Warm and damp. Possibly partly cloudy, possibly raining. We’ll see when it gets here. It was sorta nice for Christmas, but I mostly stayed in anyway. Today I have to leave the house, so weather will matter at least a little bit.
Didn’t do much except Christmas stuff yesterday. For us, that means “stocking” and “santa” gifts are opened, and then the rest of the presents. Then it’s food, food, and more food throughout the day.
Cooking dinner took up most of my afternoon and evening, and I spent the rest of the day puttering around the house and watching youtube videos. My back was killing me so that was about all I felt up to. By bedtime, I was feeling much better. We’ll see how today goes.
Today, despite the prospect of crowds, I would like to get some shopping done. The sale items at Costco change, and it’s stuff I need this month, so I’d like to at least hit those. And I’d like to hit the Lowes for the stuff I need to finish my project in the dockhouse at the BOL. I need some panel adhesive and some trim for the chair rail. We’re headed to the BOL for a couple of days, then visiting family for a few, then we’re headlong into the new year… without a lot of time in between to shop. Hence the need for today’s trip to the stores.
Given the dire state of retail, maybe there won’t be crowds. I can hope. Or I can push it off to Friday morning. I’ve got a appointment Friday afternoon that I can’t miss, so I won’t be headed to the BOL until after that anyway. Realistically though, I’ll use Friday morning to load the truck.
Three 55 gallon drums for rainwater collection. Three 3ft sections of stove pipe. A couple of new string trimmers. Some other stuff for the solar system, and the woodstoves… It’ll be a pretty full truck. Oh, almost forgot the kayak…
Stacks. I got ’em.
Get ready for the new year by deciding what you need to stack. Then get started.
nick
Ever use a scythe? Once you get the hang of it, it’s a hell of a lot faster than a weed eater. Just make sure it’s sharp.
Yes, I have. Give me a big gas-powered weed eater any day. The scythe may be faster but it is a lot of work.
In my teen years I tried a horse drawn plow, pulled behind a tractor, just to see what it was like. Apparently I did not know what I was doing because I lasted about 30 minutes before I was exhausted. There must be a technique which I missed because I battled with that plow. I had sharpened the blade so that was not the issue. It was controlling the plow.
The early farmers were some tough dudes.
Oh, it’s not all that much considering if the seasons are lined up end to end you have about 21 years of TV shows.
I have more than 300 DVD movies that I’ve never watched. I could go count but that much coffee makes me jittery. I figure I’ll watch a ST episode before or after the nightly movie, say five nights a week, call it two years of programing I have never watched.
It might be worth buying another Blu-ray player just to reduce disc shuffling. The TV has four unused HDMI inputs. I’ll think about it.
My Dad had a scythe. I liked using it. The swoosh of the blade and seeing the weeds fall was good.
71F, dripping, but not actual rain. Moist only begins to describe it.
—-
coffee is brewing. french meat stuffing is waiting for th toaster to cough up an english muffin.
—–
I tried a scythe on some grassy weeds. It took a lot of work. Ok if no other choice, but the internal combustion engine takes the place of my back…
And that’s a good thing.
—–
sounds like coffee is ready.
n
Coffee was ready, and my belly is full of meat pie.
Good times.
n
Only 364 days until Christmas!
It looks and feels like the middle of the night here right now.
I’m about to venture out to Costco and Lowes… I will gird my loins. Which is similar but yet oh so different from girdling my lions.
n
“China Stuns With Heavy Stealth Tactical Jet’s Sudden Appearance”
https://www.twz.com/air/china-stuns-with-heavy-stealth-tactical-jets-sudden-appearance
“This is the most advanced flying machine we have seen out of China, lacking any tails and packing stealth and long range.”
“In something of a stunning development, China appears to already be flying a stealthy, high-performance sixth-generation crewed combat aircraft, imagery of which began to emerge today. At this early stage, we have very little idea about the precise identity of the new aircraft, but many elements of its design are very much in line with what we already knew about Chinese sixth-generation airpower aspirations.”
Oh my.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Only 364 days until Christmas!
Too soon, man, too soon.
“New York to fine fossil fuel companies $75 billion under new climate law”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/york-fine-fossil-fuel-companies-200119198.html
“NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York state will fine fossil fuel companies a total of $75 billion over the next 25 years to pay for damage caused to the climate under a bill Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law on Thursday.”
“The law is intended to shift some of the recovery and adaptation costs of climate change from individual taxpayers to oil, gas and coal companies that the law says are liable. The money raised will be spent on mitigating the impacts of climate change, including adapting roads, transit, water and sewage systems, buildings and other infrastructure.”
“New York has fired a shot that will be heard round the world: The companies most responsible for the climate crisis will be held accountable,” New York Senator Liz Krueger, a Democrat who co-sponsored the bill, said in a statement.”
“Fossil fuel companies will be fined based on the amount of greenhouse gases they released into the atmosphere between 2000 and 2018, to be paid into a Climate Superfund beginning in 2028. It will apply to any company that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation determines is responsible for more than 1 billion tons of global greenhouse gas emissions.”
We will tax ourselves into prosperity. We can do it this time.
My prediction is that the large fossil fuel companies will leave New York State and that small companies will come in with incredible prices.
“Israel Hits the Houthis in Yemen After Their Slow Escalation”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/israel-hits-back-houthis-yemen-165007536.html
Does anyone else have canned sunshine on their list of predictions for 2025 ?
xkcd: Sun Avoidance
https://www.xkcd.com/3029/
“The comic shows the end of a table of human missions, both terrestrial and space-based, ranked by how far they stayed away from the Sun.”
“This comic was posted the day after December 24, 2024, when the Parker Solar Probe made its closest approach to the Sun. As a result, it has set a new record for the worst failure in solar avoidance. This mission needs to be really close to the Sun so it can make close-up analysis of its corona and magnetic field. It has been engineered with special solar shields to protect it from the extreme heat and radiation.”
Explained at:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3029:_Sun_Avoidance
“This Is insane’: Congress Sounds Off On Op-Ed About Blocking Trump From The Presidency”
https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-insane-congress-sounds-off-on-op-ed-about-blocking-trump-from-the-presidency
“Republicans and at least one Democrat expressed disapproval.”
“On Thursday, several lawmakers expressed condemnation of an op-ed in The Hill that urged members of Congress to try and block President-elect Donald Trump from taking office for his second term.”
“Democrat-linked lawyers Evan Davis and David Schulte claimed there was “overwhelming” evidence of Trump engaging in an insurrection that disqualifies him from the presidency and if both chambers spurned Trump’s Electoral College votes, Vice President Kamala Harris — who lost to Trump in the 2024 contest — could be elected instead.”
““Sounds like Democrats and the media are planning an insurrection,” said the popular “Libs of TikTok” account run by Chaya Raichik, after which Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) replied, “They use the word ‘insurrection’ only when talking about Republicans.””
And so starts the second USA Civil War.
Solar shields? Bah, old tech.
How about laser radiators?
“David Brin to the courtesy phone, David Brin to the white courtesy phone…“
p.s. Published in 1983? I feel old.
“California Democrats are letting dangerous men in women’s prisons”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/3269104/california-democrats-let-dangerous-men-womens-prisons/
“California Democrats are so “inclusive” and “tolerant” that they have decided to include a man in a women’s prison and tolerate the multiple rapes he has allegedly committed.”
“The case has boiled over in Madera County, where 52-year-old Tremaine Carroll is now being protected by state judges and state law in the rape cases against him. Carroll was placed in a women’s prison because he claims to be a woman, and, as Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno said, “There’s no psychological evaluation that needs to be done. This person does not need to be on cross gender hormones, they don’t need to be signed up for transgender surgery, they don’t need to be a psychological evaluation regarding gender confusion, the mere statement is enough.””
“According to Moreno, Carroll’s first cellmate at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla became pregnant and was relocated to Los Angeles. After that, two other of Carroll’s cellmates claimed that he raped them, leading Moreno to bring rape charges against Carroll. Carroll was able to allegedly rape three female inmates thanks to The Transgender Respect, Agency and Dignity Act, which forces women’s prisons to accept men if those men want to be incarcerated there instead of in a men’s prison.”
Are all California politicians mentally ill ?
“The Musk-Led Manufacturing Revolution Nobody Is Talking About”
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/musk-led-manufacturing-revolution-nobody-talking-about
“When most analysts discuss Tesla, they focus on new vehicles or the electric vehicle company’s advancements in autonomy. Yet, according to Launch i/o CEO Jeff Lutz, one of the most significant—and under-discussed—developments at Tesla is happening not in its design studios or on the road, but in its factories. Lutz, a former executive at Google and Motorola, argues that Tesla’s true innovation isn’t just the electric vehicles or robots it’s building, but how those products are being made. The company’s first-principles approach to manufacturing is a radical departure from the industry norm, focusing not just on cheap labor or existing models, but on rethinking the entire production process.”
This is seriously amazing.
“Biden Quietly Signs 50 Bills Into Law On Christmas Eve”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-quietly-signs-50-bills-law-christmas-eve
“Without much fanfare, President Joe Biden signed 50 bills into law on his last Christmas Eve in the Oval Office – ranging from establishing the first federal anti-hazing college campus standard, to making the Bald Eagle the country’s first official bird, to preventing federal agencies from issuing “useless reports” (by who’s standard?).”
I saw a Bald Eagle nail a Golden Eagle at 80 mph about ten years ago in Montana. The Golden Eagle was carrying a fish to its nest. When the Bald Eagle nailed it from above, the Golden Eagle dropped the fish. The Bald Eagle barrel rolled over and under the Golden Eagle and caught the fish, flying away with the fish. It was obviously not the first time.
All fossil fuel companies should abandon New York. I think the point would be taken, and that would be the end of this nonsense.
“What if the entire Barrel is Bad Apples?”
https://areaocho.com/what-if-the-entire-barrel-is-bad-apples/
“The guy was arrested for making an obscene hand gesture and 2 counts of obstruction for refusing to provide ID as a result of the unlawful stop. It’s a violation of the man’s Constitutional rights to initiate a traffic stop because you don’t like his hand gestures. The fact that the cop even admits this as a reason for the stop makes this case a slam dunk, IMO. The officer even put this in writing in his arrest report, claiming that giving the middle finger isn’t allowed, as it is a hand gesture that is not being used to signal a turn. You can read the arrest report here.”
“He was held in jail for four days on a cash only bail. The charge for hand gestures was dropped, and one of the obstruction charges was dropped. I expect the second one will go away as well, since the entire pretext for the stop is unconstitutional and a violation of Mr. Lambert’s rights. There is a lawsuit pending.”
Yup, don’t be a dumbass with the cops if you don’t want to spend a few days in jail.
The lawyer’s blog is at:
https://thecivilrightslawyer.com/2023/04/26/client-stopped-for-giving-cops-the-finger/
When I left the house to go to work, there was only one iced Christmas cookie left. I may have eaten the second to last Christmas cookie right before my count. But, there was plenty of pumpkin pie so it is pie tonight !
Don’t be a dumbass just because you have a badge and an attitude, and a poor understanding of the law.
Sue the cr@p out of them for unlawful imprisonment, and for using the process as the punishment.
n
Costco has trays of assorted baklava on sale. OH MY FREAKING GNU.
—-
Costco was mostly empty. Less than a normal day mid-morning.
Lowes was mostly empty.
—-
We’ve been alternating between gully washers and sunny sky. Right this minute it’s pouring down.
n
All fossil fuel companies should abandon New York. I think the point would be taken, and that would be the end of this nonsense.
There are no more operating refineries in the upper East Coast. All gasoline and diesel is shipped up to New York State from Tennessee and other Gulf Coast states. The money will be collected from the jobbers (the people with the tanks and loading racks). The jobbers will increase their rates accordingly and people will scream about $10 gasoline. The railroads and truckers will scream about $10 diesel. The state will pocket the billions of dollars and spent it on winos and illegals.
“Costco has trays of assorted baklava on sale.”
jelly-ass
Hanukkah started last night.
btw, with the sale discount the charmin blue was 24USD for 30 rolls. I’d swear that is a smaller package than 2 years ago.
n
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8LqMv416mw
How Adam Savage got the leather club chair in his cave.
Workshop envy! That’s all I’ll say, well also YouTube is a time sink…
Houstonians…stay safe…
https://spacecityweather.com/
>> Nothing in “Anna and the Apocalypse” will be a shock beyond how much effort the creative people put into making the musical numbers work far better than they should.
Okay, we watched about half of “Anna…” Is there a surprise ending? Or can I get 45 minutes of my life back?
I was at CostCo myself this morning.
I concur that it seemed more empty than I would think for boxing day, or even a normal Friday, the returns line excepted.
I was given a 4k HDMI Roku stick for Christmas. Image wise it’s about the same as my 2yo Roku premier, but it has volume and mute buttons on the remote, as well as a microphone so that you can vocally search (using manual input apparently triggered a visitor over the Thanksgiving holiday…).
And since it runs off a back-of-tv USB port there is no power cord running down to the outlet either, so the rats maze of cables that was the norm 20 years ago is now completely gone, with only a power cable for the TV proper.
Time marches on, our gizmo’s get better.
>> Some other stuff for the solar system
Hmm, drones perhaps? Or maybe an asteroid?
btw, with the sale discount the charmin blue was 24USD for 30 rolls. I’d swear that is a smaller package than 2 years ago.
The Sam’s Club version of Charmin Blue has been 32 rolls = 1XX rolls for $XX for many years now. The package I bought last Sunday was 32 rolls = 132 rolls for $31.48 each plus tax. It used to be 32 rolls = 128 rolls for $26 or something like that.
https://www.samsclub.com/p/charmin-ultra-soft-toilet-paper-extra-mega-rolls-231-sheets-roll-32-rolls/P03030750?xid=hpg_carousel_rich-relevance.product_0_6
I was given a 4k HDMI Roku stick for Christmas. Image wise it’s about the same as my 2yo Roku premier, but it has volume and mute buttons on the remote, as well as a microphone so that you can vocally search (using manual input apparently triggered a visitor over the Thanksgiving holiday…).
I love our Roku 4K Ultra boxen. They are incredibly engineered marvels. The search just works. And I use vocal input for the search flawlessly. Way better than the voice recognition on my 2019 F-150 radio / phone / navigation / USB player / etc.
RE Telsa manufacturing changing how manufacturing is done.
I read the articles and watched the video. No details were provided about what was changed, etc. Only lots of feel good words about the future was going to be different. May be I am unable to understand english and I missed the why and how but I think there is a lot of smoke and mirrors in this story.
@bob, I think the point was that they are willing to start with a blank slate and reinvent the wheel. Beyond that, I’m not sure. They do seem to strip off complexity rather than add it on the spaceX side of things. Dunno about the Tesla.
n
Nothing says “good parenting” like 12 and 13 yo kids engaging in armed robbery…
Not a great part of town.
n
Why, yes, yes they are. Every single one of them.
I disagree. Evil, amoral, and stupid make up a huge contingent.
RE Telsa manufacturing changing how manufacturing is done.
I read the articles and watched the video. No details were provided about what was changed, etc. Only lots of feel good words about the future was going to be different. May be I am unable to understand english and I missed the why and how but I think there is a lot of smoke and mirrors in this story.
The Tesla manufacturing facilities are modular and fully documented. All changes come through Engineering. If there are any changes in the field then that is made part of the manufacturing master drawings in the central database.
When I worked for TXU, I was a system wide field engineer for 1985 and 1986. I would go out to one of our 65 plants 2 or 3 times a month and start at the office and find the drawings for the parts of the plant I was going to work on. Then I would go out in the plant and try to match the actual plant to the drawings. We did not have as-built drawings for our plants, we just had the design drawings. It was horrible. I would pull an orifice plate and the drawing would say 8.25 inches inside diameter but the actual plate would be 8.75 inches inside diameter. Or the pumps would be designed at 1,000 hp each but the real pumps were 1,100 hp each and be 7 stages instead of 6 stages. We were a total disorganized mess.
We did not have a company culture where the drawings matched the plant. Tesla is saying that they have done this in a major way. As they build each gigafactory, they are versioning the drawings. I think that there are four gigafactories around the world now: California, Texas, China, and Germany. Whoa, there are seven !
https://tesla-outfitters.com/blogs/tesla-infos/tesla-factories
And
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tesla_factories
I think Houston is divided into 3 kinds of neighborhoods.
Bad (like Greenspoint), sketchy/marginal, and RiverOaks-type.
I live in a working class, pretends to be middle class, neighborhood in a desirable school district (Katy).
More black and hispanic neighbors than white. The closest murder since I moved here 10 years ago is about 200 yards away as the crow flies. The house is on my walking path I use for exercise. It was targeted, so not really representative of the neighborhood. I’m nonetheless armed at all times, even at home.
I think Houston is divided into 3 kinds of neighborhoods.
Bad (like Greenspoint), sketchy/marginal, and RiverOaks-type.
My neighborhood is not sketchy (I live outside the Grand Parkway south of Rosenberg) and it is not River Oaks either. Definitely not Greenspoint. I would livable ??? to that list.
My neighborhood is (SWAG) about 40% Asian, 20% white, 20% black, and 20% Hispanic.
““A Lot of Waste”: GOP Representative Says “You Could Shoot a Cannon” and Not Hit Anyone in Empty Federal Offices”
https://thelibertydaily.com/lot-waste-gop-representative-says-you-could-shoot/
““I worked at HUD and they had three-day-a-week telework, this was way before Covid ever hit,” Van Duyne told “The Faulkner Focus” guest host Julie Banderas. “There were people in the office I never met because they figured out how to either take their two days off that they were supposed to be in the office either on vacation or an event or something like that. But literally, how do you build a team when you don’t have people coming to work, not to mention the fact — the waste that we spend on leases?””
So this work from home crap has been going on for a long time.
According to crime stats, my neighborhood is one of the safest in City of Houston. We have a 24/7 Constable patrol, 4 officers on each shift? It’s our biggest expense. That said, we still have had home invasion robbery, burglary, theft from motor vehicle, and in the surrounding area all that plus sexual assaults. We’ve had 2 officer involved shootings since I moved here that I know about. Both righteous.
Most of the trouble is concentrated in the large apartment complexes that surround our neighborhood.
It’s not somewhere I want to be WROL.
n
>> Currently watching KC dismantle Detroit on Netflix (29-10). No Tay Tay sighting so far.
Apparently Miss Swift has stopped attending any of KC’s away games due to concerns for her safety.
And to think we only needed to be worries about OHBM.
>> @lynn, Talking Heads concert film…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-rjMwSTeVe
That URL does not work here.
Use this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Making_Sense
>> Are all California politicians mentally ill ?
The fish rots from the head.
Ohh, that’s a rhetorical question…
The 15 lb male Siamese is walking around the house singing the song of his people. He wants to go outside, he has no clue what a coyote is.
Good morning, all. I hope you survived and even enjoyed (or are enjoying) Christmas / Hanukkah.
I had a nice time with W’s family. Received some books, my annual “Wild und Hund” desk calendar, and a pair of Falke No. 4 knee-high silk socks that will keep my feet warm for another year of hunting. I wear out the heels in one pair each year.
The shops reopen here today, so off to the bakery now for some “Brötchen” for breakfast.