Cool and damp again. Never got real rain, just some moisture from the sky, so we could still get some today. It did warm up yesterday, so we’re in a period of cool nights and warm days. Feels like this Spring has been cooler than several recent Springs.
I mostly didn’t do much yesterday, other than cooking dinner. I did get a few small things done, it is very hard for me to not do something productive, no matter what the day. I put new screen in a really beat up and damaged window screen for the dockhouse. First time I’ve actually done it that I can remember,but I knew how and had the stuff to do it. It wasn’t hard, and went quickly. Saved some money, and completed a task.
Cooking was fun, well received, and I was really glad to have the oven out in the garage. It would have been nice to have the cooking smells from the roasting lamb and potatoes, but it was really nice not to have the heat of the oven in the house. Definitely glad I spent the time and effort to set up the oven out there.
Today will be spent doing a couple of chores and some organizational stuff. Then it’s homeward bound.
I’ll bring up some more stacks next trip. Alternative creamer is top of the list, along with more coffee K cups, if I can get them cheap. I need some bulk sugar at home too.
There is always more to do, even stacking.
nick
The only checks my wife received working for corporate practices were in recognition of her coding skills in Epic, and those came from insurance companies, whose profits are restricted by Obamacare to single digit percentages.
BTW, as I’ve written about before, I’ve heard scary stories about the long term at Epic being as part of Microsoft, including from insiders at Epic. Pray that doesn’t happen.
I’ve never met a pediatrician working for a corporate practice who was well off unless they had family money, a common theme in medicine.
A doctor who actually has to see sick patients in a corporate practice is going to have a limited income stream because of the productivity metrics.
I see where the Pope has died. The day after meeting VP Vance. Coincidence? Or was the Pope basically acting out Weekend at Bernies?
The Catholics will now start a week of mourning, then the long process, and secretive process, of selecting a new leader. More power to them.
The monitor on the wife’s computer died. I had to replace it with my secondary monitor so now I am down to one monitor. A 27″ from Dell. I am looking for second monitor. I will probably get the same thing from Dell as their stuff seems really good. I am also considering abandoning this monitor and going with an ultra-wide model. Another option is to just deal with one monitor, which may be the best option as I don’t do that much that requires a second monitor.
At some point the wife’s computer will need replacing. It will not run W11 as it is too old. I want to get her an iMac but she is afraid of change. And the Mac environment would be a change. I am trying to convince her it would be good as the integration between her iPad and iPhone would make it easier to transfer pictures and synchronization between the devices. She is not buying it.
Another option is the Mac Mini and a monitor. The overall cost is almost the same for either option.
That is what I do. Except I use a 43″ TCL tv as a monitor (addictively nice).
In fact my M4 mini arrives tomorrow, as my hex-core Intel-based unit is now “vintage” and subject to being out of support at any time, probably with the next big OS release.
Synchronization between phone & DT is very nice. OTOH the AI privacy invasion is very real and when I get the time and energy I will go Linux.
Or perhaps drop computers and connectivity altogether. Sometimes the Amish life seems very attractive.
I’ll respond offline when I’m home this evening with my suggestion about a monitor.
I don’t have the exact model number, and I would need to add disclaimers in a public forum To cite the brand.
Well, another option that we discussed is to get a M4 MacBook Air, 13″. Then get an external monitor and a USB-C to HDMI, then a HDMI 24″ monitor. Run the Air in clamshell mode. That way she should take her computer with her. The MacMini would require another keyboard and a mouse. I don’t know if her current stuff will work, but it might. The price of doing that is about the same as the IMac.
The problem with that, if she takes the computer with her, is the use of the trackpad. Another learning experience, change, which based on my prior experience is a nightmare explaining things and listening to her complain.
The MacMini, with the same storage as the iMac, keyboard and mouse, is roughly the same cost. The Air option is a little more costly.
I really need to take her to the Apple Store to have a look at the options. BestBuy has a decent 24″ monitor for $119.00.
My personal preference is the iMac route. She can get a model in a nice blue color which matches, sort of, the color of paint in the room where the machine resides. For travel she can continue to use her iPad.
Fortunately we don’t need to decide immediately.
You will experience a massive upgrade in speed and smoothness of operation. The jump from Intel to (I am guessing) the M4 is massive.
As for AI I have turned it off on all my Apple devices. that does not mean in some future release Apple would eliminate the ability to turn AI off.
Everything is bragging about AI now. It is the advertising term of the year. I see no reason why a coffee pot needs AI.
I hope you are talking about a specific model and not where to put it.
Space may be a problem with an ultra-wide but I am certainly open to suggestions. I don’t game so having all the gaming features is not a requirement. I don’t need ultra-fast refresh rates.
I’ve been very happy using TCL Roku TVs as my computer monitors. They work fine, and when I am not working, they are great at showing “How it’s Made” and various cooking and making shows.
And yeah, was talking about the Big D, and I don’t mean Dallas, yesterday. That was not what I had queued up for the most important day of the Christian year, but for various reasons, it didn’t make sense to hold off. Unpleasant times. A good friend explained why it is so expensive: “Because it is worth it.”
Sorry to hear you’re going through this. It sucks. My Illinois divorce cost me a quarter of a million dollars and the emotional loss of my family farm.
Here’s hoping you come out the other side better off. If not financially, then at least with your physical and emotional health.
@crawdaddy, I’m sorry to hear that. No matter what the circumstances, the end of a marriage will be a major change in EVERYTHING. It’s a period of high stress and from what I’ve seen, unbelievable behavior. Protect yourself, legally, emotionally, and physically. Don’t leave anything to chance or goodwill, there is always a Wormwood whispering in an ear… If it’s a surprise to you, you are WAY behind the eight ball, as she’s likely been planning for some time. 80% of divorces are instigated by the female partner, and they get a lot of support.
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@ray, duplicate what your wife had as closely as you can. It’s not your computer, it’s hers, and she apparently doesn’t like change (which may be because she can’t remember and gets frustrated by that.) No matter how great something new would be, or what some new workflow might bring, you’ll regret changing. I went thru this with my dad, and it’s unnecessary stress and division. Free advice, and worth the price, but think about it.
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Sunny, 72F, blue sky, light breeze… gorgeous day. Suddenly the grass is taller too. I think I will mow before I leave today.
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With the Pope dead, maybe the winds of change will blow thru the Vatican and The Church as well. If they can cut the pedo and the commie level in half, that would be a major improvement.
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Coffee is almost gone, and I haven’t had breakfast, so time to get busy with that….
n
That is why I leaning to the iMac solution. She has an iPad and iPhone. Transferring files, especially pictures, has always been a hassle with Windows.
It’s more because things don’t work the way she thinks they should rather than the way they are designed. All interface designers “are stupid” in her world.
@ray, don’t fight it, you can’t win….
n
clarification– even if the task is easier (getting photos onto a computer) the PROCESS will be harder because she will have to learn a new thing. And that sounds like misery for you.
That is exactly the sort of paper thin probable cause I used to hear on the scanner all the time, when a surveillance operation wants to pull over a vehicle. They have the local PD follow them for a while and “develop PC”.
There is more to the story, on both sides.
n
The pedo/commie problem in the Catholic Church has been around for several popes already. The various popes have all had ALL the tools they needed to end this, but they haven’t bothered. My guess has been that there are WORSE problems that needed to be solved first, but they haven’t solved those either.
Manufacturer/model.
I don’t think it is a secret where I work, but I can’t recommend our products openly or even invoke the name without disclaimers.
And lest you think I’m biased, I openly advocate ThinkPad for Windows laptops.
I guess you know I don’t work for Lenovo.
Yeah, 95%.
OTOH a loaded down van squatting on the rear wheels with it’s lights shining up, on high, will annoy a LEO same as it would annoy you or me. But they can do something about it.
Never underestimate the power of stupidity.
For grins I used the BP machine at the grocery store. 103/72 and 69 pulse. I tried the machine at home a few hours later and varied from 106/69 and 77 to 124/88 and 76.
My weight is 144 pounds. It seems to have stabilized there. That’s about what I weighed when I was 25.
So….. no beer since November 12th. Almost zero desire for a beer. Weight is down from 165 and BP down from the 135/x to 145/x it ran for years and years.
What dropped the BP numbers? Weight or no beer? Or a combination?
Does it matter?
FWIW, dropping weight drops BP by itself. Alcohol could have an independent effect either way. Pro-alcohol people will say it has a calming, stabilizing effect. Anti-alcohol point out that ethanol is a poison. Rationalizers such as myself say that the poison is in the dosage, and so I continue my couple of drinks a week routine.
One thing for certain; alcohol is not essential to your dietary needs.
Paul, blood presssure change may be a stress or lack or stress change.
Mon. April 21, 2025 – time for some deviled eggs
The wife made us some awesome deviled eggs on Saturday. About eight of them (16 halves). They were gone by supper time.
For grins I used the BP machine at the grocery store. 103/72 and 69 pulse. I tried the machine at home a few hours later and varied from 106/69 and 77 to 124/88 and 76.
My weight is 144 pounds. It seems to have stabilized there. That’s about what I weighed when I was 25.
So….. no beer since November 12th. Almost zero desire for a beer. Weight is down from 165 and BP down from the 135/x to 145/x it ran for years and years.
What dropped the BP numbers? Weight or no beer? Or a combination?
First, do not trust those grocery store BP machines. I have seen 2 or 3 kids hanging on those things like they were monkey bars. Get an Omron arm cuff machine.
https://www.amazon.com/Pressure-Clinically-Validated-Unlimited-Measurements-dp-B0DDZP9R7T/dp/B0DDZP9R7T?tag=ttgnet-20
Weight loss and good genetics, count your lucky stars. You picked your parents well.
Me, I look at salt and my bp goes up 20 points.
BTW, I log my weight and bp in a stenagrapher’s notebook every morning when I get up. Been doing this since my first heart attack back in 2009.
BTW, as I’ve written about before, I’ve heard scary stories about the long term at Epic being as part of Microsoft, including from insiders at Epic. Pray that doesn’t happen.
My son has a programmer job offer at Epic in Denver that he is considering at the moment. But he has to move to Denver.
https://www.epic.com/
Dadgumit, I ordered a new WD 16 TB bare drive from Big River and they are saying that it not going to be here until June 10. I may cancel my order and reorder again to get the April shipping date that they are now stating.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08K3VVKSW?tag=ttgnet-20
And my hard drive arrival date just got moved up to April 29 automagically.
Everything is bragging about AI now. It is the advertising term of the year. I see no reason why a coffee pot needs AI.
Just remember this, my 86 year old dad laid on the floor of his bathroom for four hours two weeks ago, unable to get up. Alexa refused to call 911 since he did not have his phone or his phone watch with him. He is really pissed off that his plan with two dozen Alexas scattered throughout the house did not work.
Everything is bragging about AI now. It is the advertising term of the year. I see no reason why a coffee pot needs AI.
AI will be your new friend. 60% of the people in the USA are living alone in their houses, apartments, RVs, tents, or caves.
My mother calls Alexa my dad’s girlfriend. Alexa sings goodnight to him, it is creepy.
And listen to that song every morning until Judith Faulkner assumes room temperature.
Good day, Sunshine …
Denver is better than Verona.
We drove through Verona two years ago, as WI was just beginning to lift their lockdown after more than three years. The place was grim.
xkcd: Air Fact
https://www.xkcd.com/3079/
That is a overstatement. It cannot be more than a couple hundred microscopic ants.
Explained at:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3079:_Air_Fact
“Dem judge resigns after ICE arrests suspected Tren de Aragua gangster at his home”
https://www.theblaze.com/news/dem-judge-resigns-after-ice-arrests-suspected-tren-de-aragua-gangster-at-his-home
Something is really wrong with half of the people in the USA. Allowing an illegal to live in your home means to me that you have no sense of self preservation.
“Education Department says it will begin collection on student loans for over 5 million borrowers in default”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/education-department-says-begin-collection-200043109.html
This will not go well.
When he does have to travel to Verona, I suggest a trip to peruse the return racks at the last Lands End retail outlet in the US.
It is an education about how far people will push the return policy.
We meant to do the same thing at LL Bean, but the outlet didn’t open until late morning, and we were pressed for time that day.
The student loan paper is the most valuable investment the government holds. The debt cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.
Oh, the humanity!
On the plus side, there will be plenty of Switch 2 consoles available at launch.
BTW, we went to HEB yesterday after church. It was closed. So was Sam’s Club. But Kroger was open. I am not sure what to think about all that.
I wonder if the DOE still has their SWAT team. Send them out to collect. Take their stuff for pennies on the dollar applied to their loan.
Geebus:
‘You First, Contessa’: Hillary Clinton Says People Who Spread Propaganda Should Be Imprisoned
Kankles Klinton Will Never Be President!
Huzzah!
Coincidently, my dad let me know today that he signed up for a medic alert system. He is 78 and now lives alone since my mom passed early last month. I’m trying to get him to move down near me, but he is resisting.
Pantsuit cockroach.
Coincidently, my dad let me know today that he signed up for a medic alert system. He is 78 and now lives alone since my mom passed early last month. I’m trying to get him to move down near me, but he is resisting.
Sorry to hear that your mom passed away.
If your dad is like my dad, getting him to do anything is not easy.
Those in default are now facing wage garnishment. No need to waste ammo.
The collections should have started in November, but the Dems still believed that they could win.
“BREAKING: President Trump goes after the Supreme Court for blocking deportations”
https://therightscoop.com/breaking-president-trump-goes-after-the-supreme-court-for-blocking-deportations/
Trump is right !
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Medic alert can be added to many alarm system. For my sister it was $25 for the necklace and no extra on existing monitoring.
Cue Tom Lehrer …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7CJovhhVq8
And while I’m at it, in honor of the fake Pope assuming room temperature …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhYqeGp_Do
Those in default are now facing wage garnishment. No need to waste ammo.
The collections should have started in November, but the Dems still believed that they could win.
They gotta have a job in order to get wage garnishment.
We may have to bring back the Poor Prisons (farms and sweatshops !).
A Girl And Her Fed: We are Restrained Violence People !
https://www.agirlandherfed.com/1.2243.html
Oh, to have a Mom like Hope Blackwell !
The next step will be Borrower Defense. The reputations of many “good” schools will be shredded.
Well I got the drive belt changed out on the mower. I changed the oil and filter too. 5w30 oil should be fine as a sub for 10w30 right? It’s just the 30 that is critical for a motor that won’t be run in freezing temps.
I’m having other issues now. It’s running poorly under load. The drive belt (which is now tighter) sometimes won’t disengage and the brake/clutch lever doesn’t take the trans out of gear. I’m going to have to do more work next visit. Something is sticking or interfering that didn’t when the belt was worn and stretched. It’s not safe, as I couldn’t stop and almost ran off the edge of a retaining wall.
Family headed home hours ago, and I’m just about ready. I’m debating whether to shower or not. I think not.
I think I’ll just change from my “lake” work shorts to my “at home” work shorts, and hit the road.
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Something to consider with older folks, especially if they are having memory issues, they might be able to remain in their own home much longer than somewhere new. They remember where everything is, and how to do it from years ago when they’re in their own home. In a new environment, they won’t be able to function on those old memories and “muscle memory”. That was an issue we didn’t consider with my grandma.
n
HEB is closed on Christmas and Easter. Thanksgiving Day is a half day and closing use to be at Noon but is now 2PM.
I don’t know about the local WalMart other than it also closes at 2PM on Thanksgiving.
@Ray, I sent the link to the monitor to your Comcast account.
Check your spam filter if you don’t see it.
I’m not a shill. I’m typing on a ThinkPad right now.
HEB is privately held.
Kroger is publicly traded. The Geico Gecko has a big stake.
Publix in Florida is closed Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving Day, but they are employee owned.
The Publix Thanksgiving commercials used to set the gold standard for the industry so it would have been hypocritical to open on that day. First was this one which ran across the 80s and 90s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTD96WhhC9w
Then this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJd4VxO0G4M
The salt and pepper shaker sets from the store were bigger than Beanie Babies on EBay for a while.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/04/oregon_pushes_trans_track.html
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/04/a_female_fencer_s_courage_is_partly_rewarded.html
The Trump DOJ needs to move on this crap and shut it down.
I’d argue that it’s a civil rights violation and should be prosecuted as such, including conspiracy charges any male athlete that competes as a female, and a lifetime ban on receiving federal student loans. And why not fraud charges for any school that tries to field a male disguised as a female?
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/04/diverted.php
“I’m sorry I got caught”
DOJ needs to file domestic terrorism charges, arrest this perp, and demand no bail because he is 1) a serial criminal, and 2) guilty, having already confessed, 3) they are asking for immediate trial.
“Mayor Proposes Giving Homeless “All The Fentanyl They Want” to “Purge” Them”
https://www.infowars.com/posts/mayor-proposes-giving-homeless-all-the-fentanyl-they-want-to-purge-them
Bold.
“The parlous state of the US and world economies”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-parlous-state-of-us-and-world.html
New word alert (for me !): Parlous
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/parlous
“Quoth The Raven, a source we’ve also referenced in these pages before, is not very positive about the future. Here’s an excerpt from his recent article, “It Really Feels Like We’re Out Of Time“.
Not a death spiral, but a parlous spiral.
“The Accountant 2”
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_accountant_2
Finally !
I believe that a trip to the Victoria, Texas Cinemark is in my near future.
>>My mother calls Alexa my dad’s girlfriend. Alexa sings goodnight to him, it is creepy.
My sense is that Jeff is still not happy with the level of monitization from Alexa.
Plus, he’s got a wedding to pay for.
“Scientists are using artificial intelligence and large language models to rewrite old code in modern languages.”
https://www.lanl.gov/media/publications/1663/0125-llm-translation
“Across the Lab, much of the work being done on AI is focused on developing new models to interpret scientific data. But Dan O’Malley, a coder in Earth and Environmental Sciences, is harnessing the power of existing large language models (LLMs) to translate and modernize useful codes. Specifically, he and his 20-person team have a goal to demonstrate that AI is capable of translating some of the tens of millions of lines of Lab code written in Fortran, an older coding language, into C++, a code language that runs better on modern computers. “Being dependent on Fortran alone is risky these days,” says O’Malley. “Nobody wants to throw away the code their teams have spent years or decades developing, but translating the code into C++ is time-consuming and not the most exciting work.””
I am not the only crazy one !
In the end, I decided to shower. I smelled of gasoline, and was covered in fine silty dust.
So it took a while to get home. Been home about an hour, ate, had some icecream, read some memes…
Some cops on the road, only a couple of street racers, no accidents clearing or just happened. A nice drive actually.
Gas was $2.97 in the country, but it’s $2.47 here in town.
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My buddy’s wife got her diagnosis, stage one breast cancer, one lump, under 2cm, surgical removal scheduled, needle biopsy of surrounding nodes to check for spread, radiation, probably no chemo unless the biopsy is bad. That’s about the best news possible given the circumstances. Dr couldn’t get a PET scan approved, so they’re going with biopsy.
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Time for me to hit the rack.
n