Warmer, and damp but maybe not wet. It was misty,drippy and grey most of Sunday, but it did get a little bit of blue sky before dusk. I’m hoping the blue was a harbinger of today’s weather. But if not, I’ll deal.
Spent yesterday casually doing stuff around the house. I was poking at my office cleanup, watching some auctions close, putting Christmas decor away, and half a dozen other things. W did get the tree stripped and the bins loaded for the attic. I put them away at the end of the day. It’s opened up the foyer and living room… and if I can get some of my auction stuff out of here it will open up even more. That’s the goal anyway.
Today I’ll be on the phone making some appointments, if I can. I’ll be trying to get an auction set up too. And I might head south to do a pickup, so that I don’t have to go in opposite directions tomorrow. I’m sure some domestic bliss will happen too. Then it’s a kid pickup in the middle of the afternoon, and the other kid in early evening. I have to build my schedule around that. Finally, if it’s dry enough, I’ll get the last of the outdoor decor down. Or maybe I’ll go back to bed, and spend the day reading. Probably not.
There is always work to be done, and preps to be stacked.
So I’ll get to work, stacking.
nick
Stocking Up
The old tropes are the best tropes…
Year round decor? You must not live in an HOA.
@jenny, that sounds like more than just “strong winds”…
@mediumwave, we call them “the french toast people”.
“year round decor?” – warning to our foes!
———–
42F this morning. coffee is on the way. Lunch is packed. Extra treats in the bag for the band practice this afternoon.
n
Blue Origin scrubbed…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14277649/blue-origin-rocket-jeff-bezos-live-updates-new-glenn.html
n
I am a huge fan of what SpaceX has accomplished. And they will undoubtedly continue to do great things for a few more years. However.
I really wish Blue Origin would get their buns in gear – that scrub is not a great sign. In the absence of meaningful competition, SpaceX will ossify in a few years.
SpaceX has an IPO planned for this year, and Elon needs more distractions from the decline in sales at TSLA as the EV market continues to shrink in the US.
We went to a local pizza place near the house which is popular with Show Ya, and we saw two newly coronated garage queen Broncos, complete with TX temp tags, sitting just a car space apart from each other in the parking lot.
Nice day. A little cold. The neighbor had their Queen Bronco out of the throne room.
Puerto Rico would be the case study for citizenship in territories acquired which were not automatically on the path to statehood. Congress had to eventually get involed to settle questions of citizenship with the territory since the intent of the US to make it a state has never been clear.
Trump’s joke about making Canada the 51st state may mean they get US citizenship on Day One, but the people there may not want to trade their free-as-in-beer healthcare for the sometimes-free-as-in-speech system in the US.
Canada would have to be really dumb, to join the US:
The same for Greenland, if for different reasons. The main reason that some Greenlanders are unhappy belonging to Denmark, is because they would rather be an independent nation. The majority are Inuit, and are unhappy about their historical treatment. Joining the US would not improve either of those issues.
IMHO, the blather about Canada is just nonsense. The blather about Greenland may be because Trump wants to expand the US military presence in the North Sea, which is something the US could probably just purchase.
Eggs this morning @ Wally Market #10.96 /18 AA lrg.
And the case was loaded.
Tahoe Joe’s advertising $4.99 /dz brown pasture fed large. Not worth the extra miles.
Food costs keep rising.
@Greg
Year round decor? You must not live in an HOA.
After reading my rabbit shenanigan, could you imagine me in an HOA? Heh. No way.
@Nick
“Strong winds” is how virtually everyone is describes it when the wind gets feisty. We are masters of understatement. The power outages are wide spread enough this morning that public schools are closed. Our child’s school is open. The temps are ridiculously warm yesterday, today. In the 40’s F. So much thaw. It’s a real mess as the run off has nowhere to go with the ground frozen solid. Pooling that’ll turn into ice in a few days when the temps drop again.
The fancy Shelter Logic I use as a rabbitry did great with the winds. I was down there last night and though I was buffeted as I made my gingerly way down the hill, once I entered the shelter the wind wasn’t noticeable other than as a roar. Flung me around walking back and forth but rock steady inside.
Really glad we upgraded. It was winds like this that ripped our other two shelters off the ground at the old place, sent them skyborn, then wedged them between the house and other stuff.
Last time I remember this combo of wet and strong wind was 2012. Trees down all over town and a lot of damage.
Glad we seem to have escaped catastrophe at our home.
Canada has the housing prices of New York (avg. 450K USD) the wages of Mississippi (avg. $39,500 USD/yr) the economy of Alabama (Real GDP $47k USD per person) and taxes higher than all 50 US states.
But lots of polar bears.
And the population of California,.
n
@jenny, glad to hear you are good.
n
Houston Police evidence room infested with ‘drug-addicted’ rats to be cleared out.
“We got 400,000 pounds of marijuana in storage that the rats are the only ones enjoying,” the Houston mayor said.
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/houston-drug-rats-evidence-20027356.php
Sir, we disposed of the evidence. By burning it.
n
Bongs for everyone!!!
“ANN COULTER: The military that cried ‘White supremacy’”
https://www.indianagazette.com/opinion/ann-coulter-the-military-that-cried-white-supremacy/article_ce27e03b-594b-50a3-94f3-de89339ab21b.html
“In retrospect, maybe the military should have spent a little less time worrying about “White supremacists” and paid more attention to Black Muslims. As you’ve no doubt heard by now, an Army veteran, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who happened to be a Black Muslim, slaughtered 14 New Year’s revelers in New Orleans last week.”
“For the past four years, the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security and President Biden have warned about the looming threat of White supremacy amid constant references to Jan. 6 — but not to BLM, in which police officers actually died. Apart from getting more girls and transgenders into the military, it seems like rooting out “White supremacists” has become the military’s full-time job. (Proposed new U.S. Marines’ slogan: “We’re looking for a few good men … who think they’re women.”)”
“Biden, repeatedly: “According to the intelligence community, terrorism from White supremacy is the most lethal threat to the homeland today. Not ISIS, not al-Qaida — White supremacists.””
How did we get to be this racist and incompetent ?
Sometime in the last ~ 20 years.
At the “Blues Brothers” screening in Round Rock last week, I was the only one laughing at the scenes inside the Illinois Nazis’ … clubhouse?
The Chez Paul scene also wasn’t impressing the crowd except for the slapstick with the shrimp cocktail.
“How much for your women? We want to buy them.”
Crickets chirping.
Ok. I have the quote wrong. Not a peep in the theater except for when the boys played with the shrimp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLUiK2lbN2s
“SmartLA 2028? — Newsom Announces “Marshall Plan” to Rebuild a New Los Angeles: “We Already Have a Team Reimagining LA 2.0””
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/smartla-2028-newsom-announces-marshall-plan-rebuild-new/
Well, isn’t that special ?
Hide your womens ! Lock up your alcohol !
The Texas Legislature starts meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
The first thing the Texas House does is elect a Speaker. There may be gunfire.
The leader of the Texas Senate is the Texas Lieutenant Governor. He was already elected by the populace, separate from the Governor. This is a welcome change after the Civil War Reconstruction. The USA should do the same with the Vice President.
It seems like Newsom is acting like the person behind a curtain in a story involving a green city and ruby slippers.
“Burger King Training Video”
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vfWcgpQfhyEY_qXmtbu8tkPXorQHSITI13LMdBodMfBj-2PY-c99xYgFrfXg7ZROGdKOyFeE5yrPnAn43zSqM5Skh9Nj0GnjOPK43ZG79_peudwErvfzfLkLWcyIVcRTROEIlQiMUGgLrTtwMCI-cbv3TX4xrr7yyNXR3poce4ejhm_FfTaWq7lST-o/s550/Meme%20-%20deep%20fryer%20love.png
“Don’t make love to the deep fryer”.
From:
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2025/01/memes-that-made-me-laugh-244.html
The Electors vote for the President and Vice President separately. It would be up to the states to have separate ballot entries for the offices.
Dan Patrick is as much of a member of the club in Austin as the rest of the “Republicans”.
The deadline to file to run for Governor in 2026 is less than a year away.
Austin has another hard freeze predicted for the Monday of the long holiday weekend.
Fortunately, Chinese New Year isn’t until the 29th. Still, things happen.
Of course, with another freeze debacle, the new Governor will make “All right, all right, all right.” the state motto shortly after he is sworn into office next January.
“LA County: 72 Genders, Zero Operational Fire Hydrants”
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJyTFk2-Jtzc1Ktg5MllY_bglwRJMwF43XlEDvgkpkYmf2sU7JtGFc66s5NoiE9EUqfa1D-MfJmCjPUKmK_Mh5LdscxpjVBzGtQnPb4x-JjBhVT03ldhnp2J72WYmISbCu96ymWX0iu6DvdXaKMpwG6Qj3RI4EEW6zb3gctTI13WGiIrcntbYH-yLsdk/s691/Meme%20-%20LA%20county%20genders%20v%20hydrants.png
From:
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2025/01/memes-that-made-me-laugh-244.html
Dan Patrick is as much of a member of the club in Austin as the rest of the “Republicans”.
I know Dan Patrick. I would not want to be a member of a club that he is in.
Maybe McConaughey will wear his green suit to the Inauguration.
Like the color of his favorite medicinal plant.
The deadline to file to run for Governor in 2026 is less than a year away.
I doubt that Abbott will run again.
Paxton seems far creepier. The only upside to that guy is that he is not P. Diddly Bush, son of Jeb!.
The club members were all looking the other way with regard to sex changes for minors until they needed a distraction from the details of the property tax “reform” initiative in the last session.
These days, you can hear crickets chirping out at those hospital complexes near my house.
“Elon Musk says a third patient got a Neuralink brain implant. The work is part of a booming field”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-says-third-patient-200832130.html
“Elon Musk said a third person has received an implant from his brain-computer interface company Neuralink, one of many groups working to connect the nervous system to machines.”
Shudder.
Paxton seems far creepier. The only upside to that guy is that he is not P. Diddly Bush, son of Jeb!.
The national dumbrocrats are very upset that Ted Cruz beat Colin Allred by a million votes out of eleven million votes. We call that a thumping down here in the South. They will not fund an election in Texas again.
https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2024/texas/cruz-vs-allred
I can see Paxton running for Governor of Texas in 2026 and winning.
“Texas lawmakers will have $194.6 billion to spend for the next budget, comptroller projects”
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/13/texas-budget-revenue-estimate-biennium/
“The estimate includes $23.8 billion leftover from the current budget cycle.”
Looks like the Governor has the money for his pet project, statewide school vouchers that even cover homeschoolers.
The public school systems will be decimated. The only kids left in the public school systems will be the troublemakers and the special needs kids.
Your new mode of transportation after the dumbrocrats figure out how to get rid of gasoline:
https://nihola.com/#models-id
“Holding Their Own IV: The Ascent” by Joe Nobody
https://www.amazon.com/Holding-Their-Own-IV-Ascent/dp/B08T8HCKTS?tag=ttgnet-20/
The fourth book in a series of eighteen alternate history books about the economic collapse of the USA in 2015. I reread the well printed and well bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback self published by the author in 2013 that I bought new on Amazon in 2014. I own the first eleven books in the series and am rereading the first ten before my first read of the eleventh book.
Um, this series was published in 2011 just as the shale oil and gas boom was really getting cranked up. The book has crude oil at $350/barrel and gasoline at $6/gallon in 2015. Not gonna happen due to oil well fracking in the USA so the major driver of economic collapse in the USA is invalid for the book. That said, the book is a good story about the collapse and failure of the federal government in the USA. The book is centered in Texas which makes it very interesting to me since I am a Texas resident.
The $6 gasoline was just the start. The unemployment rises to 40% over a couple of years and then there is a terrorist chemical attack in Chicago that kills 50,000 people. The current President of the USA nukes Iran with EMP airbursts as the sponsor of the terrorist attack. And the President of the USA also declares martial law and shuts down the interstates to stop the terrorists from moving about. That shuts down food and fuel movement causing starvation and lack of energy across the nation.
The accumulations of these serious problems cause widespread panics and shutdowns of basic services like electricity and water for large cities. The electricity grids fail due to employees not showing up to work at the plants. Then the refineries shutdown due to the lack of electricity.
After the fall of the USA government in the financial disaster of 2015, Bishop and Terri try to restart their lives in the zero electricity and almost zero energy world of 2016. The civil war has started and is temporarily under a cease fire since nothing says “I love my neighbor” like two Abrams tanks firing at each other.
In book number three, Bishop got involved with the almost powerless president of the USA during an assassination attempt at Fort Bliss and managed to get him killed while freeing the town of Alpha from the criminals who took it over. Now, the repercussions of those actions must be paid for.
The author has a website at:
https://www.joenobodybooks.com/
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (426 reviews)
Lynn
A thumping is 58-41, Little Marco’s victory margin in 2022, but Texas Republicans are too squeamish to do what DeSantis did to secure that seat.
Collin Zachary came off as more phony than The Mexican Bobby Kennedy, who bought “Addisons” shade foundation by the barrel full.
I’m surprised Cruz’ win wasn’t narrower, however. He needs to learn to use his wife’s Gulfstream and hit the gym.
A thumping is 58-41, Little Marco’s victory margin in 2022, but Texas Republicans are too squeamish to do what DeSantis did to secure that seat.
Collin Zachary came off as more phony than The Mexican Bobby Kennedy, who bought “Addisons” shade foundation by the barrel full.
I’m surprised Cruz’ win wasn’t narrower, however. He needs to learn to use his wife’s Gulfstream and hit the gym.
That was a blowout by Little Marco.
Actually, Ted Cruz came off well as your frumpy middle aged uncle whom everyone likes and goes to for advice.
Wooo that -was- some wind.
From 73 mph on the lower hillside to 110 mph in one of the residential areas at the south end of town tucked in a high mountain valley.
“Texas Sues Allstate For Secretly Tracking Drivers Through Apps, Using Data To Raise Rates”
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/texas-sues-allstate-secretly-tracking-drivers-through-apps-using-data-raise-rates
“In addition, Texas has accused Allstate of purchasing data about vehicles’ whereabouts directly from automakers in order to more accurately determine – not based on cellphone locations – when policyholders are actually driving.”
“Participating manufacturers allegedly include; Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, and Stellantis’ Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati and Ram.”
We need a right to privacy in the USA Constitution.
“House GOP Advances Legislation To Give President Trump The Authority To Negotiate For Purchasing Greenland!”
https://100percentfedup.com/house-gop-advances-legislation-give-president-trump-authority/
“At first, everyone thought President Trump was joking about purchasing Greenland.
They soon realized he was very serious.
And it makes sense. A lot of sense.
Key to our strategic defenses and future sovereignty of America.
Congress knows he’s not joking either and that’s why they’re now advancing new legislation to explicitly give him authority to negotiate for the purchase.”
One of my SF books set in the 24th century has the USA with around 150 states on Earth and across the Solar System.
https://www.amazon.com/One-Day-Mars-Ceti-Agenda/dp/1416591575?tag=ttgnet-20
The USA should do the same with the Vice President.
— isn’t that how it used to work? Didn’t even have to be the same party…
shudder
–yeah, unless you can’t control your body, then it sounds like a miracle…
n
One thing the “buy Greenland, get Canada thrown in for free” foofaral has done is get the cabinet picks off the front page…
n
And the mea culpa of ZuckDroid 4.0, no matter how insincere.
Since the weekend, however, the fires dominate the news.
Ford and … Prudential … ? … co-developed the tattle tale system in 2016 and later Ford vehicles.
Tesla reevaluates your rates on a weekly basis if you opt for their insurance.
Tesla reevaluates your rates on a weekly basis if you opt for their insurance.
Just another reason not to buy a Tesla.
One thing the “buy Greenland, get Canada thrown in for free” foofaral has done is get the cabinet picks off the front page…
Greenland has been strategic for the USA for over a 100 years. When they were ferrying planes from the USA to England in WWII, Greenland was a very important gasoline stop. IIRC, my buddy picked up 750 or 1,000 gallons of 100 octane avgas while flying his B-17 to England in 1943.
“We need a right to privacy in the USA Constitution.”
+100
China Discusses Sale of TikTok US to Musk as One Possible Option
https://hotair.com/headlines/2025/01/13/heads-splode-china-looking-at-sale-of-tiktokto-elon-n3798777
Nope. Fantasy valuation, under the circumstances. And the ChiComs are not going to give Elon a chance to look at software and validate all the accusations.
Second para graph from Bloomberg, which I opened in a private window and will not link to, as their privacy/cookie policy sucks.
BTW, I do the same for Woodworkers Guild of America, for the same reason. Any website that doesn’t give me a clear option for “essential cookies only” can bite the dead bunnies through a straw.
https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2025/01/13/karen-bass-was-mia-when-wildfires-broke-outnow-another-past-statement-comes-back-to-haunt-her-n2184305
Recall petition for Bass is moving right along.
It is going to get dadgum cold here next weekend. Next Monday morning it is suppose to be 24 F. I guess that I am going to have to get serious about weather proofing my office complex. I have to drain the warehouse water supply lines as they do not have insulation or heat. I presume that the 800 ft2 office building inside the warehouse has insulation as it has electric heat and a/c, but who knows ?
https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/tx/richmond?cm_ven=localwx_10day
Note to self: if building a new warehouse, add insulation.
Lying weasel under oath working hard to add another zero to upcoming judgement against CNN
https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/13/lawyer-cnn-propagandist-tried-to-find-dirt-on-navy-veteran-7-times-failed-and-still-published-a-hit-piece-with-no-evidence/
When this is over we’ll see who is “unemployable”.
Jen Rubin is leaving WaPo.
Is that a bustle or did someone strap a JATO unit to your backside?
YMCA!!!
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2025/01/13/village-people-to-play-at-inaugural-eve-ball-n2184303
Note to self: if building a new warehouse, add insulation.
– I have never regretted adding insulation, or pulling an extra cable. I have regretted NOT doing so.
Data point.
We had a 3 year deal with our electricity provider that expires soon. ALL the new deals are 2 year lock ins or LESS. Clearly the electricity resellers expect prices to RISE.
And it looks like we’ll go from 11c/KWhr to 14-18c
n
(I thought we were still with centerpoint/reliant but I guess not.)
American Airlines broke the law by focusing on ESG in 401(k) plans: judge
https://nypost.com/2025/01/10/business/american-airlines-focus-on-esg-in-401k-plan-is-illegal-judge/
We’ll see what happens in the damages phase, but the wider consequence is that Blackrock is probably vulnerable as asset manager of other retirement accounts and may be more than “involved” in the next round of lawsuits.
The voting will continue until you pick the right candidate.
n
“Note to self: if building a new warehouse, add insulation.”
Reflecting IR before it gets into the building is simpler in the design phase. Look at “Cool Roof ” options for wall panels and roof. Look at the effect of roof pitch and overhang. Awnings on windows. Trees.
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2025/01/13/too-good-to-check-56-of-greenlanders-want-to-become-orangelanders-n3798765
Easy. Intensive investigation into early Greenland settlements that are now buried under snow and ice, and are inarguable proof that the climate was warmer then.
A Trump Hotel wouldn’t hurt, too.
Hmmm, buy a bunch of dogs with other people’s money, make sure you and your partners get paid, and eventually when the free money runs out, dump the junk off on others.
n
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1N2BwcAT-s
Using Seawater To Fight Fires in SoCal | Why No Water | Fireboats | Seawater Myths!
–Worth the time. Same guy that did the info downloads for when the big boat hit the big bridge.
The video at 15 minute in as terrifying.
n
Data point.
We had a 3 year deal with our electricity provider that expires soon. ALL the new deals are 2 year lock ins or LESS. Clearly the electricity resellers expect prices to RISE.
And it looks like we’ll go from 11c/KWhr to 14-18c
n
(I thought we were still with centerpoint/reliant but I guess not.)
I use Energy Ogre at both my house and my office complex (they can do light commercial also with a single demand meter). I think that they have saved me quite a bit of money for their $10/month fee.
https://www.energyogre.com/
They just broke me from my 15 c/kwh contract at the house for $140 early termination fee to jump down to a 12 cent/kwh contract. Well worth the cost.
Melting Ice Reveals Remains of 5,900-Year-Old Trees in Wyoming, Uncovering a Long-Lost Forest
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/melting-ice-reveals-remains-of-5900-year-old-trees-in-wyoming-uncovering-a-long-lost-forest-180985819/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&lctg=91936633
Another data point for the “hottest year ever” lie.
590 ft = 179 meters
Adiabatic lapse rate is 9.8 °C/km, so if the trees were right at the timberline, a rough estimate is:
.179 * 9.8 = 1.75°C warmer when the trees grew 5900 years ago.
Yeah, it’s a rough estimate, but it still blows the hell out of the “hottest year ever” as well as the claim that our present temperature is near the “tipping point”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_climatic_optimum
So when the trees grew it was not near the maxiumum temperature of this interglacial–it had been cooling for about 2000 years
American Airlines broke the law by focusing on ESG in 401(k) plans: judge
https://nypost.com/2025/01/10/business/american-airlines-focus-on-esg-in-401k-plan-is-illegal-judge/
We’ll see what happens in the damages phase, but the wider consequence is that Blackrock is probably vulnerable as asset manager of other retirement accounts and may be more than “involved” in the next round of lawsuits.
If you are holding money for people (Trustee), then you have a financial responsibility to them for their money. Anything that distracts from that responsibility will get you in serious trouble. Blackrock may have to go into bankruptcy over this, the amount of money is so immense. I have never understood how the unions get away with mismanaging pension money.
This is why I create Simple IRAs for my people. I just dump money in their accounts and they are 100% vested immediately. No weird timing, no weird ratios, nothing to get upset about. And I have seen people go crazy over the years over retirement account money.
The Global Net Zero Financial Cartel, Falling Apart
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/01/13/the-global-net-zero-financial-cartel-falling-apart/
It appears that Blackrock is anticipating the arrival of a new Sheriff that will prioritize widows and orphans over Big Bank.
If they have egregiously breached their fiduciary duty and a reasonable case for damages can be made, part of the penalty should be to strip any immunity from the board and officers and beggar them to the extent that they lose all their assets and their toenail clippings are the most valuable thing they have left.
It’s easy to spend other people’s money on dumb stuff. Look at how thoughtlessly people spend their own money…
—
The pendulum always swings. History hasn’t ended. And this time, we have a way to communicate around the narrative. The dominoes may start falling. It won’t be pretty though, there will be blood in the streets, figuratively or literally. Depends on them really, and if they trigger the mob anger.
—
All the panopticon can be weaponized against them too. Some haxors, or foreign govs, or just sh!tsstirrers on 4chan weaponizing autism, and lists could be generated with their names, same way they’ve been making lists… widely distributed, acted on by independents with the motto “one and done”… there’s probably a book in there somewhere.
——————————————————————————————————————————————–
n
>>“The estimate includes $23.8 billion leftover from the current budget cycle.”
I’d settle for $238 leftover at the end of the month.
Who’s the CA CFO? DIE hire?