Random Thoughts Thread

[Drew Dowdell]

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Speaking of growing trees in buckets/pots, did you over-research what type of potting soil/media to use? I think I'm going down a wormhole of too much information and overthinking. 

What did you end up using? 

The two big things you need to know are How Acidic and how well it drains or not.

I took a class last year on how to grow the American Chestnut. American Chestnuts like to be high on hilltops with very well-drained soils. There's a geomapping tool in Pennsylvania that uses known land and altitude data to populate the best places for Chestnut plantings, and my property is one of the best in the county.  What I used was a mix of planter soil and something called Pittmoss, better than Peatmoss. Its manufactured here and is mostly recycled newspaper. It's good for containers because it holds moisture better than peat.  Just put them in some 5-gallon buckets and let them go.  I need to move them around a bit soon.

True genetic American Chestnuts are very hard to find. If you find them online, they are most likely crossbred with something else that is blight-resistant. I got my seeds directly from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation at one of their research centers at Penn State.

[ccap41]

17 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The two big things you need to know are How Acidic and how well it drains or not.

I took a class last year on how to grow the American Chestnut. American Chestnuts like to be high on hilltops with very well-drained soils. There's a geomapping tool in Pennsylvania that uses known land and altitude data to populate the best places for Chestnut plantings, and my property is one of the best in the county.  What I used was a mix of planter soil and something called Pittmoss, better than Peatmoss. Its manufactured here and is mostly recycled newspaper. It's good for containers because it holds moisture better than peat.  Just put them in some 5-gallon buckets and let them go.  I need to move them around a bit soon.

True genetic American Chestnuts are very hard to find. If you find them online, they are most likely crossbred with something else that is blight-resistant. I got my seeds directly from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation at one of their research centers at Penn State.

Thanks!

Yeah, from what I've read it needs a lot of water but also media that drains well so the roots can dry out between waterings. I've now looked into this Pittmoss stuff, and it sounds pretty dang good. I think I'll order some and mix it with planter soil, as well. 

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

Thanks!

Yeah, from what I've read it needs a lot of water but also media that drains well so the roots can dry out between waterings. I've now looked into this Pittmoss stuff, and it sounds pretty dang good. I think I'll order some and mix it with planter soil, as well. 

If you do tomatoes or any water hungry container veggies, Pittmoss is the GOAT and will save you a ton of headache with watering.

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

If you do tomatoes or any water hungry container veggies, Pittmoss is the GOAT and will save you a ton of headache with watering.

I don't plan on gardening anytime soon. We need to finish other things before I'd have a permanent spot for a garden, but I would like a small garden in the future. We consume enough various peppers, onions, and zucchinis that I think it would be pretty cool to grow them myself. 

[regfootball]

RENTAL!!!!!

This will be interesting; since I had a 2016…..

Edited April 20 by regfootball

[Drew Dowdell]

I see your rental, and raise you mine..

[trinacriabob]

19 hours ago, regfootball said:

RENTAL!!!!!

 

Coincidence, telepathy, 6 degrees, or something ...

I've got one right now ... a white one.

[trinacriabob]

Random thought - word of the day:

smarm(y)

Great word!

[Drew Dowdell]

On 4/18/2024 at 3:43 PM, ccap41 said:

Heck yeah! 

Do you have any pictures of them, before and now? Not a picture of the seed (LOL) but a very young American Chestnut tree. 

This is all the bigger they are after 11 months. They were started in May. Very distinct leaves.

[trinacriabob]

This is what I also spotted yesterday.  For a while, I thought that most of America wasn't moving away from Craftsman style housing fast enough.  It lasted for at least 2 decades in areas they don't use the Mediterranean stucco look.

Well, America did move on ... to this.  I don't know what it's called ... American white farmhouse?

There isn't much variety in it at all.  And this is mostly what you see anymore.

Can't we do better?

[Robert Hall]

13 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

This is what I also spotted yesterday.  For a while, I thought that most of America wasn't moving away from Craftsman style housing fast enough.  It lasted for at least 2 decades in areas they don't use the Mediterranean stucco look.

Well, America did move on ... to this.  I don't know what it's called ... American white farmhouse?

There isn't much variety in it at all.  And this is mostly what you see anymore.

Can't we do better?

And it has the awful trendy gray/black window trim and garage doors...barf...generic crap.   A lot of the new construction around here looks like this, whether condos or McMansions in suburbia.   

Edited April 21 by Robert Hall

[G. David Felt]

On 4/19/2024 at 11:14 AM, ccap41 said:

I don't plan on gardening anytime soon. We need to finish other things before I'd have a permanent spot for a garden, but I would like a small garden in the future. We consume enough various peppers, onions, and zucchinis that I think it would be pretty cool to grow them myself. 

Flavor is amazing over bland store bought veggies.

18 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

This is all the bigger they are after 11 months. They were started in May. Very distinct leaves.

Very cool, interesting tree, so slow growing then?

[Drew Dowdell]

2 minutes ago, David said:

Flavor is amazing over bland store bought veggies.

Very cool, interesting tree, so slow growing then?

Once they get in the ground they will grow very rapidly until the blight gets them. These two seeds are from different, naturally blight resistant trees. They’ll be planted near each other in the hopes that their seeds will also be blight resistant and if I’m still here in 10 years and the blight hasn’t gotten them, I can share the seeds with others. 
 

This was once the most populous tree in North America, numbering in the hundreds of millions, and the blight wiped it out in a matter of three decades. Now it is rare to see one more than 10 years old in the wild and the ones that are out there are protected and studied.  I believe there’s less than two dozen wild ones in PA now.

[A Horse With No Name]

On 4/18/2024 at 12:17 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

I am growing two endangered American Chestnuts in buckets in my back yard. I started them from seed last summer.

Where did you get the seeds? From the chestnut preservation folks, or just a wild chestnut tree?

 

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Once they get in the ground they will grow very rapidly until the blight gets them. These two seeds are from different, naturally blight resistant trees. They’ll be planted near each other in the hopes that their seeds will also be blight resistant and if I’m still here in 10 years and the blight hasn’t gotten them, I can share the seeds with others. 
 

This was once the most populous tree in North America, numbering in the hundreds of millions, and the blight wiped it out in a matter of three decades. Now it is rare to see one more than 10 years old in the wild and the ones that are out there are protected and studied.  I believe there’s less than two dozen wild ones in PA now.

A woodworking freind of mine knew of a giant one on private land in Michigan about 30 years ago. I wonder what happened to that tree. 

On 4/19/2024 at 9:09 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

I see your rental, and raise you mine..

I want to try an electric rental. 

On 4/18/2024 at 6:03 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

The two big things you need to know are How Acidic and how well it drains or not.

I took a class last year on how to grow the American Chestnut. American Chestnuts like to be high on hilltops with very well-drained soils. There's a geomapping tool in Pennsylvania that uses known land and altitude data to populate the best places for Chestnut plantings, and my property is one of the best in the county.  What I used was a mix of planter soil and something called Pittmoss, better than Peatmoss. Its manufactured here and is mostly recycled newspaper. It's good for containers because it holds moisture better than peat.  Just put them in some 5-gallon buckets and let them go.  I need to move them around a bit soon.

True genetic American Chestnuts are very hard to find. If you find them online, they are most likely crossbred with something else that is blight-resistant. I got my seeds directly from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation at one of their research centers at Penn State.

Contacting them., thank you. 

[Drew Dowdell]

6 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Where did you get the seeds? From the chestnut preservation folks, or just a wild chestnut tree?

 

A woodworking freind of mine knew of a giant one on private land in Michigan about 30 years ago. I wonder what happened to that tree. 

I want to try an electric rental. 

Contacting them., thank you. 

I would look at an Ohio chapter if you want to join.  You're probably too late for seed distribution this year, I got mine right around this time last year.  My membership is expired as it was paid for through my prior employer, but it is something I'd like to join again.

[ccap41]

@Drew Dowdell, I bought it last week. My baby tree should be here tomorrow. 

[trinacriabob]

Tech help needed prior to going in to Office Depot or other store to inquire ... or conducting research and spinning my wheels:

I have 2 HP Pavilion desktops ... one is circa 2019 and the other is circa 2009, and it still works.  They are boxed up.

Questions:

1.  If I needed to get hard drive carrying cases, how does one go about sizing the one they should buy?

2. I have never seen one before, but I'm assuming the construction of the case is thick and tough enough to protect the hard drive, yes?

3.  How much do hard drives in typical household HP Pavilions weigh and are they easy to remove so they can be transported?

THANK YOU!

[trinacriabob]

The site clean-ups on C&G have been nice and look cleaner.

In the process, it appears they even purged that one warning point I got for some heavy handed arguing with ocnblu back in 2009.

[G. David Felt]

10 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Tech help needed prior to going in to Office Depot or other store to inquire ... or conducting research and spinning my wheels:

I have 2 HP Pavilion desktops ... one is circa 2019 and the other is circa 2009, and it still works.  They are boxed up.

Questions:

1.  If I needed to get hard drive carrying cases, how does one go about sizing the one they should buy?

2. I have never seen one before, but I'm assuming the construction of the case is thick and tough enough to protect the hard drive, yes?

3.  How much do hard drives in typical household HP Pavilions weigh and are they easy to remove so they can be transported?

THANK YOU!

Usually one does not pull out a desktop HD to transport it but packs and moves the whole desktop computer.

If you are wanting to remove the HD to transport it, you need to ensure it is in an Anti-static bag to prevent electrical discharge that can scramble the data in worse case scenario.

Depending on size HD can weight from just a couple of OZ to 1lb. 

Question for you, are you just thinking of putting these HD into a new computer or just taking them over separate from the existing desktop system and installing them back in again? If your just thinking of transporting the desktop I would recommend keeping the drive in the desktop and packing the whole unit securely in a box with packing material for protection. If your wanting the data on the drives, I would recommend buying a proper USB drive, copy all the data off the drives and then you can wipe the drives and donate the computers to Goodwill for a tax write off.

[A Horse With No Name]

Would have been a pretty car back in the day. 

 

Gone now!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/450056464120794

[G. David Felt]

4 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Would have been a pretty car back in the day. 

 

Gone now!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/450056464120794

Need some serious work.

Reminds me of this article I read last night.

https://www.drivingline.com/articles/the-cadillac-500-cubic-inch-v8-was-gms-last-classic-big-block/

I can see electric motors going the same route as ICE, getting bigger/more powerful but not as huge as the big block caddy days.

[trinacriabob]

5 hours ago, David said:

Usually one does not pull out a desktop HD to transport it but packs and moves the whole desktop computer.

If you are wanting to remove the HD to transport it, you need to ensure it is in an Anti-static bag to prevent electrical discharge that can scramble the data in worse case scenario.

Depending on size HD can weight from just a couple of OZ to 1lb. 

Question for you, are you just thinking of putting these HD into a new computer or just taking them over separate from the existing desktop system and installing them back in again? If your just thinking of transporting the desktop I would recommend keeping the drive in the desktop and packing the whole unit securely in a box with packing material for protection. If your wanting the data on the drives, I would recommend buying a proper USB drive, copy all the data off the drives and then you can wipe the drives and donate the computers to Goodwill for a tax write off.

Thank you for the response.

I want to reinstall them into the computers, especially the "newer" one.  The old one has been a real champ.  

The reason for not leaving them in the desktop is that the basic tower might have to be transported ... and not by me.  That means it will be out of my possession for a while.  Since the HDs would be traveling with me, they'll have to get scanned through airport security a time or two.  I'm guessing that shouldn't mess with the data.  

I've already backed up the C drive on several large 1 TB portable hard drives.  I don't want to touch the basic functions and files on the computers since I don't know how that all works.  I stay away from the drives and files I am not familiar with.

I tend to donate other things to charity.   I did give the Regal I once owned to charity.   A good friend told me that, about a month or two later, he saw it being driven around the city by its new owner and we had a good laugh.

This is what I want to do.  I'm just trying to figure out if the guy or gal at Office Depot can size a case based on looking up the unit and the HD in it.  Any ideas on that part?  Or should I do that and approximate the size and weight of the part to get the cases?

[trinacriabob]

4 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Would have been a pretty car back in the day. 

Gone now!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/450056464120794

The incoming rectangular lamps on many GM cars in that era made them much more attractive.  They made a big difference.

Now, as far the powerplant went, the notion of 500 cubic inches was mindboggling even during the malaise era.  If you want to see someone's jaw drop, tell a European that their engines have 8200 cc or 8.2 liters.  For those who aren't driving the occasional Mustang or Camaro you see, they freak out at anything over 2,500 or 3,000 cc.

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, trinacriabob said:

Thank you for the response.

I want to reinstall them into the computers, especially the "newer" one.  The old one has been a real champ.  

The reason for not leaving them in the desktop is that the basic tower might have to be transported ... and not by me.  That means it will be out of my possession for a while.  Since the HDs would be traveling with me, they'll have to get scanned through airport security a time or two.  I'm guessing that shouldn't mess with the data.  

I've already backed up the C drive on several large 1 TB portable hard drives.  I don't want to touch the basic functions and files on the computers since I don't know how that all works.  I stay away from the drives and files I am not familiar with.

I tend to donate other things to charity.   I did give the Regal I once owned to charity.   A good friend told me that, about a month or two later, he saw it being driven around the city by its new owner and we had a good laugh.

This is what I want to do.  I'm just trying to figure out if the guy or gal at Office Depot can size a case based on looking up the unit and the HD in it.  Any ideas on that part?  Or should I do that and approximate the size and weight of the part to get the cases?

I am not aware of travel cases for internal drives. Usually you have the drive and once you have made sure you own static electricity is discharged on your body, open the computer and unplug the power cable and data cable to the HD. Then you unscrew the screws holding the drive in. Put the drive into an Anti-Static bag and then usually into a box that has foam padding on all sides to protect the drive and then tape it up to close it. 

With both drives in their proper storage bags, you can then have both drives in between foam insulation for handling any dropping of the box, etc. Pack them in a box and tape shut, should then easily handle going through your carry on or checked in luggage.

To ship a hard drive, you need to:

1. Secure the hard drive in its original packaging or anti-static bag.
2. If you don't have an anti-static bag, place the drive into a zipped freezer bag to prevent any moisture getting into the drive during transit.
3. Sandwich the drive between foam or wrap it in bubble wrap to absorb any minor shocks.
4. Put the hard drive in a padded shipping box.
5. Close and seal the box.
6. Label your package.

Amazon.com : hard drive shipping box

This is pretty much all you need.

[A Horse With No Name]

My latest quest is a possible upgrade of my turntable. Right now I run a Fluance RT 82.

 

I just upgraded my CD game with an Audiolab 6000 CDT. 

 

I am enjoying a ton of Vinyl right now. Classical, some jazz albums almost free. older albums often sound quite good and can be picked up quite cheaply. 

 

 

 

[G. David Felt]

Very interesting as I am seeing more and more of these lists dominated by the Hyundai/Kia/Genesis product lines.

Autotrader's Best New Cars of 2024 - Autotrader

[G. David Felt]

Interesting read, it does bring up a very important point, will the current CCS power walls work forward once everyone moves to NACS charge port?

Does EV home-backup capability outmode the Tesla Powerwall? (greencarreports.com)

Which Electric Cars Have Bidirectional Charging (V2L, V2G, V2H)? | Zecar | Resources | Lists

[G. David Felt]

I have to say this is an interesting read and I align with what the editorial author is saying.

Biden’s FTC just exposed one of the GOP and businesses’ biggest lies to workers (msn.com)

[riviera74]

21 hours ago, David said:

I have to say this is an interesting read and I align with what the editorial author is saying.

Biden’s FTC just exposed one of the GOP and businesses’ biggest lies to workers (msn.com)

CA made it impossible to use or enforce non-competes in the state.  That is why Silicon Valley became so dynamic over the last 30 years or so.  The abuse of non-competes is directly responsible for the crackdown and ban.  Good riddance!

[G. David Felt]

Have to say this I totally agree with: Leasing is the best, most affordable way to get a quality new EV — here's why (thecooldown.com)

[daves87rs]

On 4/27/2024 at 12:21 PM, David said:

Have to say this I totally agree with: Leasing is the best, most affordable way to get a quality new EV — here's why (thecooldown.com)

 

That seems to be the idea that Ford and GM have out here. Plus for most it’s a good try before you buy.

I feel that would be the route that I would go too…..

[surreal1272]

Certain Tesla fans: "Elon Musk will be able name his charging price and their superchargers will be everywhere."

 

Also Elon Musk:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/musk-disbands-tesla-ev-charging-202301433.html

[ccap41]

My baby Giant Sequoia showed up yesterday, finally. It got lost in transit for about five days.

[Robert Hall]

Got my first yard mowing of the season today...love the smell of fresh cut grass...thinking about planting a few new shrubberies this year..maybe some Arborvitae..I'm fond of Thuja Green Giants.

Alas, got a lot of pollen in that air this week..Caddy was clean Sunday when I got back from vacay. 

Edited May 1 by Robert Hall

[ccap41]

27 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Got my first yard mowing of the season today...love the smell of fresh cut grass...thinking about planting a few new shrubberies this year..maybe some Arborvitae..I'm fond of Thuja Green Giants.

You're just not getting a first cut in?!? I've been cutting for a month or more already. 

Fun fact, the smell of fresh cut grass is actually a sign of distress from the plant. If you smell the fresh cut grass that means too much was cut off and it's stressed. Try cutting it more often to not stress it out. 

[Robert Hall]

9 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

You're just not getting a first cut in?!? I've been cutting for a month or more already. 

 

Yeah, yard guy was out about 3 weeks ago, we discussed plans for this year...started this week since I was on vacation last week...the front hadn't grown much, the back was getting big in places...lots of rain this Spring.  Trees just started blooming in the last week..

Edited May 1 by Robert Hall

[G. David Felt]

Seems Kia will have a faster model above the GT-Line EV9, expected to be over 600 HP and Torque.

Kia is presenting a great plan.

Kia CEO Investor Day Kia presents 2030 roadmap to become global sustainable mobility leader

[G. David Felt]

Some very cool tech in a Robot heavily automated new Office building.

Hyundai Motor and Kia’s DAL-e Delivery Robot Arrives, Ready to Revolutionize Indoor Autonomous Delivery Services

This Boston Robot with Hyundai reminds me of MAVE that was in the movie love and monsters.

An Electric New Era for Atlas | Boston Dynamics

An Electric New Era for Atlas | Boston Dynamics

Wish I was that flexible.

[G. David Felt]

Very impressive video of the Escalade IQ. I can see it as an executive luxury ride in this format that they show here. Have to wonder what the DE contented versions will look like.

Is this Escalade the most iconic CADILLAC of all time? | Watch (msn.com)

[trinacriabob]

Good morning (Pacific Time, that is) ...

This shows up in a box on my homepage.   

Whoa.  Who is it? 

It's none other than Heather Locklear. 

Could she be on her way to a casting call to play the following individual?

[trinacriabob]

What I had really meant to say ...

Happy Cinco de Mayo

from my hometown (a coincidence ... already here to visit high school and college friends)

arguably a contender for one of the most authentically Mexican cities (on one or more levels) in the U.S.

tonight calls for some El Torito somewhere.

[G. David Felt]

Cool Comparison review.

The 2024 Kia EV9 and the Rivian R1S compared: Which of these 3-row electric SUVs is better? (msn.com)

[trinacriabob]

Some 2024 anniversaries for Los Angeles CA - how time flies

40 years since the 1984 Summer Olympics

- cities seem to have growth spurts - not all good, with spikes in home and apartment prices - and the same seemed to have happened in Atlanta after it hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics

30 years since the 1994 Northridge (MLK Day) earthquake

- I believe it did a lot more damage than the Sylmar Feb. 9 1971 earthquake since Sylmar is at the very edge of the built-up part of the metro area while Northridge is more in the thick of things in the San Fernando Valley.  In both quakes, high overpasses connecting freeways I-5 to CA-14 came down.  In the 1994 quake, a critical raised portion of the fairly distant Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) came down,

[ccap41]

14 hours ago, David said:

Cool Comparison review.

The 2024 Kia EV9 and the Rivian R1S compared: Which of these 3-row electric SUVs is better? (msn.com)

That's actually a horrible comparison. Any auto review by MSN is crap. 

"here's the spec sheet" is about all they give you. 

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, ccap41 said:

That's actually a horrible comparison. Any auto review by MSN is crap. 

"here's the spec sheet" is about all they give you. 

MSN just reposts stories they pay for, it is Marketwatch who wrote it, but it is the first I have seen showing the details of the two SUVs side by side. Not great but cool none the less to at least quickly compare the two. Kia gave me lots of value for what I got in my EV9 compared to Rivian. IMHO

[riviera74]

On 5/6/2024 at 5:30 PM, G. David Felt said:

MSN just reposts stories they pay for, it is Marketwatch who wrote it, but it is the first I have seen showing the details of the two SUVs side by side. Not great but cool none the less to at least quickly compare the two. Kia gave me lots of value for what I got in my EV9 compared to Rivian. IMHO

Rivian? Value? That's hilarious.?

[G. David Felt]

Magical night be it in the city or away for the Solar storm that hit.

Coworker said we would wake up to killer plants. ? 

[A Horse With No Name]

Congrats to David on the new Kia EV!. Thinking of going electric with the next car myself.

Chris

On 5/6/2024 at 2:41 AM, trinacriabob said:

Some 2024 anniversaries for Los Angeles CA - how time flies

40 years since the 1984 Summer Olympics

- cities seem to have growth spurts - not all good, with spikes in home and apartment prices - and the same seemed to have happened in Atlanta after it hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics

30 years since the 1994 Northridge (MLK Day) earthquake

- I believe it did a lot more damage than the Sylmar Feb. 9 1971 earthquake since Sylmar is at the very edge of the built-up part of the metro area while Northridge is more in the thick of things in the San Fernando Valley.  In both quakes, high overpasses connecting freeways I-5 to CA-14 came down.  In the 1994 quake, a critical raised portion of the fairly distant Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) came down,

40 years since I graduated high school!

[A Horse With No Name]

On 5/5/2024 at 4:27 PM, trinacriabob said:

What I had really meant to say ...

Happy Cinco de Mayo

from my hometown (a coincidence ... already here to visit high school and college friends)

arguably a contender for one of the most authentically Mexican cities (on one or more levels) in the U.S.

tonight calls for some El Torito somewhere.

 

That looks great.

On 4/25/2024 at 11:08 AM, G. David Felt said:

Very interesting as I am seeing more and more of these lists dominated by the Hyundai/Kia/Genesis product lines.

Autotrader's Best New Cars of 2024 - Autotrader

They are doing better and better in the USA

[A Horse With No Name]

Bad news and false news seems to travel fast. I have to carefully verify and consider everything any more.

Looks like it means business...