Cold, then warmer. Clear, but maybe some clouds. Or maybe overcast. The liars can only guess, and dress the guess up with “science-y” pictures and charts, but at the end of the day, it is still a guess. I can guess too. With about the same consequences if I’m wrong.
Although it got all the way to “warm” yesterday, despite guesses that it wouldn’t. In fact, it was a beautiful warm day. I drove around with the windows down all day. Starting with taking D2 to the orthodontist, and then to school. Ran some other errands, then took 3 black bins to my auctioneer. Picked up a 200w solar panel, and some other stuff. Got D1 from school. Got an adjustment from my timeshare chiropractor. And went to the sporting goods store to buy food for the gubs…
I’d looked online to see what prices were, and if there was stock at the store. Their website assured me that there was, and that there were choices that were in line with national pricing here in the ‘new normal.’ Stock on the shelves did NOT match the online inventory. There was ammo in pretty much every caliber, but choices were very limited. Most had two choices. Really common, like 9mm – had several. 556? one choice each load, and only 3 loads (green tip, fmj, optimized for hunting.) Not a lot of stock on the shelf, but if you had the scratch, you could get a couple of thousand rounds of the most common calibers, and many thousand rounds of 22LR. No 7.62×39 at all though. Hunting calibers were limited to a few boxes and a couple manufacturers in every type. Still, I’d say that there was SOMETHING to buy for everyone except the commie guns.
I bought some fish hooks and attractant spray too, while I was there. I’ve got more fake bait than I know what to do with, but all the estate stuff was very short on actual hooks. I got a couple of seasons worth in a variety of sizes and styles, based only on what I’ve seen my neighbor at the BOL rig for me. FWIW, Academy Sports has a LOT of plastic bait with a big markdown, on clearance. If you’re short on worms or rage swimmers, you might want to check them out.
With all the driving around, I didn’t get as much done here as I needed to. I’ll be working on that today before I do my pickup. And I’ll be setting a live trap in the attic. I looked, but didn’t see any issues earlier this week, but I’ve heard the movement, and I’m sure something is up there. The rat poison is still there, so I’m thinking possum. We’ll see if the trap gets him.
I’ll sleep when I’m dead.
Keep the faith, and keep stacking.
nick
Lots of train time today. Pretty silly, in a way: I just needed to pick up some exams from the school. So 2 hours there and 2 hours back. What I get for moving to our “retirement” house before retiring. Ah, well. Here’s hoping that the students did well.
One of the people in charge of the exam asked me if I really meant that the students could bring “anything on paper”, because some had brought last year’s exams, already filled out, and were copying answers into their exam. Which, admittedly, must look strange to the people overseeing the exam. This happens every year – the only problem is: the questions are different. So copying from last year’s exam pretty much guarantees a failing grade 😛
They can’t be that clueless, can they?
Although I did have an open book Physics exam that asked an example problem that was completely worked out in thee text. When I asked the professor, he said it was a bonus to anyone that actually read the text.
Some of them may be that desperate.
Gwynne Shotwell is the adult in the room at SpaceX.
Is one activist investor driving for change in leadership at TSLA like Nelson Peltz at Disney?
PE at TSLA is still 60+ after a 25% decline for the year. The stock is speculation, not investing in the traditional sense.
Absent a return to 2% auto paper being widely available again, the days of $50,000 MSRP being even remotely affordable to most households in the US are over.
Ford is offering 1.9% at 72 months on 2023 F150s rotting on dealer lots, but the money comes out of the bottom line.
Ah, Tommy Boy.
Car Pro was shilling that offer the other day when I caught part of the program running errands. I guess Jerry is back on the Dearborn payroll.
You can get take a good look at Bankruptcy by sticking your head into the “frunk” of an F150 Lightning, but wouldn’t you rather take the accountant’s word for it.
The stuff Musk’s companies do, and the way they do it, comes directly from him. HE can go see his DoD contacts and get them to tell the world’s astronomers to ‘suck it’ when they complain about too many objects in the sky. HE can talk to the Red Army guys controlling manufacturing in china. He can push for a launch pace that include TWO A DAY some days!
I don’t think an unknown second in command could do those things. It’s one reason why “investing” in his companies is a risk, if something happens to him, they will lose their way.
n
Chilly this am, but clear. Should be a nice day.
D1 is home sick. I think she got food poisoned by the team water at her meet yesterday, she immediately had GI distress after drinking from the dispenser… and still feels bad today.
Dunno why she carries 20 pounds of knock off stanley cup if she’s gonna drink from a cooler.
n
>>Got an adjustment from my timeshare chiropractor.
What, you only can have back problems one week a year??
The TSLA shareholders and board will decide for themselves whether simply handing The Real Life Tony Stark another 12% of the company in return for the Musk mojo is worth the dilution of their stakes. The Jesus Truck disaster doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, hence the 25% decline in the share price since the first of the year.
Be sure to fill out your proxy when it arrives in the mailbox.
I’ve got to point it out guys, you’re only saving one letter by typing TSLA instead of Tesla and you have to hold down that pesky Shift key. Just sayin’. 🙂
But … but … cool kid points!
TSLA is the ticker symbol for the stock. I think it is important to separate the emotion involved with the company from the raw data contributing to the decline of the share price.
That reminds me of the first time I looked into the stock market, probably in my late 20s early 30s, when a company IRA plan became available.
Me: So I don’t invest based on the companies product?
Friend: No, never.
Me: But on what others might think its worth?
Friend: Close, but really on what you think that they think that others might think it worth, at some point in the future.
Me: Eh…
Friend: Or buy index funds from Vanguard.
“Wed. Jan. 31, 2024 – livin’ on reds, vitamin C, and cocaine, all I know is ain’t it a shame…”
The Grateful Dead were awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSur0mFviT0
Netflix has an excellent documentary about Bob Weir: “The Other One: The Long Strange Trip of Bob Weir”
https://www.netflix.com/title/80011852
“Scoop: State Department reviewing options for possible recognition of Palestinian state”
https://www.axios.com/2024/01/31/palestine-statehood-biden-israel-gaza-war
“Secretary of State Tony Blinken asked the State Department to conduct a review and present policy options on possible U.S. and international recognition of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza, two U.S. officials briefed on the issue told Axios.”
Just a fool, just a fool !
The TSLA shareholders and board will decide for themselves whether simply handing The Real Life Tony Stark another 12% of the company in return for the Musk mojo is worth the dilution of their stakes. The Jesus Truck disaster doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, hence the 25% decline in the share price since the first of the year.
The Cybertruck does not have a locking rear axle like my 2019 F-150 4×4 with the FX4 and Max Tow packages that make it the premier 4×4 machine for the common man. The Raptor does have locking front and rear axles both for another $40K.
My locking rear axle has saved me from walking out in 18 inches of mud twice. Of course the bottom of my vehicle carried a thousand pounds of mud from the fields and gifted it to the TXDOT roads a chunk at a time.
“How Rishi Sunak-style fasting may protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s”
https://inews.co.uk/news/health/rishi-sunak-fasting-alzheimers-parkinsons-2880052
“Fasting raises levels of a chemical in the blood known as arachidonic acid, which reduces inflammation, a key cause of chronic diseases”
PE at TSLA is still 60+ after a 25% decline for the year. The stock is speculation, not investing in the traditional sense.
Absent a return to 2% auto paper being widely available again, the days of $50,000 MSRP being even remotely affordable to most households in the US are over.
Hey, quit knocking my investment ! Those 20 shares are important to me !
And if you can get a Cybertruck for less than $100,000 in the next 12 months, I would be shocked.
Things are looking up at my primary business. The office manager has closed three contracts today. That makes six new contracts for year so far, over $200K.
I love signing new contracts. Even if I have to bust my ass to fulfill them with all of the inorganic chemistry being pushed by the Global Warming XXXXX XXXXX Climate Change Change XXXXX Climate Disruption governments around the world.
@Lynn: Maybe you should promote your wife from office manager to sales guru?
Enjoy your superior beer if I’m wrong.
My wife’s backchannel source at Toyota nailed the street price of the Jesus Truck at $100,000.
The source’s current hot button issue is Tesla’s “recycling” program for the batteries replaced under warranty claims. According to this individual, most of the expired cells are simply hidden at the Gigafactory in Austin, waiting for a commercial scale recycling process to be perfected by … someone.
Quantities are still small at the moment.
The F150 isn’t built for the “common man” anymore.
Tommy Boy needs to make up for the $36k lost per EV sold somewhere.
Riffing the “head up a bull’s a**” line from that flick is easy given the family connection between the lead and Ford’s current CEO, but Dan Aykroyd drops the more prescient bits of dialog in a supporting role:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16RuiTTQsus
I regret not taking my copy of “Tommy Boy” over to Portland when Aykroyd was signing autographs while shilling his vodka in town one afternoon. IIRC, I had something to do for grad school which, in retrospect, was just a huge waste of time.
“Worldcon Intellectual Property announces resignations and censures in
wave of the calamitous 2024 Hugo Award debacle.”
https://www.wsfs.org/2024/01/31/announcements-from-worldcon-intellectual-property/
The punishment of the innocents has started.
Over The Hedge: Scary Clowns !
https://www.gocomics.com/overthehedge/2024/01/29
I would be incensed too !
xkcd: US Survey Foot
https://xkcd.com/2888/
Oh come on !
BTW, I use the common rule of 2.54 cm to 1 inch.
Explained at:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2888:_US_Survey_Foot
“Jumper: A Novel” by Steven Gould
https://www.amazon.com/Jumper-Novel-Steven-Gould/dp/0812522370?tag=ttgnet-20/
Book number one of a four book science fiction series. Or is it a fantasy series ? I have read this book several times, maybe six or seven times now. I read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by Tor in 1992 that I bought new from Amazon. I am reading the other three books in the series now.
The first time Davy jumped, he was sixteen and his drunken father was beating him. The second time Davy jumped, he was on the road and a number of men were getting ready to rape him. The third time he jumped, it was planned.
This is another book that Heinlein would be proud of. The first time that I read this, it was after “Reflex”, the second book in the series, also highly recommended. BTW, another reviewer stated that this is one of the best revenge books of all time, they are not wrong.
Per the American Library Association, Jumper was one of the 100 most frequently banned books in America 1990-1999. The author is very proud of this fact.
There was a same named movie made from the book in 2008. More of an inspiration as it was not very faithful to the book. There was a book published for the movie by the author but, that book is not canon so I ignore it even though I own a copy. There is also a TV series on Youtube called “Impulse” like the third book in the series. The only similarity it had to the book was its name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=holzBghWTlY
My rating: 6 out of 5 stars (yes, this is one of my 28 six star books, deal with it).
Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,750 reviews)
Lynn
Are there really any innocents still involved with that horrid organization?
I enjoyed Jumper a lot. Reflex is as good, or better, but had so much in it that made me so squeamish I avoided reading Impulse (the 3rd in the series) for a great many years. Then Lynn recommended Exo (the 4th in the series) here, and I found it was a whole lot of fun.
I still can’t bring myself to re-read Reflex, but I enjoy re-reading the other three from time to time.
The bad news for The Mouse continues.
The Federal lawsuit against DeSantis was just dismissed.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-judge-dismisses-disney-s-free-speech-lawsuit-against-desantis/ar-BB1hz6in
That reminds me of the first time I looked into the stock market, probably in my late 20s early 30s, when a company IRA plan became available.
Me: So I don’t invest based on the companies product?
Friend: No, never.
Me: But on what others might think its worth?
Friend: Close, but really on what you think that they think that others might think it worth, at some point in the future.
Me: Eh…
Friend: Or buy index funds from Vanguard.
The most money that I have made in the stock market is because I bought for “buy stocks in what you use”. I bought Chipotle Mexican Grill, Netflix, Amazon (late on that one), Burlington because I heard a rumor that they were buying BNSF, etc. I bought TSLA because of Musk.
Burlington Industries buying BNSF? Wild
When did that rumor go around?
The Gecko bought BNSF so maybe that’s where the confusion originated. Berkshire Hathaway started as a textile company similar to Burlington Industries, but haven’t seen one of their original products in stores since the 80s.
“Starlink’s Laser System Is Beaming 42 Million GB of Data Per Day”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/starlinks-laser-system-is-beaming-42-million-gb-of-data-per-day
“A SpaceX engineer details how the company is using a fleet of 9,000 lasers over the Starlink constellation to deliver high-speed internet across the globe.”
“Brashears also said Starlink’s laser system was able to connect two satellites over 5,400 kilometers (3,355 miles) apart. The link was so long “it cut down through the atmosphere, all the way down to 30 kilometers above the surface of the Earth,” he said, before the connection broke.”
Unreal. Impressive.
Burlington Industries buying BNSF? Wild
When did that rumor go around?
The Gecko bought BNSF so maybe that’s where the confusion originated. Berkshire Hathaway started as a textile company similar to Burlington Industries, but haven’t seen one of their original products in stores since the 80s.
Oops. Do I get credit for getting the first letter correct ?
Well suck. My new solar panel was broken. The frame was bent in shipping which broke the glass into a million grape-nut sized chunks. I returned it today. I’m bidding on a similar one in another auction, but that one has pix and it’s still unbroken.
I’m watching about 6 different auctions closing over the next hour and a half, actively bidding on several items in one… the rest are “nice to haves” but I won’t be aggressive to get them.
I should be making dinner. W is still at work, D1 stayed home from school with pukey feelings, and D2 is more interested in reading than food, so for now I’m watching lots close.
n
freespace optical mesh and backhaul was one of the requirements DoD asked for in their RFP for a space based internet that they could rent, rather than build.
That’s why RLTS can tell the world’s astronomers to suck it when they complain, he’s not building starlink so goatherders in sudan can surf burkaha porn, he’s building it for DoD so they don’t have to.
n
Um sure he didn’t ….
Judge TOSSES Disney’s lawsuit against DeSantis: Trump- appointed justice rules Florida governor did not ‘politically retaliate’ against them for criticizing his ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
I’m with Disney on this one.
n
Hooray. Won the solar panel and a garage stove for the BOL. A stove/oven for the garage was on my ‘nice to have’ and one by GE for $10 is just fine. Could have been a bit smaller, but that’s ok. Got an in wall oven for $2 too, but I might just scrap that.
n
freespace optical mesh and backhaul was one of the requirements DoD asked for in their RFP for a space based internet that they could rent, rather than build.
That’s why RLTS can tell the world’s astronomers to suck it when they complain, he’s not building starlink so goatherders in sudan can surf burkaha porn, he’s building it for DoD so they don’t have to.
RLTS ???
DOD is also wanting a GPS network that will survive WWIII. Apparently the Chinese have a missile pointed at each of the 38 ??? GPS satellites plus the 10 ??? backups. Starlink apparently has the GPS working now. I wonder if it requires a new receiver on the ground ?
Real Life Tony Stark.
n
Almost every one of my military and defense trade mags has articles and RFPs for location and wayfinding in GPS denied environments.
Google maps on your cell uses wifi access points it’s mapped while doing streetview to improve accuracy. It could probably do it with just wifi.n
n
https://ace.mu.nu/archives/righttobearmemeskathygriffin.jpg
Didn’t the Naval Academy resume teaching celestial navigation?
Hmm, I like physical media and books in particular… for similar reasons. We can read material from 200 years ago, and with effort, from 2000 years ago, but we can’t read computer files from 40 years ago. The book is the storage media, doesn’t require any further technology, although there are helpful things like dictionaries and maps, and encyclopedias to give context, which also don’t require additional tech to read.
No one can “take out” our ability to read.
n
>> No one can “take out” our ability to read.
What, you don’t think there’s a TLA agency ‘back door’ in Tony’s neural implants?
What? Have you been paying attention to the public schools and teachers’ unions?
Tik Tok on my phone. Don’t need no stinkin’ books.