Has 32 of the F-35s on order. I suspect that Poland is training “Ukrainan” pilots right now. Kind of like the Battle for Britain, only half the pilots were British. The other half were Canadian, USA, Australian, etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Air_Force
I generally experience the same thing, but I found that Kindle books are the way to go for classes involving a lot of research and citing texts like my Digital Forensics course in grad school. I assume it would be similar with any law or literature class.
Highlight the text in the Kindle, and the quotes show up in the Windows app ready for cutting and pasting into report documents.
I do better with retention using the E-Ink Kindles than the Fire, but some technical texts only ship in a format suited for the Fire.
Sadly, with the demise of the “Whispernet”, only the priciest Kindles have the free cellular capability which would allow me to read and highlight anywhere that I found I had the time. I would just pull the reader out of the backpack and work.
Fort Sill is already hosting training on the Patriot systems.
No, the tank is a sophisticated piece of machinery which requires a lot of training. I had friends from high school who drove Abrams in Gulf War I, and every one had an IQ way off the right end of the bell curve even if they weren’t academics.
They got assigned to decoy duty out west during Desert Storm so they took it upon themselves to figure out how to disable the speed limiting systems on the tanks in order to have some fun on the empty Saudi freeways.
They said that the Abrams will do 60s without the limiter, but they always made sure to stay near a fuel truck when they tried that stunt. Of course, the Saudis provided plenty of fuel.
Really close pass by asteroid (emphasis added); article here:
That seems close to me.
Does ReFS allow muliple volumes to share a partition like Apple’s new APFS?
Looking quickly, it could be that Microsoft is looking at making Windows work like Fedora Silverblue, with an immutable OS and git-like branching of bootable OS images. The block clone feature for file replication would be important to make that work.
Home. Had a problem with my electrical system. Remember back when I had the corrosion issue and had to clean up and extend my battery cables? Well, the extension uses a thin sheet metal loop to attach to the battery terminal. And that loop completely corroded thru. I’ve got what is left vise gripped to the terminal to get home. Truck won’t run without a battery, don’t know if it needs the load for the voltage regulator to work or some other reason, but it does.
And a completely disconnected battery means no hazard lights…
I’ll get a new end on it it the morning. To cold and dark now.
n
didn’t look a tthe details yet, but I’ve been predicting this for a while. Cali readers, act now if you want the stuff. And you might not want it this minute, but if you can’t get it later….
n
Note that NYFS has outlawed purchase or possession body armor by commoners for years. Ten years? Would have to look it up.
Why do I still live in this turdbarrel? Family. Parents and an uncle who aren’t going anywhere and can use help often enough that I don’t want to be too far away. Minor child who wants both parents around as long as possible. (Though she said that, push come to shove, she’ll go with me … but I don’t want to have to choose for real and then put up with the guilt tripping.)
(There’s also inertia and plumb laziness. I’ve gotten rid of a lot of things but still have a mountain of tools and books and cooking stuff and whatever. Probably more tools than everything else put together. I don’t want to abandon it, don’t want to move it, don’t want to have to replace it. I’m kind of just hoping that the world will end and everyone dies and I’m still here with my stuff and don’t have to move it because, hey, everyone’s dead so I have my pick of places to live and keep my stuff so I might as well keep it here. Sure, that’s a forlorn hope, but not as forlorn as hoping that the borders will be closed, the communists will be expelled, the puppetmasters will be executed, and the conservatives will grow spines.)
@SteveF
I didn’t press the “like” button, but I see where you’re coming from.
I’m sorry you are in this limbo for a few more years.
I hope you can make it through and get your daughter launched and yourself extricated. Exfiltrated?
Shame your family still thinks living in NYFS is a good idea.
Reminds me of an interview question a former boss of mine asked a 15-year McDonnell-Douglas employee (we ended up hiring him): “Didn’t anyone ever tell you you could leave?”
@Lynn
“Texas, Florida see biggest population gains as over 600,000 flee New York, California”
Somewhere high on the priority list of the House Republicans should be an analysis of the amazing coincidence that caused the U.S. Census to exclusively over-count blue states and under-count red states, and put in an audit step to catch any such “accidents” in 2030.
Why have a mechanism to rig just elections when the methods are so useful in other areas?
@Nick
“I’ll get a new end on it it the morning.”
Thicker metal and tin it?
“We are the Faculty”: Hamline Professors Demand President’s Resignation After Abandoning Due Process and Academic Freedom
https://jonathanturley.org/2023/01/25/we-are-the-faculty-of-hamline-university-professors-demand-presidents-resignation-after-abandoning-free-speech-and-academic-freedom/
A rare instance of a faculty defending free speech. Bully for them.
A couple of things to note:
In another article a more extensive description of the preliminaries to this event included the information that Prater submitted and had her syllabus cleared by the department, discussed the images in question with other faculty members beforehand, and explained in the course description that the images would be part of the class, with opt-out opportunities available as described in the article linked above.
Same article noted that the “offended” was president of the M.S. Club. (abbreviation for Robert’s term). So, yes, a put-up job.
Might have been same article or another one that noted that Miller is Hamline’s first black (yes, small “b”) president, and of course, gay.
In Professor Berkson’s letter he uses way too many words to dance around some basic questions, so I will ask here:
How can art produced by one of Islam’s greatest scholars and one of Islam’s greatest artists be Islamophobic?
Since one work is in the Met, should we require Islamics to register at the door and be forbidden from viewing it, lest they riot?
Bottom line: No sympathy. Piss Christ, yanno.
>> Some of the people are so ugly the wearing of a mask is to protect others from seeing their faces. So, yeah, there is some benefit to wearing a mask.
Forget the masks and go back to brown paper grocery bags…oh wait, the PLTs are hard at work outlawing them…
>> Good article in the NYTs. Surprising. And since they are spokesman for the .gov, kinda disconcerting.
Nothing new for people here, but maybe a good bookmark to send skeptics.
@nick, link please?
Finished watching two more episodes of Alone with wife and D2 after dinner. They’re in Patagonia. The most successful participant so far is a young female “herbalist”. She’s built a really nice home, paved the floor, built and decorated things, has the energy to tell jokes… I want to scoff, but she’s KILLING IT. The guys are mopey and not getting enough calories. NO ONE is working hard enough at bringing in food. They have already stayed longer than the first season winner, with 5 out of the 10 still in the game but the weather is turning to winter, and they are getting worn out.
Very interesting show. Very hard to maintain clear thought with reduced calories, and they aren’t doubling or tripling up on food. They try things in series while they should be trying EVERYTHING. Shouldn’t be day 50 before you decide to set out some snares to supplement the fishing. Also shouldn’t be setting less than your full complement of hooks every night.
It’s very plain to see who is going to ‘tap out.’ Once they start making excuses, rationalizing, and talking themselves into it, it’s just a matter of time.
n
Dinner was me carving off almost 2 pounds of the store brand spiral sliced ham. It was on sale for ~$2/pound. I vac seal slices and freeze them in meal sized chunks. Scrape the bone, dice all the weird meat, and keep it in the fridge to mix into scrambled eggs. Take the last half of the ham and vac seal it as a little rump ham. Sometimes I thin slice it for sandwiches.
A bit more salty than the premium brands, but still ‘ham’ and still tasty.
“Our Family is Sick”
https://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=402897
Where’s my pithing iron?
Turbo mode turned on
https://twitter.com/nftbadger/status/1618331405410533376
@alan, MrAtoz linked it upthread…
https://archive.fo/gK6jb
n
@drwilliams, I think that dog is sublimating the wolf instinct to rip out teh kittah’s throat, with a lot of frantic physical activity….
Kittah seems to be surprised by the result.
n
>> Since no issue were found, into the bowl went some garlic salt, butter, bacon crumbles and chopped onion, then the microwave to heat… and my wife even told D1 she should give them a try as they were “actually good.”
I’d go with a clove or two of fresh garlic instead of the garlic salt. Smash them with the side of a chef’s knife and the peel should be easily removed and the garlic ready to go into the bowl.
I do like fresh garlic when I can but for a lot of things, the garlic salt is so convenient. My wife has a jar of chopped garlic that she uses too, but for some reason, I never use it.
n
>> “Southwest Airlines pilots union calls for ‘historic’ strike vote”
And from the Buttplug…crickets.
>> NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab said in a release on Wednesday that 2023 BU is about 11.5 to 28 feet (3.5 to 8.5 meters) wide, which is small enough to mostly burn up in our atmosphere if it were to hit us. But NASA doesn’t expect 2023 BU to slam into the planet; instead the asteroid will pass about 2,200 miles (3,600 kilometers) above the southern tip of South America on Thursday, January 26, at 4:32 p.m. PST
That seems close to me.
For comparison:
Starlink satellites – 342 miles up
GPS satellites – 10,900 miles up
More – https://aerospace.csis.org/aerospace101/earth-orbit-101/
MrLynn… Positive thoughts for your daughter, family and yourself..
In a conventional Nissan, the most direct comparison being the Versa, the CVT transmission would go before 150,000 miles. OTOH, if I’m willing to make a road trip to Mesquite, I can drive a new Versa off of a dealer lot for $17k where the best I can do on a Leaf anywhere in the country is $27k.
For ~ $20k, a Honda Fit or Toyota Corolla drivetrain would just be getting broken in at 150,000 miles with plenty of money to take care of the maintenance cost differences. Of course, either represents a whole different level of build quality and ride than the Nissans.