Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Books are my comfort food!

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

I really should read my own blog.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

This fight is for everything.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Dog Days II (Open Thread)

Dog Days II (Open Thread)

by | 291 Comments

This post is in: 

Can’t sketch one without asking the other to sit for a portrait, so here’s Pyotr:

Dog Days II (Open Thread) 1

He’s half Boston and half Frenchie. As you can see, he inherited the barrel chest and rounded ears of his Gallic lapdog forebears.

***

Is the heatwave here? We’re not noticing anything unusual in America’s Wang so far. Maybe enduring a Florida summer is like weathering a Buffalo winter: better to stay indoors if you can.

My porch is still shady and breezy and pleasant yet, so my dogs and I are making the most of it.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

291Comments

  4. 4.

    Renie

    Betty, Just wondering. In the water near your home do you have alligators? If you do, is it a big concern with the dogs?   Hope you are feeling good today!

  5. 5.

    CaseyL

    Great contrast between Pete and Badger: Pete seems very contemplative, even philosophical.

    I trust things between them are still going well…?

  6. 6.

    TBone

    Your renderings are captivating.  Soulshine.  Butter lamb got nothin’ on Pete and Badger!

  9. 9.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    BCrack:

    Do you have a ceiling fan on your porch?  I’d think that’s a must down there if you want to be on the porch for any length of time.  My older brother in Little Rock did that a few years back and it made a drastic difference.

  11. 11.

    Elizabelle

    I saw some newborn “Frenchietons” at the vet’s recently.  Maybe six of them in a basket, four hours old.  Mom was a silver blue Frenchie, snuggled in a towel.  The babies were black, no silver yet.  Mom was in for her Caesarean.

    Had never before heard of the breed.

  12. 12.

    eclare

    It’s a little hotter in Memphis during the day, so far the big change is in the nighttime lows.  They should be at least five degrees cooler.  It doesn’t sound like much, but it makes a huge difference.

    Pete looks wonderful.

  13. 13.

    sdhays

    @Leto: JFC, I was thinking as she got closer to the water “NOOOO!!!! Don’t offer your hand as bait as a test!!!”

    PSA: Water is wet. You don’t need to test it with your hand, especially if it’s gator-infested.

  14. 14.

    TBone

    The first time I was on my own in America’s Wang, I was so hot but at the same time excited to be there (young teenager runaway), I went running off a dock and jumped into some lady’s backyard pond.  Thankfully, she came running across her yard shouting “GATORS!!!” I broke my former speed swimming record that day 😂 young dumb yankee

  17. 17.

    lowtechcyclist

    Typical summer day here in Calvert County, MD. Highs in the mid-80s, a little on the humid side. Our yard has a lot of shade, so the deck is comfortable even in the afternoon.

  18. 18.

    Leto

    @sdhays: hahaha, I thought the same thing! Noooo! And the camera person was… nope, ain’t goin’ near! Avalune and I both had a good laugh :)

  19. 19.

    Kelly

    Pleasant June weather here in Pacific Northwest. Much sympathy to folks under the heat dome. We had ours in 2021.

  23. 23.

    Tom Levenson

    Boston is getting whacked today. Gonna be crappy through Friday. (Predicted high of 97 degrees on Thursday.

    We chilled the house as much as we could with night air last night and then battened down everything.  It’s still comfortable inside, but we’ll be cranking the ancient window air conditioners by late afternoon, I’m sure. They take the edge off, but they don’t have enough oomph to get any but the smallest spaces (the spare bedroom and my son’s room) properly cool.

    By not much coincidence, the central a/c guy is here this morning putting together an estimate for cooling roughly half the house.  My wife, a New Englander who does not believe in wasting money on frippery like cooling air when the hours between midnight and five a.m. are likely to be just fine, has finally given in to my wimpy desires–after fifteen years here.

    Now I’m just hoping that the job won’t price out at Fort Knox levels

    (Our place is 110 years old. Stucco–so no real insulation (except in the roof). No ducts–the heat is an old radiator system. So putting in a heat pump system with heads that have to be hooked up through early 20th century construction is not a simple job.)

  24. 24.

    prufrock

    Finally getting some regular rain in the Tampa Bay area, so the weather is more tolerable, at least when the sun is down.

  27. 27.

    Leto

    @TBone: the actual test is, if you can’t see the bottom assume there’s gators. Essentially any murky body of water, assume gators. That’s what I was taught growing up and it’s served me well.

  28. 28.

    MomSense

    Pete is so handsome.  He has bearing as my grandmother used to say.
    I’m inside with AC so I’m not sure what it feels like outside.  Today is supposed to be hot but tomorrow much worse and it won’t cool off much at all in the evening.  I am hoping the breeze off the river will help.   We do have tall ceilings and ceiling fans but no AC at the house.

  29. 29.

    Spanky

    @lowtechcyclist: Shade is the differentiator these days. The dewpoint hasn’t yet broken 70, so there’s quite the diff between standing in full sun and under a shade tree – of which there’s an abundance around these parts.

  30. 30.

    oldster

    We put in solar panels about five years ago, and in the summer they generate much more than we use. We can run the  central AC as needed and still send power out to the grid. I recommend it.

  31. 31.

    TBone

    @Leto: mid-thirties, I dated a ship captain who lived on his dad’s exotic animal ranch on the outskirts of Picayune, MS.  He had a pond in his front yard and every night at supper time we’d catch fresh catfish.  He also took me on speed johnboat excursions on the Pearl River as well as the Gulf coast.  But he never once mentioned gators!  Lucky I found out the hard way when I was a teenager, because he was of absolutely no help (fearless).

  34. 34.

    Leto

    @TBone: ​ fearless won’t stop a death roll :P Also we used to live nearby Picayune when I was stationed at Keesler AFB. AMAZING catfish! Even at the dining hall. We really miss that.

  36. 36.

    Fair Economist

    The weather is a bit unusual right now – it’s a little hotter in Chicago than in Alabama.

    @oldster: We also put in solar panels, years ago, and we are very happy with them. Unfortunately we now have an electric car and a smallish roof, so we use a fair net amount from the utility, but it’s still way better having solar panels. Because California now has excess power when the sun is shining electricity is really cheap in the day and in the nearish future we’ll probably get a home battery to take advantage of it.

  37. 37.

    eclare

    @Leto:

    Hahaha…perfect!  Although I would not be brave enough to get that close to the water.  The video made me nervous just to watch.

  40. 40.

    frosty

    @Tom Levenson: My neighbor put a split system in his 1900 era Sears house. No problem. No ductwork, the coolant goes through pipes on the outside of the house. It’s a heat pump in winter and really reduced his heating bills. I’m thinking about it.

  41. 41.

    TBone

    @Leto: I miss it too!  Not the guy, the fresh fish!  He had some Cajun ways about him and taught me to cook catfish like a Cajun.  Never fried.  Stewed for just a few minutes in a pan that had simmered Trinity and fresh tomatoes before the fresh filets are added.   Oh my word, I’m salivating now.

  42. 42.

    Leto

    @eclare: I definitely would’ve used that video for a safety briefing.

    “Alright everyone, pay attention, here’s your weekend safety report for the long weekend. I know a lot of you will be heading out to the river to swim, laze about, so here’s your safety video.”

  43. 43.

    eclare

    @Tom Levenson:

    My house is 100 years old this year.  I got window units and a boiler/radiators, so no ducts either.  But I wouldn’t trade either one.

    BTW if your units are ancient, it might be almost just as good, and a lot cheaper, to replace the units.  The newer ones are hella more powerful at cooling and more efficient.

  46. 46.

    eclare

    @MomSense:

    You might want to look into a window unit for your bedroom.  They’re pretty cheap and a lot more efficient than they used to be.  That way you’ll have one room that’s cool to sleep in.

  47. 47.

    TaMara

    It’s a chilly 61 F here right now. Not supposed to be more than mid-70s for the next couple of days – but weekend should be a scorcher.

    95 yesterday, so of course I cooled the house overnight (whole house fan + 56 F overnight = comfy sleeping), but I had to shut all the windows this morning or dig out the sweatshirts.

  49. 49.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @eclare:

    Another option is a small-ish portable unit.  Then run the flexible duct to a window.  Then run as needed.  Helps if you have odd, small size windows (like dormers) where a window unit might not fit.

    Our 1905 cottage has original duct work, we’re amazed at the touches the original owners had done to the modest place (like pocket doors).  The upstairs is one of these half-story things that must have originally been an attic but the stairs and flooring are “finished” so probably not.

    Bottom line is that while there are 2 ducts that go up there, the A/C doesn’t really cut it (all the old houses here in this stretch of Denver have the same problems cuz most don’t even have duct work).  One previous owner put 3 skylights in.  Between that and the two dormers, and the fact Denver cools down every night, we run the portable A/C unit for maybe 3-4 hours every afternoon/evening to cool things down, then open things up overnight like TaMara described above.  With the ceiling fan, it’s great.

    But, you have to actively manage things.  One attraction I see people mention with mini-splits is that they think they can simply turn it on, set a temp and forget about it.

  50. 50.

    moops

    Open Thread, so here I whine:

     

    What the hell is Louis Dejoy doing still running the post office?   We have had a Dem administration for 4 years now.    He is now in a position to interfere in a federal election AGAIN!

  51. 51.

    cope

    Beautiful day here in Western CO after several in the high 90s to low 100s.  A front moved through last night (with extremely prejudicial winds) but today will only hit the low 80s with humidity 20% or less…perfect.  Fire hazard is high and the Colorado River is running high and fast but that’s typical for this time of year.

    The real distraction for us is the beginning of demo for our interior renovations (both baths, entire kitchen, all the floors).  The only casualty so far is our sun tea pitcher, broken when they moved the fridge to the garage (without emptying it!).  The timetable has everything finished up by the first week of August but if we make it through, it will be fabulous.

  53. 53.

    eclare

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:

    Oh yeah, it definitely depends on the house.  Luckily my windows are wide enough to handle a window unit.  I really like that I can control them based upon which room I’m using, so I don’t waste a/c in my back bedroom, for example, which I rarely use.

    Also, as a single female, leaving windows open at night in a single story house is not an option.

  54. 54.

    raven

    I just started having afib and one of the prescriptions for XARELTO is $800 for a 90 day supply!  I’m not sure what I’m going to do since I have prescription coverage and that’s the best it gets!

  55. 55.

    oldster

    @Fair Economist:

    Here in NY, the state laws are written so that you never get cash back for excess generation— surpluses in the summer give you credits towards the winter, but if you end the year in surplus the utility company does not cut you a check.
    Upshot is that you may as well use all you generate, and perhaps a bit more. We don’t have an e-car yet — waiting for our 2015 Honda to die first — but when we get one we’ll be ready to charge it.

  56. 56.

    JMG

    The south wind that is driving the heat into Boston is keeping the Cape warm but nice if humid in the 70s. The Atlantic can be a very effective air conditioner.

  57. 57.

    japa21

    Chicago is hot.  Record for the day yesterday, 97.  90’s every day this week except Thursday, when its only going to be 89.  Dew point in the high 60’s-low 70’s.  Won’t get below the mid 70’s overnight.

    The last time we have had anything like this was back in 1933, and it didn’t last as long.

    Blech!!

  59. 59.

    frosty

    @eclare: We’ve got a 20,000 BTU 220V  window unit in the dining room that cools the whole downstairs. Massive overkill. It came with the house when we moved in 21 years ago. Works fine, quiet, so I haven’t seen any reason to replace it. We have a couple of 5,000s in the upstairs bedrooms.

    It’s a lot cheaper to replace those than put in central air.

    ETA Our house turned 100 last year.

  60. 60.

    Tom Levenson

    @TBone: Thanks. Back atcha!

    @eclare: We’re looking at the same thing your neighbor did. Not going to go the update the window a/c route. Couple of reasons. Mostly that my wife hates the noise, and I’m just about done getting them in the windows at the beginning of summer and hauling them out in the fall. Don’t want to store them anymore; don’t want to risk my back, etc.  Another thing:  don’t work great with the layout of several spaces in the house.

    Also, the window units are ugly.

    Going with heat pumps We’re trying to persuade ourselves that between the rebates and tax credits and the possibility (here in MA) of an interest-free loan it all makes sense.  I am feeling some sticker shock, though.  It’s a lot of freaking money.

  62. 62.

    Bupalos

    @Tom Levenson: Might not be dead simple, but a heck of a lot easier than a a duct job would be. Minisplits really are a great tool. Hopefully you’re getting ones with good heating performance in the cold too? You’re probably aware you should be able to get a 30% tax credit on that job?

    Also I know you’re a busy dude, but there are DIY units that you actually can install yourself.

  65. 65.

    Suzanne

    It’s 89 degrees outside and I hate it. I don’t know how I lived with 110+ for so long.

    Actually, I do know: I stayed indoors too much. God, it sucked.

    The other thing: I overused water to survive.

  66. 66.

    mrmoshpotato

    @TaMara:

    It’s a chilly 61 F here right now. Not supposed to be more than mid-70s for the next couple of days – but weekend should be a scorcher. 

    Oh, I would totally dig 61 about now! 🎉

  67. 67.

    Tom Levenson

    @Bupalos: If we go with the estimate and plan we just received we’ll be going ductless. Outdoor unit, connected to a conduit that goes outside a bit before heading into a void to a distributer box, which connects on routes between joists and behind knee walls to five ceiling units. My wife hates the look of minisplits (I don’t love them either) and it turns out that the benefits of an old house includes a fair amount of room to work between ceilings and floors.

    So that’s how the job is even to be considered: it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than, in effect, replumbing the entire heating system.

    Also: we’re looking at the tax benefits–where do you get that 30% number from? All we’ve nailed down so far is a $2,000 federal tax credit.

  68. 68.

    stacib

    @raven: I ran into this issue with Trelegy for my mom.  Fortunately, the hospital had a drug program that helped a lot, and I ended up paying $50 for a prescription that was $700+ even with insurance.  Also, did you try contacting the manufacturer?  Sometimes they also run programs that can help afford meds.  Good luck!

  70. 70.

    Suzanne

    @Tom Levenson:

    it turns out that the benefits of an old house includes a fair amount of room to work between ceilings and floors 

    That’s the plenum. I taught Mr. Suzanne that word and he got very excited.

  71. 71.

    Trollhattan

    @Tom Levenson:

    Lacking ducts makes AC an interesting technical quest, but nearly 100F in New England humidity sounds like a challenge worth tackling. Ugh.

    Our 100 YO stucco house here in California’s Central Valley has received lots of HVAC upgrades during our time here. It had a single window AC when we moved in—think the woman who lived here the longest holed up in the breakfast nook, running AC in the summer and the wall heater in winter. Place had no insulation and drafty single-pane windows.

    We replaced the gravity furnace and added AC, reusing the existing ducts. Last year we replaced all that gear with a central heat pump, which has been fantastic.

    Also gradually replaced windows and blew insulation into the exterior (stucco) walls. That involved drilling holes for each wall cavity, adding insulation, then plugging and patching the holes. Painting was next and you can’t see any evidence today, but before painting the house looked like it had survived a very neat drive-by shooting.

    In addition to the obvious comfort improvement, the house is much quieter with the walls insulated and window upgrades. Win-win.

    Cole has the correct tag for this kind of thing.

  74. 74.

    Suzanne

    @Tom Levenson: It’s a useful concept! I have found that normies don’t know the difference between “ceiling” and “underside of roof or floor above” and don’t know that there’s a lot of space up there in some buildings!

  75. 75.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Tom Levenson:

    Back in the day, pre-mini-split craze, we dealt with duct work in the old 1840s-era B&B but could only manage it upstairs and then thru the attic.

    I know thru the years, again pre-mini-split craze, companies specializing in old houses developed much smaller duct work approaches that were well received in terms of utility and ability to get into a house.  At least the people at Old House Journal always liked them.

    Pre-plague, mini-splits were definitely an amazing cost-effective approach to dealing with heat/cool in old houses, particularly like the ones around here with no duct work upstairs.  Now tho, they’ve gotten moronically expensive and the installers literally doubled and tripled install quotes in 2020-21 with no signs of letting up.

    We’re like you, hate the look of them, just like we hate the look of old-school window A/C units.  It’s a tough balancing act.

    I assume you’ve gone thru whatever research on not just state and federal tax credits but also perhaps local ones and even by the evil utility company.

    Folks here who have the ability to put their solar capacity back into the grid, count your blessings.  Most utility companies won’t let you do that and ours, fucking Xcel, make damn sure you don’t get enough capacity to get even close to 100%.  It’s one reason why their “solar portfolio” of power over the last 7 years has never budged: they resist residential solar in any way that provides a meaningful payback to the homeowner.

  78. 78.

    Bupalos

    @Tom Levenson: We’re both right, it’s 30% up to $2000 per year. You have a lot of heads going into finished space, so I’m not surprised that project is over 6K. Did you know though that it is permissible to break these IRA projects out over multiple years and take the 2k twice or three times? Whether that’s possible in your case is another question, but worth thinking about.

    Also if you’re low or moderate income and the rebates ever actually go into effect (should have been ready by now) it can be a 100% or 50% rebate.

  79. 79.

    JoyceH

    Whimsy is finally out of her cone and the whole household is thrilled. In a little over two weeks she destroyed two cones and two donut collars and was making inroads on the last cone.

    As for me, I just got a red light therapy knee brace. Been reading about RLT and want to give it a try.

  80. 80.

    Tom Levenson

    @Trollhattan: Making a house habitable in the Central Valley is no joke. (My brother lives in Davis and one of my best friends is up in Chico, so I have some first hand knowledge.)

    We’ve owned our place for 15 years. Had to do a bunch of work on it when we moved in (the fact that it was a semi-wreck was the only reason we could afford it). Replaced a few windows then and a few more when we did a kitchen remodel five years later.  But the place has a LOT of windows, double-hung 6-over-1s, and they’re pretty close to holes in the wall. So we’re finally biting the bullet and looking at a major sweep. Maybe not all the windows, but all of them in the most used rooms at least. There is some state incentive help for this work, but basically I’m really glad that there are some 0 interest loans available. ( Which is, of course, another form of incentive.)

  82. 82.

    jonas

    @Trollhattan: When I was young a lot of folks in the Central Valley still had swamp coolers. They brought the temps inside down a little on a hot day, but damn, it was a muggy cool. That was back when a lot of the farmers still practiced flood irrigation. Cheap water days are over, though, and most now use drip irrigation or other methods and the region seems a lot drier than it used to be.

  85. 85.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @mrmoshpotato:

    I’ve heard of them.  They’re one of many companies that I alluded to in another comment, that use tiny, flexible duct work with an attic-based central system.

    Same can be done from below although it’s harder to find routes “up”.  At the old B&B, we had walls that were brick nog and thus no way to route anything.  Mini-splits back then might have been the way to go but then the ascetic issue of an historic railroad hotel would have probably stopped us.

    Old houses, gotta love em!

  86. 86.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Tom Levenson: Ok.  I like air flow so I dig their AC system, though I had to turn it off at night since one of the upstairs  bedroom vents was blowing right on me making me cold, haha.

  87. 87.

    Mike S

    Sinclair Broadcasting is at it again.

    This month, Sinclair Broadcast Group has flooded a vast network of local news websites with misleading articles suggesting that President Biden is mentally unfit for office. The articles are based on specious social media posts by the Republican National Committee (RNC), which are then repackaged to resemble news reports. The thinly disguised political attacks are then syndicated to dozens of local news websites owned by Sinclair, where they are given the imprimatur of mainstream media brands, including NBC, ABC, and CBS.

    For example, on June 10, Biden attended an event on the White House lawn celebrating Juneteenth. The event included a musical performance, and Biden listened with a broad smile but did not dance. The RNC’s “research” team posted a clip of Biden on X with the caption, “Why isn’t Biden moving?”  Hours later, the RNC’s post was embedded into an article published by Sinclair’s National Desk, with the headline, “Biden appears to freeze, slur words during White House Juneteenth event.”

    You can find your local Sinclair stations here.

    Articles produced by Sinclair’s National Desk are published at the exact same time on every local website. The June 10 article, for example, was published on each website at exactly 9:24 AM Eastern. This suggests these articles are automatically syndicated, and local journalists at affiliates are not able to exercise editorial discretion. When these articles are syndicated, they appear alongside identically formatted articles on local government, weather, and sports.

  88. 88.

    Tom Levenson

    @Bupalos: Now it all makes sense.

    Yeah, the job is being quoted at a bit more than $6,000 (where “bit” is an arbitrarily large number).

    Spreading the job over a bunch of years doesn’t make sense, really. Both because we want the cooling now and because it’s much cheaper to install everything at once than to bring the crew out two more times.  That alone would eat up much or all of the $2,000 savings.

    The big driver of the cost really is in the equipment. Our guy says it has doubled in cost since before the pandemic.  A lot of which, he says (and I agree) is almost certainly straight up gouging.  There are some reasonably substantial rebates on offer now, which helps.

  91. 91.

    jonas

    We’re getting our ass kicked here in upstate NY. Real feel is at least 100F. Humidity is not as bad as it could be, but is definitely adding to it. That means no cooling afternoon/evening thunderstorms, just hot, dry suck. The local pool, unfortunately, doesn’t open until *next* week when the schools let out. They’re dismissing kids early around here because a lot of the school buildings don’t have AC. (Crazy, right? But if you had told someone in the 1960s and 70s when they were built that they would have to plan for 100F days in June, they would have laughed you out of the room. Sort of like telling someone in Florida to have a future plan in place for frost in July or something).

  93. 93.

    mrmoshpotato

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: Yes.  They got the AC unit in a closet upstairs (no idea how it vents/deals with the condensation).

    They got the original radiators downstairs and baseboard heaters upstairs.  (Yes, 3 thermostats including the whole house AC)

  95. 95.

    TBone

    @raven: if you use the J&J link I posted, it requires the generic name, not brand name of the drug to use their search engine. Rivaroxaban. I hope they can assist.

  96. 96.

    raven

    @stacib: I was there in 2006 against the Mets. It was 100 and the Mets hit two grand slams on one inning and it was NOT a night game!

     

    CHICAGO — Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran hit grand slams,
    and David Wright added a two-run homer in the sixth inning as the
    New York Mets scored a club-record 11 runs in the frame against the
    Chicago Cubs on Sunday night.

  100. 100.

    Bupalos

    @Tom Levenson: I can’t quite tell if you mean

    -an outside condensing unit going to an air handler inside, with ducts to 5 ceiling registers

    or

    -an outside condensing unit going to 5 separate mini-split ceiling cassettes.

    Both are possibilities. The later project could potentially be broken up, the former would really have to be one job I’d think. Is it coolant or air going to the heads?

  103. 103.

    hueyplong

    Sorry if it’s already been talked to death, but it seems likely that today’s rejection of Trump’s motion to lift the gag order will become a handy excuse for bailing on his debate obligation.

  105. 105.

    raven

    @TBone: Yea, they increased the “presumptive conditions” for Agent Orange claims (I’m working on that) but have’t made changes to the legibility requirements for care. I’m not complaining about that part. We’ve got pretty decent health insurance the lady at the pharmacy just said “this is an expensive drug” the prescription company is paying $2300!

  106. 106.

    OzarkHillbilly

    That goes on the wall right next to Badger, Betty.

    Hoping today is a better day for you.

  108. 108.

    TBone

    @raven: gratitude is the attitude that gets us over the “if a frog had wings they wouldn’t bump their ass a-hoppin!” times in life.

  109. 109.

    Bupalos

    @Tom Levenson: I just checked back with Ingrams pricing and it hasn’t moved much since I did my mom’s house in 2021. Less than 10%. I’d be slightly skeptical of that “doubled” claim, though I guess for particular installers on particular brands, availability crunches could be doing weird things with prices.

    I guess you’re probably up in the 20k range on that job in your market, so I hear you trying to game an extra $2000 tax credit isn’t much of a consideration.

  111. 111.

    EmbraceYourInnerCrone

    @Leto: I watched that a couple days ago. So funny 🤣. My Louisiana relatives can confirm. If there’s so much as a puddle assume there are gators in it (they live on the bayou)

  112. 112.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

     New York’s top court on Tuesday declined to hear Donald Trump’s gag order appeal in his hush money case, leaving the restrictions in place following his felony conviction last month. The Court of Appeals found that the order does not raise “substantial” constitutional issues that would warrant an immediate intervention.

  116. 116.

    Jackie

    Do you think the House Ethics Committee dislikes hates Gaetz as much as we do?

    “After Rep. Matt Gaetz said the House Ethics Committee was opening a new investigation into him on Monday, the committee confirmed Tuesday that it is, indeed, continuing to look into the Florida Republican for a number of allegations, including “sexual misconduct and illicit drug use,” NOTUS reports.

  118. 118.

    Manyakitty

    Heyo, I’ll be visiting my parents down there in  the Wang  (Tampa/Oldsmar/Countryway area) next week. Anyone interested in a little meetup?

  119. 119.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @eclare: My house is 72 years old. Given all the repairs and renovations I’ve done, I thought there weren’t going to be any more major repairs.

    Then I had a water heater inspection that turned into a $1,300 job to add a pressure reducer because the incoming water pressure is a third higher than safe. Then when the plumber was installing it, he discovered the original sewer line under house is cracked and leaking. <crys in homeowner>

    At least the weather here is in the 70s here on the SF Peninsula. Unfortunately we’re off to an early start with fire season so we’re expecting smoke to blow in, causing unhealthy air.

  122. 122.

    Jackie

    I haven’t seen nor read about Biden’s new exec. action re undocumented spouses about those who’ve already been deported. If they qualify – married to an American citizen and in the US 10 years – will they be allowed back and given citizenship?

    My heart just aches for those who were separated from spouses and children.💔

  123. 123.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @frosty: @Tom Levenson: I put in a split system heat pump/AC and highly recommend them. They’re great for retrofits since the only interior changed needed was adding a 3″ pipe that goes from outside unit to the inside unit. Admittedly I have a 1950s house, so that’s probably easier.

    I opted too combine it with traditional duct work — the inside part of the system is in the attic — so there’s no indoor unit on the wall, plus the single unit covers the whole house. The extra cost of the duct work wasn’t much. Admittedly my house is one story and only 800 sq ft. so it’s not a huge space.

  124. 124.

    satby

    Right now in S.Bend it’s “only” 85° because we had some light, barely discernable showers go through, but it kept the sun behind clouds. I finally gave up thinking that the heavier rain would swing our way and went out to water all the plants. My grass is already almost dormant. I put out a shallow pan of water for birds and critters and left the sprinkler running about 20 minutes to give them a chance for drinks or cool-down, but didn’t see any takers. Now the sun is coming out and we’re on our way to 91°, heat index 100°. The heat will be worse all week, but expected to break down to 86° again on Sunday. Night temps are insane, we’re going to hear about homeless people in these cities dying of heat stroke. Ran to the store before it got hit and I’m in for the duration now.

  128. 128.

    Scout211

    @Jackie: @raven: Will the VA cover it?🤞🏻

    The VA formulary  does include Xarelto but has requirements for medical authorization and most likely needs to be prescribed by a VA doctor.  (Or possibly a VA contracted private sector doctor).

  129. 129.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @MomSense: If you don’t want to block the window with a window unit AC, you might also consider a portable AC unit. Not quite as efficient, but I had one that worked well. Pro tip: Be sure to get one with two hoses. They’re a bit more expensive, but it separates the air intake from the (hot) air outtake, so they cool better.

  130. 130.

    Gemminid

    @Jackie: Kraven McCarthy has friends in the Reepublican caucus and he and they want Gaetz’s hide. He was the instigator among the 8 Republicans who helped dump McCarthy from the Speaker’s Chair.

    This dynamic is also at work in the Virginia 5th CD primary contest between Bob Good and John McGuire. Besides endorsing Ron DeSantis for President, Good was one of the 8 Republicans who helped remove McCarthy and McCarthy’s revenge PAC is bankrolling8 McGuire.

  131. 131.

    bluefoot

    @Tom Levenson: ​
      Sitting here on the Watertown/Belmont line. Kept the windows open overnight and then shut everything, blinds closed, etc. I expect by late afternoon I am going to turn on the window A/C but I only have one in the bedroom and one in the office room. The rest of my place (rental) is pretty much open plan and there’s no good way to cool it – too big, no outlets near the windows, shaky electrical (knob and tube).

    I got laid off a few months back so I don’t have an office building to retreat to.

    My time in the SF Bay area turned me into a wimp when it comes to weather extremes despite being born and raised in the Northeast. At least we don’t get wildfires here…

  132. 132.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    I remember watching Olympic track and field tryouts (2020 probably) somewhere it was about a million degrees. I really felt bad for the athletes.

    Come to think of it, I wonder where / when this year’s tryouts are. (… googling…) June 21-30 in Eugene, OR. Where it’s supposed to be 88 on the 21st and 22nd, but down closer to 80 after that.

  134. 134.

    TBone

    @Jackie: on that very subject

    https://digbysblog.net/2024/06/18/no-more-breaking-up-families/

    President Biden on Tuesday is announcing a large-scale immigration program that will offer legal status and a streamlined path to U.S. residency and citizenship to roughly half a million unauthorized immigrants married to American citizens.
    The Department of Homeland Security policy will allow these immigrants to apply for work permits and deportation protections if they have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years and meet other requirements, senior administration officials said during a call with reporters.

  135. 135.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:

    Pre-plague, mini-splits were definitely an amazing cost-effective approach to dealing with heat/cool in old houses, particularly like the ones around here with no duct work upstairs.  Now tho, they’ve gotten moronically expensive and the installers literally doubled and tripled install quotes in 2020-21 with no signs of letting up.

    No kidding! Looked into a mini-split for an 450 sf upstairs bedroom suite in 2022 and the quote was $11,000. Totally flabbergasted.

    Luckily, we have a guest room on a garden level and a daybed in a freezing basement so there are places to sleep during extended heatwaves.

  138. 138.

    eclare

    @Tom Levenson:

    You take out your units every fall and re-install them every spring?  Yeah, if I had to do that I’d want a more permanent fix too.  I guess you do that to close the window in the winter to keep out the cold?

  140. 140.

    Hoppie

    @moops: My understanding of the DeJoy situation is that the independent Postal Governing Board has Authority over his employment, and Biden has not yet been able to appoint enough members to get rid of him.  At least the pension time bomb is defused.

  142. 142.

    realbtl

    When I built here in NW MT in 2001 I opted for radiant heated floors which I love (no blowing air) and AC wasn’t needed.  A downside to the heat is not many vents.  Luckily it drops into the low 60s/high 50s at night so a room AC and a mini swamp cooler by my bed work fine for our nasty summer days.

  143. 143.

    TBone

    Holy cow the Gulf Coast is bracing for incoming Tropical Cyclone One.  Oh Galveston!

  149. 149.

    Jackie

    @TBone: It’s didn’t answer my questions.😞 I need a reporter to ask “what about the moms and dads separated from their American families and deported?”

    “If they qualify with marriage and were in the US for at least 10 years, will they be allowed back to America and given citizenship?”

  150. 150.

    Manyakitty

    @schrodingers_cat: I would love that! So far, just colored pencils because I wanted to limit my initial investment. I grabbed a few random mandala books and one called the Green Witch’s Garden. Oh, and someone gave me a naughty word one, where I’m currently working on the ‘pigfucker’ page.

  151. 151.

    eclare

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    My sympathies on the sewer line.  Four months after I bought this place in 2005 the original ceramic line from the house to the street broke, and I had to replace it.  The company had to dig up my ent. ire front yard, which is big, so that meant I had to buy sod, which is also expensive.

    I am glad I splurged for very good sod.  After two or three years of watering it, I never water it anymore, and even though it dries out some in late summer, it bounces back as promised.

    Before I became a homeowner, I didn’t realize my biggest battles were going to be with water, either getting it into my house or out!

  153. 153.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @raven: I think that,  on top of general inflation,  a lot of vendors have jacked their prices because of the tax incentives.  That way  they give you an eye- watering price, and say “but you get up to a 30% tax credit!” That seemed to be the case when we were investigating solar. The price increase between just pre- and post-covid was ridiculous.

  154. 154.

    eclare

    @Old School:

    So glad to see this!  John was brilliant.  He broke down how things that sound kind of boring and technical (e.g., ending civil service protection) can have drastic implications IRL.  I hope lots of influencers retweet this.

  155. 155.

    Another Scott

    Don’t believe anything generated by LLMs on the web, Part #13,134,144.

    (((Tendar)))
    @Tendar
    1h

    Russians using ChatGPT-4 to push their garbage and forgetting to pay for the license is really something. It is equally telling as when user “TexasGuy_Random-Numbers” is having a stock picture in profile and is wanting to separate Texas from the US and bables something about “warm-water ports in the US”.

    And you know why they are doing this? Because they know that they cannot win the war. They need the West to stop, but when the West does not stop and instead increases the paces, then it is Game Over for Russia. This is the only reason why you see them so frantically trying impersonate Americans or other Westerners.

    [ image ]

    Jun 18, 2024 · 5:38 PM UTC

    Caveat lector!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  157. 157.

    Steve in the ATL

    @raven: tying together the morning dementia thread and your presence this afternoon, back in the early 90’s my grandmother was in the throes of dementia and/or Alzheimer’s.  At a family get together I was wearing a t-shirt from Athens retro rockers Hillbilly Frankenstein (still have the t-shirt!).  HF featured guitarist Jeff Walls, formerly of Guadalcanal Diary, who was best known for frequently playing a sea foam green Stratocaster like yours truly (yes, we had several discussions about it at the 40 Watt and other illustrious Athens hot spots).

    Anyhoo, my grandmother was standing in the kitchen and suddenly said, “I never kissed a bear, I never kissed a goon, but I can shake a chicken in the middle of the room”.  I smiled appreciatively, knowing that she  was reading the Wanda Jackson lyric on the back of my shirt.

    Apparently, however, no one else in the family had taken note of my shirt and there was suddenly a great deal of discussion about how far her mental state had declined.  Should I have told them all why she really said that?  Maybe, but it was too convenient for me to declare her incompetent and execute the power of attorney to rob her blind!  Ok, that last part didn’t happen, but we all enjoyed a family sitcom laugh when the truth was revealed!

    Those were the days….

  158. 158.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Manyakitty: That’s cool. I usually use several media on one page. Do you think if I did a series on how to get started adult coloring for self care and artistic expression, covering everything from coloring books to various media it would be of interest to those beginning to color?

    I pitched to an art store in my area and they were interested and wanted a proposal and my portfolio. I haven’t had the time to sit down and write out a proposal.

    ETA: Do share your finished pages!

  162. 162.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Another Scott: ​
     

    Don’t believe anything generated by LLMs

    Not cool, Dr. Pangloss: Citizen Alan has an LLM, and is a valued commenter, at least when he’s not discussing his embarrassingly awful taste in Dr. Who show runners!

  167. 167.

    MomSense

    Well the temperature is 90 today and I asked my mom for she was cool enough and she said the house is nice and cool and she hasn’t had to turn on the fans.  Hopefully it stays cool for tomorrow.

  168. 168.

    Bupalos

    @Sister Golden Bear: Yeah if you can run flexible insulated ducts up in the attic space it’s a really easy and efficient install. It’s completely possible for a moderately handy person to DIY. The one thing to watch out for is to really follow guidelines with regards to the condensation drainage. A mistake there can be bad.

  172. 172.

    NotMax

    @Suzanne

    Friend, when he worked at NBC (Rockefeller Center) engineering department told an amusing story.

    A frequently used control room was originally built for radio. As radio developed and equipment became more numerous and complex, the ceiling was dropped and new wiring was run n that space.

    Television required even more wires, so ceiling dropped again and new wiring run. Again, as control room equipment evolved or was replaced ,yet again the same thing until the ceiling was so low some folks had to hunch over when standing up.

    His job was to re-do and reconnect ALL the wiring from the beginning on so the ceiling could be at its originally designed height.

    Said he pulled out all the blueprints he could lay his hands on so as to determine which wire went where, when it was run and whether it was still powered.

    One wire, from the time of building of the studio however, appeared nowhere on any blueprint and his supervisor figure d it was for some no longer used device and gave permission to snip it.

    Couple of days later the department began receiving complaints that clocks were stopped in EVERY office and EVERY studio on that floor. Turned out that mystery wire was installed way back when to send electrical signals to all the wall clocks to keep them in sync.

  175. 175.

    Harrison Wesley

    And a local feel-good story for all you Trump fans, a proposal by a U.S. Rep from Sarasota:

    Steube filed legislation to name the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) the “Donald John Trump Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States.”

  176. 176.

    TBone

    @Jackie: hopefully once the official announcement is done, the new policy will be posted for perusal.  Fingers crossed for familial reunification!

  181. 181.

    Jackie

    Club Q murderer sentenced during Pride Month.

    The 24-year-old shooter who killed five people and wounded 22 others at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub in 2022 pleaded guilty Tuesday to 74 federal hate crime and weapons charges and was sentenced to an additional 55 life sentences plus 190 years in prison.

    U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney accepted Anderson Lee Aldrich’s plea deal, which allowed the mass killer to avoid the death penalty in the Club Q attack, but made Aldrich admit the shooting was bias-motivated and targeted victims due to their sexual identity or gender identity.

    “You went to this community’s safe place and mass-murdered people, but I hope what you learned today is this community is much stronger than you,” Sweeney said before sentencing Aldrich, noting that she felt it was appropriate to sentence Aldrich during Pride Month.

    https://www.denverpost.com/2024/06/18/anderson-aldrich-guilty-life-sentence-club-q-shooting/

  185. 185.

    Bupalos

    @Sure Lurkalot: Guys! NO! It doesn’t need to be that. I think this is totally a function of overloaded HVAC contractors just seeing what they can get. You’re bidding for labor. Which…Good for them. But these generally are not complicated installs. There are a couple companies offering DIY linesets that don’t require a refrigerant charge where you can do it yourself A to Z. And even if you don’t want to go that route you (or a general handy person) can do the install and then just contract an HVAC person for one visit to do the refrigerant.

  187. 187.

    Suzanne

    @NotMax: I had a project that had something similar. Old building built in phases, years of abandoned (and undocumented) cabling and conduit was in the plenum, contractor found a wire on the third floor that they didn’t know what it was for, and they cut it…… turned out to be, like, nurse call ten floors up.

  188. 188.

    TBone

    @Manyakitty: 😆

    I’m reminded of Grumpy Old Men where one of them stands at his window and changes the channel on his nemesis’ TV set with remote because their houses are so close together.

  189. 189.

    Bupalos

    @zhena gogolia: It doesn’t take much more of a decline in brain function to go from taking the statements of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin as if they had anything to do with reality, and simply having no brain function at all.

    So I’ll be shocked if this isn’t confirmed.

  192. 192.

    smith

    @zhena gogolia: I looked, and found two articles that have apparently been pulled, one in New Statesman and one in Jacobin. I’m guessing reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated.  On the other hand, he seems to have suffered a massive stroke a few days ago, so those reports may have been simply premature.

  194. 194.

    TBone

    @Harrison Wesley: It’s too hot for me to formulate all of my opinions on that and then articulate them.  A huge raspberry will have to suffice for now.  Oh, and GTFOH (not you, that whole entire idea).

  196. 196.

    John Revolta

    Eighty-four breezy degrees here in Jacksonville FL! Gonna go out and play with the pooch!

    Of course there’s a suspicious-looking low-pressure thingy heading in our direction off the ocean…… lah de dah

  197. 197.

    Harrison Wesley

    @TBone: And this dude isn’t even as bad as Balloonhead!  Nothing but high-quality hires in FL Republican politics.  I didn’t realize Sarasota produced such squirrelly people until I read the story about Ms. Moms-for-Liberty and her hubbie and their three-way-my-way relationship.

  200. 200.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Bupalos:

    Many of us here look at it that way as well.  We originally priced a unit, associated equipment, etc., and knew we could install one ourselves with the exception of, as you mention, getting the HVAC person out to do the refrigerant.  Then decided it wasn’t a priority given we had other more cost effective (and still living comfortably) alternatives.  In the meantime, equipment prices did rise but not like what people here suddenly started charging for the installs.

    But, as we’ve learned here, almost nobody in these houses knows what to do, has the experience or is willing to learn, hence, once mini-splits “caught on” going into the Plague, the resulting pricing of installs went thru the roof…many times.

    When we bought the current place and started dealing with the wiring, my wife discovered we still had knob and tube in the plenum.  The shithead previous owners (typical affluent white couple in their 30s who moved here for their White, Urban Living Theme Park Experience but then left for home when they decided to reproduce) knew about it, didn’t disclose it and no, things like that don’t turn up in typical home inspections unless you hire a certified electrician to do a deep dive.

    So, my wife did the deep dive, swam in insulation off and on for 6 months, discovered there was some fabric layer within the plenum she had to cut away to get at some of the wiring.  And that doesn’t account for the entire rewiring she did in the cellar from the service entrance.  Discovered scorch marks on that which was scary.  It’s funny, the knob and tube was still pristine and worked…unless you touched it, then it would fall apart.  It was clearly very professionally done when the house was built (and probably electrified when it was built), far better than most wiring jobs we saw on the 1870s-era places we restored back in Central Misery.

    I bring this up simply because 99.9% of the people who live in our area wouldn’t have known wtf to do and still hafta navigate the getting-of-quotes from electricians, assuming you could find any to do the work cuz jobs like this are still considered “too small”.  It’s one reason why the neighborhood folks literally have a list of people to call who are familiar with the houses and what to do about them.

    Still costs money.  We tell people who think they’ll find something and fix it up on the cheap that…they’ll never end up doing it.  They’ll get overwhelmed by what it takes and then what it costs.

  201. 201.

    O. Felix Culpa

    Betty, your drawing reminds me of my beloved brindle Frenchie, now an angel-dog. Few dogs are such a mix of the noble and the ludicrous.

    It’s a balmy 94 in Albuquerque, but will get a bit cooler later in the week. I welcome whatever respite comes our way.

  202. 202.

    TBone

    @Harrison Wesley: Klanned Karenhood hahahaha! That was so fucking funny when they were outed (except I felt bad for their sex victim).  There is no bottom to the barrell of freaks and misfits.  Musta been something someone added to the bathtub meth in their crackpipes.  Looking at you, Steve Bannon!

    I mean, lookit Rep. Anna Paulina Lunatic.  She’s George Santos in drag.

  205. 205.

    Harrison Wesley

    @TBone: It is such a collection of choads ‘n toads it makes the mildly liberal state Democrats seem like the Spartacus League.

  209. 209.

    Geminid

    @Manyakitty: Rep. Steube fell off a ladder, not a roof. The story is that he was trimming a tree and was 25 feet in the air, so he was lucky to get away with a broken pelvis and other damage. Steube bounced back though, and started in last week’s Congressional baseball game.

  214. 214.

    Geminid

    @Manyakitty: Oh yeah, Steube is still the same knuckledragging troglodyte that he was before ĥis fall. But now he can only get his knuckles down to ankle height.

  215. 215.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @eclare:

    We thought we’d seen a lifetime of half-assed electrical work back doing historic restoration in Central Misery.  Thing is there, the early knob & tube had been replaced with said, half-assed work.  Every house fire in our old national historic district could be traced to faulty wiring over the years.

    But it still didn’t prep us for the not-even-half-assed work done on this house.  The best work was the knob and tube that hadn’t been touched.  Alas, the circuits and add-on wiring were not to code and could easily overload the extant knob & tube (I’m not explaining this well, my wife’s does the electric, I do the plumbing) so she decided to rewire the house and bring it all up to code.

    But yeah, we’ve got a fair number of places here that still have knob & tube and the scary thing is a lot of people probably don’t realize that.

  216. 216.

    Another Scott

    @zhena gogolia:

    Steven Pinker
    @sapinker
    13m

    Reports today of Noam Chomsky’s death (in Jacobin and New Statesman, since taken down) were greatly exaggerated. I have confirmation from Valeria, his wife, that he is alive and well.

    Jun 18, 2024 · 8:35 PM UTC

    He is/was in a hospital in Brazil.

    FWIW.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  217. 217.

    Bupalos

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: I hear all of this. Also big props on having a wife who dives into knob and tube and rewires service lines.

    The discussion of this stuff tempts me into the kind of socio-political commentary that gets me in trouble here, which I will resist… apart from saying that if people aren’t going to bother with understanding the systems upon which their physical life and comfort depends…because they’re ‘not that type of person…’

    Well, then they ought to both go ahead and pay $11,000 to HVAC 450 square feet, AND be grateful that right wing authoritarianism only inherits 49% of the earth right now. It’s really a perverse and un-American (in the conceptual rather than historical) kind of society where someone else, someone ‘lower,’ someone despised, is supposed to be responsible for your physical existence. Having spent time with these folks… people don’t know the price they are paying and are likely to pay for this luxury.

  218. 218.

    rikyrah

    Because, of course

     

    These 3 States Could Block Student Loan Forgiveness And Increase Payments For 8 Million Borrowers

    Adam S. Minsky
    Senior Contributor

    I’m an attorney focused on helping student loan borrowers.

    One of President Joe Biden’s central student debt relief initiatives faces mounting legal challenges, even while millions of borrowers benefit.

    The Saving on a Valuable Education plan is a new income-driven repayment option that can lower monthly payments, cancel accruing interest, and accelerate student loan forgiveness. SAVE has been unveiled in phases over the course of the last eight months, with a final benefit that will slash monthly payments set to go into effect in July.

    But two groups of Republican-led states have filed lawsuits against the Biden administration to stop the SAVE plan. In one of those cases, a federal judge handed the Biden administration a partial victory earlier this month when the court dismissed the lawsuit for eight of the 11 states that brought the challenge. But the judge allowed the suit to proceed for the remaining three states — South Carolina, Texas, and Alaska. Meanwhile, an entirely separate legal challenge involving a different group of GOP-led states is ongoing, with a key ruling expected imminently.

    …………………….

    3 States Can Proceed With Challenge To Block Student Loan Forgiveness And Repayment Benefits
    Earlier this month, a federal court in Kansas issued a key ruling in one of the two pending legal challenges that Republican-led states have filed to stop the SAVE plan. The states argue that Biden’s SAVE initiative amounts to an under-the-radar second attempt to enact mass student loan forgiveness, and that the SAVE plan goes far beyond what Congress authorized when it passed legislation allowing IDR plans. The Biden administration counters that the plan is fully in line with congressional authorization, and that IDR plans have been established via the same legal authority since 1994.

    In the ruling, the Kansas district court dismissed the lawsuit for eight of the 11 states that had filed the challenge, concluding that these states did not have standing. This is a legal concept that in order to file a lawsuit in federal court, challengers must be able to demonstrate that they would suffer from a concrete, specific injury that is sufficiently linked to the challenged program or policy. Speculative or generalized harms are insufficient. The court found that the states of Kansas, Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, and Utah did not provide sufficient evidence of an injury to demonstrate that they have standing, because they could not link purported financial harm they alleged they would incur to the SAVE plan.

    But the court found that three states — South Carolina, Texas, and Alaska — did show that they have standing. Because these states each have a state-related entity that administers or guarantees FFEL-program loans — an older type of federal student loan — they could potentially see reduced revenues as borrowers consolidate those FFEL loans into a Direct loan in order to qualify for the SAVE plan. That’s because only Direct loans are eligible for the repayment and loan forgiveness benefits of SAVE.

     

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2024/06/17/these-3-states-could-block-student-loan-forgiveness-and-increase-payments-for-8-million-borrowers/

  223. 223.

    Geminid

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: That’s a good division of labor. My friend Debbie and her wife Diana worked that way. They’re proficient carpenters and built two houses together, but on later projects, where they had a contracter do the construction, it was still Diana doing the electrical work and Debbie doing the plumbing.

    Debbie adopted a good configuration for sink drains. Instead of placing the “P trap” right below the sink she’ll drop it to right above the floor. Those sinks drain fast.

  224. 224.

    Bupalos

    @Geminid: That’s a good division of labor.

    Totally agree. I mean for him. His wife gets the potentially deadly part. On a bad day, he might get his sleeve wet.

    Kens of the world, unite!!

  225. 225.

    John S.

    @TBone: Ugh. And Jon Stewart used that edited footage to poke fun at Biden, though his overall monologue was to rain fire down on Trump and the GOP.

    ETA: Loved Bishop Bullwinkle.

  226. 226.

    Doc Sardonic

    Apparently my browser or other network security is a threat to Nitter. Probably because they can’t scrape data when encrypted.

  227. 227.

    Bupalos

    @John S.: Oh so Jon Stewart finally did some both-sides?! How utterly refreshing and new.

    I wish he’d jump in a volcano.

  228. 228.

    jimmiraybob

    Has anybody seen the debate rules in full? Is there any provision for Trump being accompanied by his probation officer?

  229. 229.

    Bupalos

    @John S.: I’m nervous that our coalition is so dependent on a kind of traditionalist religious sentiment. Like, what happens when the black church starts to transition out of traditional mysticism (enlightened as it is by liberation theology) into a more modern phase digesting the death of god?

    I’m also nervous people might notice it’s only 5:10 eastern time and yet I’m already starting to sound like this.

  231. 231.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Bupalos:

    Oh so Jon Stewart finally did some both-sides?! How utterly refreshing and new.

    I wish he’d jump in a volcano

    Come sit by me. Want some ice water?

  232. 232.

    Dan B

    @Leto: Where we stayed in Costa Rica on the Pacific Ocean at Manuel Antonio there was a lagoon two stories below our top floor unit, laundry room level.  There was a resident Crocodile.  We saw it regularly.  When it got to ten feet, or ate a tourist’s big dog, a ranger would come from the park, enlist a male tourist, and wrassle the Croc who’d be relocated deep in the park.  But, we thought to ourselves, they can walk and they can swim.  It was best not to worry or be a dog.

  235. 235.

    Miki

    @Geminid: My beloved niece was not so lucky. She was helping her dad cut down a tree and the tree split; she fell @ 30 feet, landing on her back. She has a complete spinal injury at T10 (meaning no nerve communication from T10 down, i.e., she’s  paraplegic).

    At the time she had recently separated from her husband (they have 3 kids, youngest was 5), and was less than a year into her new career as a diesel mechanic at John Deere (graduated #1 in her class). FYI – sign up for all those employment benefits if they’re offered, young folks – you never know when you’ll need them.

    She mostly doing ok but she is, understandably, also struggling with the “new” person she’s become.

    She lives in a small town in far western Minnesota. Her dad, my brother, and mom are her biggest supporters, but so is her bf who has totally stuck around for the hard parts.

    She’s an unlucky/lucky and very determined lady.

  236. 236.

    Bupalos

    @rikyrah: Where you at? How did it “go out?” Is this the first you’re using it for the season? Did it gradually decline over several days?

  237. 237.

    jimmiraybob

    @rikyrah: ​
      We have a state senator in Missouri that seems to be suggesting that girls be allowed to marry at 12 yo. Maybe boys too.

  238. 238.

    Trollhattan

    @TBone:

    Swamp cooler recipe:
    -Unwrap and clean swamp.
    -Put in fridge until swamp is firm.
    -Take out and delight your guests.
    -Share this recipe with ten friends.

  239. 239.

    MazeDancer

    What a cute boy! Beautifully drawn.

    Day 1 of a 4 day heatwave in Upstate NY. 92. At least the humidity isn’t bad. But it’s still miserably hot. Way too early.

  241. 241.

    Bupalos

    @NotMax: Santos is a real cipher.

    I can’t figure out whether there’s a lane there that we should try and open up. Like “if you’re a totally damaged human that thought you’d somehow cosplay with the wingers… just come on home!”

    Or nah? I’m probably reacting to Bowen Yang’s fantastic impersonation of Santos on SNL. Which… Yeah, I want Bowen Yang as Jorge Santos in the party!!

  242. 242.

    eclare

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:

    BTW major kudos to your wife for tackling that.  I cannot imagine how much self study she had to do to do that job.

    I am definitely a wus when it comes to working with electricity, and I am also “mechanically challenged.”  I don’t think the wiring here has been messed with by some nitwit, so I just leave it alone.

  244. 244.

    eclare

    @rikyrah:

    Oh no!  Freeze a wet wash cloth and put it around your neck.  And keep us posted.  Can you stay with Peanut’s family?

  247. 247.

    Old School

    NEW YORK (AP) — Noam Chomsky’s wife, Valeria Wasserman Chomsky, says reports Tuesday that the famed linguist and activist had died are untrue.

    “No, it is false,” she wrote Tuesday in response to an emailed query from The Associated Press. Noam Chomsky, 95, had been hospitalized in Brazil while recovering from a stroke suffered a year ago, Valeria Chomsky told the AP last week. But the Beneficencia Portuguesa hospital in Sao Paulo said in a statement that Chomsky was discharged on Tuesday to continue his treatment at home.

  248. 248.

    Scout211

    @smith: WTF?  A “thorough and professional outside review?”  We didn’t have all the facts!? An extramarital affair with a young lady!?

    Excuse me, I have to take a moment cuz my head is exploding. 🤯

    Ugh!

    ETA:  At least they “accepted his resignation,” even though they most certainly should have stated that they fired him and sent a report to protective services or the police.

  249. 249.

    MomSense

    @rikyrah:

    I’m so sorry.  Fly to Maine and I’ll pick you up.  You can hang out with me and literally sit by me!  It’s cool at my house today.  I can’t believe it.

  250. 250.

    zhena gogolia

    @Bupalos: Oh, that poor benighted black church that hasn’t heard about the death of God yet. What idiots.

    (Not my opinion, in case it’s unclear.)

  251. 251.

    Bupalos

    @zhena gogolia: OK, I mean, this isn’t an ontological claim, or claim about metaphysical reality, or a personal profession of anti-faith. And it’s not an attack on those who choose to believe in…. whatever. It’s simply a verified historical pattern that at some point in institutional religion there’s a questioning of the faith. Schisms, complexities, splinters, what have you.

    Maybe the American black church, that rolled straight out of slavery and liberation theology, is the first exception. I guess I hope so. But really there’s NFW.

  252. 252.

    Scout211

    Has this been posted yet?

     NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s top court on Tuesday declined to hear Donald Trump’s gag order appeal in his hush money case, leaving the restrictions in place following his felony conviction last month. The Court of Appeals found that the order does not raise “substantial” constitutional issues that would warrant an immediate intervention.

    The decision is the latest legal setback for the Republican former president, who has repeatedly railed against a gag order that prevents him from commenting on witnesses, jurors and others who were involved in the case. But it could be short lived. The trial judge, Juan M. Merchan, is expected to rule soon on a defense request to lift the gag order.

    Ha ha ha

  254. 254.

    Trivia Man

    @schrodingers_cat: Mrs trivia creates mandala pages for coloring and has done several classes IRL. Very well received, there is demand. Go for it!

    She has done some at the library, always nice to help them with activity content.

  257. 257.

    Geminid

    @Miki: Your niece was definitely “lucky/unlucky.” An EMT friend told me she was taught that as a rough “rule of thumb,” falls greater than 3 times a persons height could be fatal. Of course someone can die from falling while just standing up if they hit their head on pavement wrong, but a 30 foot fall is as likely to kill somebody as not, I’m guessing.

  259. 259.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Bupalos:

    Heh heh, she wouldn’t have it any other way.  In fact, as her “electricians helper” over the years, I’m the expendable one and have gotten the most shocks over the years.

    @eclare:

    Her edumacational background for this is overkill: Engineering Physics degree from CU-Boulder, two masters from Johns Hopkins, one in Applied Optics, ie., lasers, and the other in EE.

    None of which actually trains someone to be an electrician but she learned (because she’s a friggin rocket surgeon when you get right down to it) back during our decades in Central Misery.

    And does everything correctly and to code.  She knows her shit.  I just hand her things.

  261. 261.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Bupalos: Just so you know, since you used my example in your comment, our response to the fella’s $11,000 bid for cooling tge upper level was to laugh out loud.

  262. 262.

    Dan B

    @Sister Golden Bear: We feel your pain.  Our house, and 60 others on the neighborhood, were built in ’52 – ’53.  Our sewer line runs from the street into our backyard and then to our neighbors to the south.  It’s a rental.  We live in fear of infants = disposable diapers or tree roots – 30′ tall Holly and Yellow Egg Plum grove on property line.  I hope they can use fancy tunneling techniques for you.  Ours would mean removing some beautiful large screening shrubs that took fifteen years to fill in.

  263. 263.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @NotMax:

    And then there’s the debacle that was aluminum wiring.

    Good lord yes.  Our first house in northern VA was built in 1977, all electric with aluminum wiring.  Cost a fortune to heat even with a then-new heat pump.  Never again.  It’s one reason why I don’t buy into the Electricity Uber Alles crowd, too many battle wounds from that.  I know, I know, we’ve made progress but I’ll let everybody else be the pointy end of the spear in that department when it comes to heating and cooking.

  265. 265.

    eclare

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:

    Holy shit!  That is very impressive.  I am a CPA, now I don’t feel so bad about not getting Electrical Wiring for Dummies and tackling this place on the weekends.

    If I had had a spouse like that, working on wiring, I would have attended to them like a nurse to a surgeon.  Sounds like you two make a good team.

  266. 266.

    TBone

    @NotMax: I shoulda said “a wannabe” !  I’ve seen his South American drag photos and frankly he looks much better in drag if you ask me!

  267. 267.

    MomSense

    @Manyakitty:

    It’s crazy. 92 outside and 68 downstairs.  No AC.  It’s 72 upstairs. I turned on the fan in the living room and made a G&T.

    Tomorrow is a holiday and I’m going to walk to the river early and then spend the day listening to music.  Oldest and youngest sent me some songs they are working on and life is good.

  268. 268.

    Geminid

    @Bupalos: For me, Santos is a cipher because he has yet to make a plea bargain. My hope is that he can incriminate some New York Republicans. I think Santos’s campaign treasurer has already pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations. She was a veteran Long Island political operative, so between the two of them prosecutors might be able to get at Lee Zeldin and maybe even Rep. Stefanik.

    Santos may also have dirt on the Russian mob but I doubt if he’ll dish on them. They can do far worse to Santos than any prosecutor could.

  275. 275.

    MomSense

    @eclare:

    Old windows.  House is framed with wood but the walls are really thick.  There is an old oak tree on the south side which provides nice shade.  We are on a hill and the river is nearby.  Seems to be a pretty constant breeze from the river.  Hopefully that won’t be a problem in the winter. 🤞

  276. 276.

    Suzanne

    @Trivia Man: There are specific exceptions, but the IBC and most local codes require guardrails (or similar) 42” high at anything over 30” above the adjacent surface.

  277. 277.

    Suzanne

    So Mr. Suzanne saw me climbing the walls during the pandemic, especially during that first Pittsburgh winter, and he bought me a Peloton bike that Christmas. I love that thing to a degree that I’m embarrassed about it. I only ride it running, I don’t sit on it. It’s too hot outside to run today, but I did an hour on it today and I feel like I sweated buckets.

  278. 278.

    Leto

    @Sister Golden Bear: @eclare: @Dan B: so we bought our house almost three years ago. Last March/April we had a major backup into our basement from the main pipe heading out of the house. Over the ankle water through much of the finished and unfinished sides. I was getting ready to go to school when I had gone down there to grab something from the laundry and discovered this small lake. After a brief freak out, I messaged my teacher and appraised him of the situation, and that I wasn’t going to make it that day. I went to Lowe’s, bought 3 different cleaners, came back and tackled the problem.

    The larger problem turned out to be the fact that our main pipe out of the house, about halfway down, had developed a belly. So really no matter what we did, it’d always back up. We had the plumbing crew come out and just like with eclare, the entire front yard was dug up. In the process of digging up the yard, the subcontractor also dug up our Japanese maple which was the pride of the neighborhood. The cost of that tree was equal to what we paid for the plumbing. (And that’s all I’m going to talk about that.)

    After the plumbing crew left, we had a landscape crew come in and totally remake the front landscaping. Low maintenance plants put in, the garden bed mulch replaced with rocks, and a new Japanese maple put in. I’m still working on the grass as I went with seed instead of sod, but I like doing garden work so it’s not as big a deal to me. Also we were able to get our insurance company to cover the cost of refinishing the basement. The cleaning crew that came out listened to how I cleaned everything and said, “Yeah, that’s exactly what we would have done along with the chemicals used. You done this before?” Military + 2x hurricane clean-ups = I know a few things. But in the end the basement, plumbing, and landscaping are pretty much g2g for a veeery long time. *knock on wood

  280. 280.

    Leto

    @Suzanne: Peloton- Funny leaderboard shoutout compilation; you’ll giggle

    I think I mentioned this before, but similar to your Pittsburg winter, I was deployed to Afghanistan from Oct 09 to Apr 10. Kabul is a mile high and it gets really cold there. I was on night shift (1900-0700) and tried running outside a few times, but after having my knit cap frost over I looked for an alternative. That alternative was the exercise tent because at that time of night when I ran (around 0200) there was not a soul in there. So treadmill running became my thing for about 6 months. I was doing marathon training at the time, so 2 hour runs? Yeah. 3? Also yeah. I also became highly adept in creating playlists to keep me going during all that time. My coworkers thought I was a bit crazy, but I was happy as a clam.

  282. 282.

    cckids

    @Manyakitty:

    @schrodingers_cat: A coloring group sounds like fun. Both my daughter and daughter-in-law are into it; I got each of them a “Farting Cats” book as stocking stuffers for Xmas.

    I think I will try too,  they gave me a Lord-of-the-Rings themed book for mother’s day.

  283. 283.

    Timill

    @Jackie: I don’t think so, at least not to start with, but it’s decision-making guidelines not hard-and-fast rules, I think.

    Ilya Somin  has some discussion at The Volokh Conspiracy. Stay out of the comments, I fear, as the site is full of RWNJ alligators.

  285. 285.

    Dan B

    @Leto: Just FYI: Our sewer main runs diagonally across the east / entry side of the house: 1 story elevation change, steps, concrete landings.  Then it runs across the North side / narrow side yard.  Then it runs across the backyard to the neighbor’s backyard.  We’re 75% encircled.  It could have just come in through the front yard, same with the neighbors.  We might research if we can decline the right of way to the neighbors.  That might save us 30%.

  286. 286.

    Jackie

    @Timill: Thanks for the link! I remember when TCFG’s goons came after the undocumented husbands/dads and wives/mothers who had lived here virtually their entire lives – ripping families apart and deporting people who were Americans in life and culture – except for citizenship. Many didn’t even speak the language of their native land that they were deported to. Cruelty for the sake of being cruel.

  287. 287.

    Suzanne

    @Leto: I hate the treadmill, but I love my Peloton bike. Like, I said, I only ride it “out of the saddle”, but it feels less boring than a treadmill, for some reason.

    It doesn’t hurt that all of the instructors are good-looking and full of rizz.

  290. 290.

    whatsleft

    @raven:  1) go to manufacturer’s website to see if there are coupons or help

    2) ask your dr for samples or other help

    3) Ask VA what type of Rx help is available

    4) GoodRx or similar prescription help

  291. 291.

    Ruckus

    @raven:

    As a fellow vet who uses the VA, I highly recommend them. My one proviso is to use one of the hospitals. At local clinics the docs are there for clinics and are, at least in my experience, not full time employees. The hospitals have the same clinics but very often on a more hours per week basis. I use a hospital only now, while I used to go to local clinics and always had to shape my working life around specific clinic days/hours. It doesn’t matter as much since I retired but I still feel/find that the hospital is better. Even as I have to take the electric train across LA County to get to the hospital, which in LA is often faster than driving. Also a tad less stressful, and on top of that, a fair bit cheaper.

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