Unofficial Off Topic Thread

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You Have To Remove 15 Screws And Five Clips To Change The Oil On A New Mustang GT (msn.com)

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Fauci Admits Social Distancing Guidelines ‘Sort of Just Appeared’ in Two-Day Congressional Testimony (msn.com)

“Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted the social distancing guideline that himself and other federal health officials heavily promoted during the Covid-19 pandemic “sort of just appeared” and was likely not based on any scientific data.”

“Fauci testified that the lab-leak hypothesis, which he tried to disprove with the March 2020 “Proximal Origin” scientific paper, was not a conspiracy theory after all.”

“Fauci “did not recall” important information or conversations pertaining to the origins of Covid-19 and the U.S. pandemic response he presided over. Fauci claimed he did not remember much about those key details over 100 times, according to the House coronavirus panel.”

Hello; Seems there will be a public hearing later on. What would be of interest might be to have him saying I do not remember and having a clip from his media tours as counterpoint.

 

[GJarrett]

...“Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted the social distancing guideline that himself and other federal health officials heavily promoted during the Covid-19 pandemic “sort of just appeared” and was likely not based on any scientific data.” ...

I just retired from hospice clinical work and recall reading some report during the middle of COVID claiming to know the origin of the 6 ft separation rule. At the first it was assumed COVID was probably spread via droplets expelled during coughing or sneezing. A prior flu study had generated data that showed the "danger zone" for spreading germs via coughs and sneezes was roughly ten feet, so it was suggested that a ten foot separation rule be implemented. Discussion ensued along the lines of "the public will never obey that rule, maybe they will do it if we say just six feet." And that was what formed that six foot separation rule. There was NEVER any official study or empirical data generated of any kind that supported the rule.

 

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Discussion ensued along the lines of "the public will never obey that rule,

Hello; Makes sense. After a short while it seemed many in authority were just making stuff up. A sad thing, to me, was all the folks who not only followed every edict no matter how ridiculous. Long after it became generally know the ordinary paper masks were basically ineffective saw folks wearing them.
Two things got a chuckle at first but became a symbol of how close they came to getting control eventually. One was folks wearing a mask but with their nose uncovered. I get it as a full cover mask is uncomfortable. They might as well have had the mask in a pocket. Almost as tho just having the mask on their face was enough. In the early months-years I considered it was mainly to comply with rules, but i still see this.

The other was folks alone in a car with a mask on.

 

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Marketplace - 2011 Coyote engine | Facebook

Hello; new ad on facebook marjetplace for Coyote engine with burned piston. Appears the diagnosis is a burned piston only with no cylinder wall damage. Price is cheap enough but I am skeptical that damage is restricted to one piston.

 

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Weather in dry regions isn't behaving as climate models predict (msn.com)

Hello; Can get into details if any wish, but the main takeaway is that actual weather conditions are not lining up with climate models. Some of us went back and forth on the accuracy of climate models in a different thread long ago.
Would not matter if it was only a topic for discussion. However major lifestyle changes are in the works based in significant part on these climate models.
I think of the models to be attempting to predict sets much more complex than say a hurricane path. By this i refer to the way hurricane track models diverge just a few days or hours from some real time. Often only three days out the tracks of those various models can have track lines going off in widely different directions.
Yet somehow, we are to base life altering decisions on the climate models. Some swear by them almost like they are a gospel of sorts. We are to bankrupt the present for some distant future based on the models. When the model predictions diverge from actual conditions at this early date, then how reliable will they be in ten, twenty or more decades?

 

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Scientist who thought we 'we're all going to die from climate change' reveals 7 reasons she was wrong - and how the issue is being overblown (msn.com)
Hello; Guess she will be kicked out of the cult???

 

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Hello; No link for this post. Merely an observation. Perhaps a false idea. After WWII the huge battleships were no linger built. Airplanes put an end to them. They could not stand up to airpower.
Can it be that drones will put an end to other more traditional weapons?

 

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Agriculture Built These High Plains Towns. Now, It Might Run Them Dry (msn.com)

Hello; Thought about putting this link into a different thread. One with climate change or global warming as a focus. Have a point to refresh. That point being there are other issues closer to becoming acute than warming levels 50 or more years from now. I have come to think that whatever effects possible warming or climate change may have, such will pale compared to issues such as depletion of aquifers.
I knew of this ongoing depletion decades ago, so not exactly a new thing. Became part of my concerns about overpopulation long ago as well. I can discuss this if any wish but not really the point of the post.

Here is a WAG for which I have no good evidence. The climate is going to change, that much can be known from studies of geologic history over millions of years. Whether all natural or mankind plays a small part, it will change. Such has been a constant over time. Other members have floated the idea that the feared future warming ought to open up new areas for cultivation. If the aquifers that water one of the world's bigger bread baskets go down, then perhaps climate change will open up new bread baskets???

 

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Most of the world would sacrifice 1% of their paycheck to help stop climate change—but in the U.S. that’s not the case (msn.com)

Hello; I call BS on this. Seems a way to guilt trip some folks more than anything else. Aside from other considerations there are facts that ought to be considered. That climate change is and has been a natural process long before people got involved. That not everyone has adopted human caused "global warming" as a sort of belief system. Some holes are poked in the script with regard to how much effect human activities on general climate. That even using the figuring from the warming alarmist there is no real benefit within the next 50 to 100 years even if we all went to net zero today.
A ruse within belief system. A flaw with past dire warnings of environmental disaster was they attached a deadline to their coming predictions. From Al Gore to others the expected disaster deadlines would pass without the predicted disaster occurring. Now we are to trust computer modeling programs to be accurate for the next 50 to 100 years.
Models similar to ones to predict the paths of hurricanes. The data points for tracking a hurricane are much less in number and complexity than for tracking global climate. Watch a hurricane track on TV and pay attention to how the tracks diverge out to three days. They do not go more than a few days. There may be six or more tracks presented with each individual track being generated by a different computer weather model. Some days one model will predict closer than others. On another storm day a different model tracks better.

 

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Klamath Dam Removal: ‘It’s an Environmental Disaster’ – California Globe

Hello; I recorded a PBS show last night titled PLANET CALIFORNIA Season 1 episode 1. Not sure when it was filmed but was first aired in June of 2022. Watching it today struck a chord about a brief news story I heard days ago. In the video the dams were mentioned along with the reasons touted for their removal. The idea was made to sound all sweet and rosey.

A little background. I knew of the desire to remove dams decades ago. I knew of the often cited reasons. To save the salmon mainly. I also understood the food webs and nutrient cycles enhanced by the large salmon runs. Nutrients from the salmon when eaten by predators make their way into the soil and trees. A long established cycle partly disrupted by the construction of the dams.

The dams were built decades ago. They were sources of hydroelectric power. Likely a source of water. For sure provided recreation. So, not all bad. Some efforts were made to give the salmon ways to get upstream. Likely not the massive numbers of pre dam eras.

What I did not give too much thought about was the aftermath of dam removal. Being in place for decades it turns out removing the dams are having a big negative impact from the removal process itself. I will guess a bit here that someone had knowledge of the likely bad impacts from dam removal. Also, likely any warnings those folks gave were ignored.

The idea for a long time has been removing the dams would put nature back to rights, save the salmon and be overall a good thing. While I did question the waste of good hydroelectric sources, I did not look too deep into the actual effects on a river system with the relatively sudden removal of a series of dams. I had taken a graduate class on Limnology back in the 1970’s so knew of how lakes and ponds will slowly silt up over time. Seems the massive amounts of silt released too quickly has been smothering things.

I get that the river system was changed by the existence of the dams. Over the decades a changed ecosystem seems to have become somewhat stable. Never been to this river system but I have lived and fished in the Tennessee Valley mane made lakes and rivers. For sure not the way they were before the TVA built all the dams. Still currently decent enough. I get some of my electric power from the dams. I fish on Norris Lake mostly as it is just a few miles away.

To a point. Sometimes what seems a very good idea turns out to have unexpected and unintended consequences. Read the article to get some of the gruesome details.

 

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This 36-year-old is paying off a $66K loan on a $49K Ford Explorer after a trade-in — Americans are getting run over with negative equity due to long-term car loans and high interest rates (msn.com)
Hello; I call it being upside down when you owe more than something is worth. The article calls it negative equity. I have started shopping for a new car again. Actually, started nearly a year ago last April when my pickup was down. Deals were not to be found and my truck was fixed so i slowed down on the looking.
Picked back up on looking around December. Deals are getting some better but not good enough. Had an interesting conversation with a salesman in the process. Seems he is seeing more of these upside down deals.

 

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'You don't get a pass on math': Homebuyers call out Dave Ramsey's 'unrealistic' mortgage advice. Are they right? (msn.com)
Hello; Guess this thread is the internet equivalent of talking to myself, but here goes. I saved enough to buy my home outright back in 2010. Took decades to save the money. Rented all along after I left my parents house at 18. I was 62 when I bought my current home.
I think Ramsey is correct with his mortgage advice. Perhaps not conservative enough. Perhaps a key to add to the advice is being willing to do without in order to save up a down payment. I could not and suspect most cannot spend all we make on having luxuries today and manage to save for the future. No new cars often. Not the latest cell phone. Not the best TV service. Shop the clearance racks for clothes. Do not go to concerts nor take cruises until after an emergency fund and some house savings is in place.
From the somewhat lofty height of old age I see many of my peers who had muscle cars when young, including Mustangs, went to lots of concerts and had the latest new shinny thing. Some are living without in their old age. Even some who had better incomes than I did.
A question arises as to who has had a better life overall. Have more when young or be comfortable when old.

 

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Hello; Been thinking this for some time. I see on the news where gangs of thieves will raid stores and take loads of merchandise. I figure they might use some of it but they take too much of the same stuff.
I browse thru Facebook marketplace in a 100 mile radius. I see sometimes things such as new in a box boots for sale. I figure some of the stuff for sale on such sites likely is what was stolen by the gangs.

 

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Chicago officials raise new outbreak alarm as medieval disease spreads across shelters (msn.com)

Hello; interesting how just a few years ago we citizens were locked down and/or otherwise had our movements restricted over Covid 19.
Now literally millions have been passed into the country with little to no quarantine or screening for bad diseases. I think some call it catch & release. Thing is some among those millions are carrying serious disease. TB is bad one. When i was young a close friends father died of TB.
Watch the Godfather movies or just look up the Ellis island holding of the time.

Guess the winds have changed so control of disease has taken a back seat and some mysterious other priority in more important. Glad i do not have kids in a school.

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