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RV_

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  1. Whataboutisms? I'll stay on topic with Texas sources. Excerpts: Jerry Jones Bragged he hit the Jackpot: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/2021/02/17/jerry-jones-natural-gas-company-hits-jackpot-as-texas-freeze-drives-up-prices/ "One utility, CPS Energy, is blaming Energy Transfer for its woes. The company’s CEO, Paula Gold Williams, has said the pipeline company engaged in “blatant unlawful price gouging” and used the cold snap to “generate more than two years’ worth of profits from intrastate gas sales in just the first quarter of 2021.” CPS is suing Energy Transfer to recoup a portion of the $1 billion it lost during the storm. In a statement to Bloomberg, Energy Transfer co-CEO Tom Long blamed the utility’s “miscalculations of the severity of the storm and their lack of competent planning.” https://www.texasobserver.org/after-kelcy-warrens-energy-transfer-partners-made-billions-from-the-deadly-texas-blackouts-he-gave-1-million-to-greg-abbott/#:~:text=No one won bigger than Dallas pipeline tycoon,bounty soon trickled down to Governor Greg Abbott. Excerpt from the Texas Observer: "The Texas electric grid collapse during the February winter storm killed hundreds of Texans and caused an estimated $295 billion in damages, while generating seismic gains for a small and powerful few. The natural gas industry was by far the biggest winner, collecting $11 billion in profit by selling fuel at unprecedented prices to desperate power generators and utilities during the state’s energy crisis. No one won bigger than Dallas pipeline tycoon Kelcy Warren: Energy Transfer Partners—the energy empire Warren founded and now is executive chairman of—raked in $2.4 billion during the blackouts." https://www.texasobserver.org/after-kelcy-warrens-energy-transfer-partners-made-billions-from-the-deadly-texas-blackouts-he-gave-1-million-to-greg-abbott/#:~:text=No one won bigger than Dallas pipeline tycoon,bounty soon trickled down to Governor Greg Abbott.
  2. OK, I had Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage but I decided to go back to my old method of using my 26TB of HDDs to archive my data. See I stopped Microsoft OneDrive from loading or accessing the Internet after I loaded all my pics on this, my backup computer and OneDrive copied them all. The only problem is with syncing offline or during an outage. No access. Then when I tried to delete them after I copied the good ones from the eternal drive I could not delete the old ones. So I went online and after a lot of reading I found an easy way to delete the old in accessible OneDrive pics. Everyone tells me they love online storage and can access their files anywhere. With the new tiny superfast external USB 3.0-3.2 SSDs I can just buy a drive for each system or plug it into my phone. (ExFat) They use micro USB 3.0 to USB C cables, or micro to USB A 3.0-3.2 All you have to do to delete files that need the internet and whole folders is to make a new folder, copy them to it, then delete that new folderfolder. Gone. The whole story - my new computer started syncing with one drive and if I was disconnected I could not access my files at all. That torqued my jaws. So since I was setting it up I set it up with an external fast SSD and all my data went on it before OneDrive messed them up. I copied all my Pictures, Music, Videos, and documents in daily use, almost 550GB, to a tiny PNY 960GB SSD that is super fast. Connected to a USB C with a USB 3.2 cable to my USB C it was as fast as the internal 256GB M.2 SSD and 1 TB HDD storage drive. It was perfect and I all but deleted One drive on my systems and can use this drive between them. Since I upgraded all my systems to new or newer computers none older than 2018, they all tried to sync. My main system started getting goofy so before I did a reset I brought my backup system and 32" Quad HD ViewSonic monitor over as my main for now - my backup system, and simply started using the PNY drive with it. I made a folder on my now main system called called Pictures 2 and copied all of those pre-OneDrive picture files to that folder. I have been using it like that. My plan was to use the new folder and if it went well top delete all the old inaccessible pics and folders. SO the solution was quite simple and it is done. Here's the original instructions I followed: https://appuals.com/how-to-fix-error-0x8007016a-cloud-file-provider-is-not-working/
  3. Ken, I got the RSV vaccine and my flu shot yesterday. Of course my reaction may not be the same as yours or anyone else. I have the same mild soreness today from the flu shot, only hurts when I hold it up over my head but barely noticeable. I have no soreness in my arm with the RSV vaccine. That was my concern as I have never had it before. The roll-out for the new COVID vaccine is mid September so in the next two weeks or three I should have my COVID shot too. Excerpt: "What to Know About the New COVID-19 Booster Shots Planned for Next Month Rollout of the updated shots is expected in mid-September. Coronavirus is on the rise in the U.S., prompting questions about when Americans can roll up their sleeves for the next COVID-19 vaccine. Related: U.S. COVID-19 Hospitalizations Increase for 6th Straight Week COVID-19 hospitalizations have been increasing for six straight weeks. While levels remain far below previous coronavirus waves in the U.S., it’s still the first increase since winter, and it has even prompted the return of mask mandates for a handful of businesses and schools. The Biden administration estimates that 97% of Americans ages 16 and over have some level of COVID-19 immunity through vaccination, previous infection or both. The number may sound promising – so why do people need another round of shots? Because that protection can fade in a matter of months, leaving individuals vulnerable to COVID-19 once again. “Immunity is stronger today than at any other point in the outbreak,” Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a recent video statement. “That means we're moving towards COVID-19 being a more manageable illness with less severe illness. Having antibodies is like a shield, but we still need to be cautious because that protection does decrease over time.” When Will the Shots Be Available? Rollout of the shots is expected in mid-September, according to officials with the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration. The shots from Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax first need authorization from the FDA. After that, the CDC’s committee of outside vaccine experts will gather to recommend who should be eligible for the shots. That meeting is scheduled for Sept. 12. Then, the CDC director must sign off on the recommendations before shots can be administered. Related: Mask Mandates Trickle in as COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rise For undervaccinated or unvaccinated Americans – especially those who are at high risk for severe disease – Cohen says it might be best for them to roll up their sleeves now for the shots that are currently available. “Those who have never been vaccinated and then some people who are older and at higher risk for a COVID infection might be best to get the existing COVID shot now and not wait,” Cohen said, noting that individuals should talk to their doctor first. But Cohen added that “if you do get the current COVID-19 vaccine now or in early September, it could delay your ability to get this updated vaccine that's coming out in the middle of September.” Will the Updated Boosters Work on New Coronavirus Variants? The updated shots target XBB.1.5, which was responsible for less than 5% of new coronavirus infections in recent weeks. The variant scene has changed significantly since the Biden administration advised vaccine makers to target the XBB strain in June. Now, EG.5, or “eris,” is the dominant strain circulating, causing over 20% of new cases. But all the strains circulating are still descendants of omicron, so experts believe the shots will still protect against severe COVID-19 from the variants. A Biden administration official told reporters last week, “FDA expects that once available, the updated vaccines will similarly provide protection against the most serious outcomes of the disease that may result from currently circulating variants.” Additionally, experts are keeping a close eye on how BA.2.86, a new strain that is highly mutated, could affect the shots. “The CDC is closely tracking a new variant which does have a number of changes or mutations that do make it distinct and different from the older versions of the virus,” Cohen said. “So we're working as fast as we can to understand this new variant and what impact it might have on how severe the COVID disease will get or how well our vaccines work against it.” Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-08-30/explainer-what-to-know-about-the-new-covid-19-booster-shots-planned-for-fall So despite knowing it does not target the latest variant I will bee taking it anyway and any boosters targeting the new strains. As they said it will help with keeping any infection mild. So for us we are back in masks in public indoors. All eating out is take out. Take what you can use and leave the rest.
  4. "August saw combined EVs at 90% share in Norway, comprising 83.5% full electrics (BEVs), and 6.5% plugin hybrids (PHEVs). These compare with YoY figures of 86.1%, 74.9%, and 11.3%, respectively. We can see that BEVs have gained almost another 10% of the market in the past 12 months, and PHEVs are in decline, along with all other non-BEV powertrains. In volume terms, BEVs are actually flat YoY, and all other powertrains have lost volume, leading to the overall 10.4% decline in overall market volume. Petrol-only vehicles lost 58% of their volume YoY, seeing just 122 units in August. Even PHEVs lost 48% of their volume, falling to 724 units. HEVs (plugless hybrids) fell in volume by “only” some 30%, and are shrinking more slowly than PHEVs. Both have a little over 6% market share. It would be ironic if PHEVs, which can drive most of their miles on renewable energy when used as intended, fell below HEVs, which are entirely dependent on fossil fuels. The issue is likely the price difference, with PHEVs being generally expensive, whereas basic HEVs, with tiny batteries and modest motors, can be produced for not much additional expense over a combustion-only vehicle. Once BEV models have filled out more niches, and lower price points — in the context of Norway’s extensive DC charging network — all other powertrain sales, including both forms of hybrid, will quickly fade. EVs At 90% Share In Norway — Evolution More charts in the link below. https://cleantechnica.com/2023/09/02/evs-at-90-share-in-norway-tesla-model-y-best-seller/
  5. Texas has their utilities in the hands of private billionaires who to date have not hardened their gas cooling valves and other shortfalls. The more Powerwalls there are in Texas the better for all Texans. https://cleantechnica.com/2023/09/02/tesla-virtual-power-plants-get-approval-in-texas/
  6. Shoot! I had two months out of a mask and now back to wearing a mask in public indoors only. <sigh> I waited to see if the boosters will work on the new omicron variant, and if it keeps growing. First from six days ago: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-hospitalizations-spike-22-percent-cdc-predicts-increase-new-variants-2023/ And from 7 hours ago: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/surge-booster-plan-to-tackle-most-concerning-covid-variant-since-omicron/ar-AA1g02Ti Take what you can use and leave the rest.
  7. Whenever I get time I'll check it out Ray. I need a good alternative for my local friends when 2025 comes and support is dropped for Win10.
  8. https://www.votervoice.net/iframes/AFSA/newsletters/49053
  9. YW and good luck. thanks for the great questions. Do come back and let us know how it worked out. I see you have only posted four times so welcome to the forums if no one has welcomed you yet.
  10. Here's the VSA: Consumer Dispute Resolution & Industry Education Consumer Consumer Dispute Resolution Use My Self-Help to understand your legal rights, Dealer responsibilities and initiate safe issue resolution. https://vsabc.ca/
  11. We talked several times and he read my stuff when I kept my website, which I decided not to redo. He was a friend and will be missed. He was an RV safety advocate who helped many of us willing to learn, and I am sure saved some lives.
  12. I would contact the attorney general's office about the lemon laws in the dealer's/your state regardless of if it also your domicile. That is irrelevant in a lemon law claim. They should be reachable by phone. I did not see the state and without that info it is tough. I would also get the BB reporting docs filled out and ready to send. As well call one of those accident lawyers and you may find one that takes these kinds of cases. As well see if you can call the factory and talk to someone there and see if they have anything to offer. If all refuse to help proceed with BBB and advertise the incident and use their name on several RV forums so we all know to stay away from them. It sounds like they want to get rid of them and then say they already replaced yours once, implying the problem is you. Do a memo of each call and contact with dates and times and persons talked to and their comments/promises/etc. The rarely will as the person/dealer/rep rarely do make MFRs and will just be vague or get them totally wrong, intentionally or not. Many do not want anything in writing for which they would be liable. If it goes to court that goes a long way. If the state they are in has laws allowing recording of phone conversations if only one party consents by all means record each call as well. That means If they are fair and honest brokers you won't need therm and will have only wasted a few minutes after each contact to accurately journal the experience. If not fair and honest brokers you will be at the same disadvantage they would be had you done memos. That's just me.
  13. Yep, we could be doing calligraphy yet had it not been for that durn Gutenburg, and they stopped teaching it in school to boot! Most Young folks today can't even read a clock with hands. Using the clock face for directions like "at your six!" are meaningless to them. They can't run a mimeograph machine either. They took them out of schools when Xerox debuted electrostatic copying and printing. And forget them being able to use a tractor feed dot matrix printer. And who needs printers now anyway? Now they load pics and memos and docs online and share there with a link or in emails/messages. Yeah let's go back -NOT! Just kidding. 😉🖖
  14. https://www.hqafsa.org/takeaction.html?utm_source=pocket_saves&vvsrc=%2Fnewsletters
  15. 👍👍 I think Garmin will be getting more and more out of the road mapping and more into GPS handhelds and GPS watches as Android, Apple, and built in navigation that shows on the car's built in screens on newer cars beats the old programs hands down. Many of them can do all that but everyone keeps saying that they need the programs with bridge and other clearances built-in. All I can say is that more than a few folks found that after re-paving some clearances are 4" or more off as the asphalt was added but no one remeasured or added the new lower clearance to the programs from ll GPS makers. So more than a few folks have had collisions with lower than expected clearances even if they were lower than the posted clearance or the clearance in a program like Garmin. https://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/about-my-new-garmin-780-low-bridges-and-routing.1268877/ Who reports changed lower clearances to Garmin et al? Sometimes no one! As well many RVrs have never measured their high points on their rigs as evidenced by the infamous 11' 8" bridge. Even after they raised the bridge 8 inches to 12' 4" RVrs and truckers are still crashing into it! Video below. So when we were full timing there were no smart phones and there were no GPS in laptops and the Earthmate by Delorme was terrible in 1998 and I had one of the yellow GPS receivers and it was so slow it was useless. Then in 2006 I got a stand alone Garmin for sales calls for steel building sales in a 100 mile radius sales area and they were terrible on rural roads until much later. So I had no cell phone or GPS at all from 1997-2003 full timing until we came off the road to care for now gone parents. How did we do everything West of the Mississippi, and from Canada up to and including a season May - September in Alaska and most of Alberta and B.C. Canada and never hit a bridge with paper maps and no Garmin? I had to trust the marked bridge clearances and if they were within six inches I stopped in front and we did it sloooooooooooooooooow. Obviously not possible on Interstates. But I measured my highest point which was a power vent rain cover. Here's that video of professional truckers and RVrs hitting the infamous bridge even with clearly marked and accurate clearances posted and with warning lights!
  16. They did not publish for two weeks and are back. https://www.votervoice.net/iframes/AFSA/newsletters/49008
  17. I've gotten lots of free books with bookbub. I have so many saved I stopped my participation.
  18. Ray, that works. Also in the control panel I still make system images using the Windows 7 backup and restore.
  19. Franco, I finished my Dell AIO project today. It's a 2018 Dell 24" i7 touchscreen AIO. I cloned the 256GB SATA 2.5" SSD it had to my spare 256GB M.2 NVMe using my external M.2 dock and installed it and it booted fast and perfectly. Then I pulled the 2X8GB Sticks of RAM and replaced them with 2X16GB DDR4PC 3200 sticks and it booted much faster. Then I cloned that 256GB M.2 to my spare 1TB WD Black SN770 M2 NVMe, which is 2-3X as fast and it all worked perfectly. Now it screams! And I have the 256GB clone put up in case my SSD fails to swap in and clone a bigger drive. Tomorrow I finish the laptop project by putting a new battery which requires a disassembly below the mobo then upping the RAM from 8GB to 16GB. Then moving the EaseUS Lifetime license to it, then cloning the 600GB HDD to a 1TB 2.5" SATA III SSD and installing. It's an older Samsung 15" laptop with an i7 so it should go well too (knock on wood.) That one's for a friend. He's just paying for parts, a $10 power supply, a $26.99 1TB SSD, and $15 for the 16GB of RAM I just pulled out of the Dell I did today. It will be a new machine when I get done with it. I remember using the early SSDs from CruciaI and experimenting with my first SSD in a 15" Windows 7 Toshiba laptop with 8GB RAM for all of 2011 doing the Windows 8 developer's editions until they released it to the masses in Dec 2012. I remember the warnings of limited read/write drive longevity. I'll pass on the 80GB drives, I still have an 80GB and 100GB 2.5" HDDs too, and about 9 2.5" 1TB HDDs in external cases I'm going to military wipe and sell for like $10 each. They're 2017/2018 drives. They'll be replaced by 1TB 2.5" SSDs in the same cases. I got rid of every IDE drive too. What kind of pcbs?
  20. BIG NEWS How Apple fixed what Microsoft hasn't, with Thomas Reed: Lock and Code S04E16 How Apple fixed what Microsoft hasn't, with Thomas Reed: Lock and Code S04E16 This week on Lock and Code, we speak with Thomas Reed about how Apple was able to previously address a security loophole that still persists on Windows, and what both companies get wrong (and right) about security. How to protect your child's identity How to protect your child's identity Identity theft is a serious problem, especially when it affects children. Minecraft fans beware: Players and servers at risk from BleedingPipe vulnerability Minecraft fans beware: Players and servers at risk from BleedingPipe vulnerability Minecraft players interested in modding are at risk from a remote code execution vulnerability targeting both players and servers. Film companies lose battle to unmask Reddit users Film companies lose battle to unmask Reddit users A Judge has thrown out a case where multiple movie producers sought to deanonymise Reddit users for posts they made in 2011.
  21. 9 pages of them here for Phones, Windows, and Macs/iOS: https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/category/personal
  22. For RVrs and other travelers the portable chargers size and heat versus charging watts is critical. The newest GaN chargers are phenomenal. Anker is my go to name for high power and data chargers caables and other devices. Excerpt: "The Anker Prime GaN devices include a 240W 4-port charger and a 250W power bank. As the capabilities of our personal devices evolve, our reliance on them also increases, making it crucial to keep them fully charged at all times. GaN chargers are smaller, more portable, and more powerful than the adapters of old -- especially the ones that come included with the phones, tablets, and laptops you buy -- making them the ideal charging solution. Today, Anker's new Prime Series, which leverages GaN technology, is available for pre-order, including a massive 240W charger that can easily replace all of your other chargers. The 240W Desktop Charger has four ports, three USB-C, and one USB port that can charge up to four devices simultaneously. But that's just the start. Anker says the 240W multi-port charger can charge two MacBook Pros, an iPhone, and an iPad at full power while still having leftover power for another device. As a result, this single charger replaces the need for multiple bulky chargers, while sporting a rather compact design. The 240W charger is so spec-heavy it comes with a vertical mount. Anker For those who prefer a reliable fast charger that's not as high-powered, Anker has also released a slew of new charging accessories, including a 67W GaN Wall Charger and a 100W wireless charging base. Here is the complete list of Anker Prime Series chargers, all of which are available for ordering today. Anker Prime 240W GaN Desktop Charger: $199.99 Anker Prime 250W Power Bank: $179.99 Anker Prime 67W GaN Wall Charger: $59.99 Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger: $84.99 Anker Prime 130W Power Bank: $89.99 Anker Prime 200W Power Bank: $129.99 Wireless 100W Charging Base: $69.99 Anker Prime 6-in-1 Charging Station: $109.99 Pricing for the chargers is relatively competitive, especially when compared to other premium brands like Belkin and Ugreen. But for the price, you can expect these to last you years, as many of ZDNET's reviewers can attest to. https://www.zdnet.com/article/ankers-new-wave-of-gan-chargers-let-you-carry-fewer-power-bricks-and-charge-faster/?ftag=TREc64629f&utm_email=3b2e0f94e4947c973f63c5cf2d34603c24fe97fe01cb10979119da7270e034b9&utm_campaign_id=7410522&utm_email_id=5b29b440eed28bdb6d5417e0f5a5049c9091e4fe339e53ede336ecfdfd1a5e71&utm_newsletter_id=92316&medium=email&source=iterable
  23. The new tool is similar to an unofficial one that already exists, but it's much easier to use. https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-leaks-internal-testing-tool-that-lets-users-access-windows-hidden-features/?ftag=TREc64629f&utm_email=3b2e0f94e4947c973f63c5cf2d34603c24fe97fe01cb10979119da7270e034b9&utm_campaign_id=7410522&utm_email_id=5b29b440eed28bdb6d5417e0f5a5049c9091e4fe339e53ede336ecfdfd1a5e71&utm_newsletter_id=92316&medium=email&source=iterable
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