Cool and wet, or warm and wet, but certainly wet. Even without new wet, the old wet will suffice. We got some rain yesterday. Crashing huge rains, and little rains, and even periods with no rains, but mainly we had rain. Fog in the evening too. Roads were slicker than snot, even at 8pm.
Did some errands and some shopping yesterday. Got the stuff I need to finish the walls in the dockhouse at the BOL. Hit up Costco for TP and some other stuff. Either we are using more, or the sales are farther apart, because we’re a little shorter than I’d like by the time the next sale comes around.
On the plus side, Australian lamb is still a great value at Costco. The price has come down dramatically in real dollars over the years that the sell price remained pretty much the same. I think that lamb is underappreciated in the US. Modern lamb is not the lamb you grew up with, it’s so much better with very little of a mutton taste. If you haven’t had it in years, I recommend giving it a try.
Today I’ve got some errands in the morning, maybe a pickup or two later, a Dr appointment in the afternoon, and then I’m headed to the BOL. I might do one pickup on the way, it’ll depend on my mood and how long the Dr visit takes. And if the weather is bad, I’m less inclined to go out of my way to pick up one item.
The year is almost in the record books. It’s been a wild ride, and it isn’t over yet. Lots of change coming, both good and bad, and no way to predict which will be dominant and for who. Build up a reserve, so you have choices. Stack!
nick
Having the holidays on Wednesdays is the least desirable arrangement. No extended weekends and difficult to get started for a two-day mini-week.
But there is coffee…
The Work From Home Mommy Mafia has been running for most of my career, ever since the Clintons upped the frequency of EEOC audits starting in 1993.
The tech didn’t really exist to enable working from home until the late 90s, however, and right around the time that the standards people figured out the NAT issues with the VPN clients, IBM had numbers showing not a lot of work was actually getting done.
“Working” from home continued, however, since the practice kept the EEOC numbers filled.
Now, everyone is a Made Man in the Mafia since March 2020. The Pandemic scared a lot of people, but many more realized the opportunity being presented even if their jobs were not really suitable for remote work due to security or logistics requirements.
ISO 9000. Tesla has to do that to sell in Europe and submits to frequent audits.
The institutions are taking advantage of the PR environment to dump TSLA and prep for the big cash out with the SpaceX IPO next year. The linked story is a typical plant.
Zerohedge must have needed some click bait on a slow day. Never forget they shill too.
The only thing that keeps me functioning, these last few months.
Windy this am in the high desert, airport is reporting winds into the 40s, gusting to the 60s.
You have to feel for all the kids that got drones for Christmas.
Warm tho, never dropped below 50F overnight.
Comcast/Xfinity sucks. I wish I had a viable alternative.
Guess we got “cool and wet”. It’s 57F but sunny. Reheating W’s quiche for breakfast, which will happen as soon as my coffee stops dripping into the carafe.
n
Who is the incumbent telephone carrier? Legacy BellSouth?
I’m lucky – I have 4 choices in my neighborhood. Xfinity, Death Star, local phone co-op, and Google fiber. I started out on Xfinity residential and they sucked dead bunnies. I moved to a Comcast business plan and it was decent. I dropped it like a bad habit as soon as I got Google fiber installed though.
My son did the same when he got municipal fiber in his area. 1Gig symmetrical for half the price of Xfinity and no data caps.
Xfinity has a franchise deal with the city, and pays the city a lot, to keep competitors out of the city. It may have been a good deal 30 years ago, but not now. Knowing our clods in the city government the contract was probably for 50 years.
In the middle of chatting to get a problem with my bill resolved, Xfinity’s error, Xfinity reset my modem. Which disconnected the chat. I am now on my 3rd chat agent and it has taken over an hour.
Any experiences here with 3D printing?
Musing over getting a 3D printer again.
Things have advanced a bit in the last few years.
Bambu Labs seems to produce the best turn key systems, the easiest beginners’ system, but they have to be connected online to servers in Shenzen to work. Ugh.
Prusa and Creality seem to be runner ups. A bit rougher around the edges (heh) though.
I don’t really want another project, what I want is a tool to help me with my existing projects…
Astronomy gizmo’s for now, smaller & precise things.
One of the kids got a 4K Roku TV. You download their remote app to contol it. It works really well. The remote app is better than Apples.
I got the X1C for early gift. Works well, if I could only free up time from our move to use it.
My other gift was a Garrett Vortex9 metal detector. I’ve always wanted one, but pro models run $2K. Garrett makes good detectors, but aren’t considered pro. This is there latest model.
Get the mid range (by price) printer that does the sort of printing you will do. Ease of use, and build volume, are the two biggest price drivers as far as I can see. Competition is fierce so pricing is pretty good, ie. determined by real factors, not just marketing.
Filament printers offer great flexibility of color, material, and finish. They are cheap to run too. The prints can be very strong.
Resin printers offer incredible detail, but resin choices are limited. You should add a wash station and UV curing station if you’ll do a lot of printing. They are also kinda messy.
n
Cutie Pie engaged.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14228469/fox-news-sean-hannity-ainsley-earhardt-engagement-church.html
re: 3d printing
I need another tech hobby like I need a hole in the head, but there’s this ham radio youtuber named Kevin Loughin who has a series of videos about his 3d printing.
My problem with 3d printing is mostly along the lines of “Here’s a tool, let’s find a problem for it to solve”. For small, one-off applications I have, it just seems like there should be some other way to fabricate what I need. Sheet metal for cases, wood or plastic sheet construction for other stuff.
Kevin seems to take a more balanced and utilitarian approach, although I still feel it’s a bit more of the tech for tech’s sake in the end.
From what I’ve seen online and with one of my hobby guys, once you get past the “playing around with the tech” stage you start to find uses for 3d printing.
There are a lot of little things that you might just do without or work around that can be solved with a 3d printer, once you become accustomed to thinking about it.
That’s my impression anyway.
n
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.
Amazing. I yelled “Shut Up Remy LeBeau !” and he did.
“National Debt Grew by $2.5 Trillion in 2024”
https://amgreatness.com/2024/12/27/national-debt-grew-by-2-5-trillion-in-2024/
“As reported by Just The News, the national debt was $33.8 trillion on Christmas Eve of 2023. By December 24th of 2024, the debt has reached $36.3 trillion. If it continues to rise at the current pace, then it will hit $39.2 trillion in 2026 and $40.95 trillion in 2027. These estimates were made by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecast for the next 10 years.”
“Along with the debt itself, the average interest rate that the government must pay is also rising. Five years ago, the rate was 2.378%; it is currently 3.155%. The interest rate rising alongside the debt creates a seemingly never-ending cycle where the debt causes the interest rate to rise, which then results in more money being added to the debt, which makes the interest rate rise even higher.”
This will not end well.
Nah, it is OK.
From experience: Tighten your belt, pay it all off, and the Discover Card Company will then charge you no interest if you pay things off by the end of the month.
Rev up the printing press in the basement.
“Elon Musk Urges Supporters to Stop Donating to Wikipedia over Massive DEI Spending”
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2024/12/27/elon-musk-urges-supporters-to-stop-donating-to-wikipedia-over-massive-dei-spending/
“Elon Musk has called on his supporters to cease donations to Wikipedia, dubbing the online encyclopedia “Wokepedia” due to what he claims are plans to spend of over $50 million on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.”
“The New York Post reports that in a recent post on X/Twitter, Elon Musk expressed his disapproval of Wikipedia’s budget allocation for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Musk, who boasts nearly 210 million followers on the platform, was responding to a post by conservative commentator “Libs of TikTok,” which shared a pie chart revealing that 29 percent of Wikipedia’s $177 million budget was earmarked for “equity” and “safety & inclusion.””
Yeah, Musk is not wrong. Wokeness destroys everything.
“Canada man jumps on polar bear to defend wife from attack”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewx20xrgj5o
“A man in Canada’s far north leapt on to a polar bear to protect his wife from being mauled, police say. The unnamed man suffered serious injuries but is expected to recover, according to the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service. The couple left their house at around 05:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Tuesday to find their dogs, when a bear – which was in the driveway of their home – lunged at the woman.”
“The incident happened in Fort Severn First Nation, a small community of about 400 people in the far north of Ontario. “The woman slipped to ground as her husband leapt on to the animal to prevent its attack,” police said in a statement. “The bear then attacked the male, causing serious but non-life-threatening injuries to his arm and legs.” A neighbour arrived with a gun and shot the bear several times. It retreated into nearby woods where it died of its injuries.”
That is a tough guy. Where was his gun ?
“President Trump Vows to Withdraw U.S. from Globalist’ WHO on Day One”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/president-trump-vows-withdraw-u-s-globalist-who/
“The United States was paying the World Health Organization almost $500 million a year. When I dropped out, I took it out of there. And for 330 million people, even though China was paying only $40 million for 1.4 billion people. So we had 330 [million]; they have 1.4 [billion], and we’re paying more than ten times the amount.”
I do not see a downside for this. And, we are broke.
Probably in his cabin (house). He wasn’t expecting the bear. This is a case where carrying a hand gun makes perfect sense but the only people walking around with hand guns in Canada are cops and criminals. You can own (a very restricted range of) hand guns but you can’t take them anywhere without a lot restrictions. The “Montreal Massacre Celebration Committee” wants to get rid of every gun in Canada. I’m sure the criminals will cooperate!
Sitting, waiting to have an eye exam. Truck is loaded so I can head out when done. Wife says the lake is up a foot from normal. Lotta rain in the water shed.
Mid 70s and really damp. I’ve changed shirts once. Feels much hotter. Gross.
N
“Rumors Swirl: Indicted Henry Cuellar Allegedly Set to Flip Red Following Possible Pardon”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/rumors-swirl-indicted-henry-cuellar-allegedly-set-flip/
“Representative George Santos hinted at a major shift on Capitol Hill, suggesting that Democrat Henry Cuellar, who was recently indicted on serious charges, might switch parties following a potential presidential pardon.”
Interesting. South Texas has turned Red recently so he would be following a trend. I remember when all of the major democrats in Texas jumped to republican in the 1980s as the population changed.
“”Doesn’t Fit MSM Narrative”: Latest Arctic Ice Data Shows 26% Larger Than 2012 “
https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/doesnt-fit-msm-narrative-latest-arctic-ice-data-shows-26-larger-2012
“Climate realist Tony Heller took to X to highlight the climate misinformation and disinformation campaigns waged by far-left corporate media on the global public.”
“Heller referenced a 2007 BBC News article titled “Arctic summers ice-free ‘by 2013’,” which warned readers of the supposed threat that “latest modeling studies indicate northern polar waters could be ice-free in summers within just 5-6 years.””
“The BBC article’s baseless claim was designed to instill climate fears across the public to ram through a radical de-growth climate agenda across the Western world.”
Is there any major news service that is trustworthy ?
A friends wife has a friend who lives off-grid near Lake Ponderay. She always carries: a rifle and a chainsaw in the truck…
“Houthis Target Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport In Overnight Ballistic Missile Attack”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/houthis-target-israels-ben-gurion-airport-overnight-ballistic-missile-attack
“Despite yesterday’s wide-ranging Israel aerial assault on Yemen, the Houthis have hit back – showing they remain undeterred in their willingness to attack Israel – having launched an overnight ballistic missile on Tel Aviv.”
“The missile was reportedly intercepted by air defenses before it entered Israeli airspace, but a Houthi spokesman claimed that Ben Gurion international airport was targeted in a significant escalation. The Houthis even claim it was hit.”
“Times of Israel notes that the population of central Israel has been on edge: “For the fifth night in the last eight days, sirens sounded in large swathes of central Israel overnight Thursday-Friday, after another ballistic missile attack by Yemen’s Houthis.””
We are not far away from the canned sunshine.
“The Cresperian Alliance” by Stephanie Osborn and Darrell Bain
https://www.amazon.com/Cresperian-Alliance-Stephanie-Osborn/dp/1606190873?tag=ttgnet-20/
Book number three of a three book space opera first contact series. I reread the well printed and bound POD (print on demand) book published by Paladin Timeless Books in 2010. Sadly, I do not think that there will be any more books in the series. Stephanie Osborn says that there will be a fourth book on her website but, it has been a long time.
Have I mentioned that my first SF book love is space opera ? Have I mentioned that these books are about as pulpy as SF gets ? I love this stuff.
As the Earth mobilizes to space using Cresperian technology, things are getting dicey. The Cresperians are awesome, friendly, and slow shape changers, even though their crashed starship survivors were abused on Earth. However, the other space aliens, the Snappers, that the Earth starships found looking for the Cresper home world have now found the Cresper home world and are looking for Earth. And the Snappers are not awesome. Yes, dicey !
BTW, the first book in the series was by Travis S. Taylor and Darrell Bain whereas this book is by Darrell Bain and Stephanie Osborn. The second book in the series is also by Darrell Bain and Stephanie Osborn.
https://www.amazon.com/Human-Choice-Travis-S-Taylor/dp/1606190474?tag=ttgnet-20/
Stephanie Osborn has a website at:
http://stephanie-osborn.com/
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (102 reviews)
Lynn
The 3D Printed Astronomy thread over at Cloudy Nights has over 3600 posts….
That’s just one thread of many.
@EdH
Just getting started.
I was involved in early stereolithography (resin) printing nearly 40 years ago. I have notes on a couple of commercial projects that could make a viable business start, and started getting serious when a woodworking video caught my eye:
3x3Custom -Tamar
https://www.youtube.com/@3x3CustomTamar/videos
This whole video is good, but you can start at 24:30 when she gets into details about the 3D printing of the rail hinge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59RAkriXEh0&t=34s
follow-up video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Joj_Q3zZyA
So I got the Bambu A1. I think that fits with @Nick’s advice.
Bambu is currently running a sale on entry-level materials:
https://us.store.bambulab.com/collections/filament-bulk-sale
which is pretty much 1/3 off–effectively $10 a pound.
Time for Trump to Drop Lawsuits and for the Press to Apologize
https://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbarone/2024/12/27/time-for-trump-to-drop-lawsuits-and-for-the-press-to-apologize-n2649597
No.
One only has to look at the ABC News non-apology. If that’s the best apology that can be expected from a $16-million loser, then the next suit should add another zero to make sure the money not only talks but has the story perfectly clear.
Biden is an evil man, propped up by a cabal as bad as the worst the communists fielded in killing over $100 million human beings and cheered on by their counterparts in the press. They all need to be stomped flat and lit on fire like a bag of shiite on Halloween.
>> My problem with 3d printing is mostly along the lines of “Here’s a tool, let’s find a problem for it to solve”.
Searching For That Part That Was Unobtanium
Mexico: On Second Thought …
https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2024/12/27/mexico-on-second-thought-n3798267
There has already been an invasion. Mexico has been enabling the invasion of the United States for years, and waging chemical warfare in the form of tons of fentanyl and hundreds of thousands of U.S. deaths.
Now we have a president who is not a corrupt vegetable. Buckle up and pucker up.
>> “Along with the debt itself, the average interest rate that the government must pay is also rising. Five years ago, the rate was 2.378%; it is currently 3.155%. The interest rate rising alongside the debt creates a seemingly never-ending cycle where the debt causes the interest rate to rise, which then results in more money being added to the debt, which makes the interest rate rise even higher.”
Net interest costs totaled $882 billion in 2024 and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has projected that such costs will almost double over the upcoming decade — rising from $1.0 billion in 2025 to $1.7 trillion in 2034. That projection includes the assumption that short-term rates will fall over the next few years to 2.8 percent;