Hot again, and humid. The little bit of moisture from the sky we got yesterday didn’t help anything, just made it more humid. And when it finally cleared up in the late afternoon, it was hot and sunny, and humid.
I was fortunate to be mostly working in the shade, and I did set up the pop-up canopy for the area not covered by the roof, which helped.
I got the pump tested, the pump discharge pipe fixed, extended, and reconnected. It was mostly repairs and not much pipe in places. I built a manifold for the valves. Connected that. Mounted a couple of valves. Didn’t want to fire up water under pressure until today when the glue has really cured. Cleaned up and switched to yardwork.
Did a bit of weed-wacking around the dockhouse. Used the battery powered trimmer, which I still like for small jobs. Rigged up a pump and hose to water the bushes next to the dockhouse. I watered them all last summer as they were transplants and needed it. So far they were fine but showing some signs of stress, so I watered them. I just dropped a submersible pump in a bucket in the lake and fed a hose. The hose was connected to last year’s drip irrigation for those bushes. I’ve been meaning to try it out, but didn’t have power at the dock…
The lake level dropped a couple more inches yesterday. We really need some rain.
Called it a day before the sun set, and got some fishing in. No catching, one nibble. Tried 4 different baits. Oh well.
Today we’re still here, so I’ll be working on the sprinklers. Should be able to get the zones set up, at least with hoses and temporary heads. That will be enough to do what I need, and to test the system. Wife will be trying to work remotely. Kids will be sleeping late and playing the new Zelda on the Switch. So it should be a good day.
Fix something, learn something, meet someone, or stack it up. Or all of the above.
nick
I excursed yesterday for my version of what @Nick calls his “non-prepping hobby”. This was a visit to the McMichael Rally, just east of Reading, a 40-odd mile drive from home.
McMichael is a classic car boot sale, and this year there were 6no 100-yard rows of vendors at £10 per table, some vendors had multiple tables. Of course, most of the goods on offer were what I consider mathoms, but there was a brisk trade nonetheless.
I normally only attend rallies for the socialising, such trips normally do not include purchases. Not so today, one vendor had AA/AAA battery chargers, the non-plugtop variety, sold with car cigarette lighter leads, and separate plugtop power bricks. One of those will be foreseeably useful, so I bought – at £5 it was worth it, even if the future does not hold my use case.
There was a raffle, of course, so I bought a strip of tickets, not expecting to win – in 30+ years, I’ve never won a raffle. Not so this time – imagine my surprise to hear my callsign announced as the winner of a Wouxun KG639E VHF NBFM handy. So I made haste to collect my swag.
Further research suggests it’ll be less useful than first impressions would suggest – it has 16 memories – and NO keypad. You need the OEM CPS software to do anything with it. That software is trivially available for Window$ Vista and later – no others need apply. But you also need the appropriate programming lead – which costs $hekels, and is not included in the box. So I’m out £12 or so for a pattern part from the Zon.
But still, £17 for a radio that is advertised at £99 is no bad thing. And most of that £17 I would have had to spend anyway, if I’d bought a retail package – which I wouldn’t.
More when I know more.
G.
Showtime has been part of Viacom (Paramount parent company) or a corporate sibling held at arm’s length since the founding of the network.
The corporate histories of CBS, Showtime, and Paramount are messy and all intertwined.
If the rumors are true, Paramount is getting ready for a fire sale of its own.
Yes, but ESPN is a complex extortion mechanism which keeps huge chunks of the cable and satellite providers’ bandwidths locked to Disney networks, and it has an associated mandatory carriage fee which is itemized separately on the cable bill, generally something like “sports and public interest programming”.
Plus, separating ESPN for a sale would be a mess the way the latest round of pro and college TV contracts are structured.
Its cheaper just to axe talent, and, heck, ratings might improve depending on market.
Trent Dilfer. Tampa. Nothing more needs to be said.
Back in SA. EyeSight System caution light came on in Subie. Gotta appointment tomorrow at Subaru to check it. Online fixes didn’t work. When that system is out, none of the cruise control systems, avoidance, etc. work.
Did you RainX the windshield recently?
I’ve found that I have to be careful with RainX around the area of the forward facing camera module in my Camry which is tied to the saaaafety systems … most of which I turn off.
My theory is that RainX interferes with the IR camera under certain weather conditions.
@geoff, nice score! The programming cable might be the same as the Kenwood and the Baofang, most of the manf use the Kenwood cable now. The Chirp forums and discussions will probably have good info, and you should be able to use Chirp to program it as well.
I’ve got some korean handies that sound very similar- in the US I would just put the GPRS freqs, maybe especially if there were local repeaters, and maybe the FRS freqs depending on who might use them. Maybe the unlicensed business channels (if the radio can tune them.) IDK if the UK has similar services set aside. If not, I’d put local repeaters on it, and use it as a limited scanner, just leaving it on in the office or garage all the time. I found some nice nets that I wasn’t aware of, just by hearing the traffic at odd hours.
———————
The day is already sunny, so no skin saving overcast for me, but it’s only 83F which is still cool comparatively.
@greg, “Nothing more needs to be said.” this is only true if one follows or pays attention to that sort of thing. (Or I suppose, has a decent connection and google…) The ABC/ESPN deal never made sense to me until reading the Eisner book- which made the case that it was a pure ego play, he’d always wanted a “real” network, and was going to get one for himself. The author emphasized that Eisner didn’t understand the licensing agreements, and proposed that there would be all sorts of ‘synergy’ because they could put Disney content there…which apparently they couldn’t do. I really hope they get their house in order, Disney was a unique thing and it would be a shame for the world to lose it.
———————-
Ah delicious coffee. No wonder smugglers have always valued coffee and spirits highly. Funny that no one smuggles bacon. I guess it’s not particularly durable…
n
But so wonderful.
And proof of the superiority of Western culture.
@nick:
Yes, I know that Kenwood cables are commonly used in this space. I have a Radioddity GD-77 DMR/FM dual-bander that uses a Kenwood-style cable, and that cable fits mechanically – electrically I’m not so sure about.
But the Zon had a third-party cable, by Sundely, for £12.99, claimed to be compatible (and if it isn’t, the Zon’s return policy should see me sorted) The CPS software I’ve already downloaded, so I should be up-and-running in a week – the cable is not a Prime item, so it’s probably coming via Postie.
G.
The UK equivalent is PMR446, and the rig emits up to 4 watts, so it’s non-compliant, and VHF besides – we have no VHF equivalent of PMR446, which, as the name implies is UHF (446Mhz); and for-pay commercial licences. But Chinese RF cleanliness is not of the best, and I don’t have a commercial licence, anyway – those cost major coin (for amateur values of major).
So amateur bands it is. Maybe APRS?
G.
No, but the first thing I did was clean the windshield. In heavy rain, the system turns off so you can’t use the cruise control. I experienced that firsthand. The last recommended procedure is to disconnect the battery. I’ll just let the dealer check it. We have gigs in Austin and Houston next week and want all to work right. Give me cruise control or give me death.
Separate from Disney, Trent Dilfer is not popular in Tampa due to his performance (or lack thereof) during his time with the Yucs, but I guess that was a long time ago.
Whether or not Disney should have been involved with buying ESPN is a completely separate issue.
Disney will not survive as currently structured. Iger ran it into the ground making “woke” a priority.
Is this ASL approved?
https://twitter.com/JenniCurrent/status/1680350548975812610?t=pa7Sme9NtI1FWrKrrPCiLA&s=19
Fired up the Subie….and all the lights are normal. Gonna cancel the Dealer appointment. It would be $70 just check it.
I am running a sprinkler, thru the system, on a zone. Whoohooo.
The single head is on the end of a garden hose, connected to the zone valve, but it proves the whole thing is working.
97F in mostly shade, btw.
Paused for lunch.
Now I need to see what it will take to get into the “trunk line” from the lake to the front yard so I can irrigate any new grass….
n
100F and 28mph winds today…much nicer than yesterday. That extra 8 or 9F makes a huge difference.
Excavating for the patio/walkway at the back of the house with shovel and wheelbarrow this am. Found a cleanout buried 6” deep, but in line with the master bath / hall bath bathroom roof vent, so I’ve a good idea of where the septic tank probably is (about 3’ from my initial guess).
City folk will never understand the existential dread of an unknown septic system.
I am feeling very high-tech this evening. I was at the dermatologist for a once-over checkup, and ended up having a skin tag (acrochordon) removed using CO2 laser surgery. Other than a tiny needle prick to numb the area with lidocaine or something similar, it was entirely painless. 15 minutes waiting to see the doctor, five minutes for the procedure, and another 15 minutes drinking coffee and allowing some superficial bleeding to subside. Follow-up at home with some antiseptic cream, and all is well. If there is any scarring, I will say it’s from a light sabre.
I wonder how the laser affects my carbon footprint? 🙂
I might be a city boy, but I knew enough to get our septic tank pumped out and camera surveyed before taking up residence at the BOL with W1. That said, yon tank is a serious step up from the long-drop outhouse at my grandparents’ place… that was quite the adventure for a small boy.
Toyota offers adaptive cruise control, but I opt for the old school fixed speed since the camera-based system gets confused easily.
“Hollywood plunges into all-out war on the heels of pandemic and a streaming revolution”
https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-writers-effects-pandemic-streaming-946a2bf9de48a9d55f3160df6be8f481
“Three years after the pandemic brought Hollywood to a standstill, the film and TV industry has again ground to a halt. This time, though, the industry is engaged in a bitter battle over how streaming — after advancing rapidly during the pandemic — has upended the economics of entertainment.”
My prediction is that the studios will tell the writers and actors to pound sand for a year or so. At that point, so many will be scabbing across the lines that the contract talks will be not good for actors and writers.
Hat tip to:
https://www.drudgereport.com/
I like the adaptive cruise control on my 2019 Highlander. Use it all the time. Was handy during the long 6100 mile trip in May (WA-CA-UT-TX-CA-WA ; and I did ‘stand on the corner in Winslow AZ’).
Works well on lonely and semi-crowded highways. And decelerates nicely when you approach slower traffic, instead of crashing into them (or braking hard).
The ‘blind spot’ detector has also been great (saved me a couple of times); along with the rear monitor, especially in parking lots, even though I have a backup camera.
Had one issue with the cruise control not working since I got it in 2020 – but that was caused by snow on the front, so I shouldn’t have been using it anyhow.
@Denis
“I wonder how the
laserlight sabre affects my carbon footprint?”Not at all unless the doctor slips and does a full neck transection.
“Ford Cuts Price of F-150 Lightning Electric Truck by Up to $10,000”
https://finance.yahoo.com/m/054f50c1-7e49-3190-8c21-5d5c049a4330/ford-cuts-price-of-f-150.html
So now Ford is going to lose $76,000 per electric F-150 sale !
I wonder how the laser affects my carbon footprint?
It was 1.21 jiggawatts for only a microsecond.
“Memes that made me laugh 168”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2023/07/memes-that-made-me-laugh-168.html
Ducks and wet concrete !
Cracks houses in the 2020s !
Side Quested: Quiet Places To Raise A Dragon Child
https://sidequested.com/page/94/
Who knew ?
So the $9 billion loan from the Federal Government was a bailout after all.
I saw multiple billboards welcoming “Blue Oval City” on the side of the road to Memphis from Nashville last weekend, about midway between the two cities.
I assume that’s where the battery plant and “T3” factory are going to be built … if they get built.
Hasta la vista, Tommy Boy.
“Air Force C-32 Jets Are Going Incognito Under New Security Policy”
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/air-force-c-32-jets-are-going-incognito-under-new-security-policy
“C-32As and Bs are joining other Air Force types now flying without serial numbers and other individually identifying markings.”
Too many people are tracking people movers nowadays.
The ADS-B “Out” Id is still unique, and the planespotting geeks have their own databases of Ids and tail numbers.
I might be a city boy, but I knew enough to get our septic tank pumped out and camera surveyed before taking up residence at the BOL with W1. That said, yon tank is a serious step up from the long-drop outhouse at my grandparents’ place… that was quite the adventure for a small boy.
Long-drop outhouse ? Was this a lonely outhouse perched on a cliff that you were careful not to lean back in ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outhouse
The 89th Airlift Wing is an odd bird. 25 years ago, I used to help schedule their transport flights. The C-35 wasn’t in their fleet yet, and that was about the time they went from the unclassified system to the classified one.
Of course, once you file a flight plan or take off, secrecy is out the window. All you can do is put out cover stories, claiming what/who is on board while lying.
The 89th had the most diverse collection of aircraft they operated, because they needed everything from bizjets for generals to big planes for international diplomacy missions.
I used to work with a guy who retired from the Air Force. He used to run the 89th, and he personally flew the first diplomatic mission where a US aircraft landed at Moscow. Or so he claimed, at least. I have no reason to doubt.
“The big advantage of using a lightsaber, of course, is that you can both cut and toast the bagel in one stroke.” – author unknown
“At War With the Middle Class By Erick Erickson”
https://www.arcamax.com/politics/fromtheright/erickerickson/s-2850976
“Over the past few years, morbidly obese and mentally ill TikTok “influencers” have raised a ruckus on airplanes because the aisles are not wide enough, the seats are not big enough and the bathrooms are not expansive enough for them. In the past few years, airlines have made bathrooms uncomfortably small. But they did so for a specific reason: They need more seats.”
So what will the TikTok influencers complain about when they get three rows of seats removed for their ADA bathroom ? Airline ticket prices of course !
Biden has been an angry, arrogant liar his entire career.
“Flashback to 1987, when Joe Biden freaked out at a man who asked him where he went to law school. The entirety of Biden’s response was a lie. Biden has been an angry, arrogant liar his entire career.”
video embedded
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/07/biden-then-and-now.php
Yup, when his lips move it’s a clue.
I noted some time ago that the Webb telescope was revealing some flaws:
The science is settled:
The Universe is
13.726.7 billion years old.h/t to David Strom at HotAir:
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2023/07/17/science-is-never-settled-n565079
“Tonga Eruption May Temporarily Push Earth Closer to 1.5°C of Warming”
https://eos.org/articles/tonga-eruption-may-temporarily-push-earth-closer-to-1-5c-of-warming
“The underwater eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai sent megatons of water vapor into the stratosphere, contributing to an increase in global warming over the next 5 years.”
Is there anything that does not cause Global Warming XXXXXX XXXXXX Climate Change XXXXX XXXXXX Climate Disruption ?
I am trying to hold all of my farts in but it is not working very well. Oops !
Yes, Uranus contributes to Global Warming.
So does Ray’s.
Biden’s “borrowing” of Neal Kinnock’s speeches was the case study for Plagiarism in my Business Communications class in 1988.
Michael Dukakis’ opposition research people were brutally efficient, splicing together tape of Biden and Kinnock delivering the same speech and “leaking” it to the press.
Yes, Uranus contributes to Global Warming.
So does Ray’s.
Yup, my wife’s build a taco gives me the wind with all those beans. But it is so good !
I am building an emergency software release for two customers. Gonna be a long night.
This may be my favorite bug fix for this release (think about where that pipe is, in this case down to 14,000 feet below sea level):
Fixed a problem in the display of the elevation of the Line Module when more than 9,999 feet below the surface of the water.
Actually, this one may be my favorite:
Fixed a case where a partially solidified column was throwing solids out the top product using the Super convergence method. I flashed the top stream with a four phase flash and forced the column to recalculate using the four phase Sum Rates convergence method if there were solids in the top product as the solution was infeasible.
BTW, the solids in the Distillation column were Butane and Propane. The temperature out of the top is -305 F. It is a nitrogen rejection process with 40% nitrogen in the natural gas reservoir. The pipeline will not accept the natural gas in that condition so most of the nitrogen must be removed.
“Texas power use hits record high as heatwave lingers”
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/texas-power-use-hits-record-high-as-heatwave-lingers-0
“After setting 11 demand records last summer, ERCOT said usage hit a preliminary 81,911 megawatts (MW) on Monday, which would top the current all-time high of 81,406 MW set on July 13.”
“That is the fourth record high this summer and will likely be broken again on Tuesday with demand expected to reach 86,575 MW.”
I doubt ERCOT will go that high, but it may be in the 84,000 MW range. At that point, hang onto your hats because every single gas turbine will be spooling up by noon. And then when the solar power starts dying at 6 pm, things will get dicey and we all get to see what a Duck Curve looks like.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_curve
Number one fix for the Duck Curve: Buy more gas turbines. I kid you not.
“Scott Adams has reached 1 million followers on Twitter”
https://www.reddit.com/r/dilbert/comments/1526q5o/scott_adams_has_reached_1_million_followers_on/
That is a lot of followers. I wonder how many are bots though ?
I thought Musk has the cool kids cracking down on bots?
Just spent a couple hours teaching the kids the basics of Five Card Draw poker. It’s been a while since I played. Had to look up the hand rankings. It does come back. It’s funny that the etiquette comes back faster than the game rules. Guess that was drilled into me harder than the rules.
It’s 81F and fairly pleasant outside but I’m going to bed.
n
The intervention was somewhat further south, so a slip of the sabre would have been worse than that – they would have left me drinking Bud Light instead of coffee!
I thought Musk has the cool kids cracking down on bots?
Not his bots ! Just the other guys bots.
Top parenting! Some of my happiest childhood memories are of playing poker for matchsticks with my parents. It’s a social skills tutorial as much as it is a game of chance, skill and cunning.
Cue Kenny Rogers music…
And version 16.17 is up and I am dog tired.
They won’t stop singing the Kenny Rogers…
which leads to more of his songbook, like Coward of the County…
which leads to insanity, and padded rooms…….
n
Yeah, it’s the LSM, but most of you folks are asleep…