Random thoughts that don't warrant a thread

[Armybrat 40,841]

Isn’t that the basis for this whole “influencer “ bullshit?

(eeerrrrbody’s an Internet googles expert)

 

[Guest]

More oil change random thoughts. Bought supplies from Walmart. It was $22 for a five-quart bottle of name brand full synthetic and $6 for a single quart.

I also had a brain fart, put a gasket back in the wrong place and caused a big leak. Luckily, it was caught quickly... but I needed another quart to replace what was lost and to top it off. So I head to Advanced where I could also drop off the old oil for recycling. Pick up another quart... and it's $12. 

Advanced used to be my spot to get oil change stuff and I switched to Walmart a few years back because they were somewhat cheaper. Now they are half the cost of Advanced. WTF?

Edited June 20, 2023 by FirstTimeCaller

[Lurch 5,930]

"XXX critics"
 

[slowly raises hand]

[Lurch 5,930]

More oil change random thoughts. Bought supplies from Walmart. It was $22 for a five-quart bottle of name brand full synthetic and $6 for a single quart.
I also had a brain fart, put a gasket back in the wrong place and caused a big leak. Luckily, it was caught quickly... but I needed another quart to replace what was lost and to top it off. So I head to Advanced where I could also drop off the old oil for recycling. Pick up another quart... and it's $12. 
Advanced used to be my spot to get oil change stuff and I switched to Walmart a few years back because they were somewhat cheaper. Now they are half the cost of Advanced. WTF?

Loss leader probably. The rest of that aisle is likely very high margin for WM standards

[Texas Jeff 1,945]

I was in Georgia earlier today headed east to the Atlanta airport to catch a flight back to Austin.  A police car went by going 110 easy.  Then five minutes later three more, same speed, then two more after that, pedal to the metal.

My first thought was "Where the heck are they going and why do they need so many cops?"

My second thought was "Holy shit, it's the Bandit..."

 

[retsevlys 408]

On 6/19/2023 at 5:34 PM, Armybrat said:

Almost forgot about the time of the State of Texas Sesquicentennial festivities in 1986 when the Prince of Wales dropped by Austin for a short visit. 
He met local celebrities including Lady Bird Johnson, Walter Cronkite, & Willie Nelson. 

 

 

I read that first sentence as 1896 until I read the second sentence.

[Horn_Spanker 524]

I just shot a kale salad through my system in 3.25 hours!

[Superhero 8,830]

20 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Society has reached a certain peak of luxury when there is a class of people whose profession is xxx Critic.

Art Critic; Architecture Critic; Urban Critic; etc...

Is it wrong to be a xxx critic? Because there’s some sexy stuff and then there’s some downright nasty shit. I reserve my right to poo poo on the unsavory videos. 

[Steamboat1874 4,058]

17 hours ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

More oil change random thoughts. Bought supplies from Walmart. It was $22 for a five-quart bottle of name brand full synthetic and $6 for a single quart.

I also had a brain fart, put a gasket back in the wrong place and caused a big leak. Luckily, it was caught quickly... but I needed another quart to replace what was lost and to top it off. So I head to Advanced where I could also drop off the old oil for recycling. Pick up another quart... and it's $12. 

Advanced used to be my spot to get oil change stuff and I switched to Walmart a few years back because they were somewhat cheaper. Now they are half the cost of Advanced. WTF?

People still change their own oil ?

[52-80 19,155]

26 minutes ago, Steamboat1874 said:

People still change their own oil ?

There's a certain satisfaction to even dirty chores like changing motor oil... but taking motor oil to the store for disposal?  fuck that

[General Specific 3,260]

Buy an oil container, holds several oil changes. That and reuse the 5 qt bottles, and store for a more convenient time (the next time to buy more oil) to stop at the auto store. Easy! Done! And enjoy a job well done. It’s one of the many jobs I do around here that keeps me in the good graces of my wife.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, 52-80 said:

There's a certain satisfaction to even dirty chores like changing motor oil... but taking motor oil to the store for disposal?  fuck that

4 hours ago, General Specific said:

Buy an oil container, holds several oil changes. That and reuse the 5 qt bottles, and store for a more convenient time (the next time to buy more oil) to stop at the auto store. Easy! Done! And enjoy a job well done. It’s one of the many jobs I do around here that keeps me in the good graces of my wife.

Both these. I also don't particularly trust oil change places. This way, I know what sort of oil and filter I'm actually getting. 

But I will say, every time I do it, I swear my next car will be electric.

[After irth 1,243]

On 6/20/2023 at 8:42 AM, YGIFS said:

I can promise you from personal experience with folks of all stripes.  We absolutely, and very purposely do not teach financial literacy to young people.   Because none of the rest of this illusion would work.  Parents and teachers alike beg for it.  And our compromise is always the same---we will give you some materials on how to teach them to balance a checkbook by hand.  You know?  That totally relevant skill that hasn't at all been replaced by technology.  From the ISD boards I serve on, even to UT, and certainly the bank we operate...the entire scheme relies on a complete and total lack of information.  And when you do get it, it's a pamphlet with a sized Zero font written in what is probably Aramaic.  

We just finished up our academy for first generation students of color to attend to college as they rise up for university.  We cover all kinda topics.  I used to crack wise with them, "There is no room of people trying to prevent you from making smart financial decisions as you enter college---from credit cards, to loans, to grants and scholarships, to budgeting, all of it."  Then I found myself in one of those rooms.  I don't know how in the fuck we made it this far.  /csb

You serve on school boards?  And work in banking?

That’s some scary shit to process…

[thunderlounge 7,825]

1 hour ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

But I will say, every time I do it, I swear my next car will be electric.

I’ve been curious about how much of a solar array one would need to be able to capture and store enough power to recharge an electric vehicle. 
 

Would there be any potential savings over having to use your main electric @ whatever/kwh and the occasional charging station?

 

[Jameslaw121 4,448]

On 6/20/2023 at 1:45 PM, FirstTimeCaller said:

More oil change random thoughts. Bought supplies from Walmart. It was $22 for a five-quart bottle of name brand full synthetic and $6 for a single quart.

I also had a brain fart, put a gasket back in the wrong place and caused a big leak. Luckily, it was caught quickly... but I needed another quart to replace what was lost and to top it off. So I head to Advanced where I could also drop off the old oil for recycling. Pick up another quart... and it's $12. 

Advanced used to be my spot to get oil change stuff and I switched to Walmart a few years back because they were somewhat cheaper. Now they are half the cost of Advanced. WTF?

Probably explains their stock price plummeting 42% in the last month...

 

[52-80 19,155]

2 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

I’ve been curious about how much of a solar array one would need to be able to capture and store enough power to recharge an electric vehicle. 
 

Would there be any potential savings over having to use your main electric @ whatever/kwh and the occasional charging station?

Math is a typical solar panel is 400W. Typical roof has 20 of them, to give 8kW.  10 hours of sunlight yields 80kWh which gives a full battery charge for a car, good for 250mi. 

The most savings you get from solar is when you have a battery system and arbitrage the variable price from the utilities, ie sell your solar-derived juice back to the grid at high price and buy back when cheap. 

My friend in a less-sunny clinate than Texas has had 1 year of solar. His utility does not “buy” power, but they simply net out the difference from what owners use. His house used a total of 16mWh; he pumped back 11mWh; so he paid for 5kWh of total electricity…or about 1/3rd of what he would have paid normally.

 

Tons of internet calculators out there giving you exact values based on your location and potential equipment.

[GoPokes83 2,240]

I’ve been curious about how much of a solar array one would need to be able to capture and store enough power to recharge an electric vehicle. 
 
Would there be any potential savings over having to use your main electric @ whatever/kwh and the occasional charging station?
 

So would this setup charge the car battery directly, or be like a home system where it would charge a bank of batteries that would in turn charge the car? Im guessing the latter if you want to charge your car at night. I’m no electrical engineer of any sort, but Google says it takes an average of 12 kw to charge a car, and it’s around 33k for a 12 kw charging system , without government incentives. It would take about 20 solar panels at 350 watts each to operate a car charger.

[Cheeseweasel 26,438]

2 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

The most savings you get from solar is when you have a battery system and arbitrage the variable price from the utilities, ie sell your solar-derived juice back to the grid at high price and buy back when cheap. 

Solar Stonks!

[Armybrat 40,841]

15 hours ago, Horn_Spanker said:

I just shot a kale salad through my system in 3.25 hours!

Probably the top accomplishment on Surly for the day.

[YGIFS 19,450]

38 minutes ago, After irth said:

You serve on school boards?  And work in banking?

That’s some scary shit to process…

And just passed my annual DOD & Five Eyes background/mental health check.    
 

thankfully they didn’t read surly. 

[thunderlounge 7,825]

57 minutes ago, GoPokes83 said:

So would this setup charge the car battery directly, or be like a home system where it would charge a bank of batteries that would in turn charge the car? Im guessing the latter if you want to charge your car at night. I’m no electrical engineer of any sort, but Google says it takes an average of 12 kw to charge a car, and it’s around 33k for a 12 kw charging system , without government incentives. It would take about 20 solar panels at 350 watts each to operate a car charger.

Just a setup at home that is used for only charging the vehicle.

Not sure about mileage per charge, how much juice it takes to fully charge a battery, etc. 

Say you charged it every other day. Then you could get a setup that would produce and store enough juice in a day to charge it (accounting for less than ideal days). Maybe even 60% of that need in a day, if you’re somewhere that panels get better light.

Sure a setup for that might hit you for $5k-$8k, or whatever, but could that beat over time the cost of paying to charge off the grid?

If you were to get a 15yr service life out of the setup, charging every other day, that’s a hair over 2700 charges in that time. 

If the setup cost $10k (I don’t think it would, but easy math) then that comes out to a cost around $3.65 per charge in a 15yr period.

How much would it be from the utility?

Charge less frequently, system requirements and cost goes down, so does the price per charge.

 

[AUinHsv 579]

8 hours ago, General Specific said:

Buy an oil container, holds several oil changes. That and reuse the 5 qt bottles, and store for a more convenient time (the next time to buy more oil) to stop at the auto store. Easy! Done! And enjoy a job well done. It’s one of the many jobs I do around here that keeps me in the good graces of my wife.

Almost every estate or garage sale has an old 5 gallon gas can for sale for like 2 bucks. And yes I do mine. When moving I had the Honda dealer attempt it. Took three ( yes three) attempts to get the oil between the marks. Apparently pulling the dipstick isn't part of the routine

[Gil Bang 25,954]

On 6/20/2023 at 11:45 AM, FirstTimeCaller said:

More oil change random thoughts. Bought supplies from Walmart. It was $22 for a five-quart bottle of name brand full synthetic and $6 for a single quart.

I also had a brain fart, put a gasket back in the wrong place and caused a big leak. Luckily, it was caught quickly... but I needed another quart to replace what was lost and to top it off. So I head to Advanced where I could also drop off the old oil for recycling. Pick up another quart... and it's $12. 

Advanced used to be my spot to get oil change stuff and I switched to Walmart a few years back because they were somewhat cheaper. Now they are half the cost of Advanced. WTF?

I always buy my shit at walmart. Mobil 1 oil and Mobil 1 filter.  Much cheaper than even sale prices elsewhere.

11 hours ago, Steamboat1874 said:

People still change their own oil ?

 

10 hours ago, 52-80 said:

There's a certain satisfaction to even dirty chores like changing motor oil... but taking motor oil to the store for disposal?  fuck that

I change it on my truck, and the Mercedes goes to the dealer.  I simply don't trust the fucktards at the quick lube places. 

Changing my own oil forces me to crawl under my truck, look around, raise the hood, look around, check out the other fluids, etc.  Once in a while I use the grease gun while the oil is draining. 

[tbone_ 14,121]

I went to a funeral last week. I was completely blown away by the number of people who A) came to celebrate this guys life and B) made it a point to get up at the mic and speak about how he had made a positive impact on their life (at least two dozen). I’m pretty sure that’s the truest meaning and measure of one’s life.

My service (assuming anyone even bothered to have one) would not come close to what I witnessed last week. Time to make some changes.

[Guest]

On 6/21/2023 at 7:02 PM, Gil Bang said:

Changing my own oil forces me to crawl under my truck, look around, raise the hood, look around, check out the other fluids, etc.  Once in a while I use the grease gun while the oil is draining. 

Lot of this. Plus, I'm on a computer all day every day. Having an excuse to go dick around in the garage, listen to some music, and do something with my hands is a big draw.

I want to buy an old go-kart and refurb it for the kid (and let's be honest... me.)

[Crapinon 2,257]

1 hour ago, tbone_ said:

I went to a funeral last week. I was completely blown away by the number of people who A) came to celebrate this guys life and B) made it a point to get up at the mic and speak about how he had made a positive impact on their life (at least two dozen). I’m pretty sure that’s the truest meaning and measure of one’s life.

My service (assuming anyone even bothered to have one) would not come close to what I witnessed last week. Time to make some changes.

After going to several very long funerals, I told my wife to keep mine simple. Have my group play bagpipes, tell everyone how much I loved them, mention I tried my best to follow JESUS, and close it with Freebird. They can cuss and discuss me on their own time at their leisure. 

I also told her that as an option, she could fold me up and put me in the deep freeze so she could continue to receive my social security checks or stick me in the roll out trash dumpster and take me to the curb, to save on funeral cost. I don't think she will though.

Edited June 23, 2023 by Crapinon
I'm old and forgot part of the story

[Tylerocks 2,553]

I work in the Spring Branch/Memorial area, so luckily not my home store..

I just went to pick up something for lunch...

The HEB on Bunker Hill/I-10 is one of the biggest shitshows in Houston.

What a fucking mess.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21,906]

Try it on a weekend

[Underdog 28,627]

The wife knows to cremate me and flush my ashes down a toilet so that I can clog it one last time. 

[Sandman 3,403]

Nowadays when you go to a funeral, there's a cheesy highlight video with some stupid modern country music bullshit playing. My sister did that for her beloved husband and when someone said to her "I didn't think he liked country" She said "Oh, he didn't really", which I thought was fucked up (I said nothing). 

But it made me wonder. Am I supposed to tell my wife to play whatever she wants? I don't want people to think I was a fan of Jason Aldean or one of those other jerkoffs. However, I also realize that playing "Blitzkrieg" by Metallica isn't exactly what you'd call a remembrance tune. 

[Cheeseweasel 26,438]

Anyone who plays country music at my funeral is getting haunted. 

[Crapinon 2,257]

1 hour ago, Underdog said:

The wife knows to cremate me and flush my ashes down a toilet so that I can clog it one last time. 

 

[thunderlounge 7,825]

38 minutes ago, Sandman said:

However, I also realize that playing "Blitzkrieg" by Metallica isn't exactly what you'd call a remembrance tune. 

Wanna bet Maiden and Pantera also make an appearance at mine?

oh yes. 

[tbone_ 14,121]

I’d be good with Pantera. Maiden too.

[YGIFS 19,450]

Good lord, I didn't even know playing shitty country music at a funeral was an option (thankfully).  Can you imagine being a funeral director and having the balls to open up the binder to the widow and telling her, "Or we upgrade you to the Blake Shelton or Toby Keith package for another $200.  the option for Kid Rock remains, but it's quite a bit pricier given the coffin package you've already selected."  

Mine's either Amazing Grace, cliche but it always gets me choked up.  Or if my wife is open to it, "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin.  A little too festive perhaps for her family's tastes.  But my dad turned me on to Bobby Darin as a kid, we danced to the song at our wedding (and we were damn brilliant at it I must say), and my ashes are sure as shit going beyond the sea.  So most appropriate.  If my daughters want to speak outta catharsis, great.  If not, nobody else talks but a closing prayer for family members more religious than I.  In and out in 20 minutes tops.  Buffet lunch, hosted bar, get the fuck out, I got dying to do.  

[Baboontyme 2,810]

I can't believe what just happened. Out of a fucking Seinfeld episode or something. I took my son and my nephews to Gatlinburg. Our rental is on the side of a mountain. Extremely steep. My nephew (16) has some kind of toe infection. My sister has been on me like no other about making sure he takes his script antibiotics 3x per day. I was texting her some pictures, she asked of course about the meds. I reminded him to take his last dose of the day. They are in the hot tub. The hot tub is located on the "ground" floor on the patio. I am in the kitchen and living room above. There is a patio on this level. It's maybe 9 feet from the balcony railing to where he is. He says drop it to me. I survey the situation. The hot tub is enclosed on 3 sides with floor to patio above patio slats. The open side/entry of the hot tub is not exposed to any area with a regular/low railing for 2 feet. I decided I could put the meds in a Ziploc in case he dropped it and it would float and be fine. I dropped it. Right into his hands. In the hot tub. Bounced off of his hands, and 5 feet diagonally to the left, over the railing and down the mountain. It has been an hour and I am still in disbelief. Photos from earlier for reference. Un fucking real. The photos could not illustrate how unlikely this was any better. 

[52-80 19,155]

Do people just get a haircut and then directly proceed with the rest of their day?

i cant do that without an immediate shower afterwards. The itchiness from stray hairs around my shirt collar and etc will just pester me to death

[Brisketexan 105,127]

I went to a funeral last week. I was completely blown away by the number of people who A) came to celebrate this guys life and B) made it a point to get up at the mic and speak about how he had made a positive impact on their life (at least two dozen). I’m pretty sure that’s the truest meaning and measure of one’s life.

My service (assuming anyone even bothered to have one) would not come close to what I witnessed last week. Time to make some changes.

Yeah…I went to a retirement event for one of our local federal judges (truly a great guy, and an old friend). Fucking EVERYONE was there. I mean, I joked with some friends there that I hoped we left a “designated survivor” attorney in an office somewhere to continue the practice of law in Austin in case our building blew up or something.

Anyway, as I looked at the massive crowd, I commented to another friend that thankfully, I’ve loved such an unremarkable life that when I hang it up…nobody will even notice. Maybe we’ll get a “wait…was somebody in that office before? And why does it smell like pork rinds and farts?”

Lot of this. Plus, I'm on a computer all day every day. Having an excuse to go dick around in the garage, listen to some music, and do something with my hands is a big draw.
I want to buy an old go-kart and refurb it for the kid (and let's be honest... me.)

We did just that for the boy when he was 14. He and his friends have spent years fixing it up, modifying it, tricking it out, etc. At first, he was frustrated that it took so much work. But once he got into it, I took him to Harbor Freight to build his own tool set (stop using mine, dude). He’s 20 now, and when he comes home in a month for a few weeks, he and his buddies already have some plans for some more mods they want to make. I highly recommend.

[Js1 85,325]

22 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Yeah…I went to a retirement event for one of our local federal judges (truly a great guy, and an old friend). Fucking EVERYONE was there. I mean, I joked with some friends there that I hoped we left a “designated survivor” attorney in an office somewhere to continue the practice of law in Austin in case our building blew up or something.

[thunderlounge 7,825]

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

Do people just get a haircut and then directly proceed with the rest of their day?

i cant do that without an immediate shower afterwards. The itchiness from stray hairs around my shirt collar and etc will just pester me to death

I cut mine, sweep up, then get in the shower.

Easy peasy. 

[52-80 19,155]

1 hour ago, thunderlounge said:

I cut mine

Flowbee ?

[thunderlounge 7,825]

I have a set of wahls.

[tbone_ 14,121]

Straight buzz cut?

[thunderlounge 7,825]

Pretty much.

[YGIFS 19,450]

I bought a nice Wahl with all the fixin's.  Wife started cutting my hair during Covid and she just kept doing it because it gives us some time to talk without the kids around.  It's super thick but it's not a complicated cut.  I used next to people at the barber shop in a shirt and tie and they'd just get up and go back to work.  I have to brush myself off in the grass, run my head under the hose, then go inside and take a shower.  I don't know how people get cuts and then go about the rest of their day.  

[Prepuce of Doom 21,071]

8 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Do people just get a haircut and then directly proceed with the rest of their day?

i cant do that without an immediate shower afterwards. The itchiness from stray hairs around my shirt collar and etc will just pester me to death

Having the hairdresser wash your hair afterwards is non-negotiable. 

[YGIFS 19,450]

As is a man not referring to the person who cuts his hair as his "hairdresser"

[ztejas 43,425]

7 hours ago, Js1 said:

Belt of scotch?

It's 9:30 in the morning!

Yeah, but I haven't slept in days.

[52-80 19,155]

19 minutes ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

Having the hairdresser wash your hair afterwards is non-negotiable. 

yeah but that doesnt clear all the stuff thats gets by the shroud and neckliner thing

[Prepuce of Doom 21,071]

17 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

As is a man not referring to the person who cuts his hair as his "hairdresser"

It's weird calling a woman a barber. 

It's also weird getting a scalp massage from a dude. 

Edited June 24, 2023 by Prepuce of Doom