Wed. Apr. 6, 2022 – people are starting to notice, and talk about it.

Warm and clear, might be a nice day.  Yesterday was mostly overcast and a bit on the warm side later in the day.

I’m still feeling a bit goofy which seems to happen when I take powerful antibiotics, but they are doing the job.  Finger is almost back to normal.  Missed one pickup yesterday but made two.  All stuff for the BOL.

Spoke with a septic system engineer about my issues, and he’s willing to come and design a new system.   He said I shouldn’t rule out an anaerobic system, he’ll do the tests and look at the site and see if it’s possible.  I ended up spending a couple of hours putting together a package for him that included annotated pics of the site, the original plat with dimensions, and our desires… I will probably have to go up and meet with him on Saturday.

It’s always something, and there are a couple of peculiarities to working out in the country.  One is that there may not be a lot of choice for who does the work.  It comes down to who is out there, or is willing to work out there, who has the crew, or the tools, or the reputation or the time.  The other is that people are busy.   There is a stereotype about country folk being relaxed and moving slow, but it just ain’t so… at least so far, and with the kind of people I’ve been meeting.

 


 

Title of the post refers to the change in our current state of affairs.  The sense that hard times are coming, that there may not be enough food, that something bad is just around the corner.   I hear it from people I interact with doing auction stuff, from people in stores, and in the online world.  There is not a sense of optimism, of fun, or of good times.     People are noticing gas prices.   They are noticing shortages and increased prices at the store.  They are noticing that violence and crime are up.  And I’m beginning to feel them start to withdraw their consent, as in “the consent of the governed”.   Whether that means politically, or by the polite rules of society, or by the conscious and unconscious rules of western civilization, they are withdrawing their consent.   Circles are shrinking.   Focus is more local.

Taken to extremes, it’s back to the clans and hamlets of the middle ages.  Whether that’s figurative or literal IDK yet, but there is certainly a balkanization going on.  The unifying idea of Americanism is broken.

And that is a really unfortunate state of affairs, as the American Experiment, American Exceptionalism, and American Imperialism brought unbelievable wealth and progress to the world.   I know people will have a reaction to that statement, some very vehemently opposed to it, but – for decades we fed the world.  Computers, the PC, the internet.  Space travel and satellites, GPS.  Medical procedures, drugs, MRI, CT scans, the modern EMS system.

There was a unique spirit, and I’m afraid it’s broken beyond recovery.

So stack it up.  To quote Yoda, “Save you what can.”    There are still people living in Rome.  There will still be people living in “America”.   But would they be recognizable by the originals?

n

73 Comments and discussion on "Wed. Apr. 6, 2022 – people are starting to notice, and talk about it."

  1. Nightraker says:

    There was a unique spirit, and I’m afraid it’s broken beyond recovery.

    As a Boomer, I'm old enough to remember the actually justified "cock of the walk" attitude of Americans in the Post War era.  That is not the reality today, although the echoes are still noisily prevalent.  With ~40% of GDP being government circle jerk spending and ~40% in FIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate) machinations, that leaves only 20% for, you know, really productive economic activity.

    I do rejoice that half a billion plus Chinese now have a middle class lifestyle but their housing bubble is a financial earthquake waiting to happen.  And the Saudis' mumbling about taking Yuan for oil is a rumble that portends nothing good for us. 

    That $90 billion a month Balance of Trade deficit, trading IOUs for goods, is a horrible measure of how far Americans have fallen from the productivity that won WWII.  It is frightening that number is in the ballpark of FED monthly money printing.

    My retirement gig at a downtown U-Store-It is an interesting combination of folks spending money to keep stuff that couldn't be given away at a garage sale and the Wine Cellar lockers where the very well off keep collections of pricey fermented grape juice.  Occupancy of both is way, way up.

  2. Greg Norton says:

    That $90 billion a month Balance of Trade deficit, trading IOUs for goods, is a horrible measure of how far Americans have fallen from the productivity that won WWII.  It is frightening that number is in the ballpark of FED monthly money printing.

    No monthly money printing at the Fed, no housing market.

  3. drwilliams says:

    When future historians study the vanished USA there will be one truth that is universally accepted:

    They did it to themselves. 

  4. MrAtoz says:

    When future historians study the vanished USA there will be one truth that is universally accepted:

    They did it to themselves.

    I completely agree. Quoting Mr. OFD “the commies took over without firing a shot” as one example.  People think you are crazy when you talk about CWII, but rejoice when they hear “New World Order” and “The Great Reset”. 

    Game over, man, game over.

  5. Pecancorner says:

    Paul tells me that Aldi's has trout this week.  I hope they don't sell out before I get there.  When I was growing up, "Tenderloin of Trout" was THE fish on every restaurant menu. I've not had it in years… it is as though the fish disappeared from the American diet.

    @Rick, thanks for all your work to keep things running smoothly here!

    @Nick ,glad to hear that your hand is better. This is a prime example of how antibiotics save lives. In an earlier time, such an infection could have killed you.  I keep a pretty good stash of antibiotics on hand for that reason. 

    I got a tetanus booster about … 6 years ago, I think. I did not like that it is not available stand-alone, and had to be taken in combination with Diptheria and Pertussis. 

    But, as COVID showed people who didn't notice before, the UN's vaccine cult does not believe in choice. They allow a couple of companies to make them, but none will allow the consumer any input into either the manufacture or the dosing, whether for ethics or health concerns.

  6. drwilliams says:

    I did a repair on a pair of athletic shoes yesterday. Uppers in very good condition, but the soles were wearing out. 

    I used a medium tech polyurethane formulation that I had the components for at hand. Cured them overnight a bit over 100F. Put them on this morning. Big improvement. Not exactly Flubber, but definitely more springy. 

    Come The Fall, I could set up a mobile service and do resoling while you wait. Sadly, the components won’t be replaceable after energy supplies collapse. 

    Things get bad and people will be killed for their shoes. Time to think about making performance clothing look crappy and not worth stealing. 

  7. Nick Flandrey says:

    New video shows president Joe Biden wandering alone at a White House event while people flock to former President Barack Obama. On Tuesday former president Obama joined Biden at the White House to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the launch of the Affordable Care act. But following his speech, Obama was seen shaking hands with fans and fellow politicians in the East room while Joe wandered around looking confused. The clip has garnered online reaction, with some people saying the president was outshone by his former boss and that he looks lost. 'I guess we know who's really running the White House and it ain't Joe!' another person tweeted.

    \

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10690391/Joe-Biden-looks-bereft-White-House-event-fans-flock-former-President-Barack-Obama.html

    –slow Joe is done.  They're getting ready to throw him under the bus.

    n

  8. Nick Flandrey says:

    Time to think about making performance clothing look crappy and not worth stealing. 

    –and oversized to hide the fact you are eating well.

    or to hide the fact you're wearing armor, or carrying.,,,

  9. Nick Flandrey says:

    I can do simple repairs on leather shoes.  I bought the jerk needles, and thread.   I am pretty sure I could resole if needed.  Watching various cobblers on youtube is entertaining and educational.  I even have some of the gear.

    I bought a chinese manual heavy duty sewing machine that was very cheap.   There are a lot of youtube vids demonstrating upgrades and tweaks.

    The shoe forms and work anvils are not expensive because people collected them as antiques and display pieces.   Not talking about lasts, but the metal parts.

    You can build leather shoes with nothing but hand tools.  Even extensive repairs are possible.

    The soft plastics that turn to goo or crumble with age are not so useful or replaceable.   And while I have modern high tech tactical boots, I've also got army issue, and older made in USA all leather and rubber boots.   I've been finding vintage Redwing boots lately.   Irish Setters, others. 

    If you think a big collapse is possible, rock solid boots are a must.

    Also tetanus shots.   If you go to the urgent care, you should be able to get just tetanus.   I don't think the one I just got was anything else.   They didn't disclose any other vax.  You may have to claim an injury….

    n

  10. MrAtoz says:

    LOL. November is right around the corner:

    Mark Kelly's breaks with Biden pile up

    Maverick’s ghost must be whispering in Kelly’s ear.

  11. Greg Norton says:

    –slow Joe is done.  They're getting ready to throw him under the bus.

    It is the Saturday before Orthodox Easter, and Joe is the lamb tied to the stake in the yard at the home of an old family on the bayous in Tarpon Springs.

    Baaaaa

    Baaaaa

    Baaaaa

  12. MrAtoz says:

    Are we getting closer to my predicted *weekly* COVID booster:

    Study: 4th booster protects the elderly… for four weeks

    ”Alright, maggots, line up for your soy rats and booster.”

  13. Greg Norton says:

    Maverick’s ghost must be whispering in Kelly’s ear.

    Republican primaries aren't until August, and the McCain family considers that seat to be theirs.

  14. Lynn says:

    Inflation is killing us and shows no sign of stopping.  Foxnews just said that gasoline is up 38% and bread is up 13% across the USA.  All attributable to Biden's spending and policies.  

    So what are we going to do ?  I just don't know.  Hopefully we will elect a republican house and senate in the fall.  And a recession is coming.  

    I filled my truck up in Oklahoma before I got to the hotel.  34 gallons for $126.  That could be cheap in a year or two.

    BTW, I always fill my vehicle up when I get to my destination.  I want to be able to leave and run home to my family without having to worry about fuel.

  15. Lynn says:

    Foxnews is reporting that Poland is getting ready for a Russian invasion.   They just ordered 250 USA Abrams tanks and have published a pamphlet on how civilians should deal with Russian soldiers.  That may be excessive but they do have cause to prepare.

    I recall that Poland is buying several F-35s and is considering buying the new F-16 replacement to upgrade their many F-16s.

  16. Pecancorner says:

    Also tetanus shots.   If you go to the urgent care, you should be able to get just tetanus.   I don't think the one I just got was anything else.   They didn't disclose any other vax.  You may have to claim an injury….

    I think they just did not bother to tell you.  Your paperwork may/should list the kind of vaccine by name. According to the CDC, there is no stand-alone version available to Americans:

    Four kinds of vaccines used today protect against tetanus, all of which also protect against other diseases:

        Diphtheria and tetanus (DT) vaccines
        Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccines
        Tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccines
        Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines

  17. Lynn says:

    Man, watching the videos of Ukraine on Foxnews is horrific.  The Russians have succeeded in one crucial area, they have trashed Ukraine.  The damage to the country will take many years to recover from.  

  18. CowboyStu says:

    My retirement gig at a downtown U-Store-It is an interesting combination of folks spending money to keep stuff that couldn't be given away at a garage sale and the Wine Cellar lockers where the very well off keep collections of pricey fermented grape juice.  Occupancy of both is way, way up.

    Roger that, I was watching Storage Wars on A&E network last night.

  19. Nightraker says:

    Re: Ukraine. I wonder what the desired endgame is for the Russians.  I speculate that partition with their man in charge of the rump western chunk would be acceptable but I'm just talking thru my hat.

  20. drwilliams says:

    The Russians have succeeded in one crucial area, 

    when this is done the Russians will be lucky if there’s not a bounty on them outside of Russia. 

  21. Nick Flandrey says:

    I am still convinced that Putin went into Ukraine for a second Holodomor.   He has some warning about Russians starving with their own crop failures, and he wants the food.

    Maybe I'll coin a phrase.   Men are motivated by three "F"s.   Food, Fukcing, Force.  Does Putin have a shortage of mistresses?  Does he get off on controlling others?   Or does he have reason to believe food might be in short supply and Ukraine has some?

    Remember that it makes sense to HIM.  HE has a reason that is worth it all.  

    n

  22. Nightraker says:

    The U-Store-It facility is not typical.   Open only during business hours and 6 hours on Saturday,  the 6 story, century old Model T dealership was converted to steel lockers around the turn of the century. 

    What hits the dumpsters on move out day is obviously the dregs but still represents considerable expense when new.  Some furniture,  presumably outsize clothing,  kids toys, etc.

    Place is a money fountain for the out of state owners.   They have a similar facility in the Amish neighborhood where collections are more challenging but still very profitable.   

    Last year they bought a year old facility in the burbs that is struggling but I am sure it will get turned around. 

    It looks like the typical Storage Wars place .

  23. Lynn says:

    when this is done the Russians will be lucky if there’s not a bounty on them outside of Russia. 

    The Russians are still selling 100% of their energy products to someone.  Mostly western Europe at the moment.  But India and China will buy anything the Russians cannot sell.  And pay good funds in rubles or some other hard currency.

    Russia gamed this out before they started.  We are not even close to their nightmare scenario, NATO troops in Russia. They are winning by their measure.

  24. Lynn says:

    I am going to one more seminar before leaving this afternoon.  It is on getting rid of flaring at refineries and natural gas facilities.  The theme of the conference is ESG: environmental, social, and corporate governance.  Or as one speaker quipped, getting rid of greenhouse gasses. 

    Having an active flare at a facility is a safety measure. If one of your processes has an upset (and it will happen), having to start the flare can be dangerous, time consuming, and can fail.

  25. Greg Norton says:

    Russia gamed this out before they started.  We are not even close to their nightmare scenario, NATO troops in Russia. They are winning by their measure.

    Specifically, *German* troops in Russia. Or German missiles in Ukraine.

    Jus like ze old days, ja.

    That’s a bingo!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5s3Oj2cPgc

  26. MrAtoz says:

    I connected my returned/new/refurbished/3time Jackery solar *generator* to the four panels today. I had to put them in the grass due to Earth shift. I'm getting 415W out of a potential 800W. 3.1 hours to charge from 44% to 100%. I'm still getting some metallic/electronic heat smell, but the cooling fan came on. I suspect they used the same cheap components they use on their 1500W and down *generators*. "Ah, it's good enough to handle 2000W".

    About at 1year on the 2year warranty. I'm fine sending it back, at their expense, for another year if need be. It's happily running the Dometic cooler and charging devices.

  27. Lynn says:

    Specifically, *German* troops in Russia. Or German missiles in Ukraine.

    Jus like ze old days, ja.

    Or Polish troops.  Etc. Etc. Etc.

  28. Nick Flandrey says:

    @MRatoz, thanks for the update.

    I see a lot of Renology panels and inverters in the returns auctions.   I suspect they have the same issues with cheap parts and minimal design.

    n

  29. mediumwave says:

    Maybe I'll coin a phrase.   Men are motivated by three "F"s.   Food, Fukcing, Force.  Does Putin have a shortage of mistresses?  Does he get off on controlling others?   Or does he have reason to believe food might be in short supply and Ukraine has some?

    Putin's running out of Russians:

    Concerning that Peter Zeihan video about Russia and Ukraine…

  30. MrAtoz says:

    I ordered the *full vehicle* set of sunshades for the Subie from WeatherTech. They are out for delivery today. The Subie is sitting more, so I wanted some heat reflection. I'm curious to the quality and coverage, but WT has good reviews.

  31. Nightraker says:

    No monthly money printing at the Fed, no housing market.

    @Greg:  So you're saying in addition to sending "us" Hondas, Samsungs and Walmarts full of goods, the world is subsidizing every mortgage holder in the US.  What a Country!!! (assume Russian accent) 🙂 

  32. JimB says:

    I ordered the *full vehicle* set of sunshades.

    Pricey. I had to park my pristine 94 Dodge PU outside for a couple of years, and I made inside side and rear window covers from corrugated board scrap. I keep a supply on hand for various uses. They snap in the side windows, and set in the rear. I used a spring shade (the popular kind sold everywhere) for the windshield. The rigid cardboard pieces fit nicely behind the seat, so I continue to use them when I take it out for a trip and park it for just an hour or two. Cost me mostly an hour or so of my time.

    If you are parking a car outside, consider an outside cover that only covers all the windows. Covering the outside gives more protection. You might have to make it yourself. A full cover risks paint damage if the wind comes up. I considered that for another car I had, but I sold it. My new garage sleeps eight, so all cars are now inside. I am spoiled!

    To protect paint, use a good wax with built-in sunscreen. They can be found, although I haven’t used them in decades. Also need to look into some of the ceramic coatings. Too little time…

  33. Greg Norton says:

    @Greg:  So you're saying in addition to sending "us" Hondas, Samsungs and Walmarts full of goods, the world is subsidizing every mortgage holder in the US.  What a Country!!! (assume Russian accent)

    The Fed currently prints whatever amount of money is necessary to buy the US Government debt which fails to sell at the monthly auction, to the tune of $1 Trillion/year. Since the 10 and 30 year Treasury Bond rates set the rate for the 30 year fixed mortgage, this keeps home borrowing costs low.

    If the Fed didn't print the money to cover the short fall, Treasury and, thus, mortgage rates would rise. Even a reversion to 6% for a 30 year fixed based on Treasuries at 4%, as seen during the housing bubble, would take roughly $150k off of the potential sale price of what is currently selling for $500k in most markets.

    The Fed also outright buys FHA conforming mortgage paper, but that doesn’t make as much of an impact on rates as gaming the Treasuries market.

  34. nick flandrey says:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6O2qwqdBdE

    Northwest houston, not too close to me.

    Suspects shot by owner of car they attempted to steal at NW Harris Co. gas station, sheriff says

    197,758 views Apr 2, 2022 Authorities say two suspects were shot by the owner of a vehicle they were trying to burglarize outside of a gas station in northwest Harris County on Saturday.

    –shooter says he was returning from a gun range and he was afraid the thieves would get a 'bag of guns' in the car.

    n

  35. lpdbw says:

    Not too close to me, either.  But not far from my girlfriend's office.

    Fortunately, far enough.

  36. lpdbw says:

    Speaking of Houston shootings, John Correia over at the Active Self Protection YouTube channel has been making a lot of jokes about Houston.  Backed up with video.  Just be sure, if you leave a comment, not to point out the skin color of the perpetrators.  That's racist.

  37. Greg Norton says:

    Speaking of Houston shootings, John Correia over at the Active Self Protection YouTube channel has been making a lot of jokes about Houston.  Backed up with video.  Just be sure, if you leave a comment, not to point out the skin color of the perpetrators.  That's racist.

    The local media have not shown the mugshot of the suspect in the shootings which happened at the end of SxSW a few weeks ago and briefly made national wires.

    Austin is on track for another 100+ murder year within the city limits.

  38. ech says:

    Study: 4th booster protects the elderly… for four weeks

    The headline and body are misleading in that they leave out the crucial fact that studies have shown that the vaccinations here in the US provide memory cell formation on par with a COVID infection and that they are available for at least a year after vaccination or infection. Studies of longer duration are also being done. 

    The "protection" is simply antibody levels, which fade in both a vaccination and infection. They are the first line against infection and fading over time is natural.

    In both cases, memory cells provide significant protection against hospitalization and death. 

    The first booster is worth doing because it appears to boost memory cells. The second booster seems to only have a small increase in hospital/death protection after antibodies fade. Might be worth it if you have multiple comorbidities.

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    1
  39. Rick H says:

    I have installed the new version of the theme here. 

    The major change is to the comment box. It is now using CKEditor5, which has better compatibility with smaller screens and phones operating systems. The formatting bar for the comments have been simplified with only the basic/ standard formatting buttons.

    The spelling checker still shows the wavy red lines under misspelled/unknown words, but you can now right-click and get spelling suggestions. (Previously, that required a shift-right-click.).

    The Next/Previous Posts box below only shows the ‘next’ link when there is one. And there are new left/right triangle icons used now.

    The link button has new capabilities. If you highlight a word, then press the link button, you just get a place to enter the URL. Once you finish entering it, a click on the created link will allow you to edit settings of the link with the pencil icon.

    There are probably some other new capabilities of the CKEditor5 buttons that you might discover.

    All other features are still there – the font-adjust, the visual look of the site, the sidebar content. There have been some improvements in the back-end process, and some other geeky code changes.

    I don’t know if this will fix the ‘500’ errors – have to wait and see.

    Interested in your comments on the changes, and any suggestions.  I am using this same theme on my SecurityDawg site, and may use it on some of my other sites.

  40. Ray Thompson says:

    The top level page is borked on my iPad using Safari. The heading items now span the entire width in boxes. They used to just be words. The sidebar no longer exists. Bring back the old. This new rendering is not good.

    2
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  41. Rick H says:

    @Ray – The menu items on smaller screens is full-width and on separate lines on purpose. This helps to keep the search engines happy – they don’t like menu choices on smaller screens that are too close together. They will degrade your SEO if that happens.

    The next iteration of the theme will have ‘hamburger’ type menus for smaller screens. I wanted to get this theme installed to enable the CKEditor5 editor in the comment box, which should help all with smaller screens (or using phones/pads). A properly design ‘hamburger’ menu will also keep the search engines happy.

    Sidebar stuff is at the bottom, under the comment box, where they have always been. That’s where I see them in the mobile screen emulator in my browser. 

    An IPAD screen is 810 px wide, and putting sidebars to the side of the main content/comments would make that main content/comments too narrow. That’s why they are at the bottom – which is a common practice.

  42. Lynn says:

    I am at the deceased father in laws place in Carrolton, TX.  It is depressing on how much crap we have to get rid of to sell it.  I am going to stay here tonight and throw a few things in the truck in the morning before heading to Rosenberg.

  43. Ray Thompson says:

    @Rick: OK. You asked for comments. Wanted to make certain the changes did not introduce unintended results.

  44. Robert "Bob" Sprowl says:

    I’m 77 and have been weeding out some things so my sons won’t have top deal with a lot of “stuff”.   I’m also labeling every box, storage crate, etc., so they don’t how to guess at what I left behind.  It also makes finding things easier for me.  I’ve got three storage units I’m renting while the interior completion of my shop is underway.  Nothing is going into my shop that isn’t labeled on at least two sides.

  45. Greg Norton says:

    I am at the deceased father in laws place in Carrolton, TX.  It is depressing on how much crap we have to get rid of to sell it.  I am going to stay here tonight and throw a few things in the truck in the morning before heading to Rosenberg.

    We had decent Thai at Too Thai Street Eats in the shopping center with Ranch 99 in Carrolton a few weeks ago.

    You may or may not be up for the after dinner freak show people watching at Kinokuniya a few doors down.

  46. Alan says:

    >> There will still be people living in “America”.   But would they be recognizable by the originals?

    There’s probably some of our Founding Fathers already ‘spinning in their graves’ based on what we (the royal we) have done to this country. 

    BTW, not sure if it’s new or just new to me but if you’re a Ken Burns fan, he has a four hour film out on Benjamin Franklin on PBS. 

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  47. JimB says:

    Nothing is going into my shop that isn’t labeled on at least two sides.

    Good start. If I may, some suggestions. I started putting stuff in boxes a long time ago. I also used to work as an engineer, and we had data management folks who took care of drawings and other paper. I have learned a few things about filing over the years. This is my method, and you might not like it; just take this as a suggestion and adapt it to your needs. You can use paper, but a spreadsheet or database will be much easier to edit and maintain. The key is separating all the labeling and descriptions from the items being cataloged. (ISTR someone here who designed warehouse schemes, but may be gone from the site. Harold? He might have a lot to add.)

    I simply put a number on a box or on any object that does not fit into a box. Then I fill in a spreadsheet with the box number, its location, and a separate line (record) for each item that is in the box. I have several columns for noun name, quantity, descriptions, and other notes. This “live” list is quick to set up and maintain, and information can be added or edited at any time.

    A word about location. I struggle with this. One idea is to give a name or number to a room, shelf unit, or wall of a room. I add a grid location scheme. All this gets filled into the spreadsheet, with columns for each separate location. With three dimensions, it is possible to locate boxes on deep shelves: it is not necessary to see the number on the box if you know the location of the box.

    As storage grows, similar items will be scattered across several boxes in different locations. This should not be a problem, although you can mover things around if you are willing to spend the time.

    There are some shortcomings to this method. NEVER move anything without updating your list! There is a reason why libraries don’t let customers put books back on shelves. There are probably other shortcomings. Adapt your system to what works for you as you learn.

    If you have a small number of things to keep track of, all this is unnecessary: you can remember up to some small number of objects and their locations.

    Consider photographing objects and integrating this into your system. I have not done that yet. Consider some sort of bar code labels that can be scanned with your phone. I also not have done this.

    Consider special software for similar items, such as books. Almost all modern books have bar codes that can be scanned, and with the right software a database can be filled in automatically from the Internet. I don’t catalog books, but my wife needs to. She doesn’t like tech-y solutions, and is constantly rearranging items like books. I have had the opportunity to ask her to retrieve a book I gave her years ago, and she couldn’t find it. She has never found it. I remind myself that the purpose of all filing systems is RETRIEVAL!

    Good luck.

  48. JimB says:

    Rick, the new editor seems to work much better on my Android phone, a Samsung Note 20. I am writing this on it.

    The site looks unchanged on my phone. It is easy to navigate. I will comment more as I discover things.

    A BIG thanks for all the work you do.

  49. nick flandrey says:

    Looks mostly the same to me too.   The menu bar looks a little bit spread out, but I can’t remember for certain.

    The comment form button bar is certainly sleeker.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE having my right click paste back again.

    I did get the “can’t find that website” message when I reloaded the page just before this.  Hadn’t reloaded since about 6pm central.

    I did just notice that the comment editor changes the ” quotes symbol to the open quotes and close quotes. I bet I’ll find some other things it’s doing too.

    Still stripping out white space???     I do whish it was left along.

    Or I do wish it was left alone.

    n

  50. Ray Thompson says:

    Running on Microsoft Edge on a Macbook and everything seems to be OK. Safari on the Macbook is OK. The only device affected seems to be Safari on the iPad. It changed from the last time. I accept the issue being the screen resolution. One can’t have everything.

    And in other news. I am using the Macbook Air more when I travel. I have everything I need on the machine to access my data. When I travel it is mostly a data consumption device. Except when I go to client sites. I then take both my Microsoft Surface and the Macbook. No real reason except if one is going to be a geek, at least act like a geek.

    The MacBook Air is a nice machine. Once one gets past some of the Apple weirdness. Weird in the sense that I have been a Windows user since W3.1, the first viable Windows OS (which actually ran on DOS). The keyboard is nice. The trackpad is one of the best I have ever used on a laptop. Takes some digging to get to configuration settings and change some of the behavior. The battery lasts a long time on the M1 chip. I am not a fan of the Apple mouse as it is not substantial enough in my hand. The lack of distinct buttons takes some adjustment. I also had to change the scrolling direction and the behavior of the scroll bars.

    I really don’t like the lack of CTL-C, CTL-X, and CTL-C instead having to use one of the MAC keys, the command key. I find myself messing that up unless I consciously think about the action. The lack of a backspace key sometimes makes me have to stop and think. The screen is excellent and watching movies is not at all unpleasant.

    Photoshop and Lightroom run on the machine. I have a license for two machines. My main desktop and the Surface were the two allocated. Running on the MAC I have to transfer a license and that is easily done. What I don’t like is that the standard uninstall of an APP does not work for Adobe. One has to download an uninstall utility from Adobe.

    I did an experiment to restore the MAC to factory. Fairly painless with several security steps involving the iCloud password and the machine password. Which is a good thing. Once reset everything was restored from the Time Machine backup, files and settings. At least I think the settings were from Time Machine, may have come from iCloud.

    There are only two USB-C ports. One of them may be needed for charging which limits the usefulness. Either one can be used for charging. There is no power button, closing the screen sleeps the machine. Open the screen and a keypress, mouseclick, or using the touch sensor will immediately awaken the machine. I have yet to have any hiccups in that process and the startup from sleep is really quick.

    So would I recommend the Macbook Air over the Microsoft Surface. No, for either one. Each one is quite suitable for a mobile machine. The only defining factor is if some piece of software is critical and only runs on one machine. Other than that, take your choice and neither choice would be incorrect.

    I would add that Apple support is superior. Simply because there is a store in the area where hands on support can be used. The amount of knowledge on the WEB is about the same for both and solutions can be found with Google searches.

    A BIG thanks for all the work you do.

    Yes, I second that. Thanks Rick.

  51. Alan says:

    >> Still stripping out white space???     I do whish it was left along.

    @nick,

    .

    Just

    .

    drop

    .

    in

    .

    some

    .

    periods

  52. Alan says:

    @Rick, no more strikethrough? Seems to get used not infrequently here.

    Did the default font change? Seems different on Chrome (both PC and phone).

    And Insert image and Insert media??

    Otherwise looks good, thanks once again for all your efforts!

  53. nick flandrey says:

    ISE 500 ate my comment.   Weirdly, going back also got the 500 error, several times, until I gave up and just shortened the url to …./journal

    I think I’m noticing that the errors occur when there is a comment number in the url.

    n

  54. Alan says:

    >> I am at the deceased father in laws place in Carrolton, TX.  It is depressing on how much crap we have to get rid of to sell it.  I am going to stay here tonight and throw a few things in the truck in the morning before heading to Rosenberg.

    @Lynn, two options…

    Option One
    a) organize an estate sale
    b) notify @nick
    c) profit

    Option Two
    a) rent a 20 ft (40 ft??) dumpster
    b) fill it
    c) dump in landfill

    When my mother passed a number of years ago, my brother and I went with option two to clean out her house in the Poconos. Kept a few sentimental items. Anything worth selling was in her house in Brooklyn where I grew up.

  55. Alan says:

    >> slow Joe is done.  They’re getting ready to throw him under the bus.

    Don’t forget Cackles still has her bus ticket firmly grasped in her grimy hands and she’ll be bangin’ on the door wanting to ride.

  56. nick flandrey says:

    I have been <s>playing with </s> using one of the mapping links from a couple of days ago.   It has a very detailed satellite or aerial view of my BOL.  Don’t know why, because the watermark is google2022, but it is far better than starting at google maps and zooming in.   I know it is actually older imagery because there are trees in the image that have been cut down and the neighbor’s dock hasn’t been build yet.

    Anyway.   I figured out the rail route from home to the BOL.   Take a street from my neighborhood into my old ‘hood, jog north one block, get on the tracks and go due east until the first major north south intersection, then follow that north until you get to the little town nearest the BOL.  

    From there it’s 11 miles on a county road to the community entry and dirt road.

    You can approach the little community from the other direction, but to do so you have to go far north and then come south again.  It would be nice for my access if there were two good routes there, but it’s better for the zombie hoard scenario if it’s inconvenient to get to.  

    Fun with maps.   

    Now I need to get my wide format printer working  again.

    n

  57. nick flandrey says:

    Hmm, strikeout no longer works, and there isn’t a button for it.    Since it’s a major part of Mr Lynn’s humor, and mine as well, I’ll miss it.

    n

  58. Greg Norton says:

    There are only two USB-C ports. One of them may be needed for charging which limits the usefulness. Either one can be used for charging. There is no power button, closing the screen sleeps the machine. Open the screen and a keypress, mouseclick, or using the touch sensor will immediately awaken the machine. I have yet to have any hiccups in that process and the startup from sleep is really quick.

    I have a Tripp Lite U460-004-2A2C hub that I use with all of the USB-C laptops around here. It offers two USB-C (non charging) and two USB-A ports from one USB-C. Kinda pricey, but small/light without requiring an external power supply.

    My new employer sent one of their brand of Thunderbolt docks which I’ve been meaning to try with the Apple machines. It collects dust otherwise, and I may turn it in with most of the rest of the gear they sent when we get back to a normal office routine later this year.

    Interestingly, even though the dock is nearly $300 retail, management indicated that asset control really only cares about keeping track of the laptop. I won’t test that, however, and, absent some purpose around here, the dock will go back to IT since I don’t want to be responsible for it.

  59. Alan says:

    >> Anyway.   I figured out the rail route from home to the BOL. 

    Just remember that the light at the end of the tunnel is the train coming at you.  😉

  60. Greg Norton says:

    @Lynn, two options…

    Option Two
    a) rent a 20 ft (40 ft??) dumpster
    b) fill it
    c) dump in landfill

    My wife’s family filled a 20 cu yd dumpster clearing my father-in-law out of his place in Orlando 20 years ago, when he moved to Dallas. Clean fill, however – no electronics.

  61. Alan says:

    If this was already posted then I missed it.

    Barbara has been back at home since March 25th.

    She appears to be doing well and is posting again.

  62. Alan says:

    >> Hmm, strikeout no longer works, and there isn’t a button for it. 

    Seeing if <strike>works</strike> instead.

    ADDED: Nope

  63. Alan says:

    >> Having an active flare at a facility is a safety measure. If one of your processes has an upset (and it will happen), having to start the flare can be dangerous, time consuming, and can fail.

    A solution finds its problem…

    https://www.marketplace.org/2022/03/25/crypto-miners-use-natural-gas-stranded-in-wells-to-power-energy-hungry-rigs/

  64. Greg Norton says:

    Anyway.   I figured out the rail route from home to the BOL.   Take a street from my neighborhood into my old ‘hood, jog north one block, get on the tracks and go due east until the first major north south intersection, then follow that north until you get to the little town nearest the BOL.  

    Just remember that the rail lines are private property and the railroad employees really get off on enforcing the No Trespassing signs with physical violence.

    My wife’s BNSF engineer patient in Vantucky considered that to be one of the perqs of the job, even smacking an oblivious photographer in the head one Summer afternoon.

    Give the passing trains a wide berth.

  65. Alan says:

    >> I really don’t like the lack of CTL-C, CTL-X, and CTL-C instead having to use one of the MAC keys, the command key. I find myself messing that up unless I consciously think about the action. The lack of a backspace key sometimes makes me have to stop and think.

    We’re in the age where computers are just tools to get work done. If doing simple tasks with the tool constantly interrupted my thought process, and didn’t offer a way to ‘fix’ things, I’d guess I was using the wrong tool. But Mr. Jobs thought otherwise, so pick your poison.

  66. Alan says:

    >> Just remember that the rail lines are private property and the railroad employees really get off on enforcing the No Trespassing signs with physical violence.

    Are the railroad employees gonna be hanging around the tracks if it’s TEOTWAWKI?

  67. Greg Norton says:

    Double checking on the size of the dumpster at my father-in-law’s house, this one looks about right. 20 cu yd.

    https://www.dumpsters.com/sizes/20-yard-dumpster

    Filled. Completely.

  68. Lynn says:

    Just found a picture of my wife when she was 6 or 7.  Real cute.  She was cute at 23 when I married her too.  Very much Cherokee except for strawberry blond hair.

  69. Lynn says:

    Lots of very obsolete electronics here.  Four analog TVs, an old Atari console with Frogger game, a stereo / 8 track / record player, several vhs players, etc. Two broken microwaves, one builtin.  

  70. Lynn says:

    Got 24 mpg from  OK City to Carrollton. TX.  Of course it is a very long downhill and I was not pushing it. Probably averaged 65 mph.

  71. Pecancorner says:

    Re the new site changes:

    On my laptop, with Ubuntu, using Firefox,  I must have the “mobile” view.  There are no columns at all. All of the stuff that used to be on the right side is down at the bottom of the page.   The menu is in a vertical list at the top. 

    It looks like it would have in the old days, reading a typewritten page. Except on one long sheet of paper! It’s as though we’ve regressed to before pages were invented.     🙂 

    Edit: When I click the edit button, there’s no spacing between paragraphs. The text, along with the formatting, is all bunched up together.

  72. Nick Flandrey says:

    @pecancorner, try making the window wider, or ctrl zoom smaller then use the font + – buttons to adjust text size.

    n

  73. Rick H says:

    @nick
    no more strikethrough? Seems to get used not infrequently here.

    Strikethrough not a default button in the ‘classic’ version of the new editor. May get added in the next upgrade, as soon as I figure out how to do that.

    Did the default font change? Seems different on Chrome (both PC and phone).

    Default fonts are different. There will be some tweaking of those. They are google fonts at the moment, hosted on the site to reduce download/load time.

    And Insert image and Insert media??

    Default fonts are different. There will be some tweaking of those. They are google fonts at the moment, hosted on the site to reduce download/load time.

    Otherwise looks good, thanks once again for all your efforts!

    Thanks. Glad to help out.

    @pecancorner:

    Re the new site changes:

    On my laptop, with Ubuntu, using Firefox,  I must have the “mobile” view.  There are no columns at all. All of the stuff that used to be on the right side is down at the bottom of the page.   The menu is in a vertical list at the top.

    The placement of the columns ( main content, right sidebar) is dependent on the screen width (the ‘viewport’). Narrower viewports get the columns ‘stacked’. They also get the menu items on separate lines, so that mobile links are not too close together. (Search engines don’t like things that are too close together for mobile users – and since search engines are more mobile-focused, you have to adjust for that.)

    The next version will have the usual ‘hamburger’ button for menus for smaller viewports.

    Note that the ‘viewport’ is not a measurement of the entire screen, but the screen inside the browser window. If you make it smaller, then the viewport is smaller. Below about 900px, the ‘stacking’ occurs.

    Option is to make the viewport wider, then adjust the font size larger if needed. Font size setting is stored in a cookie, though, so if you clear your cookies, that font setting will default back to normal.

    It looks like it would have in the old days, reading a typewritten page. Except on one long sheet of paper! It’s as though we’ve regressed to before pages were invented.    

    Maybe. But a function of how you have to design for mobile screens (narrower viewports). 

    Edit: When I click the edit button, there’s no spacing between paragraphs. The text, along with the formatting, is all bunched up together.

    The ‘edit’ process uses a separate function to display the comment edit window. Haven’t figured out how to get that to use the CKEditor window yet.

    Thanks for the comments. 

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