Cool, wet, and gross. That’s my bet for today. It’s how yesterday ended up after all. Even had to turn the A/C back on after dinner.
Did some auction stuff in the morning, then headed out to do pickups. At one they couldn’t find the item, at the other one I flipped it back to the auctioneer to sell to another buyer. Those were unfortunately the farthest from home and took the most time. I made $10 on the flip… and the item was in far worse condition than I thought, so I didn’t want it anyway. The other buyer had seen it and still wanted it. Worked out for both of us I guess. It paid for the gas and tolls. The other pickups had a bunch of ham radio bits and pieces, and stuff for the BOL.
While I was driving all over north Houston metro, I ran into rain in several areas. I’m sure there were a lot of places that didn’t get any, and a few that got clobbered. That is just one of the difficulties of forecasting weather for “Houston”… we got a lot of “Houston”, and the weather is very different in different parts of town. The problem only gets bigger with bigger areas until you see the absurdity of talking about worldwide weather or climate.
But that is preaching to the choir. Which I just realized is a very strange word, with the vowel sounds reversed to how it’s spelled. English is weird.
Ramble on…
Today I might do the gear replacement at my client’s house. I’m hoping to pick up a check, which motivates me to head out there. He pays me well enough for me to prioritize his needs. After that I’ll have a couple of pickups I can do, or I can put them off until Friday. It’s gonna be one of those “play it by ear” days.
And then I’ve got the Thursday kid taxi service to do. That’s stay at home dadlife…
Gives me time to stack, occasionally.
Take some time to work on your own stacks. And kids, for that matter.
nick
The ad-supported Kindle Fire 7″ used to be $49 on Amazon’s site. Now it is $59 Biden Bux.
Disclaimer: I eventually paid to have the add support on mine removed.
You will need to install FDroid and then VLC from https://f-droid.org/.
Correction: $44.99 right now for the ad-supported Kindle Fire 7″ 32 GB storage.
The 16 GB model is $59.
Maybe they need to clean out the warehouse on the model with more GB.
Or the additional storage lets them install more spyware.
Even if you keep your Amazon device off of your WiFi network, it will still find a way to call home via your neighbors’ Amazon devices or (guessing) some kind of 5G capability that isn’t advertised.
Many things are possible with a 2.4 GHz transceiver.
With a price that cheap, Bezos is selling you.
My Fire stays in the bottom of my travel bag, sitting on a stool at our kitchen breakfast bar. I keep it charged and let it stay on the WiFi network, but the microphones are buried.
@alan, failure to feed , or rather cycle, is apparently a common side effect of sub-sonic or reduced power rounds, such as one might use with a suppressor. His response seemed well practiced. And maybe not a pro, but pretty slick. He killed the target and got away. So far.
———————
60F and drippy this am.
———————
#coffeesogood , but why does having a slice of a delicious apple make coffee taste less good?
n
Yeh, yeh, brain fart. I’m old, senile, and full of gas. Payboo card.
Biden falls asleep on live TV at Africa summit in appalling moment that embarrasses America
n
Blind pig finds truffle:
https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/12/trump-effect-mexico-seizes-20-million-doses-of-fentanyl-in-record-breaking-haul/
This a**hole and his employer need to go into the dustbin of history.
MSNBC is already there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl3RLBazJ64
Next big storm headed our way. The weather predictions are all over the place for our valley – apparently, it’s not clear which side of the mountains is going to get hit. Anything from 2mm to 25mm each day. And whether that falls as rain or snow or some horrible mixture of the two is also unclear.
Here hoping that any large quantity of actual snow will hold off until I’m home on Saturday afternoon. Last storm, where the snow had settled for two days, was a lot of work to clear. Lot’s better to get it while it’s fresh.
That’s Ray’s part of the country.
In Austin, the VA clinic’s big problem is the dominance of questionably-qualified Subcontinent providers, most likely MBBS, possibly non-citizens.
To paraphrase Nicholson’s Joker — still the best “Batman” movie Joker ever — “What this clinic needs … is an enema.”
Trump does take a special interest in the VA for some reason so things will change.
That is actually harder than one would think. Years of spending frugally, or said another way, not wastefully, is a very difficult habit to break.
I remember my aunt and uncle who were alive during the depression and their methods. My aunt scrapping every last bit of food from containers, hours sewing rips and tears in clothing rather than buying new, my uncle straightening used nails to use again, buying food in bulk when it was cheap and preserving, making do with the cheapest item possible, hand me down clothes, etc. The list is long.
Of course my aunt and uncle had major expenses with the farm and saving money was important for the farm. But they did eventually have the property at Beckett Point in Port Townsend and both passed with some money left.
Afte my uncle died the aunt was living alone. Someone in Port Townsend, Seattle, I don’t know, put together a choral trip to Austria. My aunt was a member of the group. The cost was $6,000, all expenses paid. My aunt refused to go even though I tried to encourage her. It was just too much money in her opinion. To her it was wasteful, to me it was a reward for a life of pinching pennies.
Wife’s mother was the same way. Alway afraid to spend any money. Money that would have made her life more comfortable thus not wasteful in my opinion. She died and left considerable funds.
My father, on the other hand, who missed the depression, spent money on a lot of unneeded items. Constantly trading in cars for something else, buying the first Polaroid camera and messing up the first three packs of film with no useful pictures, buying motorcycles, and other toys, involved in money making schemes that cost money, causing significant money problems for the family. He died owing a lot of money.
I am now facing the same problem as my aunt and uncle and my MIL. I have not pinched pennies over my life but I have watched my spending and avoided expensive optional items. I have enough money to buy things, but I don’t need anything. I have money to do pleasure items such as trips and traveling. And that is where a large chunk of the money is going.
Even then it is still difficult to spend the money. It is a paradigm shift over what has been a pattern for a lifetime. That is a lot of inertia to overcome and doing so does not come easy.
So, @Brad, good luck. The struggle is real.
Yes, it is. But it is not the facilities I use. I am in the Middle Tennessee where the closest VA hospital is 150 miles away. The facility in the story is about the same distance. I am on the border line. The Knoxville facilities are actually closer but I would have to deal with Knoxville traffic. The Roane County office is further by about a mile but is easier to get to.
I could use the Mountain Home district if I wanted.
What is really strange is the medical records in one district cannot easily access medical records in another district. I use the audiology clinic in Knoxville out of necessity. To get issues with hearing aids resolved I would have to go to Murfreesboro, 150 miles away. Basically six hours’ worth of driving.
My first hearing aids were from Murfreesboro as that is where I was sent. No choice. When I decided Knoxville was better, Knoxville had to manually transfer my information from the Middle Tennessee district to the Mountain Home district. It still causes issues as my supplies have to come from Murfreesboro, but exams, repairs and other issues are done in Knoxville.
my grandmother lived through the depression and was frugal all her life. When she was in assisted living, she asked my dad (who handled her money at that point) if she could get a Bose Wave radio because she was a Paul Harvey fan and he pimped them. My dad said absolutely! But before dad could leave the room, she made my dad swear not to waste money and buy her one.
My great aunts bought dented cans and cans without labels from the grocery store until they died, because it was cheaper. They were absolutely changed by the privations of the time.
My kids are shaped by the wuflu reactions, and the uncertainty of the changing time we are in. Their cohort too.
n
One of my grandsons was attacked by the WuFlu shenanigans, not the disease. It eliminated a lot of social contact with other kids his age during the 2-4 year range. He is intelligent and has learned a lot due to his parents. But his social skills suck. His speaking is not all good for a 5 year old. He was 1 month premature and that had some effect. But I place most of issues on the WuFlu absurdity. It will take years for him to get to where he should be socially, if ever. The WuFlu was/is the biggest con job on everyone and will affect millions who have never, or ever will, contact the disease.
A couple of friends wives are professional speech therapists, they are both horrified by the “delays” in speech development among the young cohort they are seeing.
If you don’t think you are frugal, you probably are.
The converse is likely true.
I like nice things but I don’t like to pay for them.
n
“Reagan, Trump and prayers after assassination attempts” By Terry Mattingly
https://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/community/column-reagan-trump-and-prayers-after-assassination-attempts/article_49825504-b1b5-11ef-afaa-67b359fe6346.html
“Trump has clearly, and repeatedly, said that he believes God spared his life.”
““In a certain way I felt very safe because I had God on my side. I felt that,” he said, when accepting the GOP nomination. “I’m not supposed to be here tonight. … I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God. … Many people say it was a providential moment,” he added. “Probably was.””
I feel that way too that God spared Trump.
“How Taste of Texas became one of America’s most popular steakhouses”
https://www.chron.com/food/article/taste-of-texas-steakhouse-history-19959359.php
“Edd and Nina Hendee’s passion project initially struggled, but two chance meetings changed their fortunes forever”
Neat.
Earthquake off the California coast. Tsunami warnings on the upper coast of California and lower coast of Oregon.
It’s a start.
Outback Steakhouse was founded by four Tampa Steak & Ale managers who wanted more time off to play golf.
What is Gene Hackman up to these days?
Still the best screen Lex Luthor.
Along with Jackie Cooper’s Perry White.
”There is only one ’p’ in rapist.”
Ohh… https://nypost.com/2024/12/04/us-news/slain-unitedhealth-ceo-brian-thompson-was-facing-doj-probe-for-insider-trading-report/
And not even one private guard accompanying a Fortune five CEO on his way to a side entrance of the Hilton hotel?
Watcha want to bet that all of the Fortune 500 CEOs are checking on their security today ?
Cool, wet, and gross. That’s my bet for today. It’s how yesterday ended up after all. Even had to turn the A/C back on after dinner.
Typical winter for Houston. Heater one day, a/c the next day. Been this way all my life. We live in a swamp.
18 eggs were $5.15 at HEB last night. I got the regular, not fancy eggs which were $8.
Probably the Juan de Fuca plate, a late comer, always trying to fit in.
“Well, isn’t this special?”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2024/12/well-isnt-this-special.html
“In an unprecedented move, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plans representing Connecticut, New York and Missouri have unilaterally declared it will no longer pay for anesthesia care if the surgery or procedure goes beyond an arbitrary time limit, regardless of how long the surgical procedure takes. The American Society of Anesthesiologists calls on Anthem to reverse this proposal immediately.”
This does not bode well for the future of surgery.
“The Ukraine war spills over into Syria – and perhaps further?”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-ukraine-war-spills-over-into-syria.html
“News from Syria of a sudden, unheralded onslaught by fundamentalist Islamic terrorist movements, driving the Syrian armed forces out of Aleppo and expanding south and east towards Damascus and the Mediterranean coast, is provoking a great deal of head-scratching among the cognoscenti. Where could this lead? How about to a full-blown regional war?”
“There are two very interesting articles analyzing what’s going on (as far as anyone can, given the paucity of information currently available). The first is headlined “The Syria Riddle: How It May Turn Into the First BRICS War“. In it, I found this snippet:”
Having a weak president of the USA really sucks.
xkcd: Infinite Armada Chess
https://www.xkcd.com/3020/
OK, that is a way different game.
Explained at:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3020:_Infinite_Armada_Chess
The insurance company has backed down. I think it was a trial to see the reaction for possibly limiting payments for other medical events. Insurance companies are masters at not paying claims. That little paragraph on page 759 that says “chainsaw injuries occurring while cutting pine trees more than 4.34 inches in diameter as measured 6.38“ from the ground are not covered on Tuesdays where the date number is not a prime number are excluded.”
My father just sent me pictures of his right arm from the car running him over last Monday. He is missing over a square foot of skin from his right elbow to his wrist. It looks horrible. And he has a growing blood clot in his elbow that they are going to C-T tomorrow. All of the skin is gone from his knees and elbows.
If this takes out my father then I am going to be very upset.
What is Gene Hackman up to these days?
Still the best screen Lex Luthor.
94 years old.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13285151/gene-hackman-new-mexico-gas-station-wife-spotted.html
Cool, wet, and gross. That’s my bet for today. It’s how yesterday ended up after all. Even had to turn the A/C back on after dinner.
Typical winter for Houston. Heater one day, a/c the next day. Been this way all my life. We live in a swamp.
Forgot about the fact that we live next to the biggest hot tub in the world. Most people call it the Gulf Of Mexico.
“Exclusive: Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Describes the War With the US and How to End It”
https://tuckercarlson.com/lavrov-interview
“Russia’s longtime foreign minister describes the war with the United States and how to end it.”
How do you argue with a man who owns 20,000 nuclear weapons ? Very carefully.
Biden and his people are running around Russia with baseball bats hitting people.
“Naturopathic doctor reveals three tips to help you poop every morning”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14162211/naturopathic-doctor-tips-help-poop-morning.html
“In the new clip, Bowring advised viewers that they should be using the bathroom every single morning – and ‘ideally’ two or three times per day, before launching into her tips.”
“The first piece of advice that she offered to stimulate a bowel movement was to drink something hot when you first wake up in the morning.”
Naturopath.
No comment.
If you are over 50, having poop problems, and haven’t been scoped, make an appointment with a Gastro specialist ASAP.
“Company Behind Massive Social Security Number Leak Shuts Down”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/company-behind-massive-social-security-number-leak-shuts-down
“National Public Data closes its doors after a Florida court rejects its bankruptcy filing attempt. The breach exposed an estimated 272 million unique SSNs and 600 million phone numbers.”
Somebody will pick up the pieces and restart with a new name.
“AT&T to Retire Traditional Landlines by 2029 (Except in This State)”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/att-to-retire-traditional-landlines-by-2029-except-in-this-state
“AT&T aims to retire a majority of its old-school copper networks by 2029, which will involve moving users to wireless, fiber, and even satellite technology. But there’s one big holdout.”
California. I was hoping Texas.
One of my AT&T DSL modems was out the other day. Turned out that the copper line was fine (I have a 25 pair copper line pulled direct to my office from the AT&T CO). The modem was fried.
But my office phone system runs over a AT&T DSL over copper. I do not want to throw this system away.
That is more than a minor encounter with a vehicle. As much as I despise them, maybe it is time for contact with some injury lawyers. I know you have been told to butt out, maybe rethink that stance.
People of the age of your father it does not take much to cause a turn for the worst.
You have to act quickly to preserve video evidence…
n
Texas sold its regulatory soul for fiber.
California has a lot of fax lines in the maid’s name. International business and lawyers still depend on Group III fax.
Plus the 9th circuit has severe restrictions on wire taps which make copper lines preferred.
NSFW:
https://www.youtube.com/@SusRecordsCEO
Classier than modern songs!
That is more than a minor encounter with a vehicle. As much as I despise them, maybe it is time for contact with some injury lawyers. I know you have been told to butt out, maybe rethink that stance.
People of the age of your father it does not take much to cause a turn for the worst.
His doctor also prescribed home health care today to change the bandages and PT for the knee that he is having mobility issues with. This may be a life changing event for him. He is the caretaker for my wheelchair bound mother. He is also very active in his community (port commissioner) and church (elder and worship leader).
He has a 12 foot long metal ramp from the front porch to the breezeway. I am wondering if he will be able to negotiate Mom’s wheelchair down that ramp with a bad knee now. Plus the ramp does not have any guardrails (other than a two inch tall guard). My brother and I have been trying to talk him into getting a wooden ramp with guardrails but he is not interested.
He thinks that Medicare is going to pay for all of the medical expenses. I know if BCBS supplemental has any expenses, they will go after the person who caused the accident.
You have to act quickly to preserve video evidence…
There is a police record of the accident and an ambulance record. Plus the ER records. Those should be good enough should he need to sue. He does not want to sue, he has been involved in too many lawsuits over the years with running 14+ businesses.
>> Correction: $44.99 right now for the ad-supported Kindle Fire 7″ 32 GB storage.
The 16 GB model is $59.
Maybe they need to clean out the warehouse on the model with more GB.
Pricing decisions via Jeff’s AI monkeys.
I guess she must be red in the face?
Hannah Kobayashi’ mystery takes messy turn as sister blasts aunt for ‘going rouge’
n
>> Having a weak president of the USA really sucks.
Wait…you’ve figured out who the current POTUS is??
>> https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2024/12/well-isnt-this-special.html
“In an unprecedented move, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plans representing Connecticut, New York and Missouri have unilaterally declared it will no longer pay for anesthesia care if the surgery or procedure goes beyond an arbitrary time limit, regardless of how long the surgical procedure takes. The American Society of Anesthesiologists calls on Anthem to reverse this proposal immediately.”
To which Peter commented:
>> My father just sent me pictures of his right arm from the car running him over last Monday. He is missing over a square foot of skin from his right elbow to his wrist. It looks horrible. And he has a growing blood clot in his elbow that they are going to C-T tomorrow. All of the skin is gone from his knees and elbows.
If this takes out my father then I am going to be very upset.
@lynn, have you or your brother been there to assess things in person? Could he possibly need to be readmitted? Any indication of sepsis? Just asking from afar and know that IANAD…
>> “The first piece of advice that she offered to stimulate a bowel movement was to drink something hot when you first wake up in the morning.”
Between coffee and tea that should cover most of us…
>> @alan, failure to feed , or rather cycle, is apparently a common side effect of sub-sonic or reduced power rounds, such as one might use with a suppressor. His response seemed well practiced. And maybe not a pro, but pretty slick. He killed the target and got away. So far.
Update on the FTF, now hearing that these were intentional as the were words written on the cartridges.
https://nypost.com/2024/12/05/us-news/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompsons-assassin-may-have-left-message-on-bullets-used-in-murder-sources/
CCTV is everywhere…don’t forget your Covid mask and sunglasses. And resist the cute girl who asks to see your face.
https://nypost.com/2024/12/05/us-news/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompsons-suspected-killer-arrived-in-nyc-last-month-on-bus-that-left-from-atlanta-sources/
And unless you’re sure your prints/DNA aren’t in any database, don’t toss the empty water bottle you just drank in the trash where it can be found.
Somebody with a serious grudge, either as the triggerman or a semi-pro he hired is my guess.
>> My father just sent me pictures of his right arm from the car running him over last Monday. He is missing over a square foot of skin from his right elbow to his wrist. It looks horrible. And he has a growing blood clot in his elbow that they are going to C-T tomorrow. All of the skin is gone from his knees and elbows.
If this takes out my father then I am going to be very upset.
@lynn, have you or your brother been there to assess things in person? Could he possibly need to be readmitted? Any indication of sepsis? Just asking from afar and know that IANAD…
My brother is going on Sunday. No indication of sepsis, just horrific bruising. Everything on him is very swollen.
The bandages are a new type and not adhering to the muscle so the skin can grow. But this will take months if not years. I don’t want to see the video of the accident, looking at the pictures is bad enough.
to stimulate a bowel movement
– um, not something I need to stimulate. Many a day I wished to delay it until a convenient time…
and I’ve found that dehydration is probably the most likely cause of problems going, so drinking anything will help.
n
After “digesting” those words of wisdom, good night to all…