Fri. Oct. 6, 2023 – busy day, even if it’s raining…

Starting cool and a bit overcast. Not supposed to be raining in Houston today, but by now we all know how that can turn out. It was cool yesterday, and mostly overcast, with occasionally rain, mostly depending on where you were. Typical Houston.

The rain did keep me from working in my storage units, so I only took a bin or two worth of stuff to auction this week. He’s definitely on board with me bringing another load next week so that continues to be good. I’ve got stuff, and it needs to move. And even though prices are low compared to previous auctions, my stuff is still selling. For now.

With money getting tight, I am a bit late unloading my stuff. I should have been doing it for the last year, as I’ve said many times. Well, the hard times are here. They will get far worse I’m sure, but it’s already started. The typical ways out of the dilemma are ‘fight a big war’ and ‘issue new currency’. That’s after the price and wage controls are implemented but fail to solve the issue. Neither one of those sounds appealing to me.

Revolution, or at least ‘uprising’ often happens in there somewhere too.

No matter which path is chosen, a whole lot of people usually end up dying.

I really don’t see a path that avoids one of those other than a paradigm breaking event (like aliens revealing themselves, and really only by doing it in a way no one can armwave, like by dropping big rocks on population centers) or a messianic leader with huge support and iron will, ALONG WITH a big world altering event.

So I stack, and upskill, and network. Because people will make it through and I intend to be one of them. Along with my family and friends.

Join me on the journey, and we’ll get to the other side together. [but only if you stack too.]

nick

66 Comments and discussion on "Fri. Oct. 6, 2023 – busy day, even if it’s raining…"

  1. Steve Mac says:

    Nick

    You are a very astute observer of current events which is why I read your opening post daily. You may not realize it but toward the end of your post you described the pre-tribulation rapture , premillennial Christian view of the future with “a messianic leader with huge support and iron will” (the antichrist) and “a big world altering event” (the rapture). 
     

    If I have crossed a line by mentioning religion so be it. I just found Nick’s post to be profoundly insightful and another data point that we may be close to the end times from a Christian perspective.

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  2. Ray Thompson says:

    If I have crossed a line by mentioning religion so be it.

    There are diverse views, different opinion, all are welcome. What is not welcome are personal attacks and insults. So I think your good.

  3. Greg Norton says:

    “At least three members of the House — Marjorie Taylor Greene, Troy Nehls, and Anna Paulina Luna — have endorsed Trump for the role. Now, it appears Trump will be attending an all-important closed door meeting on Tuesday.”

    Troy Nehls is my congresscritter.  He is sitting in Tom Delay’s old seat.

    Luna. aka The Witch at our house, sits in what the Dems had planned as a safe seat in the hands of her immediate predecessor, Charlie Crist. She is playing a risky game in terms of retaining the seat, but supporting Trump will play well in The Villages if she’s going to run for Lt. Governor with Gaetz at the top of the ticket in 2026.

    That district is home to the Tampa Bay Times and Politifact offices which are among the Florida media organizations still pining for known (even then) meth head and Benny Crump sock puppet Andrew Gillum nearly five years after Gillum’s narrow loss to DeSantis. There will be a meltdown in that building if Trump becomes Speaker, especially if it means the end of the US involvement in Ukraine.

    Nothing will get done in Congress, which will be a very good thing, but it won’t sit well with the pinheads at the Poynter Institute.

    Watching Dem heads explode at the thought of Trump with House subpoena power and third in line for the Presidency would be extremely entertaining. Are the Boy Scouts still selling popcorn?

  4. Greg Norton says:

    If I have crossed a line by mentioning religion so be it.

    There are diverse views, different opinion, all are welcome. What is not welcome are personal attacks and insults. So I think your good.

    Keep in mind if what I suspect about the troll’s identity is true, he l teaches “The Bible as Literature” this semester.

    Make him earn that fancy new Subaru. No freebies.

  5. brad says:

    My US civics is apparently rusty – I didn’t realize (or had forgotten) that someone could be Speaker, when they are not a member of Congress. Putting Trump into that role would be…amusing. I’m not sure it would be great for governance, but I’d certainly have to buy a lot of popcorn.

  6. Ray Thompson says:

    I didn’t realize (or had forgotten) that someone could be Speaker, when they are not a member of Congress

    Nor did I. I don’t even remember that tidbit of information in my civics classes. Trump is a jerk. I don’t like him as a person. As a business person he seems to know what he is doing. And maybe it is time we had someone to say it like it is and not be politically correct.

    I, unfortunately, voted for Trump. Or rather I voted against the other candidate, Hillary, who would have been a real disaster.

  7. Greg Norton says:

    Thanks – awesome awesome experience tonight and the smile on my daughters face makes installing the bath fan through insulation completely worth it. Great music. Unbelievable how skilled musicians were in the 1980’s. 

    The musicians are still skilled, but the record industry committed suicide in the US.

    What I found interesting about the restored print is that the film looks like it could have been shot last week if you ignore the clothing on the audience and, possibly, Tina Weymouth’s jumpsuit. Even the crew guys looked current day.

    Maybe the band would have a MacBook or two now, but nothing has really changed.

    BTW, the last time I saw David Byrne live, he had a very skilled string sextet providing the base and rhythm sections of “Once In a Lifetime”. Now that was cool.

    Good Lord, that live show was over 20 years ago.

    Byrne shows up at SxSW occasionally here in Austin. The last time, he was the opening act for Hozier who, in turn, opened for Paul McCartney — the new/old pecking order in music, but *that* was probably a show.

  8. SteveF says:

    What is not welcome are personal attacks and insults. So I think your good.

    I would have made a personal attack and insult about your “your/you’re” confusion but decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

    … Which is close to saying you’re not worth the effort.

    … Which is close enough to a personal attack or insult. #winning!

    Aside from that, I agree with Ray on welcoming diverse opinions. Somewhat agree with him on insults and attacks. I think they’re fine so long as they’re amusing and at least somewhat original. Cookie-cutter “You’re a racist!” is nothing but boring, and we don’t want that, do we?

    (With the note that “diverse” is used here in its actual denotative sense, not the modern sense of “anything but White male, with Oriental and sometimes Indian counted as White”.)

  9. Bob Sprowl says:

    Weight savings for chrome moly 1-5/8″ tubing standard 0.134 wall thickness vs 0.095 4130; its roughly .48lbs per foot, if using .120 DOM instead of ERW it’s about .3/ft.   Estimates show a reduction of about 50-100 pounds depending on the amount used.

    There is a reduction in shipping cost.  Chrome Moly is harder to work and wears out cutters and drill bits much faster.  Chrome moly is better for the first impact in an accident and NHRA recommends it, but NASCAR does not.  NASCAR specifys the tube size and doesn’t reduce it for high strength steel.

  10. Darryl Hoar says:

    A non congressman as Speaker of the house caused me to remember when someone was appointed to the Supreme Court without a law degree.

  11. Ray Thompson says:

    … Which is close enough to a personal attack or insult. #winning!

    Your a Dork!

    (Stated with humor as I could not find the snicker tag).

  12. Nick Flandrey says:

    @Steve Mac, thanks for the kind words.   We’ve had some interesting discussions here involving religion, mostly when OFD (Old F’in Dave) brought his perspective.     I’m not a believer, neither was Robert,  although I grew up in the Catholic faith and studied religion formally in college and I believe RBT had a mail order Ordination in one of the online splinter sects.  I recognize Christianity’s role in the rise of Western Civilization, and particularly the formation of the USofA.  (it was founded by several different flavors of religious cultists fleeing an oppressive government ).   I would rather live in a culture built on Christian values and beliefs than any other, but some of that is just confirmation bias.   I’m sure the low caste workers in India are just fine with their culture and religion….

    @Daryl, yeah, quirky huh?   It’ll be a nice way to suck up people’s energy and attention, and might give the Donald a graceful way out of his campaign for President.   IIRC, you don’t even have to have a law degree to be a lawyer, just pass the Bar exam in most states, and that itself is a barrier erected by the ‘in crowd’ to protect their own employment.    You can act as your own lawyer without any qualifications at all, if you want a fool for a client.

    @steveF, ya gotta leave the low hanging fruit…

    ———————————–

    shortly I’ll be headed out to start my day.   I’ve got a truck to load, and a couple of pickups to do, if I have time.   I’ve got to be north for a pickup at noon, and I’ll continue on to the BOL for the long weekend from there.   

    ———————————-

    n

    (both Daryl and Steve Mac are infrequent but legit commentors.   Assume positive intent, and talk amongst yourselves….)

  13. Greg Norton says:

    My US civics is apparently rusty – I didn’t realize (or had forgotten) that someone could be Speaker, when they are not a member of Congress. Putting Trump into that role would be…amusing. I’m not sure it would be great for governance, but I’d certainly have to buy a lot of popcorn.

    The wording of the Constitution only requires the members of the House to select their speaker. Qualifications are not given, but the Federal law establishing the Speaker as third in line for the Presidency implies that the individual meets the qualifications to serve as President.

    Back in 1995, when the Republicans first retook the House after 40 years of Dem control, some members knew Newt Gingrich would eventually cave to Clinton and floated a few names for Speaker who were not House members. Among those was Rush Limbaugh’s name.

  14. Greg Norton says:

    A non congressman as Speaker of the house caused me to remember when someone was appointed to the Supreme Court without a law degree.

    Hermione Granger Kagan was not a judge prior to the Court appointment, but that isn’t unusual. Rhenquist and Warren were not judges and they both eventually became Chief Justice within the last 60 years.

    Not having a law education, formal or informal, and/or the ability to write would be a serious problem for a Justice, however, and it would be one of those times that the “advice and consent of the Senate” would be important input for the appointment.

  15. drwilliams says:

    @SteveF

    ”As for the Klingon, what he says is not important—we do not hear him.”

  16. Greg Norton says:

    shortly I’ll be headed out to start my day.   I’ve got a truck to load, and a couple of pickups to do, if I have time.   I’ve got to be north for a pickup at noon, and I’ll continue on to the BOL for the long weekend from there.   

    “Cannonball Run” weekend. According to legend, statistically, the annual low point for deployed law enforcement shift numbers in the US, which factored into the decision about when to stage the race.

    The record is so low now thanks to multiple attempts at the number during the pandemic, that I don’t think anyone will try, but, you never know. Ed Bolian’s run, the last made under “normal” conditions in 2013 was completely unexpected.

    If you are up for a challenge: 25 h 39 m.

  17. SteveF says:

    OFD (Old F’in Dave)

    IIRC, he said it was for Old Farmer Dave, or maybe Farmboy.

    IRC, you don’t even have to have a law degree to be a lawyer, just pass the Bar exam in most states

    Many, perhaps most, state bars require that you have a degree from an accredited law school in order to sit for the bar exam.

  18. Ray Thompson says:

    he said it was for Old Farmer Dave

    That is correct. Although I suspect there were deeper, alternative words for OFD.

    you have a degree from an accredited law school in order to sit for the bar exam

    Lawyers, setting rules for the legal system. Most of the rules to benefit them financially and protect their turf. Same with the education system and the requirements for teachers.

  19. SteveF says:

    Lawyers, setting rules for the legal system. Most of the rules to benefit them financially and protect their turf. Same with the education system and the requirements for teachers.

    And doctors setting standards for medical professionals.

    The difference is that lawyers who are accused of wrongdoing are ultimately judged by lawyers. Architects or doctors who are accused of wrongdoing are ultimately judged by … lawyers.

  20. MrAtoz says:

    Not having a law education, formal or informal, and/or the ability to write would be a serious problem for a Justice, however, and it would be one of those times that the “advice and consent of the Senate” would be important input for the appointment.

    “Kah-tahn-gee” Brown Jackwagon has a law degree and is still a moron. “What is a woman?” “Uh, I’m not a biologist, so I don’t know.”

    PLT imbecile.

    10
  21. Greg Norton says:

    “Kah-tahn-gee” Brown Jackwagon has a law degree and is still a moron. “What is a woman?” “Uh, I’m not a biologist, so I don’t know.”

    PLT imbecile.

    Ketanji Brown Jackson is from a wealthy family and married into old white money, so old that her husband is a sixth generation Harvard Legacy who can trace his lineage to a delegate to the Continental Congress.

    Typical elitist Dem.

  22. Lynn says:

    Your a Dork!

    Ah hem, it should be “You’re a Dork!”.

    No thanks needed.

  23. dkreck says:

    Take a week off starting Monday – maybe for Indigenous People Day.

    as usual I put my Italian flag up today and will keep it up at least through Monday. Unfortunately many people think it’s a Mexican flag.

  24. Lynn says:

    Ah rain, sweet rain.  My house water bills in August and September were higher than my electric bill.

    And I just Amdro’d over twelve ant beds (fire ants of course) that the rain brought up.  And I ordered four more jugs of Amdro from Big River.

        https://www.amazon.com/Amdro-Block-Home-Perimeter-Bait/dp/B000QDEQ7E?tag=ttgnet-20/

  25. Greg Norton says:

    you have a degree from an accredited law school in order to sit for the bar exam

    Lawyers, setting rules for the legal system. Most of the rules to benefit them financially and protect their turf. Same with the education system and the requirements for teachers.

    In Tampa, in the 90s, the requirement ensured that Joe Redner had a steady stream of [private law school name omitted] coeds to work his strip clubs, not only for the easy money but for the connections.

    Tampa was up for a public law school at one point via FAMU, but the city didn’t put enough “incentive” on the table so they lost the competition to Orlando. Even if the deal had happened, white students would have probably still been at the mercy of private school tuition.

  26. Greg Norton says:

    “Kah-tahn-gee” Brown Jackwagon has a law degree and is still a moron. “What is a woman?” “Uh, I’m not a biologist, so I don’t know.”

    The upside of the Dems having a moron minority is that only Hermione Granger Kagan has a demonstrated ability to write opinions competently, and she isn’t on the level of the Republicans.

    I figure that the Marshalls must have had to escort Kagan out behind the building for smoke breaks every 20-30 minutes for most of the Spring this year, especially the last week of June when she had nothing to counter Roberts’ opnion on the student loan repayment scheme.

    The opinions don’t get written in secret, with each side not knowing what the other will publish until the end.

  27. SteveF says:

    “Kah-tahn-gee” Brown Jackwagon has a law degree and is still a moron. “What is a woman?” “Uh, I’m not a biologist, so I don’t know.”

    PLT imbecile.

    That doesn’t show that she’s a moron. It shows that she’s a liar and in fact that she lied to the Senate committee.

    Not that I’m saying she isn’t a moron.

  28. Greg Norton says:

    That doesn’t show that she’s a moron. It shows that she’s a liar and in fact that she lied to the Senate committee.

    Not that I’m saying she isn’t a moron.

    Jackson could have asked asked for a recess to consult with her well-respected surgeon husband, who sat directly behind her during the entire length of the hearings.

  29. Lynn says:

    Pearls Before Swine: Bless Your Heart

        https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2023/10/06

    Yup, Stephan is not wrong. Poor Pig.

  30. Brad says:

    Joy. I recently read that fire ants have made it to Europe. Eradication efforts affot, but honestly? Unlikely to work.

    Nasty critters. When I lived in Austin, I found myself more and more allergic to their bites.

  31. Lynn says:

    “Get Your Car Ready For Winter”

        https://www.carpro.com/blog/get-your-car-ready-for-winter

    I have already changed the windshield wipers on our three vehicles and bought three jugs of zero F windshield washer fluid.  No more broken windshield washer bottles for me !

  32. Lynn says:

    xkcd: Odyssey

        https://xkcd.com/2837/

    As a side note, this is how you get 500+ books in your SBR (strategic book reserve) by books looking cool on Big River (Amazon).

    Explained at:

       https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2837:_Odyssey

  33. Lynn says:

    “Trump to Endorse Jim Jordan for House Speaker”

        https://thelibertydaily.com/trump-endorse-jim-jordan-house-speaker/

    “(Daily Caller)—President Donald Trump will endorse Republican Rep. Jim Jordan’s bid for speaker of the House, Republican Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas posted on Twitter.”

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  34. Ray Thompson says:

    Ah hem, it should be “You’re a Dork!”.

    My cleverly disguised attempt at being witty was apparently diverted into looking stupid. I will survive after some emotionally draining therapy.

  35. Lynn says:

    “Florida Dem Who Wants Her Student Loans Canceled Owns a $3 Million House”

        https://freebeacon.com/democrats/florida-dem-who-wants-her-student-loans-cancelled-owns-a-3-million-house/

    “Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is the Democratic Party’s pick to unseat Senator Rick Scott””

    Unreal.

    Hat tip to:

       https://thelibertydaily.com/

  36. Lynn says:

    Nor did I. I don’t even remember that tidbit of information in my civics classes. Trump is a jerk. I don’t like him as a person. As a business person he seems to know what he is doing. And maybe it is time we had someone to say it like it is and not be politically correct.

    I, unfortunately, voted for Trump. Or rather I voted against the other candidate, Hillary, who would have been a real disaster.

    I voted for Trump purposefully.  He promised me a conservative SCOTUS justice and gave me 300% of his promise.

    We need a President like Trump.  The USA needs some tough love right now.  We headed towards a financial apocalypse in the very near future.  From every thing that I have seen and read, financial apocalypses are very devastating to the populace as whole.   The weeping and wailing of the populace will be overwhelming.

    13
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  37. paul says:

    The first “cold front” of the year arrives tonight.  It’s just actually getting here enough to drop the temp at 4pm although the wind started to change direction a couple of hours ago.  56f tonight, 71f for tomorrow’s high.  The a/c is off.

    The pellet stove is ready to go!  

  38. Ray Thompson says:

    We need a President like Trump.  The USA needs some tough love right now.

    I cannot disagree with you. Trump is still a jerk in my opinion. An egotistical opinionated jerk. Someone with whom I could never be friends. And that may be what the country needs. Someone who is not afraid to tell political clowns off, shove up the tush of some other country’s leaders, someone who does not have political baggage and owes no political favors. Maybe this country needs a jerk.

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  39. Lynn says:

    From the intertubes: “I have a pet termite.  I named him Clint.  Clint eats wood.”.

    5
    1
  40. Lynn says:

    “GM Has at Least 20 Million Vehicles With Potentially Dangerous Air-Bag Parts”

        https://finance.yahoo.com/m/34021d23-a263-3984-90aa-d7748f8a44b2/gm-has-at-least-20-million.html

    Here we go again.  At $1,000 per vehicle, that is $20 billion dollars for GM to upgrade all those vehicles to safe airbags.

    Of course, I do not think that there is any such thing as a safe airbag.

  41. Lynn says:

    “It’s Official: Scientists Confirm What’s Inside The Moon”

         https://www.sciencealert.com/its-official-scientists-confirm-whats-inside-the-moon

    No, the Moon is a giant alien spaceship from the Third Imperium.

        https://www.amazon.com/Mutineers-Moon-Dahak-David-Weber/dp/0671720856?tag=ttgnet-20/

  42. Ray Thompson says:

    I do not think that there is any such thing as a safe airbag

    Agreed. But that alternative is much worse. I have been in an accident with air bag deployment. Slammed my hand against the side of the door interior and cut my hand. The alternative was a jaunty trip through the windshield or smashing my head on the steering wheel. The event is very violent, and incredibly quick, done before a person realizes what is happening. 

  43. Lynn says:

    I do not think that there is any such thing as a safe airbag

    Agreed. But that alternative is much worse. I have been in an accident with air bag deployment. Slammed my hand against the side of the door interior and cut my hand. The alternative was a jaunty trip through the windshield or smashing my head on the steering wheel. The event is very violent, and incredibly quick, done before a person realizes what is happening. 

    A seat belt would not have saved you ?  I have a firm belief in seat belts, one kept me from going through the windshield in 1972.  Of course, I got my right leg broken in two places but that was the front seat collapsing on my leg.

  44. Greg Norton says:

    “Florida Dem Who Wants Her Student Loans Canceled Owns a $3 Million House”

    “Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is the Democratic Party’s pick to unseat Senator Rick Scott””

    Rick Scott (RINO-FL) is vulnerable and always wins by very narrow margins, but the Dems self-immolated their party in Florida. Absent a Jesus candidate at the top of the ticket, Scott will probably cruise to reelection, and I say that as someone who is definitely not a fan.

    And, three million dollar houses? Geesh, Pinecrest has changed. When I was a kid, that place was home to Parrot Jungle and the Serpentarium, where parents stopped for the kids to run off energy before the long drive to the Keys.

    The house is probably mortgaged to the hilt. The beauty of Florida public records is that you can read all of the details absent some public safety issue with the property owner.

  45. Greg Norton says:

    Here we go again.  At $1,000 per vehicle, that is $20 billion dollars for GM to upgrade all those vehicles to safe airbags.

    There will probably be some settlement with a very narrow window for claims, much like how Ford dodged the dual clutch transmission issue in the Focus and Fiesta, which could have bankrupted the company.

    OTOH, a transmission failing isn’t as dangerous as an airbag spewing shrapnel.

  46. Lynn says:

    “US solar farms are aging. Is it time to begin repowering?”

        https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-solar-farms-are-aging-is-it-time-to-begin-repowering/690978/

    “The first and second generations of U.S. solar farms are approaching something resembling a midlife crisis.”

    “Yet Ross and other experts agree that the owners of older solar farms are approaching a decision point about the maintenance and potential upgrade of their projects. But it’s not the panels that are driving the trend — it’s the inverters that convert energy from the panels into AC power for the grid.”

    Entropy sucks.

  47. SteveF says:

    Here, Lynn, you might especially enjoy this:

    EV Battery Factory Will Require So Much Energy It Needs A Coal Plant To Power It

    In order to get the power to make the batteries for “clean, green” cars, a coal power plant will not be shut down.

    xkcd: Odyssey

    Would have been better if the hover text had been “No Man was not home”.

    It’s Official: Scientists Confirm What’s Inside The Moon

    If it’s not green cheese, I’m going to be very disappointed.

    We headed towards a financial apocalypse in the very near future.

    It’s probably unavoidable. The best that can be hoped for is that it won’t be a full melt-down apocalypse but a lesser adjustment which will be called an apocalypse in the same fashion that the media hypes an ordinary Winter storm as Snowpocalypse, about three times a year. Either way, I’m not much looking forward to it. On the other hand, there are some debts that need to be paid and even a brief breakdown will provide the opportunity. And I’m not talking about money.

    As always I find myself in agreement with your approaches. Regrettably my life experience does not lend itself to utilizing such solutions without incurring substantial jail time.

    Bah. Do I have to give you step-by-step??? OK, here’s how I’d write a short story on this theme: Get cash at least a couple weeks in advance, not touching it with your skin. Get plenty of extra, then choose well-used 10s and 20s by preference, then just spend the rest of what you took out on groceries and such. Get the kids over to your house for a long weekend, or any excuse. Go into the bar wearing a mask “because you’re afraid of the coooooooovid” and a hoodie “because you’re cold”. Identify a pair of stupid-looking men, tell them you have a sketchy job, buy a shot and a beer for each, and tell them you’ll set up a several-hundred-dollar tab at the bar if they do it. That way they haven’t taken any money and their hands are clean. Give them the details, give the bartender an envelope of (untouched-by-you) cash coming to half of the fee, and stroll out, whistling off-key. Stroll around town for a while before getting back to your car. Dispose of the clothes, preferably by burning.

    If I were to do such a thing myself, which of course I wouldn’t, I’d be a lot more meticulous in crafting a disguise, creating an alibi, disposing of disguise and other evidence, disposing of the killers, and so on. But that should be enough to get you started. Started on daydreaming about it, of course. I would never encourage unlawful behavior! That would be wrong!

  48. Greg Norton says:

    I have already changed the windshield wipers on our three vehicles and bought three jugs of zero F windshield washer fluid.  No more broken windshield washer bottles for me !

    Test the coolant in the reservoirs to make sure it is 50-50.

    I’ve never had a problem with the “red” or “pink” Toyota coolants, but the Exploder water pump has me paranoid. We replaced all of the coolant in the cars over the last year.

    The Toyota dealer did not want to do the coolant on the Camry, but they hit me up for brake fluid replacement at <1% water on the last visit.

  49. JimB says:

    This is primarily directed to Ray Thompson, but everyone is welcome to contribute.

    Ray mentioned testing an Internet device a while back, and said he was not able to reveal the company, or much else. He was impressed with most of its operation. I am not asking for any private information, but wonder what Ray or anyone else thinks of the offer I just saw.

    I just finished a chat with T-Mobile offering me 5G service to my location. This the first time it has become available, and I have checked regularly ever since they rolled out this service at least a year ago. It seems pretty impressive, but I need to do some more homework before I give it a try. It would seem there is only small risk, but I need to look at all the details.

    The basic price is $50 / month with no contract and a guaranteed rate (not sure for how long,) with no data caps. Their claimed speed is “up to” 245 Mb/s down and 31 up. Typical speeds are also mentioned, but I will save space. No latency claims that I could find, but I could probably find lots of comments on various forums.

    The only caution is that T-Mobile has multiple home plans. Not sure which one this is. They also seem vague, as in “call us for details” for some plans. I would rather see everything on their web  site.

    Here is their hardware:

    https://www.t-mobile.com/support/home-internet?INTNAV=tNav%3ASupport

    Any comments?

    Background: I have been waiting for Frontier to bury fiber to my home for over a year. I am told they definitely will do this, but no one can tell me when. They have not started in our community yet. I am afraid this might fall through, but if it goes, it should be my best option. I am not very price sensitive, but do want reliable service, and that has been lacking with my DSL and WISP. Almost a year ago, I installed a 50 Mb/s symmetrical WISP service. It is $60 per month, and reliability is pretty good, but actual speed is usually only about 20 Mb/s. This has been good enough to stream TV reliably. My DSL is only 5 Mb/s down and 0.5 up, and is mostly reliable, but requires involved troubleshooting occasionally. Frontier is losing money on me. I keep it in the hope that it will keep me in good shape with Frontier, also as a backup service.

    I have considered Starlink, but a friend tried it and quit. He is a gamer, and had too many outages. To be fair, that was almost a year ago when there were fewer satellites. He lives where cable is available (not an option for me,) and he is happy with that.

    Thank you.

  50. drwilliams says:

    Biden ‘Kicks, Punches’ His Dogs

    https://hotair.com/headlines/2023/10/06/elderly-woman-escapes-nursing-home-rants-about-deprogramming-the-populace-n582902

    I see from the lack of media outrage that the left is norming that along with minor-attracted persons.

  51. Ray Thompson says:

    A seat belt would not have saved you ?

    Yes, it probably would have. What the air bag provided was a cushion to keep my head from slamming forward minimizing the risk of whiplash. The seat belt has tensioners that severely tighten the belt in a crash. The seat belt left bruises across my chest.

  52. Ray Thompson says:

    wonder what Ray or anyone else thinks of the offer I just saw

    The wireless device I tested worked really well even though I was on the fringe area of T-Mobile’s coverage. T-Mobile’s device is probably about the same except it stays home. My device was portable. Speeds were good but I am not in a crowded area for cell phones. The more cell phones, the slower the speed due to congestion. It is almost impossible to get any data in large venues such as a high school football stadium while at home my data speeds are quite good.

    I think you should give it a try. If it does not work, return the device and cancel the service. Most have a 30 day trial.

  53. nick flandrey says:

    Currently 67f at the BOL.   It was mid 80s when I got here this afternoon.  

    Got the gennie to run, the pull start string was broken, so I replaced that, and the low oil sensor was keeping it from starting.  I put half a quart of oil in and it started on the first pull.

    I’ll still clean the carb, swap out the oil, and replace filters, but it’s a runner.   Only 3000 running watts, so not a big gennie, but better than no gennie for $100.

    Too wet to mow, so I did some more work for the HOA, which involved cutting a steel fence back a bit and pulling a gate post.

    Chatted with my neighbor for a couple hours.

    Just finished my dinner and I think I’ll join my wife for a tiny little fire on the dock.

    n

  54. Bob Sprowl says:

    Got the carbs milled.  Lots of hand filling to get them to fit properly. The two fixtures helped a lot, but the clearances are minimal and not easily seen.  I’d do it differently next time.  Live and learn.  They only charged me $60 dollars for two hours. 

    The roll cage instruction tells you to install the seat first as the roll bar location is determined by the seat location.  My son is 6’ 1” and I am 5’ 10”.  The seat location is not fixed.  I have to email the NHRA Division tech guy (who supervised inspections) and find out what to do.  The rule book is a mess.  There are three sections and your car’s performance level as well as class determines what sub section of a rule applies.  Wasted several hours determining all of this.  And I’ll need a seat at a cost of several hundred dollars which I was not expecting. 

    Personal safety equipment will cost several hundred dollars – helmet, helmet restraint, fire suit, safety harness plus padding for the seat and roll bar near the driver’s head.   And all of it has expiration dates and then has it to be replaced.

  55. nick flandrey says:

    Hot rods and racing are kinda expensive…

    ——-

    69F and very damp.   That makes for a chilly night on the dock.    Light cloud cover and haze, so no observing tonight.

    I’m headed for a fairly early bed…

    n

  56. Lynn says:

    “Transvestites taking confusion-affirming hormones face up to 93% greater likelihood of heart disease”

        https://www.theblaze.com/news/transvestites-taking-confusion-affirming-hormones-face-up-to-93-greater-likelihood-of-heart-disease

    “The cross-sex hormone therapies Democrats and other leftists want to make sure youths can access aren’t just deformative and destabilizing, but deadly.”

    “A new study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology revealed that male transvestites taking feminizing hormones are 93% more likely to suffer heart disease than other men. Female transvestites taking testosterone are 63% more likely to suffer heart disease than other women.”

    Uh, just say no.

  57. Lynn says:

    “Froma Harrop: Bring back locked mental facilities”

        https://madison.com/opinion/column/froma-harrop-bring-back-locked-mental-facilities/article_ef98992a-8239-50f8-bee9-6cb2fc47aafb.html

    “This month marks the 60th anniversary of one of the most dreadful pieces of legislation in American history. It was the Community Mental Health Act, signed by President John F. Kennedy on Halloween, Oct. 31, 1963.”

    “The plan was to replace giant state psychiatric hospitals with 1,500 community clinics. As miracle drugs emerged to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, reformers argued there was no longer good reason to keep so many people in locked psychiatric facilities.”

    “Community centers could provide their care, ensuring they would take their meds. People who were formerly hospitalized could join the general population. It was all sold as a compassionate new approach to caring for the mentally ill.”

    “But most of the community centers weren’t built, so those afflicted with serious mental illness ended up on the streets. And that’s the origin of the horrors committed by people who shouldn’t be out and about.”

    Plus, SCOTUS said the nonviolent could not be institutionalized in 1986.

    But this woman is violent.

        https://www.theblaze.com/news/woman-walmart-racist-viral-videl

  58. brad says:

    We headed towards a financial apocalypse in the very near future.

    One of those things that is “just around the corner”. I’ve thought that any country with a national debt greater than GDP must be on the edge of collapse. Nowadays, lots of countries have exceeded that limit. The US is currently around 145%.

    I suppose the debt-party will continue, right up until it doesn’t. The end is likely to be sudden. 

    Trump is still a jerk in my opinion. An egotistical opinionated jerk.

    You know, I wouldn’t object to him being a jerk. As Lynn and Ray say, that may be necessary.

    My problem with Trump is that he thinks he knows best, always, on everything. He makes up crap today, then next week makes up something totally different, contradicting what he said before, and denying any such contradiction. He surrounds himself with yes-men, because he cannot tolerate someone disagreeing with him. With him at the helm, the ship follows a random path driven by his whims of the day.

    That’s frightening. It also seriously limits his ability to actually get stuff done. The Supreme Court appointments fell into his lap. Otherwise, he accomplished basically nothing during his term in office. He certainly failed to drain the swamp – all he did was piss off all the swamp creatures.

  59. Lynn says:

    A seat belt would not have saved you ?

    Yes, it probably would have. What the air bag provided was a cushion to keep my head from slamming forward minimizing the risk of whiplash. The seat belt has tensioners that severely tighten the belt in a crash. The seat belt left bruises across my chest.

    I was sitting in the back seat in our 71 Ford station wagon that my grandfather gave us.  When we had the 1972 wreck where my leg was broken in two places, my glasses flew off my face and hit the inside of the windshield so hard that both lenses shattered.  I had a lap belt on that saved me from also hitting the inside of the windshield.  Dad was going 70 mph when the young lady came across the white line and hit us at a combined speed of 140 mph.

  60. Alan says:

    >> 

    IRC, you don’t even have to have a law degree to be a lawyer, just pass the Bar exam in most states

    Many, perhaps most, state bars require that you have a degree from an accredited law school in order to sit for the bar exam.

    Integral to the plot of SUITS…plus some ‘eye candy’…

  61. Alan says:

    >> My cleverly disguised attempt at being witty was apparently diverted into looking stupid. I will survive after some emotionally draining therapy.

    “Get off the lawn!”

  62. Alan says:

    >> Bah. Do I have to give you step-by-step??? OK, here’s how I’d write a short story on this theme:

    You shoulda had ChatGPT write it for ya…

  63. Alan says:

    >> A seat belt would not have saved you ?  I have a firm belief in seat belts, one kept me from going through the windshield in 1972.  Of course, I got my right leg broken in two places but that was the front seat collapsing on my leg.

    Gotta have the belt properly positioned across your hips, not up around your waist.

  64. Alan says:

    >> Test the coolant in the reservoirs to make sure it is 50-50.

    Lots of confusing information on the best ratio if you live in an area where the temp doesn’t drop below freezing.

    I gave up and went with 50-50.

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