Should start cool, chilly even, but get warmer and very nice. Started yesterday in Houston where it was a bit warm by afternoon, but it was nice and a little cooler at the BOL. The day ended around 70F and there was a little chill off the water, but a fire took care of that.
It took me a while, but I did get the truck loaded, and made the drive to the BOL. Lots of cops on the road north, with extra DWI enforcement all weekend. I’d be curious to see some real numbers about DWI and if all the draconian enforcement has made any real difference. I’m betting not much.
Today I need to get the truck unloaded. Then I can trim the yard and blow the cuttings. I’ll need to plant the trees and do some deer discouragement around them. Don’t know if it will work. The peach tree has a lot of fruit on it. One consequence of cutting down the big trees is more light for the peach. Now if I can figure out how to keep the critters from eating all the fruit, I might get a peach or two this year.
My buddy looks good. He’s getting some energy and strength back after the radiation and chemo. Unfortunately his wife was just diagnosed with breast cancer. They will do a PET scan soon and determine a treatment plan. It looks like it’s localized but the PET scan will be definitive. They have to drive an hour each way for treatment and that has been the hardest part so far. Living in the country does have downsides, and lack of easy access to medical care is one. It’s something to consider if you are planning for a retirement place or BOL.
This trip counts as “always be working to improve your situation.” Not much stacking this month. Still, it’s Spring, and the weather is nice. If nothing else, we’re stacking memories of the good old days.
Do some for yourself…
nick
Nintendo. They have new theme park attractions in Orlando opening at Universal Epic Universe in May, and the Switch 2 tentatively ships two weeks later.
I’m sure it is not lost on Trump what kind of damage will be inflicted on Disney if Universal and Nintendo execute flawlessly this Summer.
58 F and very foggy at 7 am. The house septic system sprinklers are very pretty in the fog.
That reminds me. Somebody needs to get his lazy buttocks out there, pop the finishing tank lid, and put more chlorine in the system.
Of course they work. The thing is: to produce the vaccinations in time, they have to predict months in advance which strains to protect against. The flu mutates rapidly, so sometimes they get it completely wrong. Controlled studies?
Flu shots only work if they give the citizenry the same flu shot as the US Marine Corps. The USMC shot has all seven ??? varieties of the live virus flu and they give it to all 1,500+ men in a batallion on the same day. Then they all go for a five mile jog and they all get sicker than all get out for three days. Because nothing is as sad as 50 sick guys in the same quonset hut.
That same shot would kill 10% of the citizenry if we gave it out. It is a guaranteed case of the seven flus.
I have got to figure out how to get to sleep before 3 am. Four hours of sleep before church is killing me.
I was exhausted Friday night and got to sleep at 2 am after reading for 5 minutes. I was so tired that I slept until noon Saturday. But you never catch up after 5 to 6 hours of sleep all week.
Sleep during the sermon? Snoring optional.
My experience with shipping packages to Germany have been mixed. Even with the German postal system. Packages and letters get returned because the address is incorrect. It is not. The recipients got charged $25.00 duty on six chocolate chip cookies. The German postal service misread the value and of course would not refund the money to recipient.
We used to mail small packages though USPS in the US which eventually would get transferred in Europe to just about any service. Germany post, DHL, Bubba’s Donkey Cart, whatever. Delivery would sometimes take a month or more. A couple of times the packages arrived empty. It has gotten so expensive now with packages starting at $68.00 and going up. All packages now go at the first class rate.
Slobbering on oneself is entirely out of the question.
Until five years ago, it should have been a no-brainer to get the vaccination.
These days? Depends on if the known-effective measles vaccine has “additives”. The idea has been floated since public acceptance of the clot shot was lower than the lords and masters desired and apparently it’s been done with at least a few medications. Let me see the product insert that came with the vial.
The point of the Covid jab was to eliminate the Control for mRNA tech or, at the very least, reduce the numbers to being statistically insignificant in the US.
I would put the number of unjabbed at a much higher percentage of the population than officially stated.
The German postal service has stupidly handed over a lot of its operations to DHL. DHL is…not great.
I readily agree that the idiocy around the Covid vaccinations has reduced acceptance of all the standard ones. Stupid governments, playing nanny and denying people full information to make an informed decision.
And the medical
professionbusiness pretty well tanked their own credibility over an eighteen-month period. Good job, geniuses.DHL tried to compete with Fedex and UPS in the US but gave up.
These days, in the US, DHL seems to handle a lot of the De Minimis packages Trump has targeted with his China tariffs.
1030 and it’s 72F, bright sun, and gusty. Beautiful day.
Coffee is in hand, although I forgot my cream at home, and bacon is cooked. Eggs are in the pan.
——–
WRT flu vax, I’ve had the shot once. I took one of the kids in because she was sick, they swabbed her and me. I popped for flu so they gave me the shot right then. Dunno if it helped or not, but I don’t remember getting symptoms.
As far as “works” or “doesn’t work” if the stated goal it to prevent people getting flu, and they guessed wrong on which strains to include, people will get sick and then it “didn’t work”. The problem lies with expectation management and their hubris and need to be right led them to overstate the power of the shot, and over prescribe it to everyone.
Since I don’t get it as I think it’s superfluous and of limited value to me, I understand not getting it.
I don’t encourage getting it, but I don’t discourage it either. As a medical treatment with possible side effects, it should be considered on a patient by patient basis with full disclosure and informed consent– but it isn’t.
——–
Time for some breakfast…
n
Yikes! It’s Starting to Look Really Bad for Letitia James
https://pjmedia.com/athena-thorne/2025/04/12/its-starting-to-look-really-bad-for-letitia-james-n4938831
This is really starting to look like a pattern of illegal behavior over many years, and the latest example of a PLT being guilty of exactly what they accuse others of doing.
They have been guilty of projection forever. It’s almost one of their defining characteristics.
n
So if rich white men get abused for “vanity” flights into space, what should this bunch of useless arm candy get?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14604229/Were-bringing-little-spice-space-Katy-Perry-Lauren-Sanchez-pose-bodycon-suits-designed-Jeff-Bezos-wife-Met-Gala-team-prepare-11-minute-female-Blue-Origin-mission.html
Some people had questions…
— I’m all for people spending their money however they want to. I don’t think they should be donating to soup kitchens instead, but if the only thing that makes this newsworthy is that they all have vaginas, * it’s a pointless fluffy bunny of a trip.
n
* if that’s the critical part, maybe we should see proof? GAH JUST KIDDING!!! no desire to see that… I’d pay money to see LESS of at least three of these women.
NB- I really hope it’s not an elaborate ploy to avoid alimony on Bezos’ part.
Sanchez is not married to Bezos right now.
Bezos will have an air tight pre-nup. Remember, DE Shaw quant before he loaded up the Bronco.
MacKenzie drove the Bronco, but Jeff kept all of the voting rights on the Amazon shares she received as part of the divorce settlement.
Something big just went ‘splody in North Austin/Round Rock. Apparently the sound carried as far as San Marcos.
Flights into “NOT QUITE Space”.
what should this bunch of useless arm candy get?
Barf bags.
Maybe Jeff is crossing his fingers for a splody launch.
The Famous Antikythera Mechanism Was a Mechanical Disaster, New Research Suggests
https://gizmodo.com/the-famous-antikythera-mechanism-was-a-mechanical-disaster-new-research-suggests-2000588031
Couple more chuckleheads playing with computers think they did research:
“they simulated the system using a computer model that incorporated earlier measurements from two researchers”
aka WE DRY LABED IT
“our findings indicate that while the triangular shape of the teeth alone produces negligible errors, manufacturing inaccuracies significantly increase the likelihood of gear jamming or disengagement,”
Gear trains are difficult to make without precision machining tools, so there might/maybe/probably were inaccuracies. So what does your computer tell you about troubleshooting such a device? Not a darn thing. What does your machining experience tell you about it? ….crickets…
We had generations of skilled machinists. They have mostly been replaced with CNC button pushers. If civilization falls we will be starting over from Babbit bearings.
The media calls them an “all female crew” as if that is really special. Beyond the gender issue these travelers are not crew, they are passengers. Same as anyone else traveling in an airplane. There are no buttons that anyone wants them to press. There are no knobs for them to turn. There are no levers for them to move. They are simply along for the short ride.
However, in an airplane they have seat recline buttons, air vents that can move, seat lights they can turn on or off, attendant call button, a tray table, and the entertainment system. A seat on an airplane is a much more complicated trip than this all female flight into space.
Taking the heat off: breakthrough cooling technology tackles climate challenge
https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-magazine/taking-heat-breakthrough-cooling-technology-tackles-climate-challenge
Nitinol is a nickel-titanium alloy, typically 55-60% nickel.
So the basic two-part question is: “At 30% efficiency for your device, how big does it have to be and how much would it cost to replace a 5-ton vapor compression commercial air conditioner?
Bonus question: “How much nickel and titanium would be required yearly to replace half the production of cooling equipment in the world, and how does that compare to yearly metal production.”
I’m reminded of the Adventures of Superman tv show, where Professor Periwinkle creates a process that can produce gold. The raw materials include a like amount of platinum.
What the morons bypass is the fact there is no known computing device like it for what 1,000 years. The math developed to design it, celestial tracking, etc. That’s the importance of the device. Who developed it and why was the knowledge lost. Who cares if it was perfect? Watches and clocks were handmade (still) for centuries that worked good enough to navigate by. Why don’t they take a dump on those, too.
Chronometers were not developed until the 18th century.
Nintendo. They have new theme park attractions in Orlando opening at Universal Epic Universe in May, and the Switch 2 tentatively ships two weeks later.
I’m sure it is not lost on Trump what kind of damage will be inflicted on Disney if Universal and Nintendo execute flawlessly this Summer.
OK, the computers, smartphones, and key electronics will still be subject to the base 20% tariff. I am ok with that.
Something big just went ‘splody in North Austin/Round Rock. Apparently the sound carried as far as San Marcos.
“Space watchers across Texas catch fireball, ‘smoke ring’ in sky”
https://www.chron.com/news/space/article/fireball-smoke-ring-sky-texas-20273657.php
say people who repeatedly said “might be” and “could have been” and “may have been”. In other words, all guesswork. Since the original was immersed in sea water for 2 millennia, we’ll NEVER KNOW if it ever ACTUALLY worked. But the design was still brilliant, even if it was ages ahead of its time.
While the pencil whippers were doing nothing more than mental masturbation, Chris over at Clickspring on youtube is about 70-80% (my guess) done BUILDING ONE. He’s using materials, processes, and techniques that we either know were in use at the time, or could be inferred from techniques or practices we know about, since the hairless apes were just as smart as we are now.
The fact of its existence, complete and without earlier versions, speaks to a very high level of understanding and competence, and that knowledge (with the devices) must have been widely available. It’s the peak of a very high and long slope. SOMEWHERE there is evidence of intermediate steps and devices. We just haven’t found it. Blame the library fires…
I suggest the “researchers” try modeling a bumble bee, because I’m sure they would tell us it couldn’t possibly fly… and then take some time to visit a couple of museums. Maybe look at french automatons, english watchmakers, or Faberge’ eggs to see what humans with simple tools are capable of.
Baby ducks and anti-Humanists. F them all.
n
added– also a HUGE amount of astronomical knowledge is contained within the design of the device. Really crazy amounts of knowledge and observation.
This channel would indicate the opposite. BTW I’ve watched this series of videos, and the companion videos, maybe eight or ten time. The author(?) is involved with academic research which also disagrees with the quote.
Re: rewatching Clickspring:Antikithera; since the last time I watched it, a lot of the thumbnails on that series have been updated. I’ve noticed this on other channels as well, that old videos are being updated with different thumbnails or titles that are more click-bait-ey. I’m not sure if that’s adaptation to new rules or just trying to keep old IP producing revenue.
I don’t mind the changed thumbnails so much, but I’m very happy that a prior trend seems to have gone away. The continuous speech videos would really bother me, so much so that I would block any channel that used it.
EXPLOSION IN AUSTIN | https://bit.ly/42cSEQf Were live as crews sift through the rubble left behind after a home exploded in North West Austin.
Maybe this? https://x.com/News4SA/status/1911540269335400598
Perhaps the scrolls from Herculaneum will have something. And archaeologists keep finding stuff.
But 2,000 years is a long, long time.
That’s a long way from my house.
Pretty swanky neighborhood. Gotta wonder if it was hash oil.
Winning: Arizona to Purge Voter Rolls, Possibly 50K Non-Citizens to be Removed
https://redstate.com/wardclark/2025/04/13/winning-arizona-to-purge-voter-rolls-possibly-50k-non-citizens-to-be-removed-n2187820
Any of those 50,000 that voted should be deported immediately. Those that didn’t vote but were registered by some automatic process that they failed to negate by checking a box might be worthy of some leeway if they have no other violations of the law on their records.
I’d want to see the geographic location by precinct and further investigate any concentrations.
Get a good grip on that string and pull hard.
Lying Liars Who LIE: Dartmouth Professor Hides REAL Reason ICE Arrested Russian Harvard Lab Worker
https://twitchy.com/amy-curtis/2025/04/13/dartmouth-prof-lies-about-why-harvard-researcher-was-jailed-by-ice-n2411333
Who was she messaging? If it was someone in the Harvard lab they need to be charged also with conspiracy added.
The department chair, Dr. Charles Lieber, 60, was arrested and charged, in 2020.
Two Chinese nationals, both young females…
It’s good to be the
KingDepartment Chair.Bang Bang!
Well, got the trimming done. Didn’t get a chance to blow the cuttings and debris. Got the apple trees planted. I hit iron ore in one hole and had to get out the digging bar. No tap root on apple trees, so I went 4″ farther and put in good soil.
Got the solar panels unloaded to the garage. Temporary, but all I could do tonight. Yeah, I’m staying at least until noon tomorrow. I’ve got to get some more stuff done. There is a lot to put away that I have to do some organizing and moving around first. I should be able to do that.
Wife was painting all the new paneling and trim in the dockhouse so I can hang the TV and get some other stuff organized. Getting that all back to normal will be a big step.
Next weekend we’ll be back up for Easter, and the following weekend for D2’s birthday party. With people coming over there is a push to get some stuff done and “pretty looking”.
Oy.
Hungry Man dinner, fake beer, and maybe a little fire on the dock. Or maybe just bed. Dunno, we’ll see. It’s a beautiful night.
n
Haha!
n
>>As far as “works” or “doesn’t work” if the stated goal it to prevent people getting flu, and they guessed wrong on which strains to include, people will get sick and then it “didn’t work”. The problem lies with expectation management and their hubris and need to be right led them to overstate the power of the shot, and over prescribe it to everyone.
Was that someone in the crowd asking about an mRNA flu shot?
https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/what_does_mrna_mean_for_the_flu_vaccine
@alan, thanks for the link.
What stood out to me-
And much more ominously-
They consider it a trial run for doing quick and dirty deployments. That should strike terror in your heart.
n
Just finished the book Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon: A LitRPG Adventure by Matt Dinniman
I really liked his Dungeon Crawler Carl books and look forward to the next one. I enjoyed Dominion of Blades, and will read the next one. I read all three of the Shivered Sky books, but didn’t really like them. and I absolutely won’t recommend Kaiju. It’s just too twisted. The payoff is there in the end, and it’s well written, but it’s REALLY unappealing. I think it might be prophetic in the same way William Gibson’s cyberpunk books were, but I don’t want to live in that world.
———-
Had a tiny little fire on the dock, and had the shortwave on listening to music, a show I haven’t heard before playing a very eclectic mix of rock. And I finished Kaiju.
The temperature is 73F and slowly falling, but the wind was blowing steady and pretty hard. Quiet on the lake, which is some of my favorite time up here.
But man o man, I’m going to be sore tomorrow.
n
Time for a hot shower and soft bed.
n