Cold and clear. Which is pretty much how yesterday ended up. It started overcast, but by afternoon, the sun was out and the sky was blue.
I did run one pickup, the main item I wanted was a honeycomb panel for my new laser engraver, but there were a couple of other items like Halloween makeup that it made sense to get yesterday. Then I spent the rest of the day building out my display.
I was happy with the result, but there is plenty of room to build it up. Crowd was unusual. Started getting trick or treaters later than usual, and with a much higher proportion of older kids, teens. On the flip side, the kids were wearing a lot of very good costumes. Good makeup, good clothes, and mostly hand made for the older kids. I didn’t mind handing them candy at all.
We didn’t get anywhere near the ~150 we got last year. Maybe the cooler temps? or that it was a school night? Or maybe people just weren’t feeling it this year.
D2 trick or treated with her friend and had a great time. D1 helped me dress my “aladin’s cave” and then hid from everyone for a couple of hours. Wife handed out most of the candy. I did get to chat with a couple of neighbors, so that was nice.
Today will be cleaning up and putting away. Maybe I’ll get out the “Fall” decor for the house. It will match the weather and make my wife feel more like home.
I’ve got other stuff to do but it will have to wait.
And I’ll skip a day of stacking, because I’m a slacker. But you aren’t, so don’t!
nick
Swimming naked, especially if he’s doing it with borrowed money.
I catch hints that, in addition to the off-base housing allowance that the wife’s nephew gets sweetheart deals from the military credit unions where his down payment is very low.
If you ever wonder if the military would turn on the US population, realize that’s another club anymore … and, as they say, you aren’t in it.
Starting my tax planning for 2023 and into 2024. Ugh. I have to start taking RMD next year, 2024 tax year. That will significantly affect my taxes, none of which pleases me. I thought the purpose of having IRAs was to minimize the taxes paid as during the retirement years the income is less. I doubt the money I have contributed each year tax exempt and what little impact it actually had on my income taxes during those years, is going to be reduced taking RMDs. The amount required is substantial and is fully taxable.
When I was working and contributing to an IRA to reduce the taxes, my taxes may have been reduced by $2K. Now that I have to start taking RMD, the tax amount is going to be increased by $2.5K. Where are the savings? Have we been sold another bill of goods by the government and congress?
I only have to take RMD from one account for the next three years which will simplify the process and reporting. The RMD amount from all the IRAs can be satisfied by withdrawals from any number of accounts, even just one. The IRS is concerned with the amount, not the source. There are a few exceptions that are above my pay grade.
I am probably going to calculate my annual tithe to the church for the entire year, then have that amount taken from IRA and sent directly to the church as one lump sum as part of my RMD. That way the money does not pass through me and I get the tax benefit by reducing my taxable income. I don’t have enough deductions to itemize so reducing the taxable income is a way to reduce the taxes.
The U.S. Tax laws and requirements are just way too complicated, almost to the point of being insane. I could never accomplish doing my own taxes without help from software. I had to file a 1041 in 2022 due to investment income between the time my MIL passed and probate was settled. TurboTax does not support the 1041 so that had to be done manually. It was not intuitive nor easy.
It sounds like he is blowing smoke up your ass. Yes, you can get the allowance, but it won’t cover a mortgage. Yes, you get no money down from the VA, but you have to certify you will live in that house and you can’t get another VA loan until you refinance the existing one.
He would need to closely coordinate getting it rented on departure and finding a good management company. Any other living expenses will stretch you thin.
The military gets a whiff of impropriety and your career is over.
Like you said, swimming naked.
43F, sunny and clear this morning.
Coffee is good. REALLY good. The Enlightenment was fueled by coffee and tobacco, powerful stimulants, and a society rich enough to afford them.
———————
When I was working for bigcorp they paid field service guys the IRS rate for mileage driven with personal vehicles for work purposes. If you ignore insurance, maintenance, and depreciation, it looks to some people like free money. After all, they already have the car, and they already drive to work… so some people bought very expensive cars they couldn’t otherwise afford, using the mileage reimbursement check to cover their financing. (this sort of thing tends to spread thru a group once one person does it) MANY people decided this was a nice upgrade to their lives…
And when the company found out, and saw how much they were spending for mileage, they decided it was cheaper to provide company vehicles for field service guys…….. sh!tbox Metros or equivalent…. you could choose to continue driving your Mustang or Charger, but the company wouldn’t reimburse mileage anymore. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth !!
Moral of the story, if you don’t control it, you are subject to control… and free stuff usually isn’t. Temporary imbalances tend to become balanced eventually.
————-
I left the company not long after the policy change, so IDK what happened with the techs, but I’m sure that after some time, the company got rid of the company cars as there are very good reasons not to have them. I’m betting a lot of people just sucked up the high payments and kept their vehicles, while some (smarter ones) sold theirs.
TANSTAAFL
n
I know security clearance is tied to credit and exposure to risk.
Well, at least he has a rudder.
@ray:
This is the case everywhere in the world. Deliberately so. Governments decide to levy taxes: those with the wherewithal to avoid those taxes (probably by creative interpretation of ambiguities) do so: Governments amend the tax laws to eliminate ate ambiguities and make reinterpretation more difficult: and so it continues.
Meanwhile, those of us who don’t have high-powered tax specialists at our beck and call have to live with the consequences – in your case, that Form 1041.
G.
My wife did not have to pay any taxes on the increase in value for the stocks and bonds that she inherited. But the time between the day of death of the MIL and when my wife had probate settled, the funds increased in value. It just seems strange to me that only the increase in value during the probate period was taxed. And not to my wife, but the MIL.
I guess technically, my wife did not inherit until the date probate was settled. Since the taxes were filed against the estate, why does the estate not pay for the increased value over time rather just the time over probate? Until probate is settled the estate still owns everything.
I also had to apply to the IRS to get a special EIN to file the MIL’s tax return. Fairly easy actually all done online.
It is these weird, obscure rules and forms that will trip up mere mortals. I am not even certain I completed the 1041 properly. I am not going to worry about it as the amount paid was a little over $60.00. I probably could have just ignored the entire form and the IRS may have ignored that small amount. I did not want to take the chance of getting on the radar of the IRS, again. Even if the IRS penalizes me 50% that is only $30.00.
Once Ford retired the Panther (Crown Vic) platform, the Charger with a V6 became a popular fleet vehicle. Stellantis was about to make the Charger an EV only platform until just within the last few weeks they announced an inline 6 cyl. engine drivetrain to make the cops happy.
Not all police departments are enamored with the Exploders, particularly as the front wheel drive generation ages and fleet managers see the water pump replacement costs.
A Metro would be going too far.
Chargers are clearly the choice of CHP for fast. Tahoes for big.
In my open ex urban area, we don’t get trick-or-treaters, but the community does do a “trunk and treat”thing on the Saturday before at the little village market parking lot.
Instead, I went into town and helped my friend R with his. He has been doing it for years, and some of the kids are the children of the kids that came when he started. I suppose, if we live long enough, that we will see grandchildren…
It was actually a pretty good turnout for a school night, perhaps 80% of what we would see on a good, but not extraordinary, weekend. R goes all out, so his place is a “must visit”.
But 9pm was like turning off a spigot.
My Halloween candy plan worked.
My subdivision is almost all older folks; no kids. And the local elementary school (about 8 miles away) had a ‘trunk or treat’ thing.
So, 0 visitors last night. I am left with all the candy I bought. The kinds that I like.
Win.
That’s the upside of a light turnout.
The downside is that there weren’t any teenagers with full backpacks of candy that accidentally tripped in the dark part of the block and spilled everything where someone else had to pick it up.
I saved up my fiat currency and bought something I’ve always wanted to try. A home freeze dryer. A Medium Pro from HarvestRight. It will never pay for itself unless I sell some FD’d stuff. Sort of like solar panels. Some people actually pay for their FD by hitting the open markets and such.
I’m currently trying out different fruits/vegetables and a silicon tray of cubes filled with Wolf Brand chili.
You can sell fruits/vegetables in Texas at open markets and such without a food license. You take an online course is all. Any meat and you need a full license. You can sell online, for sale in Texas only, but you have to deliver the item yourself (Uber, maybe). You aren’t allowed to ship stuff.
I can now FD insects, powderize them, and be ready for the PLT “You can’t eat meat” future brought to you by the NWO. Put in your orders now. Mealy worms a specialty.
Same as Rick H here, zero at the front door and left with my favorite, mini Heath bars.
@MrAtoZ
Freeze drying candy is the rage.
Milk Duds, Jolly Ranchers cut into thirds, etc.
Freeze dried Wolf Brand chili? Sounds interesting.
If you season as for jerky, can you freeze dry meat? Er, maybe not, jerky in the dehydrator is slow cooked and freeze dried would still be raw.
We had around 30 kids last night. Everyone had a parent-type watching over them, and none were of the “aren’t you too old for this?” variety.
We host our whole little neighborhood on our front porch with light snacks and plenty of alcohol, so the kids know that stopping by here they get “Take a handful from each of the neighbors’ candy bowls.” It seems to work for everyone.
It probably doesn’t hurt that we have some airline bottles for weary parents. We started doing that when we lived in a place where it was mostly cold on Halloween, and the neighborhood was very hilly.
I usually have a bowl of small toys and I offer the bowl of toys along with the bowl of candy. I get about ¼ to ⅓ takers for the toys. I was so out of it this year I forgot to get the toys.
Apparently, a blue or purple treat bag is a signal to offer something other than candy, or that the kid is somehow ‘special’… Didn’t know that.
We’ve got about 3 half bags of Costco size left over.
When I was much younger, I’d threaten to offer cigarettes to any little beggars. I don’t like the idea of prison, so I don’t even suggest it anymore. Chilling effect anyone?
n
One of the most emotionally devastating things I’ve heard was a Vietnam vet describing his imprisonment as a POW, and how they would save the bread they were given and feed it to cockroaches they kept under the floor, so that they would have some protein to eat.
So yeah, I’ve got a pretty negative reaction to the idea of eating bugs because someone else wants to rule the world.
n
During my brief military period, I had friends doing the same. Every move they took full advantage of a 2 week house-hunting trip to find a future rental that they were willing to live in for however long they were located there. One of them was pretty successful at it, and wanted all his friends to do the same, so he gave impromptu lectures on his purchase and rental strategies. Constantly. I’ll admit I learned a few things, but didn’t really want to hear him constantly. In retrospect, I would have been much further ahead now if I’d listened.
Maybe. There are no guarantees in this world. I thought many times that I should walk away from our first rental property as the involvement was just amazing. The constant maintenance, the 600 mile round trip at least monthly, etc. I should have kept the house but it flooded twice while I owned it. I sold it in 2001 for $92K, I paid $80K for it in 1985, we lived in it until 1990. The rental payments always paid the mortgage which worked out. The house is now worth $320K, unreal.
From SRW in the Fort Bend Journal:
“The next time you can’t think of a word, tell the other person, ”I forgot the English word for it”. That way, people think you’re bilingual and not an idiot.”
Swimming naked, especially if he’s doing it with borrowed money.
I catch hints that, in addition to the off-base housing allowance that the wife’s nephew gets sweetheart deals from the military credit unions where his down payment is very low.
If you ever wonder if the military would turn on the US population, realize that’s another club anymore … and, as they say, you aren’t in it.
My cousin and his partner are putting 50% down on their rental properties. They are doing very well right now, my cousin is 52 and thinking about retiring next year when he gets his lifetime free flights from SWA.
That works well until the entire world goes to pot. My real estate buddy had over 30 rent houses in a Houston neighborhood before 2008 and was clearing $600K profit per year on them. In 2008, all of his tenants, all illegals, self deported themselves back to Mexico when they lost their jobs. The illegals get fired first in a recession. All of sudden, his income went to zero and he had a commercial mortgage on the group of rent houses. He could not make the monthly payments and the bank repossessed them.
I wish that he had told me before he lost the houses. I might could have helped and partnered with him. We bought the commercial office complex three years later.
“Buc-ee’s is breaking in to the panhandle with a new Texas location”
https://www.chron.com/culture/article/bucees-new-location-amarillo-18417213.php
“The Texas panhandle will soon have its first Buc-ee’s after the convenience store giant breaks ground on a 74,000-square-foot store in Amarillo later this month.”
That is bigger than my 60,000 ft2 HEB in Sugar Land Riverpark.
Freefall: Educating Artificial Intelligences
http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff4000/fc03977.htm
Should all AIs be educated as foster children to gain empathy ?
@Mratoz, def keep sharing about the FD machine…
n
After Obama took office, the $8000 first time home buyer credit and 3% down mortgages put a pretty hard floor of $240k under anything single famly which will pass inspection in a significant urban area. It isn’t an impenetrable floor, but it would be tough to shatter without a significant economic calamity. For now, the people putting money into rentals look really smart.
I think the market currently prices in a $10000 credit eventually passing, but Corn Pop has promised as much as $20000 depending on which direction the wind blows.
I don’t see $20000 being even remotely possible. That would effectively make anyone holding a single family home and just a moderate amount of money in the bank and retirement plans a millionare. OTOH, that would make people feel wealthy, even if it was a delusion.
Will do. Prepping-wise, I’ve got store-bought FD for four for about 6 months in the closet. With extra FD protein.
I’ve got store-bought FD for four for about 6 months in the closet. With extra FD protein.
– there is a place for FD in everyone’s plan. Whenever amazon notifies me that Augie Farms cans of something are on sale, I look at it and if it really is a deal, I get some. I don’t know what my total is, but I’ve got MH meals in variety pack cases for “grab and go” and cans of MH and augie farms in various ingredients.
n
“Dear Marc Rowan, et al.” by Erick Erickson
https://www.cullmantimes.com/opinion/column-dear-marc-rowan-et-al/article_cb287abe-777f-11ee-bcf6-b3eff34e2b43.html
“Marc Rowan is the chairman of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also my boss’ boss’ boss’ boss’ boss or something like that. The radio company I work for is owned by Apollo Global Management, and Rowan is the CEO of that parent company.”
“The University of Pennsylvania has pushed Rowan to resign his chairmanship because Rowan does not like how the university has handled the rise of antisemitism on campus. He and other donors are unwilling to write large checks to a school that polices microaggressions but lets students call for eliminating Israel.”
This is what happens when you hire for diversity instead of properly vetting people.
Garfield: Is It Nice Outside ?
https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2023/10/31
That is a very low bar. Unless, we really do get zombies some day like John Ringo prophesied.
“Teslas and salt water don’t mix very well”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2023/11/teslas-and-salt-water-dont-mix-very-well.html
“Ever seen a car burn underwater? You will now.”
Uh, oh my ! I’ve seen a guy launch his pickup while launching his boat. He was fairly blasted and missed the reverse to forward shift on his 3 on the tree column shift.
Redesigned stores + existing customer base? Priceless…for the ‘smash and grab’ crowd!
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/30/business/walmarts-given-a-major-new-look-and-feel-to-117-stores-here-are-the-big-changes/index.html
RE Calibre: I have 588 books in Calibre. The meta data show all but 37 with the authors name as “unknown” and only the file size. I guess they are all in DRM format.
I looked for removal or converter programs and found several but most creation dates of 2013 or earlier. I’m trying one now, Leawo Prof. I added to add it as a plug into Calibre. Did that but Calibre gives the same error pop-up, Book is DRM etc. I also tried it as a stand alone program. Again no results.
RTFM didn’t help. It wants me to run the Kindle app on my PC. I’ve installed the Kindle app several times in the past and again as I’m writing this but it does not appear under the start button; their are no “K” apps at all. I’m very frustrated.
The wife and I visited a friend building a house two blocks north of us on 1.0 acres Sunday night. He is building a 4,600 ft2 two story with a 1,600 ft2 detached garage. The house is 3 bedrooms down and 1 bedroom up with game room. The house is beautiful with 10 foot ceilings, a winding staircase, a catwalk, a 400 ft2 kitchen, a 300 ft2 pantry, etc. He bought a 3,000 ft2 plan and enlarged almost every room 50%. He has been the general contractor and hiring the subs directly.
My friend is tapped out and is trying to sell his existing home for three weeks now. He just has to put in his septic tank and he can move in and finish the house on the fly. He has sold his BOL home and maxed out his construction loan. He started building the house two years ago and thought he had put enough slop into his spreadsheet for the costs. Turns out the costs of the subs and the raw materials has increased by 40% over the last two years, way beyond his plans. Between the cost of the land and the house, he is approaching a million dollars and is freaked out. I had no words of comfort for him, I am stunned too.
>>You can sell fruits/vegetables in Texas at open markets and such without a food license. You take an online course is all. Any meat and you need a full license. You can sell online, for sale in Texas only, but you have to deliver the item yourself (Uber, maybe). You aren’t allowed to ship stuff.
You are
n’tallowed to ship stuff, until you get caught. There, that’s better.Now try shipping a gub to an FFL without paying your local FFL to ship it.
>>I’m trying one now, Leawo Prof.
@Bob, try DeDRM…
https://github.com/apprenticeharper/DeDRM_tools/blob/master/FAQs.md
To: Bob Sprowl
Re: it does not appear under the start button; their are no “K” apps at all.
The Kindle App will be under/in? the Amazon folder of your start menu.
>> My friend is tapped out and is trying to sell his existing home for three weeks now.
Is the existing home in good condition for attracting buyers? Is he working with a RE agent? Possibly reduce the price enough to generate multiple offers and settle for the highest bid?
There’s also ‘Fat Louie with the broken nose,’ but his vig, err, interest rates, are a bit higher than the local S&L. And late payments, ouch! He’ll also take your money on the Texas Rangers.
Anyone have any experience of late with HP laptops?
Saw this at Costco yesterday while waiting for the new tires to get installed on the LEAF.
Was hoping for 16 GB of RAM, this has 12. Thoughts?
https://www.costco.com/hp-14%22-laptop—13th-gen-intel-core-i3-1315u—1080p—windows-11.product.4000209051.html
What?! No, this can’t be true…
https://dnyuz.com/2023/11/01/offshore-wind-firm-cancels-n-j-projects-as-industrys-prospects-dim/
Orsted, the Danish company that is a leading offshore wind farm developer, said on Wednesday that it would write off as much as $5.6 billion as it gives up on plans to build two wind farms off the coast of New Jersey.
The charges were further evidence that offshore wind in the United States is going through a major shakeout, crimping Biden administration plans to make the industry a critical component of plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. High inflation and soaring interest rates are making planned projects that looked like winners several years ago no longer profitable.
What are comps in the neighborhood?
If he’s far outside that window, converting the construction loan will be tough.
I bought a new HP laptop last month. Works great, as do the previous 3-5 I have bought in the past. This new one replaced one that was about 4 years old, and was used daily for 6-10 hours a day. I upgraded that one with SSD drives, but it was time for a new one (and I spoiled myself).
New one is this one :
It was built by a company that upgrades new HP Laptops with extra memory and extra SSD drives, but still under HP warranty. Well done, packaging was HP.
I wanted a system with a 17″ screen, the Intel i7 core, tons of RAM and 4TB hard drive, and HP doesn’t make one like that. Arrived within one week of ordering. Setup was the usual stuff, but minimal crapware on it. Took a couple of days to transfer programs and data from the old system (via wireless, as new system doesn’t have an ethernet port). Used LapLink to transfer programs and data – that worked OK.
I made a rare visit to our local Super Walmart a week ago (needed to match a throw rug). They are aggressively locking down: all the camping gear is now behind locked glass for example, rather than three month’s ago being just a few of the more valuable items.
Lancaster is 80% vibrant and diverse, and a homeless mecca.
Mr. Bob, here is a link to the DeDRM plugin I use:
https://github.com/noDRM/DeDRM_tools/releases
The working version is 10.0.3. As you can read, the author is working on the next version.
If you click on the v10.0.0 “latest” button, you can download the plugin.
Open Calibre, Preferences, Advanced, Plugins, and then “load plugins from file”. Locate the plugin and load it. You will need the unique Kindle device ID that you use to download a book. The ID is how the book is encrypted and is locked to each Kindle (you can have multiple IDs in the plugin if you have multiple Kindles). That ID is on the Kindle somewhere, I just go to my Amazon account, device management, look for my registered Kindles, and find the IDs. This has worked with no problem since I installed it. The original code by Apprentice Alf is no longer maintained, others I don’t know about. This version is a fork from Apprentice Harper that Mr. Alan mentioned above.
I’ll add, that I don’t try the workarounds to use DeDRM on the Windows/Mac Kindle app. I always use the “download and transfer by USB” option on the Amazon site. Download and drag and drop (import for you Dino’s, I’m 68 BTW).
10.0.3
Got some bad news about the brother-in-law.
He has been having hallucinations for a few years. Claims people are in his back yard but video from a camera he set up shows nothing. Several times he has spent a couple hours on his roof looking at the neighbors because he thinks they are stealing his WiFi. He only puts two gallons of gas in his vehicles at a time because he thinks someone is stealing his gas. He accused his son of stealing his tools. He has a locked room in his house with his stuff in it and will not allow his wife access. In other words, lot of mental problems.
He was diagnosed with a brain tumor several years back. It is inoperable. The doctor is not too terribly concerned. The wife and I think the tumor is pressing on some part of his brain that is causing the paranoia. But we’re not doctors.
Today his wife got news from a neuropsychologist that thinks the BIL has Parkinsons or Lewy Body disease. Both are diseases of the brain. The recent tests, including a brain scan, were to establish a baseline. The doctor does not want to see the BIL for a year unless things start getting significantly worse. The wife and I think it is already to that point. But we’re not doctors.
The BIL does not believe he is hallucinating and apparently got really angry over the doctor telling the BIL he is hallucinating. The BIL’s wife just goes along with what the BIL says he sees as that is what the police told her. The BIL has called the police several times on the fake intruders.
My wife is taking it as well as possible. Getting old sucks. The BIL is 70, wife is 68. I look at myself and consider myself lucky. I have to go now to chase those unicorns off my lawn.
@ EdH and JimB: A day late in enjoying Halloween with a Mojave Red from Indian Wells.
“I have to go now to chase those unicorns off my lawn.”
If they have any leprechaun riders, knock them off and tie them up. Don’t believe them if they claim to be too poor to have any gold. Tell them if they’re poor they won’t mind the free meals that you will feed them, then apologize for having nothing but Tuna Helper. A week on that and they’ll be wanting to buy dinner, then you can snatch the gold.
When you get it, remember your friends here.
@ray, don’t chase them off, unicorn meat is sweet and delicious. . .
Seriously though, losing one’s mind has to be one of the worst ways to go.
n
Heard “It’s Raining Again” by Supertramp on XM just now. Has a great saxophone part.., so many of the bands and songs from the 70s and 80s have really good solos, and a lot of saxophone, much more than I remember.
n
I really need to make it up there. Might be passing through on my way to Carson City for Thanksgiving.
As opposed to hamburger helper? I need to ask the grocery store if they have unicorn helper.
Given a choice between a fractured mind or fractured body, the body wins everytime. Just ask Stephen Hawkins.
The issue with the BIL has been going on for three or four years. All of their assets were moved into his wife’s name about 3years ago as recommended by the doctor.
The BIL knows he might have Parkinson, he does not acknowledge the hallucinations. He can still walk and is mobile so the Parkinson’s is a big issue. The hallucinations and paranoia are real issues.
OK, about my residence. We were first buyers in this new neighborhood in 1967 for a 2 story 1954 sq. ft. house at $29,000. We are in the north side of Huntington Beach about 1 ½ miles from the Pacific Ocean. If you Google us, we are about ¼ mile southwest of the southwest corner of the Meadowlark Golf Coast. Now, I get Zillow value estimates of about $1,100,000. How lucky were we when we never anticipated such?
Oh yeah, about ½ mile west of a cousin of JimB.
Going here Sunday aft. for a neighbor’s birthday party. https://www.facebook.com/pages/King-Neptunes-Sea-Foods/263989650782014
@ray, don’t chase them off, unicorn meat is sweet and delicious. . .
Their farts also power Teslas. The Cyber Truck requires dragon farts.
What are comps in the neighborhood?
If he’s far outside that window, converting the construction loan will be tough.
The comps are $650K (my house) to 1.2 million. Not a problem.
But the interest rate is a problem. I think that his construction loan is just $500K, he self financed by selling his BOL house and cash he had on hand.
So he is fine once he sells his current house. He is going to have to reduce the asking amount for a quick sale.
“Iranian Proxies Are Starting to Join the War, and That Is Really Bad News”
https://discernreport.com/iranian-proxies-are-starting-to-join-the-war-and-that-is-really-bad-news/
“I’ll tell you the number one reason why Hezbollah is hesitating. They don’t want to get nuked.”
“If Hezbollah started firing thousands of missiles at Israel and attempted to launch a full-blown invasion from the north, there is a very good chance that the Israelis would use nuclear weapons.”
Nobody wants to get nuked.
“But at some point the pressure to join the conflict will likely become just too great, and that will especially be true once it becomes clear that Hamas is on the verge of being wiped out…”
“By the time this thing is over, I believe that the entire world will be completely and utterly shocked by what happens.”
Me too. I am fairly sure that nukes will be flying in the next 30 days. If, Israel has the nukes that everyone thinks that they have. If not, Israel is in for a world of hurt. No matter what, the Middle East is changing right now as people flip their cards over.
“2024 Presidential Race Stays Static In The Face Of Major Events, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; RFK Jr. Receives 22% As Independent Candidate In 3-Way Race”
https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3881
Looks like Biden beats Trump if RFKjr is running a third party. But what if Trump talks RFKjr into being his VP ?
Heard “It’s Raining Again” by Supertramp on XM just now. Has a great saxophone part.., so many of the bands and songs from the 70s and 80s have really good solos, and a lot of saxophone, much more than I remember.
I heard “Paula Cole – Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” at HEB Sunday and now am enthralled with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUmKUWzbDxg
I believe that the entire world will be completely and utterly shocked by what happens.
– only if they’ve been living under a rock, or with their head in the sand.
n
RE plugins: Will not load
calibre, version 6.13.0
ERROR: Unhandled exception: <b>InvalidPlugin</b>:The plugin in ‘C:\\Users\\bob\\Downloads\\DeDRM_tools_10.0.3.zip’ is invalid. It does not contain a top-level __init__.py file
calibre 6.13 embedded-python: True
Windows-10-10.0.19045-SP0 Windows (’64bit’, ‘WindowsPE’)
(‘Windows’, ’10’, ‘10.0.19045’)
Python 3.10.1
Windows: (’10’, ‘10.0.19045’, ‘SP0’, ‘Multiprocessor Free’)
Interface language: None
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “calibre\gui2\preferences\plugins.py”, line 325, in add_plugin
File “calibre\customize\ui.py”, line 480, in add_plugin
File “calibre\customize\ui.py”, line 64, in load_plugin
File “calibre\customize\zipplugin.py”, line 298, in load
File “calibre\customize\zipplugin.py”, line 393, in _locate_code
calibre.customize.InvalidPlugin: The plugin in ‘C:\\Users\\bob\\Downloads\\DeDRM_tools_10.0.3.zip’ is invalid. It does not contain a top-level __init__.py file
>> Today his wife got news from a neuropsychologist that thinks the BIL has Parkinsons or Lewy Body disease. Both are diseases of the brain. The recent tests, including a brain scan, were to establish a baseline. The doctor does not want to see the BIL for a year unless things start getting significantly worse. The wife and I think it is already to that point. But we’re not doctors.
@Ray, your BIL needs to see a neurologist that specializes in movement disorders. A neuropsychologist will just test for cognitive progression. Hallucinations are definitely a symptom of PD, but also of many other conditions. There is a medication for PD hallucinations.
Unfortunately, there is not a definitive test for PD, it is a subjective determination made by a neurologist. There are many meds for both the physical and cognitive symptoms and more being tested. Slowing the disease progression is of particular focus. The Michael J. Fox website is a good resource.
Civilization was nice while it lasted. Barbarians at the gate? No they’re at the supermarket, and the school, and the jobsite.
Multiple Students Stabbed at High School in Los Angeles – School on Lockdown – Attacker at Large
KTLA reported:
– it’s not “gun violence” so I guess it won’t count.
n
Bobby Knight —
Legendary for his anger management issues…
n
Yikes. Lewy Body dementia was what pushed Robin Williams over the edge.
RE the Kindle ID number.
I hope you meant Serial number as no ID number is listed. I hate it when they have 0s and Os and you can’t tell which because only one appears in the number you are copying. I actually have four 0/Os but which who knowns… If it doesn’t work my first change will be the changing to the other choice. Zeros should be slashed!!
The Israeli’s are not going to be counting on any help, and I think they see the rising tide… the will act to end this once and for all, soon, before the moment passes.
Biden says Palestinian children are ‘crying out for their parents’, vows to get all Americans out of Gaza and urges Israel to protect citizens after refugee camp was bombed for the SECOND day in a row
They already delayed too long waiting for the US go ahead.
n
Yes, it’s the S/N.
A good reason to log in to Amazon and copy the number.
I can’t help with the Python error. I’ve never gotten one of those on any plugin I’ve installed.
BTW, you don’t unzip plugins after download.
Truth. I don’t think all of his advice would have applied, but the basic, ‘get into the market sooner than later’ would have been a good move.
The best investment advice is “be lucky with your timing.” And it’s essentially useless.
n
“Google plans RISC-V Android tools in 2024, wants developers to “be ready””
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/10/google-plans-risc-v-android-tools-in-2024-wants-developers-to-be-ready/
“We’ve got RISC-V OS support, incoming chips, and soon, an app ecosystem.”
Yup, cpu wars are here.
Went back to DeDRM tools and found a 10.0.2 zip file and downloaded it.
Then I screwed up. I tried to find the bad plugin to remove and couldn’t so I copied the Calibre book library to a safe place and deleted the Calibre program completely. Reinstalled Calibre and moved the Calibre book library back into Calibre – but I couldn’t find the plugin because it did not install! Duh…
Tried adding the 10.0.2 version of the plugin and got exactly the same error.
I decided to add the Kindle serial number via the “customisation” dialog box as the read.me file advised , but I can’t find that dialog box. Probably have to successfully install the plugin first.
The best investment advice is “be lucky with your timing.” And it’s essentially useless.
n
Yup, buy low and sell high.
Well, yes, although I was more thinking that if I’d bought a house the first time I had an opportunity, I would have been paying into an asset much earlier. I know there’s arguments for and against considering the place you live as an asset, but eventually (and I understand that might be a much longer time than you want, or find convenient) you can at least recover much if not most of your investment, and even if there’s no conventional profit, you’ve subsidized your living costs by that much.
Also, it would have given me an anchor which might have made my subsequent migrations less … frequent.
I think something is wonky with your PC at this point. Maybe a permission of some kind.
Maybe try another plugin. Any one will do. If that works you’d know.
You remove plugins from the same dialog. If you are trying any of this with the command line, I wouldn’t. Stick with the GUI.
On an entirely different front, I’m trying to learn about rooting and modding Android devices. I’m trying to revitalize an old Samsung Tab 2, and I’m finding it heavy going. I’ve been essentially out of tech for about 5 years, and it fades quickly. It’s interesting though, so I expect I’ll keep at it until I figure it out.
The Israeli’s are not going to be counting on any help, and I think they see the rising tide… the will act to end this once and for all, soon, before the moment passes.
They built their own country back in the 1930s for a reason. Severe trust issues.
And here we are again in 2023. Severe trust issues.
Right on cue:
Biden is heckled by rabbi at Minneapolis fundraiser who demands ‘ceasefire now!’- then takes credit for tempering Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and calls for a ‘pause’
plugs is trying to stop Israel’s momentum. What does he not understand about a declaration of war? Does he think only he can tell Israel to go to war?
And, “bearded female rabbi”? Oof!
University of California Proves There Is At Least One Adult in the Room After Condemning Pro-Hamas Faculty
https://justkiradavis.substack.com/p/university-of-california-proves-there
It’s going to be interesting to see what happens in the UC system.
Another Cornell Student Busted Over Antisemitic Threats
https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2023/11/01/another-cornell-student-busted-over-antisemitic-threats-n589335
If the family’s account of prior mental health issues is accurate, this may be a symptom of greatly worsening mental problems rather than innate anti-semitism.
Professor Jacobson points out that he learned these things at Cornell:
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/11/how-did-student-patrick-dai-become-radicalized-at-cornell/
The junior engineering student who was a National Merit Scholar has probably made himself well-nigh unemployable and faces a very difficult road to wellness.
American Fiction, Part Deux
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/11/american-fiction-part-deux.php
Unfortunately there is no link to Leno’s appearance or indication whether this was a personal memory of the writer or otherwise.
After the theme won an Academy Award in 1972, Kaye Ballard did a hilarious bit on the lyrics on The Tonight Show–I couldn’t find that, either.
When I lived in the Midwest, adults would go trick or drinking. Had to have something suitable available. Early in the evening, punch was popular; later, the more potent stuff was optional.
Where I live now, we have never had any action. Too spread out. We used to have some treats in case some came by car, but that never happened, so we just go about our normal life. I miss the little ones, and the teens who say this is their last year… really!
Rangers win World Series for first time in franchise history
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/rangers-win-world-series-first-time-franchise-history
I used the GUI. Don’t do much anymore with a command line.
Guess I’ll have to buy a standalone converter when I get back from my trip.
@bob, I’m sad that we couldn’t get your problem fixed. I’ve never used anything but my actual kindles and never used anything to manage the ~500 books in my library. I mainly just have unread first… and then I read one of those. Not the best technique I’m sure but it works for me with only a couple unread books at a time.
I’m headed to bed because if I don’t, I’ll be watching youtube shorts for another 2 hours.
n
And, “bearded female rabbi”? Oof!
Make that a double oof! That is nasty.
@Bob: I haven’t removed DRM from Kindle books for a while. Back when I did, DeDRM was the tool. However, there is a competition between Amazon putting tougher DRM on their books, and DeDRM breaking it.
When I last did this, DeDRM couldn’t break the DRM on books downloaded to my newer Kindle. So I dug out a really old Kindle. It apparenlty only supported older DRM, so when I downloaded the books to it, and then copied them to Calibre, DeDRM could work with them.
I don’t know if that helps in your situation, especially since it sounds like you have already put all the books into Calibre.