Cool and cloudy, chance of rain. It rained off and on all day yesterday, albeit only in some spots and very lightly. I had the truck windshield get wet several times as I went through my day.
Did my kid duties in the morning, went to earn my daily bread in the afternoon.
Solved most of my client’s current problems over the course of the afternoon and evening. Got home around 8pm.
Which means there are a couple of things I should have done yesterday that will now push to today and tomorrow. I’m supposed to fast this morning, get my imaging done at 330pm and so I have to fit the rest of my day around that. I’ll be doing two pickups in the morning. I’d rather be sleeping late, and moping around the house waiting for my appointment. But I don’t get to make all the choices.
Speaking of choices…
Everyone has a choice to make. Take some responsibility for your life, or don’t. If you DO, you need to make plans for the future, to the best of your ability. Some of those plans should be for bad things happening.
The people of Israel had a bad thing happen this week. Their lives will always have a dividing line- before the day and after the day.
JFK’s assassination. The 9-11 terror attacks. The moon landing. Those are some of the shared “lines” in the USofA. There WILL be more “lines” – some will be universal, some will be very personal. Some will be good, some bad. The bad ones tend to have a bigger impact on the world and groups of people than the good ones do.
I expect there will be a bunch more bad days and bad dividing lines. So I prep. I accept that there will be bad things that happen and I do what I can to minimize the effect they will have on me and the people I love. I know there will be things that happen that I didn’t think about, that I didn’t consider could or would happen to me. I prep generally for those things and hope it will be enough.
I have taken responsibility for my life, and my future, and I’ve acted in a way that I think will lead to the best possible outcomes. I continue to evaluate, to plan, to consider, and yes, to STACK the things I know I’ll need and the things I think I’ll need, and even the things I might need.
I could be struck down tomorrow and it will have been for nought, say some. But I say, no. It’s ALREADY made my life better. It’s ALREADY led to better outcomes. It’s ALREADY paid off, and even if I’m not here, it will continue to pay off for my family, my friends, and the people who have taken responsibility for themselves and their loved ones because of my influence, however small it might be.
I’m feeling a bit poetic and dramatic because I’m facing my own very personal dividing line. Today’s testing is a part of that. A follow up appointment next Thursday will likely be the day, if there is to be one. Until then I will be watching and preparing for other, bigger events, as I have been for years.
The world is changing, as it constantly is, but the rate of change, and the magnitude of the change isn’t constant. They both seem to be getting bigger at this point in time. Bigger changes, happening faster. Be as ready as you can.
Stack.
n
I had a cortisone injection years ago, but I don’t remember if it messed with my sleep.
I’ve had two steroid injections in my back (bulging L4-L5) in the past 3 months. After each one, I was unable to sleep at all the first night (shot was in the morning), and had fitful sleep the second night. Completely worth it though. I’m going to get my third and last one sometime this month. It’s not a solution, as it only temporarily helps with the pain. I do know an excellent spine surgeon though, so I will probably get a referral to him after the third one wears off.
The Federal student loan program was nationalized to pay for Obamacare and interest payments go into the general fund. The sky is the limit with regard to how much students can borrow so tuition has outpaced inflation. That’s the true evil of the paper.
If Conservatives really wanted to throw a wrench into the works, they would begin a national education effort centered around Borrower Defense, the true mechanism in the program offering forgiveness to students who can demonstrate that they were the victims of predatory educational institutions.
At this point, many of the “good” schools live in fear of Borrower Defense becoming public knowledge, hence the backing for Corn Pop’s various forgiveness schemes, hoping the masses don’t catch on.
And, please, don’t cite the forgiveness centered around working for non-profit entities and/or government. That works for less than 2% of the applicants who qualify and apply.
Well it is in fact raining. Steady light drizzle. Yuck. Shirt sleeves temps though, which is a nice change.
I reviewed the guidance for my scan later, and it says fast for 6 hours. I’m fasting for 8 so that should be ok. Which means I had a light breakfast, including my coffee. I feel more human now.
Today’s post reads as a tiny bit more dramatic than I intended. No one should worry, yet, including me. No sense in borrowing trouble. There will be plenty coming anyway.
n
From the “Things that make you say ‘Hmmmm…’” department:
During last night’s national “Star Trek” feed on H&I, I saw a commercial containing an “urgent” appeal for $45 donations to the “Christians and Jews” association to deal with the developing crisis in Israel.
I guess the pitch is to be expected, but the spot was very slickly produced and made me wonder if they didn’t have it ready to go before this week.
I saw that commercial and thought the same thing.
So much for beautiful San Diego:
Border Patrol RELEASES 13,000 migrants onto San Diego streets in a month due to overflowing shelters – as 500 arrive in the city every day
The weather is so awesome there. 13,000 homeless shitting on the streets is real climate change.
appeal for $45 donations to the “Christians and Jews”
None of which will reach Israel
Scam artists are morally on par with terrorists
At Safelite this morning waiting on a windshield replacement.
An older “Austin hippie” type pinch faced woman just berated the receptionist to tell the techs to hurry up with her repair because she has a migraine developing and needs to get home quickly.
Austin.
WA State has the same type but worse.
Or governments, which is pretty much the same thing.
You should have started singing loudly and badly. Or talking in a loud monotone about whatever nonsense comes into your head as if you were severely “neurodivergent”. Or at least sitting next to her and farting.
Playing with laser pointer.
Modern windshield are integral parts of the structure of the vehicle, and rollover crush resistance in particular.
Last I knew, soecs stated that full adhesive bond on the windshield was not achieved for 24-hrs
careful on the way home, unless you’re in a Subaru, in which case, drive it like you jacked it.
Greg, whatever you do, follow the advice of the installer. Some of it is good. If you must drive sooner than 24 hours (H/T drwilliams,) keep a window cracked an inch. Avoid driving diagonally across transitions, such as driveways. Park it facing the sun for the rest of the day.
I have used Safelite Auto Glass for decades. They don’t have a location in our area, so they are mobile. The techs are very good, and will swap a windshield in minutes, although I always remove everything that is in their way. They appreciate that, because one guy sometimes does up to about 20 windshields in a day on the road that includes fleets or used car lots. With their two hour one way trip to here, and sometimes another two hours further, it is a long day. All the guys are young!
The sealing compound used does require something like a couple hours before the car should be driven, depending on temperature. I give it at least 24 hours. Older cars can have a lot of flex in the body. The windshield mounting system used since the 1960s has flexible fins in the opening for the glass. These fins deflect with body flexing, and prevent the glass from cracking. The sealant sets up pretty stiff, so it probably doesn’t contribute much to isolation. At least that is what I have learned from reading and removing old windshields.
For some reason, windshields that come with cars made in the last few years seem to be much weaker than what came with older cars. It seems some of these might be thinner to reduce weight, but I have not measured any. This seems to make them more vulnerable to small impacts from the inside. Yes, inside. As for stone chips, they seem no worse than older glass, but imagine the variability of stones hitting the windshield.
Glass is a complex material.
>> I have a revolver and a .22 rifle.
I had a revolver and a .22 rifle that unfortunately fell overboard last time I was out boating.
FIFY.
(You do have a boat, right??)
You cannot get a boat down the Brazos River right now, it is only six inches deep of recycled pee water.
“Islam Downgraded To Religion Of Mostly Peace”
https://babylonbee.com/news/islam-downgraded-to-religion-of-mostly-peace
Huh. Even that is a stretch.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Oh, I should mention cleaning new glass. The installers use some aerosol cleaner that lingers and gets hazy. When I ask, they tell me it is special, and adhesive-friendly. They also sometimes use primer around the edges where the adhesive will be applied. I suspect this depends on the adhesive they use. This changes from time to time.
Anyhow, cleaning the inside of the new glass is difficult. I am of the belief that the inside of the glass should be completely clean and free of any cleaning residue. Once the glass is residue free, I only clean it with a damp cotton cloth about once a year. Don’t let people touch the glass.
Getting the glass clean, especially around the edges, is challenging. I have tried lots of cleaners, chemicals, and even mild abrasives. I don’t have any sure-fire recommendations. Mostly, I use a petroleum solvent to remove the installer’s glass cleaner. This can be good ol’ naphtha or paint thinner, a staple in my shop. Don’t use paper towels, as some of them contain Bad Stuff. I use an old fashioned cotton shop towel that has been washed in strong laundry detergent, rinsed thoroughly, and air dried to avoid the residue in a typical home dryer. Start with it damp with plain water, and apply a little of the solvent. Wipe the glass with this, and keep turning the cloth until the glass is free of any visible residue under a strong light. Next, I use isopropyl alcohol or acetone the same way. Finally, just a clean damp shop towel with lots of rubbing. It will be a good workout. Figure on doing this whole process at least one more time in a month or so.
Shop towels vary a lot. Some leave lint; some have nasty residue. Old, seasoned ones seem the best, and experience is the best teacher. Once you get a good one, keep it. I have used ones worn with holes for more than 20 years. I am not a fan of microfiber rags, but some can be good.
As for the outside of the glass, it is much more accessible, so the job is easier. I do some of the same, but finish with Rain-x, Rain-x contains a high percentage of methyl alcohol, which is a good cleaner, and it is sometimes all that’s needed on new glass. I have tried Rain-x on the inside of windows, but have found it to be overkill. It might be OK where there is a lot of fogging, but there are probably better products for that. Besides shedding rain, Rain-x protects windshields from dust and dirt, and even seems to disguise minor pits. I use it on all the exterior car windows, but NOT mirrors or house windows. Whole ‘nother subject.
From SRW in the Fort Bend Journal:
“Here’s a tip to help you communicate better with your loved ones: Ask them questions that give them the opportunity to talk about themselves.”
“For instance, “What the hell is wrong with you ?”
“Follow me for more relationship advice.”
“New Yahoo Finance-Ipsos poll shows over half of Americans unlikely to buy an EV”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/new-yahoo-finance-ipsos-poll-shows-over-half-of-americans-unlikely-to-buy-an-ev-130040140.html
“57% of respondents say they are not likely to purchase an electric vehicle.”
I am shocked.
Finished my pickups and a drop off at the charity shop. One large box of books.
I’m hungry. Really hungry. And tired. Only an hour til my appointment, so I think I’ll make it but I’m not enjoying it.
n
“Got ammo?”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2023/10/got-ammo.html
“We have seen a massive spike in demand this past 4 days, with double ‘normal’ sales Saturday and Sunday, then triple normal on Monday, and already double normal at 11am today. We have not raised a single price yet, however if order volume continues to overwhelm the warehouse crew’s capacity to fill orders over the next few days we will have to make choices on how we reduce volume, which could involve increasing prices 5% to 10%, limiting selection to cases only, removing popular ammo options that are sold at extremely low profit margins from the website menu, minimum $$ orders, etc, all of which are highly unpopular with segments of out customer base, but necessary to maintain synchronization of warehouse capacity with order volume.”
I am not surprised at all. People are thinking that we, the USA, are next. They may not be wrong.
“Black Lives Matter makes its position clear”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2023/10/black-lives-matter-makes-its-position.html
“I’m too disgusted to quote from the original articles here, but briefly, Black Lives Matter has come out flat-footed in support of the massacres by Hamas of innocent civilians in the Middle East. For details, see:”
“Black Lives Matter Chapters Celebrate Terrorist Attack in Israel, Revel in Slaughter at Music Festival”
“”Your Position is Clear” – Musk Slams Terrorist-Supporting BLM Posts”
Why am I not surprised ?
And why are most of the lefties anti-semitic ?
And why do the Jews in the USA vote for lefties ?
On auto windshields:
When I had my Subie repaired after a fender bender a year or so ago, the techs at the repair place said Subies need genuine Subie windshields or the EyeSight system will fail.
Can anybody confirm that? I’ll double-check the next service at the Subie dealer.
Someone I know may have placed an order this morning.
I can be certain what any dealer will say.
Are you Claude Rains in “Casablanca” “Shocked. Shocked!” or genuinely surprised at the number.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbPi00k_ME
People don’t really want EVs. The three-year-and-out lease crowd drive the fad currently.
Generally, you don’t mess with the demographic. They tend to have pepper spray.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-accused-pepper-spraying-couple-san-diego-park-not-wearing-n1235001
San Diego, but that’s the personality type. Church Ladies Without Churches.
Late model Subaru? Yes, depending on model, you will have to go OEM because of the complexity of the electronics and the level of integration into the windshield.
I’ve heard numbers up towards $3500 for some models.
“Some things just don’t add up…” by Simon Black
https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/some-things-just-dont-add-up-148350/
“Like most people, I’ve been closely following what’s been going on in Israel and Gaza since Saturday’s attack.”
“Most of our readers know that I’m a former intelligence officer; while it seems like a lifetime ago, those instincts never leave. And as I’m shaking my head in disgust at what’s happened, I also can’t help but notice a number of peculiarities that just don’t add up.”
“First, it’s bizarre… almost suspicious… just how poorly trained the Hamas fighters are. As I watch videos of the gunmen, they demonstrate a distinct lack of even basic firearms proficiency.”
My former USMC son complained about the same things while he was in Iraq.
They’re terrorists not soldiers. Thugs, not operators. And telling them what to do challenges their manhood.
So no training.
N
“SpaceX Debuts New Website for Cellular Starlink Service”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-debuts-new-website-for-cellular-starlink-service
“The site reveals SpaceX is targeting next year to launch the service to power satellite-based text messaging. The company then plans on supporting voice and text in 2025.”
Will the battery be automobile sized ? And fry your brain ?
You know when you can justifiably beat the bejesus out of a granny? After she’s pepper-sprayed you for no good reason.
I spent a lot today.
Walmart brand k-cups? Two flavors, four boxes each. That’s about six months worth. Add on a few months worth of other things and hey, prices are just going up.
Tractor Supply was a few bags of cat food and two of dog food. That might last until mid-January. Dog cookies were 2 for $12. I have room in the freezer for the cookies.
I hit the HEB for several packages of frozen meatballs. Homestyle. HEB Brand, not Hill County Fare. I’ll break them down into meal size vac bags. Added a few TV dinners for lazy nights and a big bag of Ore Ida crinkle cut french fries. … might break that down into meal size vac packages, too.
Didn’t seem like a lot of stuff. But almost $700 total by eyeballing the receipts.
Next project is to double check my list and stock the pantry full. That’s going to burn just because canned goods have almost doubled in price. But, get ’em before the price goes higher.
Didn’t seem like a lot of stuff. But almost $700 total by eyeballing the receipts.
Bidennomics is going to bankrupt us all.
I’m guessing that you haven’t lived on the West Coast for any length of time.
“SpaceX Debuts New Website for Cellular Starlink Service”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-debuts-new-website-for-cellular-starlink-service
“The site reveals SpaceX is targeting next year to launch the service to power satellite-based text messaging. The company then plans on supporting voice and text in 2025.”
Will the battery be automobile sized ? And fry your brain ?
BTW, my Starlink antenna pulls 65 watts continuously. I have no idea what it is doing with all that power.
Yah. I’ve been deliberately eating down my stored food because I’m not “naturally” eating enough to rotate it as fast as I want. (The biggest concern is the pop-top cans of soup and ham and chicken and such that I’d planned to mix in with rice or bread if SHTF. I prefer not to get the pop-tops but a lot of the items are available only that way.) But the replacement cost is going to bite hard. Only saving grace, if you want to call it that, is that it doesn’t bite as hard now as it will in a few months.
I believe that the resumption of student loan payments is about to crush the economy.
We’ve been trying to book attraction tickets and accommodations in SE Wisconsin for a trip next month, and, suddenly, everyone has moved up their winter schedule to begin at the end of October instead of mid-November without adjusting their web site details.
I wouldn’t be surprised if what we have manage to book outside of Madison, Milwaukee or The Dells gets cancelled.
Scott Adams says that Fake News is destroying the planet, “Episode 2258 EXCERPT: Whiteboard, Fake News Destroys Planet”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q1iF31Kg-0
He has a whiteboard and is not afraid to use it.
Away from kbd… I thought about that Subaru windshield. I once or twice bought a gen-you-wine Mopar windshield from Safelite. It only cost a little more than the two other third party brands, which surprised me. They brought it to my house and installed it. You might have that kind of luck. I also have one of Safelite’s own windshields, and it is quite good quality, though made before the behind the windshield cameras. The installer said Safelite bought a glass company so they could supply made-in-USA glass to government customers.
I would trust a specialty glass company like Safelite over an auto dealer any day, but then, I grew up around the auto industry, and all of us have it in our DNA to hate auto dealerships. There might be some good dealers, but I never experienced one.
Of course, I don’t have to worry about warranties. YMMV.
I just had my first scam attempt against my Apple Card. Unusual activity purchase on some furniture website. It was against the virtual number Apple Card uses to obfuscate the actual number. How that was skimmed, I have no idea. Apple caught it and has issued a new virtual number.
BTW (I’ve mentioned this before), I use privacy.com when I purchase stuff on iffy sites (not pr0n!). I set the card limit to 1$ above the purchase amount in case something janky occurs. Once the purchase goes through, I cancel that card. You can also set the card as a “one time use”. You get 12 cards/mo under the free account, but it will have your name on it. With a paid account, you can use whatever name for your pr0n like Raymond Thompson. LOL
I hope Scott Adams has guns. Lots of guns. And pallets of ammunition. Also, an AKSD (Anti-Klinton-Suicide-Device).
Good to know.
Warming the sky/climate/earth.
Or Tom Raymondson…
n
I may not be angry, but I’m probably as radioactive as Dr Bruce Banner… for the next few hours anyway.
I was advised not to contaminate my hands or the floor with my bodily fluids.
n
It’s kind of like seti@home but it’s signalling, not processing.
I would feel insulted at the implication that this was not my normal approach to bodily fluids.
Oddly there was no mention of contaminating my wife…
n
Lynn; You’re shocked that 57% percentage of people who would not by an EV.
I’m astonished that it is that LOW!
Starlink is an MVNO so voice and text will go through the satellites only in the most remote locations, and the phone will need clear line of sight to the satellites for the service to work.
Providing low bandwidth services like voice and text are much different than sending Baby Yoda to a phone.
Now, about that Jesus Truck…
Entirely coincidentally, I’ve purchased 1000 rounds of 5.56 AR ammo for $450, and 5000 rounds of .22LR also for $450 from luckygunner.com, a site set up by a couple of Glenn Reynolds’ law school students.
Did you know that lead is HEAVY?
MrAtoz says:
As he still lives in Cacafornia, I would doubt that he has enough, either guns OR ammo.
Lynn; You’re shocked that 57% percentage of people who would not by an EV.
I’m astonished that it is that LOW!
I am shocked that it is that low too.
BTW, “I am shocked” is my lame attempt at a pun. EV → shocked.
Entirely coincidentally, I’ve purchased 1000 rounds of 5.56 AR ammo for $450, and 5000 rounds of .22LR also for $450 from luckygunner.com, a site set up by a couple of Glenn Reynolds’ law school students.
My dad gave me a box of 1,000 rounds of .223 for my birthday. It is bloody heavy and still on the dining room floor. The cat has been using it an a backrest.
Writing about glass got me to thinking, and I did some reading.
I toured the Ford glass plant at the River Rouge complex when I was in high school. Very impressive. They made all of Ford’s auto glass alongside flat glass for other customers. That plant pioneered the continuous tin float process that Ford helped to develop. It was another of ol’ Hank’s ideas to make things better at a lower price.
After he died in 1947. A new regime took over, and the Rouge complex was gradually “decentralized.” It took decades. It is hard to imagine such an undertaking in today’s wacko environmentalist climate, but it was what was needed in the post WWI times leading up to WWII’s massive production.
Henry Ford was a true innovator, but he sometimes faced quirks. In spite of having built a huge power plant for the Rouge complex, a sudden rainstorm knocked the power out at his home on the night of his death. He was born and died by candle and kerosene light.
Here is just one of many stories about the Ford empire:
https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/ford-rouge-factory-tour/history-and-timeline/fords-rouge/
I had the nuclear heart scan several years ago. They pump you full of radioactive stuff, send you out of the office for a few hours, then come back to be placed on a treadmill. I think that was the order as it has been a while.
The USAF had diagnosed me with a prolapsed valve. Turns out they were incorrect and there was nothing wrong with my heart.
It is a strange feeling when they inject the radioactive dye as you can feel the stuff moving through the veins in the form of warmth. I was told to stay away from any radiation detection devices for at least three days. Whether they were joking or not I am not certain. I was also told to not stand outside in the dark.
I’m feeling a bit poetic and dramatic because I’m facing my own very personal dividing line. Today’s testing is a part of that. A follow up appointment next Thursday will likely be the day, if there is to be one. Until then I will be watching and preparing for other, bigger events, as I have been for years.
Good luck ? Break a leg ?
I had my annual heart test last week. I still have one and it is still functional. When I had my first heart attack in 2009, my volume ejection fraction was down to 0.47 IIRC. It is now 0.57 (higher is better). Below 0.20 is inconsistent with a much longer life. I am amazed. The heart doc has no explanation. My heart valves are leaking a little bit, like a 40 year old man, not a 63 year old. I will take that. The heart double ablation surgery in 2018 fixed me up real good.
I had my prostate test yesterday. First digital exam in four years. Enlarged yes but nice and smooth according to the new doc (urologist). Seeing as both my grandfathers died of prostate cancer, this is important to me. One was 86, the other was 64. But my doc said that all men have 1 in 9 chance of prostate cancer, only immediate family members like dad and brothers with prostate cancer drop that down to 1 in 3. Both the doc’s dad and twin brother have prostate cancer so he is living the dream. My PSA was 1.7 back in January, we only worry if it jumps 0.5 in a year. I asked the doc if I was paranoid, he said yes and come see him again in a year.
Getting old is a pain in the ass.
A lesson in wind industry smoke blowing
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2023/10/11/a-lesson-in-wind-industry-smoke-blowing-n584032
Worth a read as it covers:
The crash in wind farm installations and green energy stocks
Attempts to hike wind prices by 70% (I’d put “double” in a headline and let some green weinie protest it’s “only” 70%)
Sonar surveying starts at a horseshoe crab sanctuary (who knew?) and locals notice an unprecedented (in the old-fashioned sense of the word) beaching of … horseshoe crabs. Totally unrrlated, move along, nothing to see…
“Largest wind farm in Britain starts supplying power” turns out to be ONE turbine connecting to the grid out of 227 planned. (That makes little engineering sense, so it’s probably connected to a milestone that involves a payment being made)
Germany restarts three coal plant in desperate move to prevent a winter of Kautsickles. (Why not just use those smart thermostats to shut the power off to all the invaders?)
@SteveF
“I prefer not to get the pop-tops but a lot of the items are available only that way.”
Check the second-tier brands and the dollar stores.
It is a strange feeling when they inject the radioactive dye as you can feel the stuff moving through the veins in the form of warmth. I was told to stay away from any radiation detection devices for at least three days. Whether they were joking or not I am not certain. I was also told to not stand outside in the dark.
Stay out of airports. You will set off the radiation detectors. I have been told that in the past.
Superman in Exile
Episode aired Oct 31, 1953
Superman narrowly prevents disaster at an atomic facility. In doing so, he has become totally irradiated and will kill living things just by being close to them. This forces Superman into exile while the atomic scientists try to figure out what to do.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0506592/
Police with the right equipment can detect people driving by on the freeway who have gotten radioisotope therapies. It’s DESIGNED to catch terrorists transporting radioactive material, but the radioisotopes are active enough to be detected for a couple of days.
At least they have the plants to restart.
The Geico Gecko’s surplus-funded gas generator slush fund is on the November ballot in Texas, but the plants don’t have to actually be online until Jan. 2029 for the owners to receive a bonus.
Yep, most cities have a whole bunch of detectors hanging off of overpasses on the way into town…
Tech said he got a good image, but there is a sign letting patients know that the tech won’t discuss the image, that is the radiologist’s job, and he’ll only do it with your Dr…
There was a $2300 co-pay despite being “in network” and there will be some fee from the Radiologist. That makes it about $3500 so far for imaging out of my pocket. Considering that the machines are pretty much peak western civ, and peak complexity, that kinda seems like a bargain. I don’t know if they are the most complex machines that fit in an average sized room, but they’ve got to be close.
The facility isn’t too far from my house, and has a whole couple of floors of imaging. I’ve had ultrasound, CT, MRI, and now the PET scan all in the same building. Had to wait an hour while the injection worked it’s way around and got “up took” to coin a really ugly phrase. The machine sees the “uptake” of the injection.
———-
the rain stopped and it cleared up while I was sweating radiation, and it’s very nice out now. Around 9 pm the power failed for about 15 minutes. My UPS did switch on, but died in about 15 seconds. I think I need a new battery, and maybe an additional external one as well. I’m sure it doesn’t help to have the monitors on the UPS, but without monitors, I can’t shut down, or do anything else.
———-
n
IDK why but amazon is offering me about 20-55% off list on augason farms freeze drieds in #10 cans. Meat isn’t discounted but veg, chili, and cheezy mix are… worth a look.
n
Went to an estate sale this morning; bought a Black and Decker Work mate for $15, three storage cases (one which matched some others I have) for $15, and some miscellaneous hand tools.
Visited my favorite pawn shop to looks at gubs. They had a S&W 9 mm MBP Shield EZ which I liked. I asked about 9 mm carbines and he had a Keltec but it didn’t fit me well. I will look for a S&W M&P FDC locally to see if I like it. The FDC doesn’t have any sights so I’m looking at Leupold Optics’ Freedom 1×34 Red Dot or a VX-Freedom Rimfire 3-3×340. A Tacticon Laser sight seems like a good deal for the laser sight for the automatic.
Spent a couple of hours clearing miscellaneous stuff in my office. Hung a cork board and a picture. In the late 1950s Mare Island Naval Shipyard commissioned a local artist to create a Coat of Arms for each of the major shops. My Dad worked there from1940 to 1978; he helped build Nuclear submarines. The artist went to the same church we did. The artist made a copy for my Dad of the Welding Shop Coat of Arms. That’s the picture I hung today. I wonder who got those paintings when the Shipyard closed in1996.
>> For some reason, windshields that come with cars made in the last few years seem to be much weaker than what came with older cars. It seems some of these might be thinner to reduce weight, but I have not measured any. This seems to make them more vulnerable to small impacts from the inside. Yes, inside. As for stone chips, they seem no worse than older glass, but imagine the variability of stones hitting the windshield.
Weaker/thinner may well be more shrink-flation.
You can thank “Biden-nomics.”
Oh, and yes, I’ve done the ‘break it from the inside,’ as seen in one of the current Safelite commercials. Similar scenario, carrying a load of 2x4s home in my Mazda B2000 pickup. Slight “short stop” at a red light, truck stopped, but good-ole inertia decided differently for the load and ’crack.’ Dang physics.
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/12KY/safelite-auto-glass-home-improvement
Starlink is an MVNO so voice and text will go through the satellites only in the most remote locations, and the phone will need clear line of sight to the satellites for the service to work.
Providing low bandwidth services like voice and text are much different than sending Baby Yoda to a phone.
What is a MVNO ?
Our son called us several times from Iraq on his second trip in 2008. According to him, the Sat Phone was a finicky beast. Line of site, extreme battery usage when 20 Marines were waiting to use it. And the Marine in front of him had an intense conversation with a woman and ended up throwing the phone on the ground, breaking off the antenna. My son had to fix the antenna with duck tape first before calling us while the other Marines beat the phone breaker up. He had to climb on the roof of a 7 ton truck in order to get it to work with the broken antenna and the 10 F wind gusting to 20 mph was a problem.
>> Oh, I should mention cleaning new glass. The installers use some aerosol cleaner that lingers and gets hazy. When I ask, they tell me it is special, and adhesive-friendly. They also sometimes use primer around the edges where the adhesive will be applied. I suspect this depends on the adhesive they use. This changes from time to time.
For regular window cleaning (car and house)I use either this or just water with some vinegar and unprinted newsprint. YMMV.
>> They’re terrorists not soldiers. Thugs, not operators. And telling them what to do challenges their manhood.
So no training.
Not a bad thing though.
The Geico Gecko’s surplus-funded gas generator slush fund is on the November ballot in Texas, but the plants don’t have to actually be online until Jan. 2029 for the owners to receive a bonus.
ERCOT has had a secret slush fund to get those 200 (SWAG) new 48 MW gas turbines built in the last six years. I am seeing them all over Houston and Dallas. I even saw a new single gas turbine on 287 south of Dallas just sitting in a pasture by itself. I don’t know why they did not install the normal 5 or 6 in a row, they had the room.
There was a $2300 co-pay despite being “in network” and there will be some fee from the Radiologist. That makes it about $3500 so far for imaging out of my pocket. Considering that the machines are pretty much peak western civ, and peak complexity, that kinda seems like a bargain. I don’t know if they are the most complex machines that fit in an average sized room, but they’ve got to be close.
I had a nuclear heart stress test last year. $3,000 out of my pocket. They wanted to schedule me again for one next year but I said no. An echo shows most problems when your volume ejection fraction crashes. If, you have a baseline.
>> They’re terrorists not soldiers. Thugs, not operators. And telling them what to do challenges their manhood.
So no training.
Not a bad thing though.
They were horrendously effective because they were not expected. The paragliders were not even thought of.
I’ve been watching “Band Of Brothers” on Netflix (from HBO). The Airborne was super effective because they dropped behind the German lines facing the sea at Normandy. When you get behind the lines, people are not expecting to get confronted without a warning.
IDK why but amazon is offering me about 20-55% off list on augason farms freeze drieds in #10 cans. Meat isn’t discounted but veg, chili, and cheezy mix are… worth a look.
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I am getting the impression that canned meat has doubled in price in the last 18 months. We are so screwed.
I still make good money and am noticing the price jumps. I can just imagine what somebody making $50K a year is feeling.
Having the rental properties is giving me breathing room. Without that, I would be sucking down my IRAs.
>> Late model Subaru? Yes, depending on model, you will have to go OEM because of the complexity of the electronics and the level of integration into the windshield.
My 2016 Subie Forester had EyeSight and I recall the stereo cameras were set back a few inches from the windshield, with stickers on both sides warning not to touch or try to clean the camera lenses, lest you permanently damage them. Also very specific aras detaiel where toll tags were allowed to be mounted that would not interfere with the cameras.
>> “SpaceX Debuts New Website for Cellular Starlink Service”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-debuts-new-website-for-cellular-starlink-service
“The site reveals SpaceX is targeting next year to launch the service to power satellite-based text messaging. The company then plans on supporting voice and text in 2025.”
Will the battery be automobile sized ? And fry your brain ?
For the former, it says using existing LTE devices, though from Tony I would expect it turns out to be something similar in size to an Iridium sat phone. As to fried brains, depends on how long they can get away with it.
>> I was advised not to contaminate my hands or the floor with my bodily fluids.
Heard from a friend of a friend that there’s an ild guy with orange hair somewhere down in Florida that might be interested in a pint sample.
>> BTW, “I am shocked” is my lame attempt at a pun. EV → shocked.
Another attempt huh?
I had my prostate test yesterday.
. . .
Getting old is a pain in the ass.
>> “I prefer not to get the pop-tops but a lot of the items are available only that way.”
Opened a can of Progresso soup the other day with a pop-top and it had gone bad just three months past the “best by” date. Did have some cream in it so that may have been a contributing factor(?).
Btw, I guess it’s just me getting old but opening those pop-tops ain’t easy these days. Maybe I should stick to pop-tarts, those I can still open.
>> What is a MVNO?
A Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) is a company that does not own a mobile spectrum license but sells mobile services under its brand name using the network of a licensed mobile operator.
E.g. Consumer Cellular, TracFone, etc.
@ MrNick, hope the scans shows nothing of any great significance..
I have has 2 PET scans over the years.. Not the most comfortable test, but definitely not the worst . 🙂
Stepping back from the current attacks, what bugs me most about the Israel/Palestine situation is the way the international community has kicked the can down the road for 70+ years. When Israel was founded, they forcefully relocated people out of Israel’s territory. The surrounded Arab countries were supposed to absorb this population, but they refused. The affected populace has been living in resentment since, with hatred growing generation to generation.
That doesn’t justify killing innocent people, of course. But what, exactly, can Israel do with the Gaza strip? Egypt has closed their border – they don’t want 2 million hatred-filled refugees. Realistically, Israel isn’t going to kill 2 million people. So they raze the Gaza strip to the ground, and then? The people there will hate Israel even more.
There is no good solution. There’s not even a bad solution.
However, it still seems to me that Israel should exact a price from Iran. With Iran’s support, Hamas wouldn’t have had the weapons to attack in the first place.
Safelite replaced the windshield on our 2021 Subaru Forester a while ago, and re-calibrated the Eyesight cameras and system before returning the car. It’s been working fine ever since, so they know what they’re doing.