Back in 2003, when we bought this old place in the woods and moved up here, Elaine and I tired of the previous owners having a lock on every door that was keyed differently. Although it was a simple double-wide and an open carport big enough for a diesel pusher RV, there were still three keys for three doors. Then four…then five… You know how these things go.
A few years went by and one of the locks failed. A quick trip to Sutherland’s (at the time they had a store in Palestine, TX), plus a few minutes with a Phillips head, and good as new.
And then the next one failed a year or two on. We might have had the Lowes open by now – but again, it was a simple fix.
Finally, about 2010, or so, another failed and I was getting sick of the collection of unlabeled keys that were piling up in “the key drawer.”
The project – on the list from about 2006 – is finally done.
Half-Right Solution
A 2010 break was misjudgement, too. Elaine and I decided to “common key” the entire house. It was not expensive, but we’re both terrible when it comes to throwing “perfectly good” hardware away.
Still, we bought a 3-lock package and (on my younger sister’s advise) updated to ADA-compatible lever style knobs.
Things were fine -if you didn’t mind the pants sagging from the key collection that had to be carried. Only one key for three house locks, but there were two on the shop, two on the guest room, plus the storage/pantry building…not to mention the generator key, a few padlocks… these things add up. Two or three vehicles, a tractor, the riding mower…
Finally, I got to?
The Right Fix
As you can see there on the right, a simple, squarish, and frankly much more sturdy lock now graces the shop door.
Total time to install? Maybe 7-minutes. Depends on how we score putting tools away. (Is that part of “job time” or is that a “separate activity?”)
One of the most interesting changes in hardware over my lifetime has been the packaging revolution in tools and hardware.
When I started this game of door handle roulette, locks came in a package of 1.
You have to be a bit picky (pardon the lock pun!) about your shopping. Because not all door handles are the same.
Interior Sets: These have no place on an outside door – they won’t handle the weather. They come in keyed or un, and you can find them as all key differently, or all keyed the same, up to about 10 interior doors is not that uncommon.
Frankly, no idea why you would have so many doors locked on the inside of a home – we’re the kind who won’t let anyone in the house that we can’t trust explicitly. Strangers don’t get past even the gate, let alone in the house!
Thing to remember is that exterior door locks work on the inside, but interior door sets don’t work on the outside.
Bathroom Sets: These generally come with a twist lock or push-button on the inside. They have a small hole facing into the home interior. Come with a little bent wire pinkus which is used because they require (occasionally) just a bit more pressure than comes from a household paperclip. (Our 12-volume set “Improvised Welding Rod from paperclips” will be picked up by a major publishing house here any minute.)
“Keyed-alike” is the secret sauce in search engines.
Exterior Door Sets: Here we see the aging marvel performing the installaton of the screen porch exterior door.
If this was really a hard job, do you think Elaine would let me do it?
Please note the Tool Slut Door Gear: That screwdriver is one of the fancy DeWalt gyroscopic screwdrivers. You power it and then it turns automatically in the direction you twist your wrist. At $141, some might think it overpriced. (Show of hands?) And their marketing department gave it a nylon bag? Seriously? Who on God’s green Earth carries a “screwdriver bag?” (Show of hands on this? Nope – no crazies counted…) Maybe use the bag to pack a sandwich in as brand-schwag on the job site? (Shakes his head.)
Ure’s Golden Gotcha of the Week
Now we get to the fine study of error avoidance. Because YES! You can screw it up. Even something as simple as changing out a half dozen door locks.
I did.
See how simple the installation should be?
Three pieces – that’s all there is to it. You unscrew the interior side, pull it off. Then pull the exterior side. And – if necessary – replace the latch mechanism. (Sometimes in a frenzy of lock replacements, you will get luck and the previous latched will fix. Which gives you more useless shit to stack up in the hardware section of your shop.
Impossible to cluster it, right?
No.
See on the 180 room door, I put in the new latch and it stuck out just a tiny amount more than the previous. I mean RCH difference. So, all assembled I did a “test shut and open.”
Except for the OPEN part didn’t and wouldn’t. Too snug to budge and the latch was not going to retract far enough.
Crap Fire and Save Matches Time
With the exterior door to the 180 room securely shut – and with only five-hours left until daily wine time – the pressure was on.
Two strategies came to mind. Crawl into the 180 room from the outside (breaking another lock to do that). then kicking the door it…
Or, I could remove the door which was now fitting too damn snugly. A few minutes with a pocketknife and a spackle knife proved nothing, except that I’d need a lot more arm-strong.
Off to the shop for additional tools: a short (small diameter) Phillips works for tapping up the door hinge bolts. Then a pry bar to pry the jammed door out of its frame.
Once it was freed of course, the lock was loosened and adjustment of the striker plate could be made. Wine was not delayed!
On most hinges the “middle 2 fingers” are the door side. The top, middle, and lower go to the house side. Don’pull pull too hard on those or you will tip your house over.
The four volume “America’s funniest home videos of 76-year old men removing exterior doors…” should be available in time for Christmas gift giving.
The Marvelous Table Adventure
A few weeks back, I mentioned the super-deal Vevor had on a stainless roll-around work table. Suitable for shop of kitchen, it was only $60 bucks and change.
No, assembling a table is not how most mystics achieve Nirvana. But a confirmed tool slut? You bet!
First, there was a nut that went on a long bolt through the table leg that needed to be held on the back side. Of course, most NTS – non tool sluts – would just grab a Crescent or a 1/4″ drive with metrics and be done.
No! We wouldn’t hear of it!
Instead, I grabbed the “bike wrench” which – by the grace of ontology – actually fit something. The angles fit in just snug onto the nut that needed backing. This thing (and you can find others like it) had been on a nail on the shop wall since 2018 awaiting deployment. This is the first (and only) time it was the Perfect Tool.
The second Nirvana generator came when Elaine said yes, she loved the table, too. Especially my idea to make it into a “cooking gear” table. Get all my cooking spices and liquors and such (like the meat thermometer collelction) off the right-hand stove counter.
The table doesn’t have edging, so things can be knocked off. So for the wines and liquors, I decided to get one of those stainless trays that baristas use to hold the coffee flavors.
SHOP TOOL NAME: These booze (and flavor) bottle trays are called “speed rails.” How the hell I got through a billion dollars worth of alcohol without knowing the technical name for such gear is a fascinating study in ETOH-induced sensory deprivation. A short 15-incher like this one may be the answer. What was the question, again?
Oh – Elaine wasn’t as keen on my other kitchen tool table suggestion: I proposed we install an 8-inch mechanics vise on the table too. You know, to hold meat (say a ham bone) you’re trimming… Still, I was going better than the Dodgers.
Experimental Over-Engineering
My consigliere suggested (a couple of visits back) that we put high visibility stair treads on at least the stairs down to the carport (14 of ’em),
Thing is, I always catch my shoe on non-skid pads like tha, So this week, an experiment began with the new super-step for the generator shed. Talk about simple?
This is a quick (one pass) with some of that rubber spray-on roofing patch. Like you should have a can or two of around for emergencies.
Not sure how well it will wear, but the whole stair spraying can be done on a warm day in less than 6-minutes. Depending on how particular you are about over-spray. I’m sure if you want to be pin neat and mask it all off proper-like, you could stretch it into an hour.
Us? We have urgent wine to consume. Over-spray vs. Burgundy…hmm…wine wins.
Useful to Know
Reader Eleanor was asking how our “reduced food” approach to de-catifying (if that’s a word) from our all-time peak of 21 feral cats was going.
Not well. Elaine has a heart of gold. But even though all through breakfast she promises to withhold food from the feral cat colony, she’s softened by noon, most days.
Still, smaller portions, too and we’re down to a dozen or so still too lazy to go find field mice. The tall grasses are in seed and if the cat can’t find food now, take it up with God.
The Reader Short Stories Department is under construction over here. I promised but I didn’t mention when, did I?
And we assume you’ve been to the Visitors Center at least once?
Write when you get rich,
George@Ure.net
The Matrix – “Hi, I’m The Keymaker”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gDR0WKNhj0
The Reality – “Hi, I’m Ure worst nightmare –
https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.10/original/68fddbb62030276a8b7750a5.jpg
“Natasha, we must obliterate the Moose & Squirrel”
I see Ure LGM-35A Sentinel, and raise You 1 nuclear turbojet.
Game On, yanks.
re: Piece in our Time
feat: Inspira’s Oracle Populus Genus
Boris,
Show your rabbi some love. Yesterday Ukrainian digital media outlet “Glavcom UA” tweeted from an Inspira Business Club meeting in Ukraine. “The war will end on January 15, 2026 – and we will celebrate it,…Investors and tourists will come to Ukraine, a great life will begin – this is not a dream, but the opinion of influential people in the USA.” So said the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro. Here is a link to the Glavcom tweet:
https://x.com/GLAVCOM_UA/status/1982047235543310772
According to “Kyiv Independent”, funding sources of Glavcom appears murky. However it notes that the two co-founders formerly toiled for Glavred which is a subsidiary of 1+1 Media. Apparently the majority shareholding billionaire of the latter is a former second richest person in Ukraine, Mr. Ihor Kolomoiskyi. According to “Wikipedia”, he helped finance the path to power for President Zelensky in happier times. However Mr. Kolomoiskyi this year has opted to remain in a Ukrainian jail on charges of “high treason” rather than pay bail of us$14 million.
As an aside, the Inspira Club of Kyiv to whom the Chief Rabbi delivered his remarks is under umbrella of the Aspen Institute of Kyiv. It is a branch of the Aspen Institute situated in Washington, D.C. Here’s a YouTube link to some rustling in the wind:
https://youtu.be/6g5LLwcm2-Q
‘Lassie’ and ‘Lost in Space’ actress June Lockhart dead at 100…
Let Elaine know she’ll get there too.
Yes, have sprayed rubbery stuff on wooden stairs.
Yes, have used the cute round wrench once in 20 years.
And “You power it and then it turns automatically in the direction you twist your wrist” — One good turn deserves another?
Easy does it Slugger, might want to “prelube” things, prior to twisting and turning Ure “driver”.
Lord knows friction burns always rub me the wrong way, so I try to avoid at all costs..
Sy Borg-https://youtu.be/4Yngc8DB86U?si=Ouc1THzzoQGQ4cb7
If you have a lock-up closet or safe space with a deadbolt, then use a different key for that. And don’t use a double cylinder deadbolt in any space with no window exit. Deadbolts can fail catastrophically in the locked position, with no real warning. Don’t ask me how I know this.
Found that nut I lost from the Friday assembly project gone in the ditch. It was sitting in the middle of the concrete floor where I has looked umpteen times with overhead lights plus a flashlight. But I will have spares later today.
A note from a ham friend patent lawyer I met in person once. Peak Prosperity circulated it today:
“Collapse of the American Empire is irreversible and accelerating. Maybe it is not worth our time to dwell so much on the details of this fascinating process since we need to focus on our own resilience.
A major aspect of American collapse is the belief in a fantasy based on extrapolation of the past.
The Fantasy: China cannot invent anything; they only steal American technology. So, the US can merely steal Nexperia and block export of Nvidia chips to China, block Chinese students and experts from studying and working in the US, and prevent the import of Chinese drones, since superior American technology will replace that and America will be “on top” again. Same with other fields. Thus, China, which relies on superior American brains, will wither on the vine.
The reality: For more than 10-15 years, China has been out-inventing Americans and is way ahead in most fields. Blocking imports from China will only exacerbate the inferiority of products and technology in America. This is my observation as a patent attorney. As an American refugee living overseas, I have been buying Chinese farm equipment at about a 5x lower cost than in the US, and I notice the quality improving. Europeans and Americans refuse to consider regulatory approval of new passenger jets from China, so the majority of the world (outside Europe/US) will enjoy lower-cost jet aircraft.
By the way, Nexperia has fabs in Germany and England. I have been buying advanced (newly introduced to market) gallium nitride transistors from Nexperia’s German fab because they are state-of-the-art and super great for my application. I understand that perhaps most of that stuff is finished off and packaged in China. Also, virtually all legacy chips (most of Nexperia’s sales) are NOT state-of-the-art and are manufactured in China, which is focusing on getting to the top of that field. When I lived in China during COVID, I tried to buy state-of-the-art power chips but was told that they had only a handful because manufacturing efficiencies were behind those from the West. This is a gap that is being closed, and perhaps Nexperia was a pawn in that operation.
The collapsing American empire is walling itself off from the rest of the world, but this is a good thing from an objective view. The emerging middle classes around the world are buying inexpensive and efficient air conditioners and very energy efficient cars from China, which are not allowed in Europe and North America. This is a good thing, because the (American-minority) empire collapse will not bring down the rest of the world, which is weaning itself off of older American technology and fiat currency. Hopefully, the American collapse will just be a blip in world history. I recommend that people visit China and see for themselves, as their tourism industry is opening up.
The selective collapse of American banking/government/military is the best possible outcome and could be celebrated by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and other advancing countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, etc., who are methodically insulating themselves from corrupt American bankers and their purchased politicians during this slow process. Gradual abandonment of the US dollar and reversion to greater reliance on a local countries’ wealth and gold backing is a good way to move ahead and not get caught in the undertow of a collapsing America.
The politicians and business managers in America are living in a dream world, and whether we have Trump or not will make little difference, in my opinion. I suggest you listen to what the president of Ford Motor said upon visiting China recently.
I permanently migrated out of the US about 12 years ago because the legal system was so profoundly corrupt, with no hope of fixing, that the best thing would be for a complete collapse of the country so that reasonable people might start it up again. Entropy increases, and you cannot reverse the extreme rot that permeates all aspects of American politics and banking. In this context, discussing Trump’s antics is just an energy- and time-wasting diversion. The sooner the collapse is over, the faster we can move on to something better. Hand wringing (in my opinion) should be replaced by philosophical debate, such as that presented by Charles Hugh Smith at his oftwominds website, and serious, practical resilience – not candle making at home, but LED procurement and long-term energy solutions (as an example). Those in America who have a real relationship with the Asian countries that create wealth will have a better long-term future. Perhaps this should be a factor in long term planning.
~ Mots”
No china pollution control, health care, social security, defense, research and development in Christian industries. Post obama all these are now to be deleted
Hmmm..collapse of the Empire irreversible.. hmmm what does the moron think.. eebie geebies the sports are about to speak..Bullwinkle moose on this thought is your friend right…. my thought is..We’ve crossed the tipping point. The American Empire’s collapse isn’t just accelerating—it’s being ignored by those who believe the past guarantees the future if it isn’t in their scope of life experiences it doesn’t exist..the big beautiful bill.. an optic illusion to push the noodle while rolling the big dice to see if it can be flipped. We as a country chase fantasies of dominance while neglecting the foundation and the needs of the laboring class..the essentials Adolph covered this in his opening page in his second secret book.. the wage earners, the elderly, the backbone of resilience. I’ve seen the designs of tomorrow emerge from cultures rich in ethics, family, and discipline—while here, we compound the burden on those who labor, expecting them to carry the weight of greed. The tower cannot stand when its base is fractured. “Let them eat cake” echoes again, but this time, the crumble is systemic. Resilience begins not with denial, but with truth—and the truth is, we must build from the bottom up, or not at all.We are no longer approaching the tipping point—we are living within it events and the debts are escalating compounding as we speak. The signs are not subtle either we have a fractured infrastructure, eroded and escalation of trust lost in political leaders that cant achieve anything or even show up for work on a regular basis..loss of trust in institutions,advancing ecological destabilization through urban expansion, and economic systems stretched beyond their ethical limits of debt. What defines this moment is not just collapse, but the fact that those political leaders constant refusal to acknowledge any of it or care enough to even try and fix it. The fantasy of endless growth persists while the foundation of the country and —the security of the wage earners, the elders, the caretakers—is crumbling under compounded strain and neglect. History teaches that empires fall not from external conquest, but from internal neglect by those that held positions to work the problems of the members of the civilization. when the needs of the many are sacrificed for the ambitions of the few, and when resilience is mistaken for inevitability. To navigate this threshold requires not panic, but clarityand the willingness to stand and get the job done. not nostalgia, but stewardship. The future will not be inherited—it must be rebuilt from the ashes. yes we are on the rollercoaster.. I believe your friend is correct..
Looking out of the box
October 26, 2025 at 10:48
Hmmm..collapse of the Empire irreversible..
__________________________
LOOB, it sure looks like you’ve hit the nail square on the head with this one as did Random Mike @ O6:42
Do you think this ‘shutdown’ has the potential to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back? It’s tough to figure out whom ALL are the bad guys in the idiocy we are witnessing. It may get so bad, the masses will give up and beg the politicians to go with Socialism/Communism or anything else as they beg their ‘leaders’ to please give them food…
When we are so down that it’s looking like ‘up’ to the little people, we will be at our weakest. Both figuratively and literally. Food, water, shelter are THE human needs for everyone. Every day.
It will be a dangerous time if you are the only light on your street, if you still own where the light is. Or the sound their stomach makes as it growls when the smells of cooking emanating from where you are holed up, leak out of the bullet holes in the windows.
If it comes to things getting that bad, and you are looking ‘comfortable,’ healthy and well fed, you will stand out be like, the only guy around wearing a ‘funny hat’.
Things getting this bad may be exactly what they have in mind. Martial law is nothing to wish off onto a population such as ours.
Don’t think for a minute this couldn’t happen here. We’re on our way already. This didn’t happen without a whole lot of planning and forethought. The folks with political/ personal power fixations are nearly always the least deserving of being granted such positions. But we now have so many politicians and wannabee politicians that it looks like a roach infestation. Last good paying job in America. Just look to Little Nancy and her nephew. When they get their million they just want another million. If they make the money fail, it won’t bother them-just you. The politicians know that it is coming and that’s why the economy is showing any positive signs at all, as they cram their ill-gotten gains into whatever inside-trader whispers into their pointed little ears.
Gonna be BIG changes, get ready now as if your life depended on it…
Hmmm… well I tried to use my wife’s crystal ball she said don’t touch that… and I don’t have a turbine..but will a child’s basket ball and some women’s underwear as a turbine replacement.. lets see what the spirits have to say…The current government shutdown isn’t just a political standoff in my opinion—it’s a symptom of deeper structural decay and the internal decay of the members of congress…see it doesn’t exist in their world of opulence and power. With the U.S. national debt now surpassing $38 trillion ( i believe over 200 trillion if all the figures were in) for the first time, economists warn that we’re not just flirting with crisis—we’re accelerating toward it at the speed of light.. compounding interesting and endless wars and foreign obligations is deepening the debt by a trillion every three months this will amplify the stress on the citizens with just essentials and how those working punch clock is getting even harder..take snap away they have to make that income for food something has to go which only deepens the loss of income in brick and morter.. I had to go back to work because my retirement is less than existing..it won’t be bad once I pay the bank loan of twenty grand off but it is a challenge.. my grandson his rent is almost two grand more than our household gets..this is affecting over a third of the population… The shutdown has already furloughed over 750,000 federal workers, disrupted food assistance programs, and delayed critical permits and services. These aren’t isolated inconveniences—they’re signs of a system straining under its own weight.Experts from the Baker Institute and S&P Global note that the economy was already on the edge before the shutdown began. Consumer confidence is falling, the labor market is softening, and uncertainty is mounting. A prolonged shutdown could tip the U.S. into A Weimar type depression, not just by halting government operations, but by undermining trust in fiscal governance itself.
Historically, shutdowns have cost billions in lost productivity. But this one is different—it’s longer, deeper, and happening at a time when debt is growing faster than ever in history then that big beautiful bill that takes from the average citizen and gives to inversion that’s dividing the population, and basic services are being stripped from the most vulnerable. If this isn’t the straw that breaks the camel’s back, it’s certainly the one that weakens its knees.The so-called “big beautiful bill,” paired with escalating military action and the economic burden of millions of displaced refugees, has pushed the common wage earner into a state of quiet crisis. School lunches vanish, SNAP benefits are stripped, and baby well-care programs are defunded—not because the need has disappeared, but because the resources have been redirected. It has to come from somewhere, and increasingly, it comes from those who can least afford it. Meanwhile, the gains of the wealthy are amplified, protected, and celebrated. This isn’t just economic imbalance—it’s a moral inversion, where the architecture of care is dismantled to fortify the towers of excess. If we do not reverse this trend, we risk becoming a nation that feeds its cannons before its children.
LOOB; Your comments here today should be posted far and wide.
You life, the story of your life has provided all who come here with a perspective on life in these United States. Over the years your writings here indicate what citizens endure and the actions and activities they must do. So,other than those positive actions you take for yourself, we must elect those who will make the difficult decisions to restore and rebuild this great country.
LOOB I can not lay down my thoughts here as well as you.
Just wanted to send you a personal thank you. StandFreeman
“Be Well to All Who Pass This Way”
(“The Fantasy: China cannot invent anything; they only steal American technology. “)
hmm..how fast how much have we learned from china.. its not a secret that I believe in the values that Christ taught.. and the teachings of Confucianism the Dao and my bible of preference the oldest..the Ethiopian Which basically teaches..this is my thought on what is taught.. “There will be kings who speak in my name. But you—go forth, teach with humility, and serve with love. For the Kingdom is not built by crowns, but by care.and peace, and compassion ”
https://youtu.be/VwJZlCQfmE8?si=r12OdNUzBglQK-Nd
https://youtu.be/u9Ji_p0ODKk?si=QzlBjdaM3caMJK2E
as for their ecological stance… China’s major ecological pivot is no longer just rhetoric—it’s becoming policy. With the unveiling of its first-ever environmental code and the ambitious goals of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China is signaling a serious shift toward stewardship of the earth and its resources. The “Beautiful China” vision now anchors national development, emphasizing low-carbon growth, pollution control, and green industrial transformation. What was once seen as a purely extractive economy is evolving into one that seeks balance between modernization and ecological responsibility while the USA has fallen back on this stewardship responsibility … This shift matters—not just for China, but for the planet. As the world’s largest emitter, China’s accelerated green transition could reshape global climate trajectofarms ( I wish they would build a solar tower..the thought of another lighthouse of Alexandria trips my trigger) It’s a reminder that stewardship isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic one.
After fifty-six years of ranting, pleading, and preaching resilience, it’s surreal to see someone finally doing it. China’s pivot—building solar farms, greening cities, decentralizing energy—isn’t just policy, it’s proof that ecological stewardship and energy independence can coexist. I’ve been saying it for decades: hand out solar kits to homeowners, build mini-grids in the form of solar towers, turn rooftops into power stations. Back then, it was dismissed as expensive idealism. Today, it’s the cheapest path to survival. While others chase dominance, someone’s finally investing in the essentials. It’s not about politics—it’s about continuity. And maybe, just maybe, the seeds we planted in frustration are starting to bloom.Are they behind us in technological advances.. they promote education .. industrialization work to provide the essential services we put obtained in the business model..or are they ahead of us.. while we seek wars in the name of peace they encourage growth.
The 10 commandments of the bible are one of the most devious listicles ever conceived: bordering on cult experience.
Phew.. not really.. its just like our bill of rights.. as we go along our congress has perverted the bill of rights to fit their desires..its the same in the bible.. man made changes to the wishes of the creator..While many in China remain diligent to the teachings of the Dao and Confucian principles—honoring family, living in harmony, and upholding moral conduct—we in the United States have increasingly diverted from faith and foundational ethics. Our compass now points to the number on the sheet of paper, not the values that once shaped our communities. The pursuit of profit has eclipsed the pursuit of wisdom. We’ve traded reverence for convenience, and stewardship for speculation. Where once we asked “Is this right?” we now ask “How much does it pay?” If we do not return to the teachings that bind us as humans—whether Ten Commandments, Daoist harmony, or simple human decency—we risk becoming a nation rich in currency but bankrupt in conscience. We are in the sixth extinction event and man is trying real hard to make sure humans are on that list.
You don’t have to if you control the means to production – which they do – courtesy of US that gave it to them. We have no reason to complain – the POLS certainly don’t as the GOP loots equally as well or better than the Dems.
I visited China back at the turn of the century and always wanted to go back, though circumstances and China’s increasingly xenophobic attitude inclined me otherwise. I realized, even then, that China would lead the world in many ways, and likely become the dominant power by – now. Had I met the right Chinese chick back then, life might have been very different. As of now, it’s probably too late for me to make a go of it there, and even Serpentza on youtube has sworn off China. If you’re Chinese and work hard, you can lead the world if you avoid crossing the system. America is in free fall, though it can recover and hopefully avoid a secondary stall if we’re so graced. I do worry about the increasingly authoritarian approach of the national government and its current desire for unwarranted power, no doubt enabled by the last disgrace of an administration. The latest assault on the American vision in the form of a grand ballroom eclipsing the White House seems like an awful distraction, waste of money, and a continuation of the destruction of historical markers and statues. I wonder how many others see this as beyond parties – something to encourage a real change of unwelcome direction away from the values of freedom and self-reliance that made our country great. Like most government funded urban renewal, nothing good is likely to happen.
the kids at the restaurant are constantly trying to get me to visit . ..is looks very to see the water gardens and the great wall
I love the new locks.. we use code locks… re-keying locks is easy.. and cheaper than buying multiple locks..although I will look for those type of Locke and knob sets..
I like the idea of a code latch for low security and easy entry, but want more than one lock if I’m away for any reason. It should take real effort for a thug to gain entry, and he needs to wish he failed if he ever did.
for the wine holder… I’m playing with this design ..
https://www.amazon.com/TRUDING-Countertop-Wine-Rack-Freestanding/dp/B0CRVQM6X8/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis?th=1
but what I am going to do is make it out of cardboard..way cheaper and can be made to fit anywhere..right now our television stand is sitting on a one day build dresser..when my older grandson was in high school freshman shop class.. he wanted to build a dresser..but his idea was a monstrosity that would require a Crain and the removal of a wall..so the daughter asked if I could show him the proper way..we went out to do it and the teacher became the student.. I sent him for shaper routing bits and he grabbed the good expensive set..I said no honey that’s the good set grab this old set over there..and his fourteen year old looking at me with a quizical expression asks me.. who are you saving them for…the epiphany of learning ..oh your right hun grab the good stuff..we built a dresser..nothing special its a quick cobble..but the wife seen an optimist fireplace in a hotel room we stayed in on a staycation.. ( amazing time got to shoot the shat with my so get of choice Eric. ) what a nice down to earth guy to.. we had an adult beverage the casino security drooling over meeting him and convinced the casino bar musicians to play a good polka.. lollol lol it was wonderful night..my wife got to do what she liked doing throwing away the coins given..
https://youtu.be/JxPj3GAYYZ0?si=qMA8eYsEF7EsqqME
anyway I googled and awed over the optimist fireplace and the boss hinted shed like a new tv stand and a fireplace humidifier..
Hi George
Up North Farmer
The lever handles are great except our dog Mikey can open them easily.
He has a lot of friends who think he is a genius, and learn his tricks!
Kinda like the former open boarder problem!!!!!
73
Enjoy
Dang y’oughta run ‘im fer congress
i love that the dog can open the latch…Hulk…. my mini mes pup..can turn the knobs to open the door to..lol lol lol lol he just hasn’t learned that he has to close the door behind him yet though lol lol..he comes to visit..we have to lock the doors to keep him from just coming over lol…just a year old so still a toddler in dog years..
Our solution to smart dogs:
https://www.amazon.com/Childproof-Improved-Adhesive-Drilling-Install/dp/B0C58T8RD5/ref=asc_df_B0C58T8RD5?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814222105224&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=72493&hvtargid=pla-4584413770014769&th=1
I kept having problems with old doorknobs. I bought a case of doorknob without keys and a case with identical keys. The no key doorknob went on a bedroom door, the door to the hot water heater, the door to the air conditioner/heater, and the main bathroom after the house toddler locked herself in the bathroom for the 3rd time. The locked doorknob went on the 2 inside closets that hold cleaning supplies and medical stuff after the same toddler recovered that she could pull up her stool and then stand high enough to open the hooks that were high on the door. There were a dozen doorknobs in each box, plenty to last for doorknob disasters as long as I live in this house.
Thanks for the cat update.
Thank you for asking about the cats. Need some?
I was at a clients place..( they love kitchen gadgets as much as myself….I have another small corn canon.. https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Popcorn-Machine-Suitable-Gatherings/dp/B0FH9HGS2C/ref=sr_1_5? ) as soon as I find where I put it.. I’m going to give it to him..lol lol… anyway we were visiting and their cat jumped in my lap being all lovey dovey.. he and his wife got this shocked expression.. that cat hates everyone except us.. lol lol oh its ok I love animals..
did you ever try your canon yet.. on the big one..m going to put a relief valve on it to reduce the pressure from ten pounds to five before I pop it open.. makes you jump every time lol..
In first use..
https://youtu.be/Pe8-zWZXPVE?si=O8QCvMcMcRuRb27I
after my older mini me came up and said grsndpa..show my significant other how puffed wheat is made… I gave everyone one for xmas..
Hienze will give ya .25 cents purr Cat, Live in any condition, no downers.
Obviously the main ingredient in Catchsup.
In China town/Philly, the going rate for fresh Cat is only .20 cents purr. Of course there in chinatown it is main ingredient in any dish that says “Beef”.
* There are never any stray or feral cats to found anywhere near Chinatown. Mastiffs dont last long in that neighborhood either.
Dozens of dogs, cats arriving in NYC spared from Chinese slaughterhouse — and being served as meat…
https://nypost.com/2024/04/03/us-news/dozens-of-dogs-cats-arrive-in-nyc-after-theyre-spared-from-slaughterhouse-and-being-served-as-meat/
Dining at the local Chinese place… it was a cold and rainy night. The wind swings the front door open just a crack and in comes a local cat. The dinner crowd was silent as the cat made a bee line between tables, chairs, and diner’s feet straight to the kitchen. Everyone saw it. The silence was broken when someone said out loud what we were all thinking: “That’s the last we’ll see of that one!”
explain the situation to a vet, maybe you can get prescription birth control (cats not under Republican scrutiny yet lol):
https://hardypaw.com/products/megestrol-20mg-tablets-dogs-cats?variant=43339296080033
So the “spirit” moved me..and I cant help myself.
The following is very similar to survivor lady friend of G’s ..Gaye ??
Anyway this Survivor Lady posted a very cool Healing Salve Recipe years ago, and I have used since. Anyways the following is for Rheumatoid Arthritis Relief Balm. Aint no cure, but it supposedly does provide some pain relief. Meant to provide natural relief by leveraging the anti-inflammatory properties Rosemary, enhanced by the deep tissue penetration capabilities of DMSO, to reduce joint pain and inflammation.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoon of 99.9% pure DMSO
1 Tablespoon of Rosemary essential oil(organic, for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties)
1/4 Cup of shea butta (as carrier, also aids in moisturizing and reducing inflammation)
2 tablespoons of Beeswax (to give the balm consistency)
10 drops of Peppermint essential oil (for additional pain relief and a cooling sensation)
Youse will need Glass mixing bowl
dble boiler
measuring spoons & cups
Stirring spoon(glass or stainless Steel)
Glass jar wit lid for storage
protective gloves (for handling DMSO safely)
set dbl boiler -fill with water place on stove over Med Heat.
Position Glass bowl on top of the pot,enuring the bottom of bowl does not touch the water.
Add shea butta and Beeswax to the glass mixing bowl, Stir continously with a stainless steel spoon until the mixture is completely melted and combined.
Once melted, remove bowl from heat and allow to cool for a minute before adding the DMSO. Wearing protective gloves, carefully measure and mix in the DMSO. Ensure the mixture is not too hot to prevent any potential degradation of the DMSO
Add the Rosemary and Peppermint oils to the mixture. Stir thoroughly to ensure all ingreients are well combined.
Quickly, before the mixture begins to solidify, pour the balm into a glass jar. Allow cool and solidify with lid off to avoid condensation.
Will prolly want to wash hands/fingers after applying this balm.
Recipe comes from 2025 protocol – DMSO Healing Guide – Martha Carter:
I. have made that salve..and the cbd and dandelion … gaye and I use to visit a lot in past years . haven’t heard anything from her ina long time..no new updates either.. is she doing ok
via today’s Bloomberg articles (US/China trade deals, etc), looks like markets will be pumped higher and higher as she goes ……….. all is just great, markets never go down … good luck all
next weekend toroto will set them right
Yeah except what they advertised as a huge deal – biggest ever – turns out to be an agreed upon framework………
As the apparent lone Dodger fan here, I will continue to absorb all the slings and arrows from those who can’t get over the fact that my Dodgers beat your beloved Mariners. I’ll forgive my misguided friends here, because I will have the last laugh. My Dodgers will eventually defeat the Jay, who are a very good team, and will bring the trophy to LA, again. Too bad the Dodgers are about the good thing left in California.
My father gave me a baseball 65 years ago. I still have it.
B’Klyn Mar 17, 1941 N’Y.
DODGERS-V-YANKEE
saint patrisks day (SIC)
St Petersburg Fl
This ball is signed by the team. Best and most notable of all the names
are “PeeWee “Reese and Leo Durocher. The LIP has pride of place as his is the biggest in size and ego.
I grew up in Bronxville NY in the 50s and Sixty’s.
We had the Bums, the Giants and my beloved Yankees.
The Yanks would win the series on my birthday. Those were the days of small transiter radio plugged into the ear of every 10 year old.
I remember the Dodgers beating my Yankees in a series soon after they left. I remember being crushed.
I now live in seattle, the home of mediocre sports franchise, os I’m used to losing.But I’m still a Yankee diehard.
Forever 1961
PS- I love your observations. Thank you
re: locks & locks
Folks,
It took a few moments for the tumbler to drop before it finally dawned on me. Following further inquiry of the AI, it seems door locks and hair locks share a common proto-Germanic entymology. Interestingly during medieval times of regulated Guilds, locksmiths as wielders of sharp, cutting instruments were permitted sidegigs as barbers. Don’t be surprised to see a “Shop Talk Sunday” piece next weekend requiring only a pudding bowl and shears.
Caution: Asking Grok in error about locks and entomology leads down a different path.
(PUlls his Herr auf…)
Cross-language Malaprop Pun! Triple penalty! Surrender your keyboard.
lol. lol…we were watching a new show the other day.. and a guys wig slipped in the shot lol lol it made the whole show..he kept to the script but the spray tan line of the slipped wig had me cracking up..
How about Sweeny Todd Sunday at UrbanSurvival ?
How to; Catch, Clean and Cook Ure next meal.
Kuru Prions,
Here’s a tasty thought to sink your teeth into – I wonder if Mrs. Lovett’s meat pie recipe draws inspiration from that served to Tamora by Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus”?
what about that female politician lol..a physician got on tv and mentioned that nasty disease possibility.. then he vanished …
the great journey of G and his wife . coldplay. adventure of a lifetime . their song . ive watched the ranch grow every step of the way. my favourite is still the old vege patch with the happy chickens around the outside to keep the darn insects out . i thought wow this guys not only tough , he is very smart and creative . yep the old sicilian saying cent ani, a 100 years for you and your wife
When I bought the Volcano ranch I got new locks and knobs. The exterior ‘security’ screen doors have knob lock and keyed deadbolt. Got them all keyed alike. Next wooden doors… keyed alike, including the door to the standalone laundry in the garage. That laundry is a black hole with no external windows and always requires a light, day or night. So I got an IR sensor-switch installed in place of the flip-lever. Now I can walk straight in with arms full of laundry basket and the light turns on automatically for me.
If you float, you have your own moat. A 1942 British flare pistol, looks like a blunderbuss, can easily be fitted with a tubular adaptor that shoots 12ga flares (common and legal) as well as other 12ga goodies.
But the moat can be very wide, like so wide and in such under utilized Earth surface so as to be of little interest to being crossed by anyone.
Possibly the only interest might come from underwater bases belonging to as yet unknown beings.
Off we go soon.
Stiks
WOW! Just Wow… Much to think about in this incredible visionary piece. Thanks for writing it.
As we say here on the Volcano, I’ll just go with the flow.
This really sucks ! ‘The Mrs’ nephew, 21 years in the Navy ., the last eighteen years with “The Teams”.., was run-over and rolled up under a pickup driven by a drugged-out illegal while riding his motorcycle just outside of San Diego.
They have already amputated his left leg above the knee and faces many more surgeries just to put the piece back together. Pain meds and a drug induced coma for three days now.
We shared many stories – funny things that happened at the least of humorous times.
He was one tough man.., that will never be the same…, ever.
For all that he has been through., to end up like this. This is not right. .., damn !
Just sitting here in the dark.., sipping a double bourbon.., “The Mrs” and her whole family is devastated and heart broken. He was their rock., they were all so proud of him.
Send a little prayer., or a small toast – it would be greatly appreciated.
Big and big. hoo rah
Stories like this remind us again that life is not fair and to count our blessings. I am 83 and 10 weeks out from knee replacement surgery. While I sometimes complain of the healing pain, at least I still have my leg.
Your wife’s young cousin with his whole life ahead of him and his family who will be his support are in my prayers this morning. Is a Scotch toast ok. I could never drink bourbon.
I know it happens in a moments notice..seen way to many that had life altering illnesses or accident.. been down that road more than I want to claim..when it happens you realize what’s truly important..family friends and faith.. and if you get the one two punch of fate.. knocked down to your knees and desperate.. then you see who your true friends are…usually from what I’ve experienced is they treat you like you have the plague. the year we went without an income .. everyone we thought would at least be there as a venting post ran we had the plague..not sure why but the thought I had is they ran because they didn’t know what to do or say..
This was me, 40-odd years ago.
I kept the leg, but am a paralytic.
The old fable about the guy who was paralyzed, who walked again, but it took nine years to recover — it’s not a fable. I’m that guy.
I also didn’t recover, but I learned how to cope & compensate. If there is anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Apologies, Bob. The pain scale actually goes past “10.” After I came out of the coma, I spent several months getting 100mg Demerol IM every four hours, before they weaned me off it and on to less-addictive narcotics.
“but I learned how to cope & compensate”
Isn’t that what life is really all about? I suspect you don’t hold too many pity parties.
You have helped me a lot, especially connecting me to Orthomolecular News. Excellent website. The last article on the Nobel Medicine prize was well worth a read. I just wish I had known this stuff 50 years ago.
Stay well Ray.
https://orthomolecular.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=b534ba68236ba543ae44b22bd110a1d6.420&s=202cc780519c7dd0ce2d98fdbeb353ba
One of the biggest things which happens is a total revision in one’s thoughts and beliefs. I went from a man of action to a man of contemplation, overnight. I discovered doctors were cliquish and had no strong desire to supply continuing care to a patient they hadn’t initially treated (and therefore, I had to learn a bunch about nutrition, physiology, kinetics, musculature, etc. because no one was going to doctor me to be more than a bedsore magnet in a nursing home. If I wished to be more, I would have to do it myself.)
I had also tended toward depression.
I learned this (and other negative emotions and “mental issues,” BTW) was a luxury mind game one played with oneself. This led to many more mental and emotional revelations, but depression was the biggie because after months in the hospital, then moved back in with my mother, as a cripple in a bodycast, who should have died and would never walk again,
I could never again afford the luxury of depression, or a self-imposed pity party.
It didn’t actually take me nine years to learn how to walk again. It took about two, after the local orthopod grudgingly relieved me of the bodycast and left me with newfangled fiberglass casts on my legs and right arm.
It took me nine years to learn how to walk without a limp.
In my 70s now, my normal gait is still between 5-7km/hr. I only do the “old man shuffle” on ice and snow. I can still run, but only short distances, and not sideways (the accident forever took my budding {not} basketball and tennis careers away.) One thing: I often can’t tell the difference between something being difficult because I’m old, and being difficult because I AM crippled, and have a lot of parts that simply don’t work quite as-advertised.
Should you be interested, I will write my journey out for you. It’s something I’ve never mentioned before (I am crippled, not handicapped!), and you are the first person outside my family, to whom I’ve spoken. Had a friend, many years ago, who was a USAF Man of the Year. A year or two later he was out jogging and got run down by a hit & run driver. d’Lynn’s nephew’s story really hit a chord with me. Jack survived, but stopped living, then died young. I don’t wish to see or hear of a repeat, if I can help prevent it. Our Internet friend’s nephew is more-important than my comfort…
(“One of the biggest things which happens is a total revision in one’s thoughts and beliefs. I went from a man of action to a man of contemplation, overnight.”)
Amen @Ray amen.. ones life changes in A heart beat..
(“I had also tended toward depression.”)
I hadn’t gotten to that..I was a workaholic ..went from active to inactive in lightning apeed.. the thought of what my doctor said..I had gone in and my leg was starting to swell and mottle..( it spread shortly after about a year and a half later) she asked so how many hours are you working now..I said you want the truth or what you’d like to hear..she looked at me and said..you know one day this will catch you.. a year and a half later I was in serious shape..they didn’t think I’d survive..I was feeling pretty low and a visiting professor said.. hey you should check out a site..the subject is variable and intelligent enough..it would keep your mind busy…. I’ve been here ever since my daily fix if urban..luckily I consider George as a dear friend..I don’t have many..thankfully George, Bob and Ray are some I consider as more than just an acquaintance..
boy I had to learn how to walk again .tough one small step.. a huge goal was to get to the curb… then to the mailbox.. a couple of times the school bus stopped and the highschool football team races out to pick my fat azz up..
that’s what impressed me about the young girl at Pizza ranch.. paralyzed from the neck down working harder than all the rest working … adapt and overcome…
prayers sent