And now what did you do TODAY?

[Craig Sawyers]

For us, ANPR offences have the backing of the law. And if you repeatedly ignore them the fine escalates, and then finally you end up in court.

Speed and red light cameras similarly. The killer are mobile speed cameras - basically a van with a window in the side. You cannot mess with these - you pay the fine, period. If you repeatedly ignore any of these these you end up in court.

Parking offences tend to get ignored. These are issued generally by third party outfits who send increasingly threatening letters and eventually just go away.

There are other camera based offences. We have something called a box junction; the rule is you should not enter the box until your exit is clear, except when turning right. So if you have two wheels in the junction - bosh - fine. This tends to be restricted to London. The trap is you have a green light, so you drive ahead. But the traffic in front stops and leaves you stranded in the junction.

Also only in London you can be fined for parking on the grass verge. Elsewhere in the country this is allowed.

So for anyone from the US or anywhere else and driving in the UK - you have to be aware of the driving rules.

[ktm]

 

They tried that whole defund the police thing here in Memphis  about 12 years ago.

The 1st thing to go was all driving sense. I see people driving 55mph downtown

and blow through red lights all the time. I see accidents everywhere I drive.

They did a 180 and are trying to rebuild the police force.

There is a suburb that enforces the speed limit with zero tolerance. And the crime rate there is a fraction

of what it is around it. It literally drops like a rock at the city limits.

I guess hoodlums don't like to be pulled over by police.

[Dusty Chalk]

3 hours ago, Craig Sawyers said:

For us, ANPR offences have the backing of the law. And if you repeatedly ignore them the fine escalates, and then finally you end up in court.

Speed and red light cameras similarly. The killer are mobile speed cameras - basically a van with a window in the side. You cannot mess with these - you pay the fine, period. If you repeatedly ignore any of these these you end up in court.

Parking offences tend to get ignored. These are issued generally by third party outfits who send increasingly threatening letters and eventually just go away.

There are other camera based offences. We have something called a box junction; the rule is you should not enter the box until your exit is clear, except when turning right. So if you have two wheels in the junction - bosh - fine. This tends to be restricted to London. The trap is you have a green light, so you drive ahead. But the traffic in front stops and leaves you stranded in the junction.

Also only in London you can be fined for parking on the grass verge. Elsewhere in the country this is allowed.

So for anyone from the US or anywhere else and driving in the UK - you have to be aware of the driving rules.

I wish they enforced that “keep the box clear” law around here.

[Craig Sawyers]

The London box junction zero tolerance is not automatic. There is a control room with real people looking at monitors. Even if your rear wheels are an inch inside the box - they click a button and bish bash bosh - you're done, matey.

It is not rigorously policed anywhere else, but drivers here are pretty good with boxes.

I'd not be surprised that the London control room is financially motivated. The more people you nick, the more you are paid. I don't know that for a fact, but they nick anyone for the most trivial of offences.

[swt61]

My favorite days at work are when I get to do something a little creative and unusual. 

This is the boss' new house. This is the back side of the new kitchen peninsula that I built. 

Will finish the other sections tomorrow. This was a crappy fence the previous homeowner built badly. Now it's kitchen art.

[swt61]

[swt61]

[mikeymad]

Installed Win 11 on laptop.

Nothing to complain about. Don't mind the appleish center buttons (can change if wanted). Seems more like an update vs a revision.

[n_maher]

21 hours ago, mikeymad said:

Installed Win 11 on laptop.

Nothing to complain about. Don't mind the appleish center buttons (can change if wanted). Seems more like an update vs a revision.

Agree, it’s not all that distinguishable from win10 and at least doesn’t introduce anything objectionable into the mix.  Which is to say that I don’t really notice switching from machines that are and are not running it.  

[Knuckledragger]

Today in "Knuckles Should Not Be Trusted With Electricity:"

In 2006 I bought an APC UPS after my craptastic power company destroyed a bunch of electronics.  It was a decently high end model for the time.  I've replaced the batteries on it a number of times over the years.  I mentioned in Mindless that I bought a new set last week.  The arrived a couple nights ago.  I attempted to install them and realized they were too fat.  Just a couple mm out of spec, but still enough that two of them would not fit side by side in the enclosure.  I only grasped the extent of this problem when I had them most of the way in.  Undaunted and dunderheaded, I attempted to attach the wiring harness.  Third party batteries don't come with the two part APC wiring that's necessary, so I've kept the same pair since 06.  As I futzed with the larger section of the harness a HUGE SPARK went off, making a loud crack and scaring the bejesus out of me.  As a certain trio of car British idiots are fond of saying "the poo came out" (metaphorically speaking, of course.)

I did have the foresight to attempt the battery replacement with the unit unplugged.  While I readily confess I am "paste eating stupid" I am not quite at the "needs help getting the top of the paste jar" level.  I extracted the oversize batteries and noted that not only were they a bit too fat, the terminal polarities were reversed from spec.  It's a miracle these batteries haven't caused a house fire.  I also noted that one end of the wiring harness was now blackened like a Metallica song.  Amperage is no joke, even at 12v.

Dejected and distraught, I put down the UPS and all four batteries and left them alone for the rest of the night.  This afternoon I finally picked up the project, all but sure I'd be administering last rites to my trusted APC.  I felt genuine sadness.  A UPS is not exactly a device one grows emotional attachment to, but the truth is modern APC products are not nearly as good as their mid 00s ones and my experience with CyberPower has been mixed as well.  Also buying a decent new UPS is an expensive endeavor.  I figure $400 minimum.  That's ahem about 1/10 of the budget for a new Macintop.  

Well, I am pleased to report that after cleaning off the singed terminal to the best of my meager ability and re-installing the old batteries (which are past life, but at least the right size and polarity) the APC kicked on with its usual chirp and appeared to be as good as ever.  I am now going to buy name brand APC batteries ($100, come with a new harness) and leave an excoriating review of the third party ones I bought on Amazon.

[n_maher]

Glad you're still with us, Knucks.

[Pars]

^This, and I'd return the replacement ones that didn't meet spec and get my money back. Much better than the excoriating review... that can come after you get your money back.

[swt61]

Got summoned to a job sight to "drop in a new door". "Should take you about 20 minutes."

Yeah, yeah. I hear this all the time.

So I arrive at the jobsite and the rough opening is two inches less than the width of the new door. The door is also a 20 minute fire rated door, from the house into the garage, and as a first for me, it is milled out for a threshold, but there isn't one on the door.

At least I got to try out two of my new tools. After cutting the sheetrock back with my new, ultra quiet 18v multi tool, My new beast of a 36v reciprocating saw, had the jack and king studs out in a few minutes. After relocating them 2 1/4" back, I then went to the builders supply store, where I found a threshold to fit the door. 

Had the door opening resized and door and trim installed in about 2 hours. Then got busy on the mail slot that the boss forgot to mention. "You'll be done in 5 minutes". Yeah, right. After encountering 1/2" of stucco and steel lath, I dug out one of my 4" grinders with a masonry blade. 15 minutes and clouds of dust later, I had the opening for the new mail slot cut. After finding my 1/8" tile bit, I managed to drill the holes to hold the slot in place. 

Now to install the overly complex Baldwin doorknob and deadbolt. 

"Oh, there's also a little bit of baseboard upstairs I forgot to tell you about." Now I've pulled out my miter saw and half of the tools that I own, and my "20 minute" job has turned into 6 hours.

Edited November 11, 2021 by swt61

[Craig Sawyers]

Bloody hell - what a nightmare of a job.

[Aimless1]

Jealous of your skills Steve.  If only ...

See me with a tool in my hands you best run as fast and far away as you can.  Yesterday I started phase 1 of modifying my garage storage.  There will be blood.  Hung the skybox, moved storage hooks from being attached to drywall to attached to studs and installed a ladder rack for storage.  2 hours due to lack of skills and having to think the project through.

Then I hit the common wall between the garage and my manufactured home.  Studs?  WTF!!!  Stud finder is not locating studs.  Not even deep scan.  Finally locate a stud and verify it really is one.  Garage is built 24 inch.  Not the common wall.  Turns out is 16 inch.  Finally install chair rack and additional storage hooks.  3 hours due to aforementioned deficiencies.

Of course there was blood.  Always is when I use tools.  Not even sure how or what I did to my right thumb but alas, caked in blood.  Oh well.  All this the day after getting my covid booster and flu shot.  Guess I did feel ok.

 

[Grahame]

Yesterday:

Encountered some very vocal frogs.

http://www.californiaherps.com/frogs/pages/p.sierra.sounds.html

Edited November 11, 2021 by Grahame

[swt61]

My Mother called me this morning to tell me that my Brother's Pulmonologist told him that he needs a lung transplant. He's still in bad shape and struggling to do even minor tasks. The Dr. said they've done all they can do with his failing lungs.

My Mother and I are both wondering what the logistics of this are. I guess there would be a waiting list? Then of course someone would have to die, before a pair of lungs could be harvested. I didn't even know that a lung transplant was a thing. Not sure if his age and health would have anything to do with his placement on such a list. Or if he's strong enough to be able to endure such an operation? 

My Sister in law says that news surprised and terrified him. She was shocked as well. It wasn't something anyone had suggested might be a possibility before now.

I guess I'll learn more in time.

[Torpedo]

As you already know those aren't good news. Too many questions that a thoracic surgeon should answer to you. There should be a waiting list, I don't know how it works in the US with your health system. Best wishes.

[swt61]

Yeah, I pretty much know what it means. I've been as prepared as one can be for my Brother's passing, and I imagine this is the beginning of the end. I now need to find a way to get my Mother through this. She's getting pretty frail herself, and I suspect she's already thinking there's not a lot to look forward to. She's called me every day for over a week, I think just to feel closer. We talk pretty regularly, but this is unusual and I sense a feeling of resignation. This morning was more a feeling of panic. I know that she doesn't want to outlive her children.

[Craig Sawyers]

The usual transplant is lungs and heart at the same time. Fingers crossed that a donor is found.

A guy that worked for me had had a heart transplant. Perfectly healthy, in his late 20's, got bad 'flu, and it went for his heart muscle. Thing was, he got to meet the donor! The donor had had a heart lung transplant, because his lungs were screwed. But his heart was in good shape, so my guy got his heart. So while in recovery, they met up in hospital and kept in touch.

Each decade he had a party of the heart. He made it for over thirty years since his transplant, which is an exceptionally good timescale.

As Torpedo says, we're a bit foggy how the system works in the US - but best wishes for a good outcome.

[swt61]

There's been no talk of his heart being bad. The thing is they were reluctant to do the surgery to staple his lungs to his chest wall because he's so weak. He's 6' and now I believe he's somewhere around 100 lbs. They have released him from the hospital, but he can't walk or even stand on his own. I never count him out, but I'm doubtful that he'd survive the surgery if they found him a pair of lungs. But I'm no Doctor, so maybe it's possible. 

[swt61]

It's a very strange space to be in, losing family members. Confronting my own mortality isn't really frightening to me, but the sadness and loss felt by those left is very depressing.

[Kerry]

It is a difficult and sad place to be in. Best wishes for you and your family Steve.  

[Torpedo]

2 hours ago, swt61 said:

It's a very strange space to be in, losing family members. Confronting my own mortality isn't really frightening to me, but the sadness and loss felt by those left is very depressing.

What I hate most in such situations is the feeling of impotence, that being absolutely powerless. It's your mother who'll have the hardest hit. You're doing great being by her side as much as you can.

[skullguise]

Great words Antonio....can't say much to help, but sending as many ((Hugs)) and best wishes as I can....