Cool and clear, but still damp. Achingly damp. There were scattered rain showers in various parts of town yesterday. I could see them when I was driving around, but nothing that affected me. Today could be the same… or it could pour on me no matter where I am, but the money is on “same.”
I got my pickups done. Didn’t do a drop off. Chatted with one of the staff guys at one auctioneer. He’d been gone for a while with health issues. A sinus infection turned into a tooth problem turned into life threatening sepsis. Many people tied from abscesses in their mouths. Many people died from simple infections. Anesthetics and antibiotics have made all the surgical interventions modern medicine is so fond of possible. And the antibiotics have made interventions unnecessary in many cases. We live in an age of miracles and don’t even realize it.
There were an awful lot of people sneezing and sniffling when I was out and about, myself included. I actually handed out some tissues. I am a bit fatigued and might just go back to bed for a while today. I have stuff to do, but rest and fluids sounds better right now. I’d like to kick this thing in the @ss and move on, especially with my other testing and appointments.
So I’m going to just play today by ear. Might do stuff, might not. Wife is traveling on the day of Jihad, so that’s fun. I think I’ll stay close to home.
And stack. Or re-arrange stacks. Or maybe clean and double check some needful things. the smell of Hoppes is like aromatherapy…
nick
Not quite sure what to make of this. Most months, Friday the 13th falls on a Thursday or gets shifted to the 15th or something. And things have nevertheless been going steadily downhill for the past couple years. This month? With the 13th falling on a Friday? Do we batten down the hatches? Relax because the triskaidekan mischief misfortune won’t be any worse than the deliberate destruction being wrought?
Meh. I have more pressing matters, like pouring my coffee from the maker into the thermos and then getting The Child up for school and then opening the chicken coop. The world is just going to have to take care of itself.
I stopped listening to one history podcaster because he kept attributing Democrat sins to Republicans. Most of each podcast was narration of facts but he had frequent short “conversations” which were “made up but historically accurate”. Like LBJ telling some other politician that he finally had the votes to overcome Republican opposition and get the civil rights act passed, or Wilson complaining about KKK Republicans. Stopped listening because if he’s lying about something I know about, what else is he lying about?
Not bad, but I prefer to remind politicians of Johann de Witt Day.
Tell them that this will not happen again (if you can pull that off) or else that if it happens again, there won’t be the opportunity for a third time.
A big stunt in the US? In the current environment? That would be stupid.
Both sides want something to happen, though.
And, as Feinstein’s death reminded us last month, the party of Jim Jones, whose political legacy may yet end up in the White House.
Stay thirsty my friends.
Hardcore Republican opposition like Albert Gore Sr. and William Fullbright of “Fullbright Scholarship” fame. And don’t forget Grand Kleagle Robert “Sheets” Byrd.
An artifact of our calendar is that the 13th is most likely to fall on Friday.
On a lighter note, the “South Park” kids look … different.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar4aHfA2UwQ
Maybe the problem is me and not, say, certain C-suites in Burbank and Hollywood effectively owned by Vanguard, State Street, and Black Rock.
Again, if you’ve never heard of State Street, you most likely aren’t reading your 401(k) mailings closely enough.
I worked for a PC Principal-type at the last job, the company with James Clapper on the board … until he wasn’t.
I stopped watching South Park when they caved on the depiction of mohammed (torment be upon him.)
—–
yeah, I remember football games and hanging out. It was fun. But when I called dad for a ride, I was ready for pickup, not ordering Canes with my friends.
—–
Murdering children and bragging about it on social media is stupid. But they did it and thought it would be great. They might think this is their time, and the Caliphate will rise up and establish itself if they inspire enough jihadis. I think that in the world of 2 years ago, they might have, but too many people are waking up, and killing kids hands on is enough to flip anyone who might have been on the fence and ignoring the muslim problem.
Dunno, we’ll find out.
n
BBC journalist broke down in tears while reporting from inside a hospital in Gaza. BBC Arabic reporter Adnan El-Bursh fell to his knees after seeing dozens of friends and neighbours among the dead as Israel bombards the settlement
– dead jews didn’t bother him.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ushome/index.html
n
My question is where was “South Park” for the last few years? They’re suspiciously late to the party and have the ability to be topical, putting out a show in a few days if necessary.
It definitely seems like the all clear has been given by Vanguard, et. al for open season on Disney, and some new money is at work at Paramount/Viacom, “South Park’s” corporate benefactor, getting the studio’s IP ready for a sale, whether complete or in pieces.
Of course, Disney brought it on themselves, and, considering what they’ve done to most of the IP of my childhood and college years lately, I’m enjoying watching The Mouse burn regardless of who is manning the flame thrower at any given moment.
Not sure how I managed to post this comment a week in the past, but here it is again…
@Bob: Thanks for the summary of your paper. Pretty obviously, my knowledge is based on high school history and superficial knowledge, whereas you’ve done a lot more research into the topic.
In any case, the pressure on the Palestinians – turning Gaza into a pressure cooker – is entirely deliberate by the surrounding Arab nations. Egypt closing its border to Gaza is a pretty clear statement. Let’s see how many other Arab nations offer evacuation via the sea route. Almost certainly: zero.
———-
On a different, but related topic: It’s interesting to see the pro-Hamas protests, and the local reactions to them. All the Harvard student organizations will claim the right to “free speech”. They may discover that they can speak, but that there are consequences to that speech.
Locally, a tenured professor came out in support of Hamas. He was fired, and the university looked into why his department head didn’t do so faster. Turns out she is his wife, and is now also likely to be fired. In Germany, they have outlawed a number of organizations that sponsored pro-Hamas protests. Free speech in Europe has limits. One can argue whether that is good or bad, but that’s the way it is.
Given the huge number of Arab immigrants over the past 10-20 years, I predict some interesting times ahead as they test the limits of European tolerance…
The limit was reached in some countries before this. Pro-Hamas b.s. is going to galvanize some people. Here’s to 9mm tolerance.
Given the huge number of Arab invaders over the past 10-20 years
Fixed it for you.
@bob sprowl, I think you need something like this?
https://hibid.com/lot/172522267/carburetor-synchronizer
n
You gotta love the Daily Mail. Right across from this headline article is:
Zendaya goes braless!
The best rag on the ‘net.
Absolutely hilarious when the PLTs get a taste of their own medicine. “But, but, but free speech!” After they cancel any conservative speech.
But but but, I thought trans women were real women??
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12626659/Campaigners-fury-transgender-influencer-Dylan-Mulvaney-wins-Attitude-magazines-Woman-Year-critics-accuse-awards-gaslighting-women-everywhere.html
– they left “destroyed an iconic brand” and “cost major company millions of dollars in revenue, market share, and stock value” as accomplishments. Not a bad day’s work for someone who spends their life LARPing as a girl.
n
It’s nice to see the pushback on the trans-nuttiness. I had to laugh at an article I saw earlier this week about a “gay trans-woman”. It was pretty clear that it was just a normal, hetero guy who had a fetish for cross-dressing. But put some buzzwords on him, and suddenly he’s all trendy.
InBev’s market share didn’t change since Modelo, brewed in the next vat over in a figurative (literal?) sense, absorbed the lost sales in that category, but the Bud Light brand fell off of a cliff.
The publicity for the next “Dune” movie was bought and paid for months ago even though the studio pushed the release into next year.
Next time, guys, make sure to let The Mail know about the schedule slip.
“US warns Starlink satellites will start killing people and reveals chance of hitting a human will soon be 61% each year”
https://www.the-sun.com/tech/9321207/us-warning-starlink-satellites-kill-people/
We are all going to die. Just like the “Dead Like Me” tv show where the girl gets hit by a toilet from a space station.
Hat tip to:
https://www.drudgereport.com/
The BBC is still being evasive with the release dates for the “Doctor Who” 60th anniversary specials even though the milestone is just ten days away.
A year ago, casting a transgender actor in a significant role in the specials seemed safe, but that decision may well be the final nail in the IP coffin for the series, now heading towards being yet another failure for Disney+ in the US.
Really liked “Dead Like Me.” Didn’t like the movie as much. Loved “The Wonderfalls” which someone here recommended way back in the darkness of time…
n
The beginning of the first book in the “RV Vigilante” series – “The RV Park Redemption”:
The first three books in the series available on Amazon here – ebook and paperback. There are actual sales showing up. Current ranking is 1438 in it’s category and 513,068 overall (out of 3-4 million books).
Working on the fourth book in the series. Early days, but I’m getting closer to figuring out where the story goes.
Surely they would burn up on re-entry?
Or the demise of The Blender Children in Mike Nesmith’s underrated “Tapeheads”.
“Northern Exposure” also had a character killed by a falling satellite.
The satellites are getting bigger as Starlink adds subscribers and, soon, voice/text service to standard handsets.
The government claims some parts could make it through reentry. The company claims that’s not true, that the government is basing its report on other satellites built of different materials.
For the rest of us – who do you believe? No way to know…
Murdering children and bragging about it on social media is stupid. But they did it and thought it would be great. They might think this is their time, and the Caliphate will rise up and establish itself if they inspire enough jihadis. I think that in the world of 2 years ago, they might have, but too many people are waking up, and killing kids hands on is enough to flip anyone who might have been on the fence and ignoring the muslim problem.
I am confused.
Sun Tzu said never do the King a small harm. The Palestinians have killed the children and the aged of Israel. Israel is infuriated. Are the Palestinians that stupid ? Or is the next event getting ready to happen ?
I can think of many events. A nuclear bomb buried in Gaza waiting for the Israelis to gather above it. 100,000 rockets from the Hezbollah in Lebanon shot into Israel simultaneously. Etc, etc, etc…
If I were in charge at Starlink, I’d add a toilet to every satellite, a reentry-burn-proof toilet, just to increase the chance of someone being hit by a space toilet.
The government claims some parts could make it through reentry. The company claims that’s not true, that the government is basing its report on other satellites built of different materials.
For the rest of us – who do you believe? No way to know…
Starlink has deorbited many satellites already. Hundreds. Some by choice, some caught by solar wind, some caught by unplanned expansion of the stratosphere in to outer space during a launch. No satellites hit the ground, they all burned up.
Adapt or Die.
This is the way.
Really liked “Dead Like Me.” Didn’t like the movie as much.
I have watched the “Dead Like Me” series twice. The movie sucked dead bunnies because Mandy Patinkin was not in it.
“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” Sometimes. Not always.
Same essay at each site.
https://www.dailypundit.com/dailypundit.wordpress/2023/10/13/attributing-to-malice/
https://coldfury.com/2023/10/13/attributing-to-malice/
The first three books in the series available on Amazon here – ebook and paperback. There are actual sales showing up. Current ranking is 1438 in it’s category and 513,068 overall (out of 3-4 million books).
Congratulations !
Too bad there are no reviews yet. I know a professional reviewer who does reviews for $100 but he is SF/F only.
Maybe somebody here will do a review for you.
Sorry, I only do reviews of SF/F and John Grisham books. I have done Lee Child books in the past but I let that go as the new Golden Age of SF/F went wild with all of the self published authors.
Thanks!
Paying for reviews will make the Zon very mad if they find out (and they have their ways). Up to removing your book(s), and maybe disabling your entire book account. Very strongly discouraged. Not something I will do.
Any review is appreciated, especially ones with many stars. 🙂 Still in early days of being published; sales are minimal. And only 10% (or less) of readers actually take the time to do a review.
I may have to do some Facebook advertising. Marketing my books is not my strong point.
Pearls Before Swine: The Book Tour From Prison
https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2023/10/13
Oh yeah, this is a monumental book tour for Stephan Pastis.
I may have to do some Facebook advertising. Marketing my books is not my strong point.
You and me both brother ! You and me both.
“Biden awards $7 billion for clean hydrogen hubs across the country to help replace fossil fuels”
https://www.chron.com/business/article/biden-awards-7-billion-for-clean-hydrogen-hubs-18423665.php
What could go wrong ?
This is why the “Star Trek” future won’t work. Nobody is smart enough to completely understand the Enterprise. AI-infused automatons will make starships run.
This is why the “Star Trek” future won’t work. Nobody is smart enough to completely understand the Enterprise. AI-infused automatons will make starships run.
The Enterprise is a cruise ship merged with a battleship. You can make it work but AI will definitely be needed all over the place.
“Why illegal aliens are given more rights and entitlements than Americans”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2023/10/why-illegal-aliens-are-given-more.html
“It’s obvious that the Administration is trying to dilute the American electorate with left-leaning voters by importing millions of them across our southern border. Expect renewed efforts to offer them a path to citizenship in the near future, which will allow them to vote legally – and expect renewed efforts to move them to more conservative states, where even a few hundred thousand more left-wing votes might turn that state from red to blue. It’s a deliberate attempt to nullify the will of the people by diluting the people.”
No wonder why the USA has gone broke. The Dollar apocalypse is coming soon.
This piece spoils one of the better kept secrets of the last season of Picard, but it puts the spotlight on the influence of Mike Okuda and LCARS. When “Star Trek” came back in the 80s, they put a lot of thought into how things would work on the ship to the point that Okuda maintained a writers’ handbook which was eventually published as the TNG “Technical Manual”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewF5hbJXMtE
I regreted selling that book when I needed rent money in Vantucky. I recently got another copy on EBay, but not nearly in the condition in which I maintain my collectible things. New copies are “print on demand” garbage with terrible art and monochrome printing.
An early piece of Internet humor was the “Top Ten Similarities Between ‘The Love Boat’ and ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation”, probably from one of the Usenet newsgroups.
I can’t remember them all of the top of my head, but what I can remember:
Since when has that been a concern?
I have the technical manual for the Enterprise for the original Star Trek series. It is in excellent condition.
“Meteorologists, Scientists Explain Why There Is ‘No Climate Emergency’”
https://archive.ph/vDsdT
“Flawed modeling and overblown rhetoric drowning out scientific reality for the sake of money and power, climate experts say”
Very flawed modeling starting with the premise that all CO2 is from humans.
“STRIKE UPDATE – UAW President: “We’re Not Messing Around”, Warns Additional Strikes Could Happen At Any Time”
https://www.carpro.com/blog/update-uaw-strikes-ford-kentucky-truck-plant
“The UAW changed its tactics earlier this week, surprising Ford with a strike at its Kentucky Truck Plant. Fain said the UAW called the strike when Ford didn’t sweeten the deal and came back with the same economic offer it rejected two weeks ago. Fain said at that point he told Ford: “You just cost yourself Kentucky Truck Plant”.”
The UAW leaders are crazy.
There was an excellent essay about 10 years ago: “Everything is Broken”. Nothing has really changed, there are just more broken things & new broken things.
https://medium.com/message/everything-is-broken-81e5f33a24e1
Kentucky is bad news. The state went “Right to Work” about six years ago, but the unions hung on.
Yuuup, I don’t know about reentry. I always worked launching rockets to get the payload satellites, such as GPS units, into specified orbits.
Lynn mentioned the author John Grisham. I am currently reading his “Partners” in ebook format on my tablet. I borrow these on my tax dollars from my local public library using the app “cloudLibrary”.
Lynn mentioned the author John Grisham. I am currently reading his “Partners” in ebook format on my tablet. I borrow these on my tax dollars from my local public library using the app “cloudLibrary”.
I have four XXXX five John Grisham books in my SBR. Sam’s Club had “The Firm” MMPB for $6 the other day so I grabbed it for a reread. The movie was awesome.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12628411/Moment-Connecticut-couple-accost-landscaper-cops.html
Never once does the landscaper claim to be legal… and the mayor and his staff are fine with illegal activity in their town, and with using the cops as bully boys.
n
Still busy with fall chores and house maintenance. Quick drive by”.
I continue to work on the rabbitry (third iteration since 2020).
We’ve had our first snow. It melted. Winter is here though as we’ve been dipping below freezing most nights.
Cages are hung. Electricity in (longer term there’ll be a buried line, currently an extension cord powering actual outlets). Wyze cameras in. All rabbits in rabbitry and not temp accommodations.
The watering system is next. The nipples need attention to reduce leaking this winter.
I’m refurbishing my SE2 threaded brass nipples in my rabbitry. I like these because I can adjust the water flow as PSI varies, can replace the internal diaphragm and o-rings, they are threaded and screw into a tee joint on the 1/2” pvc, and have held up well. I can buy new for $3.00 or refurbish for $0.50. Six nipples refurbished for the cost of replacing one? I’ll take it.
In one video I am taking apart the brass nipple in preparation for cleaning followed by reassembly with fresh o-rings and fresh diaphragm.
I cleaned the brass parts in salt and vinegar. I scrubbed off the dirt and scraps of plumbers tape. Then I washed with dish soap and rinsed well in water.
In the other video I am reassembling the brass nipple.
Disassembly
https://youtu.be/prjsp95OPiM?si=L8D3U-wL-8W0qEte
Reassembly
https://youtu.be/avLRAyk0Kos?si=EV-Q8lb39PFc8de7
We are going to an event by the Alaska Covid Alliance tonight to hear Dr. Peter McCullough speak.
God forbid someone actually practice medicine. And, in Texas of all places. What was he thinking?
This isn’t a Republican state anymore.
@Jenny
Glad to see you posting more. Nice videos.
With respect to the brass water nipples, refurbishment is definitely cost-saving if you have extra and can do it on the bench as you show in the videos.
In the past I’ve had similar needs for maintenance on quick-connect couplers used for liquid systems. I set up a kit with a the hand tools and replacement parts contained in a plastic organizer, and used a portable bench vise to hold the body for disassembly.
Suggestions:
Your tools should include a pick for removing o-rings. This set is cheap and I have one in every car/truck tool box:
https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=hook+and+pick&category=2675¤t=1
A brass detailing brush and a brass tube brush might be useful for cleaning. If you have any buildup in the bore a drill bit of the appropriate size or a machinist’s reamer might also be useful. I have one of this set:
https://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/drill-driver-bits/twist-bits/titanium-drill-bit-set-29-piece-61637.html
(bought on sale for $10) that is labeled for that type of use by hand only. Even then, care must be used as brass is easily scored.
Food-grade dimethicone is an excellent lubricant for o-rings and can extend the life as well as ease operation.
O-rings are very inexpensive when purchased in bulk. If you’re doing a lot of replacement you can cut costs even further. In the past where I’ve dealt with a number of sizes as maintenance items I’ve stored 100 or 500 count zip lock packages in an organizer with label cards to show the application.
One or both claimed to be Puerto Rican. My understanding is that confers US citizenship.
I found this on Ace tonight:
https://twitter.com/OntWtf/status/1712876338032373952
Quite amazing.
Yes, Puerto Ricans born in the territory after 1940 are US citizens.
In Florida, they can land, establish domicile, and vote within 45 days.
The large community around Orlando tilted I-4 politics left until the Florida Democrat Party committed suicide over the last five years or so.
https://justthenews.com/world/middle-east/students-rush-disavow-hide-connections-hamas-statements-protect-careers
“Many in these groups never saw the statement before it went out,” former Harvard President Larry Summers.
Just like they never saw the numerous previous statements supporting murderers and targeting Jews? Is there one of the 34 student orgs at Harvard for which signing on to this p.o.s. was out of character?
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/10/11/fire-rips-through-car-park-at-luton-airport/
Fortunate no one was killed. Sounds like the source was on the upper floor, and if the reports on the speed of the propagation are accurate, the same problem on a lower floor could have trapped people above with deadly consequences.
In the U.S. the race would be on to file a class-action suit.
First amendment?? Hey, come on, it’s Iowa…
https://reason.com/2023/10/13/iowa-man-files-lawsuit-after-being-arrested-twice-for-criticizing-the-police-at-a-public-meeting/
I hope he bankrupts the town.
>> “US warns Starlink satellites will start killing people and reveals chance of hitting a human will soon be 61% each year”
https://www.the-sun.com/tech/9321207/us-warning-starlink-satellites-kill-people/
So, 0.6 of a person, divided by the world’s population (8.1B) is 7.4074074e-11
Odds are better that I’ll win the Powerball.
Continued my research on gubs. I’ve been told to spend as least half the price of a rifle for a good scope for it. I like the Leupold scopes. Their lowest priced ones seem to be just what I want. I want laser pointers for both hand guns. I want a optic sight on one so they will be familiar to me.
My neighborhood is very quiet. I have space for a gun 100 yard range with a nice 50 foot high earth back stop, but I’ll need to buy silencers. I didn’t realize that silencers were so expensive; the lowest price I’ve found it almost $400 each, some are $1200. The paperwork to get one would dauting. Apparently it costs $200 for each silencer and I should form a trust to pass them to my heirs or they will be forfeited. There is an eForm to do this but it requires the serial number so I have to buy it and them apply for the license before it can be shipped. There is no way to see if I like the fit on my gub. None of the above should be consider absolutely correct as the rules are difficult to read. Much worse the any IRS guidance.
I did get a Roku for the shop TV connected. To get it registered I had to use my cellphone and my computer and get copy activations codes between them for the Roku, YouTube, and Peacock. None else got done in the shop or around the house because of the above gub research.
re: suppressors
In Texas, there are ranges where you can rent a full-auto or suppressed gub. You might even find one that has the same one you own, and try it out. Maybe even with a variety of different suppressors.
Also in Texas, I had a friend buy a suppressor and a gun, and then did the paperwork. The dealer kept it until the paperwork was approved. My friend was allowed to “visit” it, and attach it to his gun, and fire it at the dealer’s range. He just couldn’t leave the premises with it.
Eventually the approval came. Later he moved to Missouri and just took it with him.