Warm and rainy, or not. Yesterday we were supposed to get rain, but we got very little to none anywhere I went. It was mostly overcast and occasionally the light was a funny color, but we only got occasional spatters.
My morning was eaten up with orthodontia, my afternoon with school pickups. In between I got a little bit of auction and ebay stuff done, but not much. I’m starting to sound like a broken record, even to me…
I did get out the soldering iron and repair a couple things last night. Somewhere I picked up some LED strip lighting, but the connectors had popped loose from the solder pads. I put them back on, and I’ll use the strips in my office somewhere. I also did some soldering on the battery pack for my mini-pool vac. Something else is going on with it, as the leads aren’t putting out voltage, even though the pack is. One successful repair, one partial repair with ongoing attention needed. In the mean time, I put the pack on the ground in the center of the driveway. If there is an issue, I want it to happen where it won’t burn my house down.
In the wider world things are getting even weirder. Reparations? You never picked cotton and I never owned slaves. So F YOU, NO! White supremacy was “weaved” in to our founding? Maybe that’s because it was done by white men. Almost exclusively white men. Until Kennedy opened immigration to third worlders, the US was OVERWHELMINGLY white. And the dominant culture in the US was Western European, and Christian in nature. So yeah, it was “weaved” in. (and I can’t find the article to link, english is apparently not her native language).
Shootings WAY up, and during a push for gun control. Hmm. Name calling and shouting in Congress, two superpowers flexing, I almost want to go back to simple muslim terrorism.
Shortages, outages, collapses in public order… systems breaking down…. we are well along the predicted path and it happened pretty freaking fast. Get your stuff in order. Build some networks to get you the stuff you inevitably will miss. Learn and practice something useful. And stack what you think you’ll need.
nick
65F and 84%RH this am.
“Time to make the donuts”
n
It’s snowing here. Probably less than an inch accumulated when I took my daughter out around 0700. Not that cold, but 100% cloud cover and illumination is dim. Most likely it’ll all be gone by late afternoon. On the other hand, it’s still snowing pretty well.
Pay someone working from home to oversee the car while it’s driving. Not quite tele-operated, but supervising to make sure there isn’t a truck where the car thinks there is sky.
That model didn’t work when the driver was *in* the vehicle.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/uber-self-driving-car-operator-charged-in-pedestrian-death/ar-BB19bfxh
And that was before Baby Yoda became part of the workday.
I’d be willing to bet that someone “working” at home created the mess at ERCOT this week that almost led to a repeat of February in 80 degree weather.
Re “reparations”, will this be a fixed amount per person claiming African ancestry? If so, can we reduce the $12T bill to $6T by killing half of the blacks in America? Asking for a friend.
This is something to keep an eye on…
The idea is to use wifi like a floodlight, and have a way to ‘see’ what’s in the field of view.
n
https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.14918
https://beyondstandards.ieee.org/ieee-802-11bf-aims-to-enable-a-new-application-of-wlan-technology-wlan-sensing/
And this is a HUGE change in what might be considered ‘reasonable’ or ‘normal’.
–only works once, as the next time, the malware will be built to just “look” like it deleted itself.
File this one under “It’s only funny when they’re doing it to OTHER people…”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9477097/Facebook-blocks-users-sharing-DailyMail-com-story-BLM-founders-property-empire.html
n
added- this sentence would seem to imply that DM sees itself as a ‘conservative voice’
With headlines like this maybe the scales are lifting from their eyes.
Spoken like a rgb(255,255,255). lol 😛
Bad decision makers don’t stop being bad decision makers because they got a large influx of money no matter what color they are. This is why none of the existing systems handing out free money (redistributing wealth) have ever fixed much of anything. When I have to buy their kids a gallon of milk but they’ve got money for the club then they’re on a path of irresponsibility and stupidity that I can’t do much about. I suppose there would be some amusement value in reparations. Give them their “we’re sorry people you never met had a shitty time of it 150+ years ago” check and then sit back and watch 95% of them piss it away.
” watch 95% of them piss it away.”
–like pro athletes and entertainers
n
(happens to the RGB (255, 255, 255) crowd too, vis. Billy Joel [although on second though, his was fraud by an insider])
There is a lot of crowing about stuff like this
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/04/epic-hero-rep-markwayne-mullin-absolutely-destroys-dirtbag-chris-wray-fbi-double-standard-targeting-conservatives-versus-antifa-terrorists-video/
and wazzizname going after Fauxi, but it’s just theatre. Just mouth noises. NOTHING changes, Fauxi still avoids answering the question, and conservative protestors are still being arrested and jailed.
Distraction. Delays. Don’t be fooled.
n
Math – get the right answer?
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/04/15/california-weighs-equitable-math-goal-obtaining-correct-answer-racist/
Will these people be building our bridges?
“Will these people be building our bridges? ”
–already are, see U of FL bridge collapse
Or they’ll be paid to exist and everyone will pretend they contribute, while the sons of martha do the real work, same as always.
n
Once pro players with lifetime earnings in the 8-figure range were featured on the news serving coffee at Starbucks to make ends meet the players union got the NBA or NFL (forget which – could be both) to start teaching basic financial responsibility to rookie players. I do sympathize a tad bit (just a tad). Celebrities are basically hounded by money grubbers (many of whom are family). Apparently, there was even a website setup for a while that would report where NBA players were partying that night so anyone wanting to get knocked up by one knew where to find them. 💸
“Will these people be building our bridges? ”
–already are, see U of FL bridge collapse
Or they’ll be paid to exist and everyone will pretend they contribute, while the sons of martha do the real work, same as always.
Florida International University.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/22/design-error-blamed-florida-international-university-pedestrian-bridge-collapse/2449316001/
Miami. U of FL is Gainesville. The bridge would have been built properly up there with redneck labor.
Even if the bridge had been designed properly, Miami is Dade County. Someone’s cousin always supplies the concrete, and another cousin does the inspection.
My wife got her first Pfizer vaccine shot yesterday at the Sugar Land Memorial Hermann Hospital drive through at Smart Financial Center (our 7,000 person theater with 3,000 car parking). She had an appointment and they are now taking walkins. She was going to take the J&J but everyone has suspended that shot for now.
–like pro athletes and entertainers
Once pro players with lifetime earnings in the 8-figure range were featured on the news serving coffee at Starbucks to make ends meet the players union got the NBA or NFL (forget which – could be both) to start teaching basic financial responsibility to rookie players. I do sympathize a tad bit (just a tad). Celebrities are basically hounded by money grubbers (many of whom are family). Apparently, there was even a website setup for a while that would report where NBA players were partying that night so anyone wanting to get knocked up by one knew where to find them.
Vince Young was famous for “making it rain” at local clubs in Houston. He would throw thousands of dollars in the air. Now he is broke and blames his manager.
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2013/12/10/vince-young-settles-lawsuit-against.html
Uh, the guy riding the 10 foot long gator, that is a photoshop, right ? “Friday Funnies”
https://gunfreezone.net/friday-funnies-73/
We don’t ride gators around here in south Texas, we shoot them. Ok, there are a few idiots who feed them chickens. Usually after a while they are known by their nickname, Ol’ One Arm.
I had my second Pfizer shot this morning, and, as I type this at 19:00 local, I don’t even notice it.
So it would appear that, for me at least, there are no problems. I’ll update if there is an adverse effect.
G.
We don’t ride gators around here in south Texas, we shoot them. Ok, there are a few idiots who feed them chickens. Usually after a while they are known by their nickname, Ol’ One Arm.
Looks like either Photoshop or a very good inflatable gator pool toy.
We went to Gatorland during our trip to Florida. The place was packed thanks to their YouTube videos during the pandemic.
If you are brave, the park has a daily feeding event where you can feed the gators chicken, $10 for three pieces.
I watched an eight year-old girl participate in the feeding. She even asked for one gator, “Crusher”, by name — obviously she was a fan of the park’s YouTube channel.
Once pro players with lifetime earnings in the 8-figure range were featured on the news serving coffee at Starbucks to make ends meet the players union got the NBA or NFL (forget which – could be both) to start teaching basic financial responsibility to rookie players.
I’m old enough to remember when NFL players had off-season jobs.
In Tampa, the Yucs #1 draft pick Leroy Selmon was a teller at the SunTrust not far from the stadium in the mid 70s.
Of course, to be fair to the NFL, Tampa had ridiculously tight-fisted ownership out of expansion. The city won the team but had to find an owner because the NFL did not want another Green Bay.
How cheap was the Culverhouse family? The Lyft Staging Area in the center of the map used to be the team training facility location. Now zoom out and see the neighbors.
https://goo.gl/maps/B3S3A2YZEK3jMqiXA
Jet exhaust — breakfast of champions.
Dadgumit, AT&T’s fraud department is calling us this morning and noting that we have possible fraudulent international phones calls in the middle of the night. Looks like someone figured out a back door into my office Panasonic phone switch again as I put passwords on it for calls from the outside dialing outside numbers.
The amount of fraud in our society is increasing.
@lynn …. a very quick search indicates that you can hack voicemail to allow the caller to allow an outbound call.
Since I don’t know the details of your system, that may not be your issue. But weak passwords for outgoing calls might be an issue.
I suspect that you probably know all of this, though. Good that AT&T caught it, though. They might have ideas on how to better protect things, I’d guess.
I have two sons. Older one has two kids and is ~2 hour drive. Younger son has one kid and is a plane flight away. And pain meds considerations is something my wife has had to deal with too – every new patient is looked at suspiciously.
Dadgumit, AT&T’s fraud department is calling us this morning and noting that we have possible fraudulent international phones calls in the middle of the night. Looks like someone figured out a back door into my office Panasonic phone switch again as I put passwords on it for calls from the outside dialing outside numbers.
Sounds like a 2600 magazine article subject. 🙂
I was astonished to find that 2600 was still publishing … and still available on the magazine rack at Barnes & Noble.
I hadn’t spent any time in Barnes & Noble for several years prior to stopping there last Saturday with our kids. Of course, due to Covid and the store being within the City of Austin hysteria zone, they closed at 8 PM. I only had about 20 minutes to browse.
Remind me again why anybody uses FaceCrack?…oh right, stupid people…
@lynn …. a very quick search indicates that you can hack voicemail to allow the caller to allow an outbound call.
Since I don’t know the details of your system, that may not be your issue. But weak passwords for outgoing calls might be an issue.
I suspect that you probably know all of this, though. Good that AT&T caught it, though. They might have ideas on how to better protect things, I’d guess.
We have six digit passwords on our voicemail boxen. We’ve been hacked before.
I am thinking about killing our phone switch with its five CO lines and moving everyone to cell phones. There is not much reason nowadays to have a phone switch.
Freefall: Space Walks
http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3600/fc03578.htm
I suspect that space walks are the great equalizer for anyone. Maybe I will get to find out if SpaceX gets cheap space flights going and they don’t mind taking a senior citizen with a heart condition up. Barf bags for all !
We have six digit passwords on our voicemail boxen. We’ve been hacked before.
I am thinking about killing our phone switch with its five CO lines and moving everyone to cell phones. There is not much reason nowadays to have a phone switch.
Another of my long list of personal projects is learning how to configure the open source Asterisk phone system to do interesting things, including VoIP around my house with a connection to the external line.
During my first attempt at grad school in the Northwest, I had OpenBTS running with Ettus Research SDR hardware providing phone service through Asterisk on the host PC to any GSM-compatible phone inside the RF shielded room with the system active.
I understand Asterisk consulting can be lucrative.
“6 Advances in Wind Energy”
https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/6-advances-in-wind-energy
220 meters equals 721 foot tall. Definite light plane hazard.
How do you get the monstrosities to make power when they are covered in ice below 32 F ?
How do you get the monstrosities to make power when the temperature goes above 95 F and the wind stops blowing in Texas ?
In both cases the answer is that you buy a natural gas fired gas turbine. So why not skip the wind turbines to start with as they only make power during the good times ?
Dadgumit, AT&T’s fraud department is calling us this morning and noting that we have possible fraudulent international phones calls in the middle of the night. Looks like someone figured out a back door into my office Panasonic phone switch again as I put passwords on it for calls from the outside dialing outside numbers.
The amount of fraud in our society is increasing.
And AT&T’s fraud department just told us that the call itself is fraud. They said all of the business customers like us are calling them and freaking out.
Still, we are going to put a code on calling international calls from our phone switch. AT&T was surprised that we did not have this already.
Constitutional Carry has passed in the Texas House !
“After over seven hours of heavy debate on the House floor yesterday and today, Constitutional Carry has finally passed the Texas House – for the first time in Texas history!”
“CSHB 1927 by Schaefer passed Second Reading yesterday with an 84-56 vote, and it passed Third Reading today with an 87-58 vote. Now it will move on to the Senate.”
“Here is what the bill language stated as brought to the House floor:
Anyone age 21 and older who can legally possess a firearm will be able to carry a handgun, open or concealed, without a permit, in virtually all the same places that LTC holders can carry a handgun (except college campuses).
The prohibited places (schools, polling places, courthouses, bars, etc.) will not apply unless you receive personal oral notice that carry is prohibited and fail to depart.
The poorly-worded ban on carry while intoxicated will be repealed, although it will still be a crime to appear in a public place while intoxicated to a degree that you may endanger yourself or another person.”
“The bill now moves to the Senate. Only once has the Senate ever filed a bill on this issue (2015), and Constitutional Carry has never received a hearing.”
“It would be unthinkable for the Senate to let Constitutional Carry die after it has passed the House by such a large margin. We need you to take action.”
“And AT&T’s fraud department just told us that the call itself is fraud. “
I just had a call from a medicare agent asking if I had received my new medicare card yet. I said “no, mail it to me”, he said their mail was down due to Covid. I said: “quiere hablar en Espanol, impuje numero dos”, he hung up in Bombay.
Back from my errands. Child birthday present sorted. Needs a bit of cleanup, but it’s looking good.
Scattered rain around the city from Alvin up to Conroe and out to Spring Branch, where it’s currently light rain coming down, and 70F.
Dinner smells like it’s about ready, so if you’ll excuse me?…..
n
Regarding TX and constitutional carry, see if you notice anything in this list….
–think the dems might have some other reasons why they want more hispanics in the US?
n
Not the original story but at least now I have a link posted.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-spox-supports-un-ambassador-who-said-founding-docs-weaved-racism
n
“weaved” with racism. “ENGLISH mellonfarmer*, do you speak it??”
n
*the version of Repo Man that airs on regular TV uses this Bowdlerization.
*the version of Repo Man that airs on regular TV uses this Bowdlerization.
I noticed today that Mike Nesmith no longer sells the Pacific Arts releases on his website, including “Repo Man”, “Time Rider”, and “Tapeheads”.
Not the original story but at least now I have a link posted.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-spox-supports-un-ambassador-who-said-founding-docs-weaved-racism
n
“weaved” with racism. “ENGLISH mellonfarmer*, do you speak it??”
n
*the version of Repo Man that airs on regular TV uses this Bowdlerization.
I am really hoping that people are watching all of this crap and getting very tired of it. Enough to switch the House back to R in 2022. If not, we will have to deal with this crap the rest of our lives.
MIL’s apartment has been cleaned out. Five large trashcans, several individual bags of trash, some stuff left. It was a major effort. Finished about 11:00 this morning. Drove to Round Rock to visit a nephew’s wife. Traffic in Austin sucks. In fact all the way from San Antonio to Round Rock sucks. Left Round Rock to Bryan to spend the night with brother in-law. Leaving tomorrow for Jackson MS which is about the halfway point on the journey. Already have the room booked unlike on the way down where I had to take a chance, and it worked out miserably.
Flowers from the casket were left on the grave. Visited the grave site on Thursday at about 10:00, less than 24 hours passed since the funeral. Some cretin had snipped all the flowers off at the base and just left the greenery. Even a potted plant left by a niece was taken leaving the empty pot. How people can be so uncaring, insensitive, boggles my mind.
Long drive home, 21 hours total. Hope to be home by about 5:00 PM on Sunday. Never returning to San Antonio again. Next trip to Texas may be for a funeral. Brother will be residing close to Waco but don’t see us visiting him in the near future.
@Ray
Thanks for the update. Take care.
MIL’s apartment has been cleaned out. Five large trashcans, several individual bags of trash, some stuff left. It was a major effort. Finished about 11:00 this morning. Drove to Round Rock to visit a nephew’s wife. Traffic in Austin sucks. In fact all the way from San Antonio to Round Rock sucks. Left Round Rock to Bryan to spend the night with brother in-law. Leaving tomorrow for Jackson MS which is about the halfway point on the journey. Already have the room booked unlike on the way down where I had to take a chance, and it worked out miserably.
Be careful crossing Alabama this weekend. They like that “Move Over” law $249 ticket with court costs, and the State Patrol has a nice trap racket.
Well done Ray. I’m sure there will be stuff for your wife to work thru for a while. Don’t forget– supportive. There are going to be some weird moments.
and all you can do is your best, but it sounds like you’re doing well so far.
n
Give the drug thugs in Chicongo, and they may take care of this by themselves.
Paying reparation isn’t fair, so I want reparation for paying reparations.
Reparations might be a bargain, if paid f.o.b. at one of the Arab slave hubs in eastern Africa in exchange for a signed revocation of U.S. citizenship.
It’s always about the money…
https://gunfreezone.net/dear-ltc-instructors-get-fcked-you-greedy-bastards/
Hey just got an email today saying my fridge is in stock for pickup. That is days early. And now my plan for tomorrow/Sunday/possibly Monday just got rearranged.
Still, having it is better than not, and I really don’t want to scramble to get the tenant a fridge if the current one stops working completely.
n
Hey just got an email today saying my fridge is in stock for pickup. That is days early. And now my plan for tomorrow/Sunday/possibly Monday just got rearranged.
Still, having it is better than not, and I really don’t want to scramble to get the tenant a fridge if the current one stops working completely.
n
What did you get ?
I got one that would fit and was stainless steel and on sale….
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Frigidaire-18-3-cu-ft-Top-Freezer-Refrigerator-Easycare-Stainless-Steel/1001165036
I spent as little effort as humanly possible, and looked at this one because the same model was in an estate auction. When I checked that the estate one would fit, wife suggested just buying new for the warranty, since it was $100 off. The estate one ended up being about $500 which is a lot for a used fridge, even one only 6 months old.
I have a feeling the stainless is the weird kind that looks painted on and won’t match the other appliances, but hey, rental. And my tenants are getting married, and will move when they get pregnant, ‘cuz that’s what young couples do. So I’m unmotivated.
They already got a new microwave, dishwasher, washer, and dryer. And the A/c repair. And the ongoing shower handles that keep stripping out and needing repair.
Busy couple of years….
nn
Stop whining and repackage your training skills. People will still want training. I’ll go to a refresher now and then myself.