Hot and humid, of course. Remains to be seen just how hot and how humid. I’m hoping for a small break in the weather while I crack rocks in the hot sun.
Got up here yesterday, having missed or postponed 3 pickups. Between the rain and delays getting started, I just ran out of time. On the plus side, gas was cheaper at $3.19 per gallon, credit price, and just off the freeway in Conroe too. Of course the Shell station on the frontage road had $4.50 on their sign. Tha’s just nuts.
Plan for today is remove some concrete walkway for the electricians to get access. Move some bushes to get them out of the way of the work. Rig something to water them, so they don’t just die in their new location. In between, do plumbing.
We’ll see if the plan survives contact with the enemy. And it just occurred to me that I should have brought up a pop up canopy to provide some shade while working. Dang.
And while doing all that, take frequent breaks to make sure the dog doesn’t mess up the house. I hope he feels better today.
I decided not to bring more frozen food up here yet. I’m worried something would go wrong while the electricians are working, and better to just have what’s already here at risk. I did bring up a couple of small things, like an oil lamp, but didn’t do much to add to the stacks.
I will probably sleep in a bit too. Haven’t been sleeping well, and am really short at the moment.
So I’m stacking up sleep! For a day or two, while doing all the things, anyway.
Stack what you can.
nick
Every single article about a computer model should start with this quote by George Box: “All models are wrong. Some models are useful.”
Best of luck to ’em:
https://thepremierdaily.com/japan-gargantuan-turbine/?utm_source=smartnews
Sounds like the opening of another Godzilla movie.
Cue George Takei doing his Asian “Stepin Fetchit” routine for the dubbing, just like the old days.
“And the giant turbine woke the monster from its ancient slumber … Hmmm”
This anniversary continues to slip by under the radar this year. Cozi TV will repeat the documentary today at 6 PM in most markets, ahead of this weekend’s events — delayed from January — at the LA County Fire Museum and the station house filming location in Carson, CA.
https://www.cozitv.com/video/emergency-50-the-show-that-saved-your-life-saturday/15371/
Yeah, the guys are old.
Thanks, Greg.
I think this is worth repeating (I just posted it on yesterdays thread).
For interest free payment plans, I pay it off in equal payments but use one month less, i.e., five months vice six or eleven vice twelve. No date problem when the last payment is month early.
Coffee guide
https://ace.mu.nu/archives/8%2020%20coffee.jpg
These guys are obviously not serious.
Where’s the expresso? Iced? Cold brew? Chocolate-covered coffee beans? Coffee snuff?
Willie Soon is a hero:
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/08/20/failed-climate-predictions-willie-soon-phd/
@bob sprowl, that is a good system. I like it. I got burned young on those “no interest” plans and credit, so I’m especially careful now.
Overcast and 82F this morning. Dog seems perkier. I should motivate and do the hard work early, but my back is killing me. I stretched but need to give it a bit more time.
n
Bishop Mittens does not have complete freedom to “vote his conscience”. Touchdown Jesus getting the Payola Seat on The Court obviously involved a long-term deal where BYU Law would eventually receive equal consideration. The Elders also wanted Roe overturned, and they knew that Trump was not going to get the opportunity to fill the Roe Seat with Comey-Barrett as planned.
Also, I doubt the Elders would allow Mittens to support electing a new VP/tiebreaker should the need arise before January.
Some light weekend reading, from Science:
The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemicThe molecular epidemiology of multiple zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2
The interest rate paid on savings is so low I don’t think it is worth the hassle. Better to pay with a credit card that provides a rebate. Some cards will do as high as 5%, 3% probably average, 1% even on the Costco card.
With most savings plans paying 0.50% or less, even 1% rebate is better than the interest saved getting the “no interest plans”. I have found it better to ask for a 5% discount on the product immediately instead of the “no interest plan”. That will save more money than stretching out the payment.
If the money is an issue, cash flow, then perhaps it will make sense. If money is that tight the chances of getting burned by missing a payment goes up substantially. In that situation only emergency items should be purchased, like a hot water heater, stove, etc.
Things which used to be bought on the Sears card before the court ordered their terms changed in the 90s.
Now I guess you put it on the Home Depot card, but no one has terms like Sears card in the glory days.
I remember a friend’s house being stripped of carpet/padding down to the tack strips when her mother couldn’t make a few payments on the carpet, purchased at Sears.
“I Hate Dealing with IT”
https://areaocho.com/i-hate-dealing-with-it/
First, if you don’t want an opinion of your job performance, don’t ask. Second, the IT support person is messing with a front line worker. That is very bad in my book.
I have a Lowes Amex that gives 5% back on Lowes purchases, plus points that I can use for Amex gift cards. I only use it there. Main card is a Delta skymiles platinum. I actually use my earned miles, though right now I’m in accumulating mode. Plan to get enough to upgrade two tickets to Europe to business class. Annual fee is worth it as we use the companion ticket every year.
So many cards and options from which to choose. What works for everyone is different than from others.
We don’t fly much, last time was a trip to Europe about 5 years ago. I purchase those tickets with my Costco CITI card and get 3% cash back.
Discover card has/had good rebates. About 2% on all purchases if I remember correctly. Problem is that card is not widely used, if at all, in Europe.
I have a Hyatt card, $75.00 a year, gets me one free room night. A good deal for Hyatt.
Primary card is Costco CITI card. I get about $700.00 a year in rebates.
Just got a notice from Humana, wife’s pharmacy. She is now in catastrophic drug coverage. Which lowers our cost for drugs. So far this year we have spend $7,200.00+ in drug costs, Humana has spent $16,500.00. Hard to imagine that drug costs, through August, have been $23,700.00+. People without drug coverage are doomed. Low income people with coverage are doomed.
I am really looking forward to the provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, sometime in 2025? where the maximum out of pocket for part D is capped at $2K. I suspect that the premiums will jump to over $100.00 a month.
For another time sink on the weekend. Football season opened in East TN. Here are some pictures from a game.
https://www.raymondthompsonphotography.com/Rockwood
Sent to the local paper for their selection and use.
Every single article about a computer model should start with this quote by George Box: “All models are wrong. Some models are useful.”
You would not believe what people have done with my chemical process engineering software over the decades. I supply over 300 working flowsheets with my software. And some people try to start from scratch and then send their horrible mess to us demanding six digits of precision. A few demand nine digits of precision.
And then there was the people who built a tritium processing plant outside the USA, designed using our software (I had no idea that we could do that !). And then they tested a hydrogen bomb to the world’s dismay. That got me a visit from two of the three letter agencies, the second of whom demanded a manipulation code in our software that only they would know about. Yeah, right. Major violation of my morals and ethics there. I asked him to leave and he did so. It has been over 20 years and I still get upset.
Careful, Buc-ee’s may be after you for copyright issues.
Still having mail issues with Dreamhost for this site. Their latest support says that I have to use SMTP to send mail.
Nope.
The PHP mail() command uses SENDMAIL. It does not work here. Inside WordPress, the wp_mail() function is used. That uses the PHPMailer class to send mail via SMTP. It does not work here.
The test contact forms/pages (straight PHP, and a “Contact Form 7” plugin) do not send mail here. Same forms/pages work on other sites (including Barbara’s, hosted on the same account and shared server).
It’s a problem with the processes used by this place. Which I told the support guys (again).
In the meantime, if you need to send me private email, you can use the contact form on one of my personal sites: https://rickhellewell.com/contactme.php .
Bishop Mittens does not have complete freedom to “vote his conscience”. Touchdown Jesus getting the Payola Seat on The Court obviously involved a long-term deal where BYU Law would eventually receive equal consideration. The Elders also wanted Roe overturned, and they knew that Trump was not going to get the opportunity to fill the Roe Seat with Comey-Barrett as planned.
Also, I doubt the Elders would allow Mittens to support electing a new VP/tiebreaker should the need arise before January.
The elders also want to get rid of gay marriage.
Medical. Below the provider level, when the individual is a cost center, you never know why that person was hired or how they manage to keep their job.
A lot of nurses have serious mental health issues in my experience.
OTOH, the most insulting and degrading interview of my professional life was for a job in the IT department of my wife’s group practice in Vantucky. The manager was a clown-de-ass, and I was a future partner’s spouse — which I did not mention trying to avoid being hired as a special favor even though I really needed the paycheck. I’ve never had a interviewer unload on me like that while the conversation was still in progress.
I think we should have realized then that partnership meant diddly in that place.
Over The Hedge: Andy Weir Books
https://www.gocomics.com/overthehedge/2022/08/20
Spoilers ! I still have “Project Hail Mary” in my SBR (strategic book reserve).
SMTP is the protocol for sending mail – port 25. Sendmail is a mail server that sends mail (vis SMTP). Sounds like sendmail may be borked for the site. Can you telnet to the site over port 25 and get a response? That will tell you if the server is listening and functioning. Telnet x.x.x.x:25
Well, I’ve turned about 4 feet of sidewalk into mostly fist sized rocks, loaded that into a garden trailer, used the lawn tractor to move them down to my waterfront, and started to fill in a hole…
Stopped for lunch and the thunder and rain started. Got the lawnmower under cover, put the tools in the garage, and made a sandwich.
Someone somewhere said the key to breaking concrete is to get something under it. It makes a HUGE difference hitting a slab with a rock under it, and hitting a slab sitting tight on the ground. Unfortunately I had to start in the middle and remove 18″ to get somewhere to break the rest toward…
Once I got going it went pretty well.
No wire in the concrete at least.
Did some other small things while taking cool down breaks. Mowed the little that needed mowing, since I had the tractor out anyway.
If I can’t work outside I’ll do plumbing.
n
Weekend Quiz:
What TV show original theme music would you nominate for the Top 10?
Background: Of course I have the correct answer for #1 and can support it. But there’s a lot of iconic theme songs out there, so asking for Top 10 makes for a better discussion. It’s also going to show that no one here is much under retirement age, as some of the lists that are out there are heavily influenced by the MTV/cable generation.
Hint: Same show gets my nod for Best Opening Video. They predate MTV, of course, but would have easily won awards there.
“Hawaii Five-0”.
A few bars of Morton Stevens’ incidental music for the series ended up as the CBS “Special Presentation” intro for decades.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7bLPaoRTsc
Stevens died way too young.
Someone is remastering the “Charlie Brown” Christmas special album for the upcoming 60th anniversary (!), but that soundtrack is incomplete without the CBS intro.
“Welcome Back, Kotter”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_Back,_Kotter
“Happy Days”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Days
Gilligan’s Island, the revised version that mentions the professor and Mary Ann.
hill street blues.
rain stopped. Back to work while it is still cooler…
n
>> Well, I’ve turned about 4 feet of sidewalk into mostly fist sized rocks, loaded that into a garden trailer, used the lawn tractor to move them down to my waterfront, and started to fill in a hole…
@Nick, hopefully you had, or rented, one of these?
I’m consulting the collective wisdom to ask if anyone has installed a current Hunter Original fan, Hecho en China model, within the last few years.
I have some questions about correcting wobble, and my last Hunter Original was one of the last Hecho en USA, purchased and installed in early 2002. That fan never wobbled from Day One.
My only other modern fan install experience is a Big Ass Fans (I’m not kidding about the name) Haiku-L in our home office. Noisy, but it doesn’t wobble out of the box either provided that you correctly match fan blade number with position on the motor by number.
It took me three tries, repositioning blades and tweaking screw torque, but I eventually got it right.
Big Ass Fans are also Hecho en USA.
Spoilers ! I still have “Project Hail Mary” in my SBR (strategic book reserve).
Well worth reading!
>> The interest rate paid on savings is so low I don’t think it is worth the hassle. Better to pay with a credit card that provides a rebate. Some cards will do as high as 5%, 3% probably average, 1% even on the Costco card.
Was using the AmEx Blue Cash Preferred which gives up to 6% cash back, but not across the board. Plus it has a $95 annual fee.
Now primarily using the Citi Double Cash Card which gives 2% back on all purchase, 1% when you buy and 1% when you make the corresponding payment. And no annual fee.
“Gilligan’s Island” was also Morton Stevens work, but not the original version of the theme.
No word on who did the revised version. Stevens shared incidental music composing chores on the series with “Johnny” Williams and others.
“Johnny” also did both “Lost in Space” themes as well as incidental music for the series. Everyone has to start somewhere.
Hawaii Five-O
Dallas
St. Elsewhere
Barney Miller
Night Court
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Northern Exposure
The Rockford Files
Simon and Simon
Wonderfalls
The unexpected use of this in the movie The Dish had me rolling on the floor, laughing.
>> Now I guess you put it on the Home Depot card, but no one has terms like Sears card in the glory days.
I always use my HD or Lowes cards. Lowes gives a 5% discount on all purchases, 10% for military. HD used to match the 5% discount if you asked but that stopped (at least in my area) a couple years ago. Both will take returns for purchases made on their cards for up to one year, although sometimes you have to remind them in Lowes as it’s not called out on the signage at the returns desk. No receipts needed at HD, shouldn’t be needed at Lowes. Both haven’t blinked with me walking in with 20 – 25 items to return, left over from home reno projects. I try not to return items that I just didn’t need if the packaging is obviously opened.
>> I am really looking forward to the provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, sometime in 2025? where the maximum out of pocket for part D is capped at $2K. I suspect that the premiums will jump to over $100.00 a month.
Obviously it couldn’t start any sooner, right Joe?
>> “Gilligan’s Island” was also Morton Stevens work, but not the original version of the theme.
Anyone know who decided that the lyrics needed to be changed? I kind of doubt it was the actors.
Russel Johnson was a decorated WWII bomber crew member. When the series was successful and publicity highlighted the Professor’s real life service, the producers got pressure to adjust the theme.
My only other modern fan install experience is a Big Ass Fans (I’m not kidding about the name) Haiku-L in our home office. Noisy, but it doesn’t wobble out of the box either provided that you correctly match fan blade number with position on the motor by number.
It took me three tries, repositioning blades and tweaking screw torque, but I eventually got it right.
Big Ass Fans are also Hecho en USA.
Those 24 foot diameter fans above the cashiers in Costco are Big Ass Fans also.
>> What TV show original theme music would you nominate for the Top 10?
Beverly Hillbillies
Beretta (Sammy Davis Jr.)
Green Acres
Cheers
Magnum PI
Already mentioned:
Gilligan’s Island
Rockford Files
Bob Denver did most of the pressuring.
The residential line is much smaller. I have the smallest fan they make at 44 inches.
I have mixed feelings about the noise of the fan, but I can’t argue with the amount of air the mechanism moves.
My other issue with the Big Ass Fans is that the light kits do not have the capability to connect to a standard wall switch. I can only turn on/off the light with one of their remotes or their proprietary wall-mount control panel.
$100.
@Nick
The best key is getting someone else to do it. Second best is renting an electric jackhammer.
Concrete has good compression strength and about 1/10 as much tensile strength. Getting “something under it” is tantamount to supporting it at a point so the rest of it is unsupported. Striking it where it is unsupported exceeds the tensile strength and causes it to crack.
@Greg
Sounds like a deal-breaker to me. Any justification offered?
First time commenter, long time lurker… found this site via JEP. Sure miss JEP, RBT, OFD and others.
>> What TV show original theme music would you nominate for the Top 10?
I’m surprised no one mentioned M*A*S*H. “Suicide is Painless”, just hearing the first few notes anywhere in the barracks and you had a general rush towards someone’s TV.
Terry
>> What TV show original theme music would you nominate for the Top 10?
Andy Griffith show.
Bonanza.
Sure, they want to sell the $100 wall control.
Seriously, though, if I had to guess, the electronics would be more expensive to offer the capability to switch the light from the wall as well as from the various remotes.
The residential line starts at $150 more than a Hunter Original. Most people are going to spend $200 max on a POS at Home Depot and replace it in a couple of years.
Today’s install was my first Hecho en China Hunter Original. My car line mommy friend in Vantucky installed a house full of them and said that the Chinese-made fans were okay, but I’m still skeptical. She had an electrician in to do the work and eliminate the wobble issues.
Speaking of “Bonanza” and theme songs – did you know that Bonanza’s theme song first had lyrics, and it was sung by the stars for the pilot episode?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA-PdP4k4Xw (after the intro by “Ben Cartright”).
The regular series only used the instrumental version. Although several singers (like Johnny Cash) recorded the song and sung the lyrics. One reference here .
Here‘s the version by Johnny Cash and Lorne Green.
Another good one. I have the version with actual singing the lyrics. In the early 2000’s I used to bring music to work on cassette tapes, my own custom mix. I was playing my mix and the song “Suicide is Painless” was playing, in my office, on a low level.
Some self-important piece of fluff decided that the song offended her because she had a friend that committed personal demise. She complained to management, management made me not play the song any more, she claimed mental anguish, left for the day, went to a psych doctor, charged the company for the visit “work place injury”, and stayed home for a week. Later I learned she applied for disability and workmen’s compensation. She was denied.
She was a worthless piece of biological blob of cells who did nothing but consume oxygen and three spaces on a park bench.
@Terry L.
Welcome!
As a boy on kiddie Saturday mornings, the voiceover for “Sky King” would get me running. Silly premise for the series though.
TV theme songs, in no particular order:
M*A*S*H
Magnum P.I.
A-Team
The West Wing
Cheers
The Dukes of Hazard
Knight Rider
Angel
Mission Impossible
Doctor Who (Tennant era)
Honorable mention: The Muppet Show
>> My other issue with the Big Ass Fans is that the light kits do not have the capability to connect to a standard wall switch. I can only turn on/off the light with one of their remotes or their proprietary wall-mount control panel.
Almost all the consumer-grade fans I’ve looked at (HD, Lowes, Costco, etc.) with remotes have had poor reviews. It’s bad enough that they stuff the regular wiring and switches in a small space, it must get really crowded adding a remote.
Luckily, our current house was wired with separate wall switches for the fan and the lights and I did the same when ‘a friend’ wired the new shed.
re: Bonanza theme song. I heard it sung with lyrics once, probably the Cash version on some western stream from Pandora.
I don’t recall ever seeing the pilot episode…
>> I’m consulting the collective wisdom to ask if anyone has installed a current Hunter Original fan, Hecho en China model, within the last few years.
@Greg, I’ve probably installed a half-dozen China fans over the past few years and never had any wobble problems. Any chance yours was damaged while it transit? Hunter is Home Depot’s brand, correct?
All good choices… but if we’re talking “run to the tv” I’d add “Speed Racer”.
Always thought the lyric change for Gilligan was weird. Weird NOT to call them out – “and all the rest”????
No jackhammer for me. Broke 8 ft by hand with a sledge. Only 12 pounder too, because I’m too old to be swinging anything bigger. I’ve got an 8 that I perfer for most things too.
Moved the 4 bushes that were in the way of the work, got them replanted and a half – donkey watering system set up. Seller planted them as part of the spruce up, but they are worse for wear because of the drought. I hope they survive, plants aren’t cheap.
Eating my dinner before having a fire and spin around the dial… rain blew thru and it’s nice, 78F and still. I expect the breeze to pick up a bit.
Finally started peeing again. I’ve been slamming 20oz gatoraides, about 10 thru the day, but only peed when I quit for the day at 8pm. I’m not drinking enough, clearly, despite really trying to stay on top of it.
Cheeseburger calls….
n
@Nick: Yikes, not peeing, that’s not good.
IANAMD, but I’ve always been a bit dubious of drinking, essentially, salt water. You are actually adding to the bodies workload, especially those organs that have to process the salts.
For real exertion in the heat I mostly always stick to plain water, no added salts or caffeine or sugars.
As a change of pace, maybe a coke or gatorade for lunch or dinner.
YMMV, of course.
@Terry L.
Thanks for de-lurking.
Lots of weekend left.
Bonanza, pilot episode, singing the theme song.
Been a long time. Found the 48 minute version on YT, but no singing.
Were they dancing, or am I confusing it with Paint Your Wagon?
shameless ly copied from AoSHQ:
The Saturday Night Joke
God Bless the US Marine Corps!
After numerous intelligence reports of Putin’s demise that implied that Putin might actually be dead, Putin himself decided to send Biden a letter in his own handwriting to let him know he was still in the game. Biden opened the letter which appeared to contain a single line of a coded message, “370HSSV-0773H”. Biden was baffled, so he emailed it to John Kerry and to his aides. Neither had no clue what it said. So, they sent it to the FBI. No one could solve it at the FBI, so it went to the CIA, then to NSA. Still no clue as to the meaning.
The FBI finally asked Marine Corps Intelligence for help. Within a few seconds the Marine Corps called back with this message. “Tell Biden he’s holding the message upside down.” (H/T Legally Sufficient)
Nice night for a fire, even if it was a bit hard to get going after all the wood got wet.
No moon, wispy low clouds, lots of stars.
78F, but damp so the small fire felt great.
@terryL, I’ll third or fourth the sentiment. It’s always nice to hear from long time readers.
n
I’m surprised that nobody suggested “Peter Gunn”! Most of the suggested programs I’ve never watched or have even heard of.
I have two shows in mind that had significant radio play of the theme songs.
On a related topic, I checked the wiki page for top-selling book series and found two egregious omissions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books#List_of_best-selling_book_series
yet both are listed on the best-selling author page with minimum 100 million copies in sales
>> Finally started peeing again.
And the pooch?
Remembered a few more:
F Troop
The Addams Family
The Brady Bunch
The Flintstones (no Jetsons though, too short)
Magilla Gorilla (partly because he’s part of one of my tatts)
Mission Impossible
Did no one mention Star Trek? The original, not the abominations that followed.
I read that Roddenberry wrote lyrics so he wouldn’t have to pay royalties. How does that work, anyway?
Saw the DC Superpets animation with three youngsters tonight. It was excellent and good for multiple laughs.
@drwilliams, I’m betting that you are thinking of theo Monkees.
They had significant radio play, and record sales.
n