Month: July 2023

Books

Trade Pact Series by Julie Czerneda: 6/10

Post author By Richard Nestoff
Post date July 30, 2023
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I just finished the Trade Pacts science fiction series by Julie Czerneda. The premise is that there is an adjacent reality called the mirror. It’s kind of like subspace or hyperspace in that it can be used, nobody lives there and it has it’s own physical laws. Beings that can access the mirror have abilities that we’d think of as paranormal. The universe has humans, a small number of humans with the ability to access the mirror and various alien species which may or may not use the mirror. The books focus on the Clan, a human-looking species with access to the mirror.

Projects

Camper couch project, Part 2 The Design

Post author By Richard Nestoff
Post date July 30, 2023
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I’ve got good spatial reasoning, so I can think through a project in my head, but it helps to layout the conceptual design. I’ve got some understanding of Autocad’s Fusion 360, but I prefer Powerpoint for this kind of work. Powerpoint has pretty powerful and intuitive functions for drawing things.

Sparky

WSJ: Tech Journalist never met Sparky.

Post author By Richard Nestoff
Post date July 30, 2023
No Comments on WSJ: Tech Journalist never met Sparky.

WSJ: Dog Owner

I have a blog because I got a dog. Sparky is a great dog and I can go on about him. I have a blog so I can write about having a dog without boring everyone to death. I can’t imagine how a mundane article like this gets column space in the Wall Street Journal, but of course I read it.

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a dog person. One of my earliest memories of a dog is from when I was around 5 years old and a neighbor’s golden retriever knocked me face-first into the concrete.

Climate Change

BBC puts out climate fear porn.

Post author By Richard Nestoff
Post date July 28, 2023
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BBC: World’s hottest month

It is “virtually certain” that July is going to be the world’s warmest month since records began, according to scientists.

It’s a virtual certainty that this is all bullshit. You know that because they don’t say when records began.

Projects

Camper couch project, Part 1 The Problem

Post author By Richard Nestoff
Post date July 28, 2023
No Comments on Camper couch project, Part 1 The Problem

Space is limited in my camper trailer. I like it that way. For me, camping should be closer to the bare essentials, rather than a home away from home.

Climate Change Economics Technology

BBC: If you use air conditioning, we will turn off your electricity.

Post author By Richard Nestoff
Post date July 28, 2023
No Comments on BBC: If you use air conditioning, we will turn off your electricity.

BBC: Summer temperature strain the grid.

Nearly 200 million Americans are under “dangerously hot conditions” alerts with temperatures expected to soar past 100F (38C) in several major cities.

Those major cities are places where it often gets above 100 F in the summer, so no real surprise.

Engineering Technology

WSJ: First smart gun goes to market. I’m not optimistic.

Post author By Richard Nestoff
Post date July 28, 2023
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WSJ: First Smart Gun

“I’m usually an early adapter,” said Wiesen, 46 years old. “It might be the gadget part of me that made me buy it, but it’s also the safety aspect.”

Weisen is self-aware enough to know that it’s a novelty.

Economics Government

Buttigieg totally screws air travel for everyone.

Post author By Richard Nestoff
Post date July 28, 2023
No Comments on Buttigieg totally screws air travel for everyone.

USNews: DOT Changes Accessibility Rules

Pete Buttigieg and his Department of Transportation just made up new rules to make air travel more expensive and unpleasant for everyone. How can federal bureaucrats do this with no oversight or accountability?

Sparky

Sparky is a stealthy bastard.

Post author By Richard Nestoff
Post date July 27, 2023
No Comments on Sparky is a stealthy bastard.

I underestimated my sneaky puppy. This morning, I posted about Sparky being a picky eater, but he’s way beyond that. Before taking Sparky out for his evening walk, I saw this.

Sparky

Sparky is a picky eater.

That’s something that was supposed to be theoretically impossible. A beagle looking wistfully out the window while a bowl of food is right there.