10:06 – It was 43.0F (6C) when I took Colin out at 0655. This was the first time since early this month that I’ve slept in until 0630. Until now, I’ve been waking at anything from 0300 to 0430 and then just lying awake in bed pretending to sleep. I hope the time change this weekend doesn’t mess me up again.
Barbara is volunteering at the Friends of the Library Bookstore this afternoon. She’ll pick up take-out on her way home. I’m going to putter around here. We’ve been watching Season 1 of the Canadian series Republic of Doyle. That, and lots of homesteading/prepping videos on YouTube. Barbara actually likes some of those, including Jaime and Jeremy at Guildbrook Farms and Patara at Appalachia’s Homestead.
They’re still working on Grace’s house. Yesterday, Barbara talked to Justin, who laid our master bath floor. He told her that the granite counters for Grace’s house had been back-ordered until now.
When Ricky and Kim bought the house they told us that they weren’t going to treat it like a typical rental house–slap a coat of paint on and call it done. But this isn’t an ordinary rental. They’re renting it to Grace, true, but she’s their niece. She just started as a teacher in the local school system, and my guess is she’ll live there until she gets married, if not longer. And it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re thinking about this place as their future retirement home, once their current home and farm get to be too much to handle.
As Barbara said, they’ve probably spent more on renovations than they paid for the house itself. They’ve basically gutted the place, replacing windows, walls, floors, HVAC, plumbing, etc. and installed a full-size deck.
Grace was really, really hoping to move in by the end of September, so I’m sure she can’t wait.
I find myself only watching youtube vids. [yes, evil, only game in town]
The stuff I watch is produced by people who love what they are doing, have enough production value that it’s watchable (and some are quite good) and is mostly some sort of “How to” or “watch me while I work, and maybe learn something.” Most of them have been doing it for a while, often building from hundreds of views to tens of thousands or more over time. (this btw, makes them small potatoes compared to some of the lifestyle, comedy, and clip show content producers.)
When I want to listen to music, I’m more likely to search youtube than fire up my collection. About the only way I hear anything new is in the ‘recommended for you’ listings. And there are many ‘curated’ playlists available on youtube for genre and style that are very convenient for hearing a nice variety of artists.
n
Yeah, half a dozen or more of the channels I watch on Youtube have started Patreon channels as well. I doubt those will come to anything unless and until there’s a usable micropayments system in place.
Got da word from the doc this AM bright and early: lumbar laminectomy fusion with instrumentation surgery tomorrow AM. More damage in there than I’d thought (some evidently from ancient shrapnel pieces, since purged) and he’ll be installing hardware. But the gist of what everybody has said is that I’ll be OK afterward, hang around here maybe another 2-4 days, and they will make sure I can manage stairs again, like in our house, before letting me go.
Bionic Man pending…
Bionic Man pending…
Good news. Now if you go through TSA, you’ll get the triple anal exam. You know, when Mrs. OFD takes you to Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, etc. I hope you can at least make it to the throne to poop.
Bionic Man pending…
Bionic Wimp pending…
Fixed it for you.
Hope it all goes well. Seems like they know what they are talking about and their prognosis is positive. Hope it makes you mobile again and gets you back to working configuration.
Now if you go through TSA, you’ll get the triple anal exam
My wife has both hips replaced with metal. She just tells TSA about the joints and they let her through after a quick wanding. I get more scrutiny than she does when using TSA.
Trip out to Las Vegas we both got pre-check and the entire process was quite easy and quick. I have learned to remove everything metal and put it in the bins.
He told her that the granite counters for Grace’s house had been back-ordered until now.
As we are finding out, building materials of all kinds are backordered. Our new front door was stock, now six week delivery. Cabinets were six weeks, now nine.
Blame Harvey and Irma.
In other words, it’s Trump’s fault. As we all know, there were no deadly or damaging hurricanes until Trumphitler withdrew the US from the climate agreement.
Yah, and my back troubles are his fault, too; I was fine until he started up his Fourth Reich.
Can’t wait now for the triple-anal probes while nude on the main airport concourse and live to all media.
Seig heil!
Can’t wait now for the triple-anal probes while nude on the main airport concourse and live to all media.
Let me know when and where you are flying so I can avoid the airport completely.
Actually it is not too bad with metal parts. You may set off the metal detector, they wand you, you tell them you have metal in your spine, you go on your way. The TSA encounters a lot of people with metal in their body so you may miss the probe. If you have concerns just wear a bathrobe, towel on your head, smear camel dung on your shoes and you will slip right through.
Most thorough screening I got was in the Oslo Norway airport. I was taken aside to a private area and asked to strip to my underwear. Everything I had was examined carefully including the clothes I had just taken off and what I was carrying. Agent said it was a random inspection. I don’t think so. I suspect my name matched someone else and I was just unlucky. I may even resembled someone matching my description. I also found when I got home that my luggage had been searched as everything was rearranged. That and the note they left was a clue.
What was odd is that I gave my wife one of my carry-on items after I was asked to go for the search and before I left for the search. Had I been carrying anything that I wanted to hide my wife now had the bag. That bag was never searched. So they were looking for something very specific.
Thinking of you OFD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmUVo0xVAqE
So my programmer was bluffing. Trouble is, nobody knew it until it was too late. Now he’s off to a new job he didn’t really want to take, and I’m beyond where I think I can get him back. Once someone threatens to leave and comes back, it’s just not the same.
Had he come to me and told me what was bothering him, I might have got my boss to do something. Now it’s a little late.
Bog.
“NJ Family Visiting Baltimore Haunted By Random Teen Attack At Inner Harbor”
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/10/30/teen-attack-inner-harbor/
“It’s the heart of Baltimore’s tourism industry, but the Inner Harbor turned into a nightmare for a visiting family of 10 earlier this month.”
“Out of nowhere, they were swarmed and beaten by a large number of teenagers.”
““They swarmed us,” said Stacey. “They hit my husband in the head. They knocked him out… and then it was just complete bedlam.””
I am betting that they were Amish teens ! I was there at a conference just a decade ago and wandered around the docks late at night. I won’t go back there or to any other city that is minority controlled.
Got da word from the doc this AM bright and early: lumbar laminectomy fusion with instrumentation surgery tomorrow AM. More damage in there than I’d thought (some evidently from ancient shrapnel pieces, since purged) and he’ll be installing hardware. But the gist of what everybody has said is that I’ll be OK afterward, hang around here maybe another 2-4 days, and they will make sure I can manage stairs again, like in our house, before letting me go.
I figured that this was shrapnel related.
Bionic Man pending…
Got six million dollars to pay the bill ? Uncle is broke.
BTW, when the bills comes through, make sure that they send them to the VA. Do not do the forwarding yourself. Tell them the VA is responsible and refuse any and all bills.
And get that long term shrapnel damage diagnosis in writing !
10-4, and the next time that I go to the hospital and am asked to pay that which my insurance will not cover, I will sign yes, except for all non-network charges.
@Ray, did you have the Vitrectomy and Cataract Lens replacement on both eyes ? If so, what order did you do it ?
I had another event in my right eye Saturday and now have two large floaters and a small floater in it. I was seeing lighting in the corner of my right eye for a while but that has stopped. My eye surgeon says get the cataract surgery first (which he does) and get the Vitrectomy second from the Retina surgeon. He says that Vitrectomy disturbs the eye for ten years and makes it difficult to perform the lens replacement properly.
So my programmer was bluffing. Trouble is, nobody knew it until it was too late. Now he’s off to a new job he didn’t really want to take, and I’m beyond where I think I can get him back. Once someone threatens to leave and comes back, it’s just not the same.
Programmers and Engineers are the worst at communication. And I am both.
Thanks for the laff, Mr. Terry; saw that flick finally a couple of years ago; we’re there now.
“If you have concerns just wear a bathrobe, towel on your head, smear camel dung on your shoes and you will slip right through.
I’d just as soon never fly again (on any commercial aircraft), so no worries.
“Tell them the VA is responsible and refuse any and all bills.”
Roger that.
“And get that long term shrapnel damage diagnosis in writing !”
If not the case before, it is now. Plus the two PH’s. Bastards. Still making us sweat for everything; VA jerkoffs now being pricks about covering in-patient rehab; they’d evidently rather ambulance me to their nearest facility 200 miles south and warehouse me there.
But I now have a small team working in my behalf on this chit.
If you have concerns just wear a bathrobe, towel on your head, smear camel dung on your shoes and you will slip right through.
That ain’t camel dung on their sandals. They stand on the toilet seat to launch a missile. Sometimes they miss.
Plus the two PH’s.
What is a PH ?
Best of luck for tomorrow OFD.
Thanks much, Mr. Paul; and everyone else; I should be OK and back up and online in a couple of days….
Programmers and Engineers are the worst at communication. And I am both.
I regretted taking a job in Seattle where the company demoted me from developer to dev-ops before my first day. Later, when they demoted me again from dev-ops to tester, they were completely stunned when I quit without notice a few days later since I found I was unable to deal with the insult. I honestly don’t know what they expected in response to that situation. Complete professionalism?
I guess they figured that if I accepted demotion once, I’d accept it again.
For the record, I did a *great* job at dev-ops without complaint. I took them from ground zero to having a complete install ISO for their custom routing software on top of a RHEL Common Criteria-certified distro. I still don’t know what motivated the second demotion beyond the fact that I didn’t fit in with the other programmers.
Yesterday was sunny with a bit of breeze and high of 79F. Dry…. the thermostat said 32% humidity. I have a couple more thermo/humid stats. None agree, even side by side on the dining room table. A nice day to grill a b’day steak on the grill.
Today? Bleh. Overcast and temp is all the way up to 58F. It looks like rain to the South and it just sprinkled a bit. The humidity is almost up enough to make it feel clammy.
Turning 60 was not a big deal.
Today is Wikipedia donation day !
https://donate.wikimedia.org/
“Seven people killed after gunman driving Home Depot truck rips through bike lane, yells ‘Allahu Akbar!'”
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/dead-gunman-home-depot-truck-runs-bikers-article-1.3602094
Oh man, the NYC cops only shot him once in the ass. They should have emptied about ten magazines into him.
Hat tip to:
http://drudgereport.com/
Oh man, the NYC cops only shot him once in the ass. They should have emptied about ten magazines into him.
FL cops would have.
“We don’t choose to shoot people; they chose for us to shoot them,” Judd said. “And if you choose for us to shoot at you, we are going to shoot at you a lot.”
http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2017/6/6/new_details_emerge_i.html
Only 13 hits out of 50. Sheriff Judd probably wasn’t happy.
I’ve heard very similar rationalizations from muggers. Funny, that.
PH – Purple Heart
PH – Purple Heart
My Dad had two and a Bronze Star. Going to Iwo to climb Suribachi and then Korea and ‘Nam does that “for” you. The medals are gone after the sisters “cleaned” the house.
Yeah, I know I can mess around and get replacement medals, but, they aren’t Dad’s.
Oh, gotcha. I thought PH was Pregnant Hamster and was totally confused.
@Ray, did you have the Vitrectomy and Cataract Lens replacement on both eyes ? If so, what order did you do it ?
I had the vitrectomy first, in both eyes, about two months apart. I was told one of the side effects was cataracts and sure enough about a year later had to have cataract surgery. When I had the victrectomy the retina surgeon also decided to laser my retina. For the first eye he did the laser the day after. That was a mistake. Each pulse of the laser felt like a tiny hammer in your head and was quite uncomfortable. For the second eye he did the lasering immediately after the victrectomy procedure.
My first eye did just fine without any issues. Second eye hemorrhaged and I was almost completely blind the next day in that eye. Whites of the eye was purple and black, looked horrible. Doctor said it was OK and would get better. After a couple of weeks all was normal in the eye. But it really, I mean really, scared the hell out of me.
One eye, the one that ruptured, the surgeon placed a small air bubble. That is supposed to put pressure on the retina to hold in place. The bubble disappears over time. Some people have to sleep face down to keep the bubble in the back of the eye. In my case that was not necessary.
I had the victrectomy because it was more or less something that had to be done quickly. A blood capillary had ruptured in my left eye resulting in thousands of spots. The spots were individual blood cells and was a sign of something that needed to be treated quickly.
Apparently the vitreous fluid in the eye thickens over time and that causes some tugging on the retina. The capillary busting was an indication that the retina was under stress and continued stress would result in tearing that would really damage my vision and was basically not repairable.
The rupture happened on Friday, I waited until Monday to go the eye doctor. Big mistake. Doctor chewed me out badly. Immediately sent me to the building next door to the retina surgeon who scheduled the procedure in two days.
He says that Vitrectomy disturbs the eye for ten years and makes it difficult to perform the lens replacement properly.
I was never told that and as far as I was concerned the eyes were normal within a couple of weeks. Vision was fine. It may be a personal preference of the doctor. If the doctor feels better get the cataract surgery first.
I can tell you from experience the cataract surgery is amazing. The vision the next day was so remarkable, clear, crisp, bright colors. HPFM in my opinion.
For the victrectomy they prep you by starting an IV. They inject something in the IV that puts you under. While you are under they go behind the eye, which apparently is massively painful without being under, to deaden the eye muscles and stop all movement. You are then woken up for the procedure.
In my case they put three devices in the eye using tiny slits. One device is a small light, one device breaks up and sucks out the vitreous fluid, the third device replaces the vitreous fluid with saline solution.
The results afterwards were significant. Eye was unbandaged the next day, vision was blurry from swelling, but that all went away in a couple of weeks. No floaters. Amazing.
If you need either procedure do not hesitate to have them done. The results are amazing, no pain, no discomfort. They can do amazing stuff with the eyes. Don’t mess around and wait until it gets worse.
“They can do amazing stuff with the eyes. Don’t mess around and wait until it gets worse.”
Roger that, I had cataract surgery on one eye after DMV told me that my license was renewed temporarily. Went back after successful surgery and got full renewal.
CowboySlim, if you see me in your rear view mirror, pull over and let me go by.
HPFM = Hocus Pocus Freaking Magic ?
https://www.acronymfinder.com/HPFM.html
Thanks for the writeup !
I would love to have distance vision. I have been -4.75 / -6.25 all of my life. The nice side is that I can read without glasses. The down side is that I have to shave with my glasses on.
The really down side is that I have about a $6K medical deductible and out of pocket. Really puts a downer on getting anything done.
HPFM = Hocus Pocus Fucking Magic
I would love to have distance vision.
My vision was 20/400, could not read 96 point type one foot from my face. Had lasik to correct most of that issue but was not perfect. When I got cataract surgery I had an option for distance vision or close vision.
I opted for distance as once you see past about 50 feet another thousand yards is not much different. With close up a distance of an inch is major. So my distance vision is about 20/25 which is remarkable and I don’t wear glasses except for reading. You generally need reading glasses as you get older so the choice was a no-brainer.
The most amazing procedure hands down has to be the cataract surgery. You don’t realize how your vision has clouded over the years as it is so gradual and your brain tries to adapt. Waking up the next morning is awesome and makes you want to have the other eye done immediately, if not sooner.
The second most amazing procedure was the vitrectomy. Getting rid of the floaters and have crystal clear vision is awesome. It took longer to heal because of the lasering and the punctures in the eye.
It is interesting seeing the doctor remove the vitreous fluid from your eye. You are awake and get to watch everything. The tip moving around breaking up the fluid and sucking it all out. No discomfort, just interesting that is hard to describe.
The cataract surgery is quick, as in less than five minutes. Tiny slit on the side of the eye, doctor sticks in a tool that cuts the lens and pulls the lens out. Next the replacement lens is inserted rolled up in a tube. The lens is ejected, expands, and is placed by the surgeon. A few more eye drops, protective covering over the eye, and home you go with followup the next day.
I can tell you from experience with the medicines for the victrectomy. Use the medicine following instructions to the letter. If I remember correctly there were three medicines involved, just eye drops (some expensive stuff), but that may vary by doctor.
Really puts a downer on getting anything done.
Anyway, the important point is that if you need it done, do it. Don’t hesitate. Don’t wait a week or a day. The results are amazing, the technology amazing. No discomfort during the procedure or after. Beg, borrow or steal the money to get it done. Your eyes are too valuable to risk a torn retina which a vitrectomy is supposed to reduce significantly.
Did I say that I never disagree with Ray?
Ray, quick: say that CowboySlim totally should hook up with Hillary Bitch Clinton.
(If necessary, you may clarify that you mean, or don’t mean, that he should hook her up to a plow and whip her like a rented mule.)
@SteveF: I could never be that cruel to Slim.
Personally I think we should hook Cankles to an electric cattle fence with the wires air gapped in a warm moist area. I will let you do the install ‘cause I sure wouldn’t have the stomach to do it.
Haters.
Dang it, this happens all the time. I let people know I’ve done a couple horrific things and the next thing you know I’m getting volunteered for the next horrific task.
OK, new plan: tell everyone the revised truth that I’ve never really done much other than play computer games and D&D. The one time I tried to swat a fly I fumbled the job and hit my mother-in-law in the head with the fly swatter. The first, and only, time I tried to change a diaper I passed out and the baby rolled off the bed onto the floor and crawled around and got poop on everything. Heck, I can’t even take out the garbage because it’s too disgusting. No, if you need a foul job done, you’d better find someone else.
(The complaint in the first paragraph is true, by the way. Was, anyway; I’ve gotten surly of late and there’s been a decline in the number of people daring to ask me to take care of their messes.)
air gapped in a warm moist area.
Cankles and moist area don’t go together. Crusty and dry does. Unless Mr. MilesTeg is involved.
Cankles and moist area don’t go together
Which brings up the obvious question. How do you know? Go ahead, we’re grown men, we can handle the truth.
Best wishes Mr. OFD.
Haters.
Fascists.
Thanks, Mr. Vince.
For boffo laffs, this is what I’m getting in the AM:
http://understandspinesurgery.com/Animations
Scroll down to lumbar laminectomy fusion with instrumentation
Sorry, no showers of blood.
But Happy Halloween!!!
Haters.
Fascists.
We haven’t even started with the Cankles body double talk.
Good luck in the morning. If the VA ever sends you to San Antonio, post here and we’ll rush you an emergency BBQ pack.
San Antonio isn’t freaked out … yet.
I know, more hater talk.
For boffo laffs, this is what I’m getting in the AM
Kewl! Hope it makes you all better and back to your usual optimistic self. Maybe I’ll ask Cankles to visit in the hospital to give you a sponge bath and lap dance. Motivation to get out before her arrival.
Just that image has me packing up right now and GTFO and buying a ticket to the Alamo and Riverwalk….
Later, haters; will punch in again when I can….
Pax vobiscum, fratres….et semper paratus…
Lookin’ good tonight, OFD.
No showers of blood?
Hater.
Huh. I have a Roku and I thought there was a way to watch something Roku-ish on my PC after I logged in to the site.
Here I go, another click to the left side of the bell curve…..
“The strange suicide of the book industry.” by Sarah Hoyt
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2017/10/30/again-a-still-small-voice-a-blast-from-the-past-from-may-6-2012/
“OTOH if I wrote this today and looked at the price of ebooks by the big publishers, I might also entitle it “The strange suicide of the book industry.” Or perhaps “For the love of reading, someone take the razor blade from traditional publishing houses and call a psychiatrist.””
Indies are going strong and getting stronger.
And note that Ms. Hoyt states that Baen and their stable of authors are doing well.
For boffo laffs, this is what I’m getting in the AM:
http://understandspinesurgery.com/Animations
Scroll down to lumbar laminectomy fusion with instrumentation
A friend of mine had this done about five years ago when he suddenly lost all feeling below his knees over a week. He had 8 ? 10 ? lumbar vertebrae fused and is much better.
Haters.
Fascists.
You know me well. I made a suggestion over on usenet yesterday that we swap out the SNAP program (food stamps) for MREs at all Post Offices. One guy accused me of advocating genocide of women and children !
Good luck in the morning ! We are rooting for you ! Yup, I am watching the Astros right now.
In 2008 the motor registry in Canberra wouldn’t renew my bus and truck licences as their quick-and-dirty eyesight testing machine failed me. (They said I was okay to drive cars and motor bikes.)
I went to a local optician who tested me again and said I could read one line beyond what I needed to keep the bus and truck licences, which the motor registry accepted.
When I moved to Adelaide if I’d wanted to keep my heavy truck and bus licences I would have to get signed off *every year* by both a sleep specialist (I have sleep aponea) and an endocrinologist (I’m diabetic). I don’t like driving and people so I decided to let go of the heavy licences. All I require now is to be signed off by my GP once a year. I can still drive light trucks and busses.
“You know me well. I made a suggestion over on usenet yesterday…”
People still use USENET?
Bon chance, Dave!
Best Wishes Mr.OFD.. I hope all goes well…
Must be nigh on til morn there on the coastal areas… so I’ll add delayed but still heartfelt wishes for a successful operation and quick recovery.
n
Didn’t see how many shots NYPD had to fire to get the hit, but they are not generally very good with pistols. I was a bit surprised that no bystanders were shot accidentally.
I had to check the news when the Astros game made mention of a tragedy in NYC.
Not what I wanted to see, and I find my sense of outrage is dulled, which is ALSO not what I wanted to see. I’m getting used to the constant drumbeat, and that frustrates and saddens me. I want to keep the rage stoked to white hot, but it takes a lot of effort to maintain. Dirty fuckers.
n
Uh… because women and children aren’t rugged enough to eat MREs? I must confess that I’m missing the logical connection here.
I don’t suggest handing out MREs. They’re too expensive. Kula bars, that’s what we want to give out to anyone who can’t support themselves and their dependents.
I have two titanium plates (and sixteen screws) in my right forearm. I’ve been through TSA twice since then without event. One time I walked through the metal detector without any problems. The second time I went through the metal detector and the privacy invading body scanner, but they were putting everyone through the privacy invading body scanner that day.
You can always “opt out” of the body scanner. You will be hand searched (pat down) as a result, but likely not put thru the metal detector. You can always ask for a private screening area for the pat down. I do. Every time. Get there early.
n
And note that Ms. Hoyt states that Baen and their stable of authors are doing well.
Baen has some advantages:
– as a genre publisher, they can focus on one line of business and know it well
– they don’t own presses and don’t have to keep them busy
– they engage with their readers via message boards and frequent communications
– they sell subscriptions to advance e-books of most new releases, getting buzz going
– they pay authors a reasonable royalty on e-books as I understand it. Higher than most publishers.
– they price e-books below paperbacks and below most publishers
True, their e-books are a little more expensive than many indies but, and this is a big but, I know the book will be well-written and well edited.
I’ll ask Cankles to visit in the hospital to give you a sponge bath and lap dance.
Er, why are you on a first name basis with Cankles, and how do you know she gives lap dances.
I know she is not moist because none of her TV appearances show snail trails.
I don’t suggest handing out MREs. They’re too expensive. Kula bars, that’s what we want to give out to anyone who can’t support themselves and their dependents.
I want the Post Office to stash emergency food in a location that people can find in a local disaster.
What the heck is a Kula Bar ? All I get is a revolving sushi bar ?
http://kurausa.com/
Ringo’s The New Centurion. Nutrition bars which were cheap to make, lasted forever, and deliberately made to taste as bad as possible. I’m not positive of the name; web search is not as helpful as I’d expected and my book is packed in a box somewhere around here. (Unless one of my rat-bastard sons stole it. Hazards of raising the kids with reading tastes similar to mine is that they borrow my books, not necessarily asking beforehand or returning them afterward.)
Er, why are you on a first name basis with Cankles, and how do you know she gives lap dances.
I promised her I would not kiss and tell. Let’s just say a lot of my vision problems can probably be traced to the event and let it go at that.
MrAtoz wrote:
“Er, why are you on a first name basis with Cankles, and how do you know she gives lap dances.”
Didn’t you know? Ray is Chelsea’s father?
Ringo’s The New Centurion. Nutrition bars which were cheap to make, lasted forever, and deliberately made to taste as bad as possible. I’m not positive of the name; web search is not as helpful as I’d expected and my book is packed in a box somewhere around here. (Unless one of my rat-bastard sons stole it. Hazards of raising the kids with reading tastes similar to mine is that they borrow my books, not necessarily asking beforehand or returning them afterward.)
Gotcha. The “Snowpiercer” movie had ration bars made of crushed cockroaches for the peons. It was horribly gross and those stunt cockroaches could not have done very well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowpiercer
Now that’s just foul, Miles_Teg. Beyond the pale. Utterly inexcusable.
I approve!
I approve!
Asshole. 🙂