Cold. Hopefully clear. Warming later. Yesterday opened with frost on the ground and on roofs, and I could see my breath. It got warmer later, and the sun helped. The breeze made it chilly to be working outdoors, even if it was 60F.
I got more decor and lights up, and I think I’m ok with stopping at this point. I’ve got stuff I could put out, but I think this will be a “rebuilding” year for Christmas as well as Halloween decorations. There’s nothing that makes me go “ah” when I look at the yard and house, but it’s decorated.
Now I have to put the leftover stuff away, and do all my other stuff.
We probably won’t go to the BOL until after Christmas, so I have a small issue with auction purchases for the BOL piling up. Two new 55 gallon drums take up a lot of space… as do new solar panels. I put a bunch of stuff in the wife’s minivan already, but I can’t load the pickup bed until I’m headed up that way. Hmm. I need somewhere to stack…
——–
Today I’ve got errands to run for my potluck lunch. I still need to buy soda, and pickup a honey baked ham. And I’ve got the normal kid taxi stuff, and a pickup on the other side of town. At least that should get me to my secondary location to drop off stuff and pick up a couple of things I need for the party.
I really need to get to my storage unit too.
That should fill the day without even touching the stuff like finishing clearing out the room for the Christmas tree.
I better get busy and be better with my time today than I have been. Short shrift for the site.
At least some of the stacking has continued, vis the solar and water storage. Check your needs, then do some stacking of your own.
nick
Venmo doesn’t allow chargebacks IIRC. I don’t have an account because the terms of service used to be vague on whether that applied to the mainline PayPal account as well.
At least once a year, I have to use the chargeback with a seller when EBay’s overseas customer service doesn’t quite get the problem.
57F when I went to bed, 56F at the moment.
Coffee is in the pot, but the kids are still in their beds. Time to remedy both conditions.
———-
n
Interesting. I know several people we Zelle from our biz account that have personal accounts w/debit card. I’m pretty sure they also have a CC with the same bank, so maybe that makes a difference?
They could have lost the grey goatee and it would still work.
Still grey sky, and heavy mist. Even though it’s 60F, the air is wet.
n
The fans want a “Logan” type movie with a proper handoff to the next generation before Snipes really is too old.
Slow day, or the 13th vortex sucked half the population into an alternate reality…
n
Appropriate day to pay my property taxes. I have to keep reminding myself that we were born free.
I’m going to try PayPal to receive my money. Wish me luck. I’ll have to give them my debit card to get the money out. Unless maybe I can just pay it to my credit card that’s on file for the rare times I use PayPal for little purchases?
I figure that the evil people at PayPal will be reporting this repayment of debt as income to the IRS. Remember, kiddies, as much as you hate the government, bankers, and the press, it’s not enough.
While researching this, I see that Zelle will quit working in March, for some reason.
AFAIK, only the Zelle app is going away. I’ve never used it. Instead, I use the Zelle function in my bank’s mobile app. So, if you signed up through and use the Zelle app, you will have to reenroll in your bank’s app if your bank supports Zelle.
Noted for posterity.
No, you were born naked. You were never free.
“Climate Shifts & Agriculture”
https://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2024-12-12-show/
“In the first half, former international coffee buyer David DuByne discussed the alarming state of global food production and its implications for humanity. He began the conversation by referencing the recent surge in coffee prices. “Arabica coffee hit all-time record highs… [with] black frost wiping out Brazilian yields,” he revealed. DuByne pointed out that such supply chain disruptions are not just limited to coffee: “From this point forward, we’re going to see less and less food, with perpetual rising prices.””
“He warned that the planet is entering a “super storm” phase, where extreme weather events are becoming the norm. DuByne noted, “We’ve seen record floods… now [equaling] a full year of rain in a single event.” He believes these changes are part of natural cycles driven by solar activity rather than man-made climate change, arguing, “If you go back and trace history, you can find these cycles that have reshaped our civilization.””
“DuByne also expressed concern over the lack of transparency from governments regarding food scarcity, and he suggested that official acknowledgement of potential shortages could lead to societal collapse. “What kind of message is that? Our society would absolutely implode,” he claimed. DuByne sees the combination of rising food prices and diminishing supplies as a catalyst for civil unrest, stating, “Hungry people topple governments again and again.””
“He mentioned regions like Myanmar and the Sahel in North Africa as potential new agricultural hubs due to shifting climate patterns. “Myanmar can double its production in terms of food,” DuByne asserted. He concluded with an appeal to listeners to grow their own crops. “Please buy some seeds… learn something about agriculture to protect you and your families,” he insisted.”
Upright and breathing. Survival mode still. Earnestly looking forward to a month off next year and actively planning for retirement in 2030.
Haven’t been keeping up here (time!) so hope folks are well and it’s no more than the usual strife.
Usual Tom foolery in local politics. Progressive liberal super majority and they’re doing as they please, damn the costs.
Snow was initially deep and heavy this year but we’ve had a string of warm (above freezing) days which has melted quite a lot.
regrettably we noticed yesterday the cedar siding on the back wall of the garage is soaking wet, roughly 40 sf, and no water pipes in that area. That means the melted snow from the roof is intruding. From the ground I can see a bit of flashing that may be loose. I’ll climb up this weekend and see what may be done.
It’s an old house. There’s more upkeep than our previous house though only four years older.
Dogs are good. Chickens are good. Rabbits – my buck inexplicably died. Fortunately I’d not processed the last batch of growouts. Held onto the most promising buck from that last litter. Trying to sort out a breeding schedule for next year that will still put 50 rabbits in the deep freeze with a month interruption.
Halfway through a big Oracle project at work. Lifting v11 to v19. Spending a lot of time resolving “INVALID OBJECTS” and lots of other fun. I’m enjoying the challenge. I can’t say it’s been smooth or easy, but all of the catastrophes have been in testing and the Prod side has gone really well. Possibly because I found all the ways to fail in testing -grin-
My energy and get up and go continue to suck. Ton of bloodwork (not cancer, not Lyme, not lots of things). My lady doc started me on hormones which are making me a real cranky pants. I’ll give that a little time to shake out but I’m not doing HRT if it makes me a jerk face.
Having a great time playing music. 12 year old ROCKED her recent snare drum duet at a recent school function, and asked to play fiddle (NOT violin) after watching “Roots of Fire”. Great film, go find it in the inter-tubes. Found an Eastman VL100 for her on the Goodwill auction site. I’ll need to install strings, bridge, and probably the sound post. I’ve got a second decent bow and I’ll have to get a case. All doable. It has a pretty flamed maple back which will please her. I’ve got leads on 3 instructors that teach fiddle (NOT violin – emphasis my daughters). I think what she means by fiddle is she’s done with sheet music, wants to play by ear, and jump straight into fun syncopated danceable music. She’s got a good enough ear and rhythm that I think that’ll work for her with the right instructor.
Once she demonstrates she’s responsible with the instrument she can play my mom’s violin from the early 1800’s. I am really looking forward to that – mom would be delighted to know a granddaughter was playing.
Back to the salt mines.
That is always a good mode. Although I need to sometimes get someone else’s opinion.
Subbed yesterday, subbing today, next week subbing Monday, subbing Tuesday.
The learning for the last of this year is basically over. There are a few tests left before the Christmas break. I talked with the teacher I am subbing for on Monday (English classes) and asked what she had planned for lessons. She said there is nothing for the students to do, they cannot be on their cell phones because they were jerks, they can color if they want something to do.
Coloring, for high school students? You have got to be kidding me. I would let them use their cell phones but I have to follow the teacher’s instructions if I want to continue subbing. Hmmm, I may want to rethink that.
The students are getting restless as next week is the last week before the Christmas break. Some students who had perfect attendance can opt out part of next week. They do have to show up on Monday or Tuesday, but that is it for the week.
School is markedly different from when I was in school. I don’t know if they are learning any more than I did, but my gut tells not. Sure, technology wise they are much ahead. But core knowledge, critical thinking, are largely absent. The knowledge of the world is at their fingertips, but is wasted when they don’t really know what they are looking for. And being able to weed out the fake information is sometimes difficult.
The students can solve math problems to 10 digits of precision. Such precision not really necessary. The real thing they miss is being able to guesstimate to determine if their answer is close.
The students have fall break, Christmas break, spring break whereas I had one break, Christmas. But I also started school after Labor Day and was out the end of May. Now school starts late July and runs until late May. My school started at 8:00 and got out at 4:00. Now it is 8:20 to 3:20.
I am also not a fan of the state’s position of maximizing the number of students going to college. I think that is really nothing more than getting more money for the universities and colleges, not really wanting to educate the students. Many students can go to a trade school and make a very good career. And avoid tens of thousands of dollars in debt.
A few go in the military which is a good choice. They grow up, learn something that would help them in a career, discipline, a work ethic, experience things that are impossible in the civilian world, and visit places they would never do so on their own. Four years can get them a college education paid by the government if they want. Some can spend 20-30 years in the service and get a very good retirement at 48 years old.
College would strap them for life with student debt and probably for many an education that will not qualify them for any job.
>>My energy and get up and go continue to suck. Ton of bloodwork (not cancer, not Lyme, not lots of things).
@Jenny, have you been evaluated for ME/CFS? Not something there is a blood test for.
Questionable Content: Roasted Coffee with Extra Flavor
https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5458
Do you want your roasted beans with spider flavoring or without ?
BC: Short Days
https://www.gocomics.com/bc/2024/12/13
I hate the short days also.
“John Kerry Demands Crackdown on Public Heating Homes: ‘The Climate Crisis Is Killing People’”
https://slaynews.com/news/john-kerry-demands-crackdown-public-heating-homes-climate-crisis-killing-people/
Kerry is delusional. All that flying on private government funded jets has scrambled his brain.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Botox. I’m serious. It is possible.
OTOH, Lurch has never been sharp.
The end is nigh for Kerry’s career.
“MyFree DIRECTV is already one of the most well-balanced free streamers”
https://thestreamable.com/myfree-directv-offers-impressive-mix-of-entertainment-sports-news-movie-channels-for-a-new-service
“The new, ad-supported streaming platform from DIRECTV has a great lineup of channels in multiple categories to choose from.”
A joke or real content ?
The mist has turned into REALLY HEAVY mist. Almost but not quite drizzle.
I made my first round of errands, now off to the second. Shopping and Honey Baked.
n
“Janet Yellen “Sorry” After Presiding Over $15 Trillion Increase In US Debt”
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/janet-yellen-sorry-after-presiding-over-15-trillion-increase-us-debt
“In other words, Yellen has personally presided over a gargantuan $15.2 trillion increase in US debt, or about 42% of all US debt ever issued! No one other government official can make even a remotely similar claim.”
The USA is broke. Bad times are coming.
Junk channels.
I think people would go back to subscribing to basic cable if they could get a reasonable selection of channels without being forced to take sports for $30.
“Ex-Stripper, Convicted Killer Crystal Mangum Admits To Lying About Being Raped By Duke Lacrosse Players”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ex-stripper-convicted-killer-crystal-mangum-admits-lying-about-being-raped-duke-lacrosse
“Crystal Mangum, a former exotic dancer who in 2006 accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her, acknowledged for the first time in a new interview that she made up the accusations.”
I am shocked that a woman would lie about getting raped.
You’re kidding right.
Dopey rich white boys don‘t deserve no respect.
You’re kidding right.
Dopey rich white boys don‘t deserve no respect.
Neither does Trump get respect. He has lost a civil court case to a woman accusing him of fondling her in a department store 30+ years ago with zero witnesses.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trump-must-pay-additional-83-million-to-e-jean-carroll-in-defamation-case-jury-decides
It’s almost funny how despite their lofty professed sentiments the lefties just can’t help themselves but do a reveal, the desired endgame is always the same: poverty, humiliation, subservience, torment and death for the proles.
Re:Pournelle’s Chaos Manor.
RickH is usually on top of things there, maybe he is taking a breather.
It is almost Christmas.
Now that you mentions it he has been mia for awhile.
And has anyone received an update on Cowboy Stu?
The fish stinks from the head:
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2024/12/13/bombshell-the-fbi-spied-on-kash-patel-n2649048
and under Biden, it’s fish all the way down.
Meanwhile, the little peaople are outraged and empowered:
Déjà Vu – DC Restaurant Workers Plan To Sabotage Trump Admin Personnel
Suppose I have reservations at a restaurant that is–unknown to me–a Blue shiitehole. I sit down with my party and at some point the manager or owner comes over and says they don’t want my business and won’t serve me or my party.
Maybe I reach in my pocket, pull my phone out, hit “record”, and lay it on the table. Then I pull out the “refusal of service form” fill it out, and present the bill for $500. “Here’s the thing, Toots. I looked at your website before coming, and there was no indication that this was a Blue shittehole that arbitrarily refused service to people that give them hurty feelings. On the other hand, if you go to my website, you see a plain declaration that any shiitehole, Blue or otherwise., that tries to pull this crap gets an immediate bill from me for $500, payable immediately, as a partial compensation for the time an effort it will take to change restaurants at the last minute. Now you can either bring me cash or your good check for $500, or you can argue, but I have to warn you, I just put my attorney on speakerphone and his hourly is $1500. The people with me total about $3500, and mine is the total of everyone else because I’m really not in the mood and you’re wasting my time under duress. How about you call your attorney and see if he thinks you should play? tick-tick-tick.”
Or maybe I just leave politely, and the next Saturday night the “Rockefeller party of 12” turns out to be a bus from the drug halfway house with a rainbow-colored group of illegal aliens and a driver with a pocket full of $100 bills.
Texas Plans to Buy Pieces of Border Wall Being Auctioned Off by Biden, Return Them to Trump
https://redstate.com/rusty-weiss/2024/12/13/texas-plans-to-buy-pieces-of-border-wall-being-auctioned-off-by-biden-return-them-to-trump-n2183154
Just set up an inspection point right outside the gates, then inspect every vehicle going in or out.
Yet people had to spend thousands in legal fees to defend against a civil suit because they refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding. DC is a cesspool.
I just watched the second-to-last episode of ST: Lower Decks. Cool guest voices from Enterprise, DS9, Voyager, and STNG movie.
I see that Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 84, fell and broke her hip on a taxpayer-funded vacation to Paris.
I hope she gets exactly the same level of care that Obamacare would provide to a non-famous non-political 84-year-old. A couple of questions:
Does Obamacare pay bills for medical treatment while on a vacation OUS?
Does Obamacare provide transportation back to the U.S. for injured people that want to be treated at home?
My fond hope is that if Pelosi takes a fatal turn for the worse, she dies sometime before January 20. Not necessarily a long, painful, excruciatingly slow demise, but one that does end soon enough that
FJBJill can ignore any calls for a state funeral.“BlueCruise is Hands-Free Highway Driving”
https://www.ford.com/technology/bluecruise/
Wow, Ford BlueCruise is $495 per year or $2,495 for the vehicle lifetime. Not cheap.
pointy-haired dipsticks need to be removed from all future federal grants:
https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/12/13/ludicrous-study-says-hot-dog-shortens-your-life-by-36-minutesthis-is-why-we-dont-believe-them-anymore-n2183152
Someone cut off the supply of child blood?
A frail Nancy Pelosi, 84, clutches colleague’s hand before shocking fall down marble staircase in front of foreign dignitaries
Put a fork in her, she’s done.
n
Alfre Woodard. Wow.
I ran “First Contact” this Summer, before I had Jonathan Frakes sign my BluRay copy.
“Lower Decks” paid a visit to DS9 within the last couple of seasons, complete with voice appearances from Nana Visitor and Armin Shimerman.
Lots of typing scott/tiger?
Mine is root/calvin. You would be amazed at how many shops don’t change that default.
uh, no.
Aluminum, steel, and newspaper. And newspaper is a fraction of the volume that it used to be, so the economics are dicey.
Cardboard quit being profitable when the Chinese market got pickier and rejected pizza boxes. Our cardboard isn’t good enough for them, so it piles up.
There are mountains of crushed glass looking for a home. Clear glass has a marginal net over the raw materials that make it. Most of it isn’t worth transporting to the glass furnaces, and one colored glass container in a mountain of clear glass makes it effectively worthless.
Colored glass is not recyclable unless it is sorted by color, another process that is not economical.
https://redstate.com/brandon_morse/2024/12/13/john-stossel-blows-the-lid-off-the-scam-that-is-recycling-n2183163
The video also makes the point that rinsing a plastic bottle in hot water is worse for the environment than tossing it.
The article and the video talk about landfilling (we are not running out of space for such) and ignore the trash-to-energy option.
Public policy on recycling needs a major revision. The most likely balance between economics and the environment, IMO, is to do away with the current version of mixed recycling and recast it as metals-only. Make separate streams for electronics and batteries–both small volume–and run them through the retailers that sell them. Metal recycling can pay for itself and perhaps turn a profit. Electronics and batteries probably need a subsidy/ tax but the cost would be much less than the dollars we spend now.
Lots of yummy “pizza” in DC.
Aluminum, steel, and newspaper. And newspaper is a fraction of the volume that it used to be, so the economics are dicey.
Aluminum requires only 10% of the energy to recycle of the energy that was required to make it. AL is by and far the best material to recycle.
In fact, you can shred AL which exposes unoxidized metal and put it in water and make steam with it as it turns back into alumina. Grinding AL into powder makes even more steam (it is all about the surface area exposed).
Lots of yummy “pizza” in DC.
I know what you did there. And that is nasty.
Wait, pizzagate was a false rumor ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzagate_conspiracy_theory
The article and the video talk about landfilling (we are not running out of space for such) and ignore the trash-to-energy option.
Our great great great great great great grandchildren will mine trash landfills. The problem will be adult and child diapers. And wallboard as it offgases H2S. Large landfills put wallboard in a special area by itself.
Back in the 80s I was pretty sure we’d be mining landfills by now.
The old ones would have a higher yield as more metal got thrown away, but there is a higher risk too, as many toxic things are in those same landfills.
In Cali, my neighborhood was assigned to single stream, ie no separate recycle bin. Others were “unsorted” recyclables. Others were “sort”. The idea was to monitor levels of recoverable material and choose a method for all of San Diego. The can miners would come and raid our trash because they knew there would be cans and bottles in it. Threw off the whole project. Some nights several would come in waves and pick thru the entire bin many times over.
Here anything you put by the curb with metal in it gets mined long before the city solid waste people get to it. “Mike the Scavenger” on youtube does curbside scavenging on his channel in an area not too far north of me. Heck, I’ve pulled over and grabbed stuff, like a transmission, brake drums, or other small but heavy items.
The curb miners and can miners already pull a lot of metal out of the trash stream.
And even though we have a recycle bin, Houston is really single stream anyway, it all goes to the same place. I’d bet we are not the only city that does that.
n
Still More on the East Coast Saga Over Drones, With John Kirby Doing an About-Face
https://redstate.com/wardclark/2024/12/13/still-more-on-the-east-coast-drone-saga-and-the-president-elect-chimes-in-n2183191
Know/don’t know. Kirby is a lying richardweed.
If it doesn’t have an ID transponder declare it a menace to navigation and national security and send a slow platform with inexpensive ordnance to shoot it down. You could probably sell tickets to ride shotgun (goose loads) on a helo.
In Cali, my neighborhood was assigned to single stream, ie no separate recycle bin. Others were “unsorted” recyclables. Others were “sort”. The idea was to monitor levels of recoverable material and choose a method for all of San Diego. The can miners would come and raid our trash because they knew there would be cans and bottles in it. Threw off the whole project. Some nights several would come in waves and pick thru the entire bin many times over.
I used to bottle mine trash cans when I was a kid for the 5 cents here in Texas.
My mother would cry if she knew that so don’t tell her.
Questionable Content: Roasted Coffee with Extra Flavor
https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5458
Do you want your roasted beans with spider flavoring or without ?
BTW, this webcomic claims that the average human eats 45,000 spiders per year !
Yuck !
BTW, I can hardly wait for Trump to get rid of federal income taxes. I am going to convert all of my IRAs into personal holdings immediately. Especially my real estate IRA.
Delayed Delivery: The US Postal Service Says Its Made-To-Order Electric Mail Trucks are MIA
Contract awarded in Feb 2021 by Biden administration. Postmaster was DeJoy, the same buffoon that insulted Congress this week by refusing to listen and putting his hands over his ears.
The existing fleet ca. 1987-1994 was designed for a 24-year service life.
Rivian is making the Amazon van:
https://www.motortrend.com/news/checking-in-on-the-rivian-amazon-edv-electric-van/
1-year review here:
https://insideevs.com/reviews/730044/rivian-edv-one-year-review/
and the big downcheck is the lack of capacity compared to an ICE vehicle.
If there is really a need for a USPS electric in some markets, it would seem Rivian is a logical place to look.
OTOH, a gas version makes more sense for rural and suburban routes if not most routes.
Either way, the employees need a/c in summer and good heat in the winter.
Contract awarded in Feb 2021 by Biden administration. Postmaster was DeJoy, the same buffoon that insulted Congress this week by refusing to listen and putting his hands over his ears.
Autistic. Seriously on the spectrum but high functional. I was surprised that he could even be in that room with that many people, much less talking to them.
OTOH, a gas version makes more sense for rural and suburban routes if not most routes.
Either way, the employees need a/c in summer and good heat in the winter.
The USPS persons delivering mail to my house are driving Dodge or Chrysler minivans with a USPS logo on the side even though we are an RFD (rural free delivery). The USPS guy delivering mail to my office building in the RFD drives his own Chevy pickup.
They make the guys delivering USPS packages on Sundays drive the old right hand drive Jeeps without a/c. They do have heat, kinda. The last one I looked at had over 300,000 miles on it but the guy was guessing as it only had five digits on the odometer.
“NASA is hiding crucial details about asteroids that could THREATEN Earth, warns senior SETI Institute astronomer”
https://www.naturalnews.com/2024-12-12-nasa-hiding-details-about-asteroids-threatening-earth.html
“On Dec. 3, the small asteroid COWECP5 streaked into Earth’s atmosphere and exploded in a fiery display above Siberia. While the event was dramatic, it was ultimately harmless because the space rock was only 70 centimeters across and disintegrated before it could cause any damage.”
“If the asteroid had been larger, it could have caused significant damage on the ground. And if it had been a true “city killer,” like the 400-meter-wide asteroid that astronomers feared would hit Earth on Christmas Day in 2004, seven hours would not have been enough time to evacuate millions of people or devise a defense strategy.”
“Every day, Earth is bombarded by an estimated 100 tons of space debris, most of which burns up harmlessly in the atmosphere. But every now and then, something much larger and more dangerous appears.”
“Astronomers have identified 36,765 NEOs, including more than 11,000 that are over 140 meters across and 868 that are larger than a kilometer. Out of those NEOs, 1,714 are considered potentially hazardous, meaning there’s a non-zero chance they could collide with Earth.”
Um, 400 meter diameter is a quarter mile diameter. That would have left a big mark somewhere.
>> On the other hand, if you go to my website, you see a plain declaration that any shiitehole, Blue or otherwise., that tries to pull this crap gets an immediate bill from me for $500, payable immediately, as a partial compensation for the time an effort it will take to change restaurants at the last minute.
IANAL but (anywhere except Brooklyn NYFC) this should get tossed by the judge. One, no proof that anyone from the restaurant visited the ‘compensation’ website, and two, even if it was visited, no agreement was entered into by both parties.
I’m going to finish this delicious Clausthaler winter brew, “Santa Clausthaler” and go to bed. Stuff to do in the morning before my potluck dinner…
n
@Alan
Applies to the other hand.