Grab-bag

 

I am getting just slightly less than two pounds per 1/2 gallon jar. 

It is gratifying to see these old war-horses (jars) put back into use.

I am using the pestle from the Squeezo strainer to pack the oatmeal in. I fill the jar about 2/3 full and then pack it. Then I fill it to the top and pack it again. Refill, one more pack. Then off to the vacuum pump.

Excitement last night

We had three sets of fire trucks go screaming past our house last night between 7:30 and 8:00 PM.

That means it was a call large enough to justify "mutual aid". I suspect a grass fire.

Weight

I lost seven pounds since mid-August. It is a combination of being busy and eating less. My belt is telling me that my body-composition is shifting as well.

Walking 

One of the things that changed is that Southern Belle's job changed to much more from-home, screen-time. Mrs ERJ and I attempt to support her by going for a walk with her at mid-day. That gets SB some human contact, exercise, sunlight and perspective.

It also means that on the days one of us walks with SB, we get a double-dose of exercise because we also go for walks with each other.

On my last walk with SB, we flushed four pheasant and I chatted with one of her neighbors. She has two apple trees... I IDed them as Granny Smith.

Once I suggested that variety, her neighbor asked..."But why are the apples gray?"

The answer is that some varieties are susceptible to a skin condition called Apple Sooty Blotch. It does not affect the eating quality of the apple or its suitability for pies but it is unsightly. Granny seems to be more affected than most other varieties.

SB's neighbor favors sweet apples although her husband LOVES Granny Smiths. I sort-of volunteered to graft Melrose or some other sweet apple on one of SB's neighbor's trees.

Fertilizer and fence posts

I spread limestone and potash where the trees will be planted in the two, "Dacha" orchards. I saw a pretty nice buck run off while stomping around the north orchard. He was about 100 yards off when I noticed him and running directly away from me. It is nice to know that not all of the deer out there died.

I dug the holes and planted three wooden fence posts for the No Trespassing signs. 

I am opting for simple black-and-white signs. The signs are sized to fit on a 3-by-4" cross-piece. Frequent commenter 10x25mm clued me in that the only two colors that are UV resistant (at least in the most common, commodity grade pigments) are black and white. I will add a couple turns of reflective tape to the post beneath the sign to make it more visible in low-light.

I did not have time to verify the cordless drills.

AI melting down

NASDAQ (a stock exchange) is down about 4% in the last five days.

The drop is due to various AI ventures collapsing. EVERYBODY knew there were too many players starting up but that didn't stop investors from piling into them. The FED has been pumping money into the economy to keep it juiced up. Those dollars had to land somewhere.

Vertical line is when Trump was sworn in. Biden dropped rates staring in July 2024 to juice up his chances of winning in November.

Do you see that tiny up-tick on the extreme right side of the chart? That is what is causing everybody to lose their minds. The AI "build-out" eats money and it is BORROWED money. Revenue is mostly somewhere in the distant future. Tiny twitches in the cost of borrowing money body-slams the NPV of AI investments. The house-of-cards is tumbling. AI valuations are the tent-poles holding up the tent (i.e. NASDAQ, S&P 500).

Ironically, the mainstream media is screaming for lower interest rates "because of the high cost of living". Historically, the only way to rein-in higher costs (of the physical item or service) is to reduce consumption via higher interest rates. Lowering interest rates means that Billy and Kaeshona can afford to buy more crap that they don't need and eat at restaurants more often...thus jacking up the prices.

Europe is burning

The contagion is spreading.

 

Another clip from Facing the Giants 

This is a time for focus. Keep your priorities straight. Focus on those items that are most under your control. Don't get sucked into the frog-blender. If you have any critical items stored in a storage unit, this might be a good time to go and fetch them.

A lot will depend on how the police chiefs and mayors react if violence breaks out after the elections. Your city may be fine while another city 30 miles away will see businesses might shut-down due to vandalism and looting.

For those who read the Bible, Nehemiah 4:5-17 might be instructive.