Guard Dog

Don't. Seriously don't even give it a thought. I used to worry about the outcomes of elections. I used to buy into the BS line that gets dusted off and trotted out every four years: "THIS is the most important election ever!". It's not. Even if the Democrats win it all in 2020 by 2022 the Congress will be split again and the status quo maintained. If Trump wins, if (insert Democrat name here) wins, it just does not matter.

Just to add on to Groms point. I'm sure you guys have been seeing stories in the news about how the apparent magnitude of Betelgeuse has dropped in recent months. It's apparent magnitude has slipped from .42 to 1.3. It was once the 9th brightest object in the night sky. Now it is the 23rd. Heck you can go outside tonight and take a look for yourself . But here is the thing. Betelgeuse is 428 light years away. So whatever you observe happened in 1592. Elizabeth I was Queen of England. Galileo invented the thermometer, the Falkland Islands were first discovered by the English. The news sites have been reporting and discussing this as though it is happening in real time. They are commenting that the star is "about" to go super-nova. Well, whatever we are seeing happened a long time ago, We are just now finding out about it. Look, I realize that we all "know" this already. So do the news outlets. But do you ever really "think" about it? What if FTL travel really is impossible? The galaxy could be teeming with life and we would never know. Like people marooned on different islands too far to reach each other. Nothing is more conducive to deep thoughts than sitting on a porch alone at night with a glass of quality whiskey and the stars overhead. I definitely recommend it!

Nothing turns me off of a book than the words "First book of a new series". Yeah. F--k that. Wake me up when they are all written. but this one was on Kindle Unlimited so it didn't cost anything. It's actually pretty good. If you like space opera with political intrigue this one does not suck completely. I also bought this one. Starting it next:

The morale of the story is life was better before the internet!

Actually it was illegal immigration that did them in. All the rest of that just made it impossible to stop.

mine is newer

If you are standing on a ladder or platform and get popped with enough of a DC charge it knocks you off that is pretty much the only way I can think of DC killing someone. It does not clench the muscles like AC. As an aside the worst shock I ever received was 1KV DC. Almost no current though. I was working on a radar transmitter. It was a TSQ-107B. It used a capacitive pulse forming network to drive the magnetron. I was replacing that PFN that day and had shut it off and discharged it through the magnetron grid. Well, still being new to electronics I had never heard of the flywheel effect and it's action in capacitive circuits. in the time it took me to pick up a wrench that PFN had recharged itself. Let's say that was a lesson I'll never forget.

You know how this will work anyway. The next day after we get the greenhouse gasses in check and all a giant asteroid will crash into the earth and that will be all she wrote. It's just our luck.

Speaking of environmental stuff. Did you know in TN is is illegal to have a fixed home powered entirely by DC power? WTF do they care? It's not safety. You cannot be electrocuted by DC no matter the voltage potential. Meanwhile just 0.5A of 120V AC from hand to hand can kill you dead. It's also illegal to have a home without indoor plumbing if the home is greater than 410 sq'. Why the odd number? Damned if I know. Now, here is the thing. In West Tennessee water and power are provided by co-ops that are controlled by the County and State governments. So... they provide a service then pass a law to ensure that service can only be purchased from them, THEN pass more laws saying we MUST HAVE that service to get a home to pass building codes. But, i guess it's not an evil monopoly when government does it huh? I bring this up because I am looking at building a small house on my property upstate on Indian Creek. I was planning on using a mixed DC power/ LP system with a max capacity of no more than 15A. The actual demand would only be 2/3 of that. There would be no AC service on the property. It's expensive. It would obligate me to secure a right-of-way onto the property through other plots I do not own. It would also require me to do a lot of tree cutting. not doing any of that trash. Plumbing service is impossible. There just is none and I'm disinclined to install a septic system. In fact I was planning on drilling the well myself and using a mechanical hand pump to draw the water. As far as environmentally friendly goes this house will be as green as it gets. But the irony is the state government, which preaches the "Keep Tennessee Green" campaign, actually stands in the way of doing the every thing they say they want you to do.

It's a meme! You chuckle at it and move on. Or get triggered by it and move on. It is not meant to apply to everyone in every situation. It's just meant to get a laugh.

It's good fun!

Agreed. Although from what I'm reading it's been a big success so maybe Season 2 gets a bigger budget. They start filming in April.

Much like you I see the choice of Democrats and Republicans as no choice at all. When you choose the lesser evil all you ever get is evil. Heck I'm not even sure WHICH of those two even is the lesser evil these days. No, like you I'm voting 3rd Party for President as I have since 2012 and before 2008. Now we may find no agreement which 3rd party is best but at least we agree a third party is needed. Destiny guides our fortunes more favorably than we could have expected! Look there ComradeMaster my friend, and see those two wild giants with the huge arms, Donkey & Elephant, with whom we will do battle and slay with our 3rd Party votes! And with their stolen political power we can begin to enrich our land! @Gromnir: "Those are windmills" GD: Well, obviously Gromnir you don't know much about adventures!

Yep. The governor of Virginia Ralph Northam is promising to send the Virginia National Guard to confiscate firearms with the new gun control measures that the incoming Democrat controlled State Assembly is planning to ram down their throats. Former Presidential Candidate, Congressman Eric Slalwell, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Charles Schumer, current Presidential Candidate Core Booker among many others have all promised to use violence to seize firearms that are, for the moment, legal if they are ever made illegal. To them I say f--k you. Come take them.

I made chicken jerky in the smokehouse yesterday. Don't worry, Duke and the hens are all fine. This was some unnamed chicken from Kroger. Still, what would they think if they could understand what I was up to? Sunny & Bela are VERY interested. They seem to think they will get most of it. Who am I kidding? They will.

Beware what you wish for: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/26/can-bernie-sanders-win-2020-election-president-089636 Well, that would be an entertaining election. No matter who wins we're screwed. Or not. So long as Congress is split we'll be fine.

Coming from any other President...well, maybe not Clinton, this would not even occasion notice. But from Trump it get's a laugh: https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-celebrates-christmas-by-calling-for-americans-to-unify-and-exemplify-the-teachings-of-christ/

I rewatched the Season 1 of the Witcher. I definitely liked it better the 2nd time through. I caught a lot more of the details and nuances and there really are a lot to catch. The fact the the Geralt, Yennifer, & Ciri story lines are happening years apart from each other until they converge was not readily apparent to me. Even though I knew they were because I read the Last Wish years ago. But if you really pay attention to the events and dialogue it does become apparent. The other thing the had me puzzled is the show is, by design, telling an incomplete story. I think it was between episodes 5 & 6 you get the impression they cover consecutive time periods but if you pay attention you hear 2 years or more passed in between them with events that happened that you now of to catch up on. So, my advice to anyone, particularly if you care coming in cold having not read the books nor played the games, is PAY ATTENTION. The story is really pretty good but the devil is the details and the details tie it all together.

I went to the grocery store on Saturday so I'm not planning to leave home until I go back to work next year. Christmas with the pups. The conversations on this board are often funny. Frequently thought provoking. Sometimes sad. Even poignant every now and then. But they are always entertaining. And that is entirely because of the unique cast of characters that post here. You guys are all awesome. Merry Christmas and Happy 2020 to all of you and your families too!

Spent a good chunk of the day working on rust busting the stove. I got the door open and removed it. The inside isn't too bad. I ordered a few bottles of Birchwood Casey Blue and Rust remover. I've already gone as far was WD-40 can go. Time to get serious.