Wed. Aug. 16, 2023 – still not feeling 100% but got stuff to do… and first day of school!

By on August 16th, 2023 in culture, decline and fall, personal

Hot and humid for the first day of school. WAY too hot. Part of the reason for not attending school in the summer was because of the heat, and later the expense of A/C. They have moved the start so far forward that it’s still summer.

So we have “First day of school” happening. Should be interesting for kids that have been sleeping in until noon or later.

I’ll have my own issues getting up at 6am.

But I’ll do it. And there will be breakfast… which will probably go uneaten. Dang kids.

Then I’ve got a pickup or two, and I’m sleeping as much as I can. Oh, and I’ll have to get D1 from school in the afternoon. Hope that isn’t a trend.

Not much prepping gonna happen today, just using the stacks to feed the family.

Doesn’t mean YOU can’t stack…

nick

81 Comments and discussion on "Wed. Aug. 16, 2023 – still not feeling 100% but got stuff to do… and first day of school!"

  1. Greg Norton says:

    >> I don’t see how any court in GA will get a conviction. tRump Tweeted and it is a felony. Geeze.

    Not to mention the judge wants to try all 19 defendents concurrently. Popcorn Time! 

    Georgia RICO case. At least one of the 19 is expected to flip out and turn on the Capo, negotiating a plea deal for some minor aspect of the case which will be enough to establish “truth” about the charges in the confines of the courtroom.

    Not that they will need someone to flip in Fulton to get a conviction, but it makes for good political theater, probably to the delight of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

    The law was originally intended to go after the Klan and other similar groups with very broad timeframes of incidents and defendants, but those pinheads don’t run the big rackets in the state anymore.

  2. Nick Flandrey says:

    Flurry of activity this am… a bit cooler, but I’m sure it will get hot.

    And breakfast went uneaten, except for pop-tarts. Which is fine.   Wife and I ate the hash browns and eggs.

    X1 was here too, going to school with D1.   Tried to feed her.   Had to get out my hole punch and make a couple extra holes in her belt so it fit.  Grrr.   At least the school has free lunch for everyone (ie. taxpayer funded barely edible, could call it food if you were generous, lunch.)

    I’m going back to sleep, if I can.

    n

  3. Nick Flandrey says:

    An example of how the left lies.

    One of the things D1 brought home from orientation was a flyer for parrisfoundation.org which “hosts” a federal program to support kids in school, and “uplift” them.    The whole thing has a whiff of progs so I looked.    The foundation was started by Parris Gaehring’s mom after he died.

    Founded in honor of Parris R. Gaehring who lost his life at a young age due to gun violence, The Parris Foundation exists to provide counseling, outreach, and educational services to disenfranchised communities. ”

    –except that it turns out he was shot by a friend who was sitting in the back seat of his car, along with two other people.   Said friend was later convicted of criminally 
    negligent homicide and sentenced to six and one half years in prison.  Friend was tried as an adult.

    Not exactly the scene one pictures when reading the foundation’s site.

    n

    and fwiw, google seems to be hiding some results.  ducks got a whole lot more useful results when looking for the crime and reporting on it.    You’d think there would have been more than one story in the press but that is all that I can find, and I only found it with the ducks after reading about the mom complaining that the story ran without her notification or approval.

    n

  4. Greg Norton says:

    One of the things D1 brought home from orientation was a flyer for parrisfoundation.org which “hosts” a federal program to support kids in school, and “uplift” them.    The whole thing has a whiff of progs so I looked.    The foundation was started by Parris Gaehring’s mom after he died.

    Texas is not a Republican state anymore, regardless of who has an (R) after their name in Austin or how many abortion restrictions the Governor pushes through the Legislature in return for capitulation on the big issues.

    People will look at their trim notices next Spring and believe that the ISDs are finally being held accountable so nothing will change in the election next Fall or the following Legislature regular session in 2025.

    The trim notices will be a shock in 2026, but that’s 2026.

  5. SteveF says:

    X1 was here too, going to school with D1.   Tried to feed her.   Had to get out my hole punch and make a couple extra holes in her belt so it fit.

    Not fed at home? Picky eater? Mental problems causing her to not eat? Big differences in addressing the problem.

    The Child is losing weight, probably because of some medicine she’s taking. As usual, the list of possible side effects is very long and wide-ranging, so that pretty much anything except spontaneous combustion could be caused by taking the pills as prescribed. It’s  annoying because the recent stuffy nose and coughing might be because she hasn’t vacuumed her room recently or it might be a side effect. A rash might be from some plant in the forest or it might be a side effect. Useless.

  6. MrAtoz says:

    And the DMVs are civil service. 

    Employing the unemployable.

  7. SteveF says:

    civil service

    Two lies for the price of one.

  8. EdH says:

    Neighbor mentioned the local Walgreens posted a sign that they were out of COVID tests.  

  9. Brad says:

    anything except spontaneous combustion could be caused by taking the pills as prescribed

    Those side-effect lists are pretty useless. Just look at the most common ones.

    Anyway, are you sure spontaneous combustion isn’t listed?

  10. Nick Flandrey says:

    Covid tests and PPEs have all be appearing in bulk in my surplus auctions.   You can get a couple  thousand N95 masks, a whole pallet, for less than $100 if you get lucky.

    Same with tyvek suits, booties, face shields, etc.

    n

  11. drwilliams says:

    And the DMVs are civil service. 

    “Employing the unemployable.”

    Depends. Small local office has been top-notch for years. Great staff. Slow turnover. Short wait times. 

    Earlier this year the county closed an office about 8 miles away, making this the nearest alternative for most people. The hours are extended, the line is now out the door–as in “out of the building”–half an hour before opening, and the wait times are probably 30-40 minutes all day. There’s a major addition being added to the building and I have no doubt it will include a new windowless location with a waiting lines using Disney Crowd Control ScienceTM

    I expect more people will be learning to do their business online, and if you do have to go in person, each one in front of you will have something like “my brother-in-law gave me this trailer and it’s never been registered”

  12. drwilliams says:

    Covid tests and PPEs have all be appearing in bulk in my surplus auctions.   You can get a couple  thousand N95 masks, a whole pallet, for less than $100 if you get lucky.

    Chicom specials?

  13. Nick Flandrey says:

    @steve,  Dunno.   Could be all those things.   Could be the ratty old belt never fit.   She still looks like she’s eating ok.  All of them skipped breakfast.

    ============

    I’m still up because of too much sugar and subsequent GI distress…  but I’m headed to bed now.   

    ==============

    I did spend some time falling down the rabbit hole.   The parrisfoundation ‘hosts’ the DOEd TRIO program at our school.   The program measures it’s success by number of students that APPLY for federal aid with tuition, and the number of students that stay in high school, and the number of students that are accepted to a  college university, or 2 year school.    

    The do not track success in those schools.    They have a ‘fudge factor’ by only considering “college ready” students in their programs.  For the 2020-2021 reporting year, they saw declines in the number of participants, and their positive outcomes. 

    The program cost more per successful outcome too.

    At the program level, the average cost per successful outcome was $716, which is higher than the U.S. Department of Education’s 2020–21 program-level goal of $460

    The report takes pains to point out that performance metrics can’t be used to judge the usefulness of the program, as each grantee serves a different number of students, who are different from each other.    No mention of what would be a good way to judge the performance of grantees, or the usefulness of the program.

    n

  14. Nick Flandrey says:

    Chicom specials? 

    – sometimes.  Even the good 3M with two yellow straps are made in china though.

    Suits are usually dupont, genuine tyvek.   Masks can be true N95 or KN95.   

    No one ever learns.  Or rather the incentives are perverse.

    n

  15. drwilliams says:

    Powerful, succinct, and accurate statement from Newt Gingrich:

    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2023/08/video_a_stark_warning_about_the_trump_indictment_from_newt_gingrich.html

    ends with:

    “This is going to be a horrendous period. And we just need to understand: The people who want to control America and want to dictate to America break any law, lie about any topic, and manipulate the system any way they can, and that includes a lot of the elite news media.”

    In 1983 Max Allan Collins broke into the mystery mainstream with his first book about Nathan Heller “True Detective”, beginning his fictional chronicle of organized crime in Chicago and the midwest in the 30’s and 40’s. (highly recommended). 

    Collin’s meticulous research led him to propose some solutions to real mysteries surrounding event of that time, and I read a number of non-fiction books on the topic. The best of those was “John Dillinger Slept Here” by Paul Maccabee, subtitled “A Crooks’ Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul, 1920-1936”. It was based on FBI files that he pried out after a lengthy legal battle. I don’t remember the exact quote, but the gist has stuck with me:

    “If you’re a criminal you can get away with murder on the streets of Saint Paul, as long as you registered with the Chief of Police when you got to town.”

    The Obamas, the Clintons, and the Bidens are the new crime families. The make the crime bosses of New York, Chicago, and Las Vegas look like small fry.

  16. drwilliams says:

    – sometimes.  Even the good 3M with two yellow straps are made in china though.

    Suits are usually dupont, genuine tyvek.   Masks can be true N95 or KN95.   

    No one ever learns.  Or rather the incentives are perverse.

    3M hasn’t been an American company for twenty years. At least 60% of sales are OUS.

    China was counterfeiting the 3M products during covid, and I have no doubt that they continue to do so. There’s a website with photos.

  17. drwilliams says:

    Real-estate companies are moving to buy lots in Lahaina and elsewhere in Maui. When they’re done the locals won’t be living anywhere near the ocean and the beach will look like Waikiki. 

    Hurricane Irma provided the same opportunity in the Florida Keys, but on a smaller scale.

  18. ITGuy1998 says:

    Back from my appointment for getting my passport app submitted. No trip abroad this year, but likely in later 2024 so I wanted to go ahead and get it done. I also need to to my global entry appointment setup. When my wife did it last year the first available appointment was 8 months out.

  19. Greg Norton says:

    Hurricane Irma provided the same opportunity in the Florida Keys, but on a smaller scale.

    Coastal areas of Lee and Charlotte counties in Florida along with barrier island property got bought up by the wealthy and speculators after Charley. All of the 50s cinderblock houses which were not uncommon on Sanibel and Captiva are gone now, and a lot of the commercial districts changed significantly.

    The storm last year ripped through a lot of the new construction from the last decade so the redevelopment will make the islands even more high end.

    We haven’t been back this year to take a look. Maybe next summer.

  20. Greg Norton says:

    Covid tests and PPEs have all be appearing in bulk in my surplus auctions.   You can get a couple  thousand N95 masks, a whole pallet, for less than $100 if you get lucky.

    Same with tyvek suits, booties, face shields, etc.

    “You Ain’t Got No Ice Cream” doesn’t apply to the masks anymore. Not that they ever worked outside of that game.

    Kabuki.

    They still might be useful for painting-related chores, but I’ve been able to get 3M N95 at Home Depot for over a year.

    I didn’t check the packages to see if they were Hecho en China. Knowing Bernie Marcus’ legacy, the company probably took advantage of the pandemic to destroy that brand like they did with Hunter, Schlage, etc.

  21. MrAtoz says:

    Back from my appointment for getting my passport app submitted. No trip abroad this year, but likely in later 2024 so I wanted to go ahead and get it done. I also need to to my global entry appointment setup. When my wife did it last year the first available appointment was 8 months out.

    D#3 applied for GE a couple of weeks ago. Her appointment is in December. MrsAtoz’s appointment was three months waiting. The only place I could find at that time was in Del Rio. Work came up and she had to move it back to Vegas at “Dirty” Harry Reid. She went early for the 15minute appointment and saw no one go in or out. There was a sign “Don’t knock”, but she did when her time came up. Some fat WHITEY! guy came to the door sleepy eyed saying “can’t you read” and treated her like shit. She got through it and reported him for being racisss. The goobermint’s finest.

    Employing the unemployable. Just like the TSA. I still can’t believe they gave them badges.

  22. MrAtoz says:

    I buy my precious metals on apmex.com

    Today they are hawking copper coins and bars. Go figure.

  23. Craig in Texas says:

    There are a lot of good places to buy precious metals.

         https://findbullionprices.com

  24. Greg Norton says:

    Employing the unemployable. Just like the TSA. I still can’t believe they gave them badges.

    If you are up for the road trip, the Passport Office at the Austin Post Office near 183 and I-35 is a decent experience provided you have an appointment.

    Lots of people try to show up without the appointment, and they are the people who catch grief from the clerk.

  25. RickH says:

    @nick – regarding your non-prepping hobby website…

    Without looking at the site and seeing what it does….in general I like WordPress as it takes care of the back end of storing and accessing content. Once you get the site designed and operating, changing/adding content is quite easy. Even rearranging the content is fairly easy; you just change the menu structure.

    And if you have to sell things, the WooCommerce plugins and additional add-ins allows you to create a product store quite easily, with the back end fulfillment processes organized and easy to use. I’ve set up a few sample product sites with WordPress and WooCommerce, and the process is fairly easy.

    Of course, the initial setup time will take some effort. Finding a theme, for example, can be a time sink (I’ve been there). But I could set up a basic content site in a day. Adding content is just creating new pages, and inserting those pages into your menu structure.

    If there is product sales involved, it takes a bit longer. Some time required to set up each product item and categories. And then someone has to do the fulfillment stuff – getting product into a box and shipping. 

    You can do the whole thing with a static-HTML site, of course, but that would require more effort and time. And modifying the site – adding new content, etc – would be more time than with a WordPress site.

    I don’t have any experience with Wix. It might be useful in the initial setup of a simple site, but can be more challenging to modify things.  

    If someone were to ask me to do that task, I’d probably do it with WordPress. A simple theme, some basic plugins added, and some time adding the content, and that’s it. Depends on the needs of the site, of course. But would probably still do WordPress.

  26. MrAtoz says:

    The plugs admin:

    Biden’s trans health secretary Dr Rachel Levine praises Alaska gender-affirming care clinic which wants word ‘mother’ replaced with phrase EGG PRODUCER

    Anyone under 18, in the FUSA, should not be eligible for tranny surgery/drugs therapy. Any “doctor” or “clinic” who provides such, should be shot in the babymaker. Enough. Stop pushing this agenda. Kids should not go through this. Only adults.

  27. Ray Thompson says:

    I also need to to my global entry appointment setup

    Why? Unless you travel a lot the expense, time and hassle does not seem worth it. I have traveled to Europe nine times since 9/11. Never had any real issues. A couple of thorough searches, one had me strip to my underwear, annoying, leaving Norway to the US.  Lines at TSA (Thousands Standing Around) check points have not been much of an issue.

    If you really want to expedite your checkin and security at the airport you should get a diplomatic passport. You bypass security, none of your belongings or yourself can be searched, no going through the body scanners.

    My first trip to Europe I got back on 9/8, three days before 9/11. I came close to being stuck in Europe for several weeks.

    4
    1
  28. drwilliams says:

    I didn’t check the packages to see if they were Hecho en China. Knowing Bernie Marcus’ legacy, the company probably took advantage of the pandemic to destroy that brand like they did with Hunter, Schlage, etc.

    Unlike Hunter and Schlage, 3M isn’t a one-trick pony. There are probably five or six other aisles that have bigger 3M footprints.

    The N95 line is based on patented technology that spans medical/industrial/commercial, so HD is a small player in the overall market.

  29. drwilliams says:

    There’s a certain truth to the joke. DuPont is the corporation that defines Biden’s career. His first Senate bid was staffed with DuPont employees, including future chief-of-staff and senator Ted Kaufman, who was conveniently allowed to take a “leave of absence” from DuPont to help elect Biden. Biden celebrated his victory at the Hotel DuPont and bought a former DuPont mansion.

    DuPont figures in a lot of Biden’s stories. He even claims to have gotten on board with gay marriage when his father showed him a gay couple kissing at DuPont. And Biden figures in the latest DuPont story which involves handing over advanced military technology to China.

    Last year, DuPont sold off its biomaterials unit to the Huafon Group of China. Huafon, a massive chemical and finance organization.

    Biden’s own defense secretary warned that the sale would put technology that could be used for advanced explosives in China’s hands. Those concerns were not unreasonable. DuPont had been born as a gunpowder firm that came to dominate the American defense industry in the 19th century. DuPont was there handling plutonium on the ground floor of the Manhattan Project even though its former president, Irénée du Pont, had admired Hitler. DuPont has since tried to avoid associations with weapons, but its biomaterials had potential military applications. . .

    . . . Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has generally been a loyal political soldier. He had previously toed the line on nearly every Biden initiative. But on DuPont, he broke ranks. National security officials tried to meet with Biden to warn him that the DuPont deal might be good for the Delaware company, but was bad for America. Biden however refused to meet with them.

    And the deal went through. Despite the supposed safeguards which were supposed to prevent Covation Biomaterials, the name of the new Chinese-controlled company, from getting its hands on the production process, it happened anyway. And the FBI launched an investigation.

    Nothing is expected to come of that.

    This is far from the first time that advanced American technology has fallen into the hands of our enemies in China, but it’s particularly outrageous because top defense officials, including the secretary of defense, had warned of the consequences, and it happened anyway.

    And because there is no company closer to Joe Biden than DuPont. . .

    . . . DuPont has been kind to Biden, donating $250,000 to his inauguration committee alone, and the Biden family has been kind to DuPont. When Robert H. Richards IV, a DuPont heir, admitted to raping his 3-year-old daughter, Attorney General Beau Biden defended the judge who refused to lock him up because he has “strong family support” and “will not fare well in prison.”

    . . . Joe and Hunter Biden are far more interested in what’s good for DuPont than what’s good for America. Biden’s decision is likely to increase China’s military edge and weaken our own.

    China didn’t have to buy the [spurious] President of the United States, just the “Senator from DuPont.”

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/biden-allowed-major-donor-to-hand-advanced-military-tech-to-china/

    Yeah, that Beau, he was the “good” one.

    DuPont is the other major U.S. source of fluorochemical products. Funny how you don’t see the goobermint squeezing them for billions.

  30. Lynn says:

    “Erickson: Press disrespect breeds dishonesty” by Erick Erickson

        https://www.heraldextra.com/news/opinion/editorial/2023/aug/15/erickson-press-disrespect-breeds-dishonesty/

    “On Jan. 15, 2022, the underwater Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano in the Pacific exploded. The volcano triggered tsunamis in the South Pacific and sent a massive plume of water vapor into the stratosphere. Over the past year, scientists have increased the estimates of how much water vapor went into the stratosphere. That water vapor, every scientist agrees, warms the planet.”

    “Originally, scientists estimated 50 million metric tons of water went into the atmosphere. Now, revised estimates are at 150 million metric tons, which equates to 40 trillion gallons of water injected into the stratosphere. Over the past year, dozens of scientists have produced papers warning that the summer of 2023 and possible into the next decade would be abnormally hot. Scientists suggest the global temperature could increase more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

    “In fact, that is exactly what is happening. Up until the summer heatwave, news reports noted the expected increase in temperatures due to the volcano. But as the heatwave began, as predicted, the volcano and its water vapor disappeared from coverage. Now, in the progressive spirit of never letting a crisis go to waste, the American and European press corps have begun a full court press on climate change. Instead of the volcano, people, capitalism, and oil companies are to blame for the heat wave.”

  31. Greg Norton says:

    Yeah, that Beau, he was the “good” one.

    Please. Beau was not even as academically accomplished as Hunter, and he was as much of a grifter as the rest, to the point that he ran the Delaware Attorney General’s office and explored a Senate run for Corn Pop’s old seat from overseas, during his year in Iraq.

    That must have been some “combat zone”.

  32. JimB says:

    Hey Ford fans! Here is a 1934 Ford Coupe Hot Rod. Long video, but look at the meticulous attention to detail. No surprise it won 2023 Hot Rod of the Year from Goodguys Rod & Custom. The video is full of fun stuff, from images of Bill Ganahl’s shop and other cars, to driving it. Very well produced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jF4nFgs-V4

    If that name sounds familiar, Bill’s father was Pat Ganahl, who wrote and edited some of the better hot rod magazines over the years.

    Reminder: hot rods are not intended to be practical or even authentic. They are expressions of care and careful construction. They are a reflection of the builder’s interpretation.

  33. Lynn says:

    “U.S. Steel, the First $1 Billion Company, Is Nearing an End. It’s a Lesson for Tesla and Apple.”

        https://finance.yahoo.com/m/98d1c9e3-3ae4-3fc3-89a9-8e415490a9c3/u-s-steel-the-first-1.html

    The USA was once a great country too.

  34. Lynn says:

    Hey Ford fans! Here is a 1934 Ford Coupe Hot Rod. Long video, but look at the meticulous attention to detail. No surprise it won 2023 Hot Rod of the Year from Goodguys Rod & Custom. The video is full of fun stuff, from images of Bill Ganahl’s shop and other cars, to driving it. Very well produced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jF4nFgs-V4

    One of my neighbors has a 193x Ford coupe that looks very much like that except it is dark blue.  He has a V8 in it with a three speed automatic.  No a/c, he pops the bottom of the windshield forward for fresh air.

  35. Lynn says:

    Hot and humid for the first day of school. WAY too hot. Part of the reason for not attending school in the summer was because of the heat, and later the expense of A/C. They have moved the start so far forward that it’s still summer.

    When I worked for TXU, we mandated that they could not start school until after Labor Day, the first Monday in September.  We gave them a hefty discount for that privilege.  Otherwise, we would have had to build several more power plants in central and north Texas as we covered 40% of the population in Texas.

  36. Alan says:

    >> I was thinking a blogging platform like wordpress, but then I saw my thousanth ad for Squarespace and their tool…

    @nick, my past experience with Squarespace is that looks super easy in the ads, (but then what doesn’t) is okay for the out of the box stuff, but gets more involved trying to work with themes and various plug-ins. 

    This was for a very basic site for W2. She then got a copy of WordPress for Dummies but after a day she tossed me the book and said “Here, you do it.” I did it in about an hour in static HTML.

    I’d say go with whichever you have access to a ‘guru’ for when you get stuck. 

  37. JimB says:

    We have a small town DMV. Because California DMV offices have been plagued with poor service and inadequate capacity, we have been the unexpected beneficiary of the reforms of the past few years. A lot can be done online without the need to visit in person. I have renewed my registrations for many years online, and the web site is well designed and easy to use. The last time I was in the office was five years ago to renew my driver’s license, and it went smoothly. Everyone over age 70 is supposed to have to go in person. I believe it is to take the eye test, but it could be other things as well.

    I recently renewed my driver’s license almost entirely online. I did have to go in person because I needed to take the eye test. I began the process online and took the “written” tests, one for regular automobiles and the other for motorcycles. The test was administered by some third party, and I needed a computer with a webcam, so I used my wife’s notebook. It all went smoothly, and even cleaned up the necessary browser extension when I was finished. Pretty impressive, actually. The camera is used to verify that I don’t leave the computer or have someone else take the test. I am told it is very similar to using one of the computers at the local office.

    After I passed the tests, I paid online, and was directed to make an appointment for the local office. In the past, I never made an appointment because there is seldom much wait in our office, but this time it seemed to be required. Also, in the past appointments were usually only available for several days in the future. This time I could choose from several times the next day. I went in for the appointment, and was called only about five minutes late. I did have to have a new photo and thumbprint, but these only took a couple of minutes. In and out in… I forgot to time it, but it seemed only about fifteen minutes.

    The irony is that I did not have to take the vision test. No idea why. The agent asked me if I wanted to try to remove the corrective lens requirement, and I said no. He said I was done. I was relieved, because I have monovision, and apparently the rules have changed. Without going into detail, the rules now seem really complex, and I was prepared for a hard time. Good that it went so well.

  38. mediumwave says:

    Hey Ford fans! Here is a 1934 Ford Coupe Hot Rod. Long video, but look at the meticulous attention to detail. No surprise it won 2023 Hot Rod of the Year from Goodguys Rod & Custom. The video is full of fun stuff, from images of Bill Ganahl’s shop and other cars, to driving it. Very well produced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jF4nFgs-V4

    At the opposite end of the spectrum . . . 

  39. JimB says:

    @nick, my past experience with Squarespace is that looks super easy in the ads, (but then what doesn’t)…

    I might have told my story of the Sears Saw Salesman before, but here goes.

    When I was a kid, there was a glass walled-off area in the Sears tool department. Inside there was a table saw, a radial arm saw, and maybe a couple other power tools. During popular hours there was a guy who demonstrated what a proud owner of such equipment could do. He was a master at making it look easy, and fun to watch. Yup. Later in life, I bought some of those tools and learned to use them. I never found it as easy as he demonstrated.

    I had some family members and friends who were good at wood working, sheet metal, welding, and other skills. We all told our versions of that Sears Saw Salesman story. Heh.

  40. Lynn says:

    “Most Americans want federal regulation of AI, poll shows”

         https://www.zdnet.com/article/most-americans-want-federal-regulation-of-ai-poll-shows/

    “86% of Americans believe AI could accidentally cause a catastrophic event.”

    Never gonna happen.  Anything that can be worked on in someone’s home is incredibly hard to regulate.

  41. Lynn says:

    “In panic mode after ruble plunges below a penny, Russia rescues Vladimir Putin from humiliating currency collapse with emergency hike”

         https://finance.yahoo.com/news/panic-mode-ruble-plunges-below-154524977.html

    “The move comes after the country’s ruble broke below the psychological floor of 100 to a U.S. dollar, rendering each less valuable than a penny.”

    It may be time to buy some rubles.  But, they may be radioactive in the near future.

  42. JimB says:

    At the opposite end of the spectrum . . . 

    What a gorgeous tow truck!!

    Another of Jay’s “livin’ the dream” videos. I say that because he worked so hard for most of his life, and now can enjoy his secondary vocation.

    I almost mentioned rat rods when I posted the one about the meticulous Saint Christopher hot rod. I would quickly get tired of a near perfect car. Not so a real rat rod. Park it anywhere, pile in careless passengers, kids, and dogs, hose it out. They are like a well-worn pair of shoes. I know a guy who built one, and he agrees.

  43. Lynn says:

    “Biden is trying to shift the cost of student loans to taxpayers — again”

         https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/biden-is-trying-to-shift-the-cost-of-student-loans-to-taxpayers-again

    What an asshole !

  44. paul says:
    What an asshole !

    For a bit over 50 years.

  45. Greg Norton says:

    “Biden is trying to shift the cost of student loans to taxpayers — again”

    $33,000/year is a very sad income when you consider that Buc-ee’s starts cashiers at $16/hr and a lot of the fast food places around here offer similar money.

    Corn Pop is just spitballing, running out the clock and keeping the seat warm for the Jesus President who will roll in, pack the court, and pass a blanket forgiveness through Congress after eliminating the Filibuster. Roberts opnion in Nebraska v. Biden still applies if they are trying to sneak the authority through under the HEROES Act again.

  46. paul says:
    “The move comes after the country’s ruble broke below the psychological floor of 100 to a U.S. dollar, rendering each less valuable than a penny"

    Like a penny is worth much anymore?

    So what was a ruble worth compared to the US dollar a few years ago?

    I’ve had the impression a ruble was about 30¢USD.  Maybe.  Worth more than the mexican peso anyway.

    So you trot yourself to the store and buy a loaf of bread for $2.49 USD.  That’s what?  Eight rubles?  

    It’s relative.  It’s all Dollars vs Pounds and Shillings and Pesos and etc.

  47. Greg Norton says:

    Never gonna happen.  Anything that can be worked on in someone’s home is incredibly hard to regulate.

    Next year.

  48. nick flandrey says:

    Dang, my jury duty appointment is tomorrow.   I could go in and claim covid but they’d just reschedule me.  Probably better to show up, wait for a while, shuffle where they  tell me to, and if I get called for selection tell them I volunteer with the PD sometimes.   That should get me dismissed by almost any defense lawyer. 

    I thought it was Friday.

    If I remember headphones, I can listen to an audiobook or sleep.

    n

  49. paul says:
    $33,000/year is a very sad income

    Dunno.  I hit that after 12 pushing 13 years at HEB.  I thought the pay was ok.  Though I walked out in 2016.

    I miss the people.  Co-workers and customers.  

    I don’t miss the the 4am alarm to get my self to work at 5:45am…. and getting written up for clocking in late… because WTF, the front doors are still locked and I’m suppose to do what exactly?  Kick in the glass doors?  Moron stupid bitchy boss.

    I certainly do not miss the weekly late shift.  It’s all 6am to 2pm and once a week you get a 2 to 10pm shift….. just before your day off IF you were lucky.   “Great fun” to get off of at 10 and have to be back at 6am.

    But I’m the one with the attitude…. 

    Don’t miss the bullshirt(-r) a bit. 

  50. Lynn says:

    Never gonna happen.  Anything that can be worked on in someone’s home is incredibly hard to regulate.

    Next year.

    How are you going to regulate programmers working at home ?

    Or are you thinking that they are going to try to regulate the entire programming profession like they have been talking about for the last 30 years ?

    Not gonna happen. Especially in an presidential election year.

  51. Lynn says:

    “Soul Taken (A Mercy Thompson Novel)” by Patricia Briggs
       https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Taken-Mercy-Thompson-Novel/dp/044000165X?tag=ttgnet-20/

    Book number thirteen of a thirteen book dark fantasy series. The author has written several other books in the universe also. I read the well printed and well bound MMPB published by Ace in 2023 that I bought new on Amazon recently. The first book in the series, “Moon Called”, is one of my six star books. I have read all of the other books in the series including the “Alpha and Omega” series.

    This book series is a very complicated universe. Coyote shapeshifter, werewolves, vampires, fae, and several other mythical creatures. Mercy Thompson is a coyote shapeshifter, a magical creature that violates the law of constant mass. She grew up in a werewolf town in Montana and is a loner. But life forces her to take a part in the life of the local werewolf pack alpha who lives next to her in the Tri-cities.

    One of Mercy’s acquaintances is Wulfe, an old and possibly insane vampire. In fact, Mercy is being stalked by Wulfe for fun. And now Wulfe and his master vampire, Marislia, are missing. Along with Mercy’s vampire friend Stephan.

    The author has a website at:
       https://www.patriciabriggs.com/

    My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (12,662 reviews)

  52. Lynn says:

    I certainly do not miss the weekly late shift.  It’s all 6am to 2pm and once a week you get a 2 to 10pm shift….. just before your day off IF you were lucky.   “Great fun” to get off of at 10 and have to be back at 6am.

    Our power plant operators used to swing shift every two weeks.  7am to 3pm, 3pm to 11pm, 11pm to 7am.  Every two weeks, half of the shift worked both of 11pm to 7am and 7am to 3pm shifts when they changed shifts every Saturday night.  Lots of grumbling every two weeks.

  53. lpdbw says:

    Dietary supplements

    My new doctor suggests:

    • Red Yeast Rice – I’m skeptical, since it’s basically a “natural” statin, and I won’t take statins.
    • Coenzyme Q10
    • Garlic
    • Omega-3
    • Bergamot
    • L-Carnitine

    I’m open-minded about these, and even at inflated prices, it’s cheaper than Ozempic/Wegovy/Mounjaro.  Goal is to reduce my chronic inflammation and weight since my keto efforts have stallled.

    What I’m actually likely to do is pick a couple or a few of them, rather than all.  And I’ve already got Berberine going.  I  will probably go with Co-Q10 and Omega-3.

    Any specific experience out there? Recommendations?  Warnings?

    Doctor is still somewhat promissing, in that his diet recommendations are only 20 years out of date instead of 40 years like the other doctors I know.  He’s sufferring cognitive dissonance regarding saturated fats.  He recognizes (now) that eggs are good, but then says to eat less red meat and more vegetables. And he actually used the words “balanced diet”, as if such a thing exists.  It’s hard to overcome your training, even when you know you were trained wrong.

  54. Greg Norton says:

    Dunno.  I hit that after 12 pushing 13 years at HEB.  I thought the pay was ok.  Though I walked out in 2016.

    I miss the people.  Co-workers and customers.  

    $33,000 is sad in a inflationary environment where Wendy’s up on the corner now advertises paying $16 to start.

    And these are college graduates with loans.

  55. Alan says:

    >> Oh, and I’ll have to get D1 from school in the afternoon. Hope that isn’t a trend.

    I guess no busses for HS? 

    I’m sure you don’t want to think about it yet, but what’s the age in TX for a learner’s permit? Oh, I guess the Gecko wants to know too.

  56. SteveF says:

    And these are college graduates with loans.

    Loans used to obtain degrees which are not well suited for well-paid employment. My sympathy is limited.

  57. Greg Norton says:

    Next year.

    How are you going to regulate programmers working at home ?

    Ask the prosecutors who went after “DVD Jon” on behalf of the studios.

    Or the people who put together the Posix standards about how much money they’ve made from Linux.

  58. Lynn says:

    $33,000 is sad in a inflationary environment where Wendy’s up on the corner now advertises paying $16 to start.

    And these are college graduates with loans.

    Yeah, but they do not get get free body armor from Wendy’s.

  59. Lynn says:

    Ask the prosecutors who went after “DVD Jon” on behalf of the studios.

    DVD Jon beat the rap.

  60. Lynn says:

    Scott Adams: “How do you burn an ebook?”

    “You throw the Kindle in the fire.”

  61. Alan says:

    >> 

    And the DMVs are civil service. 

    Employing the unemployable.

    My LEAF is still (electronically) titled in CA where it was shipped from but registered not in CA. The non-CA DMV points at the lienholder (Chase) and Chase points at the non-CA DMV to get the title transferred. I tried to get everyone on a conference call but the DMV didn’t want to be bothered. Should be fun when I go to sell it. 

    Not to mention the CA (regular) license plates that came on the car that seem to have been reissued in CA and generate the occasional ‘toll by plate’ bill in the mail to me. Those go directly into the recycling bin. 

  62. Lynn says:

    Scott Adams has a new book coming out tomorrow in ebook.  “Reframe Your Brain: The User Interface for Happiness and Success”.  The trade paperback comes out in September.

        https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFWMH8RB?tag=ttgnet-20/

    Looks like the canceling did not last very long.

  63. Nightraker says:

    RE: Dietary supplements

    I am 68, 140-ish  pounds.  Both my Dad and his brother had heart attacks/surgeries starting in their early 60’s.  My uncle smoked.  Dad died just short of 91, Uncle Bob @ 87.

    I have avoided such excitement so far with:

    Vitamin C 2000mg twice a day

    Vitamin D 5000mg twice a day

    Vitamin K2 1000mg once supposed to minimize blood vessel plaque

    Zinc Citrate 30mg once 

    Selenium 200mg once supposed to increase Zinc absorption

    Magnesium 2000mg twice a day

    Vitamin B complex pill once

    CO Q10 50mg once ’cause why not?

    Garlic 1200mg once

    Astaxanthin 10mg once supposed to be good for eyes, heart

    Chondroitin 2400mg twice a day see: https://www.lewrockwell.com/2021/10/no_author/the-forgotten-cure-that-prevents-mortal-heart-attacks/

    I have no idea if any of this is any more than a good kidney exercise, but the cost is modest enough.

  64. Greg Norton says:

    Looks like the canceling did not last very long.

    Dilbert is still MIA.

    Granted, the glory days of the strip were 25 years ago so maybe Adams was getting bored, but Dilbert-isms were still common in the workplace until the pandemic sent everyone home.

    HR was Catbert for decades.

  65. Lynn says:

    Dilbert is still MIA.

    Nope, Dilbert got paywalled.

        https://scottadams.locals.com/

    Strange, https://dilbert.com/ seems to be gone now.

  66. Alan says:

    >> The Obamas, the Clintons, and the Bidens are the new crime families. The make the crime bosses of New York, Chicago, and Las Vegas look like small fry.

    How about the Kennedys? 

    Plenty of grist for the mill there… 

  67. nick flandrey says:

    I guess no busses for HS?  

    –  we ‘selected’ the HS because of some extra programs she was interested in.  We are ‘zoned’ to a different school.    If we were going to our zoned school, we’d get a bus.   Even though the distance is about equal and busses pass by at the end of the block.   

    The whole “running the district for their benefit not mine” thing kicks in in spades with busses.

    ——————

    Popo got something big going on tonight.  Lots of scanner traffic on the interop channels, multi agency coordination.  Command post in the field.   DEA involved.   Some other special units.  They sound engaged and excited.

    n

  68. drwilliams says:

    “balanced diet”

    coffee

    cookies

    red meat

    rotisserie chicken

    milk and ice cream

    beer, wine, whiskey, cigarettes, cigars

    cookies

    all the fresh veg and fruit in season that God blessed us with, and anything we have the forethought to put by for the short days of winter

    and a special shout out to God at this time of year for tomatoes

    and cookies

    3
    1
  69. Lynn says:

    and a special shout out to God at this time of year for tomatoes

    You forgot cherries.

    And I love having blueberries all year long now with the South American farms.

    Man, I love soft chewy peanut butter cookies.

  70. Lynn says:

    “balanced diet”

    coffee

    cookies

    red meat

    rotisserie chicken

    milk and ice cream

    beer, wine, whiskey, cigarettes, cigars

    cookies

    all the fresh veg and fruit in season that God blessed us with, and anything we have the forethought to put by for the short days of winter

    and a special shout out to God at this time of year for tomatoes

    and cookies

    So, you weigh 450 lbs ?

  71. JimB says:

    My LEAF is still (electronically) titled in CA where it was shipped from but registered not in CA. The non-CA DMV points at the lienholder (Chase) and Chase points at the non-CA DMV to get the title transferred. I tried to get everyone on a conference call but the DMV didn’t want to be bothered. Should be fun when I go to sell it. 

    Not to mention the CA (regular) license plates that came on the car that seem to have been reissued in CA and generate the occasional ‘toll by plate’ bill in the mail to me. Those go directly into the recycling bin.

    I suggest you correct this ASAP, for two reasons. First, unless you have a valid title in your state of residence, you don’t own the car. Period. I know, states vary, but this is pretty consistent. Second, discarding toll letters is not a good way to handle this. If it were to escalate to parking or moving violations, you could be accumulating bench warrants. Some states, and increasingly more of them, have reciprocity agreements that can bite you, either in your home state or in an unrelated state you might visit. With the increase of license plate readers, you could be stopped and your car might be impounded until you get this straightened out.

    The usual best way to fix this is to work with your home state (only) and the lienholder if necessary. Many states have easy processes to fix this kind of problem. I have done it very easily through the California DMV, but of course YMMV.

    Many people assume such things will not be a problem until they want to sell their car, but this can be wrong. You could be surprised by a seemingly impossible but entirely legal situation that could cause you to lose your car, or at least have it tied up in some expensive proceedings. 

    Get a valid title.

    I am surprised your home state would issue a registration without their title in your name.

  72. drwilliams says:

    “Biden has written in his memoir about a four-day crack bender he went
    on in Nashville in October 2016, part of a “crack-fueled, cross-country
    odyssey.” His infamous laptop, meanwhile, has damning proof of Biden
    buying tens of thousands of dollars worth of prostitute services
    from Florida-based madam Ekaterina Moreva. What can Florida do in
    response to that? I don’t know the answer, but I know this: If Democrats
    discovered a Trump family member had sent thousands to a madam in one of their states, the answer would not be “nothing.”

    https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/08/federal-court-retains-mark-meadows-georgia-criminal-case-pending-hearing/

    from the comments

    There’s enough evidence on the laptop–which Hunter has admitted is his–to keep a hundred grand jury’s investigating. Find the crack whores and squeeze, the follow the payments money across state lines. They ain’t all blue states. 

    “What can Florida do in response to that?”

    DeSantis: “I have asked the state attorney general to investigate the shocking allegations…”

  73. drwilliams says:

    @Lynn

    “You forgot cherries.”

    Included under fruit. This was a great year for cherries, with extraordinary low sale prices. I probably bought 20 pounds total, pitted and ate them every day, and managed to get a couple pounds frozen.

    “So, you weigh 450 lbs ?”

    bmi is normal and height is under 9’5″

  74. nick flandrey says:

    I think the popo are working street racing, but not sure.   They are looking for one guy in particular, and have dozens of under cover units out just sitting around.   Literally dozens.

    They don’t know where the guy lives, but he stashes a car somewhere.   They have spotted him ending his day in a particular area, and starting his day as if he was coming from that area so they have a bit of a lead…   Lots of resources involved.

    I’m going to get to bed as soon as I move an audio book to my phone and get a battery on the charger.

    n

  75. nick flandrey says:

    Something ate all my grapes.   Other than a few early ones that turned red and purple most were still green.   They were getting sweeter slowly.   Tuesday I looked and almost every one is gone from the vine.  Damnation.

    n

  76. drwilliams says:

    Their new slogan will be, “Budweiser: Cram more man into your can.”

    OK that’s not their slogan but it should be. Because their idea of “camo” is ruby red. That would not serve as camouflage anywhere except at a Wizard of Oz theme night at the rollerdisco.

    from Ace at AoSHQ

    I’d call it “transcamination” or “Mulvaney cam”.

  77. Alan says:

    >> I have no idea if any of this is any more than a good kidney exercise, but the cost is modest enough.

    Have you been tested to see if you might already be at your desired levels for any of these (where tests are commonly available?) 

    You mention “kidney exercise,” are all these water-soluble? 

  78. Lynn says:

    “So, you weigh 450 lbs ?”

    bmi is normal and height is under 9’5″

    Every time I eat a cookie, I gain a pound.  And I love cookies.

  79. Alan says:

    >> I am surprised your home state would issue a registration without their title in your name.

    They have a specific form for it. 

  80. Alan says:

    @nick, sometimes things happen for a reason…look at the Jury Duty as an ‘enforced’ day off and bank some rest. 

  81. Lynn says:

    I’ve been hanging out on printsf in reddit.  Somebody just described reading “Project Hail Mary” as “60% through Project Hail Mary. My first book by Weir. It’s fantastic. I love his writing, he’s kind of like an anti-Hemingway.”. 

    https://www.reddit.com/r/printSF/comments/15rirli/what_are_you_reading_midmonthly_discussion_post/

    “What would be the characteristics of an anti-Hemingway? :)”

    “Optimism, a lack of pretension (I love Hemingway but god he took his craft seriously), humour.”

    “Weir’s prose is plainer than Hemingway (in a good way) and I guess there’s an association there with Hemingway rejecting purple prose and setting literature on a course to the unadorned truth, as well. Weir’s writing is pared down really, really well.”

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