My neighbors show 40F and 80%RH. That feels really cold to Texans… I know you guys are laughing, but my kids need to wear JACKETS to school! The horror!
Got some stuff done yesterday and the end of the project is finally in sight.
Got a new project getting started, but it should be short and sweet. Should be…
Got Christmas coming like a freight train. Kids have already wrapped a few presents. I’ve been picking up things throughout the year (prepper remember?) but still have stuff to buy and do.
Year end is coming up too, with the built in opportunity for reflection and change.
Do some of that thinking ahead of time too!
n
Not prepped for Christmas. The Thanksgiving Cruise and then 2 weeks of sinus infection and bronchitis have kept both of us from getting ahead of Christmas chores. We are still not 100% (more like 75%). The Wife usualy has her baking well underway by now but hasn’t felt well enough to even begin. I haven’t picked out presents for my brothers much less ordered or wrapped. About the only things under the tree are the traditional Christmas PJs for the kids and a Baby Alive doll for little Addie. Those things creep me out but she LOVES them. All our energies have gone into decorations (inside & outside) and the house is looking very cheery.
All the Federal buildings are closed in Downtown Austin. It sucks because I walk through their property on my way to/from the office to avoid the urban outdoorsmen clustered near the homeless servicess one block over from my parking garage.
I don’t remember the Post Office being closed for the Reagan or Ford funerals. Gotta wonder if Trump is sending a message to Bezos and those dependent on getting those “smile” boxes. The young’n’s I work with do *everything* online, mostly through Amazon. I’m old — I don’t have a Prime membership.
I’m waiting for a remote for my receiver to come in from ebay. I can’t config the receiver properly to take my old xbox as an input, and my wife can’t play the old game she got suddenly motivated to play…. it’s a game that won’t play on newer xboxes. So every day without mail delivery is KILLING ME!!!111!!!1!1111!! If looks could kill, the stabby eye I get for not being able to fix this is murdering me. (old receiver died, goodwill sony receiver didn’t come with remote, which means I can’t access the ‘setup’ functions, which means I can’t reassign an input from hdmi to composite video….) and I can’t find my composite to hdmi converter box. So simple to plug in the old xbox (which I kept just so we can play this game)-NOT!
I think this is the very definition of the snarky “first world problem.”
n
30º and light snow right now. Less than 1/2″ due today, then a couple of inches overnight. Should be good.
Chemistry – I mixed some bicarbonate of soda with a weak acid to make a tastier cornbread. Here I thought it was pretty good to start with. I’m not going to make it in any quantity – 1 batch at a time is pretty good.
So far I have:
* Half-again the fat – makes it smoother / creamier. any more than that & it’s greasy.
* Doubled the eggs – makes it cakier – and it holds together better.
* Added lemon juice – counteracts that _slight_ bitterness from the baking powder.
* Added more sugar. Then halved it. Depends on how I want to eat it. More sugar for breakfast. Less sugar for chili.
Everything else is just fiddling.
Computer work – I just logged into a P5-75 / Windows NT 4 PC for a user that needs to analyze a shock absorber. The tester and software are 25+ years old, and nobody will spring for new. (shakes head). It’s a paycheck.
Re: Your XBox First World Problem.
This is why I don’t throw things away. I probably have what you need. I’d mail it to you, but the post office is closed today.
In other nooz – the wife & kids are getting me the smartwatch I wanted. Okay – I’m getting it. They’re wrapping it up. I’m just going to drool until Christmas day.
Make & Model?
on the scanner– the “Catastrophe Medical Net” is doing it’s monthly roll call
and the MASSEX in the port may be ongoing, at least I hope so given the traffic.
n
More FUD from NASA and/or their traditional contractors.
I’ve long believed that SLS will fly once and be abandoned like Ares. NASA knew Ares I could never fly humans safely.
https://www.wired.com/story/a-spacex-delivery-capsule-may-be-contaminating-the-iss/
Computer work – I just logged into a P5-75 / Windows NT 4 PC for a user that needs to analyze a shock absorber. The tester and software are 25+ years old, and nobody will spring for new. (shakes head). It’s a paycheck.
Win32 forever. Breaking “Petzold” sample code would be the end of Microsoft with a lot of big companies’ IT shops. More than anything else, the application layer compatibility is sacred among the Linux Kernel folks, going all the way up to the top.
Windows 10 has VB6 support until it sunsets, and the last time I bothered to run a test, Visual C++ srand()/rand() still used the code BillG cookbooked from Knuth decades ago — an awful PRNG from a security perspective but probably important to some big customer’s simulation.
It’s the Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm. On Verizon. The better to track my movements with. What I’m looking forward to:
* Sleep tracking. 6 hours on average, but automatic tracking is “better” for me.
* GPS tracking, including exercise. I’m lazy – the phone will track that for me.
* Call forwarding. I don’t care about it most of the time, but on race day it’s important.
* Sending calls to voicemail without picking up my phone – NOT on race day.
I’m kind of excited about it. But I don’t know I’m getting it. 😉
Working on a list of geopolitical shifts in recent changes and in likely changes…
Changes so far–
qatar leaves OPEC
turkish gov turns actively religious (army abandons traditional role)
russia siezes Crimea (and keeps it)
US leaves NAFTA
US repudiates Paris accord
Reunification of Korea
BREXIT
moslim invasion of western europe- literal millions of provocateurs, disease vectors, terrorists, and welfare recipients disrupt society and drain ‘social safety net’ funds
Mexico ‘elects’ new Presidente who vows changes to status quo
US elects political outsider Trump- vows to change status quo
Germany shuts down nationalist cabal within army- over 200 arrested
MbS successful coup in Saudi Arabia
London elects muslim mayor
China seized disputed islands- built air and naval bases
rise of nationalist movements across world
china indenturing most of africa and chunks of S and C America (and ready to foreclose on loans and seize assets)
relations with Cuba normalized
Russia assassinates turncoat in UK
MbS assassinates turncoat in Embassy
NOK assassinates guy with a kiss
deepstate assassinates SCOTUS judge in US?
deepstate or other actor runs op in Vegas, resulting in large number of deaths
coming soon?
Venezuela becomes failed state
Argentina becomes failed state
third world sh!tholes begin to default on chinese infrastructure loans and china takes possession of assets
EU continues to break up
Nationalist parties rise to political power in Germany, France
NATO loses member(s)
“accident” during wargames provides excuse for escalation
China seizes more disputed islands
proxy war in syria changes dramatically
EBOLA breaks out of africa, probably by way of Italy if thru legit travel, otherwise thru “immigrant” invasion
anti-immigrant sentiment continues to increase in US, resulting in civil unrest
US civil war II intensifies, open warfare breaks out
what have I missed?
n
third world sh!tholes begin to default on chinese infrastructure loans and china takes possession of assets
That’s already happening. Doesn’t a Chinese company run the Panama Canal?
Hmm, the MASSEX is def continuing today. More work for the fireboat. More practice with decontamination, including of K9s.
Lots of agencies participating. Today’s scenario involved a DOD EOD unit….
STILL no notice on the Houston or Harris County OEM websites.
n
I’ve got a Garmin fenix 5X Plus and it does most of those same things.
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she paid twice as much for insurance as a waitress as she will in Congress”
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/04/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-calls-for-medicaid-for-all.html
This is why people are upset and we are getting these ultra liberal activists in Congress.
All the Federal buildings are closed in Downtown Austin. It sucks because I walk through their property on my way to/from the office to avoid the urban outdoorsmen clustered near the homeless servicess one block over from my parking garage.
I don’t remember the Post Office being closed for the Reagan or Ford funerals. Gotta wonder if Trump is sending a message to Bezos and those dependent on getting those “smile” boxes. The young’n’s I work with do *everything* online, mostly through Amazon. I’m old — I don’t have a Prime membership.
My business is open today. In fact, the office manager is negotiating with an engineer in Norway about leasing a copy of our software for three years. I do respect Bush 41 (and 43) but shutting down the country for a funeral is just wrong.
I am starting the planning for the new year today. I passed along my requirements to the office manager and I am complete.
OK, this is what happens when one lives in a majority Asian neighborhood. One of my neighbors invited all of his neighbors to “N-Lighten 2018 – Manifest Yoga Powers of the Third Eye” on our private Facebook group. I think that I will pass.
Over The Hedge: Don’t eat the yellow snow !
https://www.gocomics.com/overthehedge/2018/12/05
Uh, nasty.
Ray, I feelz for ya. By the early 1970s Beetles were supposed to be going downhill, and your experience is testimony. My second last VW was a 1965, the only car I have ever purchased new. Then a gap of about 20 years until I inherited a slightly beat-up 1970 from my father. I have heard it argued that 1970 was the best year, and then downhill after. Maybe. I can say that the 70 had many things my 65 didn’t, including a 12 volt electrical system, independent rear suspension, and a 34% bigger engine. Otherwise, it was still the same old design, unaffected by the coming shenanigans imposed by the government. Now, I would only consider a Karmann Ghia, and then either in pristine original condition, or with quite a few mods to make me happy.
AC in a VW? Heresy! I know it was available, but that is a stretch. I once drove a beautifully restored Porsche 914 that I was considering buying. It was an all day affair, with about 200 miles of highway driving. Like a VW, it was nice around town, but disappointing on the highway. And, the AC was mostly dead weight. BTW, this was the four cylinder model. I might have a different opinion about the six, but probably not. The lack of effective AC is a big factor that would prevent me from getting that Karmann Ghia. I could drive it in nicer weather, but there are other fun cars…
I have been thinking about getting some kind of fun car lately. Oh well, I often think about such cars. Looking back over the few cars I have had, there many kinds I have never owned. (I keep a car for a long time, especially those I really like.) Setting aside some that might get me in serious trouble, I might consider something British or Italian. Yup, just asking for a different kind of trouble. I guess my real desire is to be like Jay Leno, only on a much smaller scale.
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she paid twice as much for insurance as a waitress as she will in Congress”
I have no doubt that the girl’s fall from grace will be fast and brutal, something which will be fun to watch from a distance.
The establishment power structure in NY who supported the Dem incumbent for years has got to be plotting payback. They don’t care about Medicare For All as much as pork projects headed to the district not being diverted because the fresh face has zero real power. Whether (D) or (R), establishment is establishment.
Lots of shoes and dimes have yet to drop in the aftermath of what happened in November. Be patient.
JimB says:
Well, I’ve been driving Jeep Cherokees (both non and Grand) for 30 years as I have taken unpaved roads in his area for many years.
“Law-abiding gun Owner Killed During Red Flag Confiscation Raid”
https://www.gunowners.org/law-abiding-gun-owner-killed-during-red-flag-confiscation-raid.htm
“Gary Willis, a resident of Ferndale, Maryland, was awakened Monday morning at 5:17 a.m. when two officers from Anne Arundel County knocked on his door. A law-abiding gun owner, Willis answered the door “with a gun in his hand,” according to a police department spokesman. They were there to serve him with an “extreme risk protective order” and remove his legally owned firearms.”
“The spokesman said that Willis “became irate.” In the melee that followed, one of the firearms carried either by one of the officers or by Willis went off. One of the officers then pulled his own sidearm and shot Willis dead.”
Coming soon to a state near you !
Ocasio-Cortez may not even make it to January before the dimes start dropping.
The establishment Dems are part of the crowd behind the “Apple needs to buy Tesla” push.
https://dailycaller.com/2018/12/03/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-tesla-elon-musk/
I saw the stories today about flagship Android phones all having 5G next Christmas while Apple will not. We’ll see about that. For now, I’ll chalk it up to yet another trial balloon from the “Apple needs to buy Tesla” “journalists”.
The one thing I don’t see is LTE. I don’t plan to carry my phone with me when I’m out. Right now I carry the silly thing everywhere. NOT carrying the phone is the goal, which is why this will be my first bought watch in 30+ years. (I had the Gear Fit 2 until it failed in under 1 year, but that was a “free” watch. I would not have bought it.)
@CowboySlim
We like Jeep Grand Cherokee’s. I hope you drive a modern one with lots of safety stars. A bad crash in a 3 star isn’t good. It is in fact very ungood.
I was in a terrible car crash in 8/2014 driving my beloved 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 3 star safety rating. I was badly injured. 5 days hospitalized, sidelined for months. The woman who struck me was in a 2011 (I think) Honda Sedan with a 5 star safety rating. She walked away from the crash with some bumps and bruises. There’s a special hot place for her. She was late for an appointment and made half a dozen illegal choices which led to the crash. No jail time but she gets to be a felon now.
My husband drives a Jeep Grand Cherokee – it’s modern and has a 5 star safety rating.
I’m a fan of those stars now. Her car looked worse but she physically fared much better. My Jeep bent in half. Lots of cabin intrusion. The frickin DRIVE SHAFT snapped. Whuf. The interior of her vehicle just looked like the driver was a slob. No intrusion to the cabin. I am told had I not turned and took the head as a t-bone I’d be strumming a harp.
My poor Jeep.
http://twogeeksandadog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/20140911-214553.jpg
You should have seen the other guy:
http://twogeeksandadog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/20140911-214621.jpg
She was late for an appointment and made half a dozen illegal choices which led to the crash.
Lemme guess — one of the illegal choices was the cell phone.
I’m nearly killed at least once a week on I35 by a nitwit on their cell phone. This despite Austin being among the first to introduce fines for merly *touching* a cell phone or other handheld device while the vehicle is in motion, a kneejerk response to the 2013 Cannonball record being certified with the help of an online map company.
Sorry about your vehicle. I have a 2001 Solara which I’m loathe to part with after nearly 18 years. Auto tech was pretty decent 15-20 years ago, but the Government hadn’t started to meddle too badly.
OTOH, if you can turn off all the naggy “assist” systems and the car doesn’t come with a push button emergency brake, the case can be made for newer vehicles, but those matching the qualifications are increasingly rare … and pricey.
Yikes Jenny, that was a close one. I’ve been in several, but never got that munched. You’re never completely the same.
N
I bought Scott paper towels at Wal-Mart today. Six pack “select a size”. The price seemed about the same as last time. When I put it on the shelf, it felt light. It is. There are 96 sheets per roll. Still 11.5 inches wide. But now 6.0 inches long. Four feet shorter per roll. Same price and shorted about half a roll.
The Scott bath tissue is still the same size. They had the 12 pack for about 9.25. A few feet down the aisle they had the 30 pack for about 19.80. Hmm…24 rolls for 18.50 or 30 for an extra buck?
I’m a fan of those stars now. Her car looked worse but she physically fared much better. My Jeep bent in half. Lots of cabin intrusion. The frickin DRIVE SHAFT snapped. Whuf. The interior of her vehicle just looked like the driver was a slob. No intrusion to the cabin. I am told had I not turned and took the head as a t-bone I’d be strumming a harp.
My poor Jeep.
http://twogeeksandadog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/20140911-214553.jpg
Good night ! That is horrible !
ADD: Was the munchkin in the back ? Is that a kid car seat that I see in the back seat ?
That looks like a heck of a wreck Jenny.
I’m nearly killed at least once a week on I35 by a nitwit on their cell phone. This despite Austin being among the first to introduce fines for merly *touching* a cell phone or other handheld device while the vehicle is in motion,
I stay off of I35 south of Braker. Lamar is crazy but you can almost always make a turn towards Burnet Rd or further south towards Guadalupe to get away from being stuck behind a wreck. As for “no touch”, if you get a glimpse through their windshield, the cops are playing on their phones and gizmos. I suppose that’s why they need blacked-out windows.
Looks like we are going to get monsooned on Friday. They keep on increasing the estimated rain, now we are at 3.1 inches.
https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/tx/richmond/77479?cm_ven=localwx_10day
And of course, I had to put water in the swimming pool today. So Friday it will probably overflow. I really wanted to throw a jug of bleach in the hot tub after the dead squirrel in it last night but the wife said that was stupid.
Cool, a 2005 Ford Expedition has five star driver and five star passenger crash rating.
https://www.autoblog.com/buy/2005-Ford-Expedition/safety-ratings/
The wife’s 2005 Honda Civic has five star driver and five star passenger crash ratings with four star rollover:
https://www.autoblog.com/buy/2005-Honda-Civic/safety-ratings/
I bought Scott paper towels at Wal-Mart today. Six pack “select a size”. The price seemed about the same as last time. When I put it on the shelf, it felt light. It is. There are 96 sheets per roll. Still 11.5 inches wide. But now 6.0 inches long. Four feet shorter per roll. Same price and shorted about half a roll.
I buy the Bounty monster pack of paper towels at Sams Club for $27. I did buy the select a size for $22 but it seems that I usually get a square panel most times.
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/bounty-fs-15rl-81ct-15-rolls-81-sheets/prod22240573.ip?xid=plp_product_1_2
I buy whatever paper towel roll is in selectasize and on sale at costco. same for charmin TP. I think it’s $16 for each.
It is bulky, but I don’t want to run out.
n
It is bulky, but I don’t want to run out.
I keep three or four of the TP bulk packs and paper towels in the garage. Along with the bedside potty for TEOTWAWKI. And lots of trash bags. And water, about 30 cases of the 24 bottle Ozarkas. No food, that is in the house and the bugout place.
The rats have yet to disturb the water cases in the garage. Yet.
@Nick
Yeah, my filters are pretty borked. I kinda say what I think and sometimes that is problematic.
@Greg
Poor cell reception in that region so that was probably the only thing she was doing right.
@Lynn
That is a car seat. Through a last minute change of plans I was alone. My dog failed his certification track for the AKC Tracking Test being held in Fairbanks or he definitely would have been with me, and I would have put hard pressure on family to come watch our attempt at earning our AKC Tracking title. I went up anyway to lay tracks and get experience. The test is only once a year and it is a Very Big Deal in the competitive dog world.
Husband, child (then two years old), both dogs were originally going to come with for camping fun. As I hitched the camper to the Jeep for the weekend, husband mentioned he’d prefer to stay home. So they did. And a good thing, too. He would have been driving. Child would have been behind him on the side that received the impact. The dogs would have been riding loose. Fatalities, I think, would have occurred.
The Nenana volunteer fire department responded. They noted the car seat. They asked me dozens of times about the child. The impact sent my Jeep and I a long ways off the road with bits scattered everywhere. They were concerned she’d been thrown from the car.
The first thing I ask when I roll up on an accident is “Is everyone out of the vehicle?” Trying to cut a child seat out of a burning car would be a nightmare. (and almost every wreck I’ve run across was burning.) There have been articles in the last year about kids being thrown from the seats, and being ok iirc. They’re made of rubber, fortunately. We’re made of glass, unfortunately.
VERY fortunate the way it worked out.
n
From yesterday’s thread: [snip] We should have considered the arab oil embargo (when was the last time you heard that phrase) as an act of war and spent some blood for oil. Their blood, if possible. [snip]
Sorry, no. In a capitalist society, anyone should be allowed to sell, or refuse to sell, any good or service to any other person. The laws of supply & demand would quickly take over, and equilibrium would have been restored.
######
When my dad was a teenager, working at a gas station, he saw a couple of children burn up in a car far. It seems that back then gasoline powered cabin heat was common. He spent all of his life scared of fire.
I witnessed a truck accident. Tank ruptured and caught fire and engulfed the driver compartment. The driver could not get out. People that witnessed the accident were standing around as we were unable to do anything because of the hot diesel fire. We could all hear him screaming to get him out. Then he went silent. Fire and cops arrived and it took several minutes to extinguish the flames. We gave our statements and left. None of us wanted to see the body recovery.
The countries we sanction and embargo seem to think it’s an attack on them. It’s certainly economic warfare.
BTW, every president has promised “energy independence” going back past Carter (too late to look up the source). As net exporter, I guess we finally got there….
n
” we were unable to do anything because of the hot diesel fire”
this, coupled with my propensity to roll up on wrecks, is why I now have at least 3 big extinguishers in my truck, and a number of the smaller “nasa” aerosol can type. Two of the big ones are right behind my seat, next to the trauma bag, and pair of heavy gloves. They are meant to buy enough time to have a chance at getting the baby car seat and anyone else out… so far it hasn’t been tested. all the fires were after the people were out.
n
Virginia.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6464269/Five-teens-charged-lynching-killing-man-mob-murder-apartment.html
note the names.
“What we do know is these younger generations are trying to make a name for themselves, so some of the crimes they are committing are very gruesome, are very violent just so they can build their own reputation because that is what gangs are about – building a reputation of being the baddest gang in the area,’ Jay Lanham, executive director of the Northern Virginia regional gang task force, added to Fox 5 DC.
‘They have no problem committing the crimes they’re committing and the violence that goes along with it and that’s scary. That should be scary for anyone.’ ”
”I don’t remember the Post Office being closed for the Reagan or Ford funerals. ”
Looks like P.O. and stock markets were closed for Nixon, Reagan, and Ford,
at least.
Check your own sources, other than memory. (;
“The Nenana volunteer fire department responded. They noted the car seat. They asked me dozens of times about the child. The impact sent my Jeep and I a long ways off the road with bits scattered everywhere. They were concerned she’d been thrown from the car. ”
Good work on the part of the first responders, really. People (present company excluded) sometimes forget a kid in a hot car, all that, and trauma of a wreck could mess with memory, too, so don’t be offended by good professional first responders’ approach!
First world problems: While we aren’t rich, we have enough money to be comfortable. None of us are spendthrifts, but we all tend to buy things that we want, when we want them. Which makes gift giving difficult.
We’ve mostly eliminated gifts except for consumables, and even those tend to be spontaneous. For example, I went on a tour of a mosterei (cider maker) last weekend, and came back with a selection of ciders for elder son. Which I gave him immediately, rather than saving them for Christmas.
tl;dr: We’ve pretty much entirely stopped with gifts on scheduled holidays like Christmas and even birthdays. For Christmas, we’ll cook a couple of extra-nice meals together. Probably a whole duck on Christmas day, maybe a ham-in-crust on Christmas Eve. That’ll be the extent of our celebration…
Looks like P.O. and stock markets were closed for Nixon, Reagan, and Ford,
at least.
Check your own sources, other than memory. (;
I stand corrected, but the loss of a shipping day had to hurt Amazon. Fortunately for them, this year’s shopping season is the longest possible on the calendar cycle.
Ironically, I saw a car carrier transporting Prime delivery trucks on I35 yesterday.
The wife’s 2005 Honda Civic has five star driver and five star passenger crash ratings with four star rollover:
The manufacturers pursuing that five star rollover rating has done terrible things to visibility from the driver’s seat of a standard car. I’ve been alternating between my 2001 Solara and 2018 Camry lately, and the difference is night and day.
We frequently see cars sold in Mexico by high end manufacturers rolling through town, and, increasingly, the vehicles look markedly different, especially in terms of rear window visibility. I often wonder if we will end up like the East Germans in the late 80s, driving unsatisfying vehicles designed by government bureaucrats and gazing longingly at the products sold in a market with more freedom across the border.
“But if it saves just one life…”
n
Had a USPS mail truck and uniformed carrier delivering packages in our neighborhood yesterday. Wife got a package from Macy’s. Saw him make several stops.
Of course many of the newest cars have warning systems for visibility. Subaru Legacy rental I drove this last summer had warning lights at the side mirrors when you signaled a lane change,
There are two kinds of lights in the mirrors, turn signal indicators for other drivers to see, and blind spot indicators for you to see. I find them extremely distracting.
n
Of course many of the newest cars have warning systems for visibility. Subaru Legacy rental I drove this last summer had warning lights at the side mirrors when you signaled a lane change,
Subaru has gone overboard on safety. They have the usual nag systems like “lane assist”, but new Foresters have DriverFocus which makes sure you keep your eyes on the road.
Increasingly, it is impossible to disable these systems. At a minimum, most new cars only allow you to disable the system until you turn the key off.
I’ve been able to turn off everything on my Camry except the collision avoidance, but the sensitivity on that is dialed waaaay down. Theoretically, the dealers can turn it off completely without a nag icon on the screen so I will ask about that the next time I’m in for service.
Also note that at least two of the accused are female. No pictures or names of the two juveniles, so there might be more.
Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of females in serious trouble, esp. when it’s gang related. Yay feminism!
n