Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day… I’ve got stuff to do, and I need to use the pickup truck to do it. Don’t want to get everything wet. Oh well, it will be what it is. I came pouring down yesterday. Started with some dark clouds on the horizon, but went to full on bucketing down. The cells were localized and moving throughout the day so I’d bet that most of Houston and surrounds got rain. My yard was squishy with too much water. Anyway, national forecast says it’ll be more of the same today.
I did my pickups, chatted with one auctioneer for a bit, then got a text from D1. She wanted to move her pickup time forward an hours, since her sportsball practice got cancelled. I decided to head over and skip some of what I had planned to do. D2 got in on the act wanting to be picked up if she stayed late. All in all, I spent an hour and a half on that nonsense. On top of that, because we got home at 430pm my day was shot. So I did some stuff around the house.
I put a new power supply in the machine I picked up a week or two ago that was a near clone of my main machine, only slightly newer. I got a thermaltake, new in box, for $15 in an auction and it went in perfectly. Learned that the 4 pin connector comes ganged with another, and one of my old psu had that set up and would have worked in the PC if I’d known. Not having the directions or even a box with “features” shown, I didn’t know what I had or how to make it work. I’ll save the psu for the next one and keep using the new thermaltake psu. I spent some time changing settings for win10 and used ninite.com to install a basic software package. Not sure what I’ll use the machine for, but I’m sure something will present itself. Meanwhile, it’s a backup for this main pc.
What did Jerry used to say? You need n+1 PCs to keep n PCs running? I’ve got n+x where x is bigger than 10 and smaller than 20, of course not all of them are actually running… I may take at least one of the older machines and send it to auction. I’ve got monitors and k/m to include and old win7 systems are still selling for $50-100. For most people, win7 era performance is more than enough. I put a lappy in the auction but it hasn’t listed yet. That will tell me if I should bother with more.
Today I’ve got to rearrange the truck, do a pickup, or possibly two, and get ready to go to the BOL Saturday. I’ve got so much stuff waiting to go, I can’t fit it all in the truck. It almost makes sense to rent a small trailer. If the weather improves maybe I will. In any case it will be a quick up and back the next day. My buddy says the grass grew 8 inches in the last two weeks, and the tree guy was supposed to come by and drop two trees and clear up the burn pile. So, I’ve got stuff to do up there, in addition to just making the delivery.
And I’m sure the kids will want to be chauffeured around too. Busy day.
Probably should get cracking.
And stacking, it all counts as stacking this weekend.
n
It will play well in Austin because of the Summer we just had followed by the hail storm at the beginning of October, when the temps finally broke.
I am amazed that pre i3/5/7 systems could attract $50+. As I noted previously, I recently picked up 2 x i5/W10 plus an i3/Win10 system for GBP20 here in the UK. For GBP50 I would expect an i5 gen 8 with Win11 and an SSD drive. Lesser systems I have sold for between GBP5 and 10, just to avoid them going to landfill.
The pandemic kabuki followed by Bidenomics wreaked havoc on the economies of the smaller towns we visited. Every visitor destination and the Duluth Trading outlet – a real outlet! – had new people being trained. This past summer was probably the first truly reopened tourist season in the state.
OTOH, we rolled into Madison on Monday to be greeted by a large pro-Palestinean protest, and masks were everywhere in the big cities, showing party allegiance. I’m sure everyone was fully jabbed.
If anyone in Wisconsin is voting for Trump next year, they will do it quietly. I’ll write more about why later.
Don’t forget Epic Systems, which is rapidly becoming the dominant tool for handling medical records in the US, in a fairly scary way. We noted that the company sponsored WI PBS.
Epic is privately held and the founder is 80 years old. Similar to the angst over succession at Berkshire-Hathaway, a lot of anxiety in healthcare C-suites concerns what happens at the company after Judith Faulkner passes.
Even the Feds don’t like the power and influence of Epic, with the VA continuing to drive development of their system as an open source alternative.
Cool and wet this morning with the overnight drizzle continuing into the day. Ground is saturated and squishy. I’m gonna be getting wet as I do my stuff today. Yuck.
@PaultheManc– I haven’t tried to sell any pc that was less than i3 or i5. I don’t think there is much market below there, as you said. The iX series still sells though.
n
Again, I recommend “The Last Blockbuster” to see the ongoing problem with “obsolete” PC hardware in a nutshell.
A lot of pre-Lenovo IBM PC systems with Pentium III CPUs were deployed as pieces of critical infrastructure twenty years ago, on the thought that the hardware would see support for a significant length of time. These days, the “safe” choice would be HP or Dell, but who thought IBM would be out of the game back then.
Exceedingly rare, but it has a name and if it happens you’re F’d.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12733791/Words-life-theyre-gone-Actress-42-left-unable-perform-suffering-stroke-triggered-AstraZeneca-Covid-jab.html
– she’s not too bright, continuing to get boosters after having an adverse reaction…
n
Looked at the local forecast and decided to wait a bit before going out. It’s supposed to stop raining for a few hours which would be helpful to me…
and there is always something else I can be doing.
n
Started my taxes. TurboTax is now registering the serial number to an account so no more sharing the software with my son. I wondered how long it was going to be before TurboTax started locking down the product.
Based on my information so far, my tax rate is about 6%.
It does not make me happy that much of that tax money is being spent on leaches and sent to regimes overseas. The first priority of the US, should be the US. Those that are here illegally should not be entitled to anything except a bus ticket home on an old school bus. With congress critters from blue states as drivers and chaperones.
Keep Calm And Carry On.
I continue to be amazed at how much of the former British Empire went off the deep end of full-on Fascism when confronted with the pandemic kabuki, both the number of goose steppers and sheeple simply accepting their fate were far higher than what I expected from the group of countries who led the charge against Hitler.
IIRC, Australians – the nationality of the actress — were trucking the hesitant to ze kampfs -er- camps.
Of course, if she had been an American actress, the response to requirement for the booster would have been slightly different but still equally brain dead.
Yeah, stroke. Trump tho.
Go back two years in the US and the airwaves, including this space, were filled with calls to goose the health insurance premiums of the unvaccinated in a slightly-less physically threatening but still full-on Fascist reaction.
Business and government, hand in black leather glove. Never forget. Never forgive unless a real “mea culpa” is given, including from the Orange Man.
Looking closer at the pictures, I gotta wonder if the jab fetish actress was a smoker.
That will be a link between the AZ vaccine and the formation of blood clots which may never be explored, but the possibility certainly exists.
“Never give up, never surrender”
Sadly, Tim Allen sold out and kept his mouth shut for a new “Santa Clause” movie.
On the upside, “Lightyear” was yet another nail in the coffin of the current iteration of Disney.
“The Marvels” and finally “Wish” will be the last nails.
The Good: More “Ghostbusters” from the same people who made “Afterlife”.
The Bad: Patton Oswalt and Kumal Nanjiani. Wokester favorites and Disney lackeys.
The (Possibly) Ugly: They’re kinda sneaking this one out, with the trailer dropping several days ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_6CbpF2FSk
I still believe because the Japanese don’t screw around with the IP they own.
“Frank and Ernest”: Take the Long Way Home
https://www.gocomics.com/frank-and-ernest/2023/11/09
Science !
“this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
Winston Churchill
October 29, 1941
Harrow School
Scientists: Nearly 4 Decades of Climate Model Failure Undermines Confidence In Future Predictions
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/11/10/scientists-nearly-4-decades-of-climate-model-failure-undermines-confidence-in-future-predictions/
We’re on the 6th generation of spaghetti graphed crap, and it still doesn’t work. Note that “ensemble” refers to some kind of average of the entire group of models. Each model is itself crap. They produce wildly different results when fed the same data, so the results are shown together (the spaghetti graph) and the “ensemble’ is used to generate predictions that are worthless except to justify more billions in funding for the groups predicting doom, Doomer, DOOMIEST!
As Lynn has pointed out, we are in an ice age as defined by the presence of ice at both poles. We are in one of the relatively short and warm periods (interglacials) between much longer periods of cold where the ice expands to cover more of the earth’s surface (glacials). Geologic data show that the present interglacial is the 10th in the last 2.5 million years, and we are nearly 12,000 years into what is typically a 10-15,000 year event before the real cold returns for 40-100,000 years.
The cycles of the last 2.5 million years were not uniform in length or temperature. That alone is enough to refute any assertions that the earth has a stable climate, or that man-made changes are the only factors driving climate change. As JEP used to observe, the sun is a yellow variable star. Yet the climate models do not include solar variation. What the climate models show, unequivocally, is that we don’t know enough to produce a good model.
Alternatively, there have been arguments that a good model is possible, or at least a better and simpler one, but the problem for the global warming zealots is that it can’t show that man-made changes in CO2 levels are going to set the EARTH ON FIRE and KILL US ALL unless we ACT NOW to reduce our carbon footprint. At least for the hoi polloi in civilized countries, not our masters and certainly not for the billions of people in developing countries that at entitled to emit whatever they want on one hand while demanding “climate reparations” on the other hand for non-existent “damages” and while with other parts they breed themselves into unstoppable hordes to assault our borders from without and within.
Meanwhile Biden, Obama and the woke scum who have been driven insane by the communist takeover of our education system have destroyed our borders, admitted millions of invaders, and conspired to give them rights superior to the lawful citizens of this country.
We will look back, briefly, with some fondness for the years that were merely crazy as the burning comes to define the new age.
Billionaire Leon Cooperman, chairman of Omega Advisors CEO, told Fox News host Liz Claman that he won’t donate to Columbia.
“These kids at the colleges have sh*t for brains,” he said in disgust.
Cooperman has given Columbia $50 million over the years.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/11/columbia-u-suspends-students-for-justice-in-palestine-and-jewish-voice-for-peace/
Ask the guy in the mirror what he has, if he’s given $50 million to one of the national hotbeds of campus antisemitism without figuring it out until now. Who takes advice about what from this man?
As of today, it is illegal for a private employer to implement or enforce a Covid vaccine mandate in Texas.
Gov. Abbott signs bill banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates in private sector
Too little, too late for those of us who lost our jobs, our careers, and were defamed by Houston Methodist.
Of course, the bill is wishy-washy, has exceptions, and still allows the liars in healthcare to persecute those who exercise their freedom of choice. But it’s at least a start.
“U.N. ‘Commissioner’ Claims Israel Doesn’t Have Right to Self-defense”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/11/u-n-commissioner-claims-israel-doesnt-have-right/
“An official “commissioner” inside the United Nations is using semantics to claim that Israel has no right of self-defense against the home of the Hamas terrorists who butchered 1,400 innocent civilians during an invasion on Oct. 7.”
“It is Francesca Albanese, in the office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as a special rapporteur for Palestinians, who has argued semantics.”
I know I sound like a broken record but it is time for the UN to go away.
It will play well in Austin because of the Summer we just had followed by the hail storm at the beginning of October, when the temps finally broke.
Just wait for the CO2 taxes that double the electric bills. Who will be screaming at their $2,000 electric bills then ?
Joe has had a plan in his back pocket for CO2 taxes to balance the USA budget. I have been surprised that Joe never implemented it. I suspect that Roberts has told him that it is ok to implement this using the penalty provisions of the Clean Air Act that have never been used. After all, Congress did pass the Clean Air Act several times.
I know I sound like a broken record but it is time for the UN to go away.
Is the UN still trying to take over the Internet naming system and charge exorbitant fees ?
I get a letter from China every month claiming if I do not pay them hundreds of dollars that they will put my winsim.com domain up for auction. I just trash it.
Does this apply to all nations? If I were to invade and colonize Morocco in order to take over their phosphate mining and export operations, that would be ok?
Where’s the Beef? No, Seriously – Where Did It GO?
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2023/11/10/wheres-the-beef-no-seriously-where-did-it-go-n591594
Remember that there are three “per pound” prices:
Short article fails to mention two other major factors:
The war against cattle on the open range by the US Bureau of Land Management
Obamacare driving the cost of medical care even harder through the roof (Should be noted again that Roberts will rot in hell. Maybe he and the Clintons can be new assignees to that little-known circle of Hell: The Parser’s Circle.)
Santa with lap shortage looking for volunteer laps:
https://ace.mu.nu/headlines/archives/Christmas%20smile.jpg
Yeah, right. The next picture is part of Santa’s work injury claim, after all 400-lbs of Pete “Princess” Perpich, who identifies as a woman, sat down and recited his 10-page list of presents for this year.
Santa with lap shortage looking for volunteer laps:
https://ace.mu.nu/headlines/archives/Christmas%20smile.jpg
Yeah, right. The next picture is part of Santa’s work injury claim, after all 400-lbs of Pete “Princess” Perpich, who identifies as a woman, sat down and recited his 10-page list of presents for this year.
Hey, warn a guy ! Now I am going to have Goth Princess nightmares tonight.
My daughter went through that phase for a few years. Then she got tired of all the makeup and taunting from her brother.
“Moody’s cuts U.S. outlook to negative, citing deficits and political polarization”
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/10/moodys-cuts-usa-outlook-to-negative-citing-higher-interest-rates-and-deficits.html
“Moody’s Investors Service lowered its ratings outlook on the United States’ government to negative from stable, pointing to rising risks to the nation’s fiscal strength.”
Nothing to see here, just a big warning sign for a near future financial apocalypse of the USA.
Hat tip to:
https://www.drudgereport.com/
“Feeling crowded yet? The US Census Bureau estimates the world’s population has passed 8 billion”
https://apnews.com/article/world-population-8-billion-census-159f6eeac66bbc9800ad3ec4d9653b52
And two billion of them want to move here for three meals a day and shoes. Oh yeah, and a house not made of sheet metal.
Sheet metal? LUXURY!! Why when I was a lad….
—————–
Two years ago I was talking about all the ranchers selling off their herds because they couldn’t afford to feed and water them. Same last year. Now those turkeys are coming home to roost. There is a lag for beef – even if they wanted to double the herds tomorrow, they couldn’t do it overnight.
Cows take water, 35gallons a day, iirc, and food. Food costs more now than 2 years ago.
n
(pork loin was $1.87 pound at HEB today so I bought 20 pounds.)
@brad
This one’s for you:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy6KtPPPBki/?e=b2fff1e9-c20f-40e4-85c7-fa6efe8fbdda&g=5&img_index=1
and this one’s for everyone:
https://twitter.com/TheEngineering_/status/1704433579416244714
(this is just one post–he has 169)
@Nick
“Cows take water, 35gallons a day, iirc, and food. Food costs more now than 2 years ago.”
Cattle feed costs even more when you fertilize the pasture and it doesn’t rain.
$7 a bay was a decent price for hay this year. Watch the slaughter numbers. In the fall farmers are looking at their hay and grain stores and calculating … can they make it through the winter… how close is the margin… what’s the expected gain vs. sending some to slaughter and selling part of the feed?
Farmers don’t get holidays and Saturdays are just days when it’s harder to get parts for the machinery. Sunday is a day to give thanks.
I used to teach a math course that included minimax problems. I should look at what they’re using for AgE degrees these days.
Oh, and another factor increasing beef prices: They want to prevent farmers from administering some medications, forcing them to use a vet. Large animal vets are in short supply and mixed practices are rare–most vets are small animals.
“Article 45 Will Roll Back Web Security by 12 Years”
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/11/article-45-will-roll-back-web-security-12-years
“The EU is poised to pass a sweeping new regulation, eIDAS 2.0. Buried deep in the text is Article 45, which returns us to the dark ages of 2011, when certificate authorities (CAs) could collaborate with governments to spy on encrypted traffic—and get away with it. Article 45 forbids browsers from enforcing modern security requirements on certain CAs without the approval of an EU member government. Which CAs? Specifically the CAs that were appointed by the government, which in some cases will be owned or operated by that selfsame government. That means cryptographic keys under one government’s control could be used to intercept HTTPS communication throughout the EU and beyond.”
Backdoors for everyone !
That’ll show Corn Pop. Where were these brave Texas Republicans two years ago?
To be fair, Florida’s law is similarly wishy-washy, but DeSantis signed it into law in November 2021.
Ripping some more DVDs while I do other things, and I found The Last Starfighter. Loved the movie when I saw it in the theater. Don’t want to get sucked in at midnight…
The 80s were great for ‘good’ movies. Didn’t have to be a blockbuster, just make money and keep people coming back for more.
n