It's all a matter of perspective

I'm sure if I lived in Minnesota or Pennsylvania or somewhere in New England I would be sick of winter too, and would be giddy thinking about all the things I was going to do outside once it got warmer.

But I don't. I live in Texas (which all things considered is a pretty good place to live).  Yesterday it hit 82 degrees here, and I broke a sweat.  Just thinking about what's to come debilitates me.

I'm Soooooo over summer.

What's that?  It's just now Spring?  Summer won't even arrive for three more months?  DOH!

Maybe I need a motor home so I can just keep moving along, chasing cool comfortable weather wherever it goes.  I suppose it's just my inner Don Quixote tilting at windmills again.

S

"If I had some film I'd take a picture if I had a camera"

That title probably makes good sense to an electric car engineer.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) has done tests to determine the effects of heat and cold on the battery life of electric cars, and the results might make a thinking person wonder, "Why bother?" 

Electric plug-in type cars, with the exception of Tesla, have a range of between 38 and 87 miles, or at least that's what their manufacturers claim.  

But according to the AAA test, if the battery is in a cold climate, that number drops by an average of 57%, to a range of 16-50 miles.  In a hot climate the range is degraded by an average of 33%, to just 25-58 miles.  Which I guess isn't so bad if everywhere you go is downhill.

And it gets better: Two of the cars tested, the Mitsubishi and the Ford, had a dedicated "battery temperature maintenance system" (to heat or cool the battery) which in theory should enable the cars to maintain their original range estimate, right?  WRONG!

Researchers found that with only one source of power in the car....the battery....to power the temperature maintenance system, the energy the system sucks from the battery to heat/cool the battery reduces the charge of the battery which....wait for it....shortens the range of the car.  Well DUH!  It's like watching a dog chase his tail.

Here's to you, electric car engineers.*  You rock!  :)

Happy Weekend everyone!
  
S

* I'm sure they're brilliant.  It's just that their theoretical world hasn't caught up with the REAL world.  (I think Tesla snapped up the few that "get it".) 

Poor quality lasts long after the cheap price is forgotten

I like watching those home building/remodeling TV shows.  The granddaddy of them all is This Old House.  It's easy for me to watch and instantly pick out the "builders" from the "pretty boys".  Guys like Norm Abrams and Tom Silva know their stuff.  I doubt guys like original host Bob Vila know which end of a hammer to hold.

The ones that build a house for a deserving owner while they're on vacation for a few days scare me.  Think about it...would you want a house built in 4 days?  There would be workers crawling all over each other to get their part done and get the hell out, quality be damned!  In 4 days the paint isn't even dry yet.

Now there's a new show that I'll admit I haven't watched yet, but sounds interesting, called Catch a Contractor.  Love it!  There are indeed a bunch, maybe even a majority of contractors who need to be caught....and tarred and feathered.

BUT....IMO there should also be a companion show called Stupid Homebuyers....it takes two to tango.  Here's an example of what happens to me often:

Mr & Mrs B (previous customers from 16 years ago) came back to me and said they wanted a new home built.  They had a budget of $X, wanted Y square feet, and wanted ABC amenities.  

We went to the architect and began the design process, but along the way they kept adding footage (10% more) and amenities (now they wanted ABCDEFGHI & J), but they would absolutely NOT raise their budget.  They said if I couldn't do it, there was another builder they had talked to that could.  

Adios Mr & Mrs B!

My brother recently ran into Mrs B in a local store and she rather sheepishly volunteered that things hadn't gone exactly smoothly.  Bro later checked the public records and found that the B's had to go back to their bank and renegotiate their loan upwards twice, totaling over $100K.  And to hear them tell it it was all the contractors fault.  

Their cheapness got them what the deserved....a cheap, crappy house!  The builder told them what they wanted to hear to get the job, but could then only hire whatever left-over labor was still out there.  Same with materials.  

He was a crook for doing business that way, and the B's had larceny in their heart, too, trying to get lots of extra stuff for nothing. 

Cry me a river.  They deserve each other.

Do yourself a favor before you build or remodel: RESEARCH carefully.  Three references aren't enough.  Get at least a dozen.  Call them all.  Call their subcontractors and see if they pay their bills.  If they don't you'll find lots of subs who have only worked for that contractor for a few months.  Longevity is good.

Check public records to see if they have liens filed against them.  A Better Business Bureau A+ record doesn't mean what it used to.  (Many claim the BBB is now just interested in signing up new dues-paying members.)

And THINK! You're not going to get a Mercedes for the price of a Chevy, I don't care what the salesman says.

S

KISS....Keep It Simple Stupid

We tend to make things more complicated than they need be.  Case in point: the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines triple-7.  My friend Elaine Webb shared on Facebook an article by an experienced Canadian pilot, Chris Goodfellow, which gave a simple and entirely credible explanation of what might have happened.

He pointed out that pilots, especially those as experienced as the Malaysian Airlines pilots, are constantly updating in their mind where the nearest divert airfields are in case of an emergency.  This would include airfields ahead, beside, and behind them.  This way if something goes wrong, they don't have to think where they could go....they already KNOW where to go.

He theorizes that there was some sort of fire, probably electrical, that caused them to pull the circuit breaker(s) to identify and control the fire.  This could have caused the interruptions in communications.  Then the pilot turned towards the nearest, longest runway in the area (13,000') at Pulau Lankawi, which is why he made the sudden left turn. 

He didn't return to Kuala Lampur because he knew he would have to cross over an 8,000' mountain ridge, and he might not be able to make it.  His divert field at Pulau Lankawi was on the same approximate heading (in the direction) he was going after his turn.  Mr. Goodfellow believes the plane crashed somewhere between its last known location and Pulau Lankawi, and that's where investigators should be looking.

But what about reports that land radar had the plane crossing back over the Malaysian peninsula and heading back out into the Indian Ocean?  Just today it was said many believe there are too many powerful radars along that route for a plane to get through quietly unannounced.  Hmmmm....

Interesting hypothesis.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a story in the news this morning that was accompanied by this picture:

 

The caption called this "the face of cold authority".

  

Then it dawned on me....Putin looks like the ice-cold villain in the James Bond movie Casino Royale.  Look at the expressionless eyes and the tight lipped mouth.  Let's hope Pootie Pooh suffers a similar fate as Bond's nemesis.

Hump Day!  :)

S

They drive a Land Yacht, but want to negotiate for a cheeseburger

Consumers are funny creatures.  Some will throw bags of money at some things on their wish list, while others will fight tooth and nail to penny pinch on something else. 

The wealthy don't seem to bat an eye:

Bentley Flying Spur....$200,000+.  "Want the dual-color instrument lighting for only $3,500 more?"
  
"Sure, I'm worth it.  Put it on my tab."  

"Want your initials embroidered on your headrest for another $2,500?"

"But of course."

Jimmy Choo shoes...*let's see....material, $35; labor, 1 Third World guy in a sweat shop, 1 hour. $.95; Jimmy Choo label, $3*  "For you Madam, $795."

"These, and some in blue, too, please."

And those on the other end of the economic spectrum seem willing to cough up whatever they're asked, too.

 

Tract house....."What's that sir?  You want the shutters painted a color other than the gray of the rest of the house?  Oh, gee....let's see, there's the labor to bring in a specialist from East St. Louis, a special order from Le Home Depot for some designer special-tint paint....that'll be $525."

"Well, that's what the Mrs wants, so I guess I can go sell some more blood."

Meanwhile, the customers I seem to attract, who get their ideas off the internet and those decorating magazines at the bookstore....

"So you want to add a tiered media room over your garage, complete with a home theater system, mood lighting, a fully stocked bar and a bath?  Yes, of course, Sir.  And what is your budget?"

"3,500.  And if you play your cards right there's a 20 in it for you, too.  You're welcome."

I must have "stoopid" written on my forehead.  I should go look.

S

Now you see it....now you don't

 I love weather....nothing destructive of course, but just lots of lightning, thunder, and rain coming down in sheets.  Saturday evening I was like a kid on Christmas morning when a line of heavy thunderstorms rolled through.

In Texas, more often than not these storms come through in long, narrow north/south bands moving from west to east.  It will storm wildly for half an hour, then....it's over.  Just like that.

I was impressed by this "supersonic goose" flying in from the northwest.  It looks like it has its wings swept back like an F-14.

And then, pretty much as fast as it blew in....

....it was gone.

(Full disclosure: these beautiful photos were taken by K. :)  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Deep Thought for the week:

These are interesting times we live in.  I've always enjoyed studying international relations.  It's like a giant chess game:  The smart players plan many moves ahead instead of just reacting to the last move of their opponent.  

 

Oops!

Yesterday Vladimir Putin made another move towards "check".  The people of Crimea voted to join Russia, and of course Russia will immediately accept.  Then they will no longer be an "occupier"; Crimea will be an integral part of the Russian Federation.

Shortly the ethnic majority in eastern Ukraine, also Russian speaking, will start down that same road.  Those regions will sooner rather than later demand an election, the conclusion forgone, and Russian troops currently sitting just across their common border will move in to "protect" them.

The US, EU, and NATO will sit on their hands as usual while all this happens.  They have the ability to act, but lack the will to do anything.  Which is just as well since those regions mean more to Russia than they do to the West, and any efforts to intercede would be doomed from the get-go.

Fortunately for the West that will be as far as it goes.  Any attempt by Russia to take over the rest of Ukraine would be received much the same as the treatment the Rooskies and the US experienced in Afghanistan....there would be a guerrilla behind every rock, something they can't afford.

I'm sure Russia would like to regain control of their former Baltic republics, but they are now integrated as full members of NATO and the European Union, and the West probably would get physically involved there if push came to shove.

That's my prediction.  Let's see if I read it right or not.  And If it turns out I did read it right, that begs the question, if dumb s__t little me sitting here in Frisco, TX can figure it out, why can't those overpaid gubment weenies in Washington figure it out, too?  Why are they always caught flat footed?

S

That's my story and I'm stickin' with it!

I get razzed a lot for my rather pathetic attempt at retirement.  I work a while, then I coast a while, then rinse and repeat.  Here's why I can't / don't just hang it up completely:

First, K is still working (did I mention she just got a BIG promotion / raise?), so we can't just hop in the car and drive off for weeks or months at a time.

Second, while I did officially retire a year and a half ago....I resigned as company president and turned it all over to my brother....he does still need help in one important area.  For all those years I handled the operations (actual construction) while bro handled the "office administration", and there is a ton of office administration.  The paperwork burden just keeps growing and growing!

My brother's weakness is his lack of deep understanding of the structural aspects of building.  I'm talking about the foundation, framing, installation of mechanicals, etc, and understanding the building codes.  

When we have a home just beginning construction I come out of hibernation and handle things up through getting inspections.  After that it's pretty much cosmetic....picking paint and stain colors, marble, granite, fixtures, etc.  Bro is great at working with customers on all that.  That's when I can take a step back and coast.

While I no longer have any day-to-day responsibility, I still own half the company and derive income from it, so of course I want to see it succeed.  We're too small a company to hire someone else full-time to do what I did.  It's a nicely profitable business if you watch your overhead, but another split of the $$$ won't work, so.....

And finally, I actually like building homes.  I enjoy watching things progress day-to-day all the way to completion.  I like driving through a neighborhood we built in 5 or 10 years ago and saying to myself, "We built that one, and that one, and that one...".   And when one of those old customers comes back and asks us to build them another, it's hard to say no to a friend.

If I can just steer clear of all the #$^& paperwork, I rather enjoy the work / retire rotation.  We'll see how long it stays fun.  :)

S