Hot, but not as bad as Houston. It was only 88F when I got here, and got down to 78F at midnight. Very pleasant. Only a hint of a breeze but the smoke kept the bugs away.
I did my auction pickups, cruised through the ‘bins’ store near one of them. Picked up some more red ropelight for the dock. I’ve already got some, but needed more. It’s to light the edges when we have the telescopes out… When I got here, the 88F temps and setting sun felt cool. How messed up is that? So I got most of the trailer unloaded. I’ll do the rest today, and might do some of the construction/setup to see what the issues are and if I need more supplies.
Then it’s back to Houston.
Where there is plenty of work waiting for me.
Like always.
Stack up some projects. And stack up some supplies. Hurricane season is here after all. And so might be ‘canned sunshine’ season. If that happens, the panic alone will make you want to hunker down and avoid going out. So stack it up.
nick
The label below the fusebox with the diagram is badly faded. The car has seen some extreme temperature swings, starting as a Florida lease run through the big South Florida auction to service for couple of years in Germany (!) before returning to the US last year in TN under a Florida plate again.
Even looking inside the fusebox directly is a challenge.
I didn’t see any diagram in the owners manual section on fuses.
2016 Jetta 2.0 GLI. Hecho and designed in Mexico. That engine was a last minute substitution for the diesel due to the “cheating” scandal.
I’ll figure things out with the car on Sunday. Austin’s big retro game show starts this morning.
Kevin Mitnick has left the building.
And they put him in solitary confinement for 9 months.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Mitnick
Lawyers also designed the DVD copy protection scheme.
IMHO, the attention whores who rose to fame investigating and covering the Mitnick case were just as much of a threat to society as Mitnick himself.
The last time I saw John Markoff do any media, he was shilling for Magic Leap. Tsutomu Shimomura cashed in at Sun in the late 90s and now keeps a low profile.
“Soap-dodging prairie fairies have been ringing the Chicken Little climate klaxon for at least five decades.”
https://pjmedia.com/columns/kevindowneyjr/2023/07/21/wrap-tinfoil-around-your-doorknob-to-keep-eco-doom-nutjobs-away-56-years-of-climate-codswallop-that-never-happened-n1712542
Sometimes you just have to stop to admire a good turn of phrase.
Climate nuts are the worst. Violent, insulting, smug, and wrong. Kick ‘em in the baby-maker.
Good morgen, y’all.
I watch youtube on my desktop, win8.2 running firefox (couple versions behind) with uBlock origin as the only relevant add on. I don’t see ads, unless they are the channel creator shilling, and those are skippable. Watching on the TV with the kids (roku box) keeps poking me that I need to try pihole.
I tried a youtube downloader so I’d have something saved to watch while up here, and it seemed to work perfectly. Haven’t watched, so IDK if it D/L’d as me ie. no ads, or as it, with ads. I didn’t have any time to watch… be interesting to see. If they are there, they should be skippable, as it generates an mp4 file, iirc.
Sunny and 81F so far, but rising. Nice day to be up here.
n
The freakout over ‘hackers’ doesn’t seem to have accomplished anything except to empower .gov and the 3 letter agencies. It’s a bit like sending the owners of the AA forum (amateur action- one of the first pron aggregators) to prison for so long. I think they are still there, while grade school kids have pron in their school library now, and 4K streaming to phones. They went to prison because of a bogus “community standards” argument and should be released immediately and compensated for their false imprisonment.
Remember REplay tv? the DVR that let you skip commercials? Sued out of existence under the theory that watching TV without commercials was somehow theft. Standard feature on DVRs now… and youtube.
>> Kevin Mitnick has left the building.
I guess Mitnick was never on Letterman…
Honestly, the abuse of power by 3-letter agencies is one of many reasons I’m glad not to be in the US. Secret activities supervised by secret courts – what could go wrong?
Good to know. I will put Vivaldi at the top of my list in case Brave goes to the dark side.
Oof, I hope you got it really cheap, or even free. There was a time when I looked for beaters, and I wish I had one now. Trouble is, my wife does almost all the short trips, and she has a different philosophy. She wants to drive the “good” cars. I am one of those who wears “old” clothes around the house, and dresses a little (?) better when I have to go to town.
Looked fine to me when we met at the Indian Wells Brewery.
Or the yeast factory.
My north side a/c unit in the office building fried itself Thursday night. The compressor is pulling 4,000 amps before it trips the breakers. It is a 2004 Trane 3.5 ton R22 unit so everything has to be replaced.
He is going to get back to me on Tuesday with prices on another 4 ton a/c with a commercial air handler and heat strips versus a heat pump system. He warned me that the price is going to be unreal.
He does not like the new systems with propane in them for refrigerant. All this global warming crap has destroyed the good refrigerants like R22.
“BLM proposes costlier lease terms as mandated by 2022 budget deal”
https://www.ogj.com/general-interest/government/article/14296694/blm-proposes-costlier-lease-terms-as-mandated-by-2022-budget-deal
“The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management is proposing costlier terms for oil and gas leasing on federal lands in keeping with the mandates of Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, plus a few extra policy tweaks.”
The boondoggle known as the Inflation Reduction Act strikes again. The cost of the IRA has risen to over $1.3 trillion from the original $450 billion.
Honestly, the abuse of power by 3-letter agencies is one of many reasons I’m glad not to be in the US. Secret activities supervised by secret courts – what could go wrong?
You note that they used the FISA court on Trump several times. They lied to the FISA court with zero repercussions. Scary stuff. If you ask me, the courts are unconstitutional.
When I got here, the 88F temps and setting sun felt cool. How messed up is that?
When my son came back from his first trip to Iraq in the summer of 2006, he complained that anything below 90 F was cold.
Iraq set the world temperature record at 136 F that year. Never been exceeded since that I know of. The Iraqi word for August is Flame.
That seems kind of high. 40A, maybe, or 4000W?
Aside from the chuckle I had at the phrasing, I can tell you that a kick to a woman’s crotch focuses her attention just as well as a kick to the crotch focuses a man’s attention. The spike of pain probably isn’t as high but Western women aren’t as used to feeling that pain, so it’s just as disabling. Recommended.
That seems kind of high. 40A, maybe, or 4000W?
Nope, 4,000 amps at 230 volts. He put his digital amp meter right on the compressor. That is a serious dead short. Dont put your hand on the compressor, it is dadgum hot.
My office building does have 400 amps at 230 volt service and those two a/c units are on 50 amp double breakers. But it takes several ac cycles at 60 hz to break the circuit. If the circuit is not broken then the wires will melt. Been there done that.
““Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” – Mike Tyson.
Home. Trailer returned. Mission accomplished.
And it is stinking hot. When I pulled the hitch from the receiver I burned my fingers on it.
n
I nominate you for a new handle: GentlemanStu. 😉
4000 amps is definitely possible. Most breakers, even in some commercial applications, are thermal only, not magnetic. A dead short takes a few cycles to make enough heat to trip them. A magnetic breaker can trip much more quickly, and limit the current to a lot lower than allowed by a thermal breaker. The dead short is excited by a very low impedance source.
A punch in the mouth, or a kick anywhere, definitely focuses paralyzing attention. Good fighters (not just boxers) need to be able to respond in spite of the shock.
Law professors goad police to use Qualified Immunity for gun confiscations
https://bearingarms.com/ranjit-singh/2023/07/20/law-professors-goad-police-to-use-qualified-immunity-for-gun-confiscations-n72779
The Supreme Court needs to throw “standing”, Chevron deference, and qualified immunity into the legal toilet with shiite like “penumbras” and flush hard.
Replacing my 2.5 ton upstairs unit with a new Trane system providing heat using a gas furnace was almost $10k this Spring. The quote for the same unit a year ago was $7k.
I opted for a builder grade Trane without variable speed anything. I can pull full specs if you need an idea of what number will hit on Tuesday.
My power usage for the last two months of hot was 10-15% below the same period a year ago, and the upstairs is cooler than with the old system. I’m not going to pretend I will recoup the investment before we move out of this house, but the old unit was done.
I did inventory on my stack of pellets for the wood stove. Just 16 this year to top the stack to 50 bags. Compared to 24 last year. The price is up a dollar.
I got some of it into the barn but it was suddenly too hot. When you feel your shins sweating… I’ll finish tomorrow. The barn doesn’t leak and it gets pretty warm in there. 100f at the house is 115f+ in barn. My wood stove pellets are dry. Almost kiln dried. 🙂 I’m topped up and I don’t have to fool with buying pellets when it’s 50f and raining.
And for something weird…. I had a little pair of scissors on the window sill in the dining room. Just right for cutting open Amazon bubble bags. They sat right next to the letter opener and a stub of a pencil for scribbling grocery lists. You can’t miss seeing the scissors, the handle is sky blue. They have vanished. No one has visited. I’ve looked in various kitchen drawers and all around the house. I’ve rummaged through the trash. They are just gone. Weird.
Disappearing scissors? Clearly a poltergeist.
Not a ghost of a chance you uput them down somewhere else or accidently dropped them into packaging you threw away.
Either a poltergeist, or Global Warming Cooling Climate Change.
There isn’t any such thing as a “cheap” used car right now. I paid below retail, but the seller was my wife’s nephew so I cut him a break and offered above what the car would bring run through the auction.
I caught hints that he paid over $40k for a EcoBoost Maverick on a private transaction through a dealer employee, and the F&I room offered him very little for the Jetta. It isn’t a “beater” however. And we know the history except for the three years of the lease when new.
The supply of beaters disappeared with Cash for Clunkers. 600,000 vehicles off the road, engines disabled, and crushed.
One vehicle destroyed under the program, according to legend, was a GNX. I don’t believe that one at all.
They do wear out. The freon is all there but like an old car, the piston rings wear out.
The bill on the EDC was $93 last June. I replaced the window unit. This June was $61. The bill for the house was a couple of bucks different than last year.
Mac & cheese and wartime rationing
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2023/07/mac-cheese-and-wartime-rationing.html
What Peter doesn’t make clear is that wartime rationing and food scarcity in Great Britain extended well into the 1950’s. From the comments:
and this reply:
Note that the latter does not comport with:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-American_loan
They are just gone. Weird.
Buddy?
More likely a cat. And, before you say they are only outdoors, remember they can mysteriously go through walls.
I’m going with some random Vulcan needing a pair of scissors and they were transported away. That or Buddy the Beagle knocked them off of the windowsill and for some beaglish reason toted them to somewhere in the house. Shrug.
If they show up in a few months I’ll let y’all know.
Didn’t Lovecraft write a story that started with scissors disappearing?
Horsefeathers. You haven’t visited our little valley. There are lots of old cars, some in very good condition, available. You just have to search for them. Just the other day, a friend said he has a 1977 Honda Civic in near new cosmetic condition, with only 34,000 miles. It belonged to a relative who passed away. He hasn’t decided what to do with it, but wondered if I might be interested. I might.
The problem here is that so many people park their cars outside, where they rot in the sun. Many are mechanically good drivers. Making them presentable would be expensive. Think rust belt, but with the added interior rot.
Or, take my favorite car demographic, 20 year old cars that are not popular, and have been garaged all their life. These are fairly rare, and are often in the hands of retired couples. They will accept “book,” but that is often really cheap. If they had checked Autotrader, they would have asked double or triple that. I look for cars that have great interior and exterior appearance, and other cosmetics.
Down the scale, I look for cars that need more cosmetic work. I also expect the drive train to need some attention. If I just want a beater, I only have to do a serious tune-up, which used to cost me very little in parts. Such a car is good for local daily transportation, and will usually last one to five years. Several of my friends use these.
I would avoid cars less than 20 years old now, because they have so many poroblems that are hard and expensive to fix.
20 yo car, all the plastic will be failing. Gives new meaning to ‘crumble zone’*
n
*yes, I do know…
Smell the entitlement: The US was supposed to supply blood and treasure to bail others out of wars that they blundered into, and not expect repayment.
Where was DJT at this time? Give the DOJ a call.
Gotcha. I thought you meant that the 4000A was the draw in normal operation.
I have a 21 year old Solara, and the problem isn’t the structural integrity as much as the interior plastic pieces failing and replacements only being available at a junkyard … maybe.
Of course, it is Toyota and not VW. I doubt that the Jetta will still be on the road at 20 years since it has a lot of plastic under the hood and a turbo-charged engine.
The Jetta will work for the intended purpose at the price we paid with minimal time investment on my part beyond going to get the thing. My wife’s nephew accepted the 12V outlet being dead for four years.
Searching takes time, and a 45 year-old Honda Civic is a weekend tinkering project, not a daily driver.
Plus, a 77 Civic lacked a cat converter IIRC, and I doubt that would pass emissions standards here in Texas unless the engine was very pristine.
Even with inspections going away in two years, emissions testing will remain in places like Austin under the deal negotiated between the Governor and Texas House Speaker to get inspections ended.
Texas is a blue state waiting to happen.
Never read Lovecraft, but the murder weapon in “Dead Again” was a pair of scissors which disappeared from the scene of the crime and remained missing for 40+ years, resurfacing to play a pivotal role in the climax of the movie.
Sir Kenneth at the height of his creative powers.
I paid $700 for four pounds of freon for the old upstairs AC system during the last tuneup about a year ago. That’s when I got the initial quote for replacement, and I regret not moving on the new system then.
New freon is unavailable, and anything the AC companies have is recovered at this point.
Mechanically, the system was in really good shape for the age. North Austin/Round Rock is right on the edge of the Gulf marine environment, and the tech was amazed that the system lasted as long as it did.
@SteveF
The odor is one of dishonesty, which is what I termed the slanderous statement when I left a comment (still in moderation).
https://lifehacker.com/youll-need-a-visa-for-europe-soon-1850665413
The U.S. should implement a similar fee for EU visitors. No paperwork, just a fee 20% higher.
We should implement a similar fee for anyone crossing our southern border into the U.S. $10,000 a head. All but $10 is refundable when they leave as agreed.
>> 20 yo car, all the plastic will be failing. Gives new meaning to ‘crumble zone’*
Somebody at my gym has a Gen 1 Accord (’76 – ‘80.) Interior is trashed, body is fair. Haven’t seen them in the parking lot yet to ask how it runs.
And speaking of the gym, how much do the ladies spend on their skin-tight outfits?? (Any trans would be obvious.)
I wear Champion shorts and a Hanes v-neck tee, same as I have for more years than I can remember.
>> The U.S. should implement a similar fee for EU visitors. No paperwork, just a fee 20% higher.
Profit (starting with cutting all foreign aid/military aid. Ukraine, Israel, then the rest.)
@Greg, this what you need?
https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/fuse-box-diagram.5607624/post-115851373?nested_view=0
Somebody at my gym has a Gen 1 Accord (’76 – ‘80.) Interior is trashed, body is fair. Haven’t seen them in the parking lot yet to ask how it runs.
I sold the wifes 2005 Honda Civic EX special edition coupe 5 speed manual 130K miles earlier this year for $4,000. I think I asked too little.
>> Texas is a blue state waiting to happen.
And will Florida follow suit?
Not all cars that are 20+ years old will be trashed. I have looked at many cars over the years that have been well preserved. Not all are in demand or valued at premium prices. I have one, a 1968 Imperial that is all original. It was garaged all its life, and was never used as a daily driver, meaning it did not set in the sun while its owner was in a nice air conditioned office. It does have a lot of miles on it, but it is in really good condition, Hagerty Condition 3 if that matters. It has a few paint chips, and the interior is in almost new condition, with only a little creasing in the leather of the driver’s seat. It was mostly used for trips, and based on the mileage, a lot of them. I wish I had its full history. Its original owner was deceased when I bought it, and its second owner was reluctant to talk much to me, even though I assured him I was ecstatic to be its forever owner. A friend found it on a used car lot, and bought it immediately, even though he did not want a big car. He sold it to me after he had it a year. It drives like a new car. Folks not acquainted with it might be surprised to know that it has all the modern amenities that matter to me, including fully automatic air conditioning that works very well. I drove it as our primary trip car for about five years, then inherited a couple of cars when my dad passed. Smartest thing I did was to preserve it for occasional use, while using up the others. It survives, but the others are long gone.
I don’t care what that car is worth because I will never sell it. It is rare enough that I acquired a spare (almost) clone body, minus engine and transmission, for nothing. Since it was a low production car, finding body parts is getting really difficult. Hard parts are plentiful and affordable, and consumable parts are commonly available. Jay Leno has a similar one, and has done a video on it. He loves all his cars almost as much as he loves Mavis. Something to aspire to.
I haven’t seen that 77 Honda Civic I mentioned, and don’t even know what body style it is, just that it has about 34k miles, and is in near perfect cosmetic condition. There would be no trouble getting it through emissions inspection in California, but that is the one obvious negative to me. It would be better if it were a 75 or earlier, which are exempt from the biennial inspections. Those inspections are easy as long as the engine is in good condition, but they do involve government intrusion. My biggest issue is that we kept a 75 Civic over a winter for some friends, who wanted us to drive it at least twice a month. I hated that car for many reasons. It reminded me of our 71 Toyota Corona, only much worse. I would only buy the 77 if it were cheap, and in really good condition, and then just as a cheap beater. My wife would probably not drive it, because she hated that 75.
I would really prefer a Dodge Dart or Plymouth Barracuda. Those are solid low maintenance cars, and I would drive it to save our 68 Mustang from wear and tear.
Old cars are a passion with some of my friends. There is one Model T, some 1920s and 1930s based street rods, and one rat rod. Of all of them, I like the rat rod because it is not shiny, and can be parked anywhere without worry of scratches and dings. He says it Is like a pair of old comfortable shoes.
@jrwilliams, the USA has had such arrangements in place for some time, USD21 for an ETSA
I’ll add it to the stack of diagrams I have on hand.
BTW, the PDF does funky things to Linux Firefox. I opened it with XPDF to print.