Relax. Sit down and take a load off. There’s a lot to talk about (other than my week blowing up because of hackers (@#$%^&*). We have several topics that will give you a real sense of what owning “big property” is all about. People in the city, way we hear it, actually exist, who have never driven a tractor, fired a gun, and if you asked them to weld something up, they’d go into a seizure.
ShopTalk Sunday gives you a chance to learn about rural, well-prepped country life, without going to an AirBnB “dude ranch.” We hold class here every weekend (for now). Learning to “red neck it” and do journeyman-level DIY is not something you are born with. Takes a dad who will yell at you (when needed) and who sets a high mark in life so you really have to work your ass off to get there.
When you have? Now you’re ready for parenthood.
Those Damn Cats
Elaine (so she claims) is dialing back feeding the feral cat population a bit. But one of the projects finished off this week was cat-proofing the roof.
Citified cats may not, but feral Texas cat can leap up 7 to 8 feet in height and claw their way onto a house roof. It’s much less than that from my new deck railings. I don’t like ’em on the roof because there’s no damn mice up there…so “Stay the hell off!”
Do they listen?
No.
One of the cat repellents is an inch-and-a-half wide very steep triangle about 5-feet long. the idea with that is cats like to have both feet about equally grounded before a jump. And no way can a cat stand on an (almost) sharp piece of wood.
On the other side of the screen porch, it was even easier. The top deck rail there was 2-by-6. Elaine and I like wide deck rails to set the coffee or a cocktail on. To feral cats? Looks like a SpaceX launch site. This one, I just sluiced out 6 feet of rain and installed a section of 1-inch black iron pipe.
Ai – my thinking assistant and critic, said if that didn’t work (in other words if they could still reach “escape velocity” from the iron pipe) I could use the trick of putting a slightly larger piece of PVC water pipe over, so at the slightest provocation it would spin up like a Pratt PT-6 turbo prop getting warmed up.
I liked it. Elaine said something about “Your Ai is sick!” But she didn’t write the 2023 check for the new roof – I did. The cats are welcome to go back up – when they post a performance bond.
The rain barrels – oou other launch point – are now protected by these. Who knew “bird spikes” were a thing? Somehow, I’d missed that one.
Two Photogs Of this 1/2-hour project.
The $20 Ai Greenhouse Fix
Greenhouse got way too hot this summer. My Ai stack said “Get some cheap space blankets, fool! Mount on L-bars sliced from a 2-by so they stand out an inch and a half from the studio wall. This will get you huge reductions in the greenhouse/studio wall heat transfer and also get you double the effective light for winter growing.”
Yeah…I knew that…(ahem…) So…
School Time for Coop-Dwellers
#1: Ask: What Is a Restoration?
A restoration is more than a fix. Fixing is quick and dirty—patch the roof, tape the hose, solder the joint, and hope for another season. Restoration is deeper. It means honoring the history of the object and returning it to full working condition. The load on the planet is lighter – and disposable shit begins to be less of an Industry, following?
A car is not restored when it rolls down the driveway; it’s restored when the engine purrs, the chrome gleams, and the miles flow like they once did. We still drive a 2005 Lexus with just over 100K miles and we do what we can to keep it in A#1 and collectible condition. Same in ham radio: A radio isn’t restored when the pilot light comes on; it’s restored when the circuits hum within spec and the audio takes you back to another time. Old parts (capacitors) dry out – these filter the hum from the power supply. Old low-spec resistors? After thousands of heat-cycles, tolerances drift out…
Every kind of object has its own path. Cars need bodywork, paint, trim, and powertrain. Electronics are resistors, capacitors, wiring, and alignment. Furniture is glue, sanding, finish, and upholstery. Every discipline has its unique tricks and tools, but the mental framework—the restoration process map—is common to all.
I Object!
The real value is how a project becomes a thought object. Once you define a restoration clearly in your mind, it’s always with you. When you walk into a Lowe’s, you already know if sandpaper is running low. Browsing Amazon, you check your mental list: resistors, brushes, upholstery tacks. The project lives in your head before it comes back to life in your hands.
Speaking of Amazon – got a bunch of 3-watt resistors in this week (an 218K ohm 2 watt in the Ranger power supply is its “Chernobyl” weakness – it gets replaced no matter what. But see what happened in shipping to the nice box the manufacturer provided? Blam!
The Restoration Process Map
(OK, here he goes…) The process map keeps you from getting lost in side trips and wasted time. Assessment, disassembly, refurbishment, reassembly, finishing, and return to service. Six phases that fit almost anything. (No, G2, not the metaphor when dating women…sheesh! For them it’s the cigar metaphor “Once they go out they’re never as good…”) (Is that the advice of a parent, or what?)
Assessment is seeing what you have, what’s wrong, and what restored will look like. Disassembly is breaking it down far enough that every part can be reached. Refurbishment is the actual cleaning, repairing, or replacing of pieces. Reassembly and test is the first draft of putting it back together and seeing if it works. Finishing is the polish—the sanding, paint, or alignment. Return to service is when the restored object takes its place again, ready to work.
If a job is longer than half an hour, break it into slices. Sanding might be one slice, gluing another. Electronics might be recapping the VFO as one slice, testing tubes as another. Each slice becomes its own deliverable. That’s what keeps you from the common trap: starting a job, running out for a part, getting distracted by burgers or beer, and realizing half a day later that nothing got done. Deliverables orientation is how you keep the hours flowing into output.
Johnson Ranger
This one is going to be great. Here’s why:
“George you damn fool, that’s a box – hackers fried your brain, did they?”
Not so quick, Bubba. That’s a double-box. And inside it is a relic once owned by a super-competent fellow who sadly passed a while back. But you see it? Quality runs in Families. Big lesson in Life there.
Second point: Be super careful when you open any eBay box. See the rare as hound’s teeth Crystal plugin cover?
Assessment on the Johnson Ranger is clear. These transmitters carry the famous “Chernobyl resistor” in the VFO that runs hot and drifts until it fails. (R3) Add to that the usual electrolytic capacitors that dry out and the tubes that wander with age. Restored, the Ranger is a clean, stable transmitter that can once again anchor a station.
Disassembly begins with pulling the chassis, getting to the VFO compartment, and exposing the resistors and caps. It’s a hands-on job: unsolder, check values, and replace what’s out of tolerance. The refurbishment step is replacing the bad resistor with a modern metal-film type, recapping the power supply, checking each tube against spec, and cleaning the contacts. Electrolytics in the VFO, of course.
The VFO work is cranky because of what were once mica four-hole plates used as insulating shaft couplers. Today, its a 15 minute print on one of the 3D printers…
Reassembly and test means bringing the Ranger back up slowly, watching voltages, and keying into a dummy load. Alignment brings the circuits back into resonance. Finishing is cleaning the case, polishing the knobs, and touching up any cosmetic blemishes. Return to service is the real payoff: the Ranger sitting proud on the bench, ready to call CQ on 40 meters with the steady authority of a classic AM fone rig. I have the D-104 in perfect shape to match.
Rocking Chair Time
The rocking chair is a very different project but the same process map applies. Assessment says the joints are loose, the finish is worn, and the upholstery has seen better days. Disassembly is throwing out the care padding, arms unscsrewed, and stripping down to the frame.
Refurbishment is sanding the rough spots, re-gluing the joints with clamps for strength, and applying a fresh finish of oil or stain. If upholstery is part of the work, this is the time for new fabric and padding. Reassembly and test is tightening it back together and rocking in it yourself. If it creaks, tighten. If it tips, level it. Finishing is the polish that brings out the grain and makes it shine again. Return to service is when the chair goes back to the living room, solid and comfortable, carrying both history and new life. Before you “sign in” to a project like this, consider the finish you’re going for.
What’s striking is that the Ranger and the chair follow the same steps. One is electrons and resistors, the other is wood and glue, but the restoration mind is identical.
Greenhouse and Mylar Light Control (pictures earlier)
Restoration thinking doesn’t stop with radios and chairs. The lean-to greenhouse project is a live example. The problem was clear: too much radiant heat pouring from the greenhouse wall into the studio. Plants got light, but the workspace cooked. Assessment said this wasn’t sustainable.
The process map led to a restoration-style solution: use reflective Mylar, the same space-blanket material (6 for $10) that keeps campers warm, to redirect energy. Disassembly here meant clearing space along the greenhouse wall and preparing the mounts. Refurbishment was cutting and hanging panels so they could reflect light back onto plants while blocking infrared heat from entering the studio. Reassembly and test meant putting the panels in place, watching temperatures drop, and seeing plant growth improve with higher light efficiency. Finishing was trimming the panels to fit neatly and securely.
The result is a win-win. Plants get more useful light bounced back at them. The studio wall stays cooler and more livable. A problem turned into a gain, just by applying restoration logic. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s the kind of systems thinking that keeps a homestead functional.
Downsizing and Walking the Talk
This brings up the philosophy behind it. When I wrote my book Downsizing, the whole point was that you don’t need to chase consumer culture if you know how to make, mend, and restore. Restoration is a form of recycling, but it’s also a form of independence. You don’t just talk about sustainability; you live it by keeping things alive longer. A chair made solid again is one less imported throw-away in the landfill. A Ranger brought back is one more piece of technical history preserved.
That’s why hobbies like this are more than pastimes. They’re proof that you can walk your talk. In a culture that tells people to buy new, restoration is an act of rebellion as much as an act of care. It’s how you practice downsizing in the real world. Not by doing without, but by giving what you already have another life.
Project Follow-Up
This week it’s teeing-up the Ranger and the chair. Next week (or month, there’s a new deck in cue too, remember – and the fall garden in the greenhouse) it might be the Hallicrafters.
This week’s coffee session takeaway? Restoration thinking isn’t limited to collectibles—it’s a way of solving practical problems. When you restore, you aren’t just fixing. You’re standing up to entropy with your own two hands, one project at a time.
Oh, and saving a FREAKING BUNDLE of dough because it’s one way to effectively “work for yourself” in a way not greedy government bureau has figured out how to tax. Yet.
Best hurry before they do…
If I was going to live another 15-years for sure? I’d be learning upholstery and refinish free goods of Craigslist…free money in your spare time.
Write when I get rich,
George@Ure.net
Speaking of restoration… what about shoes?
We used to go to the shoe repairman for new soles and heels. Shoes were spit-shined and cared for.
Quote The Raven: Take something as simple as buying a pair of running shoes in Philadelphia. First, I can’t make it two blocks to the store without being ambushed by clipboard warriors trying to rope me into saving the whales, curing baldness, or whatever today’s cause-of-the-day is. Like Jim Carrey in Liar Liar said: “I just want to get from my car to the office without being confronted by the decay of western society.”
Can I ask you a question?” they always begin, standing directly in my path. No, you fucking can’t. Now get out of my way before I plow through you like Frank Gore running over a junior high linebacker.
When I finally reach the store, it takes 15 minutes to find an employee. When I do, I tell them what I want, and their response? “Why don’t you just buy it online? We’ve got more colors there.” I don’t know, maybe because I want to go for a run in an hour and would like shoes on my feet instead of in an Amazon box next Tuesday?
The associate eventually trudges into the back, gets me the shoes, and I head to checkout. I hand the cashier my credit card. She looks at me like I’ve just asked her to barter goats for spices.
“Can I have your name?” she asks. “No,” I reply. “You can have my money.”
Then comes the phone number. Then the email. Then a stool sample and the name of my favorite childhood pet. I decline. Finally, after this interrogation, I’ve spent $300 and she asks if I’d like a bag. Of course I want a fucking bag.
https://quoththeraven.substack.com/p/every-industry-is-an-overcrowded
LOL! Sounds like my visit to the Sketchers store at the mall. All I wanted was a pair of slip-on shoes after hip surgery to avoid bending over. I think I got bent over anyway!
Old-school shoe repair in a throw away society – Made to Last
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ViQH9A9SWOA
How let the DODGE out ?
https://youtu.be/_jqSWKkHhVg?si=Gh_oq-BdmMEURU5u
you should have been my Dad.
Two teenage boys outgrowing everything every six months, with size 14 A feet.
Yes everything got patched, let out, extended. and shoes got resolved until the upper fell apart.
We finally quit growing.
“First, I can’t make it two blocks to the store without being ambushed by clipboard warriors trying to rope me into saving the whales, curing baldness, or whatever today’s cause-of-the-day is.”
I ask if they’ve ever eaten whale (or whatever.) Then tell them it tastes like (tough, or oily, or creamy, or… the term isn’t important, only that this adjective exists and is used) chicken. This renders them utterly speechless and stunned. I escape while they’re trying to remember how to walk.
_____
“Now get out of my way before I plow through you like Frank Gore running over a junior high linebacker.”
This is my backup plan. After using #1 above, I have not had to resort to this one, yet. (2nd backup is spewing Bible verse, ‘cuz everybody likes a thumper…)
_____
I don’t generally want an employee. They’re all unimaginative dumbasses possessing neither vision nor common sense. On the rare occasion when I do, other than the cash register jockey they can never be found. Speaking of, when I check out, I give out the hard line phone number I used 40 years ago, which hasn’t been valid this Century, or I give nothing, at all.
BTW, my local cobbler is four miles up the road, and I use his services. The last thing he did for me was rebuild a pair of New Balance tennies (which CAN’T be as easy as resoling a pair of wing-tips.) He lives in a town of about 150 people, way the hell out in the boonies and (according to him) is the only cobbler for 80 miles in any direction…
Information is valuable. Some people will do nearly anything to get you to give up a little personal info.
Just say “no…”
Find a cafe, and have breakfast out today or tomorrow. Make a holiday of it.
We had a steady rain much of yesterday morning. Hay is looking like it is ready to cut, rake and roll for a second cut a month early. Haven’t gotten the property tax bill yet, but it looks like hay will cover the tax bill this year.
With it raining, I spent half the day getting new tires. Sales on premium tires have been tough to find this year. Michelans are out of my price range this year. Found a set of mid-level grand touring tires for $175 less. The goal was to get a set of all weather tires before the financial crazy season and bad weather set in. The new tires are a major improvement. These tires will potentially last until my next trade.
Eggplant zuchinni….
1 medium eggplant ( cut in half )
1 zuchinni ( shredded)
1 onion
1 roasted red pepper
1/4 cup of sugar
1 six ounce can of tomato paste
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can V-8 16 ounces
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp worschester sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
olive oil
1 stick of butter
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
hot sauce to taste..
boil the two eggplant halves lay out to cool..scrape off the exposed seeds…
boil the shredded zuchinni.. ( peel them first before you shred)
after you’ve boiled the eggplant and the zuchinni..
place the olive oil and butter and chop the onions.. caramelized the onions take it slow.. then add the red pepper ..pour in the v-8 and tomato paste tomatoes..
scrape out the egg plant meat and the zuchinni put these in a blender and blend it up.. ( you may need some v-8 in it to get it smooth..)
put the onions tomatoes and tomato past that has been simmering into a blender and blend till smooth .. ( garlic if you want)
now mix both blended up conditions together and slow cook or cook in n low to reduce this till its about the consistency of peanut butter..season to taste..
Ding,ding-ding,ding – Youse got it G-Pops, refinishing great way to save money and make profit if so inclined.
When first married, 1988, I spent a lot of time hitting auctions in Phila area for Furniture, rugs and some art work.
Self taught furniture refinishing – became very competent. Sold some, gifted some, and kept a few of the real exceptional pieces, that I still own today.
Daughter (34) has my in laws Pecan Dinning Room Table, (3 leaves), that had really taken a beating last couple of years while they were raising Granddaughter. Finish was flaking off-wearing away in spots, overall looked like to an really nice Arts&Crafts table.
Daughter called me up asked for assistance & guidance with Re-Finishing..oh joy ! No really I luv going over to her house – rather chaotic.
Can of Stripper from HD now costs over $50 !!!! WTF, Over?!?
Steel Wool – AYFKM? What the What ?
You want how much for Toucans poly finish ?
We just did the table, in the last heat wave – had to get days work done by 10:00 AM. I took her thru the Stripping process -all the tricks I learned to keep from staining Ure work area to not getting burned by the stripper itself.
* I always get burns, doing this shit, wash that scheisse off quickly and there is no real harm done..still stingy though. She did the Finish, as she is generational Artist, and I warned about unsatisfactory results with foam Brush on Poly.
Daughters restored table looks spectacular today, ate off of it Wednesday at GDs’ birthday party. Saved big bucks, show piece dinning room table now, even the Maine Coon Cat doesnt F with it..anymore.
** Case you missed it – Old tools, Objects owned by previous generations CONTAIN NRG and Information from previous owners. This how my martial arts advisor was able to paint his 12 famous Paintings, dipicting major Daoist saints, and archaic Chinese legends, like the Auspicious Dragon looking back on Humanity. he used a famous masters Brushes and Brush pot.
In this case my Wifes’ entire Family grew up around that table, and it is LOADED with info for the little ones to access.
Once taught “coding” Upload/Download of “Codes”/nrg/information from a Plant, Animal and or certain objects, I consider “practical magik”.
Practical Magik ? = like placing glass container of Water on table and praising that container of Water every time you walk by, telling it how much You Love Water and what it does for Humans and Earth. All day long this process builds in information. End of day give that “blessed” water to ailing Subject (Human or Animal) and watch the improvement in their overall Health/condition..practical, no?
GD starts new Friends Nursery School Tuesday – where the her formal Education begins, at 5 Kids to 1 & master degreed Teacher – its gonna be pretty rigorous for a 3 yr old – the way it IS Supposed to be! She cant wait either, been pitching a FIT everyday this week at Day care dropoff..”new school”.
Best part – Daddy is off the boat Derry, Ire – so she qualifies as Minority – even though Blonde Hair, very fair skin, and tallest kid in class.
Truly blessed – and profoundly Grateful. I am.
Dont know what I did or didnt do to deserve such a wonderful Fam – but I aint waiting around to find out – Damm fink and the zio Mother wefers, FULL Speed ahead!
“Can of Stripper from HD now costs over $50 !!!! WTF, Over?!?”
When I priced a can of paint for a Cadillac two years ago and was told “$1400” I had the same reaction.
You can thank Messrs. Bush43’s and Obama’s EPA for that cost, and thank Mr. Clinton’s EPA for the regs which caused prices to increase by a factor of seven since 1998…
Wait. Stripper in a can? Sounds handy. Only $50? hmm … E
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Adams-PATIO-Stackable-Frame-Rocking-Chair-s-with-Solid-Seat/5014516345?
these are what I have and love them.. I restored a porch swing like your rocking chair..lots of fun..
Seriously…who doesn’t love a good fish stick…I have a stick form
1½ cups cooked, shredded white fish (cod, tilapia, haddock, salmon etc.)
1 egg
¼ cup breadcrumbs (panko or homemade)
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
( I love onion powder)
Optional: 1 tbsp grated Parmesan or chopped herbs for flavor
your the boss on what spices trip your trigger..
If using raw fish, cook it gently (steam or poach), then shred with a fork. If already cooked, just flake it finely.
In a bowl, combine shredded fish, egg, breadcrumbs, flour, and seasonings. Mix until it holds together—add more breadcrumbs if too wet.
Form into small logs or patties. Chill In the freezer for 10–15 minutes to firm up.
https://www.amazon.com/Minchsrin-Silicone-Ladyfingers-Chocolate-Non-Stick/dp/B0BYP6H4Z3/ref=sr_1_31?
now if you like them breaded that’s easy enough..
Dude – Fish sticks in the middle of American Continent ?
I can see a Tilapia..in warm months, once Winter forget it. Aint no Cod in middle America, nor Salmon..Haddock !?!? Puulease
Catfish, Bass, BlueGills and Trouts- maybe.
Got as much chance catching Haddock in middle America as you do finding one of G. Ure “citified” Cats alive.
In major metro areas – Cats dont last put 1 weeks time before some “Chef” from a Chinese Take Out joint got that puddy cat strung up hanging in back next to the Fathered Rats =Pidgeon’s=Chicken
“Pork” fried lice coming right up..
There’s a prawn farm close by.. and the grocery store has fresh live fish to..Most fish patties and sticks are made.. with carp..processors like Fin Gourmet have developed techniques to debone efficiently, turning carp into boneless fillets, ground fish, and emulsified blends ideal for patties and sticks.When properly cleaned and prepared, carp has a mild, slightly sweet flavor that blends well with seasonings and binders.In China and Eastern Europe, carp has been a staple for centuries. In the U.S., it’s gaining traction as a sustainable alternative to over fished species.
I knew a woman that made canned carp..you could not tell the difference between tuna and her carp..
2 cups ground or shredded carp (deboned)
1 egg
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp fresh herbs (dill, parsley)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Optional: lemon zest or mustard for brightness
Mix mold freeze or fry bread them with bread crumbs and seasonings..
Ure funny Guy Loob, funny guy.
Been around Fish and Fisherman a very long time, in fact was a Fish Cop/CrickPrick/Trout Trooper in Pennsyltucky for 6 yrs.
– in these parts of country, NE, only the Urepeon types fish for Carp with their carp rigs/poles.
Only Peeps I know who eat em are the Russian Pop.
Russians in this part of country tend to be used to harsh conditions. They dont bat an eye at conditions that I consider No Go, due fact I am older, lazier and wiser in my GrandPa years.
Over the years I have been offered Carp in gelatin, in a mayonnaise based sauce..
Oh Manomanoshevitz that hurtz..
Dry heaving just thinking bout em..clickclicknickclick
https://youtu.be/XvIW56Tn_PQ?si=tYJ0u5ls3FvnnOob
What, Marvin… never tried Norwegian Lye-drenched Lutefisk? LOL
“If a job is longer than half an hour, break it into slices.”
Sounds great! Now if only I could figure out how to do a half-hour job in under 4 hours, I’d be happy. The 10-minute jobs that take 2 days are the real buggers.
AFS
always fixing stuff,,, this week it was the Kenmore clothes washer quit agitating, that sounds good, but it is bad, somethings need to be agitated, dirty stuff needs a liddle agitating, easy fix
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PZWNRZ7
riding mower needed a new voltage regulator, had to remove gas tank to get to it, now, the tank has a bottom-mounted shut-off valve, well that sucker started leaking, I see it has been leaking a little already as evidence of a dirty bottomside of the tank, new vlv on the way
https://www.amazon.com/192980GS-208961-462-03-S-13116/dp/B07JL794S4
need to go install a replacement hood&safety latch on 03 Subaru outback, long story, car got backed into, while parked, by a sober party bus driver,, insurance and body shop both missed this damage,, the safety part got bent and does not catch, I can handle it,,,
a never ending story,,, AFS
My hanai brother here is an ‘expert’ at finding old, throwaway, koa wood pieces. We’ll be driving down the road and he sees an old, grey, ‘barnwood’ shelf in the curbside trash and demands we stop. A wet-finger wipe and he proclaims “It’s Koa!” Won’t fit in the car, so we go home, get the truck, and come back for it immediately. Weeks of sanding and a Briwax rubdown, and there is now a beautiful Koa wood bookshelf in the living room.
He did the same with a ‘barn find’ coffee table that literally had been in a dirt-floor garage for decades. The top is a 2’x4′ single piece of wood, not a patchwork of laminate, that shows it’s grain. I’ve seen equivalent size pieces with multi-piece tops at Koa wood shops priced at $5,000. He got this one for $50.
For those who don’t know, Koa is a rare hardwood of Hawaii that was a favorite of the royalty class for furniture in the last century. As George knows, it is damn near impossible to find now.
Hank (and bro) do raise this great point: There are plenty of reasons to scan the craigslist for about every other day toward the end of the month (this is when people move, right? tons of free shit all the time). Go pricing old mid-century teak wod – which like koa is getting harder and harder to come by and yet it’s the killer app for good looks. ‘Course, what do I know – I still like Philippine Mahogany7 with a light dark fillter and 317 coats of laquer or ure-a-thane on it…
The neighbor’s house is a rental to Mexican illegals. It has always had problems with rats. One has migrated to under our house. I recognize the type of hole from last time.
We had a rat when we first moved it and chased it away with sticky traps and my old dog. But my daughter’s dog is afraid of mice.
Any good suggestions to get rid of this fellow?
When I bought my house I thought it was a good deal, but I’m always getting things fixed or replaced. I think I was foolish buying a house that was built before I was born.
We live in the middle of prairie where little rodent creatures abound. Found that bits of Irish Spring soap spread around under the house, along trails, even on steps into the house and gauge kept them out. Added dryers sheets under the hoods of cars as added incentives. Keeps them at bay !
used kitty litter spread thoughtfully seems to be effective but need s occasional refreshment.
Rat Trap – KILLZ
better hurry up – before any MORE Damage is done. AMZ a big ole Rat Trap – not mouse trap, a much BIGGER RAT TRAP.
Rats are tough ass mofo’s, without a “Ratter” like my Jack Russels, youse really need to put out a baited trap or 2..post haste Lady.
Throw a bar of this under the house:
https://www.amazon.com/Just-One-Bite-Rat-Mouse/dp/B005SNHSR2
Put it on something that is waterproof in a sheltered spot. When you start seeing dead squirrels in neighbors yard, you will know it wasn’t a rat.
Rats will crawl up through walls and get in the attic. Put a bar in the attic too. Same for the garage.
Farm cats are better for keeping vermin under control than dogs. George might make you a deal on a couple. If you do get cats, send the poison to the landfill.
In the winter I put a bar on top of my tractor battery.
Change out the bait at least every 6 months, unless the rats eat it all. Then put out two bars, ASAP.
Rat Birth Control is the best solution, more effective than one by ne poisoning:
https://www.amazon.com/Evolve-Birth-Control-Soft-Sausages/dp/B0CZSBLC32?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1
“Any good suggestions to get rid of this fellow?”
Burn down the neighbor’s house, then put out rat poison under yours.
Prezactly!
Around here (NE) we call it “jewishlightening”, seems to burn down businesses just before they are about to go under..
20–30 drops of peppermint essential oil
1 cup water
Optional: 1 tablespoon white vinegar or witch hazel (helps the oil disperse)
Spray bottle
Fill your spray bottle with water, leaving a little room at the top.
Add peppermint oil and vinegar or witch hazel.
Shake well before each use to mix the oil and water.
Spray generously around: Baseboards,Under sinks,Pantry corners
live traps…I relocate mice rather than kill them.. A cheap method besides mint spray is cotton balls soaked in… pine sol….mice are repelled by pine sol smell..Rodents—especially mice and rats—are repelled by Pine-Sol primarily because of its strong, pungent scent, which overwhelms their highly sensitive olfactory systems. The key ingredient behind this effect is pine oil, a natural compound derived from pine trees that many pests instinctively avoid…Mix Pine-Sol with water and spray around baseboards, entry points, and known rodent paths.Rodents are repelled by ultrasonic frequencies because their auditory systems are far more sensitive than ours. These high-pitched sounds—typically above 20,000 Hz, which is beyond human hearing—can cause neurological stress, disrupt their communication, and interfere with their nesting behavior. It’s like living next to a fire alarm that never stops…here’s the top of the line..T3-R Triple High Impact Repeller: Emits variable ultrasonic waves and is specifically designed for rodents.
Loraffe 4-in-1 Plug-In Repeller… which Offers four sound modes (TEST, ULTRA, DUO, TRIO) and includes LED strobe lights to enhance disruption.
RibRave Rodent Repeller that Uses pulse waves and multiple ultrasonic modes with visual indicators.T3-R Triple High Impact Repeller that Emits variable ultrasonic waves and is specifically designed for rodents…What’s nice is These devices don’t just blast a single tone—they cycle through frequencies, making it harder for rodents to habituate. Some even combine ultrasonic with electromagnetic pulses or light-based deterrents for layered defense. Now I could go into a long repetitive theory I have about frequencies.. but that would be more overkill than what I already have..
The past is written. It is ‘done’. If you could travel back in time [ which you can’t ] and saw to it that Hitler died in World War One.., what kind of world would we live in today? Would it be better? Hard to say. It would be different., but, better? Or Stalin? .., or Mao ?
The future isn’t written., we really don’t know what is going to happen. It is malleable. A car crash just outside of Berlin could kill the very person that in a few years would discover the cure for cancer. But we don’t know that. The future, our future was changed with that death.
The future is always changing with what happens around us today., or last week., or even next month.
Thus.., my on going skepticism in ‘seers’., predictions…, future forecasts. Are they really looking into the future? Which future? Since it is not ‘written’., and is changeable by the very acts of today – how can we say, with any certainty.., that what is predicted is actually our future? It may have been., when they supposedly ‘saw’ it.., but how much has changed, or will change since that ‘vision’ that affected or alter, or completely eliminated that “future view” ?
How do we know that when someone dies and comes back with stories of a fantastic future., or of heaven., or hell.., that it is ‘real’.., and not just a vivid dream enhanced by lack of oxygen and misfiring synapses ?
Thus my own personal dilemma. Questioning and even disbelief.
Stu has done an incredible amount of work – and is the ‘only one’ that has even come close to convincing me of the possibilities / probabilities.
However.,
I am still., not convinced.
“However.,
I am still., not convinced.”
Good! Skepticism is always better than blind faith.
IMO, if Hitler had died in WW-1, Nazism would still have swept Germany. Adolf was an incredibly charismatic speaker, but was also a nut short of a full scrotum. Hess or Himmler were adequate speakers. They would not have had an Eastern Front until after all of Europe was in Nazi hands, and they would never have dealt Germany in against us, after Pearl Harbor. FDR would likely not have been able to go to war in Europe until the Nazis invaded Greenland.
Offing Stalin wouldn’t have mattered. Killing Lenin might’ve changed things for the better. The path was already too worn by the time Joe became the leader of the pack.
Mao? I don’t know. IMO without Mao, the commies would still have driven Chaing to Formosa.
If these three had seen the business end of an 03-A3 they wouldn’t have murdered the ~120 million people they turned into fertilizer between 1918 and 1968, but that doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t have, in their stead…
The existence of God can not be empirically proven. Neither can the absence of God.
In fact, the definition of “faith” is “belief in something which can not be empirically proven.” If it can be proven, it doesn’t require faith.
Belief in God requires “faith.” That is its actual function.
Belief aside, the likelihood of our existence, and that of everything we know to exist, is far too mathematically improbable to warrant consideration as anything other than intelligent design by a superior being. Is this superior being “God?” I don’t know, but I believe it is. This is not a blind faith, but one tweaked by knowledge and observation, and influenced by people far brighter than I. Even people like Darwin and von Däniken were devout Christians. Despite what some of the thumpers say about them, their theories in no way contraindicated the existence of God or the holiness of Christ as the Son of God.
Herein is where the lesson lies: Faith should be tempered with common sense. Narrowmindedness is the enemy of Mankind. A healthy skepticism is, well, healthy, as long as it neither descends to narcissism nor blind egotism. “Christian Fundamentalists” should read both the forward and synopsis, before they condemn someone for daring to have beliefs [which are] not identical to theirs…
The Matrix
Morpheus: The pill you took is part of a trace program. It’s designed to
disrupt your input/output carrier signals so we can pinpoint your location.
Neo: What does that mean?
Cypher: It means buckle your seat belt, Dorothy, ’cause Kansas is going bye-bye.
Neo: [Watches a cracked mirror become repaired] Did you… [He touches it and glass becomes viscous on his hand]
Morpheus: Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?
Stu’s account of the AI summary analysis was that it conceded that Stu’s dating code looked like it could have merit, but his Obama anagram was a stretch. Personally, I try to avoid making judgements on these sorts of predictions, though prophesy analysis by an inhuman commentator was very much a novelty.
People get personal inspiration from all sorts of strange, non-science sources, so I would not reject someone’s analysis due to their religious convictions. I look for successes that rise above the level of pseudo-random flailing that characterizes hucksters, spiritualists and plagiarists trying to hustle a buck. Temporal immutability comes in a lot of different flavors. Prophesy is one branch. We don’t see mainstream scientists having a lot of success proofing the multiverse. There are other places to look.
ChatGPT is notorious for defending the reputation of Barack Obama. It is entirely possible that a little bias crept into its analysis of Stu’s anagram…
Have to agree. Is AI obsession a male thing? Unfortunately I read through the entire AI discourse between ChatGPT and GA Stewart. Mind numbingly boring and sycophantic (from both parties).
I’ve noticed a pattern that the AI wave seems to be harvesting a crop of new disciples who, not that long ago, were proudly disavowing any involvement in social media. The trap was baited…………………
Here is the crux of prophecy. How would a seer born in 1503 make sense of a vision so far into the future where entire countries and their borders had been made and remade, renamed and resettled? Imagine for a moment that you’re peering into a pot of dark tea – where are you? You haven’t travelled the world, there are no familiar landmarks, the technology you’re faced with has all the hallmarks of sorcery and magic – heck you don’t even speak their language! How would you know the names of leaders or key players in the political sphere of the time? Unless you physically travelled to that place and time.
Some random tarot reader and “clairvoyant” claimed that Nostradamus must have read that information from newspaper headlines or captioned news feeds on TV or internet broadcasts. It sounded ludicrous. But is it? The HOW in this case is just as important as the why I think.
Modern physics is coalescing around the idea of “many futures”, each one carved out through a totality of all possible outcomes depending on our individual and collective decisions and actions. Nothing is set in stone………..
“Here is the crux of prophecy. How would a seer born in 1503 make sense of a vision so far into the future where entire countries and their borders had been made and remade, renamed and resettled?”
Borders, hell…
We’ve had the discussion here, before: How would a First Century (or 16th Century) prophet describe cars, airplanes, space travel, computers, cellphones, or FTM non-lethal combat like (American) football or rugby, to his or her contemporaries? Assuming we accept them as prophetic, should we take the prophecies of The Revelation literally, or should we assume John “saw” into a future such as todays, then transformed his visions into objects he could understand? The same goes for Nosty and his prophesies, since nonmilitary technology essentially did not advance between 500AD and 1800AD, and advanced comparatively little, between 300BC and 500AD…
(“The past is written. It is ‘done’. If you could travel back in time [ which you can’t ] and saw to it that Hitler died in World War One.., what kind of world would we live in today? Would it be better? “)
hmm.. big subject big thoughts.. why are there so few in the LDS church that actually has prepared.. while they teach preparedness..
if you don’t experience it..it doesn’t exist…When the last witnesses of catastrophe pass into memory, civilization often loses its compass. The lived experience of hardship—war, famine, tyranny—fades into abstraction, and with it, the visceral wisdom that once warned against repeating those mistakes. Without the anchoring presence of those who endured, younger generations inherit stories but not the scars, and the cautionary tales become diluted by distance. Greed resurfaces, division deepens, and the structures that once crumbled under hubris are rebuilt with the same fragile foundations. History doesn’t repeat because we forget facts—it repeats because we forget feeling. And in that forgetting, the cycle begins anew. it wouldn’t have made any difference if it Adolph was eliminated or not..History doesn’t hinge on one name, it hinges on conditions. When famine, poverty, and humiliation fester, they become fertile ground for extremism. If not Hitler, then someone else. If not the guillotine for Marie Antoinette, then another reckoning for another elite who mistook distance for safety.Civilizations don’t collapse because the masses rise—they collapse because the elites retreat from the society or country . They build walls, literal and symbolic, to shield themselves from the suffering they helped shape. And in doing so, they lose sight of the very foundation that holds society together. once the base of the civilization has beenraped and destroyed to build the top the base crumbles…shared purpose, shared pain, shared humanity. The Romanovs, Versailles, Weimar—all echo the same pattern…isolation breeds ignorance, and ignorance breeds downfall.
The industrialists of the past.. seen their laborers as members of a work family. the money earned kept the local communities alive and flourishing.. as the industrialists of today seen more for me and tossed all the benefits at the top executives while taking away from the base…In earlier generations, many industrialists—flawed though they were—understood that their factories didn’t just produce goods, they sustained communities. The wages paid to laborers weren’t just transactions—they were lifelines. The town thrived because the mill thrived, and the mill thrived because the workers were seen as part of a shared endeavor. Executives earned well, yes, but often with restraint and a sense of stewardship. Their prominence was tied to responsibility, not extraction. it will always continue on the same loop..one look at Libya before Kadaffi’s execution and after..Under Muammar Gaddafi’s rule, Libya—despite its authoritarian grip—was one of Africa’s most prosperous nations, with free healthcare, subsidized housing, and access to education that lifted millions out of poverty. Oil wealth was distributed in ways that kept local communities functioning, and many citizens felt a sense of national pride and stability. But since his fall in 2011, Libya has spiraled into chaos. The country is now fractured between rival governments and armed militias, with basic services collapsing and healthcare systems in disrepair. Many Libyans live in poverty, facing daily insecurity and a lack of constitutional protections. As one law student in Tripoli put it, “It is worse now than it was under Gaddafi”. The promise of freedom has, for many, turned into a landscape of despair. we see today how the USA has eroded in just the last fifty years..