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I believe the greatest environmental disaster is China and Russia plus the horrendous environmental damage from years of war plus shelling nuclear power plants, ships torpedoed, refineries destroyed. With all this happening my California city has banned my gas brush cutters for fuel load...

We have set up a few owl boxes and the owls like them…

Seldom do the tow truck guys use jumper cables anymore… Quicker with a jump pack..,

Tons of bankruptcies due to medical… Also many judgement proof too.

My thought is to fill the gaps so the flange can’t move.

All but one of my trailers is open and I had to rent for work to move medical equipment… I ended up using my trailer and truck for the 211 mile round trip but would have preferred to rent since it was for my employer… I did get mileage for the truck but not for the trailer…

The business model is giant vs giant… Even supply chain is like this where the big players have the most power. Corp flat out demands 60 days to pay invoices and they get it… All invoices must be electronically submitted… one error or box not checked means it sits there forever… I’ve had...

I had a newer LG that came with the house with bad compressor… found still under warranty but that doesn’t help when the place is rented. LG offered to send compressor as available but I would need to arrange installation. Renters said they will buy their own if $20 knocked off the rent… I...

Scouts had glass bottle drives in the early 70’s and the glass factory paid a penny a pound… As for collected recyclables locals have filmed being toss as trash by the truck driver… The reason is the recyclable space filled so in the trash it goes… Huge FBI investigation right now over...

Can you add a shim and hold the shim in place with a screw?

Me too for the Model A water pump..

Maybe, I reserved one and it was not there… it was not returned so it was not there for me. I find my trailers can do just about anything a u-haul can do.

I hear this over and over… neighbors did extensive remodel 10 years ago and replaced ancient refrigerator in the color yellow… a beast several men struggled to move. In 10 years 2 LG and now GE Wife lived her LG refrigerators until they stopped working…

The solution would require a broad approach because many factors figure. Dominant Market Share when few providers control a market The very high cost of US Malpractice Insurance Training more Doctors, Nurses and related health care professionals. The incredibly high cost to attempt to bring...

To do it right isn’t easy and requires training and space… Plus, the good stuff gets scavenged. I thought these disposal rules were coast to coast but it appears not? As a property manager it is one of the responsibilities I will be glad to be free of… we have mandatory waste disposal and the...

My plan was to be curator of my own tech museum focusing on the automobile through the decades starting with 1900… It would be a fluid collection, trading and acquiring… I really like what Jay Leno had done and other similar…

Inflation hit hard August first… almost across the board everything the hospital buys increased 10 to 25%… never seen anything like it.

I was taught not to have all your eggs in one basket and the mandates to all electric everything is concerning.

Typical homeowner has curbside landfill trash, co mingled recycling certain plastic/metal containers, green yard waste, battery waste, oil and oil filter waste. Not curbside is e-recycling, hazardous disposal including paint, pesticide, lawn and garden chemicals, medical sharps...

I will have to pull it from work… The chart I posted is similar but in another state and not California.

They are phasing out ice generators…

The only time I heard this is in a Union Shop and I actually got in trouble working outside my classification. Steward said politely refuse… but it goes against my nature.

I clean, repair and sell… had a good side line with obsolete car parts, auto memorabilia, related antiques… Also machine/manufacture water pump shafts for antique cars from monel and 316 SS and ship all over the world. Model A, T, Mustang, Camaro, GTO are my focus. Much is simply come get it…...

Toothpaste, shampoo, ointments and lotions, etc… Felt tip markers are specifically referenced to go Black Box

This is representative… https://health.uconn.edu/pharmacy/wp-content/uploads/sites/60/2016/10/waste_stream_disposal_quick_reference_sheet.pdf

The auditor… Alameda County

A good mouser is valuable around the farm… On one visit there was a young cat that never was without a mouse…

I had a mouse disable my CAT dozer several times. The nylon line to the oil pressure gage gnawed through. The fix was replacing with a copper line… The critters have been active this year… just about out of OEM Decon…

I just bought a 700’ spool of Black Diamond tonight… I guess AI saw my post and sent advertisements for same?

Yep 49 million fine and millions annually going forward is quite a hit for a not for profit… The fines are often calculated at max collectible without putting the entity out of business… The oil refineries see this coming and why several are ceasing operations.

Yes… a business that tosses a Florescent bulb, a battery etc. is on the hook… A homeowner doing the same will be given a warning. I have to admit the current regs often defy logic. At work a felt tip marker in the trash is a violation… At work the one drop of blood in the trash is a...

My Apple//e has never crashed… I still have the original box with packing foam and 2 floppy drives etc… A collector wanted to buy for a good price for a display and the original box and literature I think was valued more than the computer… I decided to keep it for my museum… :-)

I’m a big fan of lifetime warranties which were a thing from auto batteries, mufflers, tools, etc. I’ve also done well with them and keep my receipts. My gripe is too often 99% of something broken is good but the 1% part needed no longer exists. In the 1980’s I was still buying Model A Ford...

This is similar to the position voiced by area transients… doing just fine collecting aluminum cans and scavenging dumpsters… no need to be a cog in the machine… Maybe they are smarter…? Employee working 20 hours per week gets the exact same benefit package as the employee working 40 hours per...

One Oakland based company didn’t follow proper disposal rules and paid 49 million fine in addition to ongoing oversight and training/audit requirements. https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-49-million-settlement-kaiser-illegal-disposal

What about tossing hearing aid or flashlight batteries? Big trouble if recycling ordinance isn’t obeyed… https://www.sfenvironment.org/mandatory-recycling-and-composting-ordinance

I wish I had the answers to solve the pressing issues… One of the veteran police officers this morning said he will be leaving California upon retiring… 4 generations California for his family but he is looking to cash out and leave… When I was a kid we couldn’t build schools fast enough and...

Almost zero time for me on the Eastern Seaboard… The transient population was non existent for me growing up on the West Coast. Of course we had many different diverse social movements, campus protests and summer of love… I’ve spent time in Southern California, San Francisco, Portland...

Some of the worst lines I’ve used would weld themselves together when cutting nonstop. It’s always been round line that gets hot enough to fuse together. Only hit a ground nest once… got many stings from kamikaze wasps that time…

The Black Diamond line is not as loud as other lines I have used. I can’t say it’s the best ever but it’s my current favorite. My brother uses the cam lock on the farm and I asked him why… simple answer is some of the guys can’t reload a bump head… he had a guy hired to trim for the day and...

My grandparents were grateful for the farm life they had and saw work as a blessing. They said the farm always provided fresh wholesome food, shelter, timber, fish from the stream and back in the 30’s they had a small creek hydro for a farm radio… They had equally self sufficient neighbors but...

I learned long ago items kept inside my service van often succumbed to heat… like paint can lids opening, rubber gaskets and my mounted Honda Generator… The gas powered tools kept in the walk to daylight basement seem to keep best… it’s dry and cool with very little temp swing… The metal...

Keep America Beautiful…

I do think concentrating on the small things pays dividends… the broken window theory…

I’ve been here 35 years and over the years dumping occurred like off the back of a pickup… 1990 to the early 2000’s we never needed a daily parking lot sweep… now it’s everyday, 7 days a week. Something has changed… the same fast food establishments from 30 years ago are still here… What we...

Get high… it was a real thing back in the day with the Dead Heads and similar. Or, it could have been street racers sticking up for their Nitrous Injection systems?

Rental yard owner turned me on to TRC 880 so that is what I use. Texas Refinery Corporation has a full line. I will only add that mixing non compatible grease can be very bad… A few boat trailer friends found this out.

I have not seen it myself but a spool lasts a couple of months here and stored in a cool walk to daylight basement… might help on older stock? My favorite head the Tanaka Brain never needed bumping and was auto feed… As the string got shorter the speed increased and the higher speed overcame...

I had to step away from a quiet Sunday at home… Hospital Medical Gas door alarm… Arrived and found the door pried open and 3 “E” cylinders of Nitrous Oxide missing. We have an uptick of transients and I pointed the officers to the closest camp.. Sure enough the 3 cylinders were there in a...

I had to drink chocolate milk too after being use to fresh from the cow milk at Grandparents Dairy Farm. My cousin shut it all down after many generations. He got a job as a city bus driver and with paid vacation and holiday pay… Grandpa never had more than 30 milk cows plus the calfs, pigs...

I do think it’s cultural… not as many Boy Scouts might be a factor? Across the board I see 99% sharing similar traits and for those driving cars I would venture home grown in the SF Bay Area. Without getting in too deep one trait would be under 30 years of age… Another group are non native...

Real California milk from Happy California cows trademarked free from growth hormones, etc… and in glass. Growing up we had milkman deliveries but that faded away in the 70’s… still have the porch cooler that was never picked up when Foremost stopped home delivery… All the kids loved Bud the...

Maybe… I heard my step grandfather praise returning WWII vets as being focused on catching up, advancement and ready for fast track. They were in general highly motivated, wanted extra hours and very dependable.

I carry a work cell and only for work but sometimes I found perception of call can be negative when in cell compared to a landline. The public will usually be patient if the work phone landline rings and I take a call… not always the case if the work cell rings and I take a call…

There is the theory of promoted to incompetence. One of my very good friends career ATT was the best at his job and promoted to manager of a work group. It gave him ulcers and he hated being responsible for the work of others managing a time. He had 25 years with never a sick day but...

I bought by the case from an outfit in Sacramento CA just prior to pandemic. A case lasts me a very long time. I wish I could post current 2025 availability.

One of the local rebates was utility credit towards home charging station… Another is free charging which is still offered where my niece works plus preferential EV parking. The biggest perk for busy Bay Area Drivers is single occupant use of the carpool lanes and reduced bridge tolls…

These are non employees… often the purps have no connection with facility. On the way home a clean 2019 Mercedes was tossing out fast food trash, speeding and blatantly blowing stop signs… not as if they just robbed a place but as if they couldn’t care less… Sad state because there is no...

Still get my half gallon milk in glass…

Several times I have found Area mail strewn around walking… someone follows the letter carrier and scoops up the days mail. Locking boxes pried open with video of the car and plate… When I have a parcel it is sent to work… or I use my folks address because back in the 1950’s their area was...

It’s the California blend that prohibits imports… The State is floating the idea of operating the refinery. Chevron world headquarters is a beautiful college campus style in San Ramon… I should say was because Chevron sold it moving operations to Texas… How many world class employers will...

This afternoon several Hospital parkers must have cleaned out their cars dumping trash on the ground… I only saw one in action but making a scene is how one gets shot or car keyed…

A new Bay Area Refinery went through 20 years of permitting and was only several more to breaking ground and the plug was pulled… owners decided no longer viable… 2 California refineries have given notice of pending closure…

The 3 rotating Stihl knives cut like butter but snap if contact made with old fence wire or rock…

Back when cars showed up it was fairly easy to set up a filling station. Now, many cities outright ban filling stations or at least new ones. I wonder if American Ingenuity would have been the same if forefathers had all of the same rules as today?

My current favorite for handlebar bump head trimmer line is Echo .105 Black Diamond. Lots of serious cutting every Spring. Around the house lesser quality works OK… but for heavy duty all day I started using Black Diamond…

It’s one thing to say going forward regs are changing for new but tradition always respected grandfathered equipment… until now.

Oakland is generally very mild… Go inland through the tunnel and not unusual for 20-25 degree change… the Christmas Tree Farm is Contra Costa…

I have not thought about it… The family EV and new A/C and other things receive tax breaks… When I say family I’m including siblings and their kids… I still have the $800 Plymouth I bought in High School… with my only new car being an accidental purchase in 2002… There are Honda mowers and...

I wear a respirator mask and no diesel or dust issues… Simple enough…

Have several EV in the family and no issues… The real problem for me is the ban on gas brush-trimmers for mandatory annual vegetation management on acres of rugged hillside… The added weight of the full battery backpack and the thousands of dollars start up cost for a homeowner once per year...

Did the same and bought L3800… zero issues.

Maybe 2-3 procedures canceled each week due to blood pressure and about 1-2 due to eating or drinking prior to scheduled surgery. Recently had a patient with very high blood pressure with no history. The car taking him to surgery was in a wreck and Uber rushed him in. He said my heart is fine...

Maybe Maybe the aftermarket will be unleashed if penalties no longer apply?

Welcome!

My biggest indicators are patients returning to have the second eye done. Lens options continue to evolve which is good. Police Officers and Pilots seem to have the best vision coverage when it comes to health insurance. I remember when all the patients were older to much older than me and...

Just checked and the current price is up 30% from last month… Rated Life50,000 hr Rough ServiceNo Shatter-ResistantNo StandardscULus Classified; DLC Start TypeInstant UL 1993 Environmental RatingDamp Location UL TypeType A Voltage120 to 277V AC Wattage14 W UNSPSC39112102 Country of OriginChina...

Picture of the LED tube supply chain requires for the entire 80,000 employee enterprise… I am but a dot on the location map. My 1995 T8 ballasts are Instant Start but not all Instant Start Ballast are the same

Options are good… mandates not so good. I wish California didn’t feel it has to always be the early adopter test case for nation and world. I remember when fluorescents were mandated… now it’s the mercury causing issues but we recycle all our fluorescent bulbs… nothing ever to the landfill...

Some of the apartments went to LED fixtures and now when it does not work it’s on the property owner…

True but the MH bulbs are disappearing and were never cheap plus several also had bad MH ballasts also getting harder to find. The $3 LED bulbs were a few snips to take the ballasts out of the loop and direct wire… I figure at 13 months I’m ahead… plus lamp disposal also a factor…

When I needed long lasting Edison base light bulbs my goto was traffic signal bulbs… They are marked 130v long life and never had one go bad… They cost more and have a very robust filament and lumen output is less but they are true long life.

I bought some first generation CREE Edison base LED for home use and only one failed and it was promptly replaced along with a prepaid mailer to return the old one for failure analysis. Since then LED prices have dropped a lot and the weight of the physical bulb is now much lighter… I’ve...

The "Sims ruling" likely refers to Reynolds v. Sims (1964), a landmark Supreme Court case that addressed the apportionment of state legislative districts. Here's a breakdown of the ruling One Person, One Vote: The central principle established by the Court in Reynolds v. Sims was "one person...

Smoking, Belching tailpipes have always been a violation… A real problem I have in California where 50 year old cars are treadmill smogged is almost no stations left to perform the required smog check and even fewer allowed to adjust carburetors and even fewer smog techs. For decades the...

I’ve got 200 new of the replacement GE LED It’s odd because maybe 6 years ago I bought a dozen Feit LED replacement for the T12 with starters for the garage at the folks and they continue to work beautifully… I think the cheapest I paid was $20 for a 2 pack

It’s a real issue and the stop gaps are often costly and provide only a little relief as in a few years extension… Places I see loggers go just don’t seem suitable for anything but diesel power. The end game is reducing ICE engines using petroleum across the board.

I use and am pleased with Texas Refinery 880 Crown and Chassis grease.

Logger friend found a low mileage diesel f450 configured just how he wanted in TX and bought it… CA would not let him register it in California. A lot of construction equipment and generators and chippers are banned… Another friend had a crane company and given the cost of some of his large...

Each operating room has 72 T8 bulbs configured in 6 bulb fixtures so 2 bulbs or 4 bulbs or all 6 can be on. I really have zero complaints on the T8 and in 1995 we were the first in the city to get a green energy award and in large part it was due to the lighting… Maybe a friend in Reno can...

One of the 3 presented will be the option.

Driving mountain roads with passing lanes it seldom fails as soon as the passing lane opens the highway the slow drivers speed up…

Here is yesterday’s failed ballast 12 hours after LED installed…

The ballast failing overnight with the new LED bulbs are made in USA The made in China are newer and I have a few and those have been the only ones that have not died.

Lawns are my preferred.. not much effort and regular mowing renews one established with auto irrigation. I always kept nice lawn area with the rentals… We have so much water right now but rates dropping ain’t happening.

I remember Mercedes having US model problems when the trap oxidizer was rolled out in the 80’s

Rubber caps will keep the zerks clean…

I run SPX 3500 almost exclusively except lobby/waiting areas where the SPX 3000 provide a calming spectrum. The lighting supplier said the direct wire are not made or included in our GE contract… Changing out as needed would be the job that never ends… well… not never but could go for years…...

I could physically buy in another state on my own dime a couple hundred T8 bulbs providing inventory to last until I retire. It’s the older Made in USA first generation electronic ballasts with the compatibility issue…

After January 1, 2025, California will have effectively banned the final sale and distribution of all fluorescent lamps per CA AB 2208. Aside from specialty lamps primarily used for medical or industrial purposes, the ban applies to screw, bayonet, and pin base compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)...

The sale of Florescent lamps is banned in California for all intent. I have a hospital full of 4’ T8 overhead lamps which can no longer be sold in California and a few other states. Instead of paying $2 for GE Florescent Bulbs I’m now paying a little over $6 for replacement GE LED bulbs. The...

Almost applied for a factory union job of machinery greaser… To do it right required inventory, schedules, etc… I had no idea such a position existed. In the end it was good I didn’t because a few years later the plant closed and left California…

Or like Tesla manufacturer direct? Pharmacies are closing left and right… Maybe the day is coming when it will all be online and delivered?

Sales boosted during the great American pandemic TP crisis. I could have cashed in I suppose as I buy in bulk at one of my few annual Costco visits… probably have a 4-5 supply…

All I can think is the Hummingbirds are mimicking California’s General out migration… I did see a lone one yesterday…

Just more lawsuits as CA Attorney General sees his role as a badge of honor in a David vs Goliath battle of California against the Federal Government.

So far the SF Bay on track for one of the coldest summers… weather very Fall like… I’m not complaining.

Something about a Cub earning its keep that inspires… Keep posting.

Lawns are for the most part extinct here with a bounty paid to remove and prohibitions on new turf for commercial… I kept a nice area of lawn with 20 minutes every 3 days watering 3 zones. With the cost of tiered water rates it was $75 a summer week in water to maintain…

Also when every week another funeral…

I believe it’s fairly simple… voter and taxpayer are not linked… I can’t speak for California or even the SF Bay Area but I spent plenty of late nights at city council meetings and it was for nothing… Follow the money in programs and grants is telling and then add folks that have never had to...

I was going to say that… never seen a rusted frame in the SF Bay Area and I’ve been around the auto business a long time… Most wrecking yards here have rust free cars…

My brothers stainless air water tank had no way to charge… It has 3 hydrants up the side of the tank.. I told him when it short cycles to turn off the pins and open the middle hose bib until water stops coming out and then he is good for several months of captive air.

I oversee the dumpsters and cost is the same empty or full. The only caution is materials placed have to be allowed.

How Much?

I’m SF Bay Area born and raised and Oakland is home. 5 generations have called Oakland home… The weather/climate as much of a draw today as it was 130 years ago for my forefathers… Great Grandfather was a cartographer and geologist and traveled the world working for oil companies and provided...

Lock was cut so now I have 2 locks… We have spot regulatory waste audits and the penalties steep. Not using a clear bag is a fine… Tossing marking pens used to mark surgery site in the trash is another. Items people toss at home generate fines for commercial accounts… like that half bottle...

I’m using an old 1hp for rotary phase converter without problem since about 1982 for the mill…

I have 6 yard dumpsters at work and one day I come to work and the 6 yard cardboard recycle dumpster is overflowing with concrete like from an old driveway… Garbage truck could not lift it… not that they take concrete… Spent the entire day taking out each piece and making several box trailer...

It’s very expensive to self haul to transfer site but cities like Oakland have free as included with mandatory garbage service bulky pickups and it’s under utilized.

It’s all out in the open and blatant… I’ve seen trash hauled and a week later it’s trashed again. In WA state it looks a lot cleaner but pull off the road and I often found old furniture and appliances in the woods…

My English Teacher always and 2 of the engineers I work with the same… all were much older. I just grab it to have in Germany and Austria… When you wear something ripped you can always say it just haloed… :-)

I was think phase converter as this is how I run my Bridgeport Mill.

Takes no effort to police your trash… maybe too few scouts in today’s world? I volunteer to police a small section of creek and find tires, shopping carts, busted bottles, etc. More recently it’s doggy pooper bags in the creek. Someone once asked me to describe a place where I would like to...

Tricky question because those not paying will have taxpayer funded insurance here.

I was going to add this… happens all the time.

Yep… it was dads cure for every cut…

I remember a few years back tasked to find iron on patches and the sales clerks didn’t have a clue. My favorite Carhart workshirts were discontinued a couple years back and I wrote receiving the response they are not coming back… similar to Sears and JC Penny worksites… the tall size fit...

It always good to hear success stories… especially involving a multi year project. My little BX23 has moved mountains…

I have a Pendleton sport coat I like and brought with me the 6 months I was working overseas… It’s the kind with the elbow patch which is a style. My co-workers notice and the wife of one was a very good dress maker that could make anything… she said such a nice coat and asked what I did to...

Toyota is generally known for good product but it has also fallen… I’ve had several recalls and all airbag or seatbelt related…

Not a well, but city psi of 20 to about a dozen homes so a booster pump and stainless tank at each residence. He didn’t know anything about the tank and now about every 4 months drains his tank to recharge with air. Without getting air back into the tank his pump was on-off every time someone...

We always used Boraxo Heavy Duty at the machine shop but learned Borax can cause health issues? I wonder how all the folks in Trona CA faired living ground zero for Borax?

My last service upgrades still required bonding hot, cold, gas plus drive a ground rod… Homes here in the late 50’s have a individual 14 gauge bare copper strung point to point looped under a nail securing the metal junction box and then on to the next… Guessing it was when metal Junction Box...

I will have to revisit as my cellular data struggles to handle one thread picture at home… life living on the fringe of the outer limits…

Exactly… the ones that are vulnerable are folks that have managed to put a little away or have home equity. One commercial here starts by asking what do you have to loose? I know some living with few cares… no taxes, no insurance, no utilities, etc… Once you work the system the programs from...

Granddaughter was giving a eulogy for her Grandfather yesterday and she said she will always remember the time he offered to take her clothes shopping and she said Grandpa… I just bought these and he said they have holes and she said that’s the way they came and he said I hope you got a big...

But jeans with holes sell for more…

Starting with match lit glow plug and crank

Steyr which is part of Case IH, New Holland, and Case Steyr founded in 1864 was part of Daimler and also renown firearm manufacturer. Tractor is 1948 diesel nominal 12hp crank start. I remember cold winter starting required a glow plug lit with a match and then screwed into the cylinder head...

What about the aluminum deck material?

Some really like the Kaiser insurance model which is one stop… see the doc and pick up meds at the pharmacy on the way out. Others don’t like the Kaiser model because it’s an all in system.

Grandfathers farm went from loose to round with no square bales in between..,

It gets more interesting when your employer is also providing care/treatment even for workers comp. Working for a hospital can be a blessing or curse… My brother was scheduled for surgery and prepped and the anesthesia in network was delayed in the OR with a very difficult case so...

Would you venture your first generation immigrant great grandparents would file a formal complaint with the state against the immigrant RN assisting them completing the patient intake questionnaire for questioning English proficiency being in country 20 years? There are possible medical...

Doctors would argue that by encouraging their kids to become investment bankers, form startups and get into real estate investing… Our well respected chief of staff told his children not to go into medicine… forgo the medical school debt and malpractice premiums. His two sons are commercial...

I It’s a lens that is common here for vision correction… It’s just not available in Canada in the system and the option to pay out of pocket in full or the difference is not possible… I remember having a long discussion with two Austrian Doctors and a nurse about the differences in care… At...

Still surprises me to have Canadian patients travel to California for cash pay medical care. When I ask it always comes down to the same two answers… the wait in queue too long and/or the custom lens implant desired is not available in Canada. No doubt Canada does well when it comes to bread...

I have a pistol grip after I ran out of hands for my lever gun. The pistol is similar to this one with a selector to switch between high volume or high pressure. A few times the high pressure has come in handy...

I had a friend that often would say sleep on it… when things went awry… his philosophy is sometimes with times things work themselves out…

Earlier this year as I arrived at work I picked up some trash to put in the parking lot trash urn. In the urn was three $100 bills and four $50 bills totaling $500 I reported it to leadership and was told to keep it as it was in the trash. Later that day a nurse reported $500 stolen from her...

Word was we were closing December 2024 and I was ok with that. Corp noted the overall decline in the area and changing demographics. To me it looked like a good way to wrap things up. Last June it was about face and corp committed to another 15 years and aging equipment that was not a problem...

Every facility has a cash pay fee for service schedule and if you want to zero in on cost it’s a good place to compare providers.

Out patient procedures are this way and why the model is more cost effective. Reimbursements can be lower when you know you are being paid. Many hospitals have left or become county in areas where uninsured or under insured are the bulk of the patient population…

The billed amount and amount accepted as payment can vary greatly… so much so that I know docs that no longer participate… No shortage of creative billing and it will always be discovered if it’s a pattern. Audits and clawbacks are very real in the world of Medicare.

The irony is there are still hospitals shuttering all the time… can’t pay the bills to stay open. A second is many Docs no longer encourage their kids to go into medicine. In 35 years I have seen both nurses and doctors increasingly foreign born… We did not have a single foreign born nurse 35...

I own some do not buy vehicles that have oroved excellent including my Samurai.

I wonder if quality varies? Don’t have much RV experience outside of Class C and 5th Wheels… Both really had no issues and my brother called one home for 10 years… the Alfa Gold 5th wheel circa 1980 he bought when it was a year old. I fooled around with a live aboard sailboat circa 1967 and...

This is what I use for my low voltage splices with wirenut. https://www.gardnerbender.com/-/media/inriver/GAR_TL_028.pdf?modified=20230214082106

I had to buy a pistol grip because some are too awkward to grease with one hand holding the fitting. As a kid my uncle greased his sickle bar mower every morning as he let the diesel warm up… Later I greased all the fittings in my Model A’s… even the brake and clutch pedals have grease...

Those without means generally have Alameda Alliance in my county… We see Alameda Alliance patients everyday. A 15 year old gave birth to a child requiring open heart surgery and Stanford and Ronald McDonald House covered it all. There are avenues for those without means but the problem is...

I used a lot of these working in Austria… very secure but I found a little more precision needed removing insulation plus time to screw down the set screw.

Scored another Echo String Trimmer and Blower… It was a gift since now illegal to operate in my city. Amazing what folks get rid of.

All of the above… built for efficiency and energy standards… problem came to light with new air handler installed. The flow was much too high so a VFD added. R22 is now 410a Air is 100% outside air. The new air handler coil is physically closer to the blower which is of a totally different...

Round Bales fundamentally changed how the dairy farms processed hay for my grandfather/uncle. For centuries the loose hay was stored in the hay loft… With round bales the need for haylofts faded as wrapped bales were field stored.

I believe marine environment exposure to the elements is a factor… I’ve installed a fair amount of irrigation and always copper L pipe to the ball valve and wire nuts sealed with liquid rubber. Some are more than 30 years in the field with no issues… Helped a friend troubleshoot and each wire...

Lots of wire nut connection of solid to stranded… 12gauge solid to 12gauge stranded for the operating room lights.

Don’t see Buchanan used anymore in what I come across… • UL 486C Listed and CSA22.2 #188 certified; comply with federal specification W-S-61D

I was reroofing in 103 temp and downed a gallon of Gatorade by 1 pm… Drink, drink, drink and cover up… It takes a special kind of person to work in paving in extreme temp.

The difference is many in Medical have the degrees but often short on the practical. Back when Diploma nurses were the norm or someone starting on the floor and working their way up today it’s University Bachelor of Science… book smart but still more to learn. Moms arms were back and blue from...

High Relative Humidity is my biggest problem now in the operating rooms… 20-60% is my range and no surgery can start outside this range. My readings with the new HVAC are consistently 57-60% Contractor has been trying all kinds of things with little success. 68F is ideal operating room temp...

Or pick up a small can of Lockease graphite spray.

No… even Reserve Officers are denied carry off duty and check service weapon at the station. Full time officers are permitted on-off duty carry… last I checked. The neighborhood here had officers and even the Chief of police of Oakland and also SF Nobody would have stolen a generator around...

Only time wearing is on OPD ride along… vest, spare key for the patrol car and instructions on how to use the radio…

The mild climate is the best thing I like about living where I do in the SF Bay Area… Nearly ideal of major metros throughout the country as measured by the number of heating days and cooling days annually. Plenty of areas to improve but climate isn’t one. Until the PSPS started almost no...

LED was the single best move to reduce my usage. Lots of canned lights here and swapped them all out for LED by CREE… only one warranty replacement . At the farm one of the outbuildings needing illumination. It does really well with a car battery with small solar panel charger and a string of...

Costco does phenomenal trade selling gasoline. I’m fortunate in my travels to have an independent with very low pricing… the tankers arrive daily including Sunday. Often 50 to 70 cents less per gallon than the majors and same price cash or credit.

33 years without a cancelled surgery due to engineering/facility. That changed when one 1995 steam boiler was down for scheduled service and the second went down… no steam, no steam sterilizing… several patients cancelled that afternoon. Root cause… aging equipment with capital expenditures on...

Change phone numbers along with moving will solve that… actually common in California to retire and relocate. When mom retired as charge RN at 62 they gave her a great send off… About 6 months later she was asked if she would be interested in coming back part time… mom said she didn’t think...

I see this as the new normal… also cutting back on stock of spare parts to maintain high reliability. Just in Time Supply Chain crashed and burned during the pandemic. Will your friend retire as planned. Yesterday I mentioned to my Admin that it might be wise to bring someone in for when I’m...

On the clock it’s rarely more than 65 hour weeks… but it’s seldom predictable which is the problem… Property management fills in the rest… like last night… family came home from a weeks vacation to no hot water… replaced the thermopile and good to go… everyone happy. I try to keep a little of...

Sadly I know people that retire and die…. 40 years on the job often is who you are. My retired military friend are still called by their rank like gunny, captain, commander… just like retired doctors and judges and clergy. I’ve found that the option to comfortably retire changes everything...

What are your thoughts on retiring early? Younger brothers semi retired and all elders except mom worked until they passed away… the farming side wouldn’t have it any other way and the business side had too many years making a go of it to close the doors. Middle brother retired at 58 to enjoy...

In my current home the only furnishings I bought are the mattress and sheets. The family was downsizing and I said leave whatever you want… I gave a 90 day no cost rent back to make the deal happen. Ended up with a nice dining table for 10 with pads, hutch, entertainment center, sofa...

My brothers new favorite saying is “It’s later than you think” I excel at deferred gratification… work today for tomorrow, build a nest egg… etc. I also know first hand that a family with nothing can live well given the myriad of government programs. Example… live 25 years in a neighbors of...

Maybe arrive early and fall asleep waiting? One eye Doctor is notorious for having his patients arrive super early and the they wait… he says it’s to give them time to not rush and settle… I think it’s so he has 20 patients in place ready for surgery.

Not unusual for BP to cancel outpatient procedure. The number 1 cancellation cause is still eating before surgery… Nurses are trickery… as they walk the patient back they casually say what did you have to eat today? Most recoil but several times each week someone says toast, coffee, etc.

Makes a difference when just about everyone around experienced war and the Depression being self employed scrapping to make ends meet. It’s amazing what our society throws away… see it as a property manager. Section 8 families with this years Christmas gifts in the Dumpster… bikes with the...

Repair instead of Replace Maintain to Extend service life Do my own lawn and garden Never had cable… avoid monthly fees and subscriptions. Still use a 45 year old TV Still use appliance from the 60’s Drive the same $800 car from high school 20 years daily and still have it. Gladly accept hand me...

California has Lemon Law for consumer products not limited to only cars… The distinction often comes down to business or consumer use… In California, remedies for defective tractors can involve various legal avenues, depending on the specifics of the situation, such as the intended use of the...

https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/statutes/magnuson-moss-warranty-federal-trade-commission-improvements-act

It is surprising because it’s rather new for utility crews and news crews to be attacked… Utility lineman not exactly pushovers. In all honestly 2019 was one of the best years here… new businesses, renovations, openings… the complaint was gentrification… go figure. Then the pandemic and the...

Can you go forward with a Lemon Law Case or Magnuson Moss Federal Case? Sometimes the only way to get attention is by serving them…

I know too many that had very nice LG refrigerators… they really liked the function and style but what good is function/style when compressors fail?

I built a small one to level out a very small ravine as I had stones onsite and some excavation dirt… Nothing has moved in 20 years and all drystacked as a retaining wall… Thought was a level area suitable for a pony or horse?

Not with Starlink but with cellar data it’s dropping 10-40 seconds and repopulating. Started about 10 days ago with Verizon and T-Mobile. Wouldn’t surprise me to experience area wide outages when least expected…

Nice pair of stones

Neighbor Vivian passed at 106 and survived two pandemics… At 102 she was still baking her sons favorite cake to send over every week and lived in her own home. I’ve never been to a funeral of a 84 year old where the deceased mother rose to speak and you could hear a pin drop… said the best son...

Honest to gosh the PGE utility crews here have off duty uniformed police officers standing by… not directing traffic and only there to prevent robbery. Crews were getting robbed at gunpoint so they started refusing to go certain places and union backed them. Same for Bay Area news crews… The...

It use to be Japan was suspect… Have a few $49 Goldstar counter top refrigerators going strong from the 80’s I wish LG had the same reliability.