@dougfir@mastodon.social
@dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

dougfir

@dougfir@mastodon.social

Mostly retired boomer. Loves trees of all sorts, especially redwoods, in their native habitat. KB7RAL

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Teri_Kanefield, to random
@Teri_Kanefield@mastodon.social avatar

Now that my son (the youngest) is 20 and in college, he will occasionally ask me for writing advice.

After looking at his thesis and intro: "Good set up! Now you need to think of a bunch of smart things to say."

(It's an art history class comparing paintings)

😂

dougfir,
@dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

@Teri_Kanefield
What is his field?

dougfir,
@dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

@Teri_Kanefield
If he is in the mood for a road trip, the historic courthouse in Auburn is beautiful to look at. But it is built on top of a hill, with dozens of steps once you make the climb up the sidewalk. As a result, it is not very accessible for mobility impaired people. A clever person might be able to figure out a solution that incorporates art with functionality. (And there is a really good farmers market every Saturday in the parking lot down below the courthouse).

ai6yr, to VegetableGardening
@ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

Solar storms forced farmers to pause planting to do lack of GPS! https://www.404media.co/solar-storm-knocks-out-tractor-gps-systems-during-peak-planting-season/

dougfir,
@dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

@ai6yr
I can see the scene now at the local diner.
"Hey Gordie, those rows of corn you planted look a little shaky".
"Yeah Jim, my GPS went out with that solar storm, first time I got to use that excuse". 😅😅

thepoliticalcat, to random
@thepoliticalcat@mastodon.social avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @thepoliticalcat
    Not to mention trump has promised to burn the planet for a few dollars in political contributions.

    lauren, to random
    @lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org avatar

    Keep in mind that any day, Elon could wake up and say "To Hell with Starlink. Shut it down!" And nobody could stop him.

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @lauren
    The government could, if they had to will, nationalize starlink and make it a utility available to us citizens and selected allies.

    ai6yr, to H5N1
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    UNMC: "There’s no question H5N1 bird flu has ‘pandemic potential.’ How likely is that worst-case scenario?" https://www.unmc.edu/healthsecurity/transmission/2024/05/07/theres-no-question-h5n1-bird-flu-has-pandemic-potential-how-likely-is-that-worst-case-scenario/

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    Just think how cheap house prices will be if half the population dies.

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    I heard once that after the plague went through Europe and killed off about ⅓ the population, surviving peasants could command higher wages because labor was in such short supply.

    GottaLaff, to Canada
    @GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

    I'm going to post my dopey gif early today because we're so busy and I don't wanna forget.

    Here you go! 20 more days til we leave!
    🇨🇦

    Have a wonderful evening, everyone!

    video/mp4

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @GottaLaff
    We are cheering for you. And a tiny bit jealous.

    ai6yr, to movies
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    Saw "The Beekeeper" with Jason Statham. There could not be a more awesome movie!

    1. Beekeeping!
    2. Old pickup truck!
    3. Woodworking tools!
    4. Anti-crypto/NFT
    5. Plot could have come from a drunk version of my beekeeping toots about replacing a queen
    6. Cybercriminals get their just desserts
    7. Hero is a nice guy
    8. Beekeeper as the hero

    (It brought tears to my eyes, truly).

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    No chainsaws? Unless it has chainsaws used properly or iocaine powder, I'm not interested.

    MsMerope, to random
    @MsMerope@sfba.social avatar

    THE FUCKING POST OFFICE WILL STILL NOT APPROVE MY FUCKING CHANGE OF ADDRESS

    WHAT THE EVER LOVING HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE??

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @MsMerope
    They wouldn't allow a change of address for my mother because she did not appear in person to fill out the form. She's bedridden with no short-term memory, which is why I brought my power of attorney paperwork with me. They still refused to change because someone somewhere might possibly be trying to commit fraud.

    GottaLaff, to legal
    @GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

    NEW 🧵 starts HERE: 1/...

    Hope Hicks is back on the stand.

    Merchan: "Good afternoon Ms. Hicks. Remember you're still under oath."

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @GottaLaff
    I make my family proud of me by not doing shameful stuff, not by trying to hide it from them.

    GottaLaff, to california
    @GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

    LA Times: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that he has qualified for ’s presidential election ballot, giving his third-party candidacy a longshot chance at collecting 54 electoral votes this fall.

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @GottaLaff
    If by long, you mean zero, then yes, he has a chance.

    ai6yr, to gardening
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    Another volunteer oak tree coming up in my backyard! Already have one (now about 15 feet tall), letting this one grow as well to provide some shade. We've had massive fatality of the 200 year old oaks in our neighborhood, and although they do reduce areas you can garden in, the shade and habitat is useful and appreciated. #gardening

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    Back in 19ought 2001, my first proposed project for a masters in forestry was supposed to be a trial of a chemical to control sudden oak death. I even got a trip to a conference in Monterey about the disease. Sadly, it didn't get funded.

    ai6yr, to woodworking
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    Organic certified wood glue! (In all seriousness, condiment containers are superior to what wood glue is sold in normally. This is bulk refilled)

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    This would have been more useful when I was in elementary school and enjoying a quiet snack during the day. 😅😅😅

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    I'm better now. My wife had to do some remedial training when I was younger.

    timesandseasons, to saltlakecity
    @timesandseasons@mastodo.neoliber.al avatar

    I'm still pissy that UTA was one of the first transit agencies to have open-loop contactless payments and they killed it right when contactless cards were getting popular. At least they're bringing it back now, but that will take a while.

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @timesandseasons
    Wait until you find out Cache Valley Transit is fare-free and has been since they started up 30 years ago.

    ai6yr, to random
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    Heard the next door neighbor demanding the pest control service douse her house with more pesticidea because of "spiders leaving cobwebs on the outside".

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    One of the reasons I didn't pursue a business in pest control. Most tree problems in my area can be "fixed" with adequate water, but homeowners want you to spray for the immediate "cure."

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    People would want you to spray the entire exterior of the house with permethrin to kill those nasty boxelder bugs. They were willing to pay upwards of $100 for $5 worth of chemical and half an hour of my time to kill harmless bugs.

    ai6yr, (edited ) to random
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    Mystery plant of the day. (update: this is most certainly horseweed!)

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    What's wrong with the references in the Wikipedia article?

    ai6yr, to random
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    Per scanner, they have told anyone not engage with fire to pull back to a safe distance away.

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @StandUp2Fascism @melanie @ai6yr
    https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/oceanside-pier-fire-day-2/3499503/

    ai6yr, to california
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    LA Times: These are the California cities where $150,000 still buys you a home. Would you live here? "...For the last 30 years, Ann Epperly has lived in Trona, one of only nine California cities, towns and unincorporated areas tracked by Zillow with median home values under $150,000 in February 2024." https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-24/california-9-cities-where-150-000-can-buy-an-average-home #housing #california #trona

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr @Pappy
    Low maintenance yard, handicapped accessible, what's not to like?

    ai6yr, to random
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    Santa Barbara's home prices are (and have always been) so out of reach for folks who are not independently wealthy. It's a wonder anyone is available to even work fast food there. Nearly all the engineers (highly paid, mind you) working at companies there commute from out of the area for this reason. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/21/realestate/21hunt-zero.html

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    Here is an interesting take on home prices.
    https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/4/23/2236814/-Why-Homelessness-Stalks-America-Like-the-Grim-Reaper

    ml, to history
    @ml@ecoevo.social avatar

    The documentary "Berkeley in the Sixties" is a must-watch for how student activism revulsed the rich white supremacists in this country, making them slash education funding.

    A friend recommended I read "After the Ivory Tower Falls" for more on this. (It's on sale right now, too.) https://www.harpercollins.com/products/after-the-ivory-tower-falls-will-bunch?variant=40957097639970

    @academicchatter

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @GhostOnTheHalfShell @figstick @ml @academicchatter
    Then Bush junior pushed through changes to the bankruptcy laws so you could no longer discharge school loan debt.

    ai6yr, to Montana
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    PBS: Montana city grapples with rise of unhoused people living in vehicles https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/montana-city-grapples-with-rise-of-unhoused-people-living-in-vehicles #bozeman #unhoused #homeless #montana

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @mlanger @ai6yr
    Paring my "stuff" down to where I could fit it into a sprinter van sounds very attractive. I would think there are enough truck stops and Walmart parking lots that I would never lack for a place to sleep, and there is a long list of national parks I want to visit.

    ai6yr, to random
    @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org avatar

    LOL, ordered and paid for a part online for an "authorized dealers only" manufacturer, and the local dealer has no record of it... yet. Will see if they get it Monday or Tuesday. Surprised these folks haven't figured out e-commerce yet. (Stihl... decent equipment, but apparently has not yet hit the 1990's in terms of online technology). #ecommerce

    dougfir,
    @dougfir@mastodon.social avatar

    @ai6yr
    Yet another reason to buy husqvarna although in the spirit of full disclosure, I have an 025 chainsaw inherited from my Dad that works fine, a cute little electric pruning tool MSA 026 that works very well, and a gas power string trimmer that does the job.

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