ClassifiedIt's a beautiful evening here in the cultural epicenter of Boise County, Idaho. NEXRAD is showing some big cells floating this way...maybe we'll get a thunderboomer before the evening is done. What's so "classified" about this? Nothing, it was just a good lead-in...
As I enjoyed the weather and perused the intellectually stimulating Payette River Journal this evening, I finally came to the "Classifieds" section. Never to miss a Good Deal&trade (see earlier postings in this blog), I carefully preened through the ads looking for something that was just too good to pass-up. Unfortunately, I really didn't find anything of interesting except for a Ford Pickup that was owned by a politician. Here's the ad:
-------------
For Sale: 1985 Ford F250. Over $12,000 invested will consider all offers, serious inquirers only please. Call 869-xxxx.
-------------
Note that there's nothing in the ad that would initially make one think the vehicle in question is owned by a politician. Closer scrutiny reveals the truth, however. Note the use of the word "invested". This is a sure tipoff. Only a politican would use the word "invested" when, in reality, the appropriate word would have been
wasted. If the real word were indeed "invested" then I'd rank right up there with Warren Buffet as one of the world's greatest "investors" because I've made some
muy grande "investments" in my day.
How come politicans get away using terms like this when the rest of us would justifiably become targets of derision had we taken such excesses with the spoken word?
George Orwell...yeah, baby!!! He had it right.
FLOOD WARNING
IDC001-027-201800-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID
950 AM MDT WED APR 19 2006
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WARNING FOR THE
BOISE RIVER IN ADA COUNTY AND CANYON COUNTY IDAHO..
THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION AND THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAVE
INDICATED THAT RELEASES FROM LUCKY PEAK DAM WILL BE INCREASED AND
THAT FLOWS DOWNSTREAM WILL REACH 7000 CFS BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE
CURRENT FLOW AT GLENWOOD BRIDGE WAS MEASURED AT 6300 CFS AT 9 AM
WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE FLOW WILL REACH 6800 CFS BY WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON AND 7000 CFS BY NOON ON THURSDAY.
AT 7000 CFS...LARGE SECTIONS OF THE GREENBELT PATH WILL BE SUBMERGED.
EROSION OF RIVER BANKS WILL ALSO BECOME A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM.
DEBRIS IN THE RIVER...INCLUDING SMALL TREES AND LOGS MAY BEGIN
PILING UP AT BRIDGE CROSSINGS. MINOR FLOODING WILL BE OBSERVED ON
SECTIONS OF EAGLE ISLAND AND IN OTHER LOW SPOTS NEAR THE RIVER.
MINOR FLOODING WILL SPREAD DOWNSTREAM TO LOW AREAS NEAR THE RIVER IN
STAR AND CALDWELL BY FRIDAY MORNING.
FLOWS NEAR 7000 CFS AT GLENWOOD BRIDGE ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR
AT LEAST THE NEXT 30 DAYS TO MAKE SPACE IN UPSTREAM RESERVOIRS FOR
VERY LARGE INFLOWS EXPECTED FROM MELTING SNOW LATER THIS SPRING.
PERSONS WITH INTERESTS NEAR THE BOISE RIVER SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO
PROTECT PROPERTY. FLOOD WATER NEAR THE RIVER WILL BE SWIFT AND
DANGEROUS. IF YOU COME TO A FLOODED ROAD OR PATH...TURN AROUND
DON'T DROWN.
The Fickle Flicker of FateI was reminded of an important "life truth" today by a bird.
While busily writing code for my latest software endeavor, I heard what sounded like a "faint jackhammer" or "riveter". I could not figure out what the source was; however, I suspected the refrigerator. It was another "good deal" from Home Depot and its assortment of new and strange noises never ceases to amaze me. We've owned the thing for better than four years and it still makes new noises (as well as the ones we've become familiar with).
Anyway, the sound persisted and it was starting to have a negative effect on Havoc the Wonderdog. Every time the riveting started, the pooch would jump up from her seemingly never-ending nap and start scanning the ceiling.
Closer inspection of the frige revealed that the sound was not eminating from that decrepit device and instead seemed to be a noise coming from outside. I immediately armed myself with a cookie and an 8mm Mauser in case the sound was caused by a monster of some sort. As I crept out of the garage (the garage also is our front door here in beautiful G.V.), I turned the corner and headed to the north end of the house. As we approached the back of the house, the sound of the riveter returned. Scanning the skyline for hostiles (aka looking at the roof ridge) I spotted the nefarious Red-shafted Flicker. About the same time I saw him, he decided to do his riveting thing again which in flicker-speak is "I'm guilty". He spotted us and moved a grand total of about three feet. At that point, the stare-down started and I could hear the music from the last scene of
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly playing while the camera moved from the three main characters. So it was with us three. Havoc (the Good), me, and the bird (you can figure out who "The Bad" and "The Ugly" were). The bird finally relented and flew off...never to be heard from again...I thought.
Tonight during our Evening Walkabout I once again encountered the flicker. It was on our neighbor's house doing it's riveting thing. Their house was a good 80 yards away but it sounded much closer. The metal roof probably acted as some sort of amplifier.
This reminded me of the truth that
you don't usually have to solve a problem...you just have to make it somebody else's problem. Back in the city this is usually stated as, "Make your house more difficult to rob than your neighbor's and the crooks will rob
them blind instead of you". Out here in the sticks where everybody is heavily armed (and not always sober) there are few burglers; however, it would appear that a similar principle is applicable.
Breaking News; A Commentary on our WeatherFrom the Idaho Statesman:
The portion of Eagle Road flooded Wednesday afternoon when rushing waters from Dry Creek breached the berm and dumped water into the Brookwood subdivision in the Eagle/Floating Feather roads area.
A Genetic Weakness for "Good Deals"While lurking about my favorite
weapons website, I encountered an interesting post in the Survival forum about an outfit in the midwest that had "A Great Deal" on Honda generators; specifically, the super-quiet EU series. I once had an opportunity to use one of these and they are truly amazing in terms of their low level of noise when running under any load. Further investigation revealed that the prices were indeed the best around at the time. I ended-up ordering an
EU1000. Well, the big day arrived when the BBT (Big Brown Truck) dropped off the carton (plain brown wrapper). Inside was tucked the Honda carton with the generator inside. (I guess they do the plain box to avoid embarrassment to the "Closet Survivalist Community".) Of course, after the inevitable battle with the static-charged styro peanuts, I was able to get the thing ready to fire-up. I added the gas and oil and pulled on the handle a few times and, like wow, the thing started.
It ran great for about two hours. I then switched it off. About a week later, I thought I'd run it some more just to help complete the break-in. It started after a few pulls, but ran miserably and only with the choke fully closed. Of course, this caused a boatload of smoke. Undaunted, I recognized this neat feature as the optional mosquito fogger (that also works surprisingly well for neighborhood kids, I might add). I was a little disturbed that even after warm-up any attempt to open the choke resulted in the machine dying....but heck, throwing it a corner of the garage and leaving it untouched for a couple of weeks should fix it. In fact, I do this with alot of projects. I get part-way through and then have to throw them in a corner for later attention. It has gotten so bad that I have to go to Home Depot and buy spare garage corners. But I digress...
Amazingly, after sitting in one of the garage corners for about two weeks the generator did not start when I summoned my courage to go out there and pull the cord. I was relieved that the smoking problem was cured, but annoyed that there was no power output. I should add that it was also very quiet in this mode and got exceptional "gas mileage".
The user manual had a troubleshooting flow chart. This was not the in-depth diagnostic aid that I had hoped for. I went to the flowchart that was entitled "Motor Won't Start". Following the chart, I quickly arrived at the little box that said, "You're screwed". Refusing this "advice", I proceeded to check the enclosure for loose wires, pistons, the crankshaft, and other important parts. Everything looked perfect...which is normal for a Honda. I then attempted to check the spark. This turned out to be impossible because there wasn't any spark to check.
ARGH! An electrical problem!
Always on the lookout for opportunities on how to fix things that I should leave to a pro, I ordered the genuine Honda service manual. My "Good Deal" was now $35 less of a "Good Deal".
I must admit the service manual is impressive. As soon as I got it, I started to look for the flowchart that started with the little box that would say, "When You're Screwed, Start Here." But it was a Service Manual, after all, and it pretty much said that on every page. I decided, after reading some of the manual, that the generator would go back to its garage corner until I had time to read more of the manual. But one thing was bugging me...and that was the lack of spark when I held the spark plug "threaded part" against the cylinder head. So, in a flash of panic, insight, or pissed-offness, I removed the plug from the spark plug wire and shoved a good sized phillips-head screwdriver into the plug socket on the spark plug wire. Then, while holding said screwdriver very close to the cylinder head, I had Tater Tot pull the cord. Viola! Cello! there was a spark from the screwdriver to the head!!!
Those morons at Honda had installed a spark plug instead of a screwdriver! Now that I had discovered the problem I was faced with finding the right screwdriver to install. A visit to the local Sears store was fruitless. I flagged-down a MacTools truck on the highway, but that was to no avail. Finally, in disgust, I visited the local Honda repair place. HondaProGuy had a special NGK CR4HSB screwdriver that fit perfectly. It looked alot like the original spark plug, but the Honda dude assured me that all was in order and that only "Pros and Highly Skilled Amateurs" were allowed to know that Honda actually used a "special" screwdriver for this application. I'm glad he recognized me for what I am.
So, with the proper screwdriver installed, the Honda now does what Hondas are noted for: running perfectly. In total, my Good Deal cost me about $5o dollars more than I thought it would. But I've learned to never send a spark plug to do a screwdriver's job and that is priceless. Knowledge is power. 1000 watts to be exact.
Hardwood Flooring ArrivesIt will look good in the Arc that I'm building for the in-progress flood. The rivers are running heavy right now what with the snow pack transforming inself into a dirty, liquified mass headed, generally, in a westward direction. Actually, though, the substantial snowpack of the higher elevations hasn't started to slag-down yet. In fact, elevations over 5000 feet continue to get dumped-on. Even here in Bananabeltville the temps are quite cool with highs in the high 40's and low 50's.
I've spent a goodly amount of time at the Garden Valley lately. Been mostly writing software in C++...which feels soooooooo good after phutzing around with interpreted languages for the last couple (at least) of years. I'm writing some trading software that'll interface with a fairly well-known stock analysis/charting package sold by
Ensign Software . I'm doing this for one of my day-trading neighbors up GV-way. He expects to become wildly rich from day-trading with this software. I expect to become wildly rich from those who think they'll be getting wildly rich from day-trading with this software.
While it is true that some people have become rich off of day-trading, I think the people who really make the most are the ones who go around giving seminars and writing Excel add-ins for those prospectors mining the motherloads in Chicago and New York. As usual, the folks who get rich are the ones who mine the miners. Levi Strauss was no dummy.
