Vladimir

thanks for the smile. Now that I am not working anymore I really don't need ANYTHING that doesn't meet my needs. I have a 10,000 dollar astronomy camera. That is what it cost new. I paid $500 for it twenty years after its introduction. Works fine. Likewise, so does my Lightroom Six version. And a whole host of other OLD software. I get the security part. I have dedicated Windows 7 laptops for astronomy, photography, writing, and a couple more for specialized other uses like reading reference CD's ROM publications. I avoid connecting to the internet with these machines. For internet surfing I use a Apple IPAD. Never had a security issue with it.

Not enough for Big Tech to trash the planet.....moving on up to moon. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/impact-crater-farside-moon/ Ok...before you respond, what did Sheldon have a problem with in interpreting peoples comments.

I have noticed that the plug-in hybrids don't talk about battery range. I would buy a plug-in hybrid if it meets my test: 125 miles, 8000 feet of elevation gain at zero degrees and 4-wd capability for the price of a RAV4 or Honda Passport. What I would like to see is a EV with a small gasoline or diesel engine. The small fossil fuel engine would run the vehicle on speed in rural areas. The batteries used for urban driving and accelerating.

Really hate the interface in Windows 10. It has lots of useless information and MicroSoft wants to push more of it onto the desktop. I will stay with my IPAD for apps and widgets. Is there a way to go back to a Windows 7 interface?? Almost all the legacy programs for astronomy have run into issues with Windows 10. It takes a long time to track down drivers and other issues. Much simpler to stay with the system that works. I am getting old and time is precious and get mad every time I spend a day or so FIXING things on the computer.

Yep, just upgraded from Windows 2000 to Windows 7. Well, that was for the observatory computers. I did have a brief stop at Windows XP, but since most of my computers were running Windows 7 I went ahead and upgraded them to Windows 7. I have ONE computer running Windows 10. What a awful system!!! I thought I might upgrade all my computers to 10, but forget it. As much as I hate doing business with Chinese companies, my next computer might be an Apple. Yeah, I know try Linux....I did and so far it is a no go for my "non-science" computer.

Last time I did that drive was towing a small Casita. That seems about right. Ended up camped on the Madison River at a BLM boat launch. It gets slow once you get into the park.

I never want to be in law enforcement. I once got a warning for driving slow on Memorial Day weekend. The officer mentioned that their emphasis patrol for that weekend were SLOW DRIVERS!!! On Memorial Day weekend!!!! I wrote a scathing, four page letter to the Washington State Patrol telling them that I believed in the old Washington State Patrol that believed SPEED KILLS. Got a phone call from the commander for the Highway Patrol district asking how the officer handled the incident. I told him he was great. He was professional. I understood why he made the decision he did. I disagreed with it, but had no issue with the officer. IT WAS THE POLICY that I didn't like. He wasn't ready for that answer and I quickly became his best friend. What a job!!! Your suppose to enforce the law and then when somebody complains the supervisor asks the person TICKETED, how did you like getting your ticket!!!

Because he was a 23 year old that was not grown up. My question is.....why all the 23 year olds that are protecting our country, flying jet planes and handling nuclear weapons, etc. show pretty good judgement. And the average 23 year old, outside the military, is a total loser?? What is the military doing right, and what are we as a society doing wrong??

I currently tow a Casita with a one-ton diesel truck. Going through California with their 55 MPH speed limit for trailers and semi's is a PIB. However, it does allow auto traffic to flow better and safer. Even Montana has a 65 MPH limit on semi's. Reminds me, of all the discussions about truck/trailer combinations and the comments about can I tow with a half-ton truck. You can tow, but can you stop it?? See previous post on stopping a semi. I would put in a "towing lane" on the Interstates....stay in this lane, go 60 mph don't exit for a 100 miles.

The trial was this spring. The incident was a couple of years ago. Made national news, not sure how many people he killed. I will do a search and see if I can find it. ....found it https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/30/us/colorado-rogel-aguilera-mederos-sentence-commuted/index.html https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/crime/affidavit-driver-involved-in-deadly-i-70-crash-was-driving-erratically-going-more-than-80-mph

California has 55 mph for RV's, semi's, and anybody with more than three axels. Oregon, is also 55 mph, for semi's. Washington is 60 mph for semi's. Here is the complete list: https://www.topmarkfunding.com/speed-limits-for-semi-trucks-in-the-united-states/ Not sure if the same speed limit applies to RV's in some of those states. As people in Colorado found out a semi or RV doing 80 mph is a dangerous weapon.

Not the White House without new legislation.....the authority is back to the states. In most states, that is the Governor, and he/she can do it just with their signature. It also reduces CO2. The Europeans are dropping their speed limits for that reason.

Just get a large bumper sticker for the back window in your motorhome. Save the Planet.....Drive 55 MPH. Now when they pass you they will feel guilty.

Human nature. The subject is covered in most beginning economics classes. It works for all products being sold. It is just that gas prices, since they MUST be posted are so visible and people pay attention since they buy it frequently. If you did the same thing with eggs, milk, or any product for sale you will find the same price behavior.

It has been decades since I have been a field forester. But a few years ago, I needed to run some property lines so looked up the current offset between magnetic and true north. I was shocked at how much I needed to adjust my compasses. I went through my entire stash and adjusted them all!!! A guy could get LOST these days by having the improper offset!!!

If your at all interested in StarLink, do as Chalkie suggests.....download the app. I did find the app to be PESSIMISTIC. Got way better signal than promised. If you can "borrow" a dish within your "cell" area....do that and see what you get.

Thanks....I learned a new word today. I had to look it up!! From Bob Dylan... "Don’t follow leadersWatch the parkin’ meters" Don't forget the leaders control the parkin' meters.

China definitely doesn't like StarLink. Every dictatorship doesn't like StarLink. It is small enough to smuggle into any country and difficult to block. I guess we might see if "the truth will set you free". Voice of America had a great impact on the cold war. Think about that becoming a two way conversation.

How easy would it be to scramble the signal??

StarLink works great on wi-fi calling. Verizon is a criminal enterprise in my opinion. I would love to find a "honest" cell phone provider.

As a amateur astronomer, not a fan of low orbit satellites. However, I do have StarLink. It is EASIER to set up than a VZW unlimited mobile hotspot. Verizon simply doesn't work at my cabin, most of the lakes I fish, nor my hunting spots. Plus quite frankly, doing business with Verizon is like doing business with the mob, you always lose. I wish Musk would buy a cellular company.

My point was that the tax code was designed to financially benefit specific industries and people. Decisions that seem crazy from an economic sense, make perfect sense when you incorporate the tax code. Don't know much about Medicare and the tax code. Maybe somebody with a background in health care can comment. But when payments from Medicare are MUCH LESS than the billing, that indicates something else is going on than just straight economic decisions. And as I mentioned, those providers refusing to take Medicare payments which are primarily small rural hospitals is interesting.

My observation has been, when things don't make sense at first glance it just means your NOT an accountant!! Or a tax advisor, there are a LOT of things in this country that do NOT make any sense, until you have a good understanding of the tax code. All the economics I took on decision making stressed interest rates, growth rates, costs, revenues and EVERY ONCE in awhile the professor would say and there is the tax code. Years later, I realized that IF you rub a magic lantern and the gennie pops out and says "Your choice, you can understand the background in all fields OR you can understand the tax code" Chose the TAX CODE, you will be rich WAY beyond your means in a relatively short time.

There are lots of companies and governments ready to compete with StarLink. The estimates are that is a few short years there maybe close to 200,000 of the satellites in low earth orbit. And that is just the companies mentioned above, plus DOD and I am sure other governments. The American Astronomical Union is working real hard to minimize the impact on earth based astronomy, but more important there is the issue of tracking all those satellites for earth launches. Hitting one of those will definitely ruin your days if your on the rocket ship heading into space. My guess, is there is going to have to be some sort of international agreement on where these satellites can orbit so that launch windows can protected. Musk might have won the race, by being first and then everybody else gets slowed up by international governmental regulation and we know how long those take!!!

I worked as a Economist for a Federal agency that had accountants. I got teased a lot about my comment " plus or minus 20% is close enough for a decision". The accountants were ALL sure that their calculations were "accurate" to the penny. Yeah, right. They were tracking to the penny, but when I got the opportunity to "audit" their data sheets, well folks, we are talking real money here and yeah, it was WAY OVER the 20%!!! Here is a link to goodwill write off's....pretty funny reading. https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/appropriate-reporting-treatment-writeoff-inventory-due-obsolescence-28000.html Accountants are NOT unethical. They rewrote the tax code to make it ETHICAL. It, however, is clearly immoral. On Medicare, the acid test...will the Dr. or Clinic take a Medicare patient. Some rural hospitals and doctors will NOT do that.