Option Friday Yawner, Power Thinking

by

Dog Days of Summer are here – and there’s even a spritz of rain in the local forecast for next week.  Not the weekend to be vacationing in Bermuda, though.  Need a hint?

Since the whole frigging world is still expanding heat islands, here comes from government Brainiacs Nonstop heat: NOAA predicts 2024 may be hottest year on record. Greenland still ain’t green, folks, so the real long-term picture is mid-pointing.  “We should have better answers by now”: Broken Climate Models Can’t even Explain the Recent Warm Bump – Watts Up With That?

My biggest fear is that we will have the whole world wake up some morning sober and off pills and realize what we have squandered. A century, roughly. Gen Z voter says Biden-Harris sold out young Americans (trendingviews.com) You think?

“Everything is a Business Model” and that’s true whether you’re pimping 7 nm circuit boards in cellphones or making up grants to study climate.  There’s the door, go outside and look up.)

Sour Options Friday?

Who? Me?

Why “The Future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades!”  (Well, except those are nuclear flash goggles and the future is still on the way…) While we’re waiting? Let’s MAKE UP MONEY!!!

Friday Decoder Ring (not financial advice):

We have been watching the rally with an eye on the trend channel bottom we blew through Thursday (the pink one, see little white arrow on the right).  My consigliere was calling seemed like hourly “We’re going to the moon!”  Yes, you know a megatop is in when a tax attorney is calling higher.

Remember, Sir Isaac Newton got sucked into the South Seas bubble. Oh, missed Newton’s financial misadventures in the South Sea Bubble by Andrew Odlyzko, who is arguably the “smartest person in the room” in any room he enters. (Also one of a handful of honest and brilliant academics left in the world. (Of DEI politics in colleges and universities which used to be brilliance-based. With money sucked into DEI and other pseudo-sciences what we see is “decimate, expropriate, and infuriated” opinionizing and perspective peddling in most schools.)

Whew, where’s the ticker meds?

In the Shorts

While we wait for the democrats to ban BBQ on summer weekends like this – on the theory that cow farts in beef will explode and be labeled terrorist event or some-such crap – we can see the world sliding into the blender as follows:

Dueling headlines from the War Zone North leave us wondering what the f*** really happened.  Because the Uke side claims Ukraine claims the war’s largest surrender by Russian troops. But on the other side of the press release trenches River of blood in Kursk: Ukrainian invasion force decimated – Over 2,000 dead – ‘There will be no mercy’ Moscow says (vid).  Only the Undertaker will know?

While waiting for Iran to (pop or get popped, maybe both): Gaza cease-fire negotiations extend to another day as death toll exceeds 40,000.

Can you really trust the government department:  What? Secret Service (SS) abandons Trump to breast feed? (DEI vs DIE?), And BOMBSHELL: Julie Kelly reveals Feds planted J6 pipe bomb – What?

Speaking of DEI: Apple Makes It Clear: White Men Need Not Apply (dailywire.com). But, that’s OK Bunkie – there’s a back way in…

Dust off the Resume and send it to the Kamalasariat: Kamala Harris Recruits Staffers with ‘Xe,’ ‘Ey’ and ‘Fae’ Pronouns.

And the Alexa-jack has been fixed.  What?  Sure… Watch: Amazon’s Alexa Says Trump Wasn’t Shot – modernity. But, this morning, she has abandoned the biased line. She now quotes a Reuters story. (Or she looked up our voting record and decided to truth up…)

At the Ranch: Socially Correct Power

Looks on the local electric power company website like we will be just under $200 for this month.  Which is not a big landmark if you live in an urban chicken coop of 300 square feet.  But, with 2,200 square feet under air and running 76 F throughout, and temps pushing 100F most of the month, that’s pretty nice.  We’re looking at increasing the indoor hydroponic spinach production. Hydroponics in the recording studio? Well, we eat more than we mess with music lately, so sure…why not?

Back of the envelope says we should hit around $185, plus or minus a cheeseburger (which anymore can be $20, so lotsa wiggle room there!). Last year, our power bill for the same period was $497. That’s almost a 63 percent reduction of cost.

Unfortunately, the $200 class bill wasn’t free.  We spent $700 on replacing our original 170-watt panels from 2008 on one aisle (10 panels).  As a ball parking tool, panels lose capacity at the rate of 1-2 percent per year.  Our ‘170s’ were down a bit lower than this, typically 105-115 watts each. Lots of UV here and they were early panels.

This is fun math work:  The “new” panels that replaced the old ones put out more than twice as much power (around 245 watts now) so just under 2.5 kW of power on that aisle of 10-panels. (Used from SanTanSolar.com – they have pricing down into the 23-cents a watt range, if you shop around and buy a small pallet’s worth.)

Power companies have gone to “Creative Accounting School” in order to screw small homeowners interested in the environment.  Back in the days of original “net metering” if you sold the power company 1-kilowatthour of power, they would credit your bill at the same price they were charging you for their power.

The Screw Job is making up “Third Party Generation Transmission Charges” with their suppliers.  Why, Meyer Lansky and the Las Vegas mob would envy the accounting.  When they can buy power from 150 miles away, they will use an (arcane) formula to work out the costs of moving the power from there to here.  (We have costs to move wire from our generation site (the power center I built) but they won’t bite on me billing them for landscaping, right of way, and line maintenance. Remember, I just replaced a lightning-zapped inverter for $1,864 and I can’t get any creds from anyone on that.

The further fraud, of course, is that no single electron from 150-miles actually comes that far.  (Electrons just bump into one-another, more or less in situ.) But it’s an accounting scam (like the EBITDA fairytales which played a key role in the Internet Bubble blowing up a couple of decades back (in 2000-2001 which led to 9/11 to help cover things up and restart the economy in the Security State (Safe) Mode).

I had to coin the term “Socially Correct Power” in order to sleep nights, knowing power companies were doing the exact and precise opposite of what the War Party and Climateers have been promoting.

The Concept of “Socially Correct Power” is that it’s accountancy from the Homeowner’s perspective.  Solar is expensive when you, as we do) have 10’s of thousands in panels, grid-tied inverters and change out batteries every 10-years.  (We will be going to lithium in 7-years, by the way.  By then, the costs will be lower on a stored watthour basis – if there are any humans left.)

So lookie here: Elaine and I have one pile of “sunk costs” on our side of the fence.  And the power outfit has their “sunk costs” on the other side of the fence.  Socially Correct Power is when the amount of current income cash – leaping the fence and going over to the power company side – is maintained at the smallest possible level.  Under $200 per month in our case and square footage, average weather, and so forth.

Sure, you could put in 100 percent solar with backup propane or diesel power for things like Snowmageddon.  But that makes the interest expense on our pile of sunk costs (and the costs themselves) a lot higher.  Double and then some.

I don’t like doing oil changes every six-months or remembering to test-run the genset every month.  If I can lower my sunk costs and have more “power on demand” most of the time for $200 (or less) per month, then I don’t mind spreading my needs around.  That’s what Socially Correct Power distilled down to, for me.  Power company has a job – and business – and I have a solid source of combined power with fallbacks to 1955 instead of 1890 levels when the shit blows up.

It’s a concept that could work to some extent even in states like California which pioneered rolling brownouts.  If Everyone has 2-4 kW and could knock back their peaks during hot (clear sunny) weather, well, that would be dandy, I’d think.  We could then all go outside and look at our cold dead BBQ grills the Drooler Administration is trying to get us to swallow.  No telling what the Kamalasariat will endorse.

Meanwhile, we cheerfully pay the Power Mob a couple of hundred a month, but the $500 record last year was the final straw.  We have to do periodic maintenance on our “pile of sunk costs” – thus sinking more but slowing the number of FRNs leaping the fence.

Walking the talk, Downscaling and living to the concepts in 100-Year Toaster ain’t that hard and we believe in the benefits.

Why mention this?  Well, this is all a lead-in to an odd article I have planned for ShopTalk Sunday this week. Which will be about likely changes ahead in the ‘free power” world.  Something I first wrote about on these pages in 2003 when we were doing experiments in static electricity and jotted down notes on Statitronics.

Lots of people have gotten rich prospecting for gold, silver, and uranium.  But is there a new frontier – where your partner in prospecting could be John Fluke?  See you Sunday.

Write when you get rich,

George@Ure.net\

91 thoughts on “Option Friday Yawner, Power Thinking”

  1. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Elon Musk interview Donald Trump, this is worth your time. Yes it’s 2 hours but it is so interesting and entertaining and you get such a different picture of both Elon and Donald than anywhere else. I didn’t think I would learn anything new but I did! Both of these guys are so smart. Especially what Elon had to say about climate change. They spoke about the assassination attempt, the economy, the border, foreign policy, artificial intelligence and electric cars, nuclear war, education, climate change, lawfare, and the election. Also the future of the United States. I was not disappointed. Here’s a link in case you’re interested.

    https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2024/08/12/watch_live_president_donald_trump_interview_with_elon_musk.html

  2. “Dust off the Resume and send it to the Kamalasariat: Kamala Harris Recruits Staffers with ‘Xe,’ ‘Ey’ and ‘Fae’ Pronouns.”

    We have some creative people on this site George. Let’s work on it. Let me start by submitting that any Canadians Kamala hires could go with “eh?” as their pronoun. Would cover both male and female or anything in between or not in between (if you know what I mean).

    Let’s go gang!

      • Urban Survival Anxieties?

        “You have deep-seated survival anxieties. And you don’t like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate.”

        “Consciously, sir, consciously,” Yossarian corrected in an effort to help. “I hate them consciously.”

        Catch-22

      • or…. A.Y.S.M….. are you shitting me…lol lol or Y.P.O.D.W…. you plan on doing what..
        I seriously doubt that they will allow Trump to take office

      • well I don’t know.. I heard once that only happens if she’s on top lol
        the old joke..
        a little child asks his dad.. can you get pregnant doing anal sex..
        absolutely son… that’s how democrats are born..
        at the va the nurse has to ask everyone if the want to have sex.. do the associate as gay or bisexual..
        I am bringing in a tube of KY jelly and saying absolutely lock the door your gonna need the KY lol lol

    • My son-in-law recently got me a beer can cozy that has “I identify as water” printed on it. I also identify as beer, Scotch whisky and wino!

      • Brother’s wife got him a T-shirt that reads:
        My super power is… I make beer disappear!

        • Question befor the “Board” – that comes from major league baseballs Nick Castellanos who said the other day, that Scooby Doo was his favorite Super Hero.

          The Question before the “Board” is Scooby Doo a Super Hero?

          Please weigh in with vote/opinion, and perhaps some reasoning – Thank You in advance.

    • The “eh” should be very appealing to Kamala since she lived from 11 until college (18?) in the richest suburb of Montreal Canada. Sure she talks about Oakland, in reality Berkley for her, but her entire teenage growing up years were residing and going to school in the 2nd or 3rd wealthiest suburb in all of Canada (the wealthiest one in Montreal) so hearing “eh’s” all the time would be normal.

      Now if you are a French Speaker … WOW you should be in like GOLD, it would remind her of her formative teenage years.

      • the thing I see is the difference between our original founders and those of today..
        a block away from me there is a historical marker.. that talks about a farmer.. and his drive to get his products to market.. the struggles he had and how getting his workers working as one to get the railroad through..
        In the Latter day saints.. it was the same thing..the early members worked together.. Thomas Monson wrote an article of a talk he had at BYU on being the light and the path..
        so what is the difference between early pioneers and todays.. we don’t work together.. we don’t value everyone for their gifts..
        I went a couple of weeks ago to the colonies.. boy was that an eye opener.. it was beautiful.. a norman rockwell community.. each doing their part.. each putting talents to good use..as a collective. I tried to get my grand daughter to join an eco village.. about fifty people.. they work together..
        a bishop friend of mine and professor is working on the reservation this summer.. the tribe that sees the issues that are looming in front of us.. as a threat are working as a tribe to make the difference.. the Navajo indians and a couple of other tribes have been asking and making plans to impliment the same changes.. the difference is in the community not the individualized world we live in today.
        in the book “Waterborne: The Water School Story,” Bob Dell shares his experiences and efforts to address the severe water quality issues in East Africa, particularly in Uganda. As a water scientist, he was deeply moved by the suffering caused by polluted water and dedicated himself to finding a solution. recognizing the value of every individual is a powerful message. The big change from individual recognition is in Bob Dell’s recognizing the value of every individual is a powerful message. In Bob Dell’s work in “Waterborne” he emphasises and highlights the importance of seeing each person as valuable and deserving of basic necessities like clean water. This perspective not only drives meaningful change but also fosters a sense of community and shared responsibility.
        It’s a reminder that even small actions can have a significant impact when we acknowledge the worth of every person. the difference between being a village or tribe a religious family.. collective efforts can lead to significant, positive changes. When we come together and recognize the value of every individual, we can tackle even the most daunting challenges. Community-driven initiatives can be incredibly powerful, as they harness the collective strengths and resources of the community to address local needs and challenges. They often lead to more sustainable and impactful outcomes because they are rooted in the community’s own understanding and priorities. the Mormon Helping Hands program, which is a community service initiative by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Volunteers in these yellow shirts often come together to help those affected by natural disasters and other emergencies. It’s inspiring to see that these efforts still reflect a strong sense of community and service. However, it’s understandable to feel that the broader sense of community might have changed over time to that of individualism. Communities and organizations often evolve, and sometimes it can feel like the original spirit of togetherness has shifted from the village or community to that of me. it was the same thing with the early settlers.. they worked as a community for the good of the community . early political leaders were more focused on the collective good, while today’s leaders often seem more self-interested. Historical figures like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are often celebrated for their dedication to the nation and its principles. Yet each of them had their own individual flaws.. by working as a team they could overcome the weaknesses of their flaws. Through the use of Teamwork used as a powerful tool for overcoming challenges and improving overall performance. When team members collaborate, they can leverage each other’s strengths, provide support, and find creative solutions to problems. This collective effort often leads to better outcomes than working individually.
        of course this is just my opinion.. todays politicians and govt workers all are being bought off by powerful members and organizations that see their weaknesses and pulls them away from the good intensions they originally sought to do when getting into office. Not one went into office.. well maybe one or a few.. the majority actually sought to work for the people .. instead they bought the ticket by accepting the gifts intended to draw them away from the people as a whole.. it is what I feel is dividing our country.. from a united nation with common goals and every man woman and child as a valued member to that of individualized .. self value.. that is what changed with out sourcing industry.. the truly successful companies are those that value every employee and community.. while other seek out the prize .. the number on a sheet..
        this is just how I see it..

      • We see reflections of the same message in childrens stories.. like stone soup.. where the people came together to make a pot of soup.. all starting with a stone and water.. during the depression era.. people made many things using what they had.. take corn chowder.. all they had was an ear of corn and a small piece of bacon or ham or beef.. ( bacon and ham is the best.. ) a small potatoe and one small onion..
        the corn is cut off of the ear of corn.. the potato chopped into small cubes and the onion chopped.. the bacon cut up into small pieces.. ( doesn’t even have to be a big piece either its mostly for flavoring)
        fry the ham or bacon and the grease from that is used the bacon or ham is removed and the onion and potato are put in and fried up until it gets tender and done.. then add the corn and water.. and boil till it is done season it with a little salt and pepper.. ( your the boss on flavor your way ) to make a hearty meal..
        my grand parents the neighborhood worked together similarly to those of early communities and pioneers.. one raised a hog the other some chickens.. etc.. each had a victory garden and they maintained as a community.. stone soup..
        where I see the colonies in successful avoiding a lot of the issues that are looming.. or the tribe that is putting up solar on everyones home that will allow them to put them up is because they want the whole of the tribe to be without suffering when this does happen. it is fiscally looking at the energy needs of the future and the stability of their community and tribe.. achieved by the work of the whole as one.. the big difference..
        well these are enough of the ramblings of the morons mind today..

      • our family hero of old was Daniel Boone.. he was visiting with my great great great granpas brother as he told what a SH ( shizt head ) my great great great grandpa was by abandoning his family to run around the country with another bozo.. so as a concerned person and the thought of the value of the family system he went and taught them how to provide for themselves and to get the supplies they needed to survive the long harsh winter.. that is how the colonies work today..
        many don’t even see that most of the home loans being put out are being bought up by companies outside the USA with the what ninety day clause to get out.. where the colony family hasn’t the fear.. it would take a major change from the business model of me and that of the business model of us..
        the industrialists of old that built our country they still had their social separation but the privilage of being the one in the gated community.
        I reflect on my fathers employer.. he valued all members knew me my siblings and my parents even though he had thousands of employees.. Sam Walton of walmart fame he was the same way.. one old coworker was being targeted by the store manager.. made her cry all the time.. after being berated by the manager she broke down while stocking the shelf.. the old man next to her said whats wrong honey.. she told him and he said oh is isn’t walmart quality.. that was sam standing next to her.. he took care of it and she just retired from walmart not that long ago.. today we put our value in high turnover not retention..

  3. People here in lower Oklahoma are being talked into “free” solar panels on their roof if they own their house and the roof faces south. It turns out it’s not really free and if you decide to sell your house the ten year or so bill to the power company has to be paid by the hew owner. We also have frequent hail damage to our roofs. The people with solar panels on their roofs have to pay for then to be removed to repair their roofs and then pay to have the solar panels replaced. People are grumbling about the on going costs.

    • I have only a modest solar power capability.
      It’s four “100 watt” class panels feeding
      two 100 amp-hour AGM batteries. The
      controller company is now out of businesss,
      but made a nice, simple, RFI-free, MMPI device.
      A few high-current Schottkey diodes keep things
      flowing in the right dirctions. Simple as possible,
      modest, no tie-ins. Mainly the system was conceived
      to keep the three 12 volt ham radios alive when
      the juice failed from PowerCo, Inc. Everything is
      interconnected with Anderson PowerPoles. For
      re-patchability and repair flexibility.

      I did make one huge trade-off. The panels are
      mounted VERTICALLY flat against a south-facing
      exterior wall. The sun angle is NOT optimum.
      Far from it. In winter, when the sun is lowest in
      the sky, the sun angle is Not Too Bad most of
      the day. In summer, the sun angle is worse, but
      the HOURS are much more. Altogether, more than
      enough is gathered to keep the several radios
      running 24 / 7 if I needed it. Even with a few
      stormy low-sun days.

      The big benefit? I don’t worry about hail or
      snow cover. The panels are a bit over ten
      years old, and are still running well. Yeah,
      I could collect more with a tilted frame,
      or even a tracking device; but big hail is
      common here by summer. (Snow cover
      is NOT a big concern — even back in CT,
      vertical still worked well, where snow WAS
      a concern, had things been mounted the
      normally-expected way.)

      I live at 35 degrees North latitude here in NC.

      • Vertical with an ability to “lean them out” a bit with a simple screw mechanism, manual or electric, sounds like a great idea (particularly if you can lean them out enough for max collection exposure during collection hours near winter solstice).

        Snow and Hail are REAL issues, at least around here and vertical mounting would get rid of most of those issues.

        • so would a solar tower..a friend put his 2 kw system on a ground mount and has excellent power production.. we generate 34-37 kw a day.. mist of it is piped out to the neighbors so the power company can sell it..
          3 days after ours was out up on the roof we had a tornado.. we have fifty mile am hour winds..a few years ago we had winds over a 100 and hail on and off..

      • For the wall mounted panels, could you use reflectors of foil glued to a sheet of plywood and mounted BELOW your panels? You might double the input to them thusly.
        .

        • The r3eflections, thus, would not be onto the panels. You would need to mount same-siZed panels in such a way as to reflect 45 degrees into the operable panels and at that angle, a reflectometry od 71 percent or so. Just saying reflections ain’t perfect. and WmoRR is an video whiz who know bounce lighting…I think he got to “works OK as intended” and went back to other stuff… I’m still working on my solar flash boiler to make power…steam turbine, right?

    • Pathfinder, its a distraction. What are you going to blame the $ collapse on? The peeps in charge in the legistlature and executive branch? Cant have that. LOL.

      • Steevo, neither one of us got here yesterday. I think I’ve been reading your comments since I was a kid. Lol

        We both know it’s ALL distraction. ;)

    • A lot of people join/encourage their kids to join the military as if it’s a job at McDonald’s overlooking the enlistees life is on the line during their enlisted time. The war has to have a good reason to begin.

      4th Turn. Perhaps a U.S. carrier group does get wiped out by a Poseidon. Unprecedented damage and unprecedented backlash on the Internet. Will the “Well, you know – they’re the chosen people.” be enough?

      My 90+ y/o uncle is all-in on the Six Days War being won by miracles. Is this thinking still out there? Since the 1940’s/1950’s people moved away from that thinking. Many of the old 1920’s cathedrals in Detroit that weren’t torn down have been turned into indoor weed growing ops or converted to Mosques.

      I posted the Mother’s Day links describing U.S. soldiers sneaking their mothers and cousins out of Palestine during the Israel invasion. From the human side we can’t blame them but they should be discharged from the U.S. military.

      Would it be a far leap for them to overlook their cousin sabotaging? Imagine the peer pressure being at the family reunion and everyone is encouraging, “Just let him slide by with the vile of death…” Benedict Arnold had a change of heart.

      • Back in 1970 Vietnam was happening. My draft number came up 366 (leap year) so I was not in danger of being drafted. They were pulling only up to number 180 or so. But I could NOT find a job. Blatant in-my-face discrimination. Several prospective employers told me they would not hire me because I was ‘Draft Eligible’. Now I had smarts and investigated a ‘computer repair’ job in the Army. Digital electronics was new, and there were no ‘microprocessors’ yet. The job entailed maintaining the military communications systems, which were always in air conditioned places, far from front lines.

        So I maxed the entrance exams and wowed them with my electronics aptitude and qualified for the MOS which required 56 weeks of intense training. Top of my class. Then one day they brought a CPU unit… coffin sized thing… that had been in an air conditioned semi-trailer far behind enemy lines in ‘Nam. The fellow that had my job title was in the van also when the rockets started incoming. One landed under the van and tore a fist sized jagged hole thru the CPU while the maintenance guy stood in front of it. He survived, miraculously. They showed us the damaged machine at the training school, and it was then that I realized there are NO ‘safe jobs’ in the military. I got my training and took advantage of a medical discharge not long after that.

        Funny how easy it was to get a job after getting the ‘service obligation’ out of the way after that.

    • they are just trying to get our leader monkey brains to hit the lion with a stick…

  5. during the depression there were a lot of things that were rationed.. no money you had to eat what was available..

    many of my favorites.. were part of the depression erra.. like SOS … chipped beef in a cream sauce.. hamburger or sausage.. it was made by first frying up the burger seasoning it the way you wanted.. then putting in a milk sauce.. a lot of times old milk would be used..
    served over a piece of toast.. simple easy
    one of my favorites is salsbury steak.. hamburger mixed with onions and green peppers.. some bread crumbs and an egg.. some would mix it with left over mashed potatoes instead of bread crumbs.. we still make these here then freeze them.. take beef broth and turn that into a gravy serve over potatoes..
    ham and bean soup.. yup a depression dish that is enjoyed all over.. soup bone and water beans… seasoning it the way you want.. water soup.. ketchup soup.. I see a guy making catchup soup in a restaurant.. I let the waitress know to offer him or her a full meal.. at my expense.. the sign of a guy taking his wife and kids out.. the parents wait the kids order first then the kids.. the dad will unconsciously check his wallet to see what he has and wait to be the last one to order.. usually getting only a coffee or water.. today I see parking lots of restaurants that once was filled with cars sitting there with just a few at most.. the hostess ushers them around the floor so all the waitresses get a customer..
    today is bacon rolls

    1/2 cup finely chopped onion
    1 green pepper finely chopped ( I put both the onion and the green pepper in the blender add a little water and blend it up till it is really fine)
    1 tbs butter
    3 cups dry bread
    1/4 tsp celery salt
    1/4 tsp garlic powder
    1/8 tsp salt
    1/8 tsp pepper
    1 large egg, beaten
    1 package of bacon
    in a small pan fry up the onion and green pepper in butter or oil till it is starting to get really soft..
    In a bowl, combine the bread cubes, celery salt, garlic powder, salt, pepper and onion green pepper mixture; toss to mix evenly. Add egg; toss to coat bread cubes. Roll into ten 1-1/4-in. balls. Wrap a bacon strip around each ball. Secure with a toothpick. the other way to do it is to make a dough with the ingredients.. then wrap the bacon around them and deep fry them..

    there is another recipe that is good to is one chicken breast.. one package of bacon.. cheese or the dough mixture above and some jalapeno peppers.. slice the chicken breast in small pieces.. you can take the cheese and mix it in with the cubbed bread mix.. or just put the cheese in the jalopeno shell after you clean the seed out of it.. then wrap the bacon around it.. these are called bad boys.. you can use what ever pepper you prefer.. then grill them on the grill..

    MILK SOUP…

    1/2 cup chopped onions
    1 quart milk
    1 Tbsp butter or oil
    1 cup of flour
    1 egg
    1 oz of oil..

    first you saute the onions in the butter or oil.. till they just start to get translucent… add in the milk and start warming it up slowly.. ( you can put chicken broth in this )
    now take the cup of flour the egg and oil beat the egg then mix them to gether.. it makes a semi pasta texture.. now you take this pasta mix and as the milk is heating up you roll it into tiny balls.. and drop them into the soup mix.. season it with what you have.. and you have a soup.. you can take one quarter carrot and few peas and maybe one small piece of chicken cop it up add it to this for a meat and vegetable soup.. cost is cheap and it definately tastes good.. now there are variations of this to.. if you don’t have milk water and a couple of chicken bullion cubes..
    you can buy the tiny pasta balls.. they are called..
    Pastina’s..
    https://www.webstaurantstore.com/barilla-pastina-pasta-12-oz/999BAR6732.html?
    and a box of them will last a very long time.. if you traveled the rails.. they would pick wild greens.. such as Kale
    1 pound Italian ground sausage or (you can use one half pound of sausage and one half pound of hamburger)
    1 stick of butter

    1 onion chopped
    1 tablespoon minced garlic
    6 cups chicken broth
    2 cups milk or cream ( you can use water in this to.. I prefer cream)
    4-5 yellow potatoes sliced up
    salt to taste
    1 teaspoon black pepper
    2 cups heavy cream
    4 cups chopped kale
    1/2 cup of thumb noodles..
    you know I don’t know what they are called but it is a favorite along with gnochi our of potatoes and flour..

    https://youtu.be/I1TN71mY60U?si=X-pb3b76pTPDhIzX

    chopped bacon or bacon bits and grated parmesan cheese for topping
    fry up the meat then take the meat our and put in the onions.. fry them in the grease along with the butter.. until the onions are looking done.. put the meat and the chicken broth and the potatoes the kale and cook it up.. till the kale is tinder and the potatoes are done.. and the noodles.. this is a favorite soup of mine..
    Now you can change this.. depending on what you have.. I toss in a quarter cup of dehydrated vegitables.. you you have a hearty meal.. all for pennies..
    https://www.amazon.com/Kosher-Vegetable-Dehydrated-Flakes-Pounds/dp/B07GSHXC7W/ref=sr_1_2?

    I keep a couple of bags of that on hand always.. put them in a storage container.. and you get months of eating from the bag in soups… half cup per batch of soup.. great stuff..

    • I know what its like to be poor growing up coming home from school an fixing after school snack of slice of bread crumble up into pieces put in a glass of milk a little sugar… that was our cereal…eating pinto beans for six months with potatoes and liver for Sunday also picked dandelion greens for salad BUT we were a very happy family my two brothers and Mom and Dad. We kids really did know we were poor. Life was GRAND!
      One was a college teacher,one scientist engineer,one was successful business owner…we all looked back at our early years as a positive influence and grateful experiences.

      • we never realized we were poor either… mom always made bread pudding on Sunday eith the left over bread from the week before…it was amazing..
        then there was the peanut butter bread. .God I think I’ll make some today lol..of course it’s fattening..
        1 cup milk
        2 large eggs
        1 cup granulated sugar
        1 cup peanut butter
        1 tbsp vanilla
        1 teaspoon kosher salt
        1 tablespoon baking powder
        2 cups all-purpose flour
        warm the milk add the peanut butter mix until its dissolved into the milk..( give or take on the milk. the dough should look similar to pancake batter)
        then add in all the ingredients mix pour into your buttered, and floured pan bake at 350 degrees for about a half hour give or take took pick test.. should come out clean..

        whipped cream alternative..
        1 ripe banana and the whites of two eggs whipped with 1 tbsp. vanilla

  6. https://youtu.be/PvQ0Fa9iUP4?si=mXmLcV2p0HpXV5JV

    this is hilarious it is a video of kelly clarkson pasta making LOL.. it takes a bit to get use to making pasta.. but it is fun and a great time .. the older grand kids and I would make pasta all the time.. the biggest challenge is one cup of flour will make a ton of pasta…..

      • Seriously! Or get the ‘Food Network’ to send a camera and producer into your home to record episodes! Make ’em pay!

        • I do love food and the toys associated with the making of food.. got a food gadget for just about everything LOL>. then again that is why I am what is that word I am trying to think about.. oh yeah I know.. FAT

      • I think LOOB would do well if he published a cookbook! It’s too complicated for me, but many people enjoy playing with food before eating it.

        • you know when I was working as a bag boy at the local market.. ( worked grocery stores part time.. almost as long as I did working at medical facilities..) they would have a weekly coupon some weeks it was double coupon day.. and to get the coupon items you had to buy ex dollars worth of stuff.. to get it for that price.. anyway.. I use to dream about making up a weekly flyer.. with the coupons in the flyer.. with recipes using the coupon items.. and kitchen tidbits.. and kitchen gadget uses..make the flyer.. so that it could be put into a notebook this and that cookbook.. and then it could assemble the notebook into a cook book of sorts..
          having had the life experiences I have had.. I learned that .. I could still provide the things that make life worth living.. by being creative.. learning how they do it.. then doing it..

      • sadly… that takes money and with 30 dollars till the end of the month and all the requirements of the govt. to be licensed..it’s just a pipe dream..not realistic in my view..
        the other thing is in the wastelands.. a city block is a bank a casino a bar and a restaurant.. the big entertainment is going out to eat gambling then getting drunk..

  8. “Dueling headlines from the War Zone North leave us wondering what the f*** really happened. ”

    Difficult to watch Mr Ure. I cant help but be reminded of how we had LOOK UP! LOOK AROUND! drilled into our heads until it was a mechanical reaction [to this day].

    That being said the videos of the loitering poohteam munitions don’t appear to be CGI.

    More Stalemate. Meanwhile, the plausible denial is being created for all sides for when the kabuki theater kinetic distraction is no longer needed to drown out the $ end game unfolding at a banking statement near you by 2025 [IMHO].

    https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/nord-stream-pipeline-explosion-real-story-da24839c

    Blockchain will be rolled out as the solution.

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2024/06/17/stealth-erosion-imf-issues-striking-us-dollar-collapse-warning-as-the-fed-primes-bitcoin-ethereum-and-xrp-for-a-crypto-price-boom/

  10. They keep buying the Muslims off temporarily which is just fine with Israel as they never stop killing them – too sophisticated for me to comprehend.

  11. Total housing starts decreased 6.8% last month, the biggest decline in new, single-family units since April 2020, according to government data released Friday.
    This was far below all the estimates and came as a real surprise to analysts. 6.8% is rather large for this time of year.
    .
    Of course, the pundits are blaming this “has this been verified?” number on the weather., in an attempt to distance this large decline from any actual economic reasons.

  12. I believe Wall Street has it all wrong. The Fed will cut interest rates., but it won’t be the saving grace from the economic-heavens that they think it will be.
    Yes ., there may be an exuberant run-up in the stock markets once the rate cut is announced., but it will be very short lived.
    If you believe in historical data., the stock market should crash before the elections if “The Fed” cuts the interest rates in September, or October.

      • Yep – that is the one time history didn’t repeat itself.., it took a few years – and look at the bust that happened.
        “Things aren’t always the same.”
        – You’ve got that right! If Wells Fargo were forced to pay-off all of their off-the-books debts and losses, they would have to close the bank down. The hundreds of billions lost in foreign currency swaps and under-water real-estate debt derivatives is astounding. But they don’t have to report it. Consumer credit card debt tops a trillion.., government debt tops 200 trillion [ with interest included.] Things are differently not the same. How many trillions of dollars are currently in derivatives?
        I agree., it is a very different time.
        – We’ll see………,

      • .., and I am not convinced that Greenspan’s rate cuts had no effect. It eased credit, freed up a lot of cash – that all fed the dot com frenzy that ended in one of the greatest financial bubbles in history and you only have to look at the NASDAQ to see what happened when it did pop.
        – So.., to say nothing happened isn’t “exactly” true. It was just delayed because of the on-going tech mania.

    • This is one of the many reasons I don’t believe in early voting for anyone! We need a snapshot in time, and that’s supposed to be the first Tuesday in November. Many people might change their minds between the time they voted and Election Day!

  13. Gold : “Set me FREE, why dont you babe?”
    -https://youtu.be/KKQbcJyVKR0?si=7YV3y7VwKqCC_WVZ

    BIS/CB/Babe – No, no,no..
    -https://youtu.be/JWvqjipkbg8?si=uoMy650h6ns7Bnkl

    AU bbbbbBBBBREAK OUT, Bitches!

    Gold is breaking out this AM – can only mean one thing.

    – “Its ON Like Donkey Kong”

    Ya know whats coming from Mutha Russia, No?

    Screaming..screaming with VENGENCE, cue the gay priest..I know which one ? bwahahahah, JUDAS of course!

    Ya know what to do with that Volume Knob …https://youtu.be/5fJdmcoDtKw?si=zTRWqab_LrIfgA_e

    • Poverty “rates” are based on income, not assets! If a billionaire chose to live without income to just spend down what he can’t take to the next life, he’d show up as poverty stricken. In some states, he could even get food stamps, lifeline phone and internet, and perhaps medicaid. That’s an extreme example, but the concept is obvious. Many of those in the southern states are retired and do have assets.

      • obviously they haven’t seen what the rental of a bunk bed in California is lol…that’s probably why cardboard box’s have become the new standard of living there..

    • OTFLMAO… POVERTY RATES they show wouldn’t even make low income housing costs…lol lol lol..
      much less anything else.. for my daughter’s friend..that’s one months living expenses…lol lol

  15. “they would credit your bill at the same price they were charging you for their power” – This never seemed “fair” to me. Most power companies are not a charity, they are a for profit organization. They should pay no more then what they pay producers of that kind of power (intermittent and only available during sunny days). That power is worth less to many providers because they cannot depend on its availability. With so many providers coming up with solar farms, it is also much more widely available and cheaper. So it is not a “fair” trade to take your intermittent power and give you back “reliable” 7×24 at the same rate. Of course the cost of power also includes all the necessary grid maint, in addition to them generating or buying power. Basically solar power advocates wanted other power buyers to subsidize their specific purchase, which is why I say the old agreement was not fair.

    Saying all that personal solar is not all about breaking even or even lowering the cost, but decreasing your dependence on others. In your case you have both, some savings and a better “sleep at night” infrastructure for you and your family. Instead of selling your bonus power back for cheap, put it to use crypto mining instead. Even though you don’t believe in that product, you can still profit from those that do.

    • Agree

      Here our power bill is now broken down into three parts:

      a) a connection fee for being connected to the power company grid whether you use any power or not … about $20/mo

      b) a “distribution fee” … to cover the cost of MOVING the amount of power you use across their system … based upon how much used and a fixed rate per kwh

      c) the actual POWER YOU USE based upon the charge at the generating plant.

      YOU can choose which actual power provider YOU want, and the prices are actually pretty varied. Do you want the standard guaranteed for a year rate from the utility itself? Do you want to buy power that comes from a renewable source? Do you want to buy power that come from a generator company that uses all natural gas? So on and so forth. LOTS of sellers of power and YOU get to choose which one you want. What we do NOT HAVE here, yet, is variable pricing during the day that can be varied dynamically hour to hour. Texas I understand has that as do several other states out west.

      Demanding that YOU get paid RETAIL rates for occasional power when they can get it from a full time power generator 24/7/365 for 1/3 of what you want to be paid is nuts. I agree … it is the user who is demanding to be subsidizes by the rest of the consumers on the system.

      (California is finally getting rid of that system … which was useful in getting lots of people to install solar on their roofs because basically the government was forcing the rest of the consumers into picking up 2/3 of the cost but now that they have an excess of roof solar in the state and no longer need to subsidize it – rather have the other users of the system subsidize it, they now need power during the hours the sun doesn’t shine – and solar on roofs AINT IT)

      • wow where do you live that your connection fee is twenty.. ours is sixty seven LOL… I get it though.. our power bill is our cheapest bill.. because we put up solar.. the grid is designed around the business model.. so it is really fragile.. wouldn’t take much to put the whole country into a deep freeze dark mode..
        that is what I find great about the tribes.. they are working to overcome that.. we could to but we would have to change the business model from big buck billies pockebook to that of US

    • The “basecharge” covers the local distribution and connectivity. The cost per kwh is separate. This is why I’ve always thought having solar as a separate system without grid tie at all makes the most sense. Use all you can from solar and store it in batteries for overnights. Have the grid available for when you don’t have homegrown power. Have a standby generator for the few times you can’t get enough solar and the grid is down. Simple, and no problems with grid tie, regulations, and potential backfeed issues.

    • see..now I don’t believe they should credit the bill… there’s a great deal of expense..dealing with the grid. what I believe is everyone work as a co-op those willing to let a system be installed has their rates frozen for a ten year period.. I have seen what these guys do..it’s a big deal..and you cannot have free power.. the work as a community theory of mine..
      old three musketeers…one for all and all for one..right now they shove it all in one basket.. which is the business model of being the weak link..

  16. “Amazon’s Alexa Says Trump Wasn’t Shot”

    Chat GTP has been saying the same for awhile now. I thought everyone knew. Try your variation, link below.

    ‘Was former president Donald Trump ever shot?’

    “No, former President Donald Trump has never been shot. There have been no reports or incidents of him being shot. If you have any other questions or need clarification on something else, feel free to ask!”

    https://openai.com/chatgpt/

    We’re almost to X-everything when everything is controlled.

  17. Then X-Everything refresher:

    “Instead, the app would become users’ exclusive destination to place calls, text, goof off with friends, send payments, bank, and, of course, shop online—giving X seemingly boundless opportunities to profit more from each login. It could even turn X into a trillion-dollar company, Musk has claimed.”

    – Mar 25, 2024

    “Elon Musk wants to turn X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, into an “everything app.” Imagine a single app for your private messaging, news consumption, shopping and even banking. In China, WeChat fills that role, and Musk has spoken publicly about replicating that model using X in other countries.”

    – Jun 21, 2024

  19. wow.. here’s one for ya.. wen into the VA medical center.. all the officers are carrying machine guns…they must be expecting something..

  20. Once upon a time, there was a king who decided to go fishing. Before setting off, he called the royal weather forecaster and asked for the weather prediction for the next few hours. The forecaster confidently assured the king that there was no chance of rain in the coming days.
    Trusting the weatherman’s expertise, the king and his wife, the queen, set out for their fishing trip.

    On their way, they encountered a farmer riding a donkey. The farmer, noticing the royal couple, respectfully warned, “Your Majesty, you should head back to the palace immediately. I predict that a heavy downpour is about to fall in this area.”

    The king, though polite, dismissed the farmer’s warning with a smile. “I hold my palace meteorologist in high regard,” he said. “He is highly educated and experienced, and I pay him handsomely for his services. He assured me that there would be no rain, so I trust his forecast and will continue on my way.”

    Ignoring the farmer’s advice, the king and queen continued on their journey. But soon, the skies opened up, and a torrential rain began to pour. The king and queen were drenched, and their entourage couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of them, soaked and humiliated.

    Furious, the king returned to the palace and immediately fired the royal meteorologist. He then summoned the farmer and offered him the prestigious and well-paying position of royal forecaster.

    The farmer, surprised, replied, “Your Majesty, I don’t know anything about weather forecasting. I simply observe my donkey. When his ears droop, it’s a sure sign that rain is on the way.”

    Amused by the farmer’s simplicity, the king decided to hire the donkey instead.

    And so began the practice of appointing “dumb asses” to hold important positions in the government—an unfortunate tradition that, it seems, continues to this day.

      • One dead oarfish washing ashore is a curiosity; three dozen showing up would probably be a real indication of something wrong in the depths.

  22. According to Reuters., Biden started his negotiations with big pharmacy corporations two years – to lower drug prices.
    Since that time, 900 prescription drugs have gone up in prices.
    – I didn’t know there were 900 prescription drugs. So, I looked it up.
    There are more than 20,000 prescription drugs that are approved for marketing (FDA, 2020). About 66% of U.S. adults take prescription drugs (Health Policy Institute, 2021). And about 46% of U.S. adults have taken a prescription drug in the past 30 days.

    • how about in the last several hours ?

      Ghost Lemon Haze (Sativa-THC=27%) last night – and I dont remember shit from Dreamland last night. So obviously its working for moi! Unfortunately I dont remember The Phightins Trea Turner walkoff last nights Win either..so there is that.

      * Note – Sativa’s might not be best for “Sleepytime Operations”, as the Indica strains seem to work better with insomnia.

    • a relative of one of the guys living in our spare bedrooms.. called.. when we decided to just be by ourselves and not have anyone living in our spare rooms anymore.. He went to live in an assisted living facility.. they won’t allow over the counter drugs to be used.. he takes tylenol three times a day and a fish oil tablet three times a day.. the new cost of the five bucks worth of medication is now four thousand dollars a month.. of course he doesn’t have it.. heck he was living in our spare bedroom because he couldn’t afford to live anywhere..
      the same thing for me.. my inhaler.. ( thank god for red ginseng tea..) six hundred dollars a month.. in the USA.. in another country it is twenty for name brand or half of that for generic.. its always about the business model

    • 10 costliest prescription drugs in Medicare, costs lowered by Biden, first ever govt pricing negotiations, saving $1.5 billion out of pocket costs:
      https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/medicare-cost-lower-medication-diabetes-blood-thinners-rcna166385

      Biden imposing fines on Pharma when they raise prices more that inflation:
      https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/dozens-companies-raised-drug-prices-faster-than-inflation-white-house-says-2023-12-14/

      Remember Trump downplayed Covid, till he was flown to a hospital for emergency care from it!
      https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-elections-melania-trump-michael-pence-f6ba3a16ab9b74b161a3a7211248e97e

    • IIRC Trump passed an EO which made it so pharmcos could not market prescriptions in the U.S. for more than the lowest price available on the World market for each of those prescriptions. This was the EO which caused the, artificially raised price of insulin (raised from $35 to $385, also IIRC) to be forced back to the $35 it was before the price was manipulated.

      This EO of Trump’s was one of the first ones cancelled by Biden after he took office.

      If the Administration “has been negotiating for two years” then there IS no negotiation, and he’s paying lip service to the public while funneling megabucks to, probably the DNC.

      Trump’s “negotiation” took less than two hours, and it was highly-effective. ‘Problem is, he did that only a few months before COVID hit so aside from the diabetics on daily insulin, virtually nobody noticed.

  23. I went on a road trip last month to upper Wisconsin, and met lots of people there and along the way, as I usually do.

    I wrote about immigrants I saw and the various accents I heard. Stories from employers and so on.

    Nice to see that Trump has noticed it too …

    https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/have-100-of-new-jobs-gone-to-migrants-as-trump-claimed-here-are-the-facts-c324d1b2

    I still think it’s odd that after Covid, businesses were putting up signage saying they were hiring … but no one I knew could get the jobs. I think there was a little discrimination going on, and still is. – Wouldn’t surprise me, after doctors were getting paid to simply write “Covid” on certain pieces of paperwork. Or $9,000 to agree your loved one died of Covid. Everybody’s got a price, I guess.

    Here’s a provocative read …

    https://cis.org/Oped/Oped-Whos-Funding-Illegal-Immigration-You-Are

    • Great idea for NM too, though those would break the budget. It needs to be autonomous and cheap enough to cover the entire property. Retrofitting with lethal rounds might make sense in SHTF situations, but .50 cal is far too expensive!

      I wonder if they’re selling the plans, schematics, and software?

    • why do you link CBS story on the bomb?
      when you could have gone directly to WhatFinger’s story for the reward in your statement

      this David van Zandt? of mediabias has a bias of his own
      talk about echo stench from libtards

      https://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/david-van-zandt.asp?cycle=16

      he is all in on anti Trump
      https://blogs.newschool.edu/news/2017/01/president-van-zandt-trump-executive-order-threatens-educational-mission/

      his mediabias is BIAS in it’s self

      Julie does an awesome job,,, has a excellent record of investigative journalism, you can go here and post directly to her page and say it to her
      https://x.com/julie_kelly2

      whatfinger has as good of a record as anything you link to.
      google has been caught being bias and also the major networks and rags

      did you know the group that has the largest % of dem supporters is old childless SINGLE cat ladies who are to closed minded to see that bad actors in government are the problem, thank goodness they are a small minority.

      the fbi aint going to solve the pipe bomb or the Trump assassination attempt, because they are in on it
      The institutions are concerned about protecting the institutions over protecting the US Constitution,
      guilty parties,,, CIA FBI CISA ATF IRS & etal are in fear of a restored constitutional gov that does not included them as they are not in the US Constitution

      hold on sweetie, change is in the air,,, watching the democrats show down is funny as hell, who will be back stabbed next after Joe? coup d etat by his own party,,
      for democracy of course ,,Camela and pedo walz are on the short list, dog and pony show coming to Chicago

      try thinking for your self one time, it really does not hurt
      to chose between the two, you have to consider and examine both sides,,, I used to be democrat most my life till 2017 after Trump became the TARGET for the lame stream media,,, it was their hatred of Trump that made me take a closer look at him, till then I did not give 2 cents about him.
      remember the government gave you the lies in reefer madness, that should have been a big clue for you, the government , hand in hand with the corporations/news print that lead you down BULL SHIT LANE

      DuPont made shit loads of money by making hemp illegal as Henry Ford was making plastics from hemp and bypassing DuPonts patents, till reefer madness
      http://userpages.bright.net/~fixit/anslingr.htm

      When the federal government took away your right to decide for your self, they own you,,,, stupid slaves

      THEY FEAR TRUMP LIKE NON OTHER,,,
      KILL HIM THEY SAY and tried,,, they will try again

      the fbi planted pipe bomb was Jan 6th, but they lost the use of it,(a unsprung trap they set) so it was ignored by them, but good ole Julie stayed the course and points it out for those who ‘want’ to SEE ,,,aye c?,,,
      as there are none so blind,,, you know the Quote

    • Interesting article, and I’ve seen some people go into accelerated aging mode in their 60’s. It’s an individual thing. Too bad the study didn’t look into those beyond 75, since the lucky ones among us will have to deal with that too.

      • At 80, my father looked and acted like he was in his early sixties. At 83, after a year and half of surgery, chemo and radiation, he looked 103. It catches up with everyone eventually.

    • Hank in Hawaii,

      Thank you for the useful weblink you offer above regarding two stages of aging. The piece references works of the famed Stanford geneticist Dr. Michael Snyder and associates.

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