So far, there’s no sign of the “bake on 400F for two-months” ending down here. Which leaves us with lots of “chill time” after updating our 5-ton A/C unit – which I’ll explain in a special ShopTalk episode this morning. But the Fried, eh? refers to the birds we watch migrating at this time of year. E-6s … Read More
A busy Sunday with coffee, so I’ve been tuning the automated news-surveillance fleet again — this time for faster reading. The structure remains 4/19/45: four major stories, up to 19 inside-page items, and at least 45 source scans. That gets me to the shop sooner. News Compressor: ON 1. Israel rejects Trump Gaza plan. Prime … Read More
Reader Note: This will be my last planned ShopTalk Sunday, as more content will be shifting over to the Peoplenomics.com side of the house. Next month, one regular UrbanSurvival publishing day will disappear into the fog of history. Over time, more of my serious work will migrate to the Peoplenomics side of the house. Today we … Read More
In the first mowing tale – and I have seen this first-hand – the workman comes out, starts the lawnmower and then carefully mows the yard. Forth and back, but stopping and reversing course frequently in order to ensure he hasn’t missed a spot. The basic mowing takes him two hours. As the tale unfolds, … Read More
Doggonit, if this isn’t an interesting column this week. Because it was one of those weeks when “the magic happens” between the ears. Weeks we learn something deep – and meaningful – about how Life works. Start with Two Broken Tractors Yeah, the Fourth of July weekend didn’t turn out quite right. Plan was that … Read More
With the hottest part of the summer just weeks off now, it was time to “serious up” on the lower-tech approach to cooling the lean-to greenhouse. If you go back into ancient history, son G2 and I cobbled up the idea a few years back and it has been a lot of fun. Not that … Read More
There are two kinds of shops: the shop you own, and the shop you can actually use. Come to think of it, there may be three: the shop you own, the shop you can actually use, and the shop you would have if the PowerBall people ever made a clerical error in your favor. Point … Read More
“Work expands to fill the time available” has been getting another ranch-sized proof around here this weekend. Next weekend, ham radio bugs (and keyers – that’s a joke, get it?) head out into the wilds for the ARRL;s Field Day 2026. Contest Rules here, said old George, AC7X, electron boss extraordinaire. “With so many hams … Read More
Maybe some better reporting will come out this weekend (talking heads, news-bobbers) but so far my impression is the media is soft-pedaling the real news of the week – economics is getting a hotfix, temporary patch, and a whole new software spin in the next year. Which, as we’ve told you before, is a very … Read More
Two weeks plus one day from now, do you know what happens? Mercury Retrograde! Here is why this is important, so follow along: When you are young, still think you are immortal and untouchable, you hear stories about “Mercury in retrograde” and you think: “Aw, that’s a load of horseshit.” Middle age is when your mind … Read More
Even the paranoid in today’s (somewhat insane) world need a day off, once in a while. This may be a good candidate – provided nothing silently or invisibly inbound from left field, or appearing as a flock of black swans doesn’t decide to land and spoil our most mundane of Friday outlooks. We will start at … Read More
Most people think artificial intelligence means robots replacing humans. Not in our greenhouse. Our AI gardener doesn’t carry a shovel, pull weeds, haul water, prune tomatoes, or pick cucumbers. What it does do is remember. It remembers soil conditions, fertilizer applications, temperatures, flowering patterns, planting dates, expected yields, and the thousand little details that leak … Read More
Long ago, back in the Beacon Hill basement shop in Seattle, Pappy and I got to talking about slotted screwdrivers. Now there’s a sentence that already dates a man. Younger readers have grown up in a world of Phillips heads, Torx, Allen sockets, square drives, spline drives, and enough imported security fasteners to suggest modern … Read More