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Is the heat pump water heater something you would do again? With kWh costing 50-60 cents I’m reluctant to use more utility supplied electricity and fortunate my 6kW solar array is grandfathered for 20 years.

The farm has natural gas and sewer lines running through the homestead…years ago the pioneer homestead family was offered free hookup but declined… The cost now to hook up to sewer is about 100k and not sure for the gas… do propane it continues to be which is pricey here. Western States have...

Brother being experienced in business paid for legal review and worked out the kinks like trucks using the farm home driveway and similar… For whatever reason the expansion movement is on hold or not happening… Maybe tower technology and locations have matured…?

We do have enormous leisure as a society and for some it is made possible through government programs that often begin with a teen pregnancy… I don’t have a clue how this trade experiment will pan out… I do believe the existing status quo was bleeding us dry being dependent on foreign sources...

Good thing the tree was able to stop the tractor… no telling what mayhem was prevented… Lost a good friend in his 80’s that grew grapes… he got off the tractor and stumbled with the rear tire running over his abdomen… crawled to the house and weeks in intensive care could not save him… brake...

Yes but the tax in many cases is optional… I furnished my entire home with quality American made goods and nothing bought new except mattresses… I own 50 assorted vehicles and only one bought new… Most of my cherished hand and power tools also bought used like my Bridgeport Tape Mill and...

This is why I find some of the media reporting wrong… A local reporter ran a story saying if the 100% tariff goes into effect the cost to the consumer will double. It seems the reporter failed to account that in normal transactions there is also a markup above the product cost and this is...

Yes… same experience here. OK today.

At the cabin we have propane and 50 years blessed with no busted pipes from freezing… Neighbors that were all electric did have problems when the power went out… A propane tank is preparedness in the big picture unless the neighborhood band of bears intervene…

My understanding is the tariffs are assigned on the value of the components imported. Someone in the electronic business told me the tariff is on his cost and not profit… The cost of a component might be as low as 20% of the selling price… Of course item with smaller markups will see a...

Come to think of it maybe why my forested Washington spot is so tranquil… no cell service and no tv signal… radio limited… Before Comcast it was a trip to town to catch up on my calls.

Not much… the tower would be well back on a knoll on the California farm’s back 65 acre plot. In Washington State we have no cell service at my location… the residents fight it tooth and nail… cost me 15k to bring in Comcast. Satellite was never ending battle cutting trees every couple of...

Difficult to get new natural gas as the Bay Area powers that be want all electric. Natural gas isn’t cheap… $80 a month for hot water and Saturday clothes dryer. My electricity is solar and I produce excess so I am considering an electric water heater when the time comes… I think it really...

3 years in and it appears to be a no go… Contract signed, terms negotiated and permit issued and then nothing for almost a year. ATT says they have restructured the development side and no longer pursuing tower expansion aggressively. Heard in passing satellite technology may be the reason...

In Oakland, except for a rare random flyby, not one at the feeder that was so busy in years past… Bought a new feeder thinking might help but no change…

Plus mail theft is a huge problem… the entire mailbox was stolen the the legs cut and I had posted several payments that evening. Can’t leave them out anymore at the home mailbox so I thought the big collection box would be safer… I am wrong.

Bantam made the first and delivered photo type on schedule to War Department. Came in overweight but War Department fully impressed… Bantam a small auto maker could not deliver in quantity… Quite a story for those interested… Bantam also made a version with 4 wheel steering...

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g23897696/ford-f-series-pickup-truck-history/ 1917 is generally considered Ford’s entry into the market.

I will take a look to see what Tahoe is per kWh. Have not had any usage this year so only meter fee.

I bought a one owner 1996 F150 4wd with extended cab and long bed with 6 cylinder and 5 spd… bench seat and 17 mpg I believe. Super ride and most comfortable bench seat. Rust Free and used by retired gentleman for fishing trips. I paid 4k for it and gave to my nephew… he was going off to...

How can I tap in to Nevada’s less expensive power?

I don’t want my vehicle impounded or worse… My state has made it clear nothing is changing… Even Jay Leno’s common sense bill in Sacramento received no traction…

What’s Nevada’s secret?

Yep… but it is typical of what pops up seemingly oddly connected to my TBN posts.

Almost as if prepping the public to expect it… MIT professor makes startling prediction about the future of US energy prices — here's what you need to know MIT professor makes startling prediction about the future of US energy prices — here's what you need to know

A few I know already living without utilities… It happens when you have a balance that is not paid… Number one is no water service and number 2 is no gas service or electric service. I asked a 20 something couple how can they live without water… he said even with the water turned off enough...

For the long winters it’s nice to have spacious inside space…

I’m grandfathered also but it is for 20 years and the it resets… Some neighbors have sweet deals on non owned systems. One home had a grow operation with lots of solar and the place went foreclosure and bought by a lawyer. The solar company did not protect its lien status at the foreclosure...

Interesting cost data on production but I believe distribution is not included… Shows Hawaii as most expensive… https://poweroutage.us/electricity-rates

Entire California water districts with abundant water were without residential meters… friends both in Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe were on such flat rate systems… That all changed with a State Law mandating meters. Districts were not successful in challenging as some said they only provide...

The buyback for excess production has been cut way back for new installs. The meter fee last I checked is around $15 month. Yesterday, I was running numbers for a friend and figured out his koi pond with pump filtration, aerator and UV light on 24/7 is costing about $5 a day. My only question...

Impressive drop in usage.

I don’t use enough all year to mix more than a gallon at a time and I’m willing to pay for the 1 gallon bottles. If it sits too long I pour what’s left in the can into the 4-stroke mower tank…

Amazing the variance in delivered cost per kWh across the country…

I’ve had $450 monthly summer water/sewer when keeping the rear lawn and fruit trees happy… My TLB is down with a worn out joystick… It runs well enough but I find sucking exhaust makes me sick… No smoke but a n95 respirator makes all the difference in the world for me… Are backhoe short...

I’ve got to make the drive to check out the build because last time I was there it was the access road going in… they asked me to help find a used Kubota tractor for the site works and buildout…

I’m spoiled at work with multiple high speed access points with some near gig speed. Home had zero connectivity back in 2017 but as infrastructure improved I pretty much have 1 bar cellular data… Only really a problem with large files. Lots of area specials advertised and I signed up once...

Relative by marriage was building their home on a small hilltop parcel gifted to the couple by her builder father… he said he is getting older and if they plan to build better start soon… only child and grandchild… nice guy but already in his mid 70’s… They started with the county in 2019 and...

Just looked at the bill today and 50 cents is baseline with 62 cents per kWh over base usage. Add to that city taxes, etc… I’m sure a dollar a kWH is in the future… it’s already $80 a month for natural gas hot water and Saturday gas clothes dryer… at 2.46 base and 2.98 per therm natural gas...

Same here… typical summer without a drop… Water bills are like car payments to maintain a front /back residential lawn…

Rotating to different positions has also worked… There was an old estate drive gate not opened in years and it wouldn’t take grease… heat and lifting the gate ever so slightly with floor jack did the trick… The 16’ gate had enough leverage to do some real damage if simply forced… Gate...

I’ve had some difficult ones on antique cars and machines… One was a bear so I used a hammer driven greaser with mixture of kerosene and grease over several days with heat on the bushings… it worked. I think the kerosene was enough of a solvent to slowly work.

I think it may be the only option for some. I also detest intro rates across the board…

West Marine has a sale on Starlink right now and I don’t have suitable Internet at home. Any large files means I have to leave the property to send. I’m guessing Marine Starlink works anywhere no matter if your boat is in the water or on the trailer parked in the driveway? The monthly intro...

Bandit 65? At one time I was on the hunt for a used one but slim pickings so most ends up in the gulch to rot…

I have investment income which is outside of wages… What’s 3200 a month now worth vs. 4700 at age 70? Another year is 300 a month more… looking at it this way it’s hard to make the case… Had surgery last week and another upcoming… really never used my health plan until now so this is another...

Maybe accelerated wear?

Got a little breather and the back to back 65 hour weeks are now 40… There is no succession planning. Just received SS statement and delaying to age 70 projects a $1400 monthly boost… Maybe retire and put off collecting a few years would also boost but not known how much with several years of...

10 acres with a 4 bedroom 1946 house went on the market for 4.5m and switched Realtors and had the open houses with food and music… sold for 2.7m… Maybe the Tyler 200 acres and a home is a bargain?

My gasoline tractors are workhorses but my Diesel BX is the most economical… The formulation of the available gasoline has its own problems… Maybe not with a new sealed injected fuel system but doesn’t play well with everything I have with a carburetor that is only occasional or seasonal use…

I don’t get it but not my call… The stained wood accents look is dated… or so I have been told…

Bought my first property, a fixer cottage on a 50x50 city lot and over the years have tracked the sales price at each turnover… I bought it for 20k in 1982 and spent 20k in materials for new kitchen, roof, electrical, etc… Sold it years later for 255k and a year after I sold it sold again for...

The painting is in process… base boards already have scuff marks on the fresh painted surface as do the walls where the institutional wall paper was removed and now painted.

Just my 2 cents from old Ford gas engines… White smoke first under hard load is coolant and every time for me a head gasket. Milky or engine oil like buttermilk was always a cracked block for me.

Based on cost of kWh hours all in including taxes and fees. At 50 cents a kWh 360 kW a month is $180… I have coworkers easily paying double that and some much more.

Most manufacturing has left with a few to other parts of California but most out of State. It’s not just industrial but also industry such as commercial bakeries that would cover the West Coast. The the Oakland Sports Arena basically shuttered after the departure of the Warriors, Raiders and...

Year round the folks family home is 12 kWh a day… or 360 a month. My home is grid tied and I’m a net producer each month… Every month I receive a separate letter tracking usage and the family home receives via email a use report… PGE is the California utility

AB&I Foundry had its beginning in the months following the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. At that time, the foundry's primary products were decorative light poles and iron and brass statuary. When World War II started, AB&I changed its focus and began making submarine net weights and...

Water is another issue… Some call it the fraud of the century and others call it environmentalism at its best. The Delta Smelt advocates are cause for huge volumes of water flowing to the sea… Dams with hundreds of millions spent around the state never materialized even after some have...

Restaurants are emission regulated… at least if they have a fixed location. Flints BBQ that prepared food for the A’s VIP boxes closed because it could not meet increasing air requirements for the BBQ. The irony is many street corners in sections of Oakland have pop up mom and pop BBQ that...

It’s a cost of doing business… What might be low cost in one area isn’t in another… The 100 year old union foundry which had many well paying jobs left the Bay Area for Texas… California officials celebrated its leaving and Texas officials celebrated its arrival… According to the foundry it...

There was a time when Nuclear was celebrated as the future to abundant low cost electricity… so abundant that talk was it could be offered at a residential flat rate… California’s Nuclear plant was schedule to close with that being the goal for many years… At the eleventh hour someone ran the...

Maybe the mandated scrubbers to use coal make it not cost effective?

I sent a small holiday package to Austria and it went around the world arriving in Australia and then all the way back to California before traveling to Austria… Express Mail 6 1/2 weeks in transit. The address was large block print but my guess is not everyone can differentiate between...

The then new 2015 home near me used pressure treated plywood for exposed eve sheathing… It’s the only time I’ve seen it applied… the builder was building his own home…

The bulk of my WA tax is also school related… At the time of purchase property tax in WA was regulated by voter approved I-747 which limited increases. I did my due diligence based on the facts in play at that time. I failed to considered a single judge could at a later date gut the in play...

Almost 2k now a month in WA state to cover taxes…

Could be why more leaving WA for Idaho… Thurston County property tax nearly quadrupole in 20 years where California “Only” doubled…

Mice and rats out in force this year. Can no longer buy locally the good Decon for crawl space use. I’m getting good at foundation vent replacing…

Same with Bridgestone… very low mileage only to grocery once a week. I mentioned to my then 88 year old neighbor his tires were all cracked… only 6,000 miles… Dealer said let’s make a call… Bridgestone furnished 4 new tires to replace the 8 almost 9 year old tires and neighbor paid mount and...

Maybe it’s radials that present a shorter service life or more prone to age? Most of my vehicles are nylon bias ply and nylon is known to age well… the 1957 FibreFlite outboard still has the original 1957 tube Goodyear tires. Every summer it would make the 12 block journey from the cabin to...

At one time my plan was to relocate to WA state but doubtful now. Over the last 20 years I’ve seen Washington become more like California. Moving 50 vehicles to another state and then paying WA state taxes as if I just bought them makes no sense. The climate on the West side isn’t kind… the...

TSC is about the only place I buy weed killer as the local hardware and big box only small sizes at big prices. What is bad about TSC?

Are some regions more prone to blowouts than others? I’ve never had a blowout and don’t know anyone personally that has in the last 50 years… other than stories from OldTimers driving their Rocket88 across the desert in the 50’s with bias ply tires. My luck is I pick up a nail or screw and...

Right behind you…

New 200 unit apartment buildings going up and just completed are as you describe… a crane lifting modular trucked in units in floors topping out 5 stories high… I know 100 year old homes here that have aged phenomenally well… Not sure how the modular 5 story builds will hold up… We will know...

No personal property tax as a separate items. All trucks are commercial unless permanent living quarters. All commercial vehicles pay weight fees on top of the other fees. Use tax is based on sale price and goes down each year until it hits the minimum… I’m at the minimum across the board as...

Older homes had lots of doors to control how much space heated at a given time.

Yep it’s been a hundred years since the last California Grizzly Bear sighting not counting the one on the California State Flag. The largest California grizzly shot weighed in at 2200 pounds and I was in the area last week. Black Bears, though smaller, are powerful enough to do lots of damage.

https://www.goodyear.com/en_US/learn/tire-basics/tire-date-code.html Some tires predate the dating…

I never drive the antiques anywhere that speed… some have a 20 mph top speed others a little more… 45 is a good cruising speed for those… Maybe the onus should be speed dependent? Some of my AG tires have limitations right on the tire.

In California, a "non-op" registration, officially called Planned Non-Operation (PNO), allows you to avoid paying registration fees for a vehicle you won't be driving for the entire registration year. This means you won't drive, tow, store, or park the vehicle on public roads. You can file for...

I bought a 96 F150 4wd with 5spd and 80k mikes. Unfortunately the owner had a stroke and the truck was parked in his garage several years… I deducted the $1500 in back DMV fees from the price… Had it been registered non-op for a modest fee the $1500 would not be due.

A vehicle that will no longer be on public roads can be registered non-op for a fee. I think I have over now 20 non-op registered even though they are fully insured. The license fees keep going up and older vehicle smog checks have doubled because few shops have dyno set ups now. The ATV is...

In Salzburg it goes one better… one licensee plate can be used for up to 3 vehicles paying fees for the most expensive with the theory being you can only drive one on the raid at a time.., Some have winter buckets and nice summer cars… some may have a collector car but all tied to a single...

No dual citizenship for me… Austria is very restrictive as compared to say Ireland we here my high school friend got an Irish passport through his grandparents but at 24 had never set foot in Ireland… As to rentals… the SF Bay Area and Olympia have become so restrictive I advise against it...

Could try it but standard practice is power off at the main as well as propane at the tank and water at shutoff.

I was surprised to learn utilities are now leasing equipment… at least here where older diesels must be repowered to be commercially used. Maybe this will change if the EPA directors statements hold true for California? A friend had quite a good export business buying forced retirement...

I have owned my 1930 truck for 40 years got a report to CHP notice??? It was reported I had passenger car tag on a truck??? Well, yes… trucks older than 1935 are registered as passenger… no commercial plate required… Often, those enforcing don’t know the regulations they are paid to enforce...

More businesses and professional such as Doctors and Lawyers are leasing… They simply do not want to own anything without support/warranty

I can understand why many avoid the endless cycle that starts once you are in the system… Garbage in equals garbage out.

I’ve wasted a lot of time twice… Both instances I received a toll violation as this is what they call it… only becomes a real violation if not timely paid. In both cases the reader misread the plate and assigned the toll to me… My car was in the garage so no way it could have been me. I was...

From the experts… bears look for vacant homes to set up a lair… squatters as you will with squatters rights? No food whatsoever remains in the cabin.

The license plate capture with invoice sent to the registered owner… for bridge tolls. Many states put registration holds for unpaid traffic violations in other states. In the case of rentals it gets matched to the renter at the time and often a handling fee added… I’ve heard that some...

With local population estimated at 500 and growing it does seem to be only a matter of time before injuries stack up. Bear damage has emptied the contents of my 500 gallon propane tank twice, come through the front door twice and siding ripped from the home… The bear was actually sleeping on...

Makes it easier to pay tolls back when people did such with cash… We have no more toll takers as now transponder collected and/or photo enforced.

They keep saying the Bay Area has an acute housing shortage and it’s been an ongoing refrain for years. With inventory now at a 10 year high the refrain has been modified to we have a AFFORDABLE housing shortage which again seems odd with home prices in my heart of the Bay Area down about 30%...

Yes… but their are outliers like speedster bodied.

If only a crystal ball to see the future. Supply/Demand at a given location determines value with a ready, willing and able buyer. Even with high rates folks are still cashing out of high price areas for least expensive locals… and paying cash at destination. The California exodus also has...

Cinder Block Wall… otherwise known as concrete masonry unit.

If a VW bug can tow a 5th Wheel an appropriate sized trailer should work on a full size truck…

My fleet has tires I bought going back to 1974 from Montgomery Wards Antique auto nylon construction and zero issues other than nylon takes a set the first few miles. If I had to replace tires every 5 years on collector vehicles with some less than a 100 miles travel I think I would dig a hole...

Closings announced all the time citing long career and owner retiring or rent increase or location issues with crime, parking, etc. My favorites are no more… Nearby, several very popular venues never reopened post pandemic…

You could say California basically wrote the book on emissions with several other states adopting California’s requirements…

It’s kind of that way with ag right now… existing ag tractors are allowed to till the land… no issues However, commercial such diesel backhoes, dozers, graders, etc., dump trucks, wood chippers etc. had only one choice to stay in California and that was re-power… otherwise a one way trip permit...

Yep… I see snow plow trucks never shutdown… even as the driver is out having a bite to eat…

I’ve been very fortunate. That said every investment had to pencil out and high interest rates meant lots of languishing inventory with some sellers just needing to get property sold… settle an estate, relocation, etc.

Garbage truck drivers making pickups always exit running vehicles… always wondered about that

From growing up around the auto business the profit on new vehicles itself is always in the options… Loaded vehicles equal more profit. Often, base models were priced so low there was very little profit… but needed for marketing to hit a price point. My brother’s girlfriend at the time had a...

If rates drop me thinks price of Real Estate will increase? Back in the 80’s with 12-15% mortgage rates the market for sellers was real bad. I picked up income property at low prices because of the high rates. As rates dropped the value increased… I could have sold but opted to do no cost...

We have good luck with a 6’ tall woven wire fence with a cable running at 8’ post to post. The fence shown looks nice too.

Update… Bear self serve ice cream now at Tahoe… estimate 500 in number. Remember, never harass the bears… or the law will come for you. https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2025/08/22/bear-found-behind-the-counter-of-a-south-lake-tahoe-ice-cream-shop/

I loaned out several books that never came back and still miss them… many were diesel and gas factory manuals… The dealership went to digital and all the old stuff tossed… the diesel shop manuals totaled one. I know who I loaned one of the books to as I was his Best Man… His wife said they...

Maybe if we salted the roads in California the legislature would not be working so hard getting older vehicles off the road or emission testing back to 1976…

Heat can do wonders but will damage paint, etc. If you could position wheel side up a good penetrating oil over time can free stick assemblies…

Several of my coworkers in Germany own the same model BMW as mine and all have crank windows as standard in Germany. I ordered a US model for Munich factory pickup and only power windows to North America. All my power window regulators have failed at least once… as have the power regulators in...

I may be out of date as the last fleet I saw awaiting delivery was 2019. Rows of white pickups with grey interior… no radio and no bright trim work. Crank windows all but extinct but here is an update…...

What about fleet utility purchases? True they all have auto, pwr brakes and steering with A/C The new trucks I see still have roll up windows and rubber floor mats and mostly mat black trim… with steel wheels.

California still smog checks back to 1976 and the cost nearly doubled recently. Jay Leno has a Sacramento Bill to bring back the rolling exemption so we will no longer be stuck on 1976. Very few stations that can test older vehicles remain in some areas of the state.

Would use of such a device fall into the tampering with vehicle operating system to the detriment of emissions prohibition?

Friend with the collection owned all the cars through his retirement account… done at a time when such things as collectibles were possible… He really enjoyed them… had a lift with lube rack and a working gas pump to keep the vehicles topped off. Being a builder of industrial and institutional...

A friend with an extensive auto collection including Cords, etc. told his kids don’t be sentimental and sell while selling is good…

I have a piece of old carpet turned upside down in the bed that protects…

I own 2 pickups… a Ford and a Chevrolet… Both give good service. The 91 Chevrolet has the high output 350 and set up to tow my trailers… with A/C, auto and pwr brakes/steering and it does well. The 30 Ford is more for Home Depot runs… something like a dozen sacks of ready mix concrete… it’s...

It’s most definitely a thing and friends have succumbed… My last friend was told it might have been in check by a robust immune system but has his years advanced his immune system no Longer robust…

Modern points often inferior and I have found will experience accelerated wear which closes the gap. I use a old time tool that burnishes the point block to slightly take off the high spots. New points set at the wide gap range will provide a longer service interval.

Any issues with Valley Fever or similar infections? https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/valley-fever/symptoms-causes/syc-20378761

A lot of the open station field tractors growing up had attached shade umbrellas. Now conditioned cabs the norm. We also have increasing cases of Valley Fever extending outside the Central Valley causing concern. Several old farmers had this become a real issue late in life…...

Pickup went to limp home mode towing a trailer on the SF Bay Bridge… fortunate is was rush hour as traffic was bumper to bumper…

Early Ford spec 40 weight non detergent. Switching to detergent in a motor with decades of non detergent puts the oil pan deposits in suspension and without oil filters problems develop…

SF has Carl the fog and yes it can be much cooler on the SF peninsula and Golden Gate Oakland is far enough away to have its own climate Through the tunnel 5 minutes from Oakland to Orinda and it may be 20 warmer in summer or 20 degrees colder in winter. Safe to say just about every home...

Climate not needing heat or cooling is one of the top reasons we call Oakland home… I can do colder no problem but not a fan of ice… several family friends up in years don’t even leave the house in snow and ice country because we all know people with non recoverable slip and falls.

I do think our forefathers would be in shock if transported to todays state of affairs. Accountability is often not possible and for those paying the bills it’s never enough… When innovation works it is readily adopted… no mandate required.

I don’t own the same model but I have had similar and it traced to fuel almost every time. Tank Vent obstructed and an easy test is try with the cap removed. Carb Float stuck limiting volume of fuel flow… fine for idle but not under load. I’ve also had a bad condenser that produced a weak...

In an affluent California neighborhood the upscale market was closed due to mice… this time of year seems to always be peak mouse season. As poison is now prohibited the store remains shuttered without an opening date. The limited poison exemptions do not apply to grocery stores.

Los Angeles inventory is now at a 10 year high and growing… The local for sale signs are languishing and Spring/Summer is generally the busy time… The flip side is the rental market firms when sales slow… at least from what I’ve seen.

2019 was the golden year… things had finally come together and Oakland was coming into its own… Pandemic crushed it cold… The President said something about deploying the National Guard to Oakland this week. Property values are down. But also in SF, Richmond, etc… price reduction and...

Under the seat gravity for many models and the oval tank behind the seat for many open cars like speedsters and roadsters… Model A’s have the cowl gas tank with a sight glass and float gas gage. The filler cap is just in front of the windshield.

With the configuration architects opinion is max 30+/- I don’t see it myself but this is what happens when zoning changes to commercial transit corridor and height limits increase… A nearby 5 story recently completed on the grounds of a formally old tire shop had height restrictions waived…...

Any updates as to how the barn is holding up and anything you would have done differently?

Well… the owners manual for my Model T clearly says not to use a match to check fuel level…

In and Out was the first franchise location ever closed and the Franchise was never not profitable… it remained very popular and a destination. The reason it closed is because employee and patrons vehicle break ins… several every day and the Franchise decided there is more to business than...

When I look around I see a lot of vacant commercial space… A friend was over and asked if there is a nearby Starbucks or another coffee shop nearby and I had to say no, they have all left the area… even Walmart and the new drug stores closed and Home Depot says it will be closing but not official.

Another point is a lot of small equipment is actively marketed to homeowners… The home owner or hobby user is an entirely different segment opposed to those that use the equipment to earn their living. I know a retired engineer hobby horse person… his wife is the horse person and he has every...

Zoning describes automotive prohibition as anything related to sales, storage, rental and/or service including parts. The property is fenced and lit with monument sign, sales offices, detail area, etc. It was leased to a city and state licensed auto dealer until zoning gave notice with 90 days...

What’s odd is my city continues to push housing above all else… Family property has been automotive since 1942 and city says no more… Dozens have gone to the city seeking to continue auto sales and the answer is always the same… automotive no longer allowed. Who in their right mind would...

The pendulum has certain swings both ways and falling prices are the norm in many areas… Homes down as much as half or more from peak with most area feeling the impact… Too early to say how closely this will mirror 2009-12 meltdown… Government services are in large part based on property...

My commercial electric rate is better than anything residential. Utility is very much pushing solar with grants to public schools, etc. It does seem odd solar is a detriment while at the same time utility and lawmakers and regulators encourage it? As solar started becoming popular the utility...

I don’t have a negative to report with my 2008 panels totaling 6kW No financing and owned system with ground mount… The ground mount was surprisingly very expensive but it’s a one time cost and keeps the panels off of my tile roof and tanks less than a minute twice a year to switch between...

San Francisco and Oakland come to mind… Multi Million dollar homes and just normal homes in a land where A/C is rare and still many older homes in the 600k to 800k have no central heat and mostly only later added attic insulation… With the mandate for heat pumps those going that route get...

I remember when these engines first appeared and the praises received for fuel economy and power…

Some of the Big Box Retailers have gone to 48 hour appliance return policies… Can’t say if nationwide or only at local Lowe’s? They really want to sell those extended warranties.

Or the climate is so mild not much is needed…

Lifetime purchases… Grandmothers 1950’s appliance still live… Norge refrigerator and a Philco.

Picked it up in nursing school where it was almost universal among medical professions back in the 1950’s and smoking was advertised as heathy to calm the nerves and aid digestion.

The line of u-hauls is long… It’s at least 50/50 if not higher planning on leaving the SF Bay Area… many upon retirement… some can’t wait. My last work trip was enlightening as people met were friendly, public spaces well kept, markedly less trash along the roadside and cost of dining out and...

Incredible… self destruct and first I have heard of this… I know more business people that lease because they refuse to own anything out of warranty and the lease expense is a business expense…

Demand for older reliable and easy to service equipment is why they hold value… Some were so good the only way to get rid of them is legislation…

Mom stepped down from charge nurse at age 62… Not that there were any problems but she just didn’t feel as sharp as she had been… She lived many more years with memory loss but also was the poster child for everything right… super athlete, charted perfect diet with much organic she raised… no...

The last one is very real here where Tesla started. I have a high school teacher friend who really likes his Tesla which had gone from really cool a few years back to now getting snide remarks and damage… He is just one of several in similar situations. Sad in America in 2025 there are those...

I’m comfortable with mechanical controls which often can be repaired with the tools I have… Mechanical often means 20+ years or older and diminishing. I find sourcing is better in the Internet age… no way without would I be able to source obsolete parts worldwide… As to ability… once I hear...

Factory Service can fail miserably… Bosch Dishwasher… not draining and Service tech said cost to repair more than new and to buy a new one. I did a quick internet search and found a $28 part might cure… and it did… Another is a washer dryer stack where unplugging overnight cured the issue at...

If you change out a window or sand the house trim to make ready to paint someone might very well call to make sure it’s done properly… The tractor is about something could be getting ready to be built… where are the permits, etc… Each year I have to freshen up our mandated fire trails…...

Mom really wanted to go to her childhood home one last time and we had it booked for May 2020 and then pandemic stopped everything. Mom never came to terms why we could not travel and some new neighbors with zero knowledge call adult protective services saying I was stopping mom from going...

It is true and I have had the police arrive several times over the years for just using my tractor and it’s happened to other family members taking out a dead tree… Each case was resolved on the spot with police but such a waste of resources… Firing up a chain saw or using a gas brush cutter...

Can’t really ignore and substitute wood heat as neighbors are encouraged to turn in neighbors here and new installs no longer allowed… Growing up my parents had lots of friends asking for storm fall oak… can’t give it away now..

Thank You professor… always learning something here.

California is going one better… refineries giving notice of intent to close… We may have 8-10 dollar gas in the future which could spur EV sales but only if PGE is more attractive than gas.

Maybe to consolidate market share? Some California regions are basically sole provider… Being a sole provider in a region often means a take it or leave it regarding insurance contracts. Rural and small hospitals continue to close due to finances.

Pharmaceuticals should not be linked with hospitals… They are very distinct in my opinion. Maybe one solution is to not patronize for profit hospitals? Most counties have county hospitals and some counties have several county hospitals as mine does. County hospitals are happy to accept...

Not know but real life experience… Vietnam and Cambodian refugees mowing lawns and clearing brush… came here with nothing… no English skills. These same parents have UC grads in law, engineering and medicine… pretty impressive in one generation. My Irish friends came as laborers in...

I think there is room for both… especially those that like HMO and those that do not… just like Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Unless you have religious working for a vocation, payroll is huge… plenty of other ways to earn a living aside from medical school and internship and practicing medicine…

When I hear about the evils of the US it gives me pause why so many risk so much to get here… The American Dream is still alive and well… work hard so your kids will have it better… so many immigrants have told me this… especially Asian and Spanish speaking.

Thank WWII and massive public works projects for Kaiser becoming what it is.

Similar for higher education with grants, loans, etc. There are plenty of non profits and not for profit organizations in Health Care. The thing to remember is these are business models… That said we had a premier Catholic Hospital with over 80% tied to charity… large for profits and not for...

Number 1 to me is reliability… While true a broken appliance often uses no energy this misses the fact it comes up short getting the job done. I got a light used Kenmore Washer/Dryer pair maybe 25 years ago when the widow lady bought new Neptunes… which never worked right so she bought LG and...

I’ve got the same trailer and works well for me.

That too… the neighbors and I all were shopping microwaves at the same time… Everyone’s LED lights worked ok but everyone’s microwave quit and the electric range took forever. A transformer let go and instead of 122 bolts I measured about half that… Lineman said old transformer with many new...

Everyone I came to know in my time in Europe paid for supplemental coverage… County Health Departments here in California also provide a lot of free health coverage.

I hear you… but 10 to 12kWh each day for 2400 square feet home, all 1950’s construction including single pane windows and 2x4 walls year round isn’t bad. This includes both a freezer and a refrigerator plus electric dryer and stove…

I don’t know the city in Germany but very typical… I was in a mountain village in Austria and I had never seen an Olympic size pool all made of stainless steel… it was magnificent in the most picturesque setting with only a few months of the year being used as it was in mountain snow country.

Local Utility is very much hot or miss… Bought a programmable thermostat within 2 weeks of the rebate and sent in my proof… Didn’t here anything for about 6 weeks or maybe 8… then I get a postcard saying the overwhelming response exhausted the funds… My brothers HVAC rebate stop when utility...

Interesting…

I was in a warehouse that had a energy efficient grant and the high bay cast aluminum fixtures were cut with a bolt cutter to crash to the floor… The old Chief was there and said for decades they work flawlessly… now junk smashed to smithereens…

I believe the congressional authority the EPA citied applies to stationary sources such as factories, etc. The head of the EPA says he follows the law and if Congress expands his agency’s authority to include mobile sources he will enforce it… For a very long time a vocal group has maintained...

I’ve tried several times as when the Toyota Dealer did the airbag recall… Click and then it directs me to Google and/or another site as if everyone is or wants to be registered?

Yep… I like the large format and still refer to it, It was a great specialty supplier but my guess is 25 years closed after 75 years in business.

Medicare takes reviews very seriously and it goes to the bottom line… it affects reimbursements.

1967 Amana Freezer still going strong… Same for the 1960’s Zenith Black and White with rabbit ears and digital converter. Might as well throw in the living room entertainment center featuring DVD and VHS… also rabbit ears and converter.

My nieces all used my trailer for homecoming in High School to make class floats… Glad to do it but youngest graduates university next year and the high school kept asking but I had to say it’s not here but on the farm which is true… I was asked to get it and other times it came back less than...

I get several calls a day asking questions if legitimate and not phishing, what happens if ignored, why are you doing this to me, etc. I say I don’t like them either and only complete if you want to. Those in there 30’s and younger like it for the most part… being able to complete at one’s...

There is also a question of maintaining UL listing for altered fixtures…

The very good ones I had been getting were superseded so my recent option for the 3500k is 85 CRI and 2925 lm. The LED replacement are 80 CRI and 10% less lm.

PGE has offered programs and I was approved for parking lot lighting and then PGE filed bankruptcy… every year come new fires so it’s sketchy at best.

My then pregnant sister in law was T-boned when a UC Berkeley student ran a red light. My brother spoke to several lawyers and the only ones willing to take the case were in the 40-42% of recovery. My brother reached out to the insurance company for the red light runner and he was told to...

GE and Sylvania make up the bulk of what I have. I’m a fan of T8 and we were the first major build in the city all T8 and compact Florescent. In 30 years only one single compact Florescent ballast went bad… In 30 years had a few short lived ballasts the first year and then the sweet spot for...

The difference between retail and negotiated wholesale is often huge. Not unusual for patients to be caught in the middle. My friend had a huge chunk of floating cartridge removed from his knee last week… his knee would literally lock up… Originally damaged in High School Football. The Ortho...

We grew up recycling with the earliest being the public school paper drives starting in second grade which expanded to aluminum and glass food containers. None of the schools or Scouts have recycle drives anymore. Even the guy that would come for the hospital cardboard stopped coming after...

Many docs now retired advise their kids not to be docs… so much time running a business and compliance leaves little time for doctoring. Many in Washington DC have praised Kaiser which is headquartered in Oakland CA and has a very interesting history with a lot of it going back to keeping a...