Hot and humid still, and again. No rain yesterday for me, but maybe for others in Houston Metro.
I did my thang yesterday morning, poking at laptops and drinking my coffee. Then some clean up, some generator messing about, and off to get fuel. Got some. Checked on my secondary location (my stuff is fine.) Came home and power is restored… so I have a bunch of cleanup and putting away to do. And then maintenance on stuff. But I have power again, so that is good.
Today I’m dropping D1 at a day camp, and maybe doing some other stuff. Wife and D2 will be home. Then I’ve got more cleaning to do, and some organizing. There is a never ending list…
And it’s all easier with power.
So stack what you need to provide some of your own. I’m taking a good hard look at mine.
nick
My broadband contract is about to end shortly. I have been with them for many years and I am generally speaking a happy customer. A major irritant for me is that they build in a yearly inflation uplift on fix term contracts. I contacted them, advised them that I was minded to move because a) they are more expensive than new fibre only providers, and b) because of the mid contract uplift. In response they offered me a slight price improvement, but could not do anything about the mid contract uplift.
The initial contract price offering for the 40/10 service would have been acceptable to me, but the contract uplift I just feel is a scam. So I have decided to go with a new fibre only company.
The service, 100/100 is fibre only for GBP23 per month, fixed over two years with no landline telephone service (I will move to mobile only). In addition I have a ‘friends’ code which gives me a GBP75 voucher.
Installation Friday. We will see how this all turns out!!
The easy access that the shooter had to the rooftop of that building seems … odd.
I can’t believe that Saturday was the first time he got up there. I’m still skiddish about climbing up on the roof of our house, and we’ve lived here nearly a decade.
That looks like almost $30 in US money. Are there use limits?
I’m paying $92 with tax and usually run about 90/50. It varies.
@paulthemanc:
I did the same in September last year, from the alt-net Hey Broadband. Except I went for their 400Mbit symmetrical service, at £25 a month, with no POTS.
That’s half the price of OpenRetch, for 6+ times the speed.
I don’t miss POTS – for the last year, at least, I’d had no significant incoming calls. Every one was from a scam call centre, who were disregarding my Telephone Preference Service registration (USians: think “Do Not Call”). I sometimes get such call to my mobile – once per number. I’m ruthless about blocking such calls, which Android makes easy.
The fibre connection is also more reliable – connection drops are less frequent. I know this, because the rate of “link down” alerts from my Fingbox is lower.
G.
There are a lot of oddities in the entire scenario.
[TINFOIL HAT ON]
Access to the building roof would have required a substantial ladder. Or with access from inside the building. That would have required the building be unlocked and the shooter would need knowledge of the roof access pathway. How did he get that information?
Why did the secret service sniper have his gun already pointed at the building? Looking at the tripod set up the direction the gun was pointing was intentional and planned. If the secret service knew there was someone on the building why was this threat not neutralized immediately? Or Trump removed from the platform? Did the SS sniper not see the threat on the building?
Why were there no drones in the air, or a helicopter? That would seem to be basic security. If not to prevent something, but to have eyes in the sky in case something happened. Even the news organizations have drones which should have been used. If that had been done the threat would have been easily spotted.
There is the issue of the local LEO who saw the shooter and backed down because the shooter pointed a weapon at him. That should have been an immediate response from the LEO to shoot the person. At a minimum radio a possible threat is present to others and have Trump removed.
Perhaps the bullet contacting Trump was a mistake. At 450 feet, with a scope, I could hit a target the size of a basketball. The kid was reported to be a poor shooter and expelled from a gun club. Maybe he really is a bad shooter. Was the intent to really kill, injure, or just scare Trump?
Part of me thinks this was a set up from the beginning. To deflect from Spongey’s mental issues. The news has not reported on Spongey’s mental problems for the last three days. Or was it an attempt to disrupt the republican convention. I am afraid all that is moot as it has just made Trump stronger.
[TINFOIL HAT OFF]
The public will never be fully informed of the failings of the secret service and local law enforcement to provide proper security. In a way I understand as providing information to the public on how the SS provides security is not a good idea. The roof of that building, even though outside the security zone, should have been protected. One officer is all it would have taken. That lesson should have been learned from the Kennedy assassination. Who missed that and why?
Will the shooter’s father be charged as an accessory after the fact? The father purchased the weapon legally more than 10 years ago. Will the zeal to go after anyone now make the father a target? The shooter was not a minor so there was no legal obligation on the part of the father to lock up the weapons.
I do feel bad for the father and mother. They will now become victims after the fact by simply having a son. Their lives will now become difficult and I suspect they will have to move. They now have a target on their backs and should be subject to some police protection. Some crazed Trump supporter is probably already plotting to eliminate the family.
@paul
There is an undefined ‘Acceptable Use’ policy, but, given my use, I would be shocked if this applied to me.
Perhaps Dark Web only via TOR. But even that has holes. Plus the extra effort to access a site. Maybe restrict IPs to one friendly country forcing people to use a VPN also.
How did the kid not know he was going to die even if his intent was to scare Trump. Getting off of the roof would have taken time.
Post John Hinckley Jr., I don’t think the Secret Service is ever going to take another suspect alive and risk an insanity defense.
Oh, I think he knew he was going to die regardless of the outcome. I think he was looking for his 15 minutes of fame and wanted to commit suicide in the process.
My biggest question is why the SS rifle was pointed at the building before shots were ever fired. The SS sniper was already in position. If I was a SS sniper, with a really good scope, I should have been able to see the person, and the weapon, and that is enough to take out the threat. I would not wait until shots were fired.
Again, the conspiracy theories kinda write themselves.
The ownership chain of that building is creepy.
See my post from yesterday. There is a post on 4chan claiming that the Secret Service sniper requested permission to fire, and that this was denied. Now, 4chan is not exactly a reliable website, but: the post includes the name of the SS sniper. At least that much should be easy to verify or refute. If the name is wrong, then the post is nonsense. If the name is correct, then follow-up questions need to be asked.
Also, the behavior of the female SS agents was despicable. It wouldn’t have changed anything in this case, but they reacted in complete confusion. The videos of their actions (hiding behind Trump, in once case) are just sad.
Oof:
BREAKING: Judge Cannon DISMISSES Trump/Classified Docs Case, Calls Jack Smith Appt. Unconstitutional
Another ring of the circus is closed. This is what tRump’s attorneys claimed since day 1. How much of our tax money was spent on this sham accusation?
Tell me this isn’t lawfare to the extreme.
Remember the female SS agent who “refused to take a bullet for tRump?” She was not fired, she just moved somewhere else. If the SS isn’t 100% committed to protecting ANY President it should be dismantled. You don’t get to pick and choose or even shoot your mouth off about ANY President without immediate firing. Female agents are fine, but must meet the same standards as any agent.
Raiding Mar-a-Lago was the real purpose of that case.
Mission accomplished.
I saw a video on YouTube today featuring a group of women ripping into the female Secret Service agents.
The consensus among the women was that the agents protecting the President should be all male with maybe an allowance for females if they are the best qualified.
Imagine.
They also observed that the female Secret Service agents were Danny DeVito sized where Trump is 6’2″ and towered over most of the detail.
Does a Secret Service agent really need permission to fire? That could significantly delay responses to a real threat. My impression was that permission to fire was already given once the agent took the job, deadly force was already authorized. A threat is no time to phone home.
The truth probably lies in the middle. They need reasonable rules of engagement, just like the military. Especially when they’re in an interagency situation. It would be tragic to kill a cop just because you didn’t know he was supposed to be there. Or a photographer with a big telephoto lens.
But any reasonable ROE would also let you shoot at least as soon as the first shot was fired. Also, good comm protocols would have gotten Trump off the stage the moment the sniper asked for permission to fire. Why didn’t that happen? There was at least a half a minute, maybe more, when Trump simply should not have been there.
Strange.
I know there are three or four fires in the Tehachapi to the north of me: I can’t even see the mountains for the smoke, and yet there are no air assets coming out of Fox Field nearby.
In fact, looking at the CalFire map for California there’s only one fire bomber operating on a small 500 acre fire well to the north in Porterville.
https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents
>>But any reasonable ROE would also let you shoot at least as soon as the first shot was fired. Also, good comm protocols would have gotten Trump off the stage the moment the sniper asked for permission to fire. Why didn’t that happen? There was at least a half a minute, maybe more, when Trump simply should not have been there.
My understanding, based on info from various retired SS interviews, is that the route off the stage is first down behind the red/white/blue horizontal banner which is ballistic resistant, then get as many agents as possible as ‘human shields’ in place before moving the ‘package’ to the best bug out route. Anyone with better info, please correct me.
Huh I guess I didn’t hit post on my first comment of the morning. Waiting for the kid to get done with her half day camp today. Went to the Goodwill Outlet while she was at Camp had a couple of good scores.
The thing with the snipers could all be explained by timing. People see the kid climbing up onto the roof. They notify police. they send Barney Fife. He Retreats. the kid drops prone starts snapping off shots in a hurry.
The sniper covering the field of view from the right needs to switch from his binoculars to his weapon. He repositions the weapon and takes a shot as quick as he can. It looked in the video like there were two snipers, one covering the field of fire to the left one to the right. So it doesn’t trip me up that the guy’s gun was already pointed towards the Assassin. That was just his assigned field of fire.
As for getting Trump off stage, do you really want to be the guy who dogpiles him in front of the national media just because somebody called in a cameraman with a big lens?
I’m guessing that most of those guys do not want to interrupt the speaker.
N
The only way to make a private and anonymouse website is as follows:
Don’t forget to use full personal protection suit including gloves and respirator during all above steps. Tinfoil hat is optional, but recommended, along with tinfoil underwear.
They also observed that the female Secret Service agents were Danny DeVito sized where Trump is 6’2″ and towered over most of the detail.
I noticed this, too. It’s totally inadequate and adds to the statement that “female agents are fine, but they must meet the same standards.” There is no way that short females could cover tRump. These and other errors in tRump’s security should get some heads rolled. We all need to follow this to make sure people who set up the security plan are fired — not moved somewhere else, FIRED.
The SS Director “Cheeto” needs to resign. This is turning into a disgrace, but since it is plugs, like Obola, nobody is fired due to backdoor dope deals.
Really?
OOPSIES! Poll Group Used By NBC That Had Biden UP Three Points Over Trump Now Admits YUGE Mistake and LOL
“Gee, we’re sorry.”
This is why you can’t hate pollers and the LSM enough.
The Comcast wing of Vanguard’s and Blackrock’s media holdings.
I saw Tyler Durden cowardice earlier today indicating that “Morning Joe” got pulled, possibly out of concern that Joe or the tanorexic co-host would say something inappropriate to the < 50,000 tuned in.
Vanguard and Blackrock haven’t figured out what to do with Cheeto yet. She’ll need a decent C-suite gig to keep her mouth shut, but that will be a tough sell outside of their failing media subsidiaries.
Paramount has already been liquidated with Disney and Warner next to go over the cliff.
“LIVE: CenterPoint outages drop to 250,000 on Monday”
https://www.chron.com/weather/article/centerpoint-outage-tracker-19569035.php
“The energy provider offered an update on Sunday night touting it has restored power to more than 85 percent of impact customers and 1.9 million in total. The company also responded to recent criticism from Governor Greg Abbott regarding its preparations and reponse to the hurricane, which left more than 2.2 million in its Southeast Texas service area without power.”
My friend two blocks over got his service fixed yesterday afternoon when they pulled the 20,000 volt distribution line out of the pond in his back yard. He was calling CenterPointLe$$ and screaming at them. Seems to have worked.
“Report: Secret Service Snipers Instructed NOT to Fire Until AFTER Assassin Takes the First Shot”
https://thelibertydaily.com/7-things-we-know-about-would-be-assassin/
“RealClearPolitics White House and National Political Correspondent Susan Crabtree dropped an important report on the failure of the Secret Service to protect President Donald J. Trump and those around him during last week’s Pennsylvania rally.”
“According to Crabtree, the potential lack of drones and the “DEI” protocols at the Secret Service contributed to the failure, but the biggest reason Trump’s life was put in danger is because rules of engagement prohibit snipers from engaging until the assassin shoots first.”
So the assassins get one free shot. That is so wrong at so many levels that I do not know where to start.
Welcome to DEI hires.
They also observed that the female Secret Service agents were Danny DeVito sized where Trump is 6’2″ and towered over most of the detail.
Trump is 6’3″. His daughter is 5’11”. Two of his sons are over 6’5″.
“MSNBC Benches “Morning Joe” Because They Fear Someone Will Say Something Stupid About Assassination Attempt”
https://thelibertydaily.com/msnbc-benches-morning-joe-because-they-fear-someone/
“Now do Joy Reid.”
“’Three black trucks with US government plates’ are mysteriously spotted at Trump VP contender’s home sparking rumors they have won the veepstakes”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13634747/Three-black-trucks-government-plates-mysteriously-spotted-Trump-VP-contenders-home.html
“Vance is a rumored favorite to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate”
“Extra security detail was sent to his home on Saturday after the shooting”
“It’s unclear if the other VP favorites have had security sent to their homes”
“The assassination attempt on President Trump”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-assassination-attempt-on-president.html
“I’ve said nothing yet in these pages about yesterday’s attempted assassination of former President Trump. I won’t have anything substantial to say until more information is available – and that may be some time in being made available. I certainly don’t trust the FBI to conduct a reliable, impartial, non-partisan investigation. As Rep. Thomas Massie tweeted this morning:”
“Quite so. I said some years ago that “The FBI can no longer be trusted in any way, shape or form“. I’ve seen nothing since then to make me change that opinion – rather the opposite, in fact.”
Peter does not know about the one free shot policy.
It’s Vance.
and Trump gets the votes to get the nomination.
Neither a surprise
That is wrong on so many levels. If a person seen with a rifle, pointed at the president, that qualifies as the first shot in my opinion. One shot is one too many.
“Tony Buzbee to sue CenterPoint on behalf of some Houston-area restaurants”
https://www.chron.com/food/article/tony-buzbee-lawsuit-centerpoint-houston-19574889.php
“The lawyer claims the energy provider is responsible for business losses.”
He won’t get anywhere. But this gets his name back in the news after suing the Houston Texans quarterback for “ladies performing personal services”.
“AutoNation warns CDK Global hack to hit second quarter earnings”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/autonation-warns-cdk-global-hack-to-hit-second-quarter-earnings-173941991.html
“In a filing, AutoNation said second quarter earnings would be ‘negatively impacted’ by $1.50 a share.”
“AutoNation and a number of public and independent dealership groups were crippled by a cyberattack on June 19. That knocked out CDK Global’s DMS, or Dealer Management System, which dealers use to fulfill sales and parts orders, among other activities. While CDK Global restored service to its clients after an approximate two-week outage, with dealers using backup methods like pen and paper to track sales in the interim, AutoNation still said it suffered a big profit hit.”
WOW ! That is an unreal amount of money. I would have had an alternate system in place as a backup.
“When reached for comment on Monday, a CDK Global spokesperson said “all major applications are now available.” CDK Global however did not respond when asked whether it reportedly paid a $25 million ransom in cryptocurrency to restore service.”
Watcha want to bet that they get hacked again ? If I was the hackers, I would have left several latent worms in place.
“How J.D. Vance’s Silicon Valley connections helped launch him into Trump’s VP slot”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-jd-vances-silicon-valley-connections-helped-launch-him-into-trumps-vp-slot-193009180.html
“After graduating from Yale Law School in 2013, Vance spent time living in San Francisco, where he worked at Mithril Capital. That firm was co-founded by Peter Thiel, the former PayPal CEO who has long been a major giver to Republicans, and Ajay Royan.”
“Vance also spent time in his early career in the Washington, D.C., area, where he worked for former AOL CEO Steve Case’s venture capital firm Revolution LLC on a project to expand capital opportunities to towns like Middletown, Ohio — where Vance was born.”
I forgot that Vance worked at several VC and Hedge funds.
“Trump V.P. Pick J.D. Vance Solid On Second Amendment”
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/trump-v-p-pick-j-d-vance-solid-on-second-amendment/
“If you thought it wouldn’t be possible for former President Donald Trump to pick a running mate that gun-ban groups would hate as much as Trump himself, well, think again.”
“On Monday, Trump named Republican U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate in his quest for a second term. And a look at Vance’s record on guns and gun control reveals that he is a very strong proponent of gun owners’ rights.”
“Biden Campaign Issues Statement Slamming J.D. Vance — Claims He Will ‘Do What Mike Pence Wouldn’t Do’”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/07/biden-campaign-issues-statement-slamming-j-d-vance/
Cool ! Mike Pence was a pansy and afraid to do his job.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Obama LIED, LIED, LIED ! ! !
I am signing up at https://www.healthcare.gov/ for health care insurance for me and my daughter starting Aug 1, 2024 until I go on Medicare on June 1, 2025. My main business can no longer afford to buy $8,000 of health insurance for employees so that ends July 31, 2024. I am trying to find a plan that includes M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Just in case I need it. Nope, not gonna happen.
I am trying to sign up for a health care plan that includes Houston Cardiovascular Associates, my cadiologist since my first heart attack in 2009. A premier outfit that believes in many tests, especially since I have not had another heart attack since 2013 or my heart surgery in 2018. I am way overdue for another event. Nope, not gonna happen.
Obama Lied ! Lied ! Lied ! I am losing my heart doctor firm.
I wonder what else Obama lied about ?
Well, on a more serious note, I am looking forward to Vance in 2028: we are due for a president with a beard, it’s been a century since the last!
Air Tankers and helicopters are going over, they started around 11pm but didn’t really get up to speed until 1 or 2 pm.
What was up this morning I wonder.
All of us in healthcare who were paying attention knew this from the start.
I’m sure you did, too.
You’re a productive white man. All the effort of Obamacare was directed two ways: unproductive mostly-dark-skinned people, and removing medical choice from doctors and patients.
People quickly forget, but before Obama there were actually small medical practices of 1 to 3 doctors, who ran their own offices, all over the place. Obamacare forced amalgmation and expensive EHR software, and sharing of your medcial records with government agencies. Now these large practices can enforce Standard of Care and supposed Evidence Based Medicine, and also force assembly line treatment.
Standard of Care means “you will take your statin, and I don’t want to hear about side effects” and Evidence based medicine means people like Fauci ”proved” this treatment works, and you’re a science denier if you question our findings.
Doctors, like Democrats, want you dead. Your doctor, like your Democrat neighbor, may differ slightliy for you, personally, but in the genral case, it’s true. Learn to deal with that.
Well, on a more serious note, I am looking forward to Vance in 2028: we are due for a president with a beard, it’s been a century since the last!
I have had a full beard for over two months now. Before that I had a goatee for 20+ years and a mustache for 45 years. I am so tired of shaving. First I gave up on shaving every day off from work or Church. I let the whole go for two months and am now shaving the neck and upper cheeks every three days to make the wife happy. However, she is not happy.
Who was the last President to rock a beard ?
Air Tankers and helicopters are going over, they started around 11pm but didn’t really get up to speed until 1 or 2 pm.
Air National Guard summer two week training ?
Epic.
All together now, “Good day, Sunshine …. Good day, Sunshine … Good … day …. Sun … shine …”
The really scary thing about that situation is that Microsoft has the inside track to take the whole thing when Judy Estrin dies. I had an interesting “off the books” exchange of information with an insider there at an event in Wisconsin last November.
Even last Fall, Epic was setting an AI loose on a set of test data at the request of some big customers.
Yes, this was obvious from the very first time that he said “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.” But then, Obama has lied about everything in his life.
“UPDATE: BlackRock Pulls Ad Featuring Trump Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/07/update-blackrock-pulls-ad-featuring-trump-shooter-thomas/
“The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, has pulled down an ad that momentarily featured Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks in the background.”
“In an official statement, BlackRock shared, “In 2022, we ran an ad featuring a teacher from Bethel Park High School, in which several unpaid students briefly appeared in the background, including Thomas Matthew Crooks.””
I’ve got nothing.
Ending the wars and closing Gitmo.
He campaigned on being a Prog so he needed to be a Prog IMHO.
My Colonel Bat Guano neighbors FL actually put their houses up for sale in early 2009 expecting an enema-level house cleaning at the MacDill freak show commands.
By mid-Summer, it was obvious that the housecleaning wasn’t going to happen so the “for sale” signs came down and Mrs. Colonel Bat Guano was back to the twice weekly flight to Gitmo to run the snake torture sessions.
I bought a set of Toro Lunalights when I lived in Austin. Six lights. They could be focused from flood to spot. I mounted them under the eaves shining down with a little bit of “wall washing”. It looked great!
The fixtures lasted a few years before the heat of the bulbs cooked the plastic into “look hard and it shatters”. So, heat bad. I replaced the fixtures with Malibu lights. A half moon dome shape with silver colored cardboard like a microwave pizza as a reflector, bulbs are base down. With 7 watt, not the 15 watt bulbs. That worked for a year or so. The timer was set for Dusk to Dawn.
Then we moved here. No street lights. You use to be able to see the Milky Way. You carried a FLASHLIGHT because it was easy to walk right into a tree or the donkey. I changed to 4 watt bulbs. To power the transformer I replaced the ceiling mount porch light fixture with a porcelain socket that had an outlet. I had a 25 watt Bug light in the socket. Then I found a site that sold LED bulbs. I bought a couple of little bulbs, the size that were 7 watts incandescent. Just a little ball. But LED. Amber colored light. An LED bug light.
We had a really hot Summer and the Toro transformer decided the electric eye had to die. So much for Dusk plus 6 hours in the Winter or 4 hours in the Summer. Just leave the wall switch on and maybe remember to turn them off at bed time.
Last night I noticed the little bug light was off. Dead after 17 years. I put it in a lamp in the house and it does a dim blink when plugged it. Not bad for a $4 bulb.
I bought the amber LED bulb April 2007. Two bulbs. I don’t know what’s weirder. That I have saved the “thank you for your order” e-mail or that I knew exactly where the spare bulb was stashed.
A few months ago I replaced the 4 watt incandescent bulbs with the LED equivalent. A half watt each for the same amount of light. When the Toro transformer dies, it is almost 40 years old, I’m going to try using some random router or switch power supply the outputs 12 volts….. Five lights is a 2.5 watt load.
Time to feed the dogs.
It’s 101F at the moment. Hottest day this year. Mid-July, it’s normal.
Obamacare was designed to fail. Something which should have happened in 2011 when the Republicans took back Congress and had “the power of the purse” to force changes.
Instead, Congress waited for the Supreme Court to overturn the mess and insulate them from the politics, and the Old School Marm taught them a lesson about waiting for The Court to do the dirty work.
BTW, more of the club – JD Vance’s wife clerked for Roberts and The Boy Wonder within the last decade.
I got shafted when I signed my wife up. I retired earlier than I wanted but it was OK because I had Medicare. The wife was not yet old enough. The premiums for Obamacare were supposedly based on income. No problem. I had no income for the next five months and should get the stuff for my wife for basically nothing as I was not going to start SS until February of the following year. I figured I would have five months of not paying for the wife.
Bzzzztttt, wrong. The amount paid is based on the income for the YEAR, not current monthly income. Nowhere on the website or any information I found provided that little nugget of information. For five months I paid dearly for premiums for the spousal unit. When the signup time came again, I had to provide my anticipated SS income for the next years premiums. They were not as high as the previous months, but still higher than I expected.
My mistake was not delaying my retirement until December 31. Expensive lesson learned.
My primary care physician was one of those offices. I could talk with someone on the phone. I could on more than one occasion walk in and get treated. Happened twice for fairly significant cuts which the doctor made time to stitch them up. Much cheaper, and faster, than an ER visit.
His practice, co-owned by others, got absorbed into a major health conglomerate. It is impossible to get anyone on the phone with the annoying phone tree. I can only see the doctor by appointment which may be a week in the future. My last cut requiring stitches, 3 of them, was in the ER and cost a whopping $5K. Insurance paid most but I still got stuck with $300.00, about twice what the doctor charged before.
I would have had to return to the ER to have the stitches removed or see my primary care doctor. Him being part of the conglomerate, and 18 layers of management and assistants, the cost for an office visit was now $295.00. It used to be $50.00.
I removed the stitches myself and told him so on my next annual physical. He chuckled when I explained the pricing problem and he just said he was not happy either but was bound by corporate. He also said it was too expensive, and risky, for him to have a practice on his own due to government regulations, paperwork, and liability insurance.
When I lived on the farm I would sometimes have to trek across the road and down the field to the pump location in the dark. Either adding fuel (when we had a diesel pump) or checking the operation. I had made the trip so many times it was easy to do in the dark. I took a FLASHLIGHT but on any night with more than a sliver of the moon the trip was easy in the dark. We lived way out in the country so extremely little light pollution.
On one of those trips, I noticed one fence post along the journey seemed taller than it should be and taller than the others. Rather than use my light I walked up to the post. The post responded back with a WHOOO from an owl. I did not know I could run that fast, or that high. When I regained my composure several dozen yards away, I activated my light and found the owl on the top of the fence post.
BTW, more of the club – JD Vance’s wife clerked for Roberts and The Boy Wonder within the last decade.
Who is The Boy Wonder ?
You carried a FLASHLIGHT because it was easy to walk right into a tree or the donkey.
Don’t forget the water moccasins, copperheads, and rattlesnakes. They tend to be out and about after dusk. The rattlesnakes will tell you (sometimes) before you step on them. Not all rattles are loud and the nighttime noises will mask the rattles easily. Ask me how I know this.
I almost stepped on a six inch salamander the other night but I managed to light him up and moved my foot. I am partial to salamanders as I think that they are rather cool and it would upset me to step on one of the little guys.
I always carry a spare flashlight even though the wife tells me that I am taking too much stuff. Of course, she is really referring to the .38 in my other pocket.
So, of course, with all of the nonsense of the last week or so, the new (August 2, 2023) air conditioning system (4 ton heatpump) at the office is down. I have a fan blowing on me from the hallway. A tech is going to visit me at 10 pm. I will be here. I have been complaining since Friday evening.
Cavanaugh. He’s Roberts youthful ward when the Chief Justice decides to side with the liberals.
Like the decision to preserve the jab mandates for healthcare workers knowing that the indentured servitude nature of the system would prevent resignations en masse.
Well, on a more serious note, I am looking forward to Vance in 2028: we are due for a president with a beard, it’s been a century since the last!
I have had a full beard for over two months now. Before that I had a goatee for 20+ years and a mustache for 45 years. I am so tired of shaving. First I gave up on shaving every day off from work or Church. I let the whole go for two months and am now shaving the neck and upper cheeks every three days to make the wife happy. However, she is not happy.
Who was the last President to rock a beard ?
BTW, JD Vance has a better beard than me. Everyone has a better beard than me, especially my son who just cut his beard back to 12 inches long from 18 inches.
B. Harrision. I admit I was thinking of Garfield, actually, but still over a hundred years ago.
I have had a short beard for almost 40 years myself, basically because I have a face meant to have one. Even my father & brothers, all clean shaven themselves, agreed it was correct.
JimB & CowboyStu saw it…
I just dropped my internet speed from 800Mbps to 150Mbps. Xfinity was just getting too expensive. 150 is more than enough for my needs. I can save $40 a month. So far I have noticed no difference in what I do on the internet.
Looked fine to me.
So I am looking at the “Blue Advantage Plus Bronze℠ 707” from BCBS. The monthly cost is $873.66 after a $305.10 tax credit (whatever that means). The deductible is $7,500 and it is an EPO plan which means that there is a gatekeeper who limits access to all specialists. I figure that I can do anything for ten months as long as I can get my blood pressure medication and glaucoma medicine.
I will not be able to go to the M. A. Anderson Cancer Center or the Methodist hospitals. I will be able to go to the Sugar Land Hermann hospital which is just down the street from my house.
@Lynn: quick question, have you called and asked them?
There might be a work-around or clause that lets you keep your existing doctors, the billing staff there would know, after all they don’t want to lose a paying customer!
It might be worth a shot.
@Lynn: quick question, have you called and asked them?
There might be a work-around or clause that lets you keep your existing doctors, the billing staff there would know, after all they don’t want to lose a paying customer!
It might be worth a shot.
My wife has been a M. D. Anderson patient for 19 years now. They cautioned her against getting an Medicare Advantage or HMO plan as they will not see people on those plans. I suspect that EPO plans are the same way. My wife is on plain old Medicare with A, B, D, and G supplementals.
I will go on Medicare in ten months at which point I will go on plain old Medicare with A, B, D, and G supplementals. About $300/month for my wife, I think that I will be the same.
“Jack Smith Will Appeal Ruling That Upended His Classified Documents Case Against Trump”
https://thelibertydaily.com/jack-smith-will-appeal-ruling-that-upended-his/
“(DCNF)—Special counsel Jack Smith will appeal a Monday ruling by Judge Aileen Cannon that dismissed the government’s classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.”
“Cannon ruled Monday morning to throw out Smith’s case on the basis that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. The ruling was a massive victory for Trump, but Smith will look to have Cannon’s ruling overturned or overruled in order to resuscitate his prosecution of the former president.”
““The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a Special Counsel,” a spokesman for Smith’s office said in a statement announcing the special counsel’s intent to appeal the ruling. “The Justice Department has authorized the Special Counsel to appeal the court’s order.””
I am shocked, shocked I tell you.
Especially that the Justice Department has authorized him to spend another $100 million on a useless appeal.
Medicare D and G vs Advantage
As I understand it, it’s either/or. Buy a D drug plan and a G supplement, or get an Advantage.
D and G are more expensive, but are generally like PPOs, Advantage is nearly free, and very much like an HMO. Depending which Advantage you get, it can range from a bad HMO to a wretched HMO.
I went with a high-end G supplement. Together with a cheap D plan, it’s less than $300 a month, on top of the Medicare premium. Among other things, it means I can get treatment out of state, which the HMOs make difficult.
Went out for dinner. Fairly new indian (southern) cuisine storefront near us. DELICIOUS food and lots of it. Most of the nice entrees were around $19. I used to eat a lot of indian food when my partner in crime when I was touring for work was indian by way of the UK.
Love it. Spent what we would have considered a big night out just two years ago, but I have leftovers for a couple of days too.
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The details coming out about the shooting are getting weirder. Ladder hidden in the bushes. SS inside the building. Who wound this kid up and set him on his way?
n
So, of course, with all of the nonsense of the last week or so, the new (August 2, 2023) air conditioning system (4 ton heatpump) at the office is down. I have a fan blowing on me from the hallway. A tech is going to visit me at 10 pm. I will be here. I have been complaining since Friday evening.
Got the office new a/c unit fixed, the breaker on the heat pump attic unit was bad. K. replaced it, works ! Old breaker is lightweight crap, Chinesium. Under warranty since less than year old.
Go look at my post about the building owner yesterday.
CFR. Brookings.
BTW, this heathcare.gov thing is all based on family income. Nothing is based on individual income. I sense a great way to scam this. Surely nobody would scam the gooberment for free healthcare, right ?
The wife and I are on plain old Medicare. Tricare For Life for Military Retirees provides the supplements for free. Tricare formulary drugs are free at Military Pharms and small co-pay at supporting civvie pharms.
I’m calling it a night. Don’t sweat it if I miss my first post in the morning, gotta get the kid to her fun day.
n
>>Standard of Care means “you will take your statin, and I don’t want to hear about side effects” and Evidence based medicine means people like Fauci ”proved” this treatment works, and you’re a science denier if you question our findings.
Yet more reasons my yearly budget plan includes money for my concierge physician’s fee.
Just consider: You can always pay cash, no insurance. Many doctors are more than happy to avoid the whole insurance fiasco, and charge accordingly less.
When we were in the US with a sick kid, we paid cash to a pediatrician. A flat $100 for the visit, examination, and prescription. Really can’t complain about the price.
Dunno about there, but here it has become pretty typical to shave every 3-4 days. A bit of stubble is the new normal. A full beard? Make me look like someone you want to cross the street to avoid. OTOH, maybe I always look that way.
Yup, and you look distinguished with it. I can’t imagine a face that needs a beard, but many beards look “wrong.”
I have always been clean shaven, except for hunting trips. The longest of those was 11 days. I got home, and intended to keep it a while, but one look in the mirror convinced me otherwise. My wife agreed. Off it went.
Unlike Lynn, I don’t mind shaving. I have always used an electric razor, and I can shave quickly, with little fuss. I have tried various blades, and they are just too slow and fussy to get a close shave. I would like to try a straight razor, but other than a better form factor, it would still be slow. I am slow to wake up, and would be scared of a “cutthroat” that early.
BTW, electrics vary in speed and closeness. I have an old Panasonic with a foil head. It is very close, but very slow. The best I have ever had is a Norelco Lift and Cut. Incredibly fast and close. I should look for another for when it wears out. Plugs in, no batteries. Great!
Homer and Jethro quip: I have a new razor, made by International Harvester. Not only cuts the whiskers, but ties them in little bundles!
Brings out the hillbilly in me.