Silpidity, Chill, Slide, Durables & Incomes – Whee!

by

It was a chilly 9° F when I began my commute to the palatial UrbanSurvival office today.

The cross-country commute (65-feet from the greenhouse to shop door) was not quite as miserably cold as up north of us:

My 74-years-in-the-making “news nose” did find one angle on the cold I haven’t read before:  The CO2 and CO detectors in the shop are chirping because their batteries aren’t able to hold voltage with 9° F temps.

Which, I will grant you is not as exciting to read as Winter storm sparks flight cancellations, strands thousands in airports.

Our Houston Bureau shivered to life early today, too, noticing that Texas leads the nation in Frozen pipes? These are the top 10 states for costly winter water damages.

Neighbor uphill from us here in the woods has frozen pipes, already.  The big gamble is whether community water has enough thermal mass in water tanks to get us back over freezing temps with water on.

Meanwhile, the mainstream media may have gotten a neuralink implant.  Hardly any stories (besides 12,500 flights cancelled because of weather) blaming climate change for the cold. Hmm.  How soon they forget.  Shouldn’t we need water wings not mukluks by now?

Oh, but the hype’s there. Always being repeated as an assumption turned fact in order to really screw it into the little voices in your head. the one’s you can’t turn off.  (Like that terrible return to the default fem-it voice Aria in Win11, the Never-ending Beta.)

Spending bill leaves out most of the climate change funding Biden sought and here’s bevel-headed NPR choosing (right frigging) now to peddle Climate change is forcing Native Alaskans to move from their ancestral homes. You can always spot the agenda if you open your brain and look. (Which causes terrible headaches, but there’s no free lunch.)

Lemme help: It’s where the monetizations are going on. What?  Are you a “ridge line ranger?”  (“Who are you, Hunter S. Thompson, Ure?”)

Mainstream media needs a rehab coupon book in their stocking.  Get one for Hunter, too while you’re at it.

Twanguage

Twanguage (n):  The application of a Texas drawl to any first language.  Except Chinese (See: Chinguage.)

Now let’s open the F-stops a bit.

IS “silpidity” a word yet?  Reading Hunter Biden adds DC lawyer Abbe Lowell to legal team amid probes gives us the idea it should be.  You know, silpid.  As part just plain silly with zest of stupid, and never served mean-spirited.

Santa Rally: Toast and Done

“Drop ’em and pop ’em, eh Fat Dude?”  U.S. stock futures edge up ahead of inflation data.

Meantime in our Aggregate Index, how to play this depends on your personal timescale preference.  If you’re an ultra-slow motion player, simply going short from a year ago November is still working out:

On the other hand, timing will be everything in the short-term.  Because that manic buying that set-in right before the close Thursday, might be followed by selling because axiomatically:

  • Smart money never gets locked in before three-day weekends.
  • Genius money considers a short:  As when have you seen a 3-day weekend ending on fundamentally Good News?

And there is the recent quake of California not to mention in NorK land: North Korea fires two ballistic missiles days after joint U.S.-South Korea drills, South says.  We haven’t trusted people from that region since  Ghengis’ day, know what I’m saying?

Point is:  Markets will be close Monday for Boxing Day and the Monday Holiday law.  Being exceptionally stupid, we will a column Monday.  And on with George Noory on Coast-to-Coast AM Monday night.

“The Envelopes. Please!”

“Durable Goods for $30-trillion, Ure!”

Which proves “We can stuff a whole Durables trainwreck into a stocking!”

[Klaxon blares]

Next Contestant is Personal Incomes.

“I’ll take “Two-Bit Bummers” for $15-an hour, Ure.”

(A drum roll as the semi-frozen host fumbles the opening…)

“Personal income increased $80.1 billion, or 0.4 percent at a monthly rate, while consumer spending increased $19.8 billion, or 0.1 percent, in November. The increase in personal income primarily reflected increases in compensation and personal income receipts on assets. The personal saving rate (that is, personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income) was 2.4 percent in November, compared with 2.2 percent in October.”

You copy this crap?

With such a crooked game show, it’s surprising it has lasted more than a single season.  Yet there’s government, guns, and a military.  And there’s you.

Picture This

So, the market began falling on its ass from all-time highs for everything (stocks, Bitcoin) on November 8th of 2021.  Since then?  Well, BTC has collapsed from $68,800 levels momentarily then to $16,844 overnight.

You might think the Nanny State Mouthpieces Media (NSMM) would vilify such silpidity.

With the collapse of FTX, we noticed Sam Bankman-Fried released on $250 million bail while the FTX fraud case continues.  Except that there are some reports that his folks didn’t actually have to put up their digs.  Some reports have him being PR‘ed.

Regardless, we think SBF is betting he will live longer in democrat land than a foreign jail.  (You know how dangerous those can be, right?)

In the meantime, federal regulators try to keep up the sham of “tough enforcement standards” in stories like The US SEC says proof-of-reserve audits of many Crypto firms lack sufficient information.

“I’ll take Excel sheets and two magic mushrooms for $10.”

Slop in Your Stocking

File by Department for your dining and dancing pleasure. And gifting ideas.

“Give me Money or give us Death” department: Ukraine president back in Kyiv from US, Russia dismisses visit. Other reports are less PG13: Fierce US media attack on Zelensky: ‘He dressed like a strip club owner – This ungrateful s*** doesn’t respect. Plutonium in the stocking?

Trump Bash Department:  RTL Today – “Multi-part conspiracy”: January 6 panel blames Trump for assault on U.S Capitol.  What most people don’t realize is that Trump wasn’t the only one responsible for Capitol Police. Speaker of the House shares power in D.C.  Where was Nancy Pelosi in all this and why isn’t she getting ripped up?

Adventures of Elon Musk Department:  Elon Musk puts Tesla stock sales on pause.  Stock rally in someone’s stocking.  Options for the stocking as a short-term trade?

“Somebody’s watching you” Department:  China’s ByteDance admits using TikTok data to track journalists.  Put an a/d converter, some C libraries and AI filtering of mass text block as a social control tool, in your stocking?

ATR: Ranch Food

The stock market, seems to us, isn’t likely to be very exciting until the final hours when the “Go short over the weekend 3-day closing” question will be figured.

We’ll get to work on that after the opening “amateur hour” is finished.  Lots easier to make money based on stable statistics than noise.

Which leaves plenty of time for visions of sugar plum ferries and a 16-pound turkey.

Elaine thought that was a little excessive.  Until I jumped up and down, gesturing, and pointed first to the Seal-A-Meal on the counter and then tapped on the freezer door.  “Why have you turned into a mime?” she wondered.

Which gets us to the ultra-simple Things to Remember in the Kitchen this weekend:

  • Remember to roast the bird in an oven bag in the regular way.  When done, remove from oven, and rest 15-minutes, or so, upside down.  This will keep the breast meat super-moist and delish.
  • Consume alcohol by the Gravy Rule.  If you take a cup of gravy, make sure to drink a cup of wine.
  • Light-hearted conversation ONLY at the table:
    • No Trump
    • No politics
    • No racial, woke, or sexual jokes
    • No discussion of news
    • No discussion of shit you found on YT
    • No discussion of media-driven propaganda topics like climate
    • Enjoy your meal in silence and savor the food. It’s the point, isn’t it?

Charts only on the Peoplenomics side tomorrow.

Short, pointed, pithy, (and macabre) column Monday as there’s no stock market action.  If I can’t get out of bed looking forward to taking back some money from the rich, what’s the point of getting up?

Oh, my God.  I forgot the eggnog!

What else I Forgot?

Hey! Remind me next year to set up the seasonal email forwarder  Grinch@urbansurvival.com. Wait, Grinch is trademarked, isn’t it?  Yes sir:

Word Mark
GRINCH
Goods and Services
IC 024. US 042 050. G & S: Towels; Blankets for outdoor use; Curtains; Flags of textile or plastic; Pillow cases; Pillow covers; Pillowcases; Shower curtains; Tapestries of textile; Textile wall hangings; Textile wall hangings, namely, cloth posters; Wall hangings of textile; Baby blankets; Banners and flags of textile; Bath towels; Bed blankets; Canvas for tapestry or embroidery; Children’s blankets; Children’s bed sheets, pillow cases, and blankets; Cloth flags; Fleece blankets; Nylon flags; Pet blankets; Picnic blankets. FIRST USE: 20180501. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20180501)

We will assume you are not confused between an email address and a pillow cover, are you?  Should be safe then.  Email addy’s are probably Class 9.

Write when you blah, blah, blah…  

George@fuckitscold

65 thoughts on “Silpidity, Chill, Slide, Durables & Incomes – Whee!”

    • Merry Christmas all (or, Happy Holidays if preferred).

      I believe wind-chill was invented to hype already wicked weather. My coat doesn’t feel the cold, nor car. Just exposed skin. It’s blowing sustained 20-25 mph here in SW lower MI with gusts > 40 mph. Temp went negatory during early java. But, it’s a balmy 65 F inside just like on days where thermo-calc-device says over freezing.

      Water splashing over the seawall appears to insta-freeze (when we can see that far). I am tempted to go out and shovel a bit but can’t conjure up a good reason to do so. After typical pre-dawn yowling my 17-18 YO tomcat took one look outside and went back to bed. We have 4-5″ of new fallen snow which I believe is destined to end up in OH. Another 5-10″ forecast? TBD.

      No matter, not going anywhere today. Ran up the generator yesterday to test preparedness. Have a rank of hard wood inside the house, a cord outside under cover and several boxes of fire starter sticks (harvested by my bride who was bored yesterday during calm before the storm). Picked up more emergency vodka (for medical purposes) so I’m set.

      Someone down the page (or up?) discussed going to Detroit aerodrome. I was tempted to go W to our local airport but figure I’d get negative gas mileage. Heading E towards DTW I could probably coast there in neutral. Sad scenes. Hope everyone makes it where they were going or back home instead.

      An old tome to end:

      If Santa Claus should fail to call, bears may come to Broad and Wall.

      blah, blah, blah…
      Egor

    • so warm and balmy… it’s looking almost like grilling weather lol lol I wonder if the outdoor pools were open to lol lol lol lol just kidding ..our windchill was 60 plus in the wastelands..

  2. George
    I thought you were a self proclaimed science genius. So maybe look up what happens when the arctic warms relative to the latitudes further south. Such evenings cause the air flow of the jet stream to begin to make huge loops rather than the traditional W to E flow. In those new oxbows of air flow, the cold arctic can plunge deeply south and then a few days further on flow pulls warm air north.
    So yes, the global heating is real, no matter how much you pretend it is weather. And yes there will be even more severe cold snaps down your way in Dixie and more heat domes in summer in the North. Perhaps you need to broaden your perspective to actually look at the science and not your opinion.

    • The question that I ask all of the “experts” when discussing the subject of global warming (or cooling, or whatever the flavor of the day being used by the grifter crowd) is this: Given that the earth is up to 5 billion years old, what climate values would we need to obtain to be considered ‘normal’ over that given period of time? Most can’t answer, and those that try, usually spew a word salad that would make Kamala Harris sound like Shakespeare.

      • I’m no expert..but you cannot turn up or down a thermostat.
        its a cycle..i believe our activity and population does have an affect but is not the general cause.
        we consume and expand our progress at what is it 55 acres a second consuming forest and cropland..
        the answer I believe and have believed for decades is to greenscape our cities a city is normally ten to thirty degrees higher than country side.add co2 filters on every lamp post.. there’s new research they says we no longer would need nano gold for the filtration.. but low cost filtration.
        it takes an estimated 14 trees per auto and 7 per human..
        even if all carbon use was stopped now the co2 levels would continue to build for around 50 years..
        to secure the grid.. build realitively inexpensive solar towers starting at the furthest point from the the power plants and work back to the power system..placing them at every sub station.. promote small wind and solar to the home owners..
        unfortunately.. none of those fit the generally accepted business model of stuffing big buck billies pockets.. it does help our security of the grid.. but who cares right.. national security isn’t as important..
        that’s my opinion.. saying everybody needs an electric car and a carbon tax is just stupid..

    • You DO realize the cold record for DFW was set in the 19th Century, right?

      35 Generations ago my ancestors farmed a piece of Greenland. Their farm is now under 2880 feet of ice and hardpack. Prove to me that the weather from the 12th Century wasn’t normal, and the weather we’re having now, isn’t simply a very cold aberration from that norm.

      My weather got down to -12°F last night. The record for here, for 12-22 / 12-23 is -21°F. Until about 15 years ago, we used to have several days in August (usually about the 3rd week) which hit 103-104°F. For 14 of the past 16 years, the average daytime temperature for the 3rd week of August here, has been 79°F, and I’ve only seen a 90° day once that week, since 2006 (this year, in fact.)

      It is called “climate.” It changes. If it didn’t, Earth would be a dead cinder and you would never have existed.

      • “It is called “climate.” It changes. If it didn’t, Earth would be a dead cinder and you would never have existed.”

        Exactly @Ray.. no one has ever explained to me the logic of a carbon tax and how it will help climate..lol
        and if they were really serious about making the changes needed we would see small solar and wind being handed out to home owners..or rebates to pay for it.. instead..almost every utility company discourages home owners from doing them from making those changes..

      • I would love to see Greenland and Iceland and a ton of other beautiful countries..touch the sphinx.. I did get a personal tour of the forbidden city.. a waitress had her dad put a camera on and explore the city while I watched in pleasure..the kids at NASA let me see both poles at the same time.. astronauts doing regular chores let anyone interested join them via helmet cam.. some of my most treasured moments..even if I was stuck right where I am.. I was there with them..

      • “no one has ever explained to me the logic of a carbon tax”

        I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but there may be children or ignorant “grown-ups” who don’t know this stuff…

        The “carbon tax” is not a carbon tax, per se. If it were, every plant and animal on the planet would be taxed and the tax on just every wild animal would financially break every nation on the planet.

        It is a tax on carbon dioxide — the stuff plants breathe, and without which, no plant can survive.

        The reason for “carbon tax” is this was a con which could be sold as a solution to a problem which didn’t exist, and for which any amount of money, up to and beyond the GDP of the entire world, couldn’t solve (because it doesn’t exist.)

        Our former real estate contributor doesn’t get very much correct with respect to politics, but he DID get global warming correct. It is not a problem, therefore it is insoluble. The real problem is pollution — specifically, environmental pollution (plastic jugs, not air pollution.) Now, air pollution is a problem locally, especially in places like industrial China, which have no air quality standards, and locations like the Los Angeles basin, which naturally bind every smoke, toke, and fart into itself. However, it pales to insignificance when compared to the plastic islands.

        The island-sized hunks of plastics that’re clogging up our oceans is a huge problem. It is solvable and success in solving it would be both demonstrable and obvious. Because politicians don’t solve problems, and can grift trillions of dollars from the global climate change con where solving pollution would actually cost money, they have glomed onto GCC instead of pollution. To set up the con, a generation of 1st World children have been programmed into believing they are going to have to sequester CO2 forever. Should they somehow be successful in doing so and solving that problem which doesn’t exist, Earth (and everything on it) will die.

        “Carbon tax” is a grift which supports the social programming required to pull off the greater con of global warming / global climate change. It is a nifty grift, because both the grift and the logic behind its existence are self-feeding. However, the only thing it “solves” is separating “middle class” and LMC/UMC people from whatever wealth they may have accumulated, and passing it through to government, and to the wealthy…

      • “The real problem is pollution — specifically, environmental pollution (plastic jugs, not air pollution.)The island-sized hunks of plastics that’re clogging up our oceans is a huge problem. It is solvable and success in solving it would be both demonstrable and obvious”

        I totally agree.. I would rather see all our countries working to harvest the vast islands of plastic polluting our oceans.. converting them back into useable products.. rather than destroying a country and people in a horrific war..

      • China on the other hand seen the pollution.. and I believe from what I have read has done a 160.. working hard to clean it up..

    • D, What a ‘chilly’ response to such a ‘hot’ topic lol!
      It’s not just another cold winter, it’s record breaking cold, and severe weather usually doesn’t start till January.

      Saskatchewan broke records:
      https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/recent-deep-freeze-breaks-many-saskatchewan-cold-records-1.6678548

      U.S. records broken:
      https://www.popsci.com/environment/bomb-cyclone-2022/

      Weather is the short term event, climate change is many years’ averages’ changing:
      https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-difference-between-weather-and-climate-change#:~:text=Weather%20refers%20to%20short%20term,refers%20to%20long%2Dterm%20changes.

  3. “12,500 flights cancelled”

    How can we know if those flights were intended to be flown Vs scheduled strawflights to collect some kind of “bad weather” weather.

    The airport should be fully staffed with no customers. And the airport hotel should be full of stuck travelers. And the parking structure should be full of cars.

    I might drive by DTW later today.

  4. I really do have sympathy for my American friends in the southern climes that aren’t used to this. Having lived in Canada my whole life and regularly experiencing winter temperatures where Celsius and Fahrenheit meet at minus 40, and skin can freeze in 5 minutes, we understand it and get through it.

    Not really a once in a lifetime experience today. I remember many in my lifetime. Snow piled to the height of the telephone wires and backing out of a white tunnel coming out of the driveway. Finding a vehicle in the parking lot next morning by pushing a pole down from the top to find the car roof.

    The most important thing we learn here is “don’t fight the weather.” It usually wins. You may think you are a good driver but doing donuts on ice slicked roads or spending a night in a snow covered ditch is not a fun experience. Ask me how I know.

    Climate change? No. Just weather.

    Stay warm.

    • It’s not just the cold that throws us into a tailspin but the combination of that and precipitation that brings out the stupidity in so many down here. Back when I was driving in to work on really snowy days like this you could always count on some impatient ding-bat trying to pass you in a mini-SUV with 6″ of slush on the road. Those have been the times I’ve loved my F-350 diesel with all that weight to keep you where you want to be.

      Luckily it’s only a dry cold (like the DRY heat of Summer) with barely perceptible flurries when you look for it at our latitude. Abilene got some snow but don’t know how much. I prepped the ranch house this time around by turning the water off and draining the pipes while running some oil heaters to keep the interior above freezing in certain areas. So far so good. Gave the cows some alfalfa to keep their insides warm over night, too, and no ice on the water troughs yet. It takes a couple of days of constant below freezing temperatures before busting ice becomes a necessity. Something tells me I’ll be doing a lot of it this Winter. Goats find a sheltered spot in the draws and aren’t about to come out for food until they have to. The Sun ought to draw them out today.

      How long has it been since we’ve had a REAL Winter down here? For as far back as I can remember now we’ve had short sleeve weather until January and then only light jackets until at least one rip-roaring blizzard or two hits before Spring. I’ve been knocking a few years of dust off of my Winter apparel this time around and hoping my gut hasn’t out grown most of them. UN-fortunately …..

      • “you could always count on some impatient ding-bat trying to pass you in a mini-SUV with 6? of slush on the road.”

        the reason for that is most of these kids fifty and under have never seen it.. they have never experienced a devastating winter storm..there’s always been.plenty and money has been an easy accessibility.
        if you’ve never experienced it..you are not afraid of it..our citizens have never experienced war on our land.. we have no clue on the horrors that so many live through day after day..

  5. The Battle of Trenton took place 12/26/1776. ‘Crossing the Delaware’.

    Most of the world would witness China taking Taiwan on a Christmas Day.

    ‘We interrupt this broadcast of “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a massive invasion of Taiwan has begun.’

  6. This is the first year in a long time that Christmas will not be held at the ranch. With the remodel moving into phase 2 we are just not ready for it. So we will be traveling a couple of hours to Nurse Practitioner and ER trauma nurse husband’s house. 5 spousal pairs, a couple of great grandma’s, and 10 grandchildren ages 23 to 1 year old, all in a 4 bedroom 100+ year old drafty farmhouse. I have heard rumors the grandkids are happy the celebration is there this year since the WIFI always throws crap at the ranch whenever everyone arrives for a holiday dinner and they are unable to do whatever on their phones and IPAD’s. (Ho Ho Ho, the internet must be out…..Merry Christmas).
    After dinner conversation topics will most likely be the schedule for their kitchen remodel that I was told I would do, “Dad can you also fix the stairs up to the bedrooms?); another list of stuff the grandkids are selling for school; the latest update from the grandma’s on their adventures this year, the biggest being they’re getting raises on their social security. (No, son-in-law’s mom, Biden said he did but he did NOT have ANYTHING to do with it, and yes we all know you hate Trump, sheesh.)
    But at the end of the day before the return trip back to the ranch I get the best Christmas present ever. All 10 of my grandkids sit on my lap for a picture.
    Merry Christmas to all. 73, stay safe.

    • Jim, memory’s are pictures we take with our heart. All your grandkids sitting on your lap for a picture is a great one!

  7. ‘Twas the night before Christmas
    And all thru DC
    Pelosi and Shumer
    Celebrated with glee

    Legislation was stacked
    On the desk of Joe Biden
    Who will take up his pen
    When he comes out of hidin’

    With his vacant expressions
    crepey skin like white paste
    Joe confabulates stories
    When the press corps is faced

    So his press secretary
    Holds court for such dalliances
    Countering incredulity
    With canned cue card responses

    Joe’s not quite all there
    With blank stare and verbal pause
    But The Big Guy’s real power?
    He’s the Dem Santa Clause

    There are paybacks to make
    And to make them quite fast
    ‘Cause everyone fears
    Old Joe might not last

    The new GOP House
    His agenda they’ll be blocking
    Turning paybacks and handouts
    into coal in Dem’s stockings

    As winter takes hold
    With Temperatures falling
    Listen close and you’ll hear
    P.O.’d citizens calling

    For more fiscal restraint
    And a new administration
    Putting Sleepy Creepy Joe
    On permanent vacation

    Folks can’t pay their bills
    As inflation keeps rising
    A Biden/Carter comparison
    Is hardly surprising

    Will Biden run in ‘24?
    Can he govern and lead?
    Watch “Weekend at Bernies”
    For how Dems can succeed.

    In the meantime, don’t worry
    Just shut up and spend
    ‘Cause you don’t want to consider
    How this story might end.

    On McConnel, on McCarthy
    On conservative SCOTUS
    Stand up tall and firm
    To Pelosi, Shumer and the POTUS

    May our viewpoints be known
    May we stay with the fight
    Merry Christmas to All
    And to all a Good Night

  9. “Our Houston Bureau shivered to life early today, too, noticing that Texas leads the nation in Frozen pipes? These are the top 10 states for costly winter water damages.”

    Now that problem is because they don’t have code to follow.. water and gas pipes sewer etc. everything is dug in and shallow.. letting extreme temps or temperature variations affect .. foundations to shallow.. what a mess..
    normally all plumbing is on one side..the water wall.. not realizing the reasons when I constructed this house.. I put one of the bathrooms where I thought it should be.. yup.. like that picnic table.. there is a reason why there’s a set of standardized measurements..
    now the one bathroom frozen pipes.. I went by code..I failed to leave an access panel for the plumbing access..will it split? what kind of expense will this be.omg.. another ride down the roller coaster of life in the wastelands and the further adventures of … Winter in the Wastelands.. will I be able to get a plumber.. will I need one…
    thank god I didn’t use PEX or PVC.. it would be toast..

    • In Texas, the builders are known to put hot water heaters in unheated attics, with no extra insulation, and they do not insulate the water lines. They also run uninsulated cold water supply lines through attics. They have been known to do this in both residential homes and apartments. If you move into a home or apartment in Texas with water lines in the attic, you must insulate and/or trace them yourself. Been there. Note that this was common practice even when everything was being fully code inspected.
      My home has the water lines distributed in an interior insulated utility chase. There are no water lines in the attic. The electrical panel is there as well.

      • Lol well who needs a shower if you do that.it is nice to be able to build what you want and have no controlling factors..on the other hand the codes are there for a reason and everyone’s safety. I finally got the water thawed and have it trickling.. praise god..
        what I will do..is when I can get a plumber.. ( I’ve threatened to take a class on plumbing and air..you cannot hire or beg a plumber to do a small job..to much new construction going on..)
        then I will have them install a record pump on the two furthest access points…
        https://youtu.be/fgyBGGPBliU
        not to keep the water at a constant temp..but to keep it moving..
        so this will never happen again..
        if I had realized why houses are laid out the way they are.. with one water wall.. and I would never have put a bathroom there..it’s handy and works but its not in the general flow..
        the standard measurement of things..table and desk tops at 30 etc..

      • My water heater is under a kitchen cabinet, so all the users are in within 8 ft – 10 ft of the water heater, including the bathroom, and everything is inside the building insulation envelope. There is some copper running under-slab, but it is within a few feet of the slab edge. I can access pretty much all of it everything by removing panels without tearing out sheetrock. I had a licensed plumber do the installation, and all of it passed a rigorous code inspection, by a guy who did not like dealing with DIY’ers or small-time building contractors. The only serious water leak I have had was from a cracked water heater, and the containment worked, just not the way I thought it would. I now have a water leak detector wired to the alarm system.

    • Everyone has access to the codebooks to follow – if they wish to. In the fascist areas, there are penalties for “non-compliance”. Real Americans comply by choice, or convenience, or they simply don’t. IMHO, the codes provide good guidelines for the average person or family, but your circumstances may, and probably do vary. I read the codes and suss out their intentions to the best of my ability. If there’s a reason to, I follow my own path. Not everyone needs insurance, and I’d rather self insure on most things, so that’s one less bureaucrat to deal with. Actually collecting on insurance is a job for someone with a different personality type, and I’ve had to sue more than once just to get them to perform as agreed.

      PEX(especially PEX A) is actually superior to copper, iron/steel, and PVC piping when it comes to freezing, since it expands rather than splitting. Of course, it’s not recommended for anyone to repetitively freeze pipes, but sometimes things happen. An air leak in the building envelope will freeze a pipe faster than anything else if the weather is cold enough. Insulation matters, and so does some real heat source. Flow helps.

      • I did not know that..I have a roll of PEX outside that you can snap in this weather..
        it’s definitely cheaper lol

    • “Now that problem is because they don’t have code to follow.”

      Codes are a contradiction. We don’t want the .gov code enforcer layer but…. buy a used house with some pipes not done to code, they freeze racking surprise bills digging up frozen turf… we want code enforcers.

      Consider DIY types using a bad YT video as their guide. Who checks their work? Maybe we need more code enforcers. A code enforcement pyramid guideline with levels of code enforcers based on tasks at hand.

      Automobile “code enforcement” too. Nobody checks to see if these YT mechanics are using proper tools and guidelines. YT has the videos of people driving and wheels fly off cars, people lose steering, engines smoke. Someone didn’t check the work.

  10. Hasn’t been over zero here in 48 hours. Couple of inches of fresh powder overnight., snowing lightly. Luckily there has been virtually no wind at all.
    – Went out to start the car yesterday – last run the store and post office for a few days.., car wouldn’t start.., battery so dead that even the indicator lights wouldn’t come on. Well….., crap. Called Schwab., showed in about an hour. He hooked-up his hand-held bat-charger/starter and.., nothing. Without a word, he pulled the battery and drove off. Came back about an hour later., with a new battery. The old one ? Every cell was dead.., beyond dead., it would never take another charge. The old battery was one of theirs.., but it was five months out of warranty.., so he didn’t charge us for the house call and took 50% of the new battery.., can’t complain there. [ It was the last battery they had in stock.., another shipment is due Friday.., they have been slammed and working massive over-time around here.., been a few years since it got this cold and stayed this cold.] Never did make it to the store.., I’ll go sometime today – when I feel like shoveling all the snow.., maybe. With the temp right at zero, still snowing – I might just wait ’til Spring.
    – Didn’t trade this morning.., and still haven’t read the news. Will watch the last hour, or so.., and do some reading then. Holding a trade over a three day weekend is not my cuppa.
    – Stay warm everyone………..

  11. How is it that every time you post the personal savings numbers it shows increases, but 60% of the country is living check to check?

      • lol lol lol…
        kind of like the three hunters story..
        three hunters stay out to late go to a motel .. the kid at the counter isn’t sure what the room rate is so he says give me 30.. so each of the hunters hands him a 10 dollar bill..
        later the manager comes ba v k and says no its 25.. here is five dollars give this back to the three guys.. the kid isn’t sure how to divide five evenly to the 3 hunters so he puts 2 in his pocket and gives each of them a dollar.. so each of the hunters paid 9 dollars..
        3 ×9 =27 +2 = 29
        what happened to the remaining dollar
        lol lol lol
        it’s all govt. accounting is.. make the numbers say what they want them to say..

    • I believe its greater than 60 percent.. I live payday to payday..
      savings had to be used for medical expenses and to survive the year we didn’t have an income..
      everyone I know ..has the same lifestyle.. its not in the business model for companies veto put aside a retirement fund for the general employees..its only a benefit for the 10 percent..the same with holidays and vacation time..

  12. Noon news said 7000 flights now cancelled for TODAY … and of course that is after about 2500 cancelled flights YESTERDAY. OH … and the reports are that the flights for this Xmas holiday were 95% booked, so almost NO seats for those who’s flights were cancelled. I guess for many who intended to travel or Christmas you are where you are … and you ARE going to STAY there this year.

    So … got up this morning to drive to work and alas though we only got about 5″ – 6″ of very powdery snow a bit of freezing rain came in as the switch over from rain to snow occurred AND my car doors and car latches are frozen solid. At 6 below zero I don’t think they will be thawing out on their own soon (wind chill is 31 below but that doesn’t effect the metal) (high today will be below zero).

    Had an idea, which I “thought” was GREAT!! I was able to get the rear hatch open and climb in and over the seats (found I was not as limber as when I was younger … say 50) and start the car, but after running for an hour even the windshield was still frozen … NO GO with that option to thaw out the locks from the inside out.

    Next idea … EVEN BETTER!! (“I thought”) Get in and drive the car to a parking garage with an underground parking area and let the car thaw out!! Man am “I” smart!! Whoops, then realized I can’t go into a pay garage since I can’t open the door or window to get a ticket when entering!! Any free ones around? Eureka!! A mall I never go to has one!!

    Got in to do that and realized there was NO internal latch release for the rear hatch, so once I was in the car and closed the rear hatch to drive “I” would be trapped inside the car until it thawed out. OH … and the ONLY “FREE” garages that have underground areas at the one mall is where EVERYBODY would be trying to park too!!

    Not wanting to spend my Christmas weekend trapped in my car with below zero temps I gave up on the idea of getting it thawed out until next week when it is scheduled to warm up. (say Wednesday?? – maybe Monday or Tuesday after the highs finally get up to 5 or so, if the sun hits the car that is, don’t know yet if the sun will be shining)

    I guess no last minute Christmas Shopping for me this year!! … or going ANYWHERE either. Reschedule time for the planned activities, but since nobody hurt or stuck out somewhere that is OK. Just an inconvenience, not anything bad when you put it into context.

    Merry Christmas everyone!!

    • see..time for an oil change lol lol..
      my trouble is the back latch freezes to and wouldn’t close lol lol lol then as I am weaseling my fat butt over the seats..you get a Charlie horse lol lol lol

    • Most of the time, pouring warm/hot water over the latches will thaw them enough to operate. It will melt the ice and if the water evaporates, they should not freeze again. No guarantees on not refreezing. You can also pour the water over the edges of the door if it needs to be freed. I’d use warm, but not hot water on the windshield if necessary, but a scraper should work too. Don’t put boiling water on a frozen windshield – it might crack from thermal stress. YMMV.

    • Stock up on lock de-icer for the next time round! It works. As a former Minnesotan, I’ve had several occasions to use it.

    • Good Logic and knowing the limits. Goo Call.
      Hot August (30c) midday and my Irish buddy and me Scottish were deploying three Suffolk 1 yr old ewes for butchering. Required ear-tags to be processed legally. Decision was to load them in one-ton van then ear tag as these were not very tame gurls. Work van had metal dividing wall behind front two seats, no passage. After sheep were loaded we jumped in side door to do the tagging. Last split second, I remembered the child-lock switch that would have kept us locked, perspiring heavily, waiting for rescue! Can you imagine the look on Rescue?

    • Oh, my, Stephen 2, that could have turned out bad for you.

      Do you remember that policeman’s wife who climbed into the back seat of her husband’s car and the door shut behind her, and she couldn’t get out because there are no door handles nor way to wind down a window in the backseat of a police car, and no way to get in the front or far back due to wire barriers. They found her after about 8 hours. She passed away. It was hot.

      Cold, cold, cold….parking garages are freezers, they are not warmer.

      Thanks for the warning so people can be aware and think out an idea to a good end. Of course, IF you had your cell phone with you, you could have called for help. Honked the horn, etc.

    • Hot water or blow dryer. Keep it far away from windows. After you’re inside, take the car to a car wash, and let them bathe it in scalding hot water (pay extra for the underbody wash.) Then you can either get its oil changed, or take it to a heated DIY car wash, and while the rinse water is flashing off, pump the locks full of lock de-icer + graphite, and paint the door gaskets with Vaseline…

  13. Sitting here on my patio reading about the cold so many are dealing with makes me feel a little guilty. Should be 78°today and 82° here in so cal by Santa day. One of the reasons its so expensive to live here. Everything is a trade off. Stay warm and safe folks, spring is just 5 months away.

  14. Merry Xmas all . Try your best to be kind to each other . The Jewish saying is all things must pass . Let us hope there is some light coming in this dark world

  15. Wahwahwah -bunch of wendy whiners -“its so cold!” NSS’s!

    Had youse taken the BCN’s advice and loaded Ure place wit crypto mining rigs – you would all be making “coin” and heat at the same friggin time..ding ding we got a winna winna chicken dinna right hear on dis site. Whats my new personal pronoun ??oh yeah, I/told/You/so.

    Fast forward 6 months, and if youse still alive , all the fertilzer, grains, oil, pm’s & semi PM’s and Russian babes; could bee Ures for the cost of heating Ure place in the Winter https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/russia-close-legalizing-international-trade-bitcoin-crypto-head-finance-committee.

    Shitz on sale as I type for $16,800 biden branded bucks(gay ass “pedoprog” nazi lover) per piece of some “pretty cool kit”.

    Cept for Jorge – its coal 4 U – same 4 all U anti crypto louses.. its a gift this year the coal.

    81 degrees, Sun is shining, big fat fluffy clouds (no chemies) floating lazily by, 3barrel rum punch wit slice of fresh picked Orange on da rim and fatty boblatty waiting for the closing bell- good to be short going into the HoeHoeHolidaze.

    * Get ready to Fly wit da Burds.

    G
    O

    E
    A
    G
    L
    E
    S
    !

  16. Let’s have an after Christmas day dinner joke: So, I get on the scale, and a card pops out, One at a Time!!!!

    Ole Rodney.

    I go to the doctor, he says I’m fat. I say, hey if you don’t mind, I would like a second opinion. He says, okay, you are ugly, too!

    Ah, I don’t get no respect. You see people ask me all the time. Hey Rodney, got any kids. Yeah, I says, I have 3 kids. One of each!!!

    Ah, you know, my ex wife she couldn’t cook at all, we used to pray after we ate.

    She made the kids alphabet soup, they spelled HELP.

    I don’t think meatloaf should glow in the dark.

    She made me a steak once, it still had the marks where the jockey was hitting it.

    Yeah, I got a dog that gives me nothing but troubles. I was reading the paper, he went to the bathroom on it twice.

    His favorite bone is in my arm.

    Look Rodney up on Youtube and play his performances, well worth it.

    Then go play George Carlin. George C is like Ure George, he tells the truth in the best ways, makes you think.

    • I almost had to rescue fang the fear less… can’t just squat and go you know.. it has to be the perfect spot.. went to find where kujo went and you could tell she was being overcome with the cold.. got her up and in the house just in the nick of time… otherwise she would have been in a similar position..

  20. I will tell you. 2022 has been the most amazing year of my life I think so far. everything I posted on my Facebook page on January 1st, came true that year.

    I shared some of it on Here time to time. I have the most amazing life. truly a charmed life George. THE DUDE is so good to me. So Good. it trips me out. I probably did 4 lifetimes worth of living in the last 4 years.

    I’ve litterally had so many experiences in the Last year that most people only dream about.

    you one time Choices said to me, “quit bullshitting. you have all these weapons laying around.” I been thinking about that for a while now. I looked back over the last year alone and I’ve only maybe shared 10% of all that happened in the last year here on urbansurvival. maybe 10% if I told you all the truth? you probably wouldn’t believe me. some of it is so far fetched and wild, truly mind bending, reality bending wild stuff.

    i mean just hanging out at 3 am with 3 owls, the full moon and the belt of orion is mind bending stuff. let alone. big bald eagle perched above where I parked my car eating its pray and their blood falling all over my car and trying to Reason with a Bald Eagle. or having a bumble bee land on my shoulder and staying on my shoulder all the way to Spokane from Seattle. not stinging me, just hanging out. didn’t even fly off or away when I got gas and went in the store. not till I got to Spokane.

    or that Ukrainian super mod giving me that toy green spider that she carried in her purse all over from berlin to london to paris to New York then when she gave it to me she told me about how this voice nagged at her so much she told the cab guy to go back to her house as Russia was invading the Ukraine to get it and she was supposed to give it to someone. me. at a scorpions concert in Seattle. the day I watched A honey be and Spider go at it until the honey bee died earlier. I still have the green spider.

    I mean getting an elevator with Elon. and hanging out with Elton John and Paul McCartney and The Who and Roger Waters, smoking cigarette with Lorde at her tour bus, walking Tool out on stage. hanging out with Matthew Stafford before the Seahawks game then he went on to win the superbowl. meeting hundreds upon hundreds of rock and country stars. being in charge of building the Super Cross Track in Lumen Field.

    Watching two cherry trees that were thought dead for 2 years come alive after saying good morning to them over and over for 3 months. the first to blossom in the entire city of Seattle and all the other trees in the entire city blossom a month after they did. sooo cool.

    coming 6 inches in a side dump from going off a 400 foot cliff because the tye rod broke almost dying.

    dating super models and playboy bunnies. and turning them down after they told me they would marry me tomorrow if they could. raising baby chick’s and baby bunnies.

    to finding a bullet 2 months before it went missing from a gun in the same spot.

    thousands upon thousands of synchronicities of being in the right place at the right time. to help someone. I mean just other day I ran into someone stranded at the airport because of the snow and I had no plans of going to the airport the day before. a friend’s kid had to fly to Texas for Christmas and there was a shit load of snow. so i said I will drive her. it was a zoo took me an hour to find parking at SeaTac. hour line to get her bag checked and me a chaperone ticket because she was a minor. stand in the TSA line for star2 hours. get her to her gate as I’m leaving. I go use the bathroom walk out after I go #2 and right into my ex girlfriend from 4 years ago who screams Anddddyyyyyyyy! You are a Fucking MIRACLE! I looked around. I thought she was talking to someone else. hahahaa. she I road down here with my family. they all caught another flight because everything is a mess and I missed my flight by 10 minutes because TSA had to verify the contents of my bag. Im litterally am stranded in the airport with $20 to my name and no car and the airline got me on another flight leaving tomorrow at midnight. I prayed. God help me! send me an Angel! and 2 minutes later you walk out the bathroom infront of me! you came out of nowhere like magic trick. hahahahaha I said yeah. I hear that alot. so I gave her a ride home.

    I’m always in the right place at the right time. everytime! all the time. I am the right place and the right time all the time. every time.

    I’ve had thousands of experiences like that in the last year. thousands upon thousands. too many to count.

    I’ve seen the most amazing views. Hung out with Shamans and Alchemy Wizards forensic psychics who work on cold case files for the FBI. went to the dirt track races and national figure 8 races. did some shooting, wheeling and so much fishing.

    I went salsa dancing on the beach with smoking hot chick named Angel the had sex all night and she made me breakfast in the morning, folded my laundry, did the dishes and took out the trash on the way out. she is soooooo hot. perfect legs and ass.

    wow.

    I did rough neck cowboy shit in the mountains. saw so many sunsets. logged over 600 hours of meditation, wrote ovrer 400 pages of gratitude lists, wrote over 300 prayers for other people, went to church. did tons of service work. Hung out with Rock stars and even won more than couple 3 Jackpots.

    and that ain’t even remotely the half of it.

    so much cool stuff.

    so when, I think of what Choices said to me that day, “quit bullshitting. you have all these weapons around here.” I think what are you talking about man? I living the dream dude. like sooo mind bending amazing life.

    my life is so amazing, it’s unbelievable. if I didn’t live it? I would believe it. if someone else told me 10% of the stuff i experienced in this year of life. id honestly think they lieing or retarded living in the land of make believe. haha.

    but it’s all true. I lived it. its the life THE DUDE gives to me.

    I’m super excited to see what 2023 brings, tons and tons of more cool stuff. I just keeps getting better and better and better.

    see ya.

    happy happy new year! I’m excited to see what DUDE has planned for a little dude like me. I’m not the big deal. DUDE is. HE just makes big deal about me. just Andy. lol

    • I think my all favorite moment was not the bow tie floating accross the parking lot 3 inches off the ground for 100 feet and Landing on my right shoe with not a soul around. but that was pretty cool too. or having a Rabi, Muslim priest, a Baptist minister, a catholic priest and a Shaman in my office all at the same time praying a blessing on me because they all worked security for me. hahah. so they could pray for people as they went to shows each according to their faith. they all called me Boss Man. which was so odd. im just andy. not a saint. or an angel or all that. im fine just being me. they all came to my office at the same time and said a blessing over me. that was pretty cool tooo.

      so many cool things. from helping that dude get his wallet and car keys at exact moment that other dude was walking out with them. I litterally have thousands upon thousands of experiences like that. every day i experience stuff like that. like soemtime 20 to 50 times in a day. all the time. I don’t tell them all. I just think. yeah. okay cool.

      or someone says, wow you came out of nowhere!!!!! right when I needed someone!!! yeah man, cool. I get that alot. hahahhaa. how can I help ya. hahahaha let’s get some chips and salsa man and think about this. hahaha

      ******

      I still think my favorite moment of 2022 was when I wrote all my problems on a helium balloon with a black sharpie and all wants and needs, then i went down to the beach and let it go. watched it float away until I couldn’t see it any more. then i said Here DUDE! YOU take care of all this stuff! I’m going to go help some people.

      then 4 weeks later I’m standing outside my old office at 4am having a smoke and cup of coffee just thinking about stuff. not a soul around. I said out loud, Yo DUDE! give me a sign!

      and a smiley faced helium balloon came flying out of the darkness and bonked me right in the fuckin head. hahahahahhahahahahha. I laughed so hard spilt my coffee all over the place and damn near fell over on the ground. I said DUDE! when I sent that helium balloon with all my problems and wants and desires on it to ya 4 weeks ago at the beach. I didn’t rightly expect you to send me a Balloon Back! hahahahhahah

      so Freaking funny!

      sure as shit. I stood there with a big yellow smiley faced Ballon in my hand. blows my tiny little brain hahahahahah.

      I’m on the path of Happy Destiny. that is the path OF happy destiny. not the path TO happy destiny.

      the path OF happy destiny.

      ADNI

      And….

      I’m not in competition with anyone or anything. at all. not even in competition with myself.

      I’m in complete harmony with everything and everyone in creation. I speak and creation answers. all the time. I did the next right thing until i became the next right thing. the present in the presence. the presence in the present. so to speak.

      sooo………

      2023 will be even more amazing. of that I am most certain.

      :)

      • after many hours of deep meditation and views…..

        as you know, I live a life most people only dream about. I can’t count how many people have asked me, how do you have such an amazing life. all I can say is… Grace.

        Grace, is defined as unmerited favor.

        last night eye completed my vision for ~ 2023 ~ fore ~ Me ~

        I leave enough spaces in my created vision for THE DUDE to put HIS finger prints on it. and it is so……. after all. HE is The Author of life.

        I will check in time to time. to say hi and all that. see ya then.

        for now….

        I have a wonderful life to live. a very very merry Christmas indeed. :)

        it begins……

        que: the theme song for my 2023 experience.

        ~ Shotgun Rider ~

        https://youtu.be/Dg-eRgc7h6Y

        Tim Mcgraw

      • yes, of course I heard you. lol

        I hear and see everything in the world around me. most here know that about me.

        to answer your question. ~ a vision for you ~

        how much does it cost you to take your candle and use it to light another’s candle? it cost you nothing.

        and yet, the enitre light in the room doubles.

        now let’s say you take your candle and light 4 more and the person who you lit their candle lights 4 more other peoples candles. has the flame on your candle diminished any in it’s brilliance? nope. and yet now the light in the dark room is now 10 times brighter.

        DUDE didn’t light your candle so you could sit around and Marvel at its brilliance silly. DUDE lit your candle so you could use it to light other people’s candles. then, The whole world can see.

        and it cost you nothing of your own flame to do so.

        that is how it works.

        until we meet again. :)

  21. https://warnews247.gr/pagkosmiopoiisi-tis-sygkrousis-i-voreia-korea-bike-ston-polemo-xekinisan-oi-apostoles-fortion-oplon-pros-rosia-kai-wagner-lene-oi-ipa/

    HMM.. what do I think about this story?
    since this all began.. Xi has been the one trying to calm everyone down.. we disregarded all the requests they have made and parked nukes on their borders to.. still the country has been trying to keep a more logical lets discuss this and make resolutions as adults .. now from this story.. they implicate the one that would launch one at the puppeteers back yard.. and now say.. well the arms are being transported through.. I do have to say that is one way to get both NK and China involved in this escalating it so far out that maybe we should be wearing gas masks and flash goggles to the store to buy groceries..
    that tells me that maybe I need to buy some more fruit before china quits shipping them to the US again..
    I would love to see calmer heads working thes life changing issues out.. instead of the war war war speech we keep hearing.. stop the killing.. and work on some of the real problems we have on this planet other than some ones pockets being filled with numbers that once this takes off.. won’t be worth the time it took to collect them..what a mess.. it is like we are being hurtled towards the abyss.. with Don Quixote chasing his wind mills.. instead it is like the whole world is going through the divine comedy

    https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8799
    https://www.amazon.com/Don-Quixote-Ingenious-Gentleman-Mancha/dp/B0765LRT7G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=OX0JSF6KGI7I&keywords=don+quixote+movie&qid=1671889009&sprefix=don+quixote+movie%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-1
    the book is better .. but heck.. a movie on a frosty day in paradise..
    star of the show.. is mr. bumbles LOL

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