Yup, you guessed it, damp and warm. The sun came and went yesterday, probably depending most on where you were in town. I could see the rain in the rays of the sun off in the distance. I never got any though there was some heavy overcast at my secondary location.
I made my first trip collecting stuff for the hamfest yesterday, winkling out some stuff (road cases and equipment racks) that has been sitting in the same place for at least 4 years, maybe longer. Mostly filled the back of the truck. There’s no doubt now that I will need a trailer. A box van would be even better, but that would eat too much money.
So much cr@p to load. So many prices to check. I may just wing it like I usually do, only checking ebay if needed. I’m going to be basically giving the stuff away in most cases anyway.
Today will be more of that, combined with a trip to my client’s house to install the cell booster, but only if it’s not raining. I’m not climbing on a roof in the rain.
If it’s raining, I’ll be pulling together stuff from my house and garage for the hamfest, and checking prices on major pieces. I’m also debating whether to take an inverter and a couple of batteries or the honda inverter gennie. The batteries would give me 12v for the stuff that needs it, but might not have enough power for the bigger 120v stuff. Messing around with gennies isn’t how I expect to spend the time I have onsite though. I need to take a box of AA batteries too, so people can test stuff if they want to. NOW it feels like an onrushing train…
Hey I’ve got an external deadline. Time to get stuff done.
And stacking has been woefully inadequate this week. I’ll need to take a bit of time and do some thoughtful catching up and re-shuffling of current stacks.
Just because I’m slack, doesn’t mean you should be, get to it.
nick
73F and saturated. Sun is peeking out. Coffee is brewing…
I am tired though.
Coffee will help.
n
The algorithm behind Teams away/available icon seems to be a lot more sophisticated. At least, that’s the way it works on my current corporate laptop.
The machine always seems to be busy doing … something, even when closed and stored in my laptop bag.
Microsoft has really taken over the Panopticon vendor segment. Slack considers messages to be theirs and unavailable for perusal by Yoga Pants beyond a week, and Zoom doesn’t have the rolling transcript that Teams can offer.
Teams’ transcript feature runs and stores text on corporate servers even if no one in the call activates captioning.
If you are a former WalMart or Chipotle store manager who wants to look effective at your shiny new quota placement HR job by firing a few people, Microsoft has you covered.
Got my trailer reserved. That’s one big thing done.
n
Odd story, and poorly written. So bad I wonder what the intent was.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11803201/Ex-Marine-arrested-trying-board-fligh-AR-15-handguns-Taser-fake-Marshalls-badge.html
As far as I can tell, other than being a felon in possession, which the airline couldn’t have known, his only mistake was not declaring the guns in his luggage.
But it’s such a mess of writing, I can’t actually be sure.
n
Tyler Durden cowardice reporting what the reporter can’t in his day job.
Viva Tony! Hecho en Mexico!
Six hours from Austin, straight down I-35, roughly, plus tolls on the road from the Gigafactory down to San Marcos.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/tesla-open-new-production-facility-monterrey-mexico
Maybe Musk will hide the battery “recycling” down there. Those of you dreaming of the $25k Tonymobile rumors making the rounds this week can keep dreaming.
Cybertruck? That will be a disaster regardless of where it is Hecho.
Found my error in the taxes I referenced last night.
More here than is being reported.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11807131/Justin-Bieber-CANCELS-remainder-Justice-World-Tour-amid-health-woes.html
It was June of last year that he first became afflicted… and Jan of this year he sold the rights to his catalog of music for $200M.
n
>> Odd story, and poorly written. So bad I wonder what the intent was.
Ever since 9/11, impersonation of any LEO, especially with forged credentials, has been taken very seriously.
The first 10,000 Mexican Teslas will go straight to the cartel thugs.
WTAH! now the FBI says the WuFlu likely came from a lab leak. Sneaky doing it in a Tweet, like that is what they believed all along. Which three-letter is next.
Raining in Vegas.
Ha ha!/ muntz voice
Harry and Meghan rage at Charles’ ‘cruel punishment’ after he ‘decided to evict them from Frogmore Cottage just 24 HOURS after Spare was published’: ‘Stunned’ couple are already moving furniture to California
Fellas, the key to success in life is marrying the right woman.
n
like that is what they believed all along.
–textbook gaslighting.
n
Prince Harry reveals he wants to be an elephant when he’s reincarnated.
That would be a step up from being an ass.
But it’s not likely his next step will be up.
Not sure that’s true. I’d say that the key to failure is marrying the wrong woman.
Not a good sign.
I still believe Harry’s antics are part of a grander scheme which has been cooking for 50 years.
The constant wrench in the works is Chuckles. The Queen held out as long as she could to make sure his reign was brief.
Still not high enough. Wake me when it is 13-14%.
6-6.5% fueled the Florida housing bubble.
Maybe I will start to take the rates seriously when I drive past the Carvana “vending machine” in South Austin and see the building abandoned with the sign gone.
In 2001 my first mortgage was a 30 year at 7.75%. It’s amazing how a decade of extremely low rates has adjusted our expectations.
Maybe it was 7.25%. Somewhere in that range.
People in this area cannot differentiate between “except” and “accept”, “sale” and “sell”, “your” and “you’re”, “than” and “then”, “break” and “brake”. You seriously expect them to spell “y’all” correctly? Some even spell it “yawl”.
The freaking spell checker alerts me every time I use ya’ll.
“Watch Unhinged Randi Weingarten Suffers Absolute MELT DOWN Over Student Debt Payments Outside SCOTUS (VIDEO)”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/watch-disgusting-liar-randi-weingarten-suffer-absolute-melt-down-over-student-debt-payments-outside-scotus-video/
I did not watch the video. Disgusting and unhinged is right !
xkcd: Fanservice
https://xkcd.com/2744/
But they do look like fans. The rows at the end are huge.
Explained at:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2744:_Fanservice
Inflation 10-15%
Mortgage 7%
Credit cards 15-30%
Savings 0.25%
In 2001 my first mortgage was a 30 year at 7.75%. It’s amazing how a decade of extremely low rates has adjusted our expectations.
Maybe it was 7.25%. Somewhere in that range.
Our first mortgage in 1982 was 14.98% fixed. Texas first time home buyers loan for 95% of a $28,000 house in Sweetwater, Texas. The bank wanted 19% floating rate.
Our second mortgage in 1985 for 95% of a $79,950 house in Carrollton, Texas was 11.0% floating. I kept that loan for 15 years, it adjusted down to around 7% eventually.
“What you need to know about Texas’ complex — but important — electricity market reform plan”
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/01/texas-power-market-public-utility-commission-electricity-credits/
“The PUC unanimously approved what it calls the performance credit mechanism. The controversial idea would require electricity providers — the companies, co-ops and municipal utilities that sell power to people — to pay additional money to generators that promise to be available when grid conditions get tight. Those extra costs could be passed on to consumers.”
“The concept is designed to incentivize companies either to build more of, or to extend the life of, what are known as dispatchable power facilities. Dispatchable power sources such as natural gas, nuclear and coal-fired plants can turn on any time, unlike renewable sources that depend on solar and wind energy. The big-picture goal is to make the grid more reliable.”
This is the carrot. The stick is coming later for those power producers (wind turbines, solar) who cannot produce power during periods of extreme need.
Will it work ? I don’t have a clue. But it is a step in the right direction.
@nick
Is this the AI future of journalism?
>> Regarding Automatic Stop Start (from yesterday): I have that ‘feature ’ on my 2019 Highlander.
I never even notice the Auto Stop/Start on my Nissan LEAF EV… oh wait, never mind.
Also plenty of reputed permanent bypass cables on Amazon and eBay. YWWV.
>> Found my error in the taxes I referenced last night.
Anything worth sharing?
>> WTAH! now the FBI says the WuFlu likely came from a lab leak. Sneaky doing it in a Tweet, like that is what they believed all along. Which three-letter is next.
So far, the CI@ has not yet commented.
Dilbert: Honesty Versus Dogbert
https://dilbert.com/strip/2023-03-01
Still up and going today …
And Scott Adams says now that I have your attention:
https://www.scottadamssays.com/episode-2034-scott-adams-now-that-i-have-your-attention/
On 3/1/2023 9:25 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
> Five Tough, Rough, and Rugged Heinlein Stories
>
> He-man stories for he-man readers!
>
> https://www.tor.com/2023/03/01/five-tough-rough-and-rugged-heinlein-stories/
Dude, you rock ! Of course, I have read all five books. “The Star Beast” is one of my Top Ten (23 actually) books.
The Heinlein apologist, Hugo and Nebula award winning author Jo Walton says this about “Friday” in a 2009 review, “The worst book I love: Robert Heinlein’s Friday”. She complains that there is no plot but to me, the best plot is just life.
https://www.tor.com/2009/06/14/the-worst-book-i-love-robert-heinleins-friday/
Is this the AI future of journalism?
– I’ve seen what I now believe to be AI generated pages, and they are different. There is a ‘style’ for lack of a better word. Lot of pages that exist to steal clicks scrape other pages, do some SEO, and you end up wading thru pages of text that doesn’t quite pass the turing test and add nothing new. I seem to hit it alot when searching online for answers to specific questions, usually about fixing something that is broken or has gone wrong.
AI would be better than that article.
n
“Dish Network Confirms Ransomware Is to Blame for Ongoing Outage”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/dish-network-confirms-ransomware-is-to-blame-for-ongoing-outage
“Dish Network has confirmed that ransomware is to blame for a major outage at the satellite TV provider. In an SEC filing(Opens in a new window) on Tuesday, Dish Network officially attributed the outage to a “cyber security incident,” while also describing it as a ransomware attack.”
It is beginning to look to me that a business needs to prepare for one of these attacks.
Dish Network are thieves and deserve to loose their electrons to static cling.
@Lynn
> Five Tough, Rough, and Rugged Heinlein Stories
Coulda been 50.
For convenience, start with a complete list of the Future History. I’d guess that striking off 20% would be about right.
And seriously, Oscar isn’t on the list?
@Lynn
> Five Tough, Rough, and Rugged Heinlein Stories
Coulda been 50.
For convenience, start with a complete list of the Future History. I’d guess that striking off 20% would be about right.
And seriously, Oscar isn’t on the list?
James always has five books, movies, magazines, etc illustrating the point that he is trying to make to his weekly article. I think that he should have added “Citizen Of The Galaxy” myself.
https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
Oscar ? “Have Space Suit, Will Travel” ?
Oscar Gordon, “Glory Road”
“Joe Biden’s Student Loan Bailout Plan in Danger Based on Oral Arguments at Supreme Court”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/joe-bidens-student-loan-bailout-plan-in-danger-based-on-oral-arguments-at-supreme-court/
“The Supreme Court signaled it will likely put the final dagger in Joe Biden’s unconstitutional student loan bailout program. Joe Biden unilaterally announced a massive forgiveness of student loans in August to buy the Gen Z-Millennial vote in the 2022 midterms. Biden canceled up to $10,000 in student debt for borrowers who earn $125,000 a year or less and up to $20,000 for recipients of Pell Grants. The 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals in November extended a block on Joe Biden’s student loan bailout plan. The DOJ then asked the Supreme Court to lift the 8th Circuit Court’s block. The Supreme Court left the block in place while they hear oral arguments and deliberate.”
One can only hope.
My inexpert analysis of basic WHOIS records seems to indicate that Adams is the registrar/owner of the dot-com, and therefore controls it’s availability.
The dot-net and dot-org domains look to be registered by a corporation, but the Internet Archive doesn’t show any content there for over a decade. I suspect they were registered to prevent ‘squatting’.
So, not surprised that the dot-com is still visible and contains content.
Any business needs to ensure that they have complete backups of files and data, and that the multiple backups are stored off-line. And they need to have a tested plan to restore the data. This includes small businesses.
Larger businesses need to have more complete plan, and more complete defenses. There is guidance out there to help with that – see the SANS Institute and Internet Storm Center. There are tons of ‘white papers’ there with guidance to secure small and large businesses.
Small businesses are not exempt from needing proper cyber security. Neither are personal users.
Anything plugging into the OBD port on a semi permanent basis is going to be a problem. The port wasn’t designed for that kind of use … as Flo is learning the hard way with the Progressive dongle.
At my last job I was responsible for the backups.
A daily backup was produced of every server onto another server, including generational versions of files.
Weekly a backup of the critical server files (scripts and database) was copied to another computer. Those copies were also copied onto an external disk drive. There were three of them and they were rotated each week.
The backup copies were stored at my home. One time the auditor questioned the offsite location as my home. He thought it wasn’t far enough away. My response was that if the disaster was large enough to affect my work location, and my home, screw the organization as there would be larger issues.
Once a year I would completely rebuild the system on a spare computer I had at the house. Reinstalling all the software, ColdFusion, SQL Server, and some ancillary stuff. I would make certain that everything worked as designed. If the main site was destroyed, or the files compromised, a working solution that was at most one week old could be operational within three hours.
And in other news, I get new hearing aids tomorrow. Phonak devices, rechargeable. This time I am being fitted with an ear mold rather than the use of domes. The VA will also provide a streaming device to connect to my TV.
My research seems to indicate that the hearing aids are recharged in a small carrier. That carrier will provide three recharges for the hearing aids before it must be recharged.
That will be a change from the batteries I have been using. With batteries, when the battery dies, replace and operational in minutes with a replacement. With rechargeable when the battery dies operational status may take an hour.
I never once had a battery run out on a device unless I did it on purpose. Every three days I replaced the batteries in the devices. The rechargeable are supposed to last a full day and then some on a charge. I will just have to charge each night, same as I do my iPhone.
The ear mold is a concern. It will block more of the exterior sounds which I currently like. The audiologist stated the technology now that is not a problem as the devices have gotten much better at at providing ambient sounds with multiple microphones.
Just thankful the VA provides the devices as I surely would have trouble justifying and affording the cost were I to have to use commercial services. Even Costco is $4K for a set. A lot of money.
Eliminate Administrator access on employee PCs.
I’d also suggest cutting web browsing within the office, but I know that’s a tall order anymore. Definitely monitor the browsing and fire as needed for violations of “appropriate use”.
Installing TeamViewer or enabling RDP without explicit authorization should be grounds for immediate dismissal.
Any business needs to ensure that they have complete backups of files and data, and that the multiple backups are stored off-line. And they need to have a tested plan to restore the data. This includes small businesses.
I have three online backups that are updated daily at the office. I have seven weekly rotating backups, WD USB external 8 TB to 12 TB drives, that are stored offsite with one drive at the office that is updated Friday night. All backups are mirror images with no deletions. The external backup drives are replaced every three years.
Oscar Gordon, “Glory Road”
I do not remember reading this book. So, I have ordered a new copy.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765312220?tag=ttgnet-20/
I am very very slowly reacquiring all of my Heinlein books (only 3 or 4 survived The Great Flood of 1989) and reading them.
When it arrives, drop everything and read it.
Heinlein said that he wrote it in a month and it was a joy to write. It shows.
Yes, I started noticing these, in quantity, about a year ago. Glib and long winded, and subtly or not-so-subtly infelicitously phrased or just plain wrong. Sometimes it would take two or three paragraphs before I realized what was going on. I just assumed off-shored non-native-english writers being paid by the word, but maybe ”AI”…
Have you tested those backups? Can you load the necessary development software, contact management software, business files, and have everything work?
The credit Union where I used to work, and got fired, had an incident. I had long complained about the software vendor making serious mistakes In their processes. The major reason for my termination. I had long questioned their backup procedures. Along with other procedures. The vendor was not really forthcoming on how their system really worked.
Six months after I left a hard disk failed. The nightly backups were missing a couple of critical files. The credit union staff had to manually enter three days of transactions. Checks, teller, ACH, departmental, administration. It was a major mess. It was also determined that no offsite backups were available, something on which I had railed multiple times. Something the auditor never caught in the audits. I felt vindicated.
This is the same software company that the process of sending out Christmas club checks in November, produced incorrect amounts. Some people got too much, others did not get enough. Another freaking mess.
The software company had dialed into the system unknown to us, to run a test on some software. Instead of running against the test credit union, the script was run against the live credit union. All mortgage rates were reset to 0% and triggered notices to all mortgage holders. Another freaking mess.
I came down hard on the software company, as in screaming at their CEO. I was getting hammered by our CEO for the problems. He did seem to connect that it was the vendor, not I or my staff, that caused the issue. On one of the visits from the account rep, she waved her tits in the CEO’s face and got me terminated. Convince him it was all my fault. Six months later the CEO was terminated by a unanimous vote by the board in a special called meeting.
Fun with eBay. I still do not have the phone batteries I paid for on Dec. 31. File a complaint, it’s all “on hold” for ten days. The seller sent a message offering blah blah 50% discount or free return postage and that extended the hold time until March 4th. I just want my batteries.
USPS tracking numbers for something gong to Canada is just screwy.
I think, could be wrong, but one has 60 days to dispute a charge. So I called Discover. Nice folks. And eBay replied with “The case has been closed because we were notified that you filed a payment dispute with your payment institution. You can still view details of this case on eBay.”
I’ll believe it when I see the credit on my net bill.
I have to get my rear into gear and do the taxes. I don’t want to. I don’t expect to owe, I might get a refund, but I just don’t wanna F with it. Grump grump be an adult, yeah.
Have you tested those backups? Can you load the necessary development software, contact management software, business files, and have everything work?
Mostly. If I lose my installation CDs and USB sticks, I could be in trouble. I have a file cabinet full of them.
Well, the VA has not totally rejected my claim for my shoulder for bone spurs and arthritis. I am being asked to go for a third examination. That could be one of two things, good news or bad news.
I don’t really know if I am supposed to get disability for the shoulder. It is skeletal and skeletal covers all the bones. I get disability for my back and anything skeletal is supposed to be because of the back injury. Does the VA consider arthritis and bone spurs skeletal.
The thing with the VA is no one really knows what the VA is going to approve. For some it may seem frivolous applying. If the disability rating is approved it could mean $300-$600 more a month from the VA. If it is not approved, at least I know. With the VA one has to apply to know if the VA will approve.
I found out, luckily, when I had my knee replaced. The VA considered me disabled for my knee due to the back injury. Found out by accident. Now anytime I have an issue I apply with the VA for disability. I will not get caught off guard again.
The basic Turing Test is no longer cutting it. We need something better so that we can identify a true intelligence if we encounter one.
Cold Fury
Daily Pundit
(Same essay at each site but there will probably be different comments.)
Ask it about the meaning of the word ‘is’ and see if it gives you Bubba Clinton back.
No, thanks. One of that pile of post-digestion food is too many.
@Lynn
Do you have a list of the ones you need?
“Glory Road” was a Hugo Nominee in 1964, which is arguably the best crop ever:
Winner: Clifford Simak, “Way Station”
Nominees:
Robert Heinlein, “Glory Road”
Andre Norton “Witch World”
Frank Herbert, “Dune World” (as magazine serial)
Kurt Vonnegut, “Cat’s Cradle”
Do you have a list of the ones you need?
Nope. Like I said, very slowly. I have well over 500 books in my SBR. If I retired today, plenty to read for the next ten years.
But I have 90% of my books in the garage. I have been thinking about insulating and sheetrocking the back 10 foot by 33 foot of my garage, and adding a wall heat pump, and making that my reading room with all of my books out of their boxes.
Do you have a list of the ones you need?
I forgot to say that I have about thirty Heinlein books now. I have two copies of my favorites at the bugout: TMIAHM, COTG, TSB.
@Lynn
Humidity is not your books’ friend.
Getting them into a more controlled environment would protect your investment.
Well, I got the cell booster about 90% installed. The antenna is up, coax enters the building (into the equipment closet) and there is coax from the closet to the room where the booster will live, there is just a little issue with me not knowing which of the dozen coax runs that enter the closet is the one from the rooftop antenna…
I didn’t have my toner so I couldn’t find it today. I’ll got back tomorrow and finish. Shouldn’t take long once I find the cable.
I also installed a couple of PoE injectors for security cams. The built in switch on the NVR had no PoE on 2 ports but the ports still worked. It’s a temporary solution until we upgrade some cams and the NVR.
I still need to add a switch in the attic, a ubiquiti Nanostation in wap mode, and replace a dead camera. Ordered a replacement cam before I headed out. They have gotten so cheap, it was easier to buy a new one, than get NOS for a matching one. Hopefully the NVR will recognize the onvif profile, and I won’t have an issue. Once the wap sends internet down to the gate, I’ll install a ring doorbell on the gate access pedestal. I really dislike devices that are wifi only. There are a couple of tvs outside that are failing, so I’ll do at least one pretty soon. It’s a big system, part of it is outside, there is lightning and the power quality out in the country leaves something to be desired. Always work for me though.
n
Humidity is not your books’ friend.
Getting them into a more controlled environment would protect your investment.
Yup, they have been out there for three years. That is one reason why I do not like opening the boxes as it puts fresh humid air into them.
My tax error was getting transferring a number from one form to another: I copied the wrong line entering “0” instead of “23,065.” No excuse, just an error on my part. No real lesson to be learned other than stopping and restarting when I wasn’t tired.
I know exactly where my box of spare Heinleins is. It wouldn’t take me more than a couple hours to get to it…
I wanted the Virginia Editions when they were published. A couple years ago I had the chance to buy a set for $600 and passed, when I realized that having them would make me sad to consider that they would have a hard time finding a home when I was gone.
If I were building a set from scratch I would tend toward the editions that I remember reading first. What would “Have Spacesuit–Will Travel” be without the iconic spacesuit cover?
The exception would be the short story collections–definitely the Szafran covers.
I wanted the Virginia Editions when they were published. A couple years ago I had the chance to buy a set for $600 and passed, when I realized that having them would make me sad to consider that they would have a hard time finding a home when I was gone.
Exactly. My son might look at then when I am gone but his favorite reading material is neurology book. Go figure.
The exception would be the short story collections–definitely the Szafran covers.
I bought my Heinlein short story collection MMPBs when we lived in London, England in 1973. My covers are very different from the USA versions. And very worn and water spots. I dried those out after the flood, kinda.
I lost several thousand books in a flood in the 90’s. The paperbacks were waterlogged when I got them out. A large number stuck together. The ones that would separate I tore the covers off and dried them outside on the lawn. My thought was that someday I might decoupage a tabletop like Half Price Books had in some of their stores. uh-huh. RSN (Real Soon Now–Pournelle)
I acquired a taste for the Corgi sf covers in the 70’s, and used to by the occasional copy just for the cover.
I remember paying 8.5% about 1978, was able to refinance to 6.something in about 1988. The low rates of recent years have blown me away, although we pay 0 now.
As of tomorrow, I will officially own no real estate, anywhere. I signed all the paperwork today, the other parties on some of the properties will sign tomorrow or Friday.
Well, there’s one remaining parcel in my brother’s estate, of which I am 50% heir and will be named executor when Harris County TX courts get around to it in April sometime.
I sold my family farm, and an adjoining property jointly owned by family members, and now I have to decide what to do with a a pile of cash. I have possession of the biggest check ever made out to me in my life.
Any suggestions for rural retreats roughly 2 hours from
HoustonKaty TX?I’m thankful to cut all my ties with Illinois. Love the views, the history, the terrain, even the tornado alley weather, but the politics are pure poison.
I fly back to Houston from Illinois tomorrow. Hamfest over the weekend, and then on to the rest of my life. I’ll probably see Nick there, but of course, who is he really? Mysteries are fun, and part of growing up is realizing there are things you’ll never know.
@lpdbw , glad everything worked out for you in the end. I’ll be in the parking lot, with a bunch of stuff for sale. Like all the other guys.
I was thinking of doing a recognition code though… have to think about it.
Wrt bugout/retirement places, Bob did a bunch of ruminating on the subject. Rick’s search tool in the menu bar will probably find it…
n
Wrt bugout/retirement places, Bob did a bunch of ruminating on the subject. Rick’s search tool in the menu bar will probably find it…
https://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Cheap-Survival-Retreat-Mans-Solution/dp/1983810592?tag=ttgnet-20
Fair enough. I read several of her articles, and thought this one was sufficiently off that it was AI generated. Or maybe her other articles were based on AI research, then written by her, and she got lazy? Don’t know, but it seemed sufficiently different from other things she wrote.
Harry and Meghan – what an unpleasant couple. AFAIK, Harry has little independent wealth, and Meghan is a low-tier actress. To support their desired lifestyle, they have to market themselves to the tabloids. In this case, by publishing a book that makes unprovable claims about dirty laundry within the family.
Sometimes the spare is the one you have to get rid of.
FWIW: I’m not a huge fan of the royal family. Prince Andrew is a stain, and Charles is a dim bulb who should have immediately abdicated in favor of William. However, the monarchy in general has served the UK (and many other European countries) well. Separating “head of state” from “head of government” is a good idea, and one that the US really ought to adopt.
Speaking of stains. There are so many scams and crappy sellers on eBay that I haven’t used it for years, and probably never will again. There’s just no need to wade through a swamp like that.
I increasingly feel the same about Amazon, and only use them when I have no other possible source.
For both companies, I do have to wonder: Curating their sellers would take effort, but surely it would be worth the payoff in terms of reputation?
WRT physical storage of paper non-text books, I don’t. A number of years ago, I accepted RBT’s advice and downloaded a bunch via one of those torrent methods. I installed the Calibre converter and an ebook reading app and enjoyed the process.
Later, I purchased a Kindle unit and read a bunch for 99¢ each and then signed up a trial period of KindleUnlimited and read for free. Lastly, I joined the Huntington Beach Public Library for free as a resident and then downloaded and installed the cloudlibrary app to download and read the library ebooks.
Very straightforward, no cost and easy to select, download, read and then return; but nothing to store.