Someone asked for an explanation of what I mean by “ripping,” so: I use “Makemkv” to “rip”/copy a DVD/Blu Ray to my hard drive. Each episode of a tv program (NCIS or whatever) usually comes in around 1.8 Gig. Then I run those files through “Handbrake” to “shrink” those episodes to around  1 Gig or less (around 5-700mb usually). 45 minute episodes. The bigger the ripped file, the bigger the final file. A DVD movie rips at around 4 Gig and Handbrake can take that down to 700mb without any real loss in video quality. A Blu Ray movie usually rips at 21-30 Gig and, again, Handbrake can shrink that down to 1.2 Gig depending on your settings and desires. Some movies I use higher quality settings so I don’t miss any of the space war scenes or goose bumpy boobs and those usually max out around 2.3 Gig. I gotta really like the movie though.

So, all our movies and tv shows reside on the NAS and we can watch what we want on any device that can see it. Cool beans. Not having cable and only 1 ota channel available means we rely on buying our entertainment. And YouTube. We be big on YouTube. (And Discovery+. And Wondrium.)

And, yes, to respond to the young guy; I am 70 years old and understand this shit.

New: “Game-Changer” Male Contraceptive – Experimental Drug Stops Sperm in Their Tracks and Prevents Pregnancies Exactly 100% of men have never gotten pregnant, ever; but now we have our own pill just to be sure. 🙂

Busy week around the house. Even managed to get outside a couple of times it hasn’t been raining or just too damned cold. Started up the tractor just to be sure that works. Walking around the property to start to plan repairs. Winter damage has taken down more of our small tree’s and part of our path is blocked. Lots of downed branches. Gotta move some sycamore trees before it gets warm. Thinking of moving my grape to my tower and letting it grow up that.

Made an antenna feed cable out of some wire I got at Habitat for $7 that, later, some of the more “experienced” Hams near me said couldn’t be used as antenna cable. Working fine and has zero SWR (feedback). Going to try that other spool of wire I bought for $4 at the Habitat Store. I’ve found that almost anything can be used as an antenna/cable if you recognize its limitations and compensate for that. Heck, I once saw a guy use the Mannette Bridge in Bremerton as an antenna. My friend in Pa used two rain gutters at his apartment for years. Part of the hobby is experimentation.

Still no word on Starlink.

Freeze dried some ice cream sandwiches for the next time we feed the Missionaries. Which is the 26th this month. Freaks them out to have warm ice cream. But, heck, you can leave those ice cream sandwiches on the counter for a week and they don’t melt. Oooh, I should try Twinkies.

Ruined the 8 plastic buckets ($1/ea) that I was going to use for my new hydroponics experiment. Just being stupid, I think. Drilled the holes I need too small. Might be able to “fix” the error if I use something I can drill into to make the holes the size I need. Kinda like a block of wood to hold the drill bit steady so the hole cutter is centered and secure. I’ll figure it out. It’ll be fun.

Anywho, Date Day so I should get SWMBO started getting up so I can take her to FPH for breakfast. Then I think Home Depot, COSTCO, and WinCo. Maybe event The Dollar Store. (Even though they should change their name to The Dollar-Fifty Store now.)

Talk about forgetting!!! I meant to post this 3 days ago! Where is my freakin’ mind these days?

When I visit Fox News I see: You are seeing this message because ad or script blocking software is interfering with this page. Disable any ad or script blocking software, then reload this page.

Our Local QFC Has Eggs For $7.35/Doz. $7.35! For Eggs!

So, when SWMBO and I stopped by the Chefs Store the other day, we found 15 dozen for just under $50. And, since I have a Freeze Dryer, we got them. That’s, let’s see. 49.00 divided by 15 dozen, …, carry the 4, = $3.26 (rounded down) per dozen. Hey, I could run them through the freeze dryer and sell them for $5/doz and still make some bucks. Hmmm….

I won’t though. Too much like work. And, with my luck someone allergic to eggs would buy some, get sick, sue me and I’d wind up sleeping under the bridge in Bremerton. I’m too old to sleep under any bridge; much less the one in Bremerton. I know it would happen in today’s world cause most people are dicks these days. Don’t get me started.

Anyway, that’s a butt-ton of eggs and they should last us a long time. Can’t make “over-easy” (or anything else that requires a whole yolk) but they’re good for omelets and egg sammiches and such. And baking. I may go get another 15 dozen next week.

Running 1.5 gals of whole milk through the freeze dryer today. Have sliced peppers and something called “riced cauliflower” that SWMBO picked up to try for the next batch. We’re still perfecting the re-hydration part of all this and she thinks that smaller pieces will re-hydrate better. Hey, it’s costing only $5 to prove her right.

That was yesterday and the milk turned out good. To me, re-hydrated in COLD water and it still tastes like milk. Which is what it’s supposed to do.

Dropped $100 at Ace Hardware today for parts for my next hydroponics experiment. Going to try root veggies in buckets. And a mater plant. I’ll post pics when I get it up and running. Yeah, starting the project kind of late, but just now rested from all the traveling and events of 2022 (I never want another 2022) so it’s time to get it started.

SWMBO ordered an “electronic” pet door to let the Dog still go out but keep her new Cat inside until it gets big enough to kinda sorta protect itself outside. Guess who got to install it? Dang, the door was heavy when I took it off! Got it done and the Dog refuses to go through it. Don’t get me started.

Running hash browns and apple slices through the freeze dryer tonight. SWMBO spent the day at a friends trying to “thin out” some of the hoarding she’s done over the past 50 years. (The friend has hoarded. Not SWMBO. But, if one was to look at her sewing room ….)

Cold and windy out. Wx Weenies have predicted possible snow for Monday night-Wednesday morning. And we still pay them.

Have ripped 10 seasons of “Hawaii Five-0” and 8 seasons of “House” and will start them converting tonight just before I go to bed. Even with “Handbrake” using my GPU’s it’s gonna take at least a couple of days to get all those episodes done. Keeps SWMBO happy though; to be able to click on an icon and watch her favorite shows on the big tv.  I have no idea how she’s going to keep all the electronics, movies, and tv shows up after I die. She’s a user.

We’ll both be glad when Starlink gets here though.

The new NAS seems to be working fine. Not sure if it’s the NAS, the Network, or my computer that sometimes pauses in the middle of a program; except my computer will also pause for a bit when copying files from one drive to another locally. May be time to upgrade my distro.

That’s about it. Long time coming. Want all y’all I “follow” to know I appreciate your posts. Keeps me entertained.

“When Worlds Collide” is still one of my favorite movies. Today, though, as an adult, it doesn’t make much sense for the “scientists” to expend much effort on supplying some folks with (food? medicine?) after the damage caused by the passing of Zira. AND, instead of rescuing one “child,” the whole compliment of passengers should have been kids; with maybe two “young adults” to keep an eye on them on the new world. They could have stuffed 80-100 kids in the same area they had only 40 adults in; and a much better chance of actually saving some humans from extinction.

But, that’s just my “adult” kicking in. I wouldn’t have gone anyway. Aside from being too old (now) I didn’t see any mention of them taking along shrimps. And there is no reason to survive on a world without shrimps. Change my mind.

SWMBO’s cat likes to get up on the counter in my bathroom and steal my teethbrush. I quite often find it in the living room. Not even going to ask what that stupid cat does with it but I do rinse it off very well before using it again. (Good thing I don’t have to actually stick it in my mouth to brush my teeth!) I’ve started hiding my teethbrush. From a Cat. This, is what I’ve worked my entire life to achieve.

I’d have to agree with this: Feeling Depressed? Scientists Have Found That Performing Acts of Kindness May Help As a diagnosed depressive compulsive disorder person I know I can over come bouts of depression by positive “self-talk” and doing something nice for someone. (Usually SWMBO cause she knows what’s going on.) It gets me more involved in what I’m doing than the way I’m feeling. As a side note: if “they” had asked me at the beginning of their study I could have (probably) saved the tax payers of this Nation a bunch of bucks. Just saying. Y’all need to check with me before starting these expensive studies.

Balmy 28 degrees on our walk this morning. I hate being cold. I am SO ready for summer. All 3-5 weeks of it around here. Today it’s just cold. Starting tomorrow it’ll be cold and WET for a few days. Supposed to get windy too. Time to check my antennas.

Looks like I’m gonna die: Deadly Consequences: New Research Reveals Dangers of Drinking Too Much Coffee With Severe High Blood Pressure. Although I don’t quite have hyper hypertension. Plus I only (usually) have 2 cups a day. Usually. Heard it’s good for the prostrate. At 70 I have a lot of folks interested in my prostrate. Anyone else notice that the older your Doctor gets, the bonier his finger gets? Like passing a series of marbles during “that” exam. Not that I’ve ever passed a series of marbles; but that’s what I imagine if feels like. Not that I sit around imagining what passing marbles feels like. How’d I get here? Nevermind. Forget I said that.

I didn’t know coffee could get high blood pressure.

From Fox News on Liberal attempts to ban gas stoves: “… move forward with a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) to ban gas stoves.” BECAUSE, when you can’t pass a stupid LAW you pass a stupid RULE or REGULATION. I usually do not agree with Federal rules/regulations, especially those made by the un-elected that think they know what’s best for the rest of us. If it’s that important, put it up for a vote then pass a law. Rules and regs are too easily changed; for the worse usually.

Damn. It’s Thursday. Better make that dump run or I’ll be doing it on Saturday in the rain.

We’ve been paying Centurylink for 3mbps DSL internet for years. Lately our speeds have sucked. Big time. Just checked and we’re getting 0.4 mbps download and 0.3 mbps upload. But, their own tests says something different:

So, gonna sign up for Starlink tonight.

Hope that works out.

Late breakfast at FPH, a stop by the Chef’s Store for a shit-load of sliced mushrooms and some other stuff, then home. Other than some shrooms for SWMBO to make her famous mushroom soup the rest are already in the freeze dryer.

Didn’t sleep worth beans last night so I’m feeling pretty tired. Had a dream about my Ex- (whom I haven’t seen nor heard from in many many years). Woke up at 0200 thinking she was about to call for some reason and couldn’t get back to sleep. So I got up and did some digging around on the Internet and found her and her new husband and the “turn off the paved road” place they’re living in Arkansas. She didn’t call so I went back to bed about 0300 and didn’t get up until 0600. Now I wonder what happened to the guy (Mike) she married after me. They were married over 20 years. Did she just take off on him a second time, or , did he just give up and die from putting up with her crap? Inquiring minds don’t really give a shit.

A dispatch of the EMS to a location here in Belfair for “Complaint of feeling funny after trying marijuana for the first time.”

Take cookies with you, guys.

Solar finally got enough sunlight today to charge the batteries that run my radios. Now, looking at the 7 day forecast, I see rain and possible rain/snow for the next 3 days. Think I’ll keep the power supply on the counter for another few days.

So, Saturday now. looked out the window at 1100 and it’s snowing. Almost 1200 now and it’s still coming down. Cool. Sorta. It ain’t rain!

Building the new NAS and wondering: Why? Other than practicing, that is. Pretty sure when the new drives get here and I install them it’s going to tell me to redo the RAID and reformat anyway. So anything I do now is only practice. But kinda fun. Started delving into the Kubernetics stuff this morning …

But, how does this help me right now? Gravity batteries in abandoned mines could power the whole planet (2 minute read)  Actually, been thinking of experimenting with this in my back yard but can’t figure a way to make it actually useful. Tank of water on top of the 9 ft concrete wall out back with measured release to drive a hydroelectric unit that uses solar power to re-fill the tank every day. How can I make that useful around the house? Otherwise it’d just be a pretty toy. There are video’s on YouTube …

Thank God we didn’t have YouTube when I was a kid. I’d have been in way more trouble than I already managed to stay in. I blew more fuses (and started a couple of fires) by taking things apart and wiring different things together then plugging it in to “see what would happen.” Took a few pretty good shocks over the years too; which may explain a few things.

But, if you want to experiment with something, there’s a video (or 1000) on YouTube about it.

So, heard someone describe that 72 year old Asian guy that shot all those folks down in California as “an almost white guy that killed everyone.” Most of my generation did everything within our powers to wipe out Color differences only to have being “almost white” used against someone.

Wish I could buy an island somewhere isolated and warm. With Internet. And Dr Pepper.