Slightly cooler, then just as hot as ever. Well, high 90s, not low 100s but it will feel the same. We’re on the downslope toward winter, but still have a way to go. It certainly got hot enough yesterday afternoon for me to be moving slowly when outdoors.
Speaking of which, I got little done. I got to my rent house, intending to finish the lock work, and discovered I’d left the locks at home. Brought the re-key kit, but left the locks. Ended up taking the trash to my dumpster which is nearby so it wasn’t a total loss.
Had my auctioneer beg off for this week. Dang. I was on a roll and had momentum. That’s gonna delay getting stuff out of here. It will mean I can focus on other parts of the list though.
Like getting this tree branch off my roof. I have a plan. It might be dumb and foolhardy, but it’s a plan. I think it can be done safely and without a lot of fuss. We’ll see. Then once I find the locks, I’ll head to the rent house and finish up there. I can continue to an auction pickup, or head to school to pickup the kid when I’m done with that.
Should be a full day. If I don’t falter.
Keep improving. Keep stacking.
nick
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention another absent friend, Dave Hardy, or OFD as he was usually known here. It’s been five years since his passing, and I miss his perspective and (cough) willingness to share. The religious aspects, from someone who rediscovered his faith, were particularly interesting to me. Raise a glass to “Absent Friends”.
Anytime I see stories about Microsoft/Gates and nuclear reactors, I think of the “Hank Scorpio” episode of “The Simpsons”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2faqjasFWw
Best episode ever, made back when Conan O’Brien ran the writers room and Albert Brooks was at the top of his game.
Kansas City is a little far for Benny Crump, but he would top my list of possibilities. Keep an eye out for that name in any stories.
I’m sure Missouri has their own home-grown equivalently sleazy legal talent, however.
I’ve been involved with more than a few hot/insane pressure situations on jobs, but the AI monkey trick tops the list.
As for the power issue, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick got the job done for his lizard benefactor in the November 7 election. Go back and look at the ballot I linked yesterday, specifically Proposition 7.
Texas will regret getting into bed with The Gecko. I believe he needs to be kept as far away from the state’s energy market as possible, and I’m a stockholder!
I think everything on that ballot will pass even though I will go through the motions of showing up and voting ‘No’ straight down the line.
@Lynn
@Bob Sprowl
“I could build at least two complete engines (a 390 and a 428) with the parts on hand. “
Just need a pair of T-birds to drop them into.
“Or a Grand Torino.”
Actually, I’d like to see if a 428 would fit in a 1967 Cougar convertible.
Anything will fit with enough motivation…
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/722687071428098806/
n
I think that an old-style VW Beetle would do well with a large V8.
Meet The New Colonial Masters
I’ve been following “Financial Audit” for a while, but this couple caught my interest because they are typical of what is happening in North Austin/Round Rock/Georgetown as of late in terms of wealthy families from that part of the world sending the offspring to put down roots in this area, effectively colonizing Austin.
Of course, after they live here for a while, despite the best efforts of the parents and real estate developments mostly catering to this crowd, they buy into the American Dream complete with the debt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHBmuVCG6RQ
The wife is also part of another trend where the AMA is failing their membership by looking the other way while the C-suites in the large healthcare organizations establish a pipeline of MBBS graduates into the country to provide cheaper provider labor who, at least on paper, don’t have to worry about the high costs of living thanks to family backstops – a new wrinkle in the indentured servitude that is healthcare in the US.
She’s not into handbags or clothes. Oh, please.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHBmuVCG6RQ
“I was high net worth” $250k. Lost ???K in the stock market by selling as it fell. Bought back and got to $250K. Thought he’d ride it up and when it got to $500K he’d sell half and buy a rental property for cash. Because OF COURSE it was going to double. Again.
“ I didn’t think about losing my job.” – but he worked at a startup for more egoboo than money.
Now he’s sold all his assets. Is carrying $31.5K on AMERICAN EXPRESS, which should have been paid in full every month… bought ‘smart bulbs’ for his new apartment on a BEST BUY card, with $4k on it.
NB that he sold assets and paid off his credit card debt before the wedding, and now he’s back in the hole.
Oy vey.
If this is what all of the Austin area looks like, then the crash is closer than we think. They CAN”T keep the balls in the air for very much longer.
n
I’d be willing to bet the husband works where I work or HPE, hidden at the old DEC/Compaq campus nearby, and that a new house in Georgetown is under construction, paid for with the dowry from the wife’s family.
Always new houses, never used except on a temporary basis for eventual use as a rental property.
Lots of Tesla Model X in the parking lot where I work as of late. I don’t make that kind of money, and, this time last year, prior management was hinting about giving me a mediocre review so they could rebalance the pay discrepancies in the division, particularly with the people working on spouse visas.
Financial Audit is based in Austin so he gets a decent cross section of problems from within a 3-4 hour driving distance, which includes Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Watch his videos and judge for yourself how close we are to the edge in this state.
The problem with the mass migration to Texas is that it isn’t all high skilled labor, even the people who come here to work in tech.
Yes, RIP OFD. I think we all miss him.
I wonder how long until shop owners start shooting:
Philly cops brawl with masked looters after they ransacked Footlocker, Apple and Lululemon before making TWENTY arrests – as one raider is apprehended after LIVESTREAMING herself stealing from smashed up stores
Oh, yeah, the cops will come after the shop owners. There are bad cops, but cities tell them what to do. Vote out the Dumbocrats.
Hotrod Magazine once featured a Bugeye with a 327 dropped into it, back in the day.
Watching that video is painful. Managing his debt is a full time job for that guy. His wife will be a net drag for 2-3 years too, AND she’s got some kind of family money shenanigans going on with a separate account they use to avoid currency controls or taxes or some other thing.
He also has about 20 of the ‘web 2.0’ financial services and apps, lots of little companies I’ve never heard of, but I’m sure all of them either take a little bite, or sell him to others.
He’s using some sort of credit rehabilitation service, with fees, and he’s a 630 score. He must have missed a bunch of payments or been late a lot to have $50K in unsecured credit and be that low.
An expensive pet, dozens of subscriptions, fast food, a dozen cards, and fragmented finances to the point of atomization, each getting interest or a fee…
yikes.
n
Didn’t mention the 427; the block is in South Pittsburg, waiting for the heads to be fitted. I have a tunnel ram and a ’66 Falcon for it . I plan to build a set of 180 degree headers. By using a straight axle I think I can get two center ones from one side and two outside ones from the other to cross under the engine. Should be “interesting”. Probably a year or more before I can get it done.
The candidate vehicles for the 390 and 428 that I own are a ‘79 Fairmont wagon and a ’58 F-100. Possible intakes include a 2×4 Mickey Thompson Crossram or 2×3 with three Holley 600s 2 BBLs. (2BBLs are flow tested differently – they use a 3 inch vacuum vice the 1.5 inch vacuum of a 4 BBL so 1800 CFM is really only 1272 CFM .) Have and old Isky roller cam I want to play with. I’m old but I haven’t grown up.
I’ve got two Lakewood scatter shields, got to be safe. The shop I’ve been building for two years will be used to put these together.
This soldier should spend the rest of his life in Leavenworth. Traitor:
Travis King is taken into US custody after being expelled by North Korea two months after his ‘defection’ to rogue nation
plugs will probably award him the Medal of Honor. Or he will come out as a tranny and receive VA care for the rest of his life. No charges.
Holy cow, I have been letting that video play in the background, and after all the budget, spending, and savings talk, at about 1 hour in, homeboy pulls another $7K in credit card debt out of his @zz! “Do you have the BofA Platinum in that?”
He’s grossing $150K a year and can’t make ends meet.
n
In honor of OFD, some of most recent thoughts from Ann Barnhardt on Fake Pope Bergoglio.
https://www.barnhardt.biz/2023/09/20/now-wheres-my-video-tripod-it-must-be-in-one-of-these-boxes-somewhere/
My guess is that they’re backstopped by the wife’s family. The husband won Visa Lotto or graduated from UT or Texas State with a thesis-free Masters in CS or Business. I’ll refrain from further comment there lest I get myself in trouble.
Cough … diploma mills … cough.
She brings the “education” and the potential to generate a cashflow in the US assuming she passes the tests and obtains a residency somewhere.
My wife’s previous employer in WA State had awful problems retaining Internal Medicine specialists so they created their own residency program. The program has three MBBS grads from overseas similar to the wife in the video.
The really frightening thing about MBBS is that some states have, with the AMA’s blessing, relaxed the rules that they can put the MD initials after their name once they complete the residency.
The host is either frighteningly naive about the couple — which I doubt — or strictly interested in the surface financial issues and educating the audience.
Reading between the lines on the show, I get the impression that he has a deal in the works with Dave Ramsey, but Financial Audit is more generous with people using credit cards responsibly than Ramsey fronts. Plus, Ramsey is very politlcal, particularly with the student loan problem.
@SteveF
“I think that an old-style VW Beetle would do well with a large V8.”
Donald Westlake’s Parker bought such a car in one of the early novels. It was low-profile and fitted with a muffler that mimicked the original engine, and they called it a “mace” for it’s stealth until the foot went down.
A coworker decades ago told us about Bug with a Mustang engine. He insisted that it was from a flying Mustang, not a Ford Mustang. Would not be convinced otherwise, even when it was pointed out that a P-51 engine was approximately the full length of a Bug and considerably heavier.
I doubt that any of the engines used in the P-51 would fit in a Bug.
I used to live about an hour from the Fantasy of Flight facility in Florida, and the owner has what I believe is the largest single stash of new, crated Allison V-1710 engines in the world. One of those definitely wouldn’t fit, but I’ve never seen the Packard or Rolls Royce Mustang engines first hand. Maybe they are smaller, but both are V12 like the Allison.
There is a long history of putting aircraft engines in cars and boats, going back to post WW1. Just post WW2, V12s, particularly surplus Allisons, were plentiful and cheap. These are in the 1500 cubic inch neighborhood, and can put out much more power than their aircraft ratings. They don’t weigh as much as some would think, but they are l-o-n-g.
Instagram. Meta. Everyone wants to be an “influencer”.
It wouldn’t be impossible for Facecrack to demonetize videos from the area in the given time frame.
And will be placed on 100% disability in the VA system getting him ~$4K+ a month for life.
My after surgery PT guy used in in a hydroplane back in the late 60s or early 70s. Bantamweight or welterweight class of some kind.
It was him and a couple of brothers doing the wrenching, but he had to give it up, the Pro’s took over from the amateurs.
I think he had two of the Merkin engines.
Er, merkin?
I think that an old-style VW Beetle would do well with a large V8.
Sure. Just put the Beetle body on a 69 Mustang Mach One chassis.
The purists will now have me hunted down like a rabid dog.
Looters are wearing masks? Ban masks in public. Shoot masked criminals. It’ll slow down the collapse of civilization.
@stevef:
Also in some forms of slang: American – if you mispronounce American in the manner of Humphrey Bogart, you get “merkin”. This is the sense I use.
G.
Actually, I’d like to see if a 428 would fit in a 1967 Cougar convertible.
Fit, yes with much vaseline. And some torch treatment, wheel wells and firewalls are so optional. But the weight will require extreme shocks and bracing of the front end.
The 1969 Mustang was a way different car than the previous 64.5 Mustang. My suitemate at TAMU had a 69 Mach One. Way bigger vehicle. He did not know that College Station froze and we spent a day after Turkey Day replacing his freeze plugs in his 428 CJ since he did not put antifreeze in it and the 10 F freeze totally popped them out of the block. The freeze plugs were actually laying on the ground.
That could also be the Rolls Royce Merlin. Ahem.
The V12 was used extensively to power aircraft. In the early days, it might have been considered compact.
“CVS says it will close NINE HUNDRED stores by the end of 2024 – 10% of all its shops – as it moves to online strategy amid rampant increase in shoplifting”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12561125/cvs-pharmacy-shutting-stores-2024.html
This is not going to work.
Matt Bracken wrote an article several years ago that as the retail stores close in the inner cities, there will be flash mobs moving out into the suburbs. Looks like that time is here.
Beetle and Mustang purists.
The Mustang purists are having a good laugh at Tommy Boy’s expense as of late. The Mach-E isn’t selling, and Ford loses $30,000 on each one that does sell.
Tommy Boy knows what a real Mustang is all about. His daily driver is a 2012 Boss 302.
Or was. He may be doing a Buttgag (sp?) and driving an EV for show.
Either way, somewhere, the ghost of Lee Iacocca is laughing his a** off.
Pat Condell on “marginalized” alphabet people:
OK, Groomer.
LOL, yes, trannies are mentally ill men.
“You demented freaks.”
Well,,,,,,,after three trips to the Xfinity store I think my phone, and account, is now correct.
First visit was on Wednesday of last week to pre-order the phone. My account was messed up because I used a physical SIM in Europe. Xfinity thought I had gotten a new phone as it attached itself to the European SIM. Impossible to order a phone on the existing number. A new phone was ordered with a new number and the person in the store would transfer the number when the phone arrived.
Phone arrived on Monday and I went to the store to get the number transferred. It took the agent calling tier 3 support to get the number transferred. The phone was now working with the proper number.
On Tuesday I noticed the iPhone 15 was awaiting activation. I would get phone calls and emails from Xfinity saying I need to activate the phone. I was also still showing my old iPhone 13 on the account with the iPhone 15 awaiting activation. I figured it was an issue of their servers slow to update across their systems.
Today I noticed the same account problem. Back to the store to talk with the same agent. He called someone in support to which mere peons are not allowed access. How do I know? The person spoke English!
The person on the phone stated that whomever did the swap on Monday did it wrong. Several minutes of waiting, no signal on the phone, then signal on the phone. Now everything works again on the iPhone 15. I come home, access my account, and HPFM there are now only two phones on the account. I got an email saying my iPhone 15 was activated. I got an email stating the new number was deactivated and was back in the number pool.
All seems to be good. All of this because I used a physical SIM when I traveled to Europe. The Xfinity eSIM was turned off the entire time and both SIMs were never active at the same time. In fact, the European SIM was only active overseas, never in the US.
I wonder what will happen when I travel to Europe next year?
Fixed it for you.
I am a Mopar guy, but do own a 1968 Mustang. I know more about that era’s small block engines than the big block engines, but I am pretty sure the 67-68 bodies were made specifically to accommodate the 390 and up engines. I also believe the Cougars had the same dimensions. They were very nice cars, with many small touches absent in the Mustangs. They also cost more.
Although many people believe the 67 and 68 Mustangs are nearly alike, there are many differences between the bodies not specific to the engine fitment. Very few body parts interchange. There were more big changes starting in 69. This would seem to be a parts availability problem, but the cars were made in such large numbers that it isn’t really. The aftermarket also fills a lot of gaps.
I like the 68 that I have. With the 289, it is a well-balanced car that is fun to drive. The only thing it needs is a little more power, and that can be done these days without going to the big block engines. Remember, the Mustang was created as an affordable car, not a muscle car. The horsepower race probably started when GM introduced their Camaro in 67; it could be ordered with a big block engine from day 1. All this history can be looked up easily. The Shelby race cars were just that: highly modified in their day for track racing. The street versions were tamer.
The 65-68 Mustangs compare well to other similar cars of the day. Without getting into brand wars, my father had a 1972 Plymouth Valiant Swinger (2 door) with the 225 cu in slant six. I drove it around for a day when I visited him in Michigan. It was a similar structural layout, but the various body resonances were all different. Neither car had any serious shortcomings, and they were surprisingly similar in many respects. A blindfolded passenger could definitely tell them apart, but might incorrectly guess which was which. Both cars could be equipped with six or eight cylinder engines with functionally similar transmissions.
Maybe get a cheap phone from eBay or the Dollar Store?
V8 in a beetle?
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/hemi-powered-vw-beetle-rocks-front-mounted-v8-is-all-muscle-143540.html
We are back at the hospital. Hopefully in and out with the complication fixed.
I am noticing massive security at every public entrance and on every floor. One security officer told me that if you have a baby but do not have a wrist band and passcode, you will be detained. The security people seem to be on edge here in the center of Houston med center. Could it be the large numbers of street people outside ?
I like this one better
https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/homegrown-v-8-speed-beetle-packs-300-detroit-horses/
Don’t hold back, Pat, tell us what you really think.
When I looked at NOAA for Burnet this morning the forecast was about 92F and sunny. Sure looks like rain clouds growing out there.
Hey, you know the peppermint candies that look like slices of peppermint sticks? Have you had the crystal blue version? Same flavor but without the flour or corn starch.
I took the dogs for bedtime potty walk last night. A little later than usual. That crystal blue candy? The entire sky was that color with a ¾ full moon throwing shadows. It was pretty nice. Neato, even.
That would not work. I need the number for WiFi calling back to the states.
I would also be dealing with Android. I don’t want to learn a new system.
Sort of had the same thing here. Blackberry went away. Someone needs a new phone and thinks he wants an iPhone. I guess the commercials work. I told him if he insists he is on his own and don’t call me for tech support.
I found him a brand new LG V20 just like my phone for about $120, I forget exactly but close. For a phone that was the flagship three years ago and sold for $800.
He was going to have to learn a new phone OS no matter what. I messed with a few Apple phone things at HEB and they sucked. Maybe corporate had them super locked down.
Anyway. He’s happy.
He misses the Hub where everything was gathered. Texts, e-mail, calendar reminders, shopping list, etc. Pretty cool feature.
I’ve looked a little and I don’t find a Hub for android.
Lots of Beetles with V8s, but here is the only one I could find with a radial engine that drives the wheels. Too bad I couldn’t find any video of it being driven:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGeSIM_8BHY
This company puts modern GM V8s in all sorts of cars, but not a Beetle so far. This one is the most ambitious, except possibly the 914 shown on their website. Renegade 944 LS3 V8 Build:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULMHzw771DM
For those with the motivation, a modern 478 ci Hemi in a Bugeye Sprite. Homebuilt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4WcDXftxKk&pp=ygUSYnVnZXllIHNwcml0ZSBoZW1p
For something really ridiculous, a rat rod “VW” Frankenbug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ82FOO2T3Y&pp=ygUbaHlicmlkIGxzIHZvbGtzd2FnZW4gYmVldGxl
Don’t forget the radial engine powered Meyers Manx on Jay Leno’s Garage. It would exceed my link allotment, so just search for Meyers Manx Dune Buggy With Airplane Engine.
You could get an iPhone SE, which still takes a standard SIM, but the camera isn’t nearly as good as what you have on the Pro.
Android gets really creepy. I had roof companies knocking on the door all day, and, at one point, when I had my Samsung tablet out to check emails right before one guy knocked, I came back from answering the door to a message in my Gmail Inbox: “Do You Need A New Roof? Call Us …”
The high pressure system went away again so seabreeze stuff is possible.
Lots of houses and cars are trashed around Round Rock. Another hail storm or even a big rain event will be a huge problem.
@Lynn
Actually, I’d like to see if a 428 would fit in a 1967 Cougar convertible*.
“Fit, yes with much vaseline. And some torch treatment, wheel wells and firewalls are so optional. But the weight will require extreme shocks and bracing of the front end.”
I had to look it up. (h/t to JimB–you were right.) Turns out the 390 was offered as an option. I presume that the upgrade came with some beefier suspension parts to accommodate the extra 200 pounds. And they offered the 428 as an option in 1968, so the question is answered. I’d say good luck finding one.
I had a teacher in HS that had a 67 Cougar hardtop. I went from a 66 Mustang (200cid) to a 67 4-door T-bird (390). I compared and the Mercury seemed to split the difference nicely.
I was able to deal into mine because of one dinged door and the owner had other problems and couldn’t afford the fix. The car was from California and I removed the California air pump one night in the driveway–it looked like an explosion of a plumber’s tool box. Car ran better but couldn’t touch Dad’s lighter 66 Bird with the 428. Did some work on the door, replaced the vinyl top, and had it repainted, going from a washed-out bronze to a more coppery color that was an improvement.
I do not miss trying to start those big blocks in the winter when the temps dipped below 20 or so. One of the many improvements with modern cars.
*Looked that up, too. No convertibles until 69.
Something is creepy. Not wanting to start a flame war, but I have been on Android since late 2011 when I started with the first Samsung Galaxy Note. I have never had anything approaching that kind of creepy stuff. I attribute this to Gmail’s good spam protection, not necessarily Android. I don’t deny your experience, but you did say it was Gmail, and so would likely have shown up on any device that can do email.
I also live in a remote area with very few neighbors, hence almost no other Wi-Fi signals. Significant? Door-to-door sales are nonexistent. That last one just reminded me of a scene from “Secondhand Lions.” What a movie!
I have used lots of tech stuff, and even understand some of it. 🙂 That said, I suggest everyone find something they can trust and which performs to their expectations. I have a friend who is a macOS wizard. He is also pretty competent with Windows and Linux. I like Mopars; he has a Packard. We get along very well.
Progressive elected officials beg conservative Supreme Court for relief on homelessness
https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2023/09/27/auto-draft-159-n580778
Set up drug-free
roach motelscamps in the country for anyone without a place to sleep. Free transport, but far enough out so that it’s not a day camp.If life wasn’t cheap we wouldn’t have 8 billion people on the planet and all wanting to get into the U.S. illegally. Bring back chain gangs, indentured servitude, and slavery if necessary, because…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqbk9cDX0l0
“Texas power grid will be impacted by Oct. 14 solar eclipse, ERCOT says”
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/solar-eclipse-ercot-18390051.php
“The grid operator has relied heavily on renewable energy to meet peak demands over the summer.”
“The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is bracing itself for yet another challenge to the state’s power grid this year: The upcoming Oct. 14 annular solar eclipse. Texas is a prime viewing spot for next month’s “ring of fire,” its path of totality tracing over the cities of Odessa, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi. Unfortunately, ERCOT officials recently confirmed that the rare celestial event could have measurable impacts on solar resource power production following a summer of record-breaking demand.”
“ERCOT has already been put to the test this summer, setting an all-time peak demand record of 85,464 MW on Aug. 10—just one of 10 new all-time peak demand records set this summer. Tight grid conditions prompted several appeals for Texans to conserve energy use, mostly between the hours of 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. when solar energy production dips as the sun goes down.”
“’36 Hunter Paintings’: Trump Supporters Accuse Judge Of Massively Undervaluing Mar-A-Lago”
https://dailycaller.com/2023/09/27/hunter-biden-paintings-donald-trump-lawsuit-new-york/
“Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron valued the former president’s Florida estate at just $18 million in a judgement that found Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth while building his real estate empire, the New York Post reported. The Palm Beach property’s value was inflated by 2,500 percent, according to the decision.”
““Hunter Biden’s paintings are worth $500k and a 20-acre property in Palm Beach is worth $18 Million. 36 Hunter paintings can buy Mar-a-Lago. Are you paying attention yet?” Chaya Raichik, also known as LibsOfTikTok, posted on Twitter.”
“Hunter Biden has been widely accused of using his lucrative art hobby as a means of influence peddling. The first son appears to have sold $850,000 worth of art to a Democratic party donor who President Joe Biden later appointed to a historical commission.”
The New York City judge has shutdown Trump Org, declaring it to be a fraudulent business. Unreal.
I lived in Iowa for about five years. Went from a Bug to a Chrysler 300 with a 440, followed by a New Yorker with a 440. All three of them started just fine down to -10F, which was about the coldest it got with one exception. Early on, the temp dipped to -25F. My roomie had a 425 Olds, and it cranked at what seemed 10 rpm. Obviously didn’t start. With some spring in my step (hey, it was cccold!) I went to my 65 VW, turned the key, and heard all six volts barely pull in the starter solenoid. No start. That was a Saturday, and we brought our batteries inside to warm up. A few hours later, both started. The temp was probably up to -15F.
The secret of good starting is good maintenance. Everything has to be in tip-top shape. Thin oil. The automatic choke has to be just right. Good phase of the moon helps.
I have never experienced cold weather starting with one of the new electronic squirter cars, but I would guess they might start more easily, mostly because they get a really precise spray just upstream of the intake valve. I have seen carbureted cars blow a puddle of liquid fuel for a few seconds after starting at those temperatures. Imagine the ring wear!
Oh, I had a friend who came from Fargo, North Dakota. Oy, the stories he could tell. Makes me shiver.
I had to replace another dead LED bulb at the office today. That makes 10 or 20 out of 60 or so LED bulbs. This was an outside light on the main office building so it runs every night plus all weekends, maybe 5,000 hours per year. So much for the long life of LED bulbs.
https://financialpost.com/commodities/energy/electric-vehicles/volkswagen-cuts-ev-output-germany-demand-craters
I am shocked! Nobody wants to pay full price for an EV.
The last time the (much smaller) Kennedy Compound in Palm Beach changed hands in 2020, the price tag was $70 million.
Maybe not $1 Billion as Trump now claims, but certainly low nine figures.
Yup. Just out of curiosity, was it an “A” bulb (regular screw-in bulb?) Is it mounted base up or base down?
I have a mix of about 20 800 lumen and 1600 lumen bulbs. Only a few get a lot of hours per year. Of those, all are base down except one that is base up. The base up one only lasts a fraction of the hours of the base down ones. (I do keep records.) The heat causes the capacitors to fail.
BTW, the 1600 lumen (100 watt equivalent) ones came from Costco, Feit brand. The 800 lumen (60 watt equivalent) ones came from Dollar Tree. The Dollar Tree ones are clearly shorter life compared to the Feit, although one Feit was an infant mortality, and another hums. I have bought very few of the expensive name brands, such as Philips, and run them too few hours for good data.
The LEDs are much better than the older CFLs, which in turn were sometimes shorter life than incandescent bulbs. One place LEDs work great is in rough service. I have dropped clamp lights that I use for working on cars. That would almost always kill an incandescent bulb, but so far I haven’t killed an LED.
As far as life cycle cost, LEDs are the best, with CFLs a bit behind. Incandescent bulbs are by far the worst because of their high energy use. The color rendition of some LEDs is very good, as were fewer CFLs. I have yet to install any 48” LED fluorescent tube replacements, so no comments. I will say I have bought some shop fixtures to try, and they seem OK, but many are dimmer than good fixtures with T12 40 watt tubes. Their energy use per lumen is barely better than good Fluorescent tubes.
One thing about LED tubes and PAR lamp replacements: they put out lower light levels, but the light is often better directed. This can make them appear brighter than they really are. However, appearance counts, which works in their favor. Best to try a few and decide.
I am going to experiment with low voltage strip lighting to see how well they last. I have several places to put them for low level lighting. I doubt I will be able to do any more than read reviews and look at specs.
9/27/23
I’ve been painting the trim on my house off and on since last Fall. The house faces the street, which 45 is about degrees from North. I started on the southwest side last year, did the front (northwest) side in the spring and today started on the northeast side. I dislike the preparation work (scraping and wire brushing). It leaves a mess with the old paint chips on the ground. Almost two hours on the ladder and my legs were tired, but I got the first coat on.
Took a break from that and called Bissell – the rug cleaner I brought in August died and it has five-year warranty. The telephone help was surprisingly good. She texted me a link which installed a video app on my Android phone and then read the model/serial number tag, had me set the machine up as she watched via the app and when it was obvious rug cleaner wasn’t working – it doesn’t squirt water – she said they would send me a new one. The only problem was they wanted a .pdf file of the Amazon receipt and all I had was a .html file. She told me she had to take that to her supervisor and would get back to me. She hasn’t yet.
The rain has washed away a lot of subsoil leaving 1-to-4-inch rocks. They are hard to walk on and difficult to drive over. I cleaned some of them previously and today did that for two hours – raking and then shoveling into a garden cart and then dumping them where I wanted them. Not practical to move the rocks with the backhoe. Very glad I didn’t use the backhoe as I discovered that the cat 6 ethernet cable to the shop was exposed, not buried 15 inches down as it should have been. Another thing goes on my to do list.
Cut the grass and discovered that the right front tire on the Husqvarna tractor needs replacing.
RE: Mustangs and the Ford intermediate model cars of the ‘60s. The ’67-69 Mustang and Cougar shared engine compartment dimensions. The 390 and later the 428 were Factory options. The 427 engine was only used in some of the Shelby models and the ’68 Cougars. The ’66-69 Fairlane and Mercury Comet likewise shared engine compartments and again the 390s, and 428s were factory options. The ’66-69 Falcon used this engine compartment also, but Ford never installed the 390 or 428 in Falcons. While going to college at Oklahoma State in 1972 I installed a 428 in a ’66 Falcon wagon which became my daily driver.
My credentials to speak about Ford cars of the ’60s and ‘70s are sound. I was a moderator for the FordFE.com forum for about 10 years. (I stopped when my wife needed me due to Alzheimer’s in 2017.) My website is FordFE.info.
I had to replace another dead LED bulb at the office today. That makes 10 or 20 out of 60 or so LED bulbs. This was an outside light on the main office building so it runs every night plus all weekends, maybe 5,000 hours per year. So much for the long life of LED bulbs.
Yup. Just out of curiosity, was it an “A” bulb (regular screw-in bulb?) Is it mounted base up or base down?
At a 45 degree angle pointed down. 100 watt equivalent (15 watt GE) screw in. They all screw in, most are in can lights with the base up (bulb hangs down). About a dozen are outside with some protection.
One place LEDs work great is in rough service.
Yup, LED bulbs in garage door openers last forever.
Regarding having an html file when you need PDF – you need to get the File Converter program from here https://file-converter.org/ .
It’s an add-in to File Manager (Windows), and does very fast conversions for a wide variety of files. Excellent program; free (donation-ware). Been on my system for a couple of years, and it is rare that a week will go by without using it.
Recommended.
The ’66-69 Falcon used this engine compartment also, but Ford never installed the 390 or 428 in Falcons. While going to college at Oklahoma State in 1972 I installed a 428 in a ’66 Falcon wagon which became my daily driver.
A friend in high school had a 1970 ??? Gran Torino with the 429 Cobra Jet engine and three speed auto. It was a tire burning monstrosity. Cream colored with the vinyl top and luxury vinyl interior.
RichH: The .html file is an Amazon file which I have saved to my documents folder. I installed the file converter. I restarted Windows Explorer, but I don’t see the File Converter in it.
I do have an Amazon folder that I didn’t have before I saved the .html file.
The File Converter site does not show .html as a supported file format.
In File Explorer, right-click (select) the file you need to convert. Then use the ‘show more options’ choice at the bottom of that context menu to see the File-Convert choice.
A recent update of File Explorer (four months ago? when Tabs were added to File Explorer?) puts add-ins and other choices on the secondary ‘show more options’ menu. Their docs don’t have this newer information.
My Falcon wagon had Mickey Thompson Super Scavenger headers, aluminum flywheel, 4 speed top loader, Hurst shifter, line lock, 4.57 Detroit Locker rear axle, and L60-14 Dunlop tires.
Who would have guessed there were so many gearheads here? Not me. Nice to hear. I was only peripherally involved with cars those many years ago. Chrysler New Yorker, 1973? with a 440 and 4bbl was as close as I came to a “fast car”. It was certainly terrifyingly fast, once it got moving… and started to float all over the road.
My buddies built hot rods, and I could talk the talk for a while. I even worked on a couple of things for Hot Rod Magazine, and IHRA Today in the middle 90s, but I never got bitten by the car bug.
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Rained a bit this evening. Not too much or too fast, but there is water on the ground.
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1973 was the first year for the isolated K-frame on C bodies; this subframe cradles the engine and front suspension, and bolts to the body. Yours might have had worn or weathered rubber bushings. Another possibility is sloppy lower control arm rubber bushings. The first ones are easy to replace; the second require more heavy work, but are within the capability of a home shop. Torsion bars are much easier to work with than coil springs. Contrary to some claims, the stock bushings will give good handling along with a quiet ride. It is not necessary to use stiffer ones, such as polyurethane. Stiffer bushings can help some other cars, such as B bodies.
My 1969 Chrysler was made with solid a solid bolted K-frame. This gave better handling at the expense of more road noise. The 1967-8 Imperials used a different bushing design that produced good handling and a quiet ride.
Chrysler experimented with subframe and rear leaf spring bushing designs. By 1980, they had a design that produced a smooth quiet ride with no compromise to handling. I had 68 and 69 C bodies, and an 80 R body, and all handled very well with no float at high speeds. Another key is to use good shocks, especially on the front. The stock shocks were generally good until they wore out. Aftermarket shocks were mostly inferior, even some of the well respected names available today.
For better handling than stock, there were several minor-looking tricks, but Chrysler’s basic design and parts selection over those years was very good. I have slightly modified my 68 Mustang’s front suspension for better handling, but haven’t done enough. It is good, but not great.
There is a very good book, How to Make Your Car Handle by Fred Puhn:
https://www.amazon.com/Make-your-Handle-HP46-1987-01-15/dp/B01K908B2Y?tag=ttgnet-20
Wow, still available. I have a copy stashed away. Some say it is outdated, but it covers basic suspension design and modification very well. Of course, some of the latest performance cars do have much better suspension than the dinosaurs from the 1960s. Just look at one of Richard Petty’s Plymouths from the 1960s. Those ran at over 200 mph on suspiciously stock looking suspension. In reality, they were heavily modified, but mostly with stronger components that kept much of the original design geometry. And, they only turned left!
Forgot to mention. I transitioned from a 69 Chrysler New Yorker 4 door hardtop to a 68 Imperial Crown 4 door hardtop. Both cars had the same engine and transmission and handled about the same, but the Imperial had a quieter ride, with a slight reduction in harshness. This is due to the isolated K-frame and rubber isolated rear leaf springs. Also, the Imperial has many subtle improvements in body structure, sound deadening, and interior amenities. No expense was spared on the 67-68 model Imperials, which were the first unit construction bodies for the Imperial. In 69, the Imperial shared the same body with the Chrysler line, but retained the suspension mods. Imperials of some years were truly different cars, and even had their own assembly line. They did such things as balancing wheel covers! They also used constant velocity double cardan universal joints in the driveshaft. All this added up to a very nice car. It is said that Chrysler lost money on Imperials, mostly because of very low production volume. My model had only about 8400 made. Cadillac probably made over 50k.
Top of the line Cadillacs were good cars. I have never owned one, but friends and relatives did. GM had about ten times the corporate engineering budget as Chrysler, which was called the engineering company. In reality, Chrysler used conservative designs to save development money. The result was durable engines, transmissions, and suspensions. Bodies of their economy lines – not so much. In the 1960s, Ford had an all-out program to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness. They made some cars that rivaled Rolls Royce. That is not just advertising. I toured Ford and Chrysler body test labs, and Ford had all the goodies.
Not creepy, but irritating. I have a number of public email addresses online, either for myself, or for organisations I help out. These are always obfuscated: if a bot scrapes the page, it gets nonsense, but humans can read them. Generally, this requires JavaScript, but there are various techniques available.
Anyway, I just got my first-ever spam on one of these addresses. Most likely, some underpaid sot in a third-world country is being paid to be a human web-scraper. Annoying, because it means that such addresses will no longer be spam-free.