Thur. Aug.9, 2018 – beach, then travel

By on August 9th, 2018 in Random Stuff

Sunny and clear, 72F.

One last beach visit for the kids, packing, cleaning, etc for the adults.

Evening flight, late arrival home. Gonna be a long day.

N

34 Comments and discussion on "Thur. Aug.9, 2018 – beach, then travel"

  1. JimL says:

    72º and sunny about an hour to your East. It’s going to be a good day here. Not going to rain today, and won’t get much hotter than 80º.

    Cases of water today. Because it’s a good day to buy cases of water.

  2. Harold Combs says:

    Cooler today than yesterday. Expected to hit only 85f when normal would be 95f. Humidity at 92% so it’s still going to be miserable.

  3. lynn says:

    Cases of water today. Because it’s a good day to buy cases of water.

    I checked HEB last night. The 24 bottle 0.5 L cases of Ozarka were $4.19 each. I will wait for a sale.

  4. lynn says:

    “Melania Trump’s parents become U.S. citizens as their attorney says they got NO special treatment from the government”
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6044565/Melania-Trumps-parents-U-S-citizens-attorney-says-got-NO-special-treatment.html

    In this case, chain migration is probably ok.

    Hat tip to:
    https://drudgereport.com/

  5. lynn says:

    “Man arrested at New Mexico compound is son of imam with possible link to 1993 World Trade Center bombing”
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/siraj-wahhaj-arrested-amalia-new-mexico-father-imam-possible-link-1993-world-trade-center-bombing-court-documents/

    “The man arrested at a squalid New Mexico compound is the son of a controversial Brooklyn imam who was on a list of people who “may be alleged as co-conspirators” to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, according to court documents released by prosecutors Wednesday. Siraj Wahhaj, who shares a name with his son who was arrested Saturday, testified as a character witness for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the notorious “blind sheikh” who was convicted in 1995 of plotting terror attacks in the U.S.”

    Yup, terrorist muslim death camps are here in the USA. Not good.

    Hat tip to:
    https://drudgereport.com/

  6. Greg Norton says:

    Yup, terrorist muslim death camps are here in the USA. Not good.

    Fortunately, the Sheriff and police in Georgia were on top of things. As for the Feds …

    “… federal agents surveilled the area a few weeks ago but did not find probable cause to search the property.”

    People still know on a local level when something odd is going down nearby.

  7. lynn says:

    “A.F. Branco Cartoon – Tech Got Your Tongue?”
    https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-tech-got-your-tongue/

    Man, this political cartoon guy blows me away with his insight.

  8. lynn says:

    The real problem with Tesla is that Ford is going to release three large plugin hybrids in 2019. An F-150, an Explorer, and an Escape. With Ford’s manufacturing ability, they should be readily available in quantity.

    Tesla should have released a large pickup before now to let them capture that market. And a SUV variant of that pickup.

  9. lynn says:

    Oh look, they found some uncounted ballots in the Ohio special house election. And most of them are for the dumbocrat. What a surprise ! “Ohio race just got closer after county finds hundreds of uncounted votes”
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/08/08/ohio-midterm-uncounted-votes-danny-oconnor-troy-balderson/941603002/

    Rush Limbaugh noted on his radio show today that he does not even remember somebody finding uncounted repuglican ballots ever.

  10. ech says:

    Tesla should have released a large pickup before now to let them capture that market.

    Perhaps. But a luxury sedan fits the CA market.

  11. lynn says:

    Tesla should have released a large pickup before now to let them capture that market.

    Perhaps. But a luxury sedan fits the CA market.

    Does the Tesla Model S not fulfill the luxury sedan market ?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Model_S

  12. Greg Norton says:

    Oh look, they found some uncounted ballots in the Ohio special house election. And most of them are for the dumbocrat. What a surprise ! “Ohio race just got closer after county finds hundreds of uncounted votes”

    I guarantee Perkins Coie is involved. They’re always involved when ballots need to get found in car trunks.

  13. paul says:

    I know it is summer. In Texas. But this 102F+ everyday is getting old.

    That’s all. Beer time!!

  14. Greg Norton says:

    Tesla should have released a large pickup before now to let them capture that market. And a SUV variant of that pickup.

    Ford, GM, and Chrysler have decades of expertise in F-150 class trucks. Toyota is just now coming up to speed in San Antonio after a decade of climbing the learning curve.

    Real trucks are not rocket science, but they are close.

  15. CowboySlim says:

    Real trucks are not rocket science, but they are close.

    I’ll be the judge of that.

  16. Greg Norton says:

    Rush Limbaugh noted on his radio show today that he does not even remember somebody finding uncounted repuglican ballots ever.

    Dr. Pournelle called it the Stupid Party. Democrats were the Evil Party.

    People count on Republicans to be solid citizens without fail. As I’ve noted before, hipsters moving up from Austin *love* the houses near the Mormon temple in my neighborhood. Plenty 0f “BETO!” bumper stickers and yard signs right now.

  17. lynn says:

    I know it is summer. In Texas. But this 102F+ everyday is getting old.

    We were 82 F here today about 3pm. Big thunderstorm south of here cooled things down with nary a drop of rain for us. But we are back up to 88 F now.

    And hey, you live in central Texas. What do you expect in the summer ? And, you have another month and half to go.

    ADD: I’ve always thought in the movie “Secondhand Lions”, they did not portray the heat of a Texas summer very well.
    https://www.amazon.com/Secondhand-Lions-DVD-Region-NTSC/dp/B01M8PPFQD/

  18. Greg Norton says:

    I know it is summer. In Texas. But this 102F+ everyday is getting old.

    That’s all. Beer time!!

    After four years in Vantucky, I don’t complain about the heat. Memorial Day at the beach should not look like a North Face catalog.

    Ironically, the forecast for early next week is hotter in Portland than Austin.

  19. paul says:

    Since I complained, it has clouded up and smells like rain. Down from 104F to 88F. The radar shows a line coming at me so maybe some rain.

    I’m four miles from the HEB in Burnet. By crow, about two miles. I drive out from town on the paved road, turn right for half a mile, turn right again and go down a dirt/gravel road a mile to the house.

    Ah! Thunder! 🙂

    Added: Closer to two more months of summer. _Most_ years I can leave the house plants out until a week before Thanksgiving.

  20. lynn says:

    Added: Closer to two more months of summer. _Most_ years I can leave the house plants out until a week before Thanksgiving.

    I know, I know, I was being optimistic. I can remember taking the kids trick or treating one year and it was about 95 F or so. My son was wearing a ninja costume and refused to take the mask off. The wife took it off him and he was beet red with the heat.

  21. lynn says:

    Dr. Pournelle called it the Stupid Party. Democrats were the Evil Party.

    OFD called them the two halves of the war party. He was not wrong. Is there any country on this planet that we do not have a soldier or 100,000 in ?

  22. lynn says:

    The Sugar Land mayor and city council had a special meeting in our neighborhood of 4,000 homes tonight to address the two home invasions last week. Here are the notes:

    “Notes from the GW Crime Prevention Meeting tonight. Apologies in advance for length. Will add more in notes. VERY large crowd. Many interested parties, and the fear is palpable. Both victims were in attendance, and their words were poignant. “FACTS”: First invasion – 3:55 AM Thursday August 2nd; Second invasion – 11:35 PM Saturday, August 4th. SLPD arrived on scene in each instance within 6 minutes of initial 911 call. First invasion – broke glass in side panel by front door; encountered the lady & alarm went off. After searching several rooms, the (at least 2) intruders left. Second invasion had the gun, broke glass in the door itself, intruder shouted ‘police’ several times. On the same street in Trails 1 (the section that Sansbury dead-ends into). Police say they don’t see any obvious similarities. Victims say the intruders are looking for something or someone.”

    ” “You are a very active community”. Police were amazed at how much vehicle traffic we had at 3-4 AM, and really stunned at how much at 11 PM. Makes it hard to get useful info out of the cameras. While our cameras at the entrances are equipped with License Plate Readers (infrared technology), it is not currently functional. The HOA board is working with the SLPD to determine necessary upgrades and related costs to “hook up” with SLPD systems directly. Unfortunately, this means we don’t currently get clear license plate reads when it is dark.”

    I like that they are going to hookup our neighborhood cameras to the city video network and analyze license plates. Yes, we have neighborhood cameras at each entrance (we have five entrances). I do not like that they got in through the side glass by the front door as I have two six foot by 1 foot windows, one on either side of the front door.

  23. Ray Thompson says:

    Get an Arlo camera system from Costco. Put one camera on your front door, another inside pointing at the front door, third camera on the back door. Video stored in the cloud. May help the police with just in case.

  24. nick flandrey says:

    Home safe and sound. Missed the hail and storming here… but the yard and gutters were wet.

    More tomorrow, will tease with “prepper FAIL”.

    n

  25. nightraker says:

    I do not like that they got in through the side glass by the front door as I have two six foot by 1 foot windows, one on either side of the front door.

    Like two guys running from a bear, you only have to be faster than the other guy. The typical stick built American suburban home is not designed to be secure. That said, for the side lights/windows: consider decorative ironwork, replace with glass block or there is a stainless mesh product that looks like window screen but is supposed to be slash proof. My Dad had some pricey security/screen doors installed over the solid residential wood doors.

    Elsewhere, motion sensor lights, Door Armor strikes and hinge reinforcement for each man door and the garage to house door, solid deadbolts all around. The patio glass to pool windows are an expensive proposition to really secure, but a broomstick in the track, screws to keep lifting from the track and shatter film are considerations.

    Signage for a WIRELESS response alarm system is said to be a good deterrent for the typical daylight smash and grab burglar and your dog isn’t worthless either. Trim back bushes and lock up ladders.

    That camera doorbell to cell phone thing sounds good, too. Exterior roll away hurricane shutters might be over the top $$$.

  26. Spook says:

    invasion had the gun, broke glass in the door itself, intruder shouted ‘police’ several times.

    So, uh, shouting “police” is maybe not proof that the intruder is legitimate?
    Maybe the actual police need to knock politely, provide documentation of
    their “right” to enter, and so on… What a concept!

  27. Greg Norton says:

    While our cameras at the entrances are equipped with License Plate Readers (infrared technology), it is not currently functional. The HOA board is working with the SLPD to determine necessary upgrades and related costs to “hook up” with SLPD systems directly.

    Geesh. How much did the HOA spend on the friggin’ cameras?

    The downside of a more active neighborhood watch is that, sooner or later, you will end up with a “Treyvon” incident.

    Lost in the shuffle of what happened in Florida was that neither family, Zimmerman or Martin, would have been living in that neighborhood without some *very* creative financing.

  28. Greg Norton says:

    Yes, we have neighborhood cameras at each entrance (we have five entrances)

    Is that expressway near the first incident a toll road?

    Even with tag readers, most of the automated toll systems have plate scanners, and the expressway authorities are militant about keeping the plate pics practically forever in case of billing challenges.

    (We spent all afternoon in a meeting yesterday trying to figure out how to make an authority happy on that point.)

    My guess is the dirtbags came out on the expressway for at least the first incident, avoiding stoplights until they know the area. That is, unless they live in your neighborhood — always a possibility since 3% down mortgages are back, and the banks are loathe to foreclose on seriously underwater mortgages.

  29. nick flandrey says:

    I’ve been thinking about implementing my own ALPS system for my street. It’s an add on module for iSpy, the open NVR software. I’d put a cam on my mailbox. It wouldn’t link to any databases, but would record the passing vehicles.

    n

  30. Greg Norton says:

    I’ve been thinking about implementing my own ALPS system for my street. It’s an add on module for iSpy, the open NVR software. I’d put a cam on my mailbox. It wouldn’t link to any databases, but would record the passing vehicles.

    Dunno about the legal issues for a homeowner.

    Interesting. iSpy is Windows only. I’m wondering if Microsoft has some library that facilitates scanning license plates from images. Embedded Windows seems to be popular among the developers of the plate cameras.

  31. Nick Flandrey says:

    Dunno about the legal issues for a homeowner.

    If you can sit there and do it manually, it’s generally not illegal…

    License plates are publically visible. I’d just be making a list of all that came down my street.

    The implementation looks a lot easier than some others, like logging all the bluetooth devices that pass, or logging the RF codes from peoples’ tire pressure management systems….. and has the advantage of the cops being able to look up a license plate.

    n

  32. Ray Thompson says:

    Dunno about the legal issues for a homeowner.

    No issues. Anytime you are in an area of no reasonable expectation of privacy you can be photographed without the individual’s consent. That includes vehicles driving on public roads.

    I got into a tiff with a security guard for the federal building in downtown Knoxville. I was photographing the building from the sidewalk and the guard comes running pitching a fit. Said I could not photograph government property and demanded the memory card from my camera. I said no, in a not so polite way.

    He said he was going to call the cops. I said go ahead and waited. Cops showed up, I said I was on public property, cops told the guard he had no standing and that had he touched me he would have been charged with assault. Guard went away with his tail between his legs.

    I guess in retrospect I was probably lucky the guard did not shoot me first although I don’t know if he even had a gun. Federal guard probably did but was certainly not educated in the law.

  33. lynn says:

    Yes, we have neighborhood cameras at each entrance (we have five entrances)

    Is that expressway near the first incident a toll road?

    No, not yet. Maybe in ten years.

    Lynn to wife, “Baby, it is time to move, it is getting too civilized around here”. Wife, “no way !”.

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