Old age is coming for us all, just as sure as pigs come for slop. But up here on Level 77 (which is a personal odometer reading), we strive to out-think the pigs and keep moving on with life. So, listen up.
I promise this won’t be “all sermon” but if you missed church today, this is the kind of material many could benefit from preaching. Dovetails with the Old Stories but it’s streetable in today’s world.
Leveling Up Once a Year
You might have noticed something: UrbanSurvival Friday columns are getting shorter. (Well, if you squint just-so.) There’s a reason and it has to do with personal leverage.
See, there’s a quiet moment that comes with age. It doesn’t knock at the door, or announce itself with trumpets. It just shows up one day when you’re about to lift something heavy out in the shop. You stop and thoughts you never used to have, roll through your head.
The doc said, “Don’t strain.”
The cardiologist said, “Warm up first. Get that ticker up to speed before you put a full load on it—same as a cold diesel, right?”
So, you pause—not because you can’t lift it, but because you’re running the math in your head. Recovery time. Risk. The cost of being wrong.
That pause isn’t weakness. It’s data. And if you’ve spent a lifetime solving problems, you don’t ignore data. You redesign around it. You remember, maybe being young. Visiting Uncle Stanley, who was always building homes — four of them, I remember, from the ground up — until he finally worked himself to the End. Sure, it’s going to happen, but what’s the rush?
Aging on a ranch creates a paradox. So did Stanley’s house-building frenzy. You want to slow down physically, but you don’t want less accomplished. You want fewer aches, but not fewer projects. You want more years on the land, not fewer stones laid or fences mended. The trick is not to fight the slowdown. The trick is to engineer it.
Stanley was a firefighter and teamster. Drove a horse-drawn pumper easily in the last century. He augmented what used to be miserable-paying job, doing dangerous work, by building things. I learned a great deal watching him and my dad build homes ground up. That’s where almost accidentally my foundation to roofing skills came from. The side sewer and plumbing smarts, how inspectors thought, and especially how wiring worked at 220 and below.
Stanley’s actually the guy who got me into rural life, too. I owe him deeply for that. Lived a mile and a half east of Sea-Tac airport on five acres of corn, a huge wood shop, a big collie named “Happy” and wife Iris who was always active in civic groups like the American Legion.
Key engineering point that came into focus much later: No one is going to give you a good life. So, roll your sleeves up and get off your ass.
Yep, sitting on a Ford 9N tractor changed my life at about age eight. Different than tweaking a radio to bring in tugboats at age twelve — but that’s how learning and discovery play out through life. That’s how experience seeds, planted in young people, grow over a lifetime.
Examining: Engineered Aging
There was a time when two hundred pavers meant borrowing a trailer, loading them myself. Or, in the bare bed of the truck? Two, maybe three trips.
Over an hour of driving. Unloading them, and doing it again if I misjudged. (This is the “overbuying is cheaper than another supply run” lesson.)
It was part of the job – or at least used to be.
Now, I pay the delivery fee. Jose from Lowe’s arrives with a Moffett three-wheeler forklift on the back of the 26-footer’s bed.
I can point at any obscure place on the property and the pallets drop there. No wheelbarrow work. No back pain.
They are all business: Where does the load go and they’re gone. No standing around the shop to chitchat. These are serious working people. And THEY are doing what used to be MY work. Which – at 77 – is dandy!
Material is at point of use and they’re out in under 10. I help wind the straps back on the truck bed. Best of all? I haven’t strained a thing. The work still gets done. The stones still get laid straight. I’ve simply reassigned the forklift job to someone better built for it.
Most people count dollars but don’t count recovery days. At 35 or even 45, a strained back is an inconvenience. At 55 or 65 going overboard might hurt for a week – maybe two. But here’s bitter science: at 77, it can be a season.
Against this kind of reality-check, a seventy-dollar delivery fee isn’t an expense; it’s insurance against cascading problems. It’s a hedge against inflammation, lost weeks, and momentum broken. It’s buying time—arguably the only asset that matters at this stage.
You can slot this along with the change that happened back when I made the best damn hamburgers in the world. Then I discovered I could buy just as good. Know what was even better? The kitchen clean-up became wadding up the wrapper. Not cleaning grease off the stove.
The same logic applies across the board. Out here on the ranch now. Groceries come up the stairs onto the screen porch.
My “Three Musketeers” (Cam w/FedEx, Justin w/UPS, and Jeb w/USPS) arrive and are gracious enough to put why click and shop dropoff on the open pickup bed under the tractorport. Every time they come, it’s one less trip into town. Or – more dangerously – to a ham swap and shop. Cam brought me 40-feet of aluminum antenna mast poles this week. (Who said “getting up” gets harder as you get older? – I refer to antennas of course..)
The ranch has slowly become a closed-loop system. A few clicks. Inputs arrive. We deploy them. No wasted trips to town. No wandering contractors or disposable helpers sizing the shop (or the rest of the place) up. No hauling fifty-pound bags just to prove I still can. The place runs smoother because the workflows have been redesigned. That’s the high-level engineering.
Concept Focus for Aging Craftsmen
That redesign isn’t about shrinking life. It’s about tightening it. Fewer unnecessary motions. Fewer unnecessary miles. More intention. More margin. More thinking my designs and plans through completely. Less slap-dash. When you remove friction, you don’t lose independence—you extend and enhance it.
From the Shop changes, we can apply this to other aspects of the Life Ride.
Take vehicles: I’ve had the fast cars. Long-time readers will remember the 930 whaletail. I’ve had the boats (Just under 11-years on the “Magic Elf.” And the airplane – who can forget those adventures.
Take cars. There was a time when horsepower was part of the story. Now the story is margin. The next vehicle won’t be about posing; it will be about collision mitigation, lane centering, blind-spot awareness. Not because I’ve forgotten how to drive; I’m a Skip Barber guy, for crying out loud. But difference is NOW I understand that computers can share the load. Shoulders and eyes are not getting younger. Electronics are. (You did read my book on Mind Amplifiers and how that’s THE primo concept for the whole planet right now?)
That’s what I mean by paradox management. You accept that physical capacity narrows over time, and instead of resisting it, you get ahead of the problem. You build systems that expand your capability elsewhere. Logistics replaces lifting. Planning replaces strain. Technology replaces brute force. You don’t give up competence; what you master is how to reallocate it.
Paradise isn’t a place you find once and freeze in time.
You can build Paradise – I’ll get back into some paradise building projects next week. But this weekend, I wanted to put things on pause – because I didn’t do a “Man 88 remains crazy and building shit” column.
Not by accident but because the engineering path becomes the art of continually adjusting workflows so it keeps producing your ever-evolving vision which changes (or should) every year. You are still growing and didn’t sit your ass on a tube of SuperGlue on the couch did you? Aging well isn’t pretending you’re still 45. It’s knowing precisely how to ensure that being 45 again no longer matters.
If you’re north of sixty and still trying to do everything the hard way, consider a simple question:
- What could you redesign today that would give you five more good years where you are?
- What tasks could you outsource once that saves your body ten times?
- What workflow could you simplify so that your energy goes into the parts you actually enjoy?
- And my favorite of all? What new tools is there that will help my current or next project better and faster this time compared with your last similar project?
Slowing down doesn’t have to mean shrinking from challenges. Done right, it means becoming more deliberate. More efficient. More strategic. You move fewer stones—but you place every one of them exactly where it belongs.
That’s not decline. That’s engineering. On Level 77.
Now, pass the ibuprofen, then write a comment.
George@Ure.net
“You can slot this along with the change that happened back when I made the best damn hamburgers in the world. Then I discovered I could buy just as good. Know what was even better? The kitchen clean-up became wadding up the wrapper. Not cleaning grease off the stove.”
For the first time in nearly a decade, Burger King says it updated its recipe for its famous Whopper. CBS News 24/7 takes a bite…
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/trying-burger-kings-updated-whopper-recipe/
I stopped eating Whoppers when the “beef patties” started smelling like burnt toast. Italy probably doesn’t have that issue…
The King’s double cheeseburgers have had an upgrade here local. Decent burger. But a burger and rings from my favorite local diner is starting to sound even better for a Sunday dinner.
A local ice cream joint sells a 5.7oz burger carved from field-raised “natural” beef from the farm that’s two miles up the road, bedded on a local-baked buttermilk sesame seed bun, with a choice of virtually every condiment you can think of (including mushrooms and home-grown peppers), for $4 (cheese and bacon are 50¢ each.) Same store sells a 4oz (also made up the street) hot dog on a similar hot dog bun for $2.50 — add a quarter pound of their take on Coney Island (all ground beef) coney sauce and the resulting $4 (must eat with a fork) “Coney” is a meal for someone like me, who can eat four DQ “coneys” and usedta could hit the breakfast bar seven times. For crazy people, they sell a double burger for $7.50 and a footlong Coney for $7. Their ($8.50) jumbo tenderloin is about 11×11 inches and the pork loin is 1/2″ thick, under the breading.
I chase both storms and salvage from Pittsburgh to Rolla and Sault Ste. Marie to Chattanooga. I visit a string of “mom & pop” cafes and ice cream joints as I travel. It is incredibly rare when I find a place in which the food is either less-healthy or more-expensive than the fast food chains. I can think of no reason to go to any fast food joint unless necessity dictates, except maybe for Steak & Shake (fried in pure tallow) French fries. I can think of a lot of reasons to patronize someone’s dream restaurant, starting with “buy American” and keeping local businesses open, and “in-business…”
Oh my JC…. remember when you turned me onto the Italian grandma..one f my new favorite channels on youtube..
well she’s a making pizza…
got to say I love her channel…
A cheese burger pizza with mushrooms and olives..( I know that’s not part of a cheese burger..but I love em lol)
https://youtu.be/OjXWVSbWBV4?si=tz5s1lgX0FhO-Zkv
6,770,594 views!
A lot of restaurants are making their burgers with beans ( or other fillers) along with beef to compensate for the rising costs.. f you want to try them here’s a recipe shared by good housekeeping.. back during some really hard times I used glutin.. and beans with a little hamburger.. and added some fat so they would grill good.. now I have a farmer raise a cow every year for us..trying to talk the grand daughter to keep a milk cow but she won’t do it..
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a536818/low-fat-lentil-beef-burgers/
Cows give milk only 10 months a year so will be dry the other 2.
Yup… wanna know how the ancients. ( all the way back to Egyptians and Sumerian lol) keep fresh milk through the down months besides cheese.. ( Oh.it actually goes way back to the Middle Stone Age (100,000–70,000 years ago and )the earliest form of dried MILK…
……
First….In Ancient Civilizations the people discovered that clay would turn hard when placed in A fire…so the would make clay pots and bowls using tgese simple materials (and a lot of skill.. well it isn’t that hard but still takes some time.. they would make moulds.. to heard the story of the sword and the stone.. they would cast metals and then hone it.. oh another ancient alchemy). They gathered natural clay from riverbanks, cleaned it of stones and roots, and mixed it with water until it became smooth and workable. The clay was Then shaped by hand, often using coils or pinch?pot techniques.. some tribes in Africa and India Pakistan etc..still take sheets of clay dust a rock with powdered clay or dirt then form bowls over the rock to get a uniformed bowl…, then the bowl was left to dry slowly in the shade so it wouldn’t crack. Once the pot was firm, they Would burnished it with a smooth stone or added decorations.. yup crushed rocks.. they found that if they took ashes and mixed it with crushed stones or sea shells in a liquid clay.. ( slip today language that’s what its called) that painting the dried clay vessel it would get a hard glassy finish… Finally, the pot was fired in an open pit or covered with hot coals and ashes, where the heat hardened the clay into durable pottery. Even with basic tools, they created strong, beautiful vessels that lasted for generations… my mother insisted each of us kids learned how to do this..the first thing each of us ever made was placing clay on A piece of waxed paper then cover it roll it out then place a big rhubarb leaf on it and make a simple leaf candy dish..lol
Now.. how did they make long term storage for milk ??
They warmed milk in a very simple but clever way to thicken it..not boiled.. but used a primitive slow cooker. They buried a clay pot that had been glazed primitively in the ground and packed warm ashes or embers around it. The earth acted like insulation, giving the pot a slow, steady heat without cracking the clay or burning the milk. Once the milk thickened or warmed enough, they poured it out onto a clean cloth or stretched animal skin. The sun and dry air finished the job, slowly evaporating the moisture until the milk dried into a shelf?stable sheet that could be stored for months in clay jars or crocks…So how far back does drying milk go ?At least 10,000 years with pottery. And at least 100,000 years as a cooking method.
The Egyptian version is ancient, but the idea is prehistoric—one of humanity’s oldest cooking technologies..Now if you go back to the land of UR or Sumerian… it was a slight bit different..they carried milk in bladders similar to fruit juices…but instead of wine. fermentation and processing, not drying or ash?pit heating. They turned milk into.. other products… check the local dairy case and you’ll see things like needed a modern twist to an ancient method…instead they would produce Butter…and when heating it they would skim the milk solids off and get a primitive
Ghee?like clarified butter today.. then …Cheeses.. the Fermented dairy drinks like keefer..I like fruit ed keefer..
These methods preserved milk without needing to heat it in buried pots. Fermentation was especially important in the hot climate of southern Mesopotamia….
Anyway..that’s how primitive societies..it was passed along In families to their sons and daughters through direct teaching, daily work, and storytelling, not through written instructions. Skills like pottery, cooking, farming, healing, and spiritual practices were learned by watching, helping, and repeating.
Children learned by doing. A parent would often Sit the child beside them like my mother did with each of us .. then Let them touch the clay, stir the milk, grind the grain..Correct their hands gently if they weren’t doing it right..then repeat until it became a natural thing to do..we had a woman that had a shop for making pottery.. the lady I called grandma had us kids make all sorts of things..s boat that sink lol lol lol us kids definitely got wet lol lol..
anyway I’m rambling g on on stuff most people don’t know..today we use modern equipment like dehydrator crock pots ..run down to the store and buy a bowl..glazes etc.. my mom was a little insistent on some of this stuff..
found a video showing modern day Nigerian tribes..
https://youtu.be/Nt5c_QOQx-I?si=nXcEkwJisUnCFzP_
most of us kids would try to get out of doing it as kids today I see the importance of what my mother insisted us to do.
This was the primary way skills were transmitted….
Egyptians made statues and amulets etc. this way…Africans made ceremonial masks
Lentils are good quality protein, but not cheap. I’ve looked for lentil bulk protein powder but I’ve never found a source.
Oh try your local elevator or seed store..
we have a seed store locally.. well we use to have a seed store locally..the owner died from cancer I don’t know who took his place.. I’d get sorghum seed ( large millet) and buckwheat.. etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Lifewit-Dispenser-Containers-Measuring-Household/dp/B0BV5YQWHR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa
buckwheat cooked like rice is pretty good..
for rice we have one of these dispensers the rest like buckwheat and sorghum we use a smaller vacuum sealed..A couple pounds will last you a long time..
I was going to suggest the Mormon store.. six cans for fifty nine bucks but you can get it cheaper at a seed store..make sure you get untreated..
https://www.ralphs.com/search?query=Lentils&searchType=default_search
Amazon is a tad more expensive but you get free shipping.. A local seed store..I think the last bulk seed I paid a little less than fifty bucks..
within seeds ( large millet) and buckwheat.. are reasonable unless you want bulk..we usually keep five pounds of both on hand and fifteen pounds of lentils..
during the rough days..I would get a bushel or had to scrape it off the ground then crush it with a rock in A cast iron pan..today I have maybe a couple flour grinders to many..once you’ve ground it the hard way a flour grinder just makes sense..
Yea I was going to suggest Rabbits or the Mormon store but you can get bulk at the same or come table prices at the Zon…
25 lb. bag put in five gallon buckets with oxygen absorbers will last a long time..and when your hungry.. its a life saver.. been there done that.. ive gotten raised a lot..but then those same people come back and ask how I do it and if I’d help them do it..
A simple way if a commercial oxygen absorber isn’t around is take a steel wool pan scrubber.. soak it in salt water then wring it out.. let it dry a little then place it in a jar with a piece of screen over the top.. as the steel wool begins s to rust it absorbs the oxygen.. but buying commercial is so much easier..and more efficient..
The CEO of McDonald’s was ruthlessly mocked across social media after posting a viral video of himself struggling to chomp down on a new super-sized menu item — which he oddly called a “product” — at the fast food chain.
The clip posted to social media last month shows McDonald’s CEO and Chairman Chris Kempczinski reluctantly trying the new “Big Arch” burger, which will be released in the US on Tuesday.
https://nypost.com/2026/03/01/business/mcdonalds-ceo-chris-kempczinski-ruthlessly-mocked-over-viral-video-tasting-big-arch-burger/
From who will hit level 84 next month, great article.
Welcome from Douglassville! I’m hoping for 85 in August.
At 84, coming up next month, I have learned most of these lessons, some the hard way. When the mind says yes, and the body says no, the smart person listens. In bed dealing with COVID today. No more trying to be a hero and keep the home fire burning. Me in bed and my son running the place for a few days. I am sure he will do fine. Just plan ahead for these days. They come.
Get well quick..I added Edna and you to my prayer chain…..
Great piece, George! Been living off-grid for 25 years and entering our seventh decade. How to stretch our time here by being strategic about how to go about the daily business and keep up as we age with the various projects tied to rural living is top of mind. Thanks for your insights.
Tool-slut (self named, don’t blame Egor) : have been waiting for tool shop time. Find it a pleasant escape.
My forklift is on deep slow charge, warming the six (or five?) gold cart batteries for service this spring. I’m already end of planning stage on some pontoon boat repairs but it’s too cold so noodling other to-dos.
Though (71) I’m about to help E2 paint Nursery 2. Over time my DIL adores me for tackling projects with my son when in country. Chuckle, now comes the phone call showing my pal prefers I join in on a decorative carpentry pre-paint project so … I’m piling another pile of tools-to-go. Meanwhile, our trek requires (9) hours in the car, each way, so I’m chiseling winter out of / off my SUV ( what I have always referred to as a pretty truck) for the trip.
Tools? The barn is slowly turning into a 78 x 54 man cave. Per prior, my South Bend lathe is one of two at our fam. bus. at closing. The one I kept was due to little boy experience where instead of messing with the mini in Grandpa’s basement (I have that one too) I got turned loose on a 14 (which I believe refers to maximum stock in largest of the three chucks). In addition to every side attachment there is a very old wooden standup cabinet with two drawers chock full of collets (prolly 50 sizes). The collet grabs smaller material than what can be centered in a chuck. It’s my belief the cabinet was built by my Maternal Grandpa.
Collets
https://eur.vevor.com/collet-set-c_11603/vevor-5c-collet-set-lathe-collet-15-pcs-precise-5c-collet-holder-for-cnc-chuck-p_010776882930
I went through an onsite Coop engineer visit asking to install 3-phase and … the pricing went stupid. Nope. I’m chewing on a workaround. Gobs of SB Lathes were converted to 220/240 by farmers beyond count. It’s my understanding we can run a minor 220/240 offset to lathe bay an mimic 3-phase with an invertor. Please stand by, film at 11.
I saved rather a lot of the coolest last 5% of our machinery family factory. If you like photos for a shop-talk someday let me know George.
Back to packing
Egor Of the Ice
_/)____________
ps – there’s always a nuther thing. Be mindful people are concerned, stressed and be genteel with them as you may. Please continue to minimize the *anti* blather while we have our finest in danger. Carping crapolla can come later.
Egor,, I am a little jealous of your SouthBend, but I would like a smaller one for my self
Batteries,, I live 2 doors down from the owner of my local battery shop, we talk frequently,, he is a big Trump supporter, his adult son lives agross the street and his old red dog comes to my yard for her “MilkBone” dog biscuit.
the son works at dad’s battery store, owns his own business selling golf cars and has 2 employees full time, complete with store front and shop and is on the city council
at 73, i need to level up,, a nice used Southbend,, saw one a few weeks ago at auction, but it was trashed, I almost cried
re: “Cucamonga”, near a Holy Roller Church
feat: Bongo Fury, Mothers of Invention
Egor,
In case George sped past your STS guest spot signposted opportunity, yes, I imagine your family factory pictures would surely be valued at no less than a thousand words each.
An aside if I may about the Vevor link you supplied, the Chinese tool company apparently has planted a US bridgehead at Rancho Cucamonga (Tongva: “Sandy Place”), Ca. Early western colonial years saw a beginning structure in the town named “Red Hill”. It seems 1880 saw the arrival of Scotsman George Chaffey from the Canadian province of Ontario (Iroquois?: “beautiful/sparkling water”). He (and his brother?) established settlements with agricultural irrigation systems in what to then had been known as the Colorado Desert Valley. Thanks to his endeavors Californians are now familiar with placenames such as Ontario and Imperial Valley. (Perhaps if #47 leaves the tops off Oval Office markers, the below-sea-level latter will be renamed Valley of America in a huffy moment!?)
As chance would have it, George Chaffey established an agricultural college in Rancho Cucamonga. The original edifice became re-purposed into a high school. It boasts a short attendance in its history by musician Frank Zappa of the Mothers of Invention.
re: “Lolita”, Kubrick, 1962
feat: Colorado and Ontario
Speaking of Ontario, Ca., the public record reflects that a Gulfstream jet, N550GP, is registered to an address in that city. As chance would have it, the future #47 had opportunities to utilize the aircraft’s shorter runway capabilities compared to his B757 during the presidential election campaign. A report from the “Aspen Daily News” of August 11, 2024 notes the candidate’s arrival the day prior in Colorado from Jackson, Wy. aboard N550GP at the following link:
https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/trump-drops-into-aspen-sparks-support-contempt/article_6f729b82-578f-11ef-b886-3fbeb1a49aed.html
Here is the embedded link in the “Aspen Daily News” article pointing to the plane’s image:
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/aspendailynews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/df/4df3fa20-5792-11ef-a8aa-b70b0844ef3d/66b8312f218a6.image.jpg
As chance would have it, the aircraft had previously been registered until 2019 as N212JE. It comprised part of the fleet utilized by the late Jeffrey Epstein.
It was Don & Melania’s first time:
‘The convicted pedophile even boasted of his closeness to Trump and his now-wife Melania
by claiming, “the first time he slept with her was on my plane,” which was dubbed the Lolita
Express.
https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU08/20250227/117951/HHRG-119-JU08-20250227-SD006-U6.pdf
Very well said on getting up in age, I’m 72, most people work 2080 normal work hours in a 40 hour 52 work year, but for me I averaged over 3000 per year for 45 years, so I worked about an extra 6 months for every year I worked, which was until I hit 62 and fully retired, with all that work brings lots of things from wearing out the body to increasing your knowledge, BUT as you say one has to slow down a little and work smarter and perform more with less. YUP that is a must!
(“I’m 72, most people work 2080 normal work hours in a 40 hour 52 work year, but for me I averaged over 3000 per year for 45 years,”)
I hear ya on that one.. my average work week was a hundred hours..until I was forced into retirement from health issues.. because that of home owners tax hike and rising costs..I had to go back to work..I was back up to ninety hours a week but not taking anything home..till I got the position I have now.. this week it was sixty hours next week its thirty six.. less driving and I take home more..
the scary part is..they just got a new owner.. once self pay drops off to govt. assistance.. then they will sell out again or just close it up..there’s fewer and fewer people that can be self pay..and as prices continue to rise the cost has to rise for the self pay customers to carry the load..
It really is an upside down system . Clinics turn people away unless they have the ‘right’ insurance, so they end up in the ER where the same issue costs ten to twenty times more all while they still can’t pay it . Then the hospital and the nursing facilities has to absorb the loss and increase their costs for services , passing it off to insurers where their rates in premiums raises , clinics raise the doctors rents and costs of supplies.. ten dollar Kleenex comes to mind , and the whole cycle pushes prices On everyone even higher. Meanwhile the people who actually keep the country running are working those 60 to 100 hour weeks just to stay afloat and keep their heads above water, losing their health in the process , and still getting squeezed by rising taxes to meet the community needs , utilities, and housing today a thirty thousand dollar house is hitting a half million.. making laborers require higher incomes and daycare for their children… Fewer and fewer folks can afford to be self pay for these services leaving these facilities struggling and having to cut staff the only flexible source.., so the burden gets dumped on the shrinking number who can Afford to pay…Dam thats like a child’s play ground like a teeter?totter with all the weight on one side. It’s no wonder small clinics keep getting sold off or shut down. The system isn’t collapsing it’s compressing and it’s always the same people carrying the load….lol lol lol what an oxymoron… it’s a self?defeating incentive loop….lol lol lol a collapsing hot air balloon…
Ah ha..figured out where those dam ? marks are coming from.. every time I put that little line between to words with out a space before it and after it..it comes out a question mark…ah ha.. the mystery is solved…
Sorry about deviation from the normal Sunday column … but Iran is now claiming it has attacked the Lincoln with 4 ballistic missles (Chinese developed method but targeting a moving ship with ballistic missles is tough) .
The US is at present NOT confirming the attack and has not said anything about potential damage (if missed probably NO damage at all)
Since the Chinese pioneered this method for attacking ships I am sure they are watching this attempt intensely … may even have engineers on the ground since that is clearly a method that they intend to use if the US gets involved in defending Taiwan with it’s aircraft carriers.
*via “Algeera TV” live news at 10:10 am EST (watchable via a Roku box)
(since they are live in Doha they are running 24 hour straight news reporting on the War and did same wrt Iran even before the War … often 24-48 hours BEFORE the MSM)
*Sky News out of London is the second best LIVE news source at the moment
(of course the British ruled the entire area after the defeat of the Turks in WW1, part of the area from before that))
sheesh BAD SPELLING (my 4th grade teacher would by rapping my fingers)
“Aljazeera” which is availabe via a Roku Box
fwiw Aljazeera is NOT using it’s normal studio in Doha, NOR it’s normal presenters. It must hve relocated it’s studios, since they could well be a target of Iran, and ALL of the host presenters appear to be British so they may well be using a backup studio in London. fwiw their interviews with experts from all over the middle east, including ex US military types, which are one right after another are very very good and non-stop though they are only putting on Israel’s formal announcements, no direct reporting from Israel (Aljazeera is BANNED from having any correspondents or film crews in Israel or any of it’s occupied territory) .
UPDATE: The US now confirms that at least 3 missiles were fired against the Lincoln but says they fell short … not clear if regular anti-ship missiles or ballistic missiles
Our carrier probably engaged massive virtual attacks on any inbound missiles. Hope our kids complete missions and come home, all of them. E
Agreed. One son currently in, but not deployed to the sandbox (or on any ship) presently. Saw him at the Grandkids joint b-day party on Sat and wished him well since if this drags on for more than 6 weeks I am pretty sure he will be sent over to at least Europe. Fingers crossed it ends before then with minimal casualties.
Starlink jumping over Government Controlls and Government Censors AGAIN … this time wrt Israel.
Aljazeera is now actually reporting from Israel, inside Israel proper and the West Bank.
(I bet the Israelis are looking intensely to try to find those Starlink devices – not going through the approved Israeli Censors in wartime is verboten!)
Any idea when the “law of unintended consequences” kicks in?
You mean the Clock of Karma strikes, this Astrologer predicted it:
https://x.com/Yashraajsharrma/status/2014632217276981580
‘The presence of US warships in the Gulf and the talk of strikes in February or late March are not just political decisions. They are outer triggers for an inner cosmic pressure that has been building for decades. In the charts, I see a harsh phase, a burning passage that Iran cannot avoid. This is not about supporting or opposing any side. It is about accepting a simple truth. When Saturn and Rahu tighten their grip on the heart of a nation, something is bound to crack.’
‘The Result: When the transiting “Planets of Separation and Loss” (Saturn and Ketu) sit exactly on the natal anchor of the government, it signals a “Snap.” It is a moment where the “throne” literally loses its legs.’
‘The conjunction of Saturn and Ketu in late March will likely be the physical trigger that completes the “Cleaning of the Slate” promised by these dashas. By the time this dasha ends in May 2026, the Iran we knew since 1979 will likely be a thing of the past.’
It’s a huge pain in the ass to disentangle:
U.S. Military just lost Claude:
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/27/anthropic-pentagon-supply-chain-risk-claude
‘Breaking it down: Following Trump and Hegseth’s announcements, the Pentagon will move to sever its contract with Anthropic — valued at up to $200 million — and require companies it works with to certify they don’t use Claude in their workflows.
Trump’s announcement is particularly extraordinary because Claude is the only AI model currently used in the military’s classified systems.
It was used in the operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and could conceivably be used in a potential military operation in Iran.
Defense officials praised Claude’s capabilities in conversations with Axios, with one admitting it would be a “huge pain in the ass” to disentangle.
The decision is also complicated for AI software firm Palantir, which uses Claude to power its most sensitive work with the military and will likely now need to strike a deal with one of Anthropic’s competitors.’
Hal Turner: Reports are coming out CLAIMING the United States seeks a cease-fire with Iran. Iran REJECTED it immediately.
More as I get it . . .
https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/component/content/article/shock-u-s-allegedly-seeks-cease-fire-iran-says-no?catid=20&Itemid=101
Hmm.. consider this…
https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/component/content/article/u-s-democrats-panicking-over-iran-sleeper-cells-inside-usa?catid=20&Itemid=101
its usually an unwritten rule to not target leaders and their homes..
Pakistan’s Prime Minister expressed concern over the “violation of international norms” after the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, emphasizing that it has long been a convention not to target heads of state or government…
The targeting of Iranian leaders marks a significant departure from established norms. If this becomes a precedent, it could reshape how states behave in conflict — potentially making political assassinations more common and the international system more volatile….The reasons these unwritten rules explain why the norm exists:
The Escalation risk — By killing a leader it can trigger a full scale war or retaliation…. to get vengence..
Then theres the Destabilization — By removing a central figure in power it can collapse the governance structures..
How about tge diplomatic fallout from these actions … It undermines the basic assumption that leaders can negotiate without fear of assassination….
Ever watch the movie a clear and present danger.. good movie..that pretty much addresses…
Reciprocity for their actions… If one state targets leaders, then others may feel justified in doing the same….
Because of these risks, even adversarial states typically have refrained from doing such actions….. I believe that’s why everyone leaves Kim alone..up until now..he’s been the ONLY one to openly admit ..hey I know who the instigators are and their ho.we are on my targets..
So I get why political leaders are concerned..By doing this..it brings up the question.. what’s good for the goose then its good for the gander.. if one state breaks a long standing restraint, it risks giving others permission to do the same…. scary stuff there
This is why one NEVER accepts anything heard or read at halturnerradioshow unless there is NO OTHER SOURCE for information, and when one does, they NEVER accept it as being either true or accurate.
USS Abraham Lincoln – ‘hit’ by Iranian missiles
The claim has been published by Iranian state-linked media and military communicques. Independent verification from neutral sources is not yet available, however the US military has publicly refuted claims that the carrier was struck by missiles, saying no US Navy ship has been hit and no casualties have occurred.
Didn’t happen.
The first casualty of war is ALWAYS “truth.”
The Russians and Chinese both have birds in space, streaming in real-time. Were one truly interested, I suspect they could latch on to one of these streams and belie any intel or propaganda reports from any combatant…
X (Twitter) is hands-down the best and most-immediate source for sandbox news. It is also the most-prolific source for misinformation and basic bullshit. Having not done anything with insociable media until a few months ago, I don’t yet know enough about Twitter to have established filters and logical search params for X, so although I (obviously) can find stuff, it takes me much longer than it should, and the rest of my life seldom waits.
For live and big screen, I second Sky News. I question al Jazeera’s honesty — they’re probably excellent with the volume down, but they get to hang in the Iranian cities only because their commentary is approved by the Shia censors…
(“There was a time when two hundred pavers meant borrowing a trailer, loading them myself. Or, in the bare bed of the truck? Two, maybe three trips.
It was part of the job – or at least used to be ..Now, I pay the delivery fee. “)
I got ya on that one…..I never had the $$$ to get anything..didnt have enough to qualify for any of those free $$$ programs everyone talks about.. I was told so many times I wouldn’t ever have my own home..
but….
I love to read and my mother was one that if you showed curiosity..you did it.. every one of us kids made pots and cups UT of clay..some was from clay we dug from the yard..I remember when I was at Tandy leather and they had a moccasin kit..all cut out..all cut out holes punched..ready to make.. I said I want to make those..thinking.. maaybe… for xmas we got a small toy a piece of clothing and something we needed for xmas..instead… I came home from school and there laying in the yard..was a full cow hide and the pattern.. ( this experience was horrible but came in later in the day labor days..I got a two month day later two hours a day fleshing road kill.. god I can smell that trap now..) years later I made many things.. A satellite receiver and dish..clocks..( I still want to make a grandfathers clock out of card board..I started a violin out of paper then stopped because of the neck.. I couldn’t figure out how to make a cardboard neck that could take the tension of the strings..the case easy peasy)
anyway … I built our home..because the guy I hired to do the foundation took our deposit and ran….I had to make a few adjustments..the roof rafters.. to cut cost I went from a six twelve pitch to a four twelve pitch.. A couple of hundred bucks savings but hey it worked..still got one room that wasn’t quite finished close .. anyway a couple years ago I noticed the insulation had settled and I needed to dust the top of it.. A few bags..I built the house it shouldn’t be any problem.. get one of the grandkids to fill the hopper and I crawl into the space… but I have a four twelve pitch not a six twelve pitch!!! it dawned on me the minute I got up tgere..I was over thirty years younger and not as muscular..( well that padding I put over the rock hard muscles to keep from bruising tgem..safety equipmen..kind of like a personal kevlar)there wasn’t any way I was going to do it..so I had to have the kids crawl up there and I fill the hopper..
age.. the dawn of realization..
Topped off rotation fuel yesterday. No gouging or panic visible.
Worked on the electric bicycle yesterday. I added a Old Man Mountain Divide rack to replace the Surly. The Surly rack was bombproof, but was 2″ too high off the the tire for me to mount the Tout Terrain trailer without taking the rack off. Now I have 70 lb test rack full time, and I just attach the trailer arm over the top, when I need to haul something. It takes about two minutes (or less) to put on or take off the single wheel trailer.
The more I pull the single wheel trailer, the better I like it. It doesn’t back well, but if you really get in a bind, you just disconnect it. I bought and installed the optional stand, so it will stand up by itself.
I am going to add a Tubus Tara Big Apple rack on the front. It is a low rider pannier rack with close to 40 lb capacity. I am not going to use an over-the-tire rack in front. Front racks riding high affect handling badly. I will mount a couple of small panniers off it to carry clothes in, like raingear. Why not just get a handlebar bag? Ans.- Too many cables to fit one in on the electric. I will keep the load on the front bags light.
Still screwing with reflectors and lights. Everytime I change anything, I have to rethink the reflectors. The Air Seat module under the seat has no place for a reflector to attach.
Bike is now a serviceable cargo hauler with useable range. I am just refining it to maximize utility.
https://brickmachinesupplier.com/manual-compressed-earth-block-machine-for-sale/
talk about being a tool slut..I bought one of these.. odds are I won’t use it lol..
https://www.amazon.com/HQHAOTWU-Making-Machine-Forming-15-3X7-4X7-4in/dp/B0FKSMZYZK/ref=sr_1_9?
doubell brick yard.. I wanted one of these to… when I got the other one it was two hundred..the shipping..dam.. I bought one for a mission in Africa.. shipping there was almost nothing shipping to the wastelands of the usa.. was a puckerer…
https://doubell.wixsite.com/doubell/product-page/modular-block-hand-mould-150x150x300mm?currency=USD
You could make one of those easy enough like the one that’s four hundred dollars..A vibrator is only forty bucks on the zon…make it out of plywood.. sign board with the laminate on one side..
the mix a professor friend in Kansas figured out was 50/30/20… five of sand gravel… three of clay… two of portland..
https://arcd.ku.edu/dirt-works-studio
better to give you the photos… they built their first CEB press..a long time ago..they’ve expanded on it since those days…
https://designbuild.ku.edu/project-directory
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=23f7e68bcc0f7b3ae23e836687bc08f7d607972e39609655371fd479fd49ac6dJmltdHM9MTc3MjMyMzIwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=1bb3f601-0bce-6326-199c-e1050ac162a2&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9hcmNoaXZlLm9yZy9kb3dubG9hZC9idWlsZGluZ3dpdGgtcmFtbWVkLWVhcnRoL0J1aWxkaW5nd2l0aFJhbW1lZEVhcnRoLnBkZg
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=88e27d8dd96c055cc54b7618f2ddbffe0f3156f978c418a3e4932d7a5f932ed0JmltdHM9MTc3MjMyMzIwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=1bb3f601-0bce-6326-199c-e1050ac162a2&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9kZXNlcnRjcmVla2hvdXNlLmNvbS5hdS9idWlsZGluZzIvcmFtbWVkZWFydGgucGRm
The first time I read about it..was in mother earth news..it intrigued me and we needed a place to live.. we didn’t have any modern facilities.. had to use a wash tub for bathing.. then during day labor.. I was delivering newspapers.. A nearby college had it back in the forties as a class to teach returning soldiers due to rising construction costs.. and on the paper route.. there was one of those buildings they had made fifty years prior..I got out of the car and walked around it..it was beautiful..then with the new Styrofoam concrete forms..
poured earth Crete is the new thing..
British before magna carta were a king. Slaves. Vassals. Serfs. Usa as colonies took magna carta a step further with constitution and bill of rights. After founding usa grew by hook and crook as france and British and later Germany fought for empire. In end ww1 usa asked British for a league nations. Response no tax getmany. Ww2. British lost. Germany defeated. United nations formed. Idea usa ‘magna carta’ exported. Trade all rich. Outcome not that. More communists dictators death camps. Mao Stalin eastern europe africa. Endless wars Arms races a desire but not a achievable goal of democracy. Some wins. Many losses. More arms races. Biggest players did ww1 arms reductions after 1990. Seemingly peace. Post 2020 ancient revival all for me. Post Christian age magna now carta now. Iran crossroads. Bricscross roads. Democracy or serf? Historically end Solomon era. Italy offeredceasefire to iran. Nogo.
Two local Burger King restaurants are known for food poisoning from their ranch packets, so skip the ranch.
Alot of older people (and busy not so old people) are shopping Walmart drop of or Walmart pickup. It prevents impulse buying and can actually cost less than in-person shopping. Some older people started using this service during Covid to avoid illness and just continued.
I saw a YouTube video yesterday where the people talking said that Walmart customer base in the stores has changed and is no longer mostly white. I rarely shop Walmart because they are so big and crowded,and it’s difficult to find close parking. I wonder if a larger percentage of white people shop there using drop off or pick up.
I usually shop at Aldi’s because I feel safer. There are fewer people, often has visible guards, and no one asks me for bus money or for money to buy their husband precooked meals.
I used to shop at a community owned grocery store. But twice I felt in danger as people patted down my groceries when I was outside trying to put them in my car. Both times were women claiming to help me while I kept saying no, no, no. The second time a truck was parked next to my car at an angle, and I felt trapped between it and my cart. I asked the driver to pull forward and he did. it turns out that the woman “helping” me was also traveling in the truck. She patted every bag before leaving after I shouted loudly for her to leave me alone. I had alot of bags but few cold items, mostly paoer towels, toilet paper. napkins, and cleaning supplies. I later wondered if she was feeling for cold items like meat.
Before COVID I did the weekly grocery shopping at WENCO (a CA big box store). During Covid we switched to Wally pick up, and our costs went down because we shopped on line, and only bought what was on the list. These days, over 90% of our shopping is on-line. While Amazon’s prime refunds are great, Costco has a no questions asked refund policy. My son got me a big monitor for Christmas one year, and it failed after 2+ years. Costco refunded full price on it.
At 81+ your post is spot on. Thanks!
Here in NE Texas, our local Walmart has changed the layout inside and out, gearing up for pickup or online sales. They seldom have in stock stuff we used to buy there, helpers tell us “That’s only available online”. Took up 1/3 of the parking lot with “Reserved for Pickup” signs, seldom more than 2 cars in those slots. Just makes us old fogies walk farther to/from the store.
You probably should not go to that store alone. Taking someone with you should help to deter some of those “helpful” folks who are looking to rip you off. A can of pepper spray in your pocket would be good insurance.
Eleanor : trust those spider senses. Locate an escape route and hit the exit if threatened. I have mugging money in right front pocket. Here ya go dude (throw and run). Fight or flight is in the wrong order. Avoid. E
Most urban Walmart’s in NM have significant security, including Flock AI cameras with license plate and facial recognition, and access to national databases. Security patrol trucks are driving constantly in the parking lots with truck mounted cameras. They’re not cops, but they cooperate closely with them. Walmart is done with tolerating known thieves, it seems. Unfortunately, judges here tend to release criminals ROR unless they’re serial violent offenders and often even then.
I don’t like the idea of national databases with location tracking for normal citizens, but that’s where we are today.
I think it’s possible to get orders for pickup wheeled out to your car by WM employees. I’ve not tried it so I really don’t know. I tend to pick my own items – personal choice.
complete psops overtime with the supposed death of the boss man in iran. yep the psyops is off the charts .. ok as a great gold bull used to say at his conclusions to his analysis , mr locoui , lets see what happens . next level now how the top boss position is taken in tehran ..
Retirement.
– I never signed those papers. Never considered it, actually – as I have never had a 9 to 5 job. Didn’t need to be fully vested in any ‘plan’.
– But I have had my five-year check points. 55.., 60.., 70.., 75.., Sort of a personal physical review. ., and discovered that “limitations do apply”. Check-point 80 is fast approaching.., in these past five years I have had to give-up several things I have done nearly my whole life. [ Working out on a heavy punching bag – it was starting to aggravate the arthritis in my knuckles.., but I still use the speed bag. ]
– To me., it is pretty easy to work-around what I can not., or should not do anymore. A little more planning., and self-honesty [ no more climbing the ladder to get onto the roof. I still can – but why buck the odds ? ] I have a custom made, double bit Viking inspired battle axe – roughly 3 foot 6 long., and 20 pounds – scares the socks right off people., but doing a heavy workout with it now-a-days – not too advisable.
– It’s all part of the age-game – play it properly., or pay the price.
“Honey!? Where did I put the keys to the Harley ??”
.
“Stay Frosty !”
I’m still fighting the idea that just because I can lift something doesn’t mean I should. However, too many backaches have accelerated the slow learning process. Have taken well to having even mildly heavy items delivered that I would formerly have just picked up at the store. And now have wheeled carts and furniture moving dollies all over the place. Anything I might ever want to move is on a dolly. Still room for improvement, though.
YXQYA Child Longevity 9 Step Qigong.
24 Psychological Methods..picking up again, at #21
“After you have practised the above psychological states you may want to study Qigong with a master. When would you be qualified to study with a master? Only after you have achieved the previous twenty two states. In other words, in the beginning, you have to practice on your own. Advanced masters will not accept you as a student because you are not virtuous enough. If a master gave you advanced energy or taught you advanced Qigong, it would only give you problems. Therefore advanced Qigong masters will test you first before accepting you as a student. Prior to the test, you have to cultivate yourself, practise by yourself or with others to acquire Virtue, Civility, Innocence, Joy, Selflessness, No Desire, Modesty, Refinement, Differentiating Right and Wrong. Only when you are in a very refined state will the advanced master teach you. There is a saying by advanced teachers, that ” in martial arts, the true martial artists should have refined features; Men have Female like refinements, and Females have Male expressions.” In other words, mankind originally had characteristics of both sexes and had refined and civilized expressions. Once yu reach such a state, the master will you some extra Qigong energy and you will understand the mystery and wonders of Qigong. If he gave you this Qigong enegy before you were ready for it, you would not be able to endure it.
In advnced Qigong, it always the master searching for students, it is not students searching for masters. You can ony try to create conditions for receiving teachings from masters. Advanced Qigong masters can teach you or send energy to you, from long distance . That is if you have prepared yourself well and you are ready for it and have achieved all the previous twenty conditions and requirements, the master will automatically come and teach you. For instance, right now, it is highly likely that there are advanced masters inside or outside this lecture hall. If you have the conditions we mentioned earlier , you will receive more, if you do not, you probably wont receive much, in other words, it is not time for you to study with masters. Advanced masters do not care for formalities, they do not like acknowledging themselves as masters. What they stress is that everyone is a master, you should consider everyone as a master. Once you have this belief and your virtues and activities are on same plane as what the master requires, he may appear as a ordinary person and you will automatically be connected with him. Man is never perfect, we can always learn something from others. Confucius said “When there are three people walking together, I will surely find a teacher among them.”
In Qigong, we stress that everybody and everything can be masters, can be beneficial to us. For instance, if you have a pet, a cat or dog, if you treat them well they will grow very close to you, if you lost something, they might help you find it, and if there is earthquake, they might wake you up and save your life. These phenomena do exist. In other words, you may find masters in any place or thing. You should have the attitude that everything and everybody is your master. Do not think that you are number one in the world, that only you have the correct way. In Qigong, there is no no difference between high and low, large and small, there is no difference when one receives enlightenment. You may have practised for many years and yet some kids can be far more advanced than you. There is no paradigm, there is no explanation. In Qigong, only when consider everyone as your master will you be able to find more masters and to receive a master’s instructions consciously or unconsciously.
Peace, Health & Longevity
As a concession to my age (84), I bought a Chinese mini-excavator a couple of years ago. It does hydraulically what I once did manually, and there’s a little fun involved. I use it for manhandling large logs onto the log splitter instead of wrestling 300 pounders. Now I figure out new uses for it and build new attachments to suit those uses. Keeps me off the streets and out of the pool halls.
“Now, pass the ibuprofen, then write a comment.”
My Ortho surgeon, after my hip replacement, forbid any ibuprofen for me for at least six months. He said it inhibits bone regrowth. Something to consider if you may have osteoporosis. Tylenol for me.
None of the NSAIDS are without fault. It’s pick your poison. Obviously, sometimes they’re required. Personally aspirin is first line for me unless it’s contraindicated, like dental surgery. The beauty of all of them is that they’re OTC and relatively safe when used sparingly.
Agree …
I try to avoid ALL of the NSAIDS if possible. Aspirin is also my FIRST choice.
Years ago a childhood friend’s mother, who was a closet alcoholic, died of Liver Failure because her use of Tylenol which destroyed her liver when it was combined with the alcohol that was in her system.
Her husband was a Doctor and when Tylenol came out he thought it was “safer” than aspirin so recommended that she use Tylenol for her hangovers, which she did.
Ever since then I have been leery of ALL NSAIDS, Aleve probably being the worst, but they all do have their specific place in the Pain Relief world depending upon what type of pain you are needing to treat.
Aspirin gets a really bum rap imo …. Tylenol is much more dangerous.
Started the last boat at 70 with a design and rig in mind that would allow elder management and decent life aboard while moored or anchored. 80 is coming soon, missus at 77. The boat did what we wanted. The simple Chinese junk rig, with only one halyard and one sheet, aided by a powerful electric winch, makes it possible to easily manage her alone. The unusual hull design is very stable at sea, dry, and fast with a comfortable predictable motion.
Living ashore has made it tempting to ‘cruise’ and lately I have upped my morning exercise routine and Qigong because I could feel the toughness necessary for voyaging slipping away. In the end, as most of today’s messaging suggests, it’s all up to you. Never ever ever give it up.
Meanwhile we have committed to having water tanks full up, propane full up, stored food full up, and are keeping the movement of ‘stuff’ off the boat to a minimum with the goal being a one hour transition from the dirt to the moat.
Like the film On The Beach, we feel far from the bad shit, but when things get spicy there is always the old “You never know” element. Would rather face an end wet than dry.
Stiks
Sticks: friend had a mostly classic Chinese junk in San Francisco (bet it’s still there). Owner neglect let it sink in her slip. Think a mechanics lien was next, from the harbor master.
My bud goes to look at it not knowing she’s on the bottom. Agent for the seller shrugs. Friend asks if there’s a way to see her and the guy hands him a dive mask.
Not to be deterred, after trip to marina, matey grabs the mask and sticks his head in for a single breath … “I’ll take it”
fixer-upper
E
On the Beach. One of my all-time favorites. Read the book as well once many years ago when I was a young Soldier.
The movie has some technical problems, but still great. When I’m in the States next, hopefully soon, I’ll need to grab that one from my collection and bring it with me along with a few others.
Tim (formerly of Sayreville, NJ)
George, I appreciate your analysis on orthopedic efficiency. At 71 Y.O., I hand shoveled (with 2 passes) about 22″ of snow that fell here in NJ. I have a 100’+ driveway and tackled the job in 2.5 hrs the first pass and 3 hrs the second pass the next morning. Thought about asking my Cardiologist if he would clear me for:
1. Shoveling my driveway (and after he gave me the OK for that)
2. Sex!!
I didn’t bother asking him either, figuring if he did not clear me for the driveway that Sex was out of the question!!!
About a month ago, I had a Serpentine (used to be called) Fan Belt, kept coming off of my 2014 Chevy Cruze 2.0 Diesel. I decided to fix it myself which has always been my job! Found out the Alternator pulley was separating from the alternator causing the belt to jump off the rest of the pulleys. Tear down front engine mount timing belt cover alternator, belt tensioner and put everything back together. Then I thought that the Odometer says 99.968 and at 100,000 they recommend replacing the timing belt and water pump. All of this work in the driveway, in the cold with a floor jack and ratchet set! At the end of the day (week!) I put it all back together and turned the key to hear the clickety clack of that diesel ready to go another 100K. I don’t know about you but it was a combination of saving about $500 or $600 AND the feeling of accomplishment that comes from doing the work myself at this age. And yes I did have the bottle of combination Advil / Tylenol handy. I actually get inspiration from You and your scribblings so I hope that you keep it up for at least another decade or so!!!
Good job! That must be a rather rare engine. Too bad it has a timing belt instead of proper steel gears like any diesel should have. I know your area and have a friend who had to clear a similar amount of snow at near your age. She had a miserable time of it but got the job done.
Machinery is your friend until it isn’t. A garage would be a good idea if possible and perhaps the timing belt could have waited until Spring and warm weather. Lying on cold wet ground is something to be avoided when possible.
Timing belt is typical for any small-displacement diesel. My VW demands a new belt every 60k miles. Wrenches typically charge ~$600 for the job, which is cheap, because it’s an all-dayer…
Gotta drop the Kozmik… anyone catch that the SHTF exactly when the full planetary alignment was in place? Was that intentional or just The Plan??
Jus’ sayin’
Stiks
General Mike Flynn
@GenFlynn
·
9h
Israeli media reports that Iran’s acting supreme leader, Ayatollah Arafeh, was killed in new strikes on Tehran. He was appointed today following the death of Khamenei in previous joint military operations.
That said, what is emerging now even more than
@realDonaldTrump
first term and his 2nd term’s first year of operations is a:
Trump War Doctrine (like it or not):
It is:
Precise, lethal, and decisive. Without question, deadly.
A big question that must be asked is, “what will be the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order consequences?”
https://x.com/GenFlynn/status/2028256634439647506?s=20
Okay, who had “less than 24 hours?”
9 people injured in shooting at Ohio music venue
Nine people were injured in a shooting at a Cincinnati music venue during a birthday celebration early Sunday, People reports.
Cincinnati police responded to Riverfront Live at 4343 Kellogg Ave. around 1 a.m. Sunday following reports of multiple shots, according to Cincinnati police interim Chief Adam Hennie. All nine victims were transported to UC Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover. The victims have not been publicly identified.
An altercation during the party may be connected to the shooting. A witness told Fox19 Cincinnati they saw someone get “knocked unconscious” during a confrontation involving four to five people. Approximately 15 minutes later, the witness reported seeing “three dudes came from the back and shoot the club up and ran out the way they came in.”
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/03/9-people-injured-in-shooting-at-ohio-music-venue.html
This is all over insociable media as a terrorist op.
It is not.
This is typical of Cincinnati nightlife when someone gets a stick caught crossways up their ass. It is the reason I will drive many miles out of my way to cross at Madison (Indiana) or Portsmouth (Ohio) if I have to drive north (or south) past Cincinnati, after dark. $5 in gas and a half hour is a small price to pay. There’s also a couple very nice (and cheap) little restaurants along each path…
BREAKING: US service members in the United States are ordered to TURN OFF their location on all electronic device devices…
The Department of War notification also states that Uber, Talabat, and Snapchat are considered compromised.
“All US servicemembers turn off your location on all electronic devices. Specifics cannot be detailed but are from credible sources. There are active threats against US military in CONUS; in addition the following app are considered compromised: Uber, Talabat and Snapchat.”
https://x.com/ThePatriotOasis/status/2028297340172321022?s=20
from a “Committee” to another nasty..
Flock Of Vultures – Iran (So Far Away)
https://youtu.be/D_h7hcK6pFs?si=VFvl8NmhMrxd0HfM
50,000 bees killed in ‘deliberate’ arson of hives at family-owned Pennsylvania farm
Tens of thousands of bees were killed after beehives at a Pittsburgh-area farm were set on fire, according to the family-owned business.
An owner of Bedillion Honey Farm in Industry and his daughter noticed the “aftermath of deliberate destruction” of their beehives while doing routine checks on Thursday, the family business wrote in a statement on Facebook.
https://nypost.com/2026/03/02/us-news/50000-bees-killed-in-deliberate-arson-of-hives-at-family-owned-pennsylvania-farm/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost