revobob 9/18/2019 5:37:32 AM

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So much of my state of mind these days depends on whether Little OR is pooping regularly.

With OR's son and Kosh's dogs excretory schedules being major topics y'all wonder why posting is down???   ;-)

I suppose I could describe my trip to the orthopedist Monday to have my knee drained...

9/18/2019 5:43:34 AM

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Why today’s renewables cannot power modern civilization

· Costs for renewable power generation have dropped fast, but they will not improve 10-fold anymore… physical limits will be reached

· Common comparisons of renewables vs. conventional power generation are misleading. One cannot compare marginal costs for intermittent power with costs for base power

· Adding wind and solar to the power grid beyond a certain point is not only uneconomical but hurts the environment

· Gas’ GHG emissions from production to combustion are essential the same as coal, replacing coal with gas will achieve nothing but increase costs

· The material needs and the environmental impact of today’s renewables far out-shadow those for conventional power

vxbush 9/18/2019 5:53:33 AM

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From yesterday: 

In #16 lucius septimius said: Actually I was thinking that when listening to the Democrats.  Like the Inquisition, they begin by announcing your guilt.  It is not for you to defend yourself, only for you to say (as was demanded of witches) when, where, and on account of whom did you become a witch.  Salwell in particular was speaking right out of the inquisitor's handbook. 

That there is why I love you folks. I never would have compared those two items, and yet it is so apt. 

Morning, campers. The crazy project continues to be crazy. Monday was a 10-hour day. I'm hoping today won't be as bad. 

I did some reading yesterday about Pelosi's plan to stall the USMCA until Trudeau gets re-elected. But I haven't heard any projections as to how likely that is. Does anyone here know? I would think he would be out, given the scandals that have been tracked to him, but then I would have thought that about Obama. 

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 6:43:22 AM

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In #1 revobob said: So much of my state of mind these days depends on whether Little OR is pooping regularly.

 
You too?!!

/

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 6:43:58 AM

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Reply to Unknown user in 2:

Of course, the Progs aren't interested in maintaining modern civilization, so... 

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 7:02:35 AM

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Democrats are morally superior to us, never forget that...

https://nypost.com/2019/09/18/dem-donor-ed-buck-arrested-after-third-man-overdoses-at-his-la-home/

9/18/2019 7:05:10 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 5: Reply to Occasional Reader in 5:

My oldest texted me from history class yesterday.

"History is boring, why do we need to know about it?

My response. "No enlightenment, No technology. No iphone."

We talked later how, the two are connected.

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 7:14:31 AM

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Reply to Unknown user in 7:

If he doesn't pay attention in history class, he'll never learn about how the USA invented slavery, and how slavery and racism and genocide are the foundation stones of our country and culture, and how he is always and forever guilty for being white, and ... 

doppelganglander 9/18/2019 8:17:51 AM

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Reply to revobob in 1:

Perhaps you'd rather hear about my dentist appointment this morning.

/Look, Ma, no cavities!

doppelganglander 9/18/2019 8:20:10 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 6:

Can you still call people perverts, or do we have to go with "alternative lifestyle?" 

Syrah 9/18/2019 8:25:45 AM

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Speaking of poop, moral superiority and witches, I am buying a used stepvan this week.

i am looking at several, all used. Most of them range from 2001 to 2004 diesel  one is a 1973 gasoline  

(unfortunately, they are all automatic transmission, which kind of sucks. I like manual transmissions because I am a bit of a control freak and a stick shift is harder for dumb teenagers to steel.)

Q: When doing a test drive of these vehicles, what am I listening/feeling for that will indicate a good versus a bad transmission?

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 8:31:19 AM

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In #11 Syrah said: Q: When doing a test drive of these vehicles, what am I listening/feeling for that will indicate a good versus a bad transmission?

All I know is that if it goes pocketa-pocketa-pocketa, you're about to go into a Mitty-esque daydream.... 

revobob 9/18/2019 8:32:07 AM

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In #4 Occasional Reader said: You too?!!

I'm old, so of course!!

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 8:32:49 AM

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In #10 doppelganglander said: Can you still call people perverts, or do we have to go with "alternative lifestyle?" 

Oh, come down off your high horse.  Who among us hasn't faced the problem at some time of "how do I dispose of this hooker who I invited home and then OD'd on meth"?   Admittedly, three times is a bit much, but still. 

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 8:33:43 AM

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In #13 revobob said: I'm old, so of course!!

Well, I just had no idea that you were so preoccupied about Little OR's bowel habits... 

9/18/2019 8:36:26 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 8:

They are already debating climate change.

They also are asking about aspects of history they find suspect. They do complain when I go too in depth...

Syrah 9/18/2019 8:43:21 AM

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In #12 Occasional Reader said: All I know is that if it goes pocketa-pocketa-pocketa, you're about to go into a Mitty-esque daydream.... 

The 1973 is only included in the list because it has a new motor. It runs nicely. I haven’t driven it yet though. It is an old beast and is very affordable. It will be murder on gas and the vehicle is old. All indications are that it was well maintained and while used for heavy loads, was not abused.

The others are newer, much lower mileage on the odometer, will be much better on fuel costs, but will come close to busting my budget. 

Trade offs working both ways on this. 

revobob 9/18/2019 8:45:27 AM

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In #11 Syrah said: Q: When doing a test drive of these vehicles, what am I listening/feeling for that will indicate a good versus a bad transmission? Reply

Two separate issues- transmission and clutch. Any kind of prominent noises- grinding, buzzing, cyclic noises- from the transmission are not good. Eyeball the undercarriage for any signs of leakage from either front or rear seals on the shafts going into and out of the transmission. (In most cases you cannot see the front of the tranny but look for accumulated dirt stuck in leaking heavy oil.) If buying from a dealer, they will probably have done some cleaning on the drive train, including washing away any telltale seepage.

The clutch should not make any extra noise when disengaged (pressing the pedal down). It should engage smoothly but still decisively. If you test drive the vehicle, try to get into one of the higher gears, then floor the throttle. If the engine accelerates faster than the vehicle, the clutch is slipping and will need to be replaced.

Personally, as I have said here before, I would suggest getting an automatic transmission instead of the manual. Modern automatic transmissions are pretty well designed to protect themselves from damage as long as clean fluid is kept in them. On a step van type vehicle it is probable that the automatic will offer more gear ratios than a manual has. This will allow the engine to spend more time operating in its most efficient RPM range.

revobob 9/18/2019 8:48:20 AM

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In #9 doppelganglander said: Perhaps you'd rather hear about my dentist appointment this morning.

So- you're no longer so down in the mouth? (Did I miss further developments on the job front?)

doppelganglander 9/18/2019 8:56:00 AM

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Reply to revobob in 19:

I need to go back for a deep cleaning around a couple of back molars.

I had an in person interview last Thursday that I thought went well. I sent thank you emails via the HR person who set it up, but she never responded, so I don't even know if she forwarded them or not. I haven't heard a word since. Since they scheduled the phone and face-to-face interviews in such a short period, the silence leads me to believe they're no longer interested. I've done everything I can think of to improve my performance in interviews. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong.

revobob 9/18/2019 9:00:34 AM

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In #15 Occasional Reader said: Well, I just had no idea that you were so preoccupied about Little OR's bowel habits... 

Affordable entertainment options are hard to come by here in rural Kaintuckey.

revobob 9/18/2019 9:02:16 AM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 20:

Have you tried being taller?  ;-)

doppelganglander 9/18/2019 9:23:27 AM

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Reply to revobob in 22:

High-heeled shoes can only do so much. I think I need to try being younger. 

Syrah 9/18/2019 9:26:39 AM

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Reply to revobob in 18:

Thanks Revo.

That gives me an idea of what to listen for. 

You have helped feel better about automatic transmissions. Old prejudices die hard. 

What year would you say automatic transmissions have become more reliable?  The other trucks I am looking at are 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. These vehicles are right at my budget limits. The 70’s truck is one quarter the price of the newer ones. 

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 9:27:54 AM

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In #23 doppelganglander said: High-heeled shoes can only do so much.

Yeah, I found they rarely did me much good in interviews, either. 

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 9:29:51 AM

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Reply to Syrah in 24:

I claim no expertise in this area, but I would be loath, or loathe, or loth???, to acquire a 1970s-era vehicle other than as a curio.  Something important is going to break down, pretty soon, you can count on it.  

doppelganglander 9/18/2019 9:33:41 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 25:

You just don't have the legs for it.

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 9:35:41 AM

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9/18/2019 9:38:43 AM

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Reply to Syrah in 11:

It has to shift smoothly. There will be a slight no jerking. It should be very quiet. There will be slight consistent hum or which will change pitch with shifting. No clunks, rattles, grinding or loud sounds.

revobob 9/18/2019 9:43:58 AM

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In #24 Syrah said: What year would you say automatic transmissions have become more reliable?  The other trucks I am looking at are 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. These vehicles are right at my budget limits. The 70’s truck is one quarter the price of the newer ones. 

First, you may want to look at the trade-offs involved with the old one- Try to estimate (pessimistically) what your fuel costs will be over the period you expect to own it. Then I would factor in an amount for yearly maintenance costs- including clutch and transmission repairs. Total those up and add to the purchase price. Then do the same thing for any of the others you are seriously interested in. Compare, including looking at the probable timing of the repair costs. Obviously this is mostly guesswork, but there are resources online that will show average annual maintenance costs for most vehicles.

As far as when automatic transmissions have become reliable- I don't think there are clear delineations. Transmission designs have been driven by performance improvements, competitive mileage needs (for sales), and sometimes safety factors. These tend to be more incremental than big changes in any given year. Again, there are online sites to look for best and worst transmissions, best and worst models by year (one that was bad last year might rate much better now). The amount of knowledge you seek is limited only by how much time you want to devote to it.

I will say that it has been quite a long time since automatic transmissions in general have been justifiably reviled as unreliable. As long as they get minimum regular maintenance and are not deliberately abused they are pretty darn durable.

Several manufacturers of dump trucks switched to multi-speed auto trannies quite a long time ago because that pretty much eliminated wrong gear choices by the drivers. To me that is a pretty serious testament.

revobob 9/18/2019 9:46:12 AM

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In #27 doppelganglander said: You just don't have the legs for it.

Actually when he is freshly waxed and lotioned....

revobob 9/18/2019 9:54:30 AM

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In #26 Occasional Reader said: I claim no expertise in this area, but I would be loath, or loathe, or loth???, to acquire a 1970s-era vehicle other than as a curio.  Something important is going to break down, pretty soon, you can count on it.  

Syrah- to expand on this- I agree with OR, but beyond the likelihood of breakdowns there are so many other areas in which vehicle technology has advanced- seat designs, temperature control, visibility through the windows, head and tail lighting, suspension compliance and control, collision survival- the list goes on. Also, breakdowns due to simple aging do not need to be major to hurt. Water pumps, power steering pumps and lines, chassis components, heater cores, etc. all can eat you up in smaller bites.

revobob 9/18/2019 9:58:12 AM

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vxbush 9/18/2019 10:28:03 AM

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In #17 Syrah said: The 1973 is only included in the list because it has a new motor. It runs nicely. I haven’t driven it yet though. It is an old beast and is very affordable. It will be murder on gas and the vehicle is old. All indications are that it was well maintained and while used for heavy loads, was not abused. The others are newer, much lower mileage on the odometer, will be much better on fuel costs, but will come close to busting my budget.  Trade offs working both ways on this. 

Back up a minute: what is a "stepvan"? 

9/18/2019 11:01:55 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 34:

Syrah is breaking bad..... ;-P

Occasional Reader 9/18/2019 12:04:28 PM

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Reply to Unknown user in 35:

What should be painted on the side;

ACME CORPORATION

in no way affiliated with the NSA

9/18/2019 12:05:54 PM

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GAH! Have to vent.

My predecessor in this job broke just about every best practice there is in producing a circuit board.

It makes it very difficult to fix things are aren't working. Every is randomly done, strewn every where across file systems and network drives.

I start to fix one thing, and something underlying needs to be fixed, and something underlying that. The linkages and structures are all tied in knots.

ARRRRGGHHHHHHH!

9/18/2019 12:09:11 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 36:

Attach a forest of antennas on the roof, shapes sizes, maybe even a little rotating dish.

vxbush 9/18/2019 12:26:19 PM

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In #36 Occasional Reader said: What should be painted on the side; ACME CORPORATION in no way affiliated with the NSA

Heh. Either that, or a picture of Wile E. Coyote crashing into the side. 

vxbush 9/18/2019 12:26:59 PM

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In #38 Unknown user said: Attach a forest of antennas on the roof, shapes sizes, maybe even a little rotating dish.

Oh! Can I help set that up? Get a few rack mounted systems, a work table, and that could be a sweet gig.

9/18/2019 12:40:29 PM

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Reply to vxbush in 40:

The driver will have be in the Men In Black uniform....

Kosh's Shadow 9/18/2019 4:13:15 PM

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In #24 Syrah said: The other trucks I am looking at are 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Around here, they;d be getting rotted out from the road salt.

lucius septimius 9/18/2019 4:20:02 PM

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Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 42:

When I inherited my granfather's  '92 Grand Marquis, which had spent it's life between Chicago and Florida, I was driving along one day and the brakes went out.  Turns out the whole of the brake system was rusted out.

Several minutes of pure panic in Atlanta traffic.