Cold again. Clearing and warming later. Getting to be the standard winter day. Although it stayed cooler through the day yesterday than previous days. I was out and about, but it never got “warm”.
Drove around and did my pickups. Did my kid pickup. Did another pickup. Ran into a neighbor at the auctioneer’s place, and ended up helping him with his purchases, and talking for an hour. He’s also a neighbor at the BOL and he confirmed a couple of things I’d been thinking about. The most important is to go ahead and buy the Lifeflight insurance. That pays for air evac back to Houston or another big city if medically necessary. He’s used it and it worked and saved him $85K. It’s a marvelous age we live in, but medical care is still concentrated in big cities and not the countryside. Lifeflight makes it possible to access that care in an emergency. It’ll be one less thing to worry about.
He also gave me some boat buying advice. It’s nice to have people with more experience in some areas to extend my ability and knowledge. Meatspace baby!
Today I’ll be doing stuff around the house in Houston. Maybe I’ll get the Christmas decor up… Maybe I’ll just clear some space for the tree… but I’ll be working at home.
Trying to improve my situation, even if it’s just by organizing what I’ve got. The stacks need somewhere to live…
nick
Remember Pearl Harbor.
They couldn’t convict him of manslaughter, so the judge dropped the charge and instructed the jury to consider a lesser charge. Really, this is double jeopardy, which is supposed to be prohibited. Even if he is declared innocent, which he definitely should be, the fact that he has been dragged through this will discourage other people from intervening is such situations.
Typical MSM: The guy who died is played up as a “Michael Jackson impersonator” not as a homeless vagrant with a long rap sheet.
AirPod update. Lates last night I changed a setting for Noise control from “Adaptive” to “Transparency”. That seems to have been the problem as they started working again.
This morning they are working like they should. I really don’t understand the otpions listed for Noise control; other two prtions are “Off” and “Noise Cancellation”. I report on those after I try them. I first want to research this Setting group.
I’ll posted this on yesterday’s thread when I thought it would be here.
@ Bob Sprowl
Great news! Glad to hear you’re making progress.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/104979
https://support.apple.com/en-us/108918
Adaptive will cancel all outside sounds until the device hears speaking or singing. The noise that is cancelled is the repetitive sounds, roars, hums, airplane noise. Yet when someone speaks they can be heard. Full noise cancellation will effectively reduce all sounds, including people speaking. Transparency will let some sound through while attempting to reduce the noise.
I use adaptive at basketball games. It works really well at reducing the crowd noise yet I am still able to hear people speaking in close proximity to me.
For the fit test to properly work the AirPods need to be positioned properly in the ears with the stem facing forward at about 45 degrees (at least for my ears). The location for the fit test needs to be quiet.
To do the actual hearing test the room needs to be really quiet. Turn off everything that makes a noise including the heating/cooling system. No TVs or radios operating. Get the place as quiet as possible.
The biggest drawback with AirPods as hearing aids is the battery life. I can go all day on my hearing aids, as long as 18 hours, which is the longest I have gone. The AirPods last maybe 5-6 hours. Not good enough. But, in fairness to Apple, if I stream music or TV to my hearing aids the batteries do not last nearly as long.
There is also the dork factor. When wearing my hearing aids they are almost invisible. Not so with the AirPods. If I am talking with someone with the AirPods am I listening to them or listening to music? At baseball games people think I am not listening to them when I really am listening but using the noise cancellation.
What I do really like about the AirPods after doing the hearing test is listening to music with the devices. The frequency curve of the music is adjusted to match the hearing test and parts of music are much easier to hear. Especially the higher frequencies.
At a current prices of about $160.00 (Amazon) the devices are really remarkable. Having a second pair is not really out of the question.
The same type of NYFC lawfare used against tRump. Can’t convict on #1, just pick any other # and convict.
The judges and DA’s in NYFC are making up laws as they go.
Apple could make a cheap HearingAidPods, but when the FDA, various “medical” cabals, and especially the hearing aid manufacturing mafia got involved, the new aids would cost $2,000.
I have minor tinnitus from the military years, but it doesn’t really interfere with my hearing, so I keep my APs in transparency until the environment gets noisy. Like Mr. Ray says, they are great on airplanes. I use to carry NC over-the-ears, but travel just with the AP Pros.
I’ve been trying these Soundcore Sleep A20 by Anker Sleep Earbuds. MrsAtoz has been known to snore (so I’ve “heard”). The buds are small enough to sleep on your side, and have several built in noise settings so you can listen to different sounds all night. You can also listen to a BT stream and switch to on-board sounds and wake up after a certain time. They aren’t NC, but can play different noise “colors” to mask snoring, tinnitus, etc.
The bonus is they are by Anker, which tends to make solid products, especially cables and chargers.
Yeah, laws. Trump tho.
It appears that Fanni Willis down in Atlanta will need one of those preemptive pardons too.
Corn Pop is going to go through at least a ream of paper in the laser printer out in Rehoboth over the next month.
Edit name. Print. Sign. Edit name. Print. Sign…
Well it was 46F when I got up, and it’s 48F now, and still grey with misty not quite drizzle. I don’t think it will be warming up much today.
And IDK if I want to be on a ladder and the roof putting up lights in the heavy mist/fine occasional drizzle. So far I’ve just been chatting with my wife about Christmas plans and the kids, since both of them are still in bed.
The biggest downside to a day like today is the body aches. They are the sux.
n
The woman who cuts my hair was complaining this morning about people cancelling at the last minute. This is supposedly going to be the coldest day since February.
I was her first appointment at 9:30, and the roads were empty, like a blizzard was coming.
Three Steps to Fixing the FBI: Interview with Whistleblower Coleen Rowley
“A large majority of FBI agents always held Headquarters in contempt, knowing that it only attracted the losers, brown-nosing careerist political hacks who wanted to climb the ladder to go thru the ‘revolving door’ at age 50 to make their corporate millions”
https://www.racket.news/p/three-steps-to-fixing-the-fbi-interview
If you want to drain the swamp, you need people like this who have fought the sawmp creatures.
Fixed it for you.
The problem with that is when I am listening to a song and start singing along. The noise cancelling sort of goes away and I can hear myself. That is enough to make me stop singing. And like getting shocked when reaching for the candy jar, I really should know better by now. Pavlov was an optimist in human behavior.
The woman that cuts my wife’s hair quit her job at Ross the Boss. The rates being charged to the hair dresser were going up and the lady refused to pay the fee and needed to charge the customer more. She got a better job with better benefits working for the city of Oak Ridge. The lady is still going to cut my wife’s hair but will do it at the house. The wife asked me what she should pay. I told my wife the same as she was getting at the salon, maybe and extra $10.00.
Spotted on today’s Sam’s Club run: $20 Reeboks.
A “doorbuster” special.
Congratulations X-ers. Mission accomplished.
Seeing the crowd gathered around the endcap trying on sneakers, it was hard not to think of Heston at the end of “Planet of the Apes”.
“You maniacs! You blew it up! Damn you! God damn you all to hell!”
Maybe you’ll get the Pizza Box Dream too, but its gonna cost you.
One of my auction has “generic” Starlink antennas.
n
added- ah, I see the issue. It’s a Starlink install kit, but refurb, so the manf isn’t listed.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5SGXQCD
https://hibid.com/lot/224499493/-448-starlink-standard-kit-gen-3-wifi-6–s
Whoa.
$10 teflon cutting boards with a $1 stencil job and $1 of ethernet cable glued on?
Driving to Sam’s, I had to wait for the train to pass at the crossing for the Austin light rail.
The train had a “wrap” pitching a scotch brand.
Austin. Of course.
What caught my eye was the scotch billed itself as “The Official Scotch Whiskey of Austin FC”.
So who was drinking a little too much of the scotch this season, the soccer team players or the coach?
https://www.kxan.com/sports-general/austin-fc/austin-fc-fires-head-coach-josh-wolff-after-four-seasons-one-postseason-appearance/
I had a nice day at the BOL.
Yesterday evening was Glühwein and Christmas carols in the village church. Inside the church, because the party tent outside blew away! The village priest is a practical man, and he invited everyone inside instead. Lots of friends and neighbours present. A jolly atmosphere, plus the novelty of drinking beer in the church. All for a very good cause, and who is to say that Our Lord would disapprove… He did turn water into wine for a party, after all.
Then, I slept through from 10pm to after 10am, something I have not managed to do for months, during which my sleep has been very interrupted.
During breakfast/lunch a friend and neighbour dropped in with two big baskets of lovely dry beech firewood, sawn especially to length for our fire. As I type this, I have toasty toes from the flames!
A trip to the recycling centre to bring away cardboard and paper, plus a few leftovers from renovation works that were cluttering up the garage. Glad to have that gone, plus met more friends there!
Bought a Christmas tree to decorate outside the house. Purchased from another friend. Purchased a waffle iron from a friend’s shop in the village. Looking forward to fresh Belgian waffles!
Afternoon tea at the local bakery in the neighbouring village, then swung by the drive-in beer place there for festive supplies.
Back to our village for another Christmas tree for indoors, bought from a neighbour. Bought a tree and stayed to drink beer and chat. Meatspace, baby!
Dinner was linguine with meatballs in a creamy leek and mushroom ragù, while watching the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris. Now listening to Mozart’s Idomeneo on Bavarian Radio before bed.
A good day. Our BOL is in a good place. Feels like home.
Nice shot of Trump and Doctor Jill Biden being cordial at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral today.
Where’s Corn Pop?
https://www.newsweek.com/photos-notre-dame-cathedral-paris-reopens-donald-trump-1997193
“Darwin’s World: An Epic of Survival (The Darwin’s World Series) by Jack L Knapp
https://www.amazon.com/Darwins-World-Epic-Survival/dp/1720070776?tag=ttgnet-20/
Book number one of a five book science fiction series. I read the well printed and well bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback that I bought new on Amazon. I have bought books two and three in the series for reading soon.
In the 25th century, humanity has solved all problems and even created machines for time travel and parallel universe travel. But, they caused a new problem, humanity is dying out as people have lost the will to live.
So the future scientists are bringing forward dying people from the 20th century, giving them new bodies, and transferring them to a parallel world going through the end of the Pleistocene ice age. With nothing but a few tools and the clothes on their backs. Survive or die in the primitive conditions of what will be the southern USA but there are lions, big cats, mammoths, bisons, dire wolves, deer, elk, short face bears, grizzlies, etc. And chest deep snow in the winters.
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars (413 reviews)
Lynn
it’s only a factor of 10:
https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-are-black-plastic-spatulas-and-serving-spoons-safe-to-use
Who were these “researchers”?
Megan Liu a, see below
Sicco H. Brandsma b, Researcher, University of Amsterdam
Erika Schreder a , MS from the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan and a BS in molecular biology from MIT
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653524022173?via%3Dihub
https://toxicfreefuture.org/person/erika-schreder/
The erroneous statement is in section 3.5 of the paper:
The Toxin-Free-Future folks:
Laurie Valeriano, Executive Director, BA Political Science
Liz Hitchcock Director of Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, Toxic-Free Future’s federal policy program, BA Politics
Megan Liu, Science and Policy Manager, BA in molecular and cell biology from UC Berkeley
Daniel Parkhurst, Organizing Manager, Master’s in international relations
Cheri Peele, Senior Project Manager, MCP with an emphasis on environmental policy from MIT and her BS in Urban Studies from Cornell University
So two of the three researchers have backgrounds that should make them extremely embarrassed by the freshman error.
https://toxicfreefuture.org/our-people/
The article was submitted, revised, and accepted, so the editors had two passes and missed the error. Handling editor” was Derek Muir.
The Elsevier website shows the uncorrected article as “current”.
But note:
The “researchers” did not do the actual experiments. They took data from another lab and worked it over in their offices, never actually entering a laboratory themselves. We used to call this a “dry lab”.
The shame here, as always, is this type of shoddy research goes around the world, while the truth never bets it’s boots on.
I’m not done yet. Here is Kuang:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969717321708
So the number crunching was not only defective, but the numbers were old and it’s doubtful that they have any present relevance except for plastic kitchen utensils 13+ years old.
Nice shot of Kerry showing the re-animation serum is still working:
https://www.newsweek.com/photos-notre-dame-cathedral-paris-reopens-donald-trump-1997193
200 would be a better start on the 2000 that need to go. (Remember the Navy captain that was photographed looking through a rifle optic mounted backwards?)
https://redstate.com/streiff/2024/12/07/the-pentagon-is-afraid-of-the-purge-list-prepared-for-hegseth-but-it-is-not-big-enough-to-do-the-job-n2182934
The “negative” dynamic is far-outweighed by the “positive” dynamic that would follow getting rid of a bunch of mission-clogging REMF’s.
How about every officer in the Pentagon being required to submit 100 rounds worth of handgun targets every month to get paid?
“”Holy Sh!t. Pun Intended”: Sequoia Partner Shaun Maguire Reveals Hunter Biden’s “Book Of Poop Art””
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/holy-sht-pun-intended-sequoia-partner-shaun-maguire-reveals-hunter-bidens-book-poop-art
Something is really wrong with Hunter Biden.
They couldn’t convict him of manslaughter, so the judge dropped the charge and instructed the jury to consider a lesser charge.
The same type of NYFC lawfare used against tRump. Can’t convict on #1, just pick any other # and convict.
The judges and DA’s in NYFC are making up laws as they go.
This is happening in all of the blue cities. It is not good and a travesty of justice.
TxTAG is going away. They are transferring billing and etc to the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA).
My account doesn’t qualify for transfer because of no toll activity since October 2023.
No where does TxTAG say what happens to your balance. I’ve been wondering but haven’t felt like a game of phone menu hades. Hey, $68.xx is sitting there. Today I looked at my Discover card on-line. I’m getting a $68.xx credit. Question answered.
I went to hctra.org and created a new account. I could use the TxTAG numbers which is about two credit card numbers run together in length of tiny print on the back of the stickers. Exactly the idea place if wearing reading glasses. But nah, let’s use license plate numbers and send me new window stickers.
$10 minimum. Refills automatically from the credit card when the balance reaches $5.
I’ll get my EZ TAG kit in a week or so. Pretty simple.
Keep in mind that Hunter achieved more academically than Beau … Beau … Beau.
Gotta wonder how messed up Beau really was behind closed doors.
One of my auction has “generic” Starlink antennas.
n
added- ah, I see the issue. It’s a Starlink install kit, but refurb, so the manf isn’t listed.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5SGXQCD?tag=ttgnet-20
https://hibid.com/lot/224499493/-448-starlink-standard-kit-gen-3-wifi-6–s
Huh. That is a reman Gen 3 antenna and router. My router does not have RJ45 ethernet connections, I had to buy a external splitter from Starlink. Very high quality parts though but not ant proof.
Starlink sent me a new Gen 2 antenna and router to replace my ant infested Gen 2 antenna. I replaced them both so I do not know which was the problem but I am sure that it was the antenna.
I have to return everything that I replaced or else they will charge me for the new parts. They sent me FedEx return shipping labels back to California.
TxTAG is going away. They are transferring billing and etc to the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA).
What ? There are MANY tolling authorities in Texas. So Harris County is taking over the entire tolling billing in Texas ?
I am on EZ-TAG (HCTRA) at home. I am wondering what my office Highlander is.
IIRC back office for Houston was run by Cognizant.
It isn’t my former employer since the tech is still backwards The lanes through the plazas have dividers. Or did.
The lanes are one vehicle wide. They are redoing the lanes though. They reconfigured to do some sort of card thing, refillable at HEB, but it never went live. Now they have closed those lanes or changed them to normal EZPass. Got rid of all the coin lanes and the manned lanes too. Guess the cams are good enough.
n
HEB had two holiday special flavor ice creams in their house brand. Eggnog, which tastes exactly like the HEB brand eggnog in a carton, and gingerbread cookie dough.
I love both…
n
AirPods still chirp in the background – sometimes. Also both randomly stop amplifying. Usually its the left one, but not always. It sometimes turns back on if I move my head. I may be a minute or two before it starts working. Charge is over 90%.
Turn off spatial audio.
Thanks. I searched and found spatial audio and turned it off. Never heard of anything like it. Don’t understand why it would be useful. That’s probably due to my age.
Many things that people use are beyond my understanding. I read about them but the words don’t compute.
Curiosity got the better of me, so I looked up “spatial audio”.
It seems to be a system that detects head movements and adjusts the output through headphones or earphones to make it seem like one is hearing sounds from the ambient space in which one moves, rather than from devices directly in or on the ear. Gamers seem to like it.
Explained here.
Rumor has it that Montreal, PQ, used manual tolling for several bridge builds. Tolls were supposed to pay for the project, but revenue was well below projections, so they invested in automated tolling to replace the toll agents. Revenue suddenly went up, enough to cover the project and the additional expense of the automation.
Well, I’ve been fixing things. There was a lightening of the misty drizzle so I decided to start putting out the lights, and some inflatables.
I’ve got a big one of a santa riding a bear, and it had only intermittent fan… so I took it apart and found the cheesiest little board, which was smoking and melty. It was just a full bridge rectifier and a cap, with several pairs of wire coming off it. One pair for the fan, 12vdc, one pair for the LEDs, 12vdc, and one pair for to another cheesy little board, that was 12vac. The cheesy little board turned it to DC with a cheap nasty bridge rectifier (both executed with discrete diodes) and a timer circuit and switch for another fan, and 12vdc for more LEDs.
In other words the whole thing could have been powered with a cheap 12v DC switching power supply. All I can think is that the timer board came in AC version only and they slapped together the existing parts…
I found an integrated bridge rectifier in my spares box, and a replacement cap, and put the whole thing back together “dead bug” style. Heat shrink over the result, and good to go. Worth doing as the inflatable was over $100 new.
—-
I found 4 dead LED colored light strings that I checked out. Fuses were good. Found an inline resistor that tested ‘open’ so I replaced it, but the damage must have been done. String still didn’t light. Threw them in the recycle. For laughs, I cut some of the bulbs off and tried to get them to light. One smoked but the others did nothing. I think a whole lot, or maybe all the LEDs fried when the resistor died.
The strings aren’t cheap enough to throw out without at least an effort at troubleshooting.
—-
The rain started again so I gave up and I’ll do more tomorrow.
I got two small trees lit up and on the porch, and a big inflatable Tigger near the front door, so some stuff did go up. The two other big inflatables, the bear and a santa with a tree, will be stood up and guyed into place first thing. THEN I’ll start on lights.
n
I approved one of Drwilliams comments that got stuck for too many links, it’s upthread a bit.
n
And I realize I blew it on the day. I was thinking about it yesterday, hence the title, but then missed it today.
World wars are possible. They’ve happened before, and they will happen again. And I’d bet that the average Joe on the street had no idea that an attack by JAPAN was even possible, or would bring us into the war.
I think war is coming, and it might kick off out of left field. Don’t think you’ll have time to see it coming, this IS the time. And if I’m wrong? You’ll save money on your groceries for the next year.
n
Spatial audio is annoying when you are walking across the yard and hearing the leaves crush under your feet for the first time in many ears. Or when you are sitting down, watching TV and the sound starts and stops when the dog jumps in your lap for kisses.
I would, no doubt, have enjoyed when I was younger. I was getting a complete shut down in one ear or the other for several seconds or longer. It is difficult when you are just trying to hear and the sound stops and starts limiting your ability to understand normal background noises that you haven’t heard in years.
Out of no where and for no reason, today I heard the bubbles fizzing in my soda can… I was walking thru the living room with the can in my hand and I couldn’t figure out what the noise was or where it was coming from.
The weirdest things can catch your attention.
n
>> Nice shot of Trump and Doctor Jill Biden being cordial at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral today.
Where’s Corn Pop?
https://www.newsweek.com/photos-notre-dame-cathedral-paris-reopens-donald-trump-1997193
Not quite the most informative answer:
https://www.timesnownews.com/world/why-joe-biden-is-not-attending-notre-dame-re-opening-in-paris-revealed-article-116086857
Pretty much applies to any federal organization. That’s pretty much how I felt about anyone who desperately wanted assigned to the Pentagon.
No, but a lot of it does, at least at our house. I fry bacon most mornings, and save the fat in a jar that my wife draws on for cooking other foods.
As for weird chemicals getting into food: I used to use cast iron, but it isn’t safe on induction, so I’ve been using teflon-coated pans (or whatever the current replacement for teflon is). Only recently did I hear that carbon-steel pans are the induction-safe equivalent of cast iron, so I’ll be moving to one of those soon.
He is already effectively gone. The only question is how much crap his administration will try to pull off in the next six weeks.