In the garden, and RAIN!!!! by SIGNYM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I went to Calscape https://www.calscape.org/ and clicked on two of their generic searches; one on california native trees and the other on california native shrubs. I don't know why I didn't think of that before.

And I got multipage lists for each!

trees
https://www.calscape.org/loc-California/cat-Trees/ord-popular?srchcr=s
c5ee4d76cbcafa

shrubs
https://www.calscape.org/loc-California/cat-Shrubs/ord-popular?srchcr=
sc5ee4d6ae312f2

There's an option to 'order by scientific name' which I found helpful, since - if you already know you don't want a conifer or an oak, you can always skip past the abies, the chamaecyparis, the juniperus, the picea, the pinus, the quercus ...
I intend to peruse these lists at my leisure. Perhaps they'll have something for you that's just what you're looking for.

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 10:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Okay, that picture looks like the shape of the piece the case is missing.

Which picture do you mean? I'm confused about the statement that a picture I posted is the shape of the piece that the case is "missing".

Quote:
I have 2 things. Blair's desk top with the missing piece and I use a laptop for talking to you all as I can't use the desktop. I really do hate laptops because as I've said in the last little while I feel like I have to jam my face into the screen to see properly and I up the zoom on it.

I hear you. I've never liked laptops for that very reason. Well... that and I could historically build a computer 10 times as powerful for roughly the same amount of money, since I have a $300 case that has a longer lifespan than I do, I've already got hard drives, and I already have monitors much larger than a laptop screen, so the cost goes way down when building a new one.

That being said, I wouldn't mind getting a new laptop when funds allow for it. They almost all have HDMI output these days and are powerful enough to do everything that I'd ever care to do while doing it on a big monitor instead of the tiny laptop screen.

Quote:
I want the desktop working as it has my finished book on it and I want to get back to finding a publisher. Can't really do any of that with this laptop as no Word doc on this. So if I want to do that that means doing 2 different things.

Please tell me that you have that book backed up in at least one other place and that it is on your laptop too? If you do, please invest in a USB thumb drive or two and also back any of your writing on them as well. They are relatively cheap these days, especially for the small capacity you'd need to store written work. Don't buy these used, and buy them from a reputable dealer and produced by a reputable company like SanDisk or Kingston. Look for 8GB drives, since they will be larger than you would ever need and are pretty much dirt cheap these days.

Here's what they look like (more or less... they all have a different "look" to them):

Not sure if you have Best Buy up there, but 8GB SanDisk USB thumb drives $4.00 off now and only $5.99 each.

$10.00 USD is too pricey. You can usually buy them in bundles of 2 or 3 and get them cheaper in a pack too.

Quote:
From your description I am looking for a monitor with VGA(angled, one side longer than the other and pins) because that is what the ends look like to me.

Sure sounds like VGA to me. That computer IS pretty old, huh?

Unless you have any real sentimental attachment to it, or you DO have things on there that you didn't back up before it became a problem, I suggest you consider just upgrading to a new PC, and/or buying a new laptop with an HDMI output and a large monitor you can plug it into. If you do that, you can also buy a Keyboard and a mouse with USB ends to plug into the Laptop so it will basically function exactly like a Desktop for you.

In that case, I would still keep your old laptop as a backup since it takes up so little space, or even have that in a different room ready to boot up if you wanted a change of scenery when you're working. If you have your written works on those USB thumb drives I mentioned, you can just take it out of one machine and pop it into the other and resume where you left off on the fly.

Quote:
This desk top has other problems as well as I think the keyboard is gone too which would mean I think the mouse too. The keyboard doesn't light up anymore that I can tell.

Now if you really want to try saving this computer and you need a new keyboard and mouse, we're going to have to take a look at the ends of those as well. If the computer is old enough to only have VGA output, there is a very good chance that the keyboard and mouse have "round" bits on the ends and plug into circular spots on the back of the case that are probably colored green and pink. Anything you buy today will all be standard USB for keyboards and mice, but without a converter you won't be able to plug in a USB keyboard or mouse into your computer if they have the old PS2 ports.

(CORRECTION: You WILL be able to still use the USB ended keyboard and mouse if you have sufficient USB ports on the back of the computer that you aren't using for anything else, and you can just stop using the PS2 ports. But computers that are old enough to have PS2 ports for the keyboard and mice usually didn't have very many USB ports).

Sorry... I know this is all probably very confusing, and probably too much info at one time. Please feel free to post back just focusing on one thing at a time if you need clarification for anything. I want to make sure that you are making the best decision for your needs going forward.

Quote:
Thanks for the help Jack. I love this technology but it is a little difficult for me at times, I will admit.

No worries. I get it. I loved this stuff since I was a kid and basically tore down the first computer my Mom bought and built it back up from the ground when I was 13, then my buddy and I started building PCs for other people a few years later.

I used to build a new rig for myself every 2 years or so, but it's been a really long time since I did now. The technology has been moving faster than it ever has before. I'd actually have to do a lot of research myself before I bought all the pieces I'd need since I'm so out of the loop.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 10:40 AM

Oh... and something else that I thought about considering USB ports and ease of use for you down the road.

If your computer doesn't have any easily accessible USB ports on the front that you could stick your thumb drive into and take it out, that's going to be a huge hassle for you mobility wise. You can still install it in the back of the case for your backup purposes, but you probably won't want to be moving the case around to take it out all the time and you should probably just leave it and consider it a backup drive for all of your essential stuff that will be easy to transport to a new computer whenever you do upgrade. You might even consider plugging in 2 of them just to have 2 places to back up all of your work, if you have enough USB ports back there after plugging in a USB keyboard and mouse too.

The idea here is that we don't want to leave ANYTHING on your computer's hard drive that isn't backed up on your USB thumb drives in the case that you would want if the computer dies.

Unless the computer's hard drive was busted, I would have a very easy time getting that important data off for you and putting it on a new PC, but that does require a kit that you can hook up a the bare drive to your new PC with and some knowledge of taking the system apart. There are people who will do this for you for a fee, but we want to make sure that you can avoid that ever happening by just making sure you always backup your written work and anything else important on these thumb drives so you never have to do that.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 10:48 AM

Well... I won't say yesterday was a waste of time, because it wasn't... but it's just another reminder of the fact that I just have too much house and property.

I spent another 3 or 4 hours just cleaning up debris from the last storm, and that was after about 90 minutes of doing so on the day of the storm. Then I mowed the lawn and blew what is hopefully the last of the helicopters and all the grass clippings, and cleaned up all the residual crap in the street and on the curb toward the sewer so it doesn't get blocked again. By the time I was done with all of that it was already 6:00PM and I didn't feel like doing anything else.

The good news is, the 2nd application of bug spray seems to really be working. I haven't seen any insects at all around the foundation of the house or the garage, let alone any ants. They're still a problem further out, and closer than I'd like, but at least we're making progress. Weed spray has worked a charm too. My property hasn't looked this good in years.

But the mole poison is a joke. Internet said it would be. My neighbor says he catches his with mousetraps and peanut butter put right out by the holes. I'm a bit skeptical about that, but I'm going to be trying that today. My lucky neighbor got the considerate family of moles that only tear up the sod he put down a few years ago instead of actively trying to destroy the foundation of his house like the jerks I've got living under my dirt.

I watched some videos on testing all of the ground wires in your car, and I've got a multimeter. I might spend a little time on that today. I also watched a video on how to clean the nozzle of a power sprayer. Different make than mine, but hopefully I can figure out whatever differences this one has and not bust it in the process. I'm pretty sure some crap just built up in the nozzle from years of not being used because the beast of a motor still runs like a champ.

Still got to organize the tools in my house too. Hopefully I can at least put a dent in that as well.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 10:52 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
As usual, I over-anticipated what I could accomplish.

Keep your head up, and know that you're not alone.

What on earth is an Elephant Ear? Out in my parts that term brings up memories of gluten packed cinnamon treats that my brothers and I loved when we ate them at carnivals as a kid, but the idea of trying to put that in my body today makes me throw up a little in my mouth.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 12:40 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

KIKI: This is what I might pick out for you:

I've seen stands of red shanks (adenostoma sparsifolium) that are VERY attractive. But they grow in areas that are SO dry ... like, on south and west facing slopes, at elevations where you would NOT expect much extra rain (or any snow) that if you had anything else nearby in your yard that you were watering, you MIGHT kill the red shanks. Places I've seen it: on the 57 fwy just south of the 10 fwy, on the west-facing slope of the eastern side of the 57; and on the west/south-facing lower slopes of the San Jacintos on the road back from Idyllwild.

Chokecherry (prunus virginiana) is upright, like Catalina Island cherry, but much darker green.

California bay laurel (umbellularia californica) has the benefit of killing off understory plants (natural weed control!)

Not a big fan of palo verde or mesquite. Besides, they might not like your area.

If you have space for a large 75' tree, try CA black walnut (juglans californica). It's native to the SG foothills, endangers, and very wildlife friendly.

Of all of them, I would suggest red shanks, if you don't mind keeping that area dry.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 2:35 PM

Walkies for me.

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 5:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Okay, that picture looks like the shape of the piece the case is missing.

Which picture do you mean? I'm confused about the statement that a picture I posted is the shape of the piece that the case is "missing".

Quote:
I have 2 things. Blair's desk top with the missing piece and I use a laptop for talking to you all as I can't use the desktop. I really do hate laptops because as I've said in the last little while I feel like I have to jam my face into the screen to see properly and I up the zoom on it.

I hear you. I've never liked laptops for that very reason. Well... that and I could historically build a computer 10 times as powerful for roughly the same amount of money, since I have a $300 case that has a longer lifespan than I do, I've already got hard drives, and I already have monitors much larger than a laptop screen, so the cost goes way down when building a new one.

That being said, I wouldn't mind getting a new laptop when funds allow for it. They almost all have HDMI output these days and are powerful enough to do everything that I'd ever care to do while doing it on a big monitor instead of the tiny laptop screen.

Quote:
I want the desktop working as it has my finished book on it and I want to get back to finding a publisher. Can't really do any of that with this laptop as no Word doc on this. So if I want to do that that means doing 2 different things.

Please tell me that you have that book backed up in at least one other place and that it is on your laptop too? If you do, please invest in a USB thumb drive or two and also back any of your writing on them as well. They are relatively cheap these days, especially for the small capacity you'd need to store written work. Don't buy these used, and buy them from a reputable dealer and produced by a reputable company like SanDisk or Kingston. Look for 8GB drives, since they will be larger than you would ever need and are pretty much dirt cheap these days.

Here's what they look like (more or less... they all have a different "look" to them):

Not sure if you have Best Buy up there, but 8GB SanDisk USB thumb drives $4.00 off now and only $5.99 each.

$10.00 USD is too pricey. You can usually buy them in bundles of 2 or 3 and get them cheaper in a pack too.

Quote:
From your description I am looking for a monitor with VGA(angled, one side longer than the other and pins) because that is what the ends look like to me.

Sure sounds like VGA to me. That computer IS pretty old, huh?

Unless you have any real sentimental attachment to it, or you DO have things on there that you didn't back up before it became a problem, I suggest you consider just upgrading to a new PC, and/or buying a new laptop with an HDMI output and a large monitor you can plug it into. If you do that, you can also buy a Keyboard and a mouse with USB ends to plug into the Laptop so it will basically function exactly like a Desktop for you.

In that case, I would still keep your old laptop as a backup since it takes up so little space, or even have that in a different room ready to boot up if you wanted a change of scenery when you're working. If you have your written works on those USB thumb drives I mentioned, you can just take it out of one machine and pop it into the other and resume where you left off on the fly.

Quote:
This desk top has other problems as well as I think the keyboard is gone too which would mean I think the mouse too. The keyboard doesn't light up anymore that I can tell.

Now if you really want to try saving this computer and you need a new keyboard and mouse, we're going to have to take a look at the ends of those as well. If the computer is old enough to only have VGA output, there is a very good chance that the keyboard and mouse have "round" bits on the ends and plug into circular spots on the back of the case that are probably colored green and pink. Anything you buy today will all be standard USB for keyboards and mice, but without a converter you won't be able to plug in a USB keyboard or mouse into your computer if they have the old PS2 ports.

(CORRECTION: You WILL be able to still use the USB ended keyboard and mouse if you have sufficient USB ports on the back of the computer that you aren't using for anything else, and you can just stop using the PS2 ports. But computers that are old enough to have PS2 ports for the keyboard and mice usually didn't have very many USB ports).

Sorry... I know this is all probably very confusing, and probably too much info at one time. Please feel free to post back just focusing on one thing at a time if you need clarification for anything. I want to make sure that you are making the best decision for your needs going forward.

Quote:
Thanks for the help Jack. I love this technology but it is a little difficult for me at times, I will admit.

No worries. I get it. I loved this stuff since I was a kid and basically tore down the first computer my Mom bought and built it back up from the ground when I was 13, then my buddy and I started building PCs for other people a few years later.

I used to build a new rig for myself every 2 years or so, but it's been a really long time since I did now. The technology has been moving faster than it ever has before. I'd actually have to do a lot of research myself before I bought all the pieces I'd need since I'm so out of the loop.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

That picture of a hard drive is the shape of what is appears to missing from the case.

My is also written out completely on paper and is where I can get at it. I do all my writing long hand before it gets to the ready for computer stage. I mentioned earlier in the thread after I moved that I thought I lost a couple of notebooks with Firefly stories in them. I found them and all was good. So, yeah my book is okay as is all my other writing.

I do have a USB but it only has pictures on it. My IT friend needed me to get one so I could get the pictures from the laptop I bought off of him to put back on my or Blair's system when he flipped the operating system from Linux back to Windows. I still have it as I want to take some other pictures from this thing and keep them, so I can put them onto either Blair's or if I decide to buy a whole new desktop. That thought has crossed my mind in the last couple of years.

The plug for the mouse and the keyboards are both round. And yes, pink and green coloured.

I think I pretty well understand what you are telling me by my matching up the pictures you've posted with what I see on the case.

Computers were just starting to come in when I was just starting to get out of high school, so you have been around the technology more than I really have. So, I can get a little confused.

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 5:06 PM

Back from my walk and some grocery shopping. No rain so far but grey clouds have been around all morning.

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 7:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:

That picture of a hard drive is the shape of what is appears to missing from the case.

Yeah. That's what I thought you meant. It's got to be inside of there, unless you or somebody else opened up the case and took it out. The computer won't boot up without it because it won't have any Operating System data to load after the initial BIOS checks. That would also mean that everything you've ever saved, including all of your work is gone too if it's not in there. (And also means that you were never able to use the computer or even save your work in the first place if nobody has removed it since).

Not to worry. I'm pretty confident that your hard drive is in the case. You wouldn't ever actually see it unless you remove the screws and take the sides off of the case.

Quote:
My is also written out completely on paper and is where I can get at it. I do all my writing long hand before it gets to the ready for computer stage. I mentioned earlier in the thread after I moved that I thought I lost a couple of notebooks with Firefly stories in them. I found them and all was good. So, yeah my book is okay as is all my other writing.

Oh good. Would be a shame to have to type it up again, but at least it's secure. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Quote:
I do have a USB but it only has pictures on it. My IT friend needed me to get one so I could get the pictures from the laptop I bought off of him to put back on my or Blair's system when he flipped the operating system from Linux back to Windows. I still have it as I want to take some other pictures from this thing and keep them, so I can put them onto either Blair's or if I decide to buy a whole new desktop. That thought has crossed my mind in the last couple of years.

When we do get you up and running again, we'll be sure to put all of your work on there too. Chances are that everything you've ever written is smaller than just a handful of pictures you have on the thumb drive. Wouldn't hurt to buy a few more since they're so cheap so you can just back them up and put them somewhere else and have a few copies. Cheap and easy peace of mind.

Quote:
The plug for the mouse and the keyboards are both round. And yes, pink and green coloured.

Yup. That's what I figured.

Do you have ports on the back (and hopefully front) of your case that look like these two horizontal ones on the right that someone is plugging the wire into?

If you do, how many on the back and how many on the front?

I'm pretty sure you can still probably buy a keyboard and mouse with the green/pink circle connectors, but I wouldn't have even looked for them for 15 years or so so I can't say. I'm hoping that your computer has enough USB ports for both a keyboard and mouse on back, and extras for a thumb drive or two (preferably on the front for easy access).

If you only have two, which is unlikely but still possible with the age of the computer, you would be able to still use a USB stick to back stuff up, but you'd have to temporarily remove the keyboard while doing it and only use the mouse functions to copy stuff to the thumb drive, then take it out and plug the keyboard back in.

Quote:
I think I pretty well understand what you are telling me by my matching up the pictures you've posted with what I see on the case.

Cool. Glad to help.

Quote:
Computers were just starting to come in when I was just starting to get out of high school, so you have been around the technology more than I really have. So, I can get a little confused.

No need to explain. Tech got popular on a massive scale really quick. It's kind of like vehicles. Most people use them nowadays, but hardly anybody knows what goes on under the hood.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 9:16 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
KIKI: This is what I might pick out for you:

I've seen stands of red shanks (adenostoma sparsifolium) that are VERY attractive. But they grow in areas that are SO dry ... like, on south and west facing slopes, at elevations where you would NOT expect much extra rain (or any snow) that if you had anything else nearby in your yard that you were watering, you MIGHT kill the red shanks. Places I've seen it: on the 57 fwy just south of the 10 fwy, on the west-facing slope of the eastern side of the 57; and on the west/south-facing lower slopes of the San Jacintos on the road back from Idyllwild.

Chokecherry (prunus virginiana) is upright, like Catalina Island cherry, but much darker green.

California bay laurel (umbellularia californica) has the benefit of killing off understory plants (natural weed control!)

Not a big fan of palo verde or mesquite. Besides, they might not like your area.

If you have space for a large 75' tree, try CA black walnut (juglans californica). It's native to the SG foothills, endangers, and very wildlife friendly.

Of all of them, I would suggest red shanks, if you don't mind keeping that area dry.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

"on the 57 fwy just south of the 10 fwy" There's the sw side of the interchange with CalPoly Pomona and the se side with that light industrial development. Then there's a whole bunch of weird slopes within the interchange where I swear CalDOT planted a whole bunch of different experimental plants and just let them go to see what would happen, as a literal test bed, perhaps for future fwy plantings. I don't recall seeing them @ either CalPoly or the development, so do you mean within the interchange?

There was a particular type of mesquite at work - prosopis alba - that was very pretty. It made a light uniform shade with its multiple tiny leaflets. It's the only kind I've seen irl that I like. But it seems that anything native or introduced in that family - including albizia (mimosa), et al - seed themselves freely and resprout persistently from the roots, and one ends up having a difficult time getting rid of them. I'm STILL trying to get rid of the last of the mimosas from my across the alley neighbor from over a decade ago. I'm not sure if prosopis alba shares that characteristic, but given my experience, I'd be reluctant to try it.

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 11:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:

That picture of a hard drive is the shape of what is appears to missing from the case.

Yeah. That's what I thought you meant. It's got to be inside of there, unless you or somebody else opened up the case and took it out. The computer won't boot up without it because it won't have any Operating System data to load after the initial BIOS checks. That would also mean that everything you've ever saved, including all of your work is gone too if it's not in there. (And also means that you were never able to use the computer or even save your work in the first place if nobody has removed it since).

Not to worry. I'm pretty confident that your hard drive is in the case. You wouldn't ever actually see it unless you remove the screws and take the sides off of the case.

Okay. I'll tell you right now I think I am back to confused. *sigh* My poor old brain didn't quite get all of that. I think?

Quote:
My is also written out completely on paper and is where I can get at it. I do all my writing long hand before it gets to the ready for computer stage. I mentioned earlier in the thread after I moved that I thought I lost a couple of notebooks with Firefly stories in them. I found them and all was good. So, yeah my book is okay as is all my other writing.

Quote:
Oh good. Would be a shame to have to type it up again, but at least it's secure. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Yeah, I sort of started writing before I got a computer, so I was doing things long hand then typing them out on an actual typewriter. Which I still have.

Quote:
I do have a USB but it only has pictures on it. My IT friend needed me to get one so I could get the pictures from the laptop I bought off of him to put back on my or Blair's system when he flipped the operating system from Linux back to Windows. I still have it as I want to take some other pictures from this thing and keep them, so I can put them onto either Blair's or if I decide to buy a whole new desktop. That thought has crossed my mind in the last couple of years.

Quote:
When we do get you up and running again, we'll be sure to put all of your work on there too. Chances are that everything you've ever written is smaller than just a handful of pictures you have on the thumb drive. Wouldn't hurt to buy a few more since they're so cheap so you can just back them up and put them somewhere else and have a few copies. Cheap and easy peace of mind.

I'll try and remember that or just double check this thread.

Quote:
The plug for the mouse and the keyboards are both round. And yes, pink and green coloured.

Quote:
Yup. That's what I figured.

Do you have ports on the back (and hopefully front) of your case that look like these two horizontal ones on the right that someone is plugging the wire into?

If you do, how many on the back and how many on the front?

I'm pretty sure you can still probably buy a keyboard and mouse with the green/pink circle connectors, but I wouldn't have even looked for them for 15 years or so so I can't say. I'm hoping that your computer has enough USB ports for both a keyboard and mouse on back, and extras for a thumb drive or two (preferably on the front for easy access).

If you only have two, which is unlikely but still possible with the age of the computer, you would be able to still use a USB stick to back stuff up, but you'd have to temporarily remove the keyboard while doing it and only use the mouse functions to copy stuff to the thumb drive, then take it out and plug the keyboard back in.

It looks to me like there are 2 ports on the back of the case and nothing on the front.

Quote:
I think I pretty well understand what you are telling me by my matching up the pictures you've posted with what I see on the case.

Cool. Glad to help.

Quote:
Computers were just starting to come in when I was just starting to get out of high school, so you have been around the technology more than I really have. So, I can get a little confused.

Quote:
No need to explain. Tech got popular on a massive scale really quick. It's kind of like vehicles. Most people use them nowadays, but hardly anybody knows what goes on under the hood.

Yeah. My friend's dad had one first and we used to play solitaire on it then we gradually got used to them. My first one was a refurbished desk top from another mutual friend who runs his own company and then just went from there.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 11:47 PM

Call last night from the head of my mah jong group. It is looking like the senior centre I play it will open again the fall.

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 11:53 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Call last night from the head of my mah jong group. It is looking like the senior centre I play it will open again the fall.

Oh that's so awesome!

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 11:59 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I still need to crack an egg into each bowl and bake them, but the shakshoukah came out wonderfully!

I was very careful this time making it, cooking things separately and combining them at the end, because I didn't know how forgiving it would be. Next time I'll know how to save myself some time by putting everything together in one pot to slow cook, before I portion it out and cook the egg on top.

I was surprised at how sweet it turned out to be. Not unpleasantly so, just unexpected. Between the red bell and baby red sweet peppers, the onions, and the tomatoes, I guess there was enough sugar. So another thing I'm going to do next time is add a lot more garlic and spices. Plus one variation that I didn't do this time is to make it spicy. I like spicy ...

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 12:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Call last night from the head of my mah jong group. It is looking like the senior centre I play it will open again the fall.
Oh that's so awesome!

It will be.

Kiki, I'm glad you understood that because I just reread what I typed and man, is it a hash.

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 12:10 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Eh --- I got your drift!

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 3:35 AM

Kiki, I'm glad you did.

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 8:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:

That picture of a hard drive is the shape of what is appears to missing from the case.

Yeah. That's what I thought you meant. It's got to be inside of there, unless you or somebody else opened up the case and took it out. The computer won't boot up without it because it won't have any Operating System data to load after the initial BIOS checks. That would also mean that everything you've ever saved, including all of your work is gone too if it's not in there. (And also means that you were never able to use the computer or even save your work in the first place if nobody has removed it since).

Not to worry. I'm pretty confident that your hard drive is in the case. You wouldn't ever actually see it unless you remove the screws and take the sides off of the case.

Quote:
Okay. I'll tell you right now I think I am back to confused. *sigh* My poor old brain didn't quite get all of that. I think?

Yeah. Sorry. Too many words. I get that a lot.

THE IMPORTANT PART: Unless you or somebody else physically removed the hard drive from the case before the computer stopped working, it's still in there. It's a necessary part for the computer to run. You can't see it from outside the case, and if you never open computer cases you wouldn't know that it was in there.

LESS IMPORTANT, BUT GOOD TO KNOW: You know those "Thumb Drives" we're talking about to back up your written work on along with your photos? A hard drive is essentially the same thing as those, except they are capable of storing a great deal more data than the thumb drives, but they are also more prone to damage from heat or from being dropped because of all of the mechanical parts inside of them.

Quote:
My is also written out completely on paper and is where I can get at it. I do all my writing long hand before it gets to the ready for computer stage. I mentioned earlier in the thread after I moved that I thought I lost a couple of notebooks with Firefly stories in them. I found them and all was good. So, yeah my book is okay as is all my other writing.

Quote:
Oh good. Would be a shame to have to type it up again, but at least it's secure. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Quote:
Yeah, I sort of started writing before I got a computer, so I was doing things long hand then typing them out on an actual typewriter. Which I still have.

I can't even read my own handwriting half the time. I envy your ability to do so.

Quote:
I do have a USB but it only has pictures on it. My IT friend needed me to get one so I could get the pictures from the laptop I bought off of him to put back on my or Blair's system when he flipped the operating system from Linux back to Windows. I still have it as I want to take some other pictures from this thing and keep them, so I can put them onto either Blair's or if I decide to buy a whole new desktop. That thought has crossed my mind in the last couple of years.

Quote:
When we do get you up and running again, we'll be sure to put all of your work on there too. Chances are that everything you've ever written is smaller than just a handful of pictures you have on the thumb drive. Wouldn't hurt to buy a few more since they're so cheap so you can just back them up and put them somewhere else and have a few copies. Cheap and easy peace of mind.

Quote:
I'll try and remember that or just double check this thread.

Or just ask me. I'm sure I'll be around for a while.

Quote:
The plug for the mouse and the keyboards are both round. And yes, pink and green coloured.

Quote:
Yup. That's what I figured.

Do you have ports on the back (and hopefully front) of your case that look like these two horizontal ones on the right that someone is plugging the wire into?

If you do, how many on the back and how many on the front?

I'm pretty sure you can still probably buy a keyboard and mouse with the green/pink circle connectors, but I wouldn't have even looked for them for 15 years or so so I can't say. I'm hoping that your computer has enough USB ports for both a keyboard and mouse on back, and extras for a thumb drive or two (preferably on the front for easy access).

If you only have two, which is unlikely but still possible with the age of the computer, you would be able to still use a USB stick to back stuff up, but you'd have to temporarily remove the keyboard while doing it and only use the mouse functions to copy stuff to the thumb drive, then take it out and plug the keyboard back in.

Quote:
It looks to me like there are 2 ports on the back of the case and nothing on the front.

That is kind of what I was afraid of...

You'd be able to do everything you needed to if you bought the new stuff to get it up and running again, but having only 2 USB ports in back and none in the front is a huge inconvenience, especially if you have to use both of those ports for a mouse and a keyboard.

They make USB hubs to expand the amount of ports you have, but any devices you hook up into them rely on the USB port for power, and I wouldn't suggest to you to do that since the older the computer is the less likely it's capable of giving enough power output to all of the things you'd plug into a hub.

If your mouse is still working fine, maybe you should just buy a new keyboard (I have found 2 of them in great shape at Goodwill in the last few years for $3.00 or less... and one of them was probably over $50 when it was new).

If your mouse still works and can use the green/pink ports, you could plug the new keyboard into one USB port and have the other one free for your thumb drive storage.

Quote:
I think I pretty well understand what you are telling me by my matching up the pictures you've posted with what I see on the case.

Quote:
Cool. Glad to help.

Quote:
Computers were just starting to come in when I was just starting to get out of high school, so you have been around the technology more than I really have. So, I can get a little confused.

Quote:
No need to explain. Tech got popular on a massive scale really quick. It's kind of like vehicles. Most people use them nowadays, but hardly anybody knows what goes on under the hood.

Quote:
Yeah. My friend's dad had one first and we used to play solitaire on it then we gradually got used to them. My first one was a refurbished desk top from another mutual friend who runs his own company and then just went from there.

The only person I knew who had one when I was growing up was my Uncle. My brothers and I would stay up late at night playing King's Quest and Monkey Island point and click adventure games when we slept overnight there. I was thrilled the day I came home and saw we finally got one in our house the summer before I started high school.

Both Desktop and Laptop computers are super affordable right now, and they offer a lot more than they ever did when the models that you have right now came out.

My biggest suggestion to you is to get a new one with HDMI output and either a decent monitor or flat screen TV with HDMI input for your screen. Even a cheap laptop today should have more power than you'd ever need for what you use computers for, so if you can afford it that would be the way I'd suggest you go.

After that, get a few more cheap thumb drives so you can back up your important things several times an never have to worry if a computer breaks on you again.

It would be nice to get your current desktop running again, at least to get any old files off of it, but honestly I think it's time to retire that thing. If you didn't have work on there that you didn't back up anywhere else, I wouldn't even suggest that you invest any money into trying to get it to work again. And actually, if you don't mind re-typing the stuff you had from your written notebooks that you found, I still might suggest not bothering to fix the old one. At the end of the day, we're not even sure that it's just the monitor that's broken. If something internal is also broken and the thing won't start up even with a new monitor, chances are we aren't going to be able to fix it. If the hard drive itself has stopped working, then we're just wasting your time. The only way you'd be able to get the data off of an actual busted hard drive is by spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars to take it to a lab setting where they could *possibly* get the data off the drive for you.

(That's why it's so important to back things up. It's a lesson WE ALL learn at some point with this tech. If you're luckier than I have been, you will learn it after just the first time

)

But...

If you buy a monitor with both VGA and HDMI inputs (like the one I have which has VGA, DVI and HDMI inputs), and you buy a keyboard with a USB on the end, you WILL be able to use those on the new Desktop/Laptop you buy.

So maybe you should buy those things and we'll see if we can get your old data off before you upgrade.

Oh, and BTW... if you hate using that little finger pad on your existing laptop, if you get a mouse and keyboard with USB outputs you can plug both of those into the USB inputs on your laptop (assuming there are two of them) and you can use a proper mouse and keyboard when using that as well.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 8:57 AM

Brenda,

Not sure if you have a Best Buy around you, but I looked and I did see this for $100

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-21-5-led-hd-monitor-black/6500088.p?sk
uId=6500088

It has HDMI, VGA and DVI inputs, so you'd be able to re-use it on any desktop or laptop computer that you bought when you upgrade.

Here's a picture of somebody using it with a 2 monitor setup off of their laptop:

I couldn't find a good image of the inputs for that particular model, but they're there. I made this image of another monitor for you though so you can see what the necessary ports look like so you buy a monitor that can both be used on your old PC and whatever new computer you buy to replace it down the road.

(Right click and "View Image" to blow it up large on your screen so you can see in detail what they look like).

The HDMI can be plugged into nearly any TV, and most computer monitors made in the last 5-10 years.

You'd just have to be careful to make sure that it has HDMI and not "DisplayPort". I've never used DisplayPort before, but it is an alternate connection that I found on a few monitors that don't have HDMI inputs at Best Buy. It looks VERY different from HDMI, so you shouldn't be worried about accidentally buying it. Since you'll be buying one in a store, just make sure you let them know you're looking for one with both HDMI and VGA, or the box it comes in and the tags on the shelf showing the specs should say which ones it has.

When you're looking to fix your issues, THIS is where I'd start. If we find that the computer boots up properly with a new monitor but the keyboard is not working, we'll figure it out when we get to that point.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 7:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
I still need to crack an egg into each bowl and bake them, but the shakshoukah came out wonderfully!

I was very careful this time making it, cooking things separately and combining them at the end, because I didn't know how forgiving it would be. Next time I'll know how to save myself some time by putting everything together in one pot to slow cook, before I portion it out and cook the egg on top.

I was surprised at how sweet it turned out to be. Not unpleasantly so, just unexpected. Between the red bell and baby red sweet peppers, the onions, and the tomatoes, I guess there was enough sugar. So another thing I'm going to do next time is add a lot more garlic and spices. Plus one variation that I didn't do this time is to make it spicy. I like spicy ...

My supper tonight is what is left of my version of a paellea? I'm not sure of the spelling but it is a Spanish dish that has rice and usually seafood as well as chicken and sausage also peas and carrots.
I use chicken and chicken stock along with rice and heaps of broccoli and bay leaf along with salt and pepper which is also in the original dish.

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 8:12 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

OMG Brenda, does that sound good!

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 11:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
OMG Brenda, does that sound good!

It is good Kiki. Forgot to mention that you also add garlic to it as well.

I love it and make it every so often as a relatively quick all in one pot dish.

It lasts me about 3 to 4 suppers depending on how much I eat of it. Think I posted the recipe in the Recipe thread.

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 11:48 PM

Wild and woolly day in weather wise in Southern Alberta. Calgary got hit hard with hail stones the size of golf balls and massive amounts of rain. Roads flooded and in some areas it looked like it snowed.

Also a tornado spotted around Lethbridge.

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Sunday, June 14, 2020 11:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Brenda,

Not sure if you have a Best Buy around you, but I looked and I did see this for $100

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-21-5-led-hd-monitor-black/6500088.p?sk
uId=6500088

It has HDMI, VGA and DVI inputs, so you'd be able to re-use it on any desktop or laptop computer that you bought when you upgrade.

Here's a picture of somebody using it with a 2 monitor setup off of their laptop:

I couldn't find a good image of the inputs for that particular model, but they're there. I made this image of another monitor for you though so you can see what the necessary ports look like so you buy a monitor that can both be used on your old PC and whatever new computer you buy to replace it down the road.

(Right click and "View Image" to blow it up large on your screen so you can see in detail what they look like).

The HDMI can be plugged into nearly any TV, and most computer monitors made in the last 5-10 years.

You'd just have to be careful to make sure that it has HDMI and not "DisplayPort". I've never used DisplayPort before, but it is an alternate connection that I found on a few monitors that don't have HDMI inputs at Best Buy. It looks VERY different from HDMI, so you shouldn't be worried about accidentally buying it. Since you'll be buying one in a store, just make sure you let them know you're looking for one with both HDMI and VGA, or the box it comes in and the tags on the shelf showing the specs should say which ones it has.

When you're looking to fix your issues, THIS is where I'd start. If we find that the computer boots up properly with a new monitor but the keyboard is not working, we'll figure it out when we get to that point.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

There is a Best Buy but not in my city, gotta take a bus to get to it but that is easy enough to do. Was thinking I might do that this week.

The monitor I was looking at in a local store was $129CD and that is without all the taxes.

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Monday, June 15, 2020 12:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:
Okay. I'll tell you right now I think I am back to confused. *sigh* My poor old brain didn't quite get all of that. I think?

Quote:
Yeah. Sorry. Too many words. I get that a lot.

THE IMPORTANT PART: Unless you or somebody else physically removed the hard drive from the case before the computer stopped working, it's still in there. It's a necessary part for the computer to run. You can't see it from outside the case, and if you never open computer cases you wouldn't know that it was in there.

LESS IMPORTANT, BUT GOOD TO KNOW: You know those "Thumb Drives" we're talking about to back up your written work on along with your photos? A hard drive is essentially the same thing as those, except they are capable of storing a great deal more data than the thumb drives, but they are also more prone to damage from heat or from being dropped because of all of the mechanical parts inside of them.

Not too many words, I think by the time I got back to the thread and read through what you said I was getting a little tired is all. Not to worry.

Quote:
My is also written out completely on paper and is where I can get at it. I do all my writing long hand before it gets to the ready for computer stage. I mentioned earlier in the thread after I moved that I thought I lost a couple of notebooks with Firefly stories in them. I found them and all was good. So, yeah my book is okay as is all my other writing.

Quote:
Oh good. Would be a shame to have to type it up again, but at least it's secure. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Quote:
Yeah, I sort of started writing before I got a computer, so I was doing things long hand then typing them out on an actual typewriter. Which I still have.

Quote:
I can't even read my own handwriting half the time. I envy your ability to do so.

Don't worry Jack. I have that problem too now.

Quote:
I do have a USB but it only has pictures on it. My IT friend needed me to get one so I could get the pictures from the laptop I bought off of him to put back on my or Blair's system when he flipped the operating system from Linux back to Windows. I still have it as I want to take some other pictures from this thing and keep them, so I can put them onto either Blair's or if I decide to buy a whole new desktop. That thought has crossed my mind in the last couple of years.

Quote:
When we do get you up and running again, we'll be sure to put all of your work on there too. Chances are that everything you've ever written is smaller than just a handful of pictures you have on the thumb drive. Wouldn't hurt to buy a few more since they're so cheap so you can just back them up and put them somewhere else and have a few copies. Cheap and easy peace of mind.

Quote:
I'll try and remember that or just double check this thread.

Quote:
Or just ask me. I'm sure I'll be around for a while.

I'm sure you will.

Quote:
The plug for the mouse and the keyboards are both round. And yes, pink and green coloured.

Quote:
Yup. That's what I figured.

Do you have ports on the back (and hopefully front) of your case that look like these two horizontal ones on the right that someone is plugging the wire into?

If you do, how many on the back and how many on the front?

I'm pretty sure you can still probably buy a keyboard and mouse with the green/pink circle connectors, but I wouldn't have even looked for them for 15 years or so so I can't say. I'm hoping that your computer has enough USB ports for both a keyboard and mouse on back, and extras for a thumb drive or two (preferably on the front for easy access).

If you only have two, which is unlikely but still possible with the age of the computer, you would be able to still use a USB stick to back stuff up, but you'd have to temporarily remove the keyboard while doing it and only use the mouse functions to copy stuff to the thumb drive, then take it out and plug the keyboard back in.

Quote:
It looks to me like there are 2 ports on the back of the case and nothing on the front.

Quote:
That is kind of what I was afraid of...

You'd be able to do everything you needed to if you bought the new stuff to get it up and running again, but having only 2 USB ports in back and none in the front is a huge inconvenience, especially if you have to use both of those ports for a mouse and a keyboard.

They make USB hubs to expand the amount of ports you have, but any devices you hook up into them rely on the USB port for power, and I wouldn't suggest to you to do that since the older the computer is the less likely it's capable of giving enough power output to all of the things you'd plug into a hub.

If your mouse is still working fine, maybe you should just buy a new keyboard (I have found 2 of them in great shape at Goodwill in the last few years for $3.00 or less... and one of them was probably over $50 when it was new).

If your mouse still works and can use the green/pink ports, you could plug the new keyboard into one USB port and have the other one free for your thumb drive storage.

The mouse and keyboard have their own ports on the case and they are marked so I know where to plug them in.

Quote:
I think I pretty well understand what you are telling me by my matching up the pictures you've posted with what I see on the case.

Quote:
Cool. Glad to help.

Quote:
Computers were just starting to come in when I was just starting to get out of high school, so you have been around the technology more than I really have. So, I can get a little confused.

Quote:
No need to explain. Tech got popular on a massive scale really quick. It's kind of like vehicles. Most people use them nowadays, but hardly anybody knows what goes on under the hood.

Quote:
Yeah. My friend's dad had one first and we used to play solitaire on it then we gradually got used to them. My first one was a refurbished desk top from another mutual friend who runs his own company and then just went from there.

Quote:
The only person I knew who had one when I was growing up was my Uncle. My brothers and I would stay up late at night playing King's Quest and Monkey Island point and click adventure games when we slept overnight there. I was thrilled the day I came home and saw we finally got one in our house the summer before I started high school.

I got that one for free and I think my second one as well. Don't remember really.

Quote:
Desktop and Laptop computers are super affordable right now, and they offer a lot more than they ever did when the models that you have right now came out.

My biggest suggestion to you is to get a new one with HDMI output and either a decent monitor or flat screen TV with HDMI input for your screen. Even a cheap laptop today should have more power than you'd ever need for what you use computers for, so if you can afford it that would be the way I'd suggest you go.

After that, get a few more cheap thumb drives so you can back up your important things several times an never have to worry if a computer breaks on you again.

I know laptops and desk tops are relatively inexpensive. And I don't anything really that fancy for what I do.

Quote:
It would be nice to get your current desktop running again, at least to get any old files off of it, but honestly I think it's time to retire that thing. If you didn't have work on there that you didn't back up anywhere else, I wouldn't even suggest that you invest any money into trying to get it to work again. And actually, if you don't mind re-typing the stuff you had from your written notebooks that you found, I still might suggest not bothering to fix the old one. At the end of the day, we're not even sure that it's just the monitor that's broken. If something internal is also broken and the thing won't start up even with a new monitor, chances are we aren't going to be able to fix it. If the hard drive itself has stopped working, then we're just wasting your time. The only way you'd be able to get the data off of an actual busted hard drive is by spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars to take it to a lab setting where they could *possibly* get the data off the drive for you.

(That's why it's so important to back things up. It's a lesson WE ALL learn at some point with this tech. If you're luckier than I have been, you will learn it after just the first time )

It would be nice but like I said I have thought over the last couple of years of just buying a new desk top because Blair's system is old and I don't know what damage was done to it by that crappy place I was living in. So I am thinking.

And no I don't mind retyping it as I would need nice and need things to print off and possibly email to publishers.

Quote:
But...

If you buy a monitor with both VGA and HDMI inputs (like the one I have which has VGA, DVI and HDMI inputs), and you buy a keyboard with a USB on the end, you WILL be able to use those on the new Desktop/Laptop you buy.

So maybe you should buy those things and we'll see if we can get your old data off before you upgrade.

I was looking at a monitor but I will take a look at another place, meaning Best Buy and see what they have.

Oh, and BTW... if you hate using that little finger pad on your existing laptop, if you get a mouse and keyboard with USB outputs you can plug both of those into the USB inputs on your laptop (assuming there are two of them) and you can use a proper mouse and keyboard when using that as well.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

I do HATE the little mouse pad which is another reason I want to go back to a desk top. I don't feel I have the control over the cursor as I would with a proper mouse.

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Monday, June 15, 2020 5:53 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
OMG Brenda, does that sound good!

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:

It is good Kiki. Forgot to mention that you also add garlic to it as well.

I love it and make it every so often as a relatively quick all in one pot dish. It lasts me about 3 to 4 suppers depending on how much I eat of it. Think I posted the recipe in the Recipe thread.

I went back to the Recipes thread and looked - you did mention it, but no recipe. If you have an interest in sharing it, I'd be happy to find it over there.

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Monday, June 15, 2020 10:44 AM

Hey Brenda,

Getting hard to reply to these long threads.

It sounds like you might just bite the bullet and buy a new computer and re-type your work. If you change your mind and want to try to buy a monitor to get the old one working first, let me know if you have any questions.

When buying a new PC, just keep in mind that everything you'd want to do with a desktop you can do with a laptop, assuming you buy one with the right outputs.

What I mean to say is that any laptop will give you the ability to plug in your own mouse and keyboard, so you wouldn't have to use the annoying trackpads and often uncomfortable keyboards.

And you would be able to plug it into a flat screen monitor or even two. You could even plug it into your TV and buy a remote keyboard and mouse and do your internet surfing from the couch.

I mention this because having the ability to detach the monitor, mouse and keyboard and take your laptop on the go if you wanted to go outside and get a change of scenery when you do your work is always an option that you wouldn't have if you go the desktop route.

Lots of options available to you with a new rig. And they're cheaper than ever and easier than ever to connect everything.

Any questions, just ask.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, June 15, 2020 10:56 AM

I built a really cool, completely stackable shelving unit for my basement yesterday using one of the four super-high-quality pallets that came once in a blue moon during the K-Mart days. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them because they were perfect for spanning the giant hole in my porch floor before that was fixed. They're so nice to have around.

That being said, I re-purposed the small one (not sure why it was 3 slats shorter), and I was able to use up a good deal of scrap wood I had saved to create an awesome 3-teir shelving unit that is built so good it could also double as 3 nice 4.5 feet benches to sit on.

Built high enough off the ground to mop around in case any water comes in again before I fix the foundation, I was able to organize all of my paint and painting supplies into one place in the basement, and now my tools in my garage and my pantry are perfectly organized and I now know where EVERYTHING is.

Not only do I have 2-3 or more of the most commonly tools, so in most cases I have a set both inside and outside the house for them, but I was able to put together a great set of tools in a large tool bag that is now in my trunk and will go wherever I go.

I then decided to work on my car stereo issue. I changed my mind... My car is driving so nice now that I REALLY want a working radio in there.

I think my hand-me-down multimeter has seen better days though and it's not reliable. I don't imagine it was high-quality in the first place. What I was able to test though leads me to believe that the problem is either in the antenna relay/mechanics, or it's in the old stereo itself. (It was a $300 stereo I bought maybe 18 years ago that has been in 3 cars and hooked up to more than one poorly designed amp/speaker system).

It turns out that not only are there really good (and really cheap) stereos out there online these days, but I can also get one that allows for bluetooth connectability as well as USB and SD card placement that will read whatever MP3 files you store on them, for less than $50.

I should get mine on the weekend.

Worst case scenario, it's a problem with the antenna. If I am able to, I might just bypass the antenna and radio stations altogether though. I'm perfectly fine with having a library of a few thousand songs that I can randomize from an SD card as long as the sound works.

I think I'm going to tackle the power washer today. Fingers crossed.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, June 15, 2020 1:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
OMG Brenda, does that sound good!

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:

It is good Kiki. Forgot to mention that you also add garlic to it as well.

I love it and make it every so often as a relatively quick all in one pot dish. It lasts me about 3 to 4 suppers depending on how much I eat of it. Think I posted the recipe in the Recipe thread.
I went back to the Recipes thread and looked - you did mention it, but no recipe. If you have an interest in sharing it, I'd be happy to find it over there.

Thought I left the recipe over there. Huh.

Anyways

Cut up chicken breast or chicken thighs both boneless and skinless in a fry pan with some garlic and salt and pepper. Let that start cooking through, then add the rice. You should let the rice get toasted in the oil and pick up the flavour of the chicken but watch as it will stick and could burn. When that looks like it is where you want it is when I add broccoli flowettes(the top part without the stems) Mix that in well with everything and add a bit more salt and pepper. Let that all cook for a bit then add a can of chicken stock as well as a quarter cup of water to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan. Add bay leaf then let cook until the rice is done then serve.

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Monday, June 15, 2020 2:13 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Yo Brenda! THANKS!

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Monday, June 15, 2020 3:02 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

have not been following the PC/laptop conversation, but going to jump in. Apologies if

In my husband's experience .... and he has built and repaired hundreds of research desktops ... the three most common problems with them are (1) dust, (2) corroded contacts or (3) poor configuration/bad ventilation.

I mention dust first because it can absolutely kill your hard drive or mainboard because dust blocks ventilation which allows heat buildup, and heat eventually kills electronics. IF (BIG IF) your desktop has been plugged in with the fans running and hard drives spinning continuously, even if it hasn't been used, then you MUST clean your PC of dust, because spinning fans will eventually drag dust into your PC. (It's a good idea to clean it anyway.) The best way is a blast of high-pressure air. If you have a vacuum cleaner that you can hook up to "blow" instead of "suck" and it puts out enuf pressure, you can use that. Otherwise, you will be stuck using a soft painters brush on areas that you can reach, and pre-canned pressurized cleaner for places you cant reach.
Take the (one) removable side off the PC. (The other side usually houses the motherboard. so leave that alone.) Clean off the screens covering the fans.

Locate the heat sinks on the motherboard. Sometimes they're just a finned chunk of metal

Sometimes they have a fan on top

Either way, direct a blast of air thru the fan (if there is one. I usually stick a small stick between the blades of the fan to keep it from spinning like crazy when I'm blasting air thru it) and then as much of the heat sink as you can reach. The find the hard drive area, and just generally blast it with air. Oh and BTW, do this outside, otherwise your room/table will get very dusty! (I hope you have a patio.) Cleaning DONE! Hopefully all electronics will come back to life when properly cooled.

If the PC has been turned off most of the time it is unlikely that anything catastrophic has happened to it, but if your previous place was damp-ih then your most likely problem is contact corrosion. Oncea again, take your PC apart. The literally unplug and replug every contact that you can find. That usually scrapes the corrosion off the contact surfaces.

These two actions alone bring back almost any old PC.

Your monitor OTOH is a different problem. "No signal" means the monitor is on but not communicating with the PC. USUALLY fixing it is as simple as disconnecting and reconnecting the signal line at both the monitor and PC end. Not turning on is another issue altogther. Other than unplugging and plugging it back in a few times (maybe trying a different wall outlet) and pushing the on/off button a few times, it sounds like the monitor is toast.

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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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Monday, June 15, 2020 3:46 PM

Power washer is fixed. Who knew that a European model would be infinitely easier to take apart and clean out than your standard Chinesium POS?

Got all the info for the machine, so I'm going to see if I can still get replacement nozzles for it, and I'm hoping they have a range of many differnt types since I've only got the one. Hopefully I can buy some sort of adjustable one since the one in there is only designed for one spray type and isn't adjustable. I'm pretty sure I could peel off skin with this thing now if I get a way to pinpoint it instead of fanning it out.

Looks to be a fairly standard piece you need to insert, so I shouldn't have any problems finding an aftermarket one.

I think it's naptime.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, June 15, 2020 8:57 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Power washer is fixed. Who knew that a European model would be infinitely easier to take apart and clean out than your standard Chinesium POS?

Got all the info for the machine, so I'm going to see if I can still get replacement nozzles for it, and I'm hoping they have a range of many differnt types since I've only got the one. Hopefully I can buy some sort of adjustable one since the one in there is only designed for one spray type and isn't adjustable. I'm pretty sure I could peel off skin with this thing now if I get a way to pinpoint it instead of fanning it out.

Looks to be a fairly standard piece you need to insert, so I shouldn't have any problems finding an aftermarket one.

I think it's naptime.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Wow, you've been on an absolute streak lately.

I think in some ways we might be a little alike .... aside from the fact that you're younger, stronger, and have FAR more energy than I do!

But if you're like me, you hate putting in work unless you see progress. Maintenance ... routine maintenance ... is soul-sucking. Like dishes, and sweeping, dusting, cooking, and weeding. I know that if I do it one day, I'll just have to do it again in a day, a week, or a month. I'm OK with stuff that doesn't repeat TOO often, but the rest of the stuff is like Groundhog Day.

*****

Anyway, we replaced the last two fluorescent tubes in the house with LEDs, and got the brackets up for the workbench. The lumberyard just called up today to let us know that the baltic birch plywood is ready for pickup (They no longer let people in the yard to pick out wood w/o an appointment because of Covid-19.) so that is what we will be doing tomorrow AM.

In the meantime, I got dd out to help with the yardwork today, to convert the old veggie garden into a pollinator garden. We have (these are all seeds) lemon-yellow marigolds, evening primrose (pink), a couple of varieties of mixed-color cosmos (pink, white, light purple), borage (blue), Colorado mix yarrow (white, gold, red, russet, burgundy, pink), silver aster, bee balm (pink) and dusty-rose sunflower with dark centers. I took out a couple of lima bean towers that had really taken over everything, moved a couple of slabs of concrete and we did a preliminary spading. One more spading a raking with soil rake and it will be ready for planting.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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Monday, June 15, 2020 9:05 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Maintenance ... routine maintenance ... is soul-sucking. Like dishes, and sweeping, dusting, cooking, and weeding.
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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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Which is why - after having a drought-tolerant but high-maintenance wildflower front yard for 3 or 4 years, which WAS very pretty! - I decided to go with large shrubs and trees, mulch, and hardscape for the vast majority of my yard. It's OK to have some very work-intensive areas, if they're easy to access and work on. But a complete yard of that is just too much!

But these aren't going to be plain, bland, masses of green, as I intend for them to be drought tolerant, have flowers, be wildlife friendly, and even be edible.

I do think with your sandy, light soil, your tasks are quite a bit easier.

BTW, I asked but you didn't answer - where exactly are those redshanks? When I'm driving I don't have time to be a lookey-loo so ... do I need to look at the sw corner where CalPoly Pomona is, the se corner where the light-industrial/ commercial development is? or w/in the 10/ 57 interchange itself?

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Monday, June 15, 2020 10:00 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

It's hard for me to describe because I'm not very familiar with the area, but as you drive the 57 north from the 60 there is a long slog of a hill upwards. They are near the crest of the hill to your right (eastward). I don't get much of a chance to look too, so I maye have mis-identified them, but they were kind of feathery looking but still robust enough to make a nice little stand

Kind of like this

in bloom

But perhaps they aren't there anymore because it's been a few years since I've driven that route.

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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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Monday, June 15, 2020 10:03 PM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

BTW, my zucchini is ready for harvesting, but my peppers and tomato, despite growing and blossoming freely, aren't producing. I believe they're pollinated by bumblebees. Maybe we don't have any in the area anymore.

Perhaps the pollinator garden will bring in the right pollinators.

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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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Monday, June 15, 2020 10:38 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

THANKS! for the directions. I'll go looking for those redshanks!

In the meantime, even better than Calscape.org is Calflora.org . (You might have directed me to either or both sites at some point in the past.) It has a generic search function that lists out page after page of plants by type, and it's FAR easier to use than Calscape. So I've been going through a combination of trees and shrubs, looking at the pictures, whether or not it's a native, and if so if it's rare (I don't want to mess up anything rare), distribution in the state, the bloom season, and the general habitat (wetland v dryland). Then I copy the scientific name over into Calscape and get lots more pictures, and things like deciduous v evergreen, size range, soil preference, other cultivation information, AND wildlife value. If I'm still not sure I do duckduck images and the USDA plants database. So I'm putting together a short list of plants to consider.

I was kind of wondering about the plants and seeds you bought. Many are pre-treated with some kind of neo-nic, which is really hard on the various types of bees.

Is there some place you could buy pollinators? Like maybe here? https://www.planetnatural.com/product/bumble-bees-natupol/

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Monday, June 15, 2020 11:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Wow, you've been on an absolute streak lately.

Well, I was before too, but just wasn't posting much in this thread is all. I almost let my car issue derail everything, but I wasn't going to let it knock me out of doing any work like the teeth thing did back in February. I lost a lot of time that I could have been working indoors before the weather turned nice. I can't afford to waste time like that right now.

Quote:
I think in some ways we might be a little alike .... aside from the fact that you're younger, stronger, and have FAR more energy than I do!

I think maybe in some ways we are.

But slow and steady wins the race. You seem to have that down pat. I think I'm a lot more like my mom who is bi-polar. When I'm manic, look out... But I don't sleep very well when I'm like this either. I'm bound to crash for a while one of these days, but so far I've managed to keep that at bay and do a good job of guilting myself back into doing what needs to be done.

Quote:
But if you're like me, you hate putting in work unless you see progress. Maintenance ... routine maintenance ... is soul-sucking. Like dishes, and sweeping, dusting, cooking, and weeding. I know that if I do it one day, I'll just have to do it again in a day, a week, or a month. I'm OK with stuff that doesn't repeat TOO often, but the rest of the stuff is like Groundhog Day.

In that regard, I'm very much like you. I HATE chores. One habit I've been much more successful at these days though is keeping up with them. Until the virus thing, I was actually having some friends stopping by and even my old man came around to watch a movie. I don't want to live like a pig anymore, regardless of how much REAL work I'm getting done in the mean time. I finally have my house back and got rid of the hoard. I think I can do the dishes at least once every 2 or 3 days and clean up after myself everytime I use the bathroom.

Besides, it's nice to be able to just open the door and let my buddy in if he wants to stop by after work instead of requiring people to call ahead of time. He did that once a few months back when I was down after the teeth thing and I was pretty mortified letting him see the mess I was living in. I know we used to both be the first of our group that had our own apartments back in the day and our places always looked like shit back then (and he said as much), but he's got a REALLY nice house now and his wife doesn't have a job and keeps the place looking great all the time.

I think living like that was a means for me to have just another excuse not to socialize.

I've also been spending far more time on lawn maintenance that I ever have in my life. It looks great, and I don't have any ants or weeds around the perimeter of my house, so that keeps me motivated. I let the lawn grow high enough to continually go to seed for a few months there after putting down the fertilizer and I'd say that I probably just restored 80% of the damage I've done to the lawn over the years I've lived here with bad lawn maintenance habits.

Right before posting this, I finally got around to putting the white duct tape over the foam for the A/C unit. I may have gone a bit overboard, covering things that technically didn't even need to be covered, but now the entire surface of everything on the sides and just above and below the unit is a nice shiny white like my windows and trim. I hope that holds up and looks good down the road. Time will tell.

I wanted to get to that since today was the last cool day and if the weather patterns don't change it looks like I finally got my wish and we're going to have drought conditions for the first time in 6 years. Only one day in the next 5 weeks under 80 degrees, and quite a few over 90. Compared to last year where we had 2 days all summer over 90 degrees and only a hand full of 80 degree days.

I got that unit just in time.

Quote:
Anyway, we replaced the last two fluorescent tubes in the house with LEDs, and got the brackets up for the workbench. The lumberyard just called up today to let us know that the baltic birch plywood is ready for pickup (They no longer let people in the yard to pick out wood w/o an appointment because of Covid-19.) so that is what we will be doing tomorrow AM.

Don't let them give you shit wood. If it's garbage, make them bring it right back and get you something decent.

I NEVER allow people to pick wood out for me. Especially not at Menards, where the one by me just has mostly crap wood in the first place. Most of it is just fine for rough carpentry, but their selection of wood for finish work leaves a lot to be desired. When made those shelves for my closet I spent 20 minutes digging through garbage before I managed to finally find two boards I felt were good enough for me to work with.

Quote:
In the meantime, I got dd out to help with the yardwork today, to convert the old veggie garden into a pollinator garden. We have (these are all seeds) lemon-yellow marigolds, evening primrose (pink), a couple of varieties of mixed-color cosmos (pink, white, light purple), borage (blue), Colorado mix yarrow (white, gold, red, russet, burgundy, pink), silver aster, bee balm (pink) and dusty-rose sunflower with dark centers. I took out a couple of lima bean towers that had really taken over everything, moved a couple of slabs of concrete and we did a preliminary spading. One more spading a raking with soil rake and it will be ready for planting.

Good for you. Does your daughter enjoy the gardening too? That's a nice productive way to share a bonding experience.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, June 15, 2020 11:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Hey Brenda,

Getting hard to reply to these long threads.

It sounds like you might just bite the bullet and buy a new computer and re-type your work. If you change your mind and want to try to buy a monitor to get the old one working first, let me know if you have any questions.

When buying a new PC, just keep in mind that everything you'd want to do with a desktop you can do with a laptop, assuming you buy one with the right outputs.

What I mean to say is that any laptop will give you the ability to plug in your own mouse and keyboard, so you wouldn't have to use the annoying trackpads and often uncomfortable keyboards.

And you would be able to plug it into a flat screen monitor or even two. You could even plug it into your TV and buy a remote keyboard and mouse and do your internet surfing from the couch.

I mention this because having the ability to detach the monitor, mouse and keyboard and take your laptop on the go if you wanted to go outside and get a change of scenery when you do your work is always an option that you wouldn't have if you go the desktop route.

Lots of options available to you with a new rig. And they're cheaper than ever and easier than ever to connect everything.

Any questions, just ask.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

I agree especially when I get the quoting right in one then muck up the next.

I am thinking like I did say just because I don't know what damage might have happened at the crappy place to the system and its age.

Yup, got that all in mind.

I am not much on lugging anything around that I don't have to. Need something to stay put.

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Monday, June 15, 2020 11:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Yo Brenda! THANKS!

Welcome Kiki.

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Monday, June 15, 2020 11:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
I agree especially when I get the quoting right in one then muck up the next.

Tell me about it. I end up spending twice as much time editing and re-editing these posts than I do writing them when we start doing that.

Quote:
I am thinking like I did say just because I don't know what damage might have happened at the crappy place to the system and its age.

Yup, got that all in mind.

I am not much on lugging anything around that I don't have to. Need something to stay put.

I hear you. I don't even want a cell phone that has a computer on it. But I'm not a writer myself, so I didn't know if the idea of being able to sit under a tree in the park and type would be appealing to you.

If you go the desktop route, it will be cheaper and/or you can get a better PC for your money.

For your needs, I wouldn't really worry too much about the performance of the PC, since nearly anything you buy will do what you need it to do. In fact, if you could manage to get somebody to order you one, they have refurbished units that they sell on Amazon all the time for a song compared to a new unit in a big box store that should be great for you. Amazon stands behind all of their refurbished goods and you don't have to worry about getting a lemon.

With all that extra money you save you could get a nice 40+" monitor to go along with it if you wanted to.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, June 15, 2020 11:17 PM

Soggy, soggy June. BC is over our usual rainfall province wide. And next Saturday is the first day of Summer.

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020 2:19 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

I bought organic seeds. No point in getting the bees and birds and butterflies poison!

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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020 3:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
I agree especially when I get the quoting right in one then muck up the next.

Quote:
Tell me about it. I end up spending twice as much time editing and re-editing these posts than I do writing them when we start doing that.
Quote:

Yup, then as I said mess it up while trying to answer.

Quote:
I am thinking like I did say just because I don't know what damage might have happened at the crappy place to the system and its age.

Yup, got that all in mind.

I am not much on lugging anything around that I don't have to. Need something to stay put.

Quote:
I hear you. I don't even want a cell phone that has a computer on it. But I'm not a writer myself, so I didn't know if the idea of being able to sit under a tree in the park and type would be appealing to you.

If you go the desktop route, it will be cheaper and/or you can get a better PC for your money.

For your needs, I wouldn't really worry too much about the performance of the PC, since nearly anything you buy will do what you need it to do. In fact, if you could manage to get somebody to order you one, they have refurbished units that they sell on Amazon all the time for a song compared to a new unit in a big box store that should be great for you. Amazon stands behind all of their refurbished goods and you don't have to worry about getting a lemon.

With all that extra money you save you could get a nice 40+" monitor to go along with it if you wanted to.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Do not get me going on cell phones. I got rid of the last one I had because I now have a landline. I will not have one again.

That doesn't really appeal to me as I like music on when I am working on my computer and I know I could do both when out. But I like to not be worrying about the time and stuff if I get caught up in something.

I doubt anyone would do that for me. And I think Best Buy up here does sell some refurbished stuff. Like I said I am going to a store on Wednesday at least that is the plan. Also want to hit up a bookstore in this mall as well. Kinda kill 2 birds with one stone thing.

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020 4:27 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
I bought organic seeds. No point in getting the bees and birds and butterflies poison!

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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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Awesome! Do you think you might buy some bumblebees anyway?

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020 11:41 AM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

You can buy bumble bees?

Anyway, I looked online further tp see what the problem might be, and in addition to peppers and tomatoes being pollinated by bumble bees they're also wind-pollinated because the flowers normally pollinate themselves, or you can hand pollinate them by briefly touching an electric toothbrush to the back of each flower. I kid you not.

The flowers are facing downwards (as you know) and the pollen-producing stamens are higher up, the pollen-catching pistil below, and the flower needs to be shaken (as by wind) or vibrated (as by bumble bee) so that the pollen falls onto the stigma part of the pistil.

Seems we've had enough wind for that!

OTOH, you can get "blosson drop" with excessively high temperatures, so maybe the problme was the latest heat wave, which hit right when the plants really started to blossom.

I know that some people think that heat makes gardens grow faster, and I'm sure that's true, up to a point, but I've noticed - during our roller-coaster weather - that when it gets above 85 and especially above 90 growth stalls out, even with plenty of water.

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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020 11:46 AM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Getcher' bumblebees here! Bumblebees! Bumblebees!

https://www.planetnatural.com/product/bumble-bees-natupol/

But I think you're right, it was the heat.

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020 11:52 AM