And it’s still hot. In the afternoon anyway. Very nice in the morning and evening. Mostly because the humidity is lower. I’m actually wishing we’d have some rain, as the grass is getting crunchy. I might run the sprinklers today.
Did NOT get stuff done yesterday. Slept late after being up most of the night, then had to do some stuff with the kids that ate my late afternoon. I did move some more books from my library to milk crates for transport to the BOL. I’ve got 5 or six full for this next trip.
The rest of the day was spent doing various dad things. Took the girls shopping for dresses for Homecoming. Ay carumba. At least it didn’t take long. Only one store. And I did get a pat on the back from some random mom about being involved in my daughters’ lives…
Bought the kids dinner at Jack in the Box. One meal, two additional Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburgers, a shake, and small fries, and the bill was almost $40. That made $160 for a dress seem reasonable. Inflation is out of control. Oh, and the store was being run by two employees, one of whom was on break, so really one guy on the window, and cooking. If it weren’t for mistrust and safety issues, I think they’d drop to one employee for most shifts. With few customers, one person can handle it. And that’s not a pretty picture of the state of the economy.
Today I will try to do the things I blew off this weekend. I HAVE to start making progress on some of this domestic stuff. Stuff is piling up, both metaphorically and physically. Not in a good way either.
So I’m looking at the same list of projects, and the same list of normal everyday stuff. I’m hoping to get some of it done.
Wish me luck, and stack some stuff of your own…
nick
No possums in the traps. And a mild day so far before the dawn.
Lunches are packed, coffee is brewing.
I should start the day.
n
Daylight is precious again—less than 12hours per day.
You can’t bank daylight or time. Have to use each efficiently.
More coffee.
Finally some kracks in the Kennedy kult?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13904965/Ugly-truth-Kennedy-dynasty-litany-women-whove-destroyed-hands-Theyre-closest-thing-America-royalty-new-scandal-embroiling-RFK-Jr-just-latest-engulf-clan.html
n
— I’d guess they are thinking about the money and the power and the access and the fame… and that mouthwash is cheap.
And compared to most of the country – *ahem*California*ahem* – Texas is doing great.
I’ve stopped going to 5 Guy’s. Around $35 for two people? No thanks. Thankfully, low carb eating keeps me out of traditional fast food joints except on the rare no-other-option case.
The only fast casual I do with any regularity is an AL chain called Taco Mama. I can get a burrito bowl and choose exactly what i want in it. At around $13 it still isn’t cheap, but you get a lot of food for them money. I usually don’t eat a full dinner after having that for lunch.
Mostly my fast food these days is McDonalds. A couple times a month when running errands. I order like this:
Their burgers are 100% beef and sometimes when you order like this they get cooked fresh. No carbs to speak of since there’s no bun or sauces.
$6.66 last time I did it, earlier this month.
The long knives are out for RFK Jr. but not the rest of the clan.
It’s the Number of the Beast, you know.
The $10 hamburger quick serve places are in serious trouble. Burger Fi based in Florida filed for Bankruptcy.
Shake Shack has momentum around here, but I’ve always viewed that place as more of a tech startup than fast food chain. Like Dutch Bros., Shake Shack is a Wall Street darling for reasons that have nothing to do with actually … you know … making money.
The Dutch Bros. under construction near our house is almost done. I swear that nothing was in that space just a couple of months ago.
Couple of Dutch Bros popped up down here too. Wonder what their criteria are for picking locations.
n
Northwest transplants and/or Wine Moms fascinated by the “broista” concept.
TSG Partners, who took Dutch Bros. national, is dominated by women, and the stock benefited from the ESG focus on Wall Street since they went national in 2021.
If you are going to play, use beer money.
Grr. Since they went public in 2021.
Too many things going on this morning.
Another Oregon chain benefiting from ESG focus and being gimmicky more than actual product superiority is Voodoo Donuts.
I don’t think that they are publicly traded yet, but that will be the next Dutch Bros. if I had to guess.
Looks like there are a million ways to burn money.
n
Dutch Bros. opened up in Oak Ridge TN about six months ago. I drive by occasionally and see 5 or 6 cars lined up for coffee. I also see 5 or 6 cars lined up for Starbucks. There are two Starbucks, one free standing, the other inside of the local Kroger.
I have never seen the fascination waiting in line for 15 minutes to get a $8.00 cup of coffee. I have never seen the fascination of spending $8.00 on a cup of coffee. Of course, I don’t drink coffee.
When I was in the USAF every office group had a pot of coffee going all the time. I was told I had to contribute to the coffee fund when I first arrived in the office. I told them no as I don’t drink the stuff and I am not paying for something I don’t use. They then tried to say it was office policy at which point I asked for a copy of the policy so I could take it to the commanding officer.
The mess hall had two of those huge 10 gallons (maybe more) coffee makers that were permanently plumbed into the water system and hard wired into the electrical. Those things got used a lot at meal times.
The NCO that was my first level boss was a heavy coffee drinker. Along with the addition of some whiskey to every cup. The bottle was kept in his lower desk drawer.
I just never developed a taste for coffee even being the military, which runs on coffee. Smoking was a real benefit and was rampant in the service. I never picked up that habit although I did try for a couple of weeks. It was great when the USAF banned smoking in the buildings as there was no longer this haze in the offices and my clothes no longer stunk when I got home.
We have a significant influx of people from Oregon in my section of Austin as of late. I see the plates on the cars at the “medical” marijuana shop when I go to drop things off at the nearest UPS Store in the same strip mall.
I imagine Oak Ridge hires a lot of UW grads.
Wine/Weed Moms are running things right now, and you can’t go wrong appealing to their preferences.
I noted last night that Colin Zachary is definitely doing the voiceover in his ads, ripping on Rafael Edward’s Cancun adventure at the end of each spot regardless of original topic.
>> Inflation is out of control.
But, but, “she grew up in a middle class neighborhood!”
Really hoping the polls are undercounting the ‘orange’ votes.
Israel preparing for an imminent ground invasion.
Plugs: we should have a cease-file.
Kamel: “I grew up in a middle class neighborhood!”
Excuse me while I hide under my desk.
Bought the kids dinner at Jack in the Box. One meal, two additional Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburgers, a shake, and small fries, and the bill was almost $40. That made $160 for a dress seem reasonable. Inflation is out of control. Oh, and the store was being run by two employees, one of whom was on break, so really one guy on the window, and cooking. If it weren’t for mistrust and safety issues, I think they’d drop to one employee for most shifts. With few customers, one person can handle it. And that’s not a pretty picture of the state of the economy.
Future employment for a couple of Tesla Bots per store.
Georgia Helene power outage update:
425 miles of cable to be replaced plus 50 transformers.
Not likely in stock at Grangers…
“Biden: No More Federal Aid for Hurricane Victims”
https://www.infowars.com/posts/biden-no-more-federal-aid-for-hurricane-victims/
“Standing on the tarmac as he prepared to board Air Force One, the President spoke to reporters and said the federal government has done everything it can to help.”
“After giving a largely incoherent response when asked if he had anything to say to the victims, Biden was asked if the federal government could provide further resources.”
““No,” he said.”
““We’ve pre-planned a significant amount of it even though they didn’t ask for it yet.””
Unreal.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Do you want fries with that?
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/30/media/directv-dish-network-merger/index.html
>> I’ve stopped going to 5 Guy’s.
I haven’t gone in a while and the last time was just for their fries which are really good. (Go later in the day when the fry oil is…umm…well tempered.)
Not a fan of their burgers, not into the smashed, well done burger fad.
I wonder if they still give really generous portions of the fries.
My wife got hit by the “failure to appear” for a federal grand jury scam. Sergeant Charles Evans called her this morning and tells her that she failed to appear for a federal grand jury this morning and a federal warrant has been issued for her arrest. However, she could stop this by depositing $1,200 in bitcoin at a federal kiosk in Rosenberg.
So she walks in the bathroom while I am shaving, hands me her phone, and says that this guy wants to arrest her. She walks off and says that she is going to call the Fort Bend County Sheriffs office. Meanwhile I talk to this very official sounding man who imitates a south Texas black very well. He keeps on saying that if I hang up the phone that they will charge her a third time and then arrest her for 72 hours before she can see the bailiff.
I walk over to my computer and google Fort Bend County sheriff’s office and see this notice on their front page:
https://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/your-county/news/scam-alert-fort-bend-county-sheriffs-office
I then google the phone number and google brings up a bunch of complaints. My wife at this point has a deputy on the phone at the sheriffs office who tells her scam scam scam and that they would never call her.
Sigh. Living in a low trust society sucks when people can fake their phone numbers.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/30/media/directv-dish-network-merger/index.html
Dead satellite dish walking.
“The Israeli Company behind the beepers and walkie-talkies is apologizing for the technical issues and is offering a free replacement to anyone who was affected by the recent issue”
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAHgx9Rs_zrrxHRcfxA09pSKECa73xEHsIU2H3e57w_PvgxK8uiMxh0E88eH55uzmv7xQ5Q1dPM2quvFd6Q_674zNKOW1enAmW_2DkAEvUfYPkUO9ejRTNHldCeZu14NBtETN9srq4Wl0EeMnIw9DVPC7cwdYW7T1OO_YUBNmgF8aec6ObctQXI80OsA/s600/Meme%20-%20free%20replacement.png
From
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2024/09/memes-that-made-me-laugh-229.html
The first meme is hilarious also, it is from a Talking Heads song.
Scott Adams says that the IDF is getting ready to turn Lebanon into the Holey Land.
“Mark Cuban Remarkably Claims With A Straight Face: ‘The Mainstream Media Truly Leans Right’”
https://www.outkick.com/analysis/mark-cuban-claims-media-has-right-wing-bias
“Mark Cuban may have finally lost it. Or maybe he just never had it to begin with.”
“There aren’t many reasonable, rational explanations for what Cuban said on television in a Thursday morning interview on CNBC. Trump derangement syndrome is one, a prolific, almost violent commitment to reality denial is another, and the third is that he’s conducting a months-long performance art exhibition.”
Typical billionaire, ignore what he says and watch what he does.
“X is now worth less than 25% of what Elon Musk paid for it”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/x-now-worth-less-25-165435463.html
“The value of X, formerly known as Twitter, continues to dwindle.”
“A newly released disclosure report from Fidelity’s Blue Chip Growth Fund, which has an equity stake in the social media company, has once again adjusted the value of that holding. And by Fidelity’s calculations, the site is now worth less than 25% of the $44 billion Musk paid for it.”
“When Musk bought Twitter, Fidelity invested $19.66 million. As of the end of July, it says, those shares were worth just $5.5 million.”
“That puts the total valuation of X at $9.4 billion.”
Woof !
“You Can’t Live There.”
https://areaocho.com/you-cant-live-there/
“Peter and Aesop both ask the same question: Should the government ‘let’ people build a house in an area known to be prone to disasters like hurricanes? The reasons that they give:”
“These positions seem reasonable. They are also tyrannical and wrong. If we were to grant government the power to declare that you can’t live somewhere because it is too expensive to provide services there, then you open the door to government getting involved and ruling over your entire life.”
If people cannot get insurance or a mortgage or it costs extra for them to live there, then tough tookie. Government should not be able to control this.
Watch “Silicon Valley” and pay attention to Russ Hanneman, the “Tres Commas” guy.
Hanneman is a keen bit of observational humor about Mark Cuban, but disguised because some people in Texas seem to be off limits to people on both sides, Cuban being one of them.
Cuban has Dan “PO Box 34567” Rather on the payroll. Or, rather, had.
They do. They still fill the fry cup and then half the paper bag as well. I do like their Cajun fries a lot. I’m also a sucker for any place that hand cuts their own fries.
That said, the place is spendy for what is essentially a fast food burger joint. I get a LITTLE Burger, LITTLE Cajun Fry, and a Regular Soda and around here with tax that’s $15.45. So, about double what a hamburger and fries combo meal would be at most other chains. Of course, you’re also prompted for a tip.
I only go about twice per year. Mostly for the fries. If I want to spend that much on lunch, then I’ll just find a café/diner/grill and order the daily special and get full service (and probably even spend a dollar or two less).
Been once or twice, they are OK I feel, but just a tad above a Carl’s burger. Not up to In-N-Out or Whattaburger.
For the the money, I’d rather find a good bbq sandwich place.
The local joint also plays their music at a deafening level, I hate to even go in.
Still plugging away at stuff in between other things, like ripping dvds. It gets them out of the house which is a plus.
Ripped a disc with SIX Wesley Snipes films on it. Yeah, I didn’t think about how they did that. The encoding was horrible, VHS or less with block artifacts and all kinds of noise. Dumped that disc in the trash after deleting the rips.
Popped the password on a lappy W brought home from work. It was destined for recycle. Dell Precision with a nice full HD screen, i7, gen 7, 32 GB ram, an SSD for the os, and two drives in RAID for data. The trackpad is huge, and in the way and constantly doing things I don’t want to do.
There was no local login, so I used the “repair this install” and substitute cmd for utilman technique, which now needs the additional step of killing Windows Defender until you are done messing with net user… otherwise it just puts everything back. Easiest way to do it is ren /windows/system32/drivers/wd to something else.
Then I added a local user account, added it to Administrators, and logged in. I will probably leave the utilman hack but I will fix windows defender… and I need to kill the other local log ins and add a family log in.
Moved the portable a/c units back to the attic. Got D1 from school. Now she wants rides to a cafe so she can study with a friend. Yeah, that kills 45 minutes for me and breaks the day up even further.
Gah.
n
“Electric grid operators warn U.S. Supreme Court that new EPA rules will cause widespread blackouts”
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/grid-operators-warn-us-supreme-court-epas-rules-will-cause-widespread
“For grid operators to intervene in a case asking the Supreme Court to remand regulations back to the agency is unprecedented. The operators’ main argument is about the impact the EPA’s rules will have on grid reliability.”
“Organizations that manage, coordinate and monitor electricity service for 156 million Americans across 30 states are warning that the Biden-Harris administration’s power plant rule will be catastrophic for the nation’s grid. Four regional trade organizations (RTO), as they’re called, recently filed an amicus brief, also known as a friend of the court brief, in support of a multi-state lawsuit against the EPA over the rule.”
“The EPA released the rules in April. They require coal-fired power plants that will be operating past 2039 to begin implementing carbon-capture technologies in just eight years. New gas-fired power plants will also need to add the technologies, with those operating 40% of their annual capacity or more to add carbon capture starting in 2032.”
The EPA staff needs to be decimated. They just run countless studies using Excel spreadsheets without any time of day dispatch modeling of power plants. Totally worthless.
They probably used VCD sources from overseas and converted/upscaled.
Dual layer or single layer?
I can put about four hours on a DVD-R which would play decently on an old tube TV, but beyond that is pushing things.
BTW, you want to see “Deadpool & Wolverine”. No spoilers. Just watch and be patient. The flick isn’t nearly as good as the cameos or even the end credit sequence paying tribute to Fox’s Marvel movies and the 90s in general.
“First Tesla Cybertrucks Get Semi-Autonomous ‘FSD’ Update”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/first-tesla-cybertrucks-get-semi-autonomous-fsd-update
“Nine months after the futuristic pickup’s debut, Tesla starts rolling out the long-awaited software update. But drivers still have to pay attention. ‘Do not become complacent,’ Tesla warns.”
My limited trial drive of my cousin’s new model Y was impressive.
I want to go somewhere.
Turn off the water heater. Unplug most everything, like phone chargers and the TV and stereo and various PCs. Put the t-stat on Auto, that’s 70f for heat and 80f for cool. Take a shower and turn off the water to the house. Just pack some clothes and go. Get on US183 or US281 and head north. Make a right turn somewhere past Oklahoma. Maybe go see the Liberty Bell. Or make a left turn and go see Mount Rushmore and Devil’s Tower again.
Just an itch. It won’t be scratched.
Who wants to go driving randomly across the USA for sight seeing…. alone? What’s the fun of that?
Oh well. We sorta had plans but something always came up.
So you drove that from Houston to Dallas last weekend?
Realize that is a rhetorical question.
EVs are still toys, not practical vehicles for a mass market.
Many years ago, my electric meter was swapped for one with a digital display and no moving parts. I knew it was probably a smart meter. I figured the electric provider read the meter once a month for billing purposes. Not so, I have since found out.
I created an account on the provider’s website. I have found that the meter is being read daily. All I can get is the cost per day. Nothing about the rates. I don’t know if the utility is adjusting the rate daily depending on what TVA is charging the utility. I suspect they are manipulating the per KWH charge. The daily cost is taken to 9 digits past the decimal point. Seems a little absurd to me. Four digits would seem to suffice. My average is about $6.33 a day covering July 4 through Saturday.
In the overall scheme of things paying $6.33 a day for lights, TV, keeping food cool, hot water, washing and drying clothes, internet connection, security cameras and air conditioning does not seem too bad a deal.
And in other news. The VA denied my TDIU claim. It was actually the VA that moved my claim for an increase in coverage for my back injury to the TDIU system which I did not even know existed. I am really not surprised, disappointed, but not surprised.
I really don’t understand the system. I know a person, retired full-bird colonel, on 90% disability rating from the VA, who is flying full-time for Delta Airlines. When he retires from Delta at 65 (mandatory), he will get military retirement, VA disability, Delta retirement, and Social Security. What a racket.
Is the screen touch?
That must have been someone’s “work” from home machine.
A Precision or the competition’s equivalent are not machines to haul across an airport to make a connection in a hurry.
>> Shake Shack has momentum around here, but I’ve always viewed that place as more of a tech startup than fast food chain. Like Dutch Bros., Shake Shack is a Wall Street darling for reasons that have nothing to do with actually … you know … making money.
Back in NYFC, we used to stop at a Shake Shack on occasion for…the shakes. None here yet in the low desert but we do have Culvers which is a good stand-in.
Flying passengers means he’s passing a Second Class physical at a minimum, including an annual ECG over 40.
If he’s sitting in the command seat or over 60, that’s a First Class physical.
>> “A newly released disclosure report from Fidelity’s Blue Chip Growth Fund, which has an equity stake in the social media company, has once again adjusted the value of that holding. And by Fidelity’s calculations, the site is now worth less than 25% of the $44 billion Musk paid for it.”
Something is worth only that which a buyer and seller agree upon. Wall St investment banks have teams of people doing nothing but trying to accurately value illiquid assets. Monkeys and typewriters and such…
Shake Shack is a tech startup so they will be in the suburbs of DC and the suburbs of specific cities.
Culvers has much better food. Austin only has one of those, somewhere in the city proper to handle the U. Wisc Madison grads wanting a taste of home.
So you drove that from Houston to Dallas last weekend?
Realize that is a rhetorical question.
EVs are still toys, not practical vehicles for a mass market.
Just in DeSoto, Texas. About 5 miles total. The only real disconcerting note was that he had the motors set for max regen mode so when you let off the gas pedal it was decelerating rapidly.
I will disagree on the toy designation. EVs are good enough transportation but you must make plans for recharging once you get out of your standard area.
BTW, his girlfriend moved in with him and they bought Model Y’s together, he traded in his Model 3 with 100K miles on it. Now they jockey for the garage Level 2 (230 volt, 50 amp) charging spot. About 35 miles of battery charging per hour of charging.
I finally exchanged the propane bottle with the bad valve. Only took me a year or so. The new BBQ Bomb is noticeably lighter than the old and full bottle. But I have seven mostly full bottles plus one connected to the grill.
While at the grocery store I picked up a few things that are not Store Brand. Got to get all of that 5% cashback I can from Discover. 🙂 Gassed the truck too, I don’t know if HEB gasoline qualifies, but I have a full tank now.
I have the HEB credit card. It gives 5% on Store Brands and I forget what on everything else. I tend to buy store brand stuff, so, that’s why I have it.
It’s real quiet today. Just a wisp of breeze for wind. Just a quiet and random tinkle of wind chimes. Not many birds chirping. Just an airplane in the distance once in a while. I can hear all of the clocks ticking. The Hunter fan in the living room is silent. Mostly. I can hear it humming. It’s that quiet today.
Time for supper. I’m not hungry today. Might nuke a corn dog. Doubt it. But Penny and Buddy need their supper. And I’ll watch some random movie and then it’s bedtime potty walk and we all go to bed.
It’s not a rut. It’s a groove.
Call the electrician now. Hopefully she’s not also on the title of the house without a marriage license.
Another outlet will be pricey. Just to split the EFI circuit running around my house, I was looking at a $1500 bill plus separate drywall repair.
One electrician wouldn’t simply replace my EFI outlet on the front porch and said that six outlets on the circuit violated code.
The outlet was in masonry work with sheered off box screw heads left by the previous owner. The plate was just glued in place. I did get another electrician out to replace the outlet without fussing about code.
Call the electrician now.
Just to split the EFI circuit running around my house, I was looking at a $1500 bill plus separate drywall repair.
Adding a second Level 2 charger would require a new and separate double circuit (230 volt, 50 amp) plus a Tesla charger. Probably $1,500 if he has room for a double circuit breaker. Plus both cars charging would pull 100 amps, I do not remember if he has a 150 amp service or a 200 amp service.
Nice. Noise pollution is everywhere.
I’m surprised this summer wasn’t uglier with regard to blackouts.
One AI server equals two Tesla chargers, but the server runs 24/7.
Biden/Harris: No More Aid for Hurricane Victims
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2024/09/30/joe-biden-no-more-aid-for-hurricane-victims-n3795198
Biden-Harris Admin Gives $55 Million to Green Energy Company Linked to Pro-Kamala Ad Campaign
https://hotair.com/headlines/2024/09/30/biden-harris-admin-gives-55-million-to-green-energy-company-linked-to-pro-kamala-ad-campaign-n3795207
The Guinness Book of World Records does not have a category of “Imbecility”.
If they did Biden-Harris administration would set the record and retire the award.
“Meanwhile I talk to this very official sounding man who imitates a south Texas black very well.”
Last one I had was Hispanic.
He got so pissed off he hung up on me before the finale:
“Saaaayy! Aren’t you the little brother of that girl I used to **** in the back seat of my Torino in high school? Your mother taught her really well.”
Sheesh. Who has that many questions? Other than 4-year olds?
It reminds me of that old quip, “information doesn’t really want to be free, it wants to be about five dollars”.
If you get Subcontinent in a scam call, ask them if they are a “fresher”.
The girls will giggle, but the guys will get steamed.
Noise pollution is everywhere.
– along with light and RF pollution. They’re better out in the country though. Sunday night at the BOL is my favorite, because it’s generally VERY quiet.
n
unless the frogs are looking for sex, then it’s so loud you can’t hear yourself think.
Ah, sort of like high school prom night.
Horny frogs are cool. Ditto cicadas and the other bugs. I wish them all great success and much happiness.
Light pollution…. The powers that be here in sort of beautiful Burnet, Texas, decided to build a Woman’s Prison. No, no, no, not north towards Lampasas. But near the airport. Right up on the top of the hill near where the so-called Rodeo Grounds are. Easy to get to, turn at the light at the YMCA “Public Swimming Pool”.
Yeah, it’s an indoor pool. You have to buy a membership. Unlike the old pool that seemed just fine and you paid a couple of bucks to enter.
Anyway.
It use to be so dark here that even I needed a flashlight to not walk into trees.
The prison had lots of amber street lights. So much for seeing the Milky Way any more. Or needing a flashlight. REAL annoying.
They changed light fixtures a few years ago. Maybe added some shading. But still pretty bright. But not amber.
It seems they have gone to LED lights. More directional…. I guess. I saw the Milky Way the other night. First time here in almost 20 years.
There is still a lot of “glow” but Burnet has doubled in the last 30 years.
I see the street lights in town changing to LED fixtures. So maybe we will get dark skies again.
Simple solution: De-annexation. Remove the area from the municipality–no services, no taxes. Let the owner’s do as they wish.
And get all levels of government out of the insurance business–it’s an unfair tax on the property owners that eschew unreasonable risks.
The last bill collector I talked to was a couple of months ago. They were very persistent. One day, after a couple of beers, I called them back.
Yeah. Dumb. I know.
So, what exactly are you trying to collect and how exactly do you plan to take me to court? Lots of bafflegab.
Turns out it was for a Discover card I had… way way back. Confirm the account number? Dude, we did the whole bankrupt thing in 2008 or so and besides that, after the credit card company charges the account off, it all goes away after seven years. Don’t call me any more. I know you are doing your job man.
Not proud of the bankrupt thing. Not at all. But when it comes to making the house and electric payments and buying groceries, when a late payment on a few cards kicks the interest to almost 30% plus a happy $40 late fee added on every month…. House payment and electric and groceries come first.
It’s really an eye opener when the household income drops from about 95 grand a year to 15 grand. All of the cushion for floating a CC balance to next month vanishes.
Not exactly fun but it was interesting.
“Wildfire (Kelly Turnbull/People’s Republic Book 3)” by Kurt Schlichter
https://www.amazon.com/Wildfire-Kelly-Turnbull-Book-3/dp/098840298X?tag=ttgnet-20/
Book number three of an eight book alternate history series. I read the well printed and well bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform in 2018 that I just bought on Amazon. I am now reading book number four in the series as I have purchased several of the books now.
In an alternate universe, the USA split into two countries in 2018: the People’s Republic (the west coast and the northeast) and the United States (flyover country). Initially people can cross the lines easily but that gets more difficult as the years go on.
A long time ago, one of the old Soviet Bioweapons labs managed to combine Ebola and Rabies as super weapons that was incredibly infectious and a very high death rate. Somebody has stolen the virus and the chief doctor and wants to use it to take the People’s Republic and the new United States down even further. So, Kelly Turnbull has been secretly loaned to the People’ Republic secret police force to stop the people from using their bioweapon.
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (3,215 reviews)
Lynn
Today’s Tyler Durden cowardice covers a strange smell in … Vantucky!
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/strange-unidentified-smell-made-its-way-across-southern-washington-last-week
THE MORNING RANT: Starbucks Should Not Have Alienated Conservatives as It Now Battles the NLRB and the Anti-Carbon Left
—Buck Throckmorton
https://ace.mu.nu/
https://www.eater.com/2015/6/18/8807849/why-starbucks-race-together-campaign-failed
“Excuse me, you pixellated dipstick. Is there a competent bworker in house? Maybe a white one? I want to exercise my white privilege and get a flocking cup of coffee sometime before Sundown and I’d hate to have to injure your inferiority complex by pointing out that a trained monkey could pull the handle and dispense a cup of coffee without demanding a fancy name that embroiders the simplicity of the task. ”
Here they go…
IDF confirms boots on the ground in Lebanon as bombs rain fire from the sky after day of ratcheting tensions saw Netanyahu warn Iran NOWHERE in Middle East is out of reach
n
The IDF confirmed it has started a ground operation in southern Lebanon as bombs fall from the sky. The targets, which are located close to the border, pose ‘an immediate threat to Israeli communities’, the IDF said in a statement posted on X. ‘The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area,’ the statement added. Israel tonight launched another series of air strikes in Lebanon after warning the next phase of its campaign against Hezbollah will begin ‘imminently’.
The newspaper there doesn’t have the story.
Georgia Pacific runs a big paper mill in town, but that is on the other side of the county, heading east along the Columbia.
Horny frogs are cool. Ditto cicadas and the other bugs. I wish them all great success and much happiness.
When I was a kid in Oklahoma, we would catch horny toads and tie a string on them. We would then walk them over to the nearest red ant (not fire ant !) hill and “assist” them in eating the red ants. Fun !
https://www.eater.com/2015/6/18/8807849/why-starbucks-race-together-campaign-failed
“Excuse me, you pixellated dipstick. Is there a competent bworker in house? Maybe a white one? I want to exercise my white privilege and get a flocking cup of coffee sometime before Sundown and I’d hate to have to injure your inferiority complex by pointing out that a trained monkey could pull the handle and dispense a cup of coffee without demanding a fancy name that embroiders the simplicity of the task. ”
Another place for the soon to be available Tesla Bots.
I wonder if they will have a Cylon voice option ?
From FEMA
Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene – Southeast & Mid-Atlantic
National Watch Center
Situation: Locally executed, state managed, and federally supported operations continue.
Lifelines: (FEMA RIV SLB, as of 6:00 p.m. ET, Sep 29)
Safety & Security: Conditions are improving as responders are engaging the
public and the state is postured to resolve operations.
▪ FL: 9 counties with mandatory evacuations / 1 counties with voluntary
evacuations
▪ NC: Curfews have been issued in 6 counties
▪ SC: Curfews have been issued in 5 counties
Food, Hydration, Shelter: Shelter populations have increased over the past
24hrs. (ARC, as of 7:00 a.m. ET, Sep 30)
▪ 78 (+5) shelters / 2,788 (+728) occupants
o FL: 26 (-1) shelters / 795 (+52) occupants
o GA: 8 shelters / 519 (+285) occupants
o NC: 29 (+4) shelters / 1,033 (+114) occupants
o SC: 8 (+3) shelters / 342 (+309) occupants
o TN: 8 shelters / 68 (-32) occupants
Health & Medical: Healthcare assessments are ongoing. Facilities report
impacts that affect operational status.
▪ FL: 54 healthcare facilities without power; 7 facilities damaged; reentry
evaluations have begun
o 1 confirmed fatality
▪ GA: Public Health Emergency (PHE) declared by the Secretary of HHS
o 13 (-5) medical facilities on generator power & 5 (+1) facilities without
water; local and state resources addressing the concern
o 21 (+4) confirmed fatalities
▪ NC: 3 HMTFs operational
o 11 (+4) confirmed fatalities
▪ SC: 21 confirmed fatalities
waters, power loss, and contaminated systems.
▪ FL: 60 (+16) boil water notices/27 (+4) wastewater systems are non
operational
communities and debris hazards are removed. (DOE Eagle-I, as of 8:00 a.m. ET, Sep 30)
▪ 2M (-1.3M) total customers without power
o FL: 120k (1%) customers without power
▪ GA: 119 (+117) boil water notices/9 wastewater systems are non-operational
severely damaged; working to get drinking water by truck load delivered
o SC: 760k (27%) customers without power; Power has been fully restored for Catawba
▪ SC: 1 active boil water advisory
▪ TN: 2 active boil water notices
o GA: 562k (11%) customers without power
Indian Nation
o VA: 100k (3%) customers without power
▪ FL: Fuel delivery is complicated by the closure of Port of Tampa. Port Everglades is a potential
alternate supply point
Communications: MEOVs (Mobile Emergency Operations Vehicles) are
in place to support responder communication and support to
impacted communities.
▪ GA: 5 counties with minimal communications on Public Safety
Answering Points (PSAPs)
o All 911 calls are being answered; several 911 centers rerouted
▪ NC: 26.69% cellular systems are operational in the impacted area
o 19 (+2) PSAPs are down; emergency calls are being routed to
other PSAPs
o Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: Communications remain
heavily disrupted, cellular service inoperable, and partial internet
services
▪ SC: 81.7% cellular systems are operational in the impacted area
Transportation: Debris teams continue to clear roadways. One
hinderance to debris clearance is due to powerline entanglements.
▪ FL: Port of St. Petersburg at Port Condition NORMAL
o Port of St. Joe remained closed
o Port Tampa Bay and Seaport Manatee are now open (daylight
transits only) (USCG, as of 1:30 a.m. ET, Sep 30)
o Tampa International Airport is open; however, Tampa pipeline is
inoperable, refueling may become a limiting factor
▪ GA: 108 roads closed throughout the state with numbers steadily
decreasing
▪ NC: 290 (-128) roads closed across 43 counties
▪ SC: Approximately 130 primary routes remain closed; SCDOT forecast
majority of roadways will reopen approximately Oct 2
▪ TN: Multiple local road closures due to debris, flooding, and/or
downed power lines
o 10 bridges are compromised, 1 is closed, and 3 are in unknown
status due to the Nolichucky River flooding
Even at McDonald’s, the order takers will correct your coffee order into their accepted lingo. It annoys me.
While I think it’s amusing and endearing that Tim Horton’s (the Great White North’s nationally approved coffee chain, also available in parts of New England) adopted customer’s descriptive ordering (Double Double rather than two cream and two sugar, and so on), it was the customers that first defined the terms by use, rather than being set by the company.
By the way, Tim Hortons, AKA Tim’s, Timmie’s etc et al, are so ubiquitous that store locations are used to give directions. You can navigate across country by referencing stores literally from coast to coast. I’ve done it from Alberta to Nova Scotia, and it’s even more common for local areas.
Barbara weathered the storm, and isn’t much affected, but lot’s of areas around her are. They don’t usually get hurricanes, but they do get storms of all kinds, and this really goes to show that it CAN happen to you. Prepare for it.
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Prepare for it.
Got a genny, got food, got water, got guns, got ammo. Everything else can be bought until Walmart runs out.
>> “it costs local and state authorities huge amounts to maintain access to such areas to protect them, fire and rescue departments to aid those living there during disasters, etc.;”
“These positions seem reasonable. They are also tyrannical and wrong. If we were to grant government the power to declare that you can’t live somewhere because it is too expensive to provide services there, then you open the door to government getting involved and ruling over your entire life.”
Apportion the cost of providing municipal services accordingly.
>> Got a genny, got food, got water, got guns, got ammo. Everything else can be bought until Walmart runs out.
@lynn, will your genny survive being submerged in six feet of water?
How about your A/C compressor(s)? Are they typically at ground level or on the roof?