On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 12:20:37 PM UTC-4, Paul S Person wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Jul 2021 13:12:49 -0700 (PDT), William Hyde
> <wthyd...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 12:25:35 PM UTC-4, Paul S Person wrote:
> >> On Mon, 26 Jul 2021 14:36:34 -0700 (PDT), William Hyde
> >> <wthyd...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> >On Monday, July 26, 2021 at 11:13:59 AM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
> >> >> In article <09ef3adc-8907-4f7a...@googlegroups.com>,
> >> >> pete...@gmail.com <pete...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >> >On Monday, July 26, 2021 at 9:15:02 AM UTC-4, James Nicoll wrote:
> >> >> >> Five Classic SFF Novels About Environmental Disaster
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >https://www.tor.com/2021/07/26/five-classic-sff-novels-about-environmental-disaster/
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Surprised you didn't include Ballard - he did at least 4 of these.
> >> >> I am astoundingly poorly read in Ballard.
> >> >
> >> >Well, you can skip the first one, "The Wind from Nowhere".
> >> >
> >> >Ballard was trapped in a job that didn't leave him time to write, so he wrote this
> >> >fantasy novel in his vacation of eleven days. Naturally it's not as well thought out
> >> >as his others, and he himself later said "The wind thing wasn't that interesting"
> >> >But it paid enough that he could write full time.
> >> >
> >> >"The Drowned World" is vastly better, basically SF (the sun gets a wee bit warmer, and
> >> >given how little we knew about stars then, it wasn't that implausible). The ending
> >> >confused his New York publisher ("shouldn't it be the reverse?"), but it's not
> >> >really a new wave story.
> >> >
> >> >"The Drought" is also SF. Pollution causes a film of junk to form atop the ocean,
> >> >severely restricting evaporation. More of a new wave feel than it's predecessor. As a
> >> >kid I had no idea what the ending meant.
> >> >
> >> >"The Crystal World". What happens with a very slow moving version, more or less, of Ice-9.
> >> >I haven't seen a copy in decades and wonder how it would read now. As a kid I
> >> >had no idea what the novel was really about, but I got lost in Ballard's imagery.
> >> Is that the one that I first encountered as a novellette set in
> >> Africa, and then as a novel set in Florida? Telling the same story
> >> both times?
> >
> >As far as I can recall, I've only read a novel set in Africa. But then, rewriting a novelette or
> >short story into a novel is common practice in SF. 99% as common would be people saying
> >"The novelette/short story was better!).
> Well, it was certainly /shorter/!
>
> I didn't really find it all that good in either form. In fact, I think
> I purchased the one set in Florida in the hopes that it would be
> different enough to provide additional information about what was
> going on.
>
> I wish I could say that I had some idea "what is was about", but for
> all I know it was about the author's ability to mystify his readers.

We actually know a lot about Ballard. He wasn't trying for the bestseller
lists (though he got there in the end) but he certainly wasn't trying to
trick or fool his readers. However, he wouldn't baby them.

As a widower with three kids, he needed his writing income. It wasn't in
him to write space opera, but his work found an audience, and he gave
them his best. Except in that first novel, perhaps.

Sometimes I really like his work, other times my reaction is similar
to yours. I suspect that if I reread "The crystal world" today I still
wouldn't get it.

A lot of things (but perhaps not TCW) became clearer when I read
"Empire of the Sun".

William Hyde

On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 12:28:03 PM UTC-4, Paul S Person wrote:
> On Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:20:47 GMT, djh...@kithrup.com (Dorothy J
> Heydt) wrote:
>
> >In article <sdrr8u$3c8$1...@dont-email.me>,
> >Michael F. Stemper <michael...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>On 27/07/2021 13.08, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
> >>> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
> >>> Paul S Person <pspe...@ix.netcom.invalid> wrote:
> >>
> >>>> A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
> >>>> collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
> >>>> inside!
> >>>>
> >>>> I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
> >>>
> >>> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
> >>>
> >>> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
> >>> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
> >
> >Update: it got to *93*.
> >
> >Weather page, which *was* predicting 80s through Friday, is now
> >talking about mid-70s for the rest of the week.
> >
> >>They say that Wisconsin will cool down to that range tomorrow, but I'm
> >>not holding my breath.
> >
> >Crossing fingers.
> Some years back (10 years? 15 years? 20 years?), while the /rest/ of
> the country was experiencing hot weather (not necessarily unseasonably
> hot, but hot nonetheless) we were experience ... grey skies and temps
> in the sixties.
>
> For about two weeks, the forcast for the current and following four
> days was:
>
> 60s
> 60s
> 60s
> 60s
> 90s
>
> That is, if you put them together, you got:
>
> Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
> Mon 60s
> Tue 60s 60s
> Wed 60s 60s 60s
> Thu 60s 60s 60s 60s
> Fri 90s 60s 60s 60s 60s
> Sat 90s 60s 60s
> Sun 90s 60s
>
> It was as if their forcasting software was actually capable of only
> going out /four/ days, not five, so on the fifth day it just took it
> for granted that we would be getting clear sunny skies and hot weather
> too.

That really depends on the time in question. I attended and gave some weather
briefings in 90 and 91. At that point model output after 48 hours was dubious, in
particular precipitation tended to trend up rapidly.

A much more knowledgeable colleague told me that at five days, the only skill in the
system was in the prediction of the 500 mb height field. In this case skill is measured
as something that is better than persistence.

Forecasts were not simply taken from the computer. They had to be tailored to local
conditions and the cutoff had to be dealt with. Once in a while the computer result
was clearly wrong, and old rules of thumb had to be employed.

Beyond the range of a forecast the best result will be persistence, perhaps modified
by the rules of thumb mentioned above. To use climatology, as you saw done, isn't
far short of a capital offense.

Nowadays, at least in my area, seven day forecasts are quite good. In between I suppose
there was a time when four days were considered to have positive skill, but I wasn't
involved in weather briefing for long.
> Morons.

Lazy morons at that.

William Hyde

On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,

[snip]

> >A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
> >collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
> >inside!
> >
> >I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>
> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
> --

[Vent]

Pet Peeve Dept:

People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
water. It encourages the growth of mosquitos! I'd prefer the
bins be stood on end, with the lid set on what is normally the
bottom, and the top of the lid facing the sky. Water will run off
from that set-up onto ground or pavement. It also discourages
passing folks from dropping who-knows-what in your empty
container, once the trash has been collected. The landlord
sends someone out to move the bins the day before "trash
day," and that fellow leaves the lids wherever. I'd just as soon
handle that chore myself, but apparently some neighbors can't
be trusted to remember that it is Tuesday, or just aren't around
to roll the cans out.

It's a little thing, but we need neither EEE* nor Zika added to COVID
on our list of troubles.

* https://www.cdc.gov/easternequineencephalitis/index.html

[/Vent}

--
Kevin R

In article <409394e0-6b74-4a33-93b9-0d3f7ff177fbn@googlegroups.com>,
Kevrob <kevrob@my-deja.com> wrote:
>On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
>
>[snip]
>
>> >A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
>> >collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
>> >inside!
>> >
>> >I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
>> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>>
>> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
>> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
>> --
>
>[Vent]
>
>Pet Peeve Dept:
>
>People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
>water. It encourages the growth of mosquitos!

*IF* there's been any rain. Sometimes we get lots; other times
(such as last winter, which is supposed to be the rainy season)
we don't get any.

We keep our garbage and recycling in the kitchen until Monday
afternoon, not long before sunset, when Hal hauls both bags out
to the bins in the alley.

But although aluminum cans *could* go into the recycling, we
never do. If we did, some of the locals would come by and dig
through all the recycling, taking the cans out and leaving the
rest of the recycling on the ground.

So westore them in bags till we have enough to justify Hal's
making a trip to the recycling center, where he can get enough
money back just about to pay for the gas required to take them
there.

I'd prefer the
>bins be stood on end, with the lid set on what is normally the
>bottom, and the top of the lid facing the sky.

I can't quite visualize what you're proposing. Is the lid a
separate piece from the bin? (Ours have hinged lids.)

Or do you, like Hal, take the stuff out just before it can be
picked up? And, unlike Hal, invert the bins as soon as they're
empty?

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 9:00:03 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
> In article <409394e0-6b74-4a33...@googlegroups.com>,
> Kevrob <kev...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> >On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
> >> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
> >
> >[snip]
> >
> >> >A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
> >> >collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
> >> >inside!
> >> >
> >> >I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
> >> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
> >>
> >> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
> >> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
> >> --
> >
> >[Vent]
> >
> >Pet Peeve Dept:
> >
> >People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
> >water. It encourages the growth of mosquitos!
> *IF* there's been any rain. Sometimes we get lots; other times
> (such as last winter, which is supposed to be the rainy season)
> we don't get any.
>
> We keep our garbage and recycling in the kitchen until Monday
> afternoon, not long before sunset, when Hal hauls both bags out
> to the bins in the alley.
>
> But although aluminum cans *could* go into the recycling, we
> never do. If we did, some of the locals would come by and dig
> through all the recycling, taking the cans out and leaving the
> rest of the recycling on the ground.
>

We too have enterprising individuals wandering the streets (or
following a planned route) before the recycling truck comes,
attempting to collect anything they can redeem. The city may
have a problem with them. If it actually redeems bottles and cans
itself, or sells them in bulk to a recycler, cherry-picking the recycling
stream could be seen as petty larceny! I don't begrudge those folks
the nickel. I do dislike any mess they may leave as they go.

> So we store them in bags till we have enough to justify Hal's
> making a trip to the recycling center, where he can get enough
> money back just about to pay for the gas required to take them
> there.

I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
to the supermarket for redemption. They have machines for the
purpose. I should get a new used vehicle, first. I could take 1 bag
at a time via bus. Maybe when it cools down, some.

> I'd prefer the
> >bins be stood on end, with the lid set on what is normally the
> >bottom, and the top of the lid facing the sky.
> I can't quite visualize what you're proposing. Is the lid a
> separate piece from the bin? (Ours have hinged lids.)
>
> Or do you, like Hal, take the stuff out just before it can be
> picked up? And, unlike Hal, invert the bins as soon as they're
> empty?
> --

One has a hinged lid. The other has a round, removable lid.
The second kind should be treated the way I suggested.
Just close the lid on the first.

We do get rain in New England, on the Long Island Sound
coast, and the river valley where I live, 10 miles inland.
Bugs are still going to breed in puddles that don't drain
or evaporate quickly, and in the wetlands near the river.
Those are less likely to make it up the hill to our little
apt house and its lawn in any great number. Best case,
they are dinner for fish, frogs, birds and bats.

The recycling container has holes in the bottom meant to allow
liquid to drip through.

I forgot to list another threat carried by skeeters:
West Nile Virus. They've found some two towns south
of me. Jamestown Canyon virus has been found to the
immediate east.

https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/West-Nile-Virus-now-in-seven-Connecticut-towns-16346072.php

We can't blame Lyme disease on them. Ticks are the
culprit for those.

I pointed out to the landlord today where a kitchen window
needs a repaired or new screen. While the sleeping rooms
all have A/C, allowing us to keep the windows closed, the
common areas do not, and one must have the windows
open and a fan blowing when cooking. Making toast will
set off the smoke alarms! {slight exaggeration}
--
Kevin R
a.a #2310

On 7/28/2021 8:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>
> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
> to the supermarket for redemption. They have machines for the
> purpose. I should get a new used vehicle, first. I could take 1 bag
> at a time via bus. Maybe when it cools down, some.
>
We used to have some of those machines around here. The guy who owned
them (or whatever) pulled them all because he wasn't making any money
off them. (Or not enough money, same thing either way.) Now I have to
take them all to the local waste disposal authority's buy back site.
Which has been shut down for at least a year now because of COVID.
<typing>
Bleep! Its permanently closed now! Apparently the space was taken by
an upgrade to their sorting capabilities. The nearest facility now is a
ten mile drive each way! <censored>

--
Troll, troll, troll your post gently down the thread
Angrily, angrily, angrily, the net's a nut's scream.

Kevrob <kevrob@my-deja.com> schrieb:
> On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
>
> [snip]
>
>> >A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
>> >collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
>> >inside!
>> >
>> >I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
>> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>>
>> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
>> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
>> --
>
> [Vent]
>
> Pet Peeve Dept:
>
> People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
> water.

Sounds like a severe design flaw on the lids. What we have over
here looks like (didn't find one from Germany, this is England)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_container#/media/File:Bin.JPG
so water cannot accumulate on the top.

On Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 1:28:51 AM UTC-4, Thomas Koenig wrote:
> Kevrob <kev...@my-deja.com> schrieb:
> > On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
> >> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
> >
> > [snip]
> >
> >> >A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
> >> >collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
> >> >inside!
> >> >
> >> >I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
> >> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
> >>
> >> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
> >> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
> >> --
> >
> > [Vent]
> >
> > Pet Peeve Dept:
> >
> > People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
> > water.
> Sounds like a severe design flaw on the lids. What we have over
> here looks like (didn't find one from Germany, this is England)
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_container#/media/File:Bin.JPG
> so water cannot accumulate on the top.

Our side of the building has one like that, and another with a round,
fully removable lid. The round one looks more like this:

https://mobileimages.lowes.com/productimages/dca596bc-d10a-4506-a838-509d0a23a0f2/04700201.jpg?size=xl

If one replaces the lid, water won't accumulate. If you leave it on the
ground, top side up, it will.

--
Kevin R

On Wed, 28 Jul 2021 20:51:15 -0700 (PDT), Kevrob <kevrob@my-deja.com>
wrote:

>On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 9:00:03 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>> In article <409394e0-6b74-4a33...@googlegroups.com>,
>> Kevrob <kev...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>> >On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>> >> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
>> >
>> >[snip]
>> >
>> >> >A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
>> >> >collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
>> >> >inside!
>> >> >
>> >> >I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
>> >> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>> >>
>> >> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
>> >> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
>> >> --
>> >
>> >[Vent]
>> >
>> >Pet Peeve Dept:
>> >
>> >People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
>> >water. It encourages the growth of mosquitos!
>> *IF* there's been any rain. Sometimes we get lots; other times
>> (such as last winter, which is supposed to be the rainy season)
>> we don't get any.
>>
>> We keep our garbage and recycling in the kitchen until Monday
>> afternoon, not long before sunset, when Hal hauls both bags out
>> to the bins in the alley.
>>
>> But although aluminum cans *could* go into the recycling, we
>> never do. If we did, some of the locals would come by and dig
>> through all the recycling, taking the cans out and leaving the
>> rest of the recycling on the ground.
>>
>
>We too have enterprising individuals wandering the streets (or
>following a planned route) before the recycling truck comes,
>attempting to collect anything they can redeem. The city may
>have a problem with them. If it actually redeems bottles and cans
>itself, or sells them in bulk to a recycler, cherry-picking the recycling
>stream could be seen as petty larceny! I don't begrudge those folks
>the nickel. I do dislike any mess they may leave as they go.
>
>> So we store them in bags till we have enough to justify Hal's
>> making a trip to the recycling center, where he can get enough
>> money back just about to pay for the gas required to take them
>> there.
>
>I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>to the supermarket for redemption. They have machines for the
>purpose. I should get a new used vehicle, first. I could take 1 bag
>at a time via bus. Maybe when it cools down, some.
>
>> I'd prefer the
>> >bins be stood on end, with the lid set on what is normally the
>> >bottom, and the top of the lid facing the sky.
>> I can't quite visualize what you're proposing. Is the lid a
>> separate piece from the bin? (Ours have hinged lids.)
>>
>> Or do you, like Hal, take the stuff out just before it can be
>> picked up? And, unlike Hal, invert the bins as soon as they're
>> empty?
>> --
>
>One has a hinged lid. The other has a round, removable lid.
>The second kind should be treated the way I suggested.
>Just close the lid on the first.

You're lucky. Here we are required by town ordinance to use
"approved" barrels with attached lids. The only approved barrels are
the ones the town sells and the town rations them.

>We do get rain in New England, on the Long Island Sound
>coast, and the river valley where I live, 10 miles inland.
>Bugs are still going to breed in puddles that don't drain
>or evaporate quickly, and in the wetlands near the river.
>Those are less likely to make it up the hill to our little
>apt house and its lawn in any great number. Best case,
>they are dinner for fish, frogs, birds and bats.
>
>The recycling container has holes in the bottom meant to allow
>liquid to drip through.
>
>I forgot to list another threat carried by skeeters:
>West Nile Virus. They've found some two towns south
>of me. Jamestown Canyon virus has been found to the
>immediate east.
>
>https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/West-Nile-Virus-now-in-seven-Connecticut-towns-16346072.php
>
>We can't blame Lyme disease on them. Ticks are the
>culprit for those.
>
>I pointed out to the landlord today where a kitchen window
>needs a repaired or new screen. While the sleeping rooms
>all have A/C, allowing us to keep the windows closed, the
>common areas do not, and one must have the windows
>open and a fan blowing when cooking. Making toast will
>set off the smoke alarms! {slight exaggeration}

On Wed, 28 Jul 2021 21:40:02 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

>On 7/28/2021 8:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>>
>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>> to the supermarket for redemption. They have machines for the
>> purpose. I should get a new used vehicle, first. I could take 1 bag
>> at a time via bus. Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>
>We used to have some of those machines around here. The guy who owned
>them (or whatever) pulled them all because he wasn't making any money
>off them. (Or not enough money, same thing either way.) Now I have to
>take them all to the local waste disposal authority's buy back site.
>Which has been shut down for at least a year now because of COVID.
><typing>
>Bleep! Its permanently closed now! Apparently the space was taken by
>an upgrade to their sorting capabilities. The nearest facility now is a
>ten mile drive each way! <censored>

Every grocery store around here has machines that accept cans and
plastic bottles.

On Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:58:19 -0700 (PDT), William Hyde
<wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 12:28:03 PM UTC-4, Paul S Person wrote:
>> On Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:20:47 GMT, djh...@kithrup.com (Dorothy J
>> Heydt) wrote:
>>
>> >In article <sdrr8u$3c8$1...@dont-email.me>,
>> >Michael F. Stemper <michael...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>On 27/07/2021 13.08, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>> >>> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
>> >>> Paul S Person <pspe...@ix.netcom.invalid> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>>> A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
>> >>>> collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
>> >>>> inside!
>> >>>>
>> >>>> I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
>> >>>
>> >>> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>> >>>
>> >>> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
>> >>> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
>> >
>> >Update: it got to *93*.
>> >
>> >Weather page, which *was* predicting 80s through Friday, is now
>> >talking about mid-70s for the rest of the week.
>> >
>> >>They say that Wisconsin will cool down to that range tomorrow, but I'm
>> >>not holding my breath.
>> >
>> >Crossing fingers.
>> Some years back (10 years? 15 years? 20 years?), while the /rest/ of
>> the country was experiencing hot weather (not necessarily unseasonably
>> hot, but hot nonetheless) we were experience ... grey skies and temps
>> in the sixties.
>>
>> For about two weeks, the forcast for the current and following four
>> days was:
>>
>> 60s
>> 60s
>> 60s
>> 60s
>> 90s
>>
>> That is, if you put them together, you got:
>>
>> Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
>> Mon 60s
>> Tue 60s 60s
>> Wed 60s 60s 60s
>> Thu 60s 60s 60s 60s
>> Fri 90s 60s 60s 60s 60s
>> Sat 90s 60s 60s
>> Sun 90s 60s
>>
>> It was as if their forcasting software was actually capable of only
>> going out /four/ days, not five, so on the fifth day it just took it
>> for granted that we would be getting clear sunny skies and hot weather
>> too.
>
>That really depends on the time in question. I attended and gave some weather
>briefings in 90 and 91. At that point model output after 48 hours was dubious, in
>particular precipitation tended to trend up rapidly.
>
>A much more knowledgeable colleague told me that at five days, the only skill in the
>system was in the prediction of the 500 mb height field. In this case skill is measured
>as something that is better than persistence.
>
>Forecasts were not simply taken from the computer. They had to be tailored to local
>conditions and the cutoff had to be dealt with. Once in a while the computer result
>was clearly wrong, and old rules of thumb had to be employed.
>
>Beyond the range of a forecast the best result will be persistence, perhaps modified
>by the rules of thumb mentioned above. To use climatology, as you saw done, isn't
>far short of a capital offense.

Excuses, excuses.

If you /can/ do it, do it. If you /can't/ do it, don't do it. At least
not in public.

Keep in mind this was quite some time ago. And we were an exception to
pretty much everywhere else in the continental USA.

>Nowadays, at least in my area, seven day forecasts are quite good. In between I suppose
>there was a time when four days were considered to have positive skill, but I wasn't
>involved in weather briefing for long.

Yes, they do seem to be a bit better.

We do still occasioinally get some variance on just /when/ the rain
will come or the sun will come out, usually by one day one way or the
other. But nothing as blatantly stupid as the above.
>> Morons.
>
>Lazy morons at that.
>
>William Hyde
--
"I begin to envy Petronius."
"I have envied him long since."

On Wed, 28 Jul 2021 16:38:52 -0700 (PDT), Kevrob <kevrob@my-deja.com>
wrote:

>On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
>
>[snip]
>
>> >A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
>> >collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
>> >inside!
>> >
>> >I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
>> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>>
>> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
>> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
>> --
>
>[Vent]
>
>Pet Peeve Dept:
>
>People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
>water. It encourages the growth of mosquitos! I'd prefer the
>bins be stood on end, with the lid set on what is normally the
>bottom, and the top of the lid facing the sky. Water will run off
>from that set-up onto ground or pavement. It also discourages
>passing folks from dropping who-knows-what in your empty
>container, once the trash has been collected. The landlord
>sends someone out to move the bins the day before "trash
>day," and that fellow leaves the lids wherever. I'd just as soon
>handle that chore myself, but apparently some neighbors can't
>be trusted to remember that it is Tuesday, or just aren't around
>to roll the cans out.
>
>It's a little thing, but we need neither EEE* nor Zika added to COVID
>on our list of troubles.
>
>* https://www.cdc.gov/easternequineencephalitis/index.html
>
>[/Vent}

Sadly, while I am /required/ (under pain of being charged for an
"extra pickup") to have the top /firmly/ on the bin (so it is not
over-stuffed), the people who collect it appear to be free to do
pretty much what they like (in terms of how they leave the bin and its
lid).

And what they like /now/ is to put the lid, face-up, on the parking
strip and then the empty bin on top if it. They /used/ to leave the
lid standing up inside the bin.
--
"I begin to envy Petronius."
"I have envied him long since."

On Thu, 29 Jul 2021 01:33:45 -0700 (PDT), Kevrob <kevrob@my-deja.com>
wrote:

>On Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 1:28:51 AM UTC-4, Thomas Koenig wrote:
>> Kevrob <kev...@my-deja.com> schrieb:
>> > On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>> >> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
>> >
>> > [snip]
>> >
>> >> >A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
>> >> >collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
>> >> >inside!
>> >> >
>> >> >I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
>> >> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>> >>
>> >> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
>> >> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
>> >> --
>> >
>> > [Vent]
>> >
>> > Pet Peeve Dept:
>> >
>> > People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
>> > water.
>> Sounds like a severe design flaw on the lids. What we have over
>> here looks like (didn't find one from Germany, this is England)
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_container#/media/File:Bin.JPG
>> so water cannot accumulate on the top.

Our recycling and yard waste carts look like that. The lids are solid,
but the idea is the same.

>Our side of the building has one like that, and another with a round,
>fully removable lid. The round one looks more like this:
>
>https://mobileimages.lowes.com/productimages/dca596bc-d10a-4506-a838-509d0a23a0f2/04700201.jpg?size=xl
>
>If one replaces the lid, water won't accumulate. If you leave it on the
>ground, top side up, it will.

The garbage bin is small and rectangular. I haven't been able to find
a picture; it is possible that the City no longer provides them but
lets those in use continue being used.

The larger sizes are round and taller and (depending on size) thinner
than the one shown, but certainly the same idea.
--
"I begin to envy Petronius."
"I have envied him long since."

On 7/28/2021 10:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
> On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 9:00:03 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>> In article <409394e0-6b74-4a33...@googlegroups.com>,
>> Kevrob <kev...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>>>> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
>>>
>>> [snip]
>>>
>>>>> A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
>>>>> collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
>>>>> inside!
>>>>>
>>>>> I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
>>>> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>>>>
>>>> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
>>>> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
>>>> --
>>>
>>> [Vent]
>>>
>>> Pet Peeve Dept:
>>>
>>> People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
>>> water. It encourages the growth of mosquitos!
>> *IF* there's been any rain. Sometimes we get lots; other times
>> (such as last winter, which is supposed to be the rainy season)
>> we don't get any.
>>
>> We keep our garbage and recycling in the kitchen until Monday
>> afternoon, not long before sunset, when Hal hauls both bags out
>> to the bins in the alley.
>>
>> But although aluminum cans *could* go into the recycling, we
>> never do. If we did, some of the locals would come by and dig
>> through all the recycling, taking the cans out and leaving the
>> rest of the recycling on the ground.
>>
>
> We too have enterprising individuals wandering the streets (or
> following a planned route) before the recycling truck comes,
> attempting to collect anything they can redeem. The city may
> have a problem with them. If it actually redeems bottles and cans
> itself, or sells them in bulk to a recycler, cherry-picking the recycling
> stream could be seen as petty larceny! I don't begrudge those folks
> the nickel. I do dislike any mess they may leave as they go.
>
>> So we store them in bags till we have enough to justify Hal's
>> making a trip to the recycling center, where he can get enough
>> money back just about to pay for the gas required to take them
>> there.
>
> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
> to the supermarket for redemption. They have machines for the
> purpose. I should get a new used vehicle, first. I could take 1 bag
> at a time via bus. Maybe when it cools down, some.
>
>> I'd prefer the
>>> bins be stood on end, with the lid set on what is normally the
>>> bottom, and the top of the lid facing the sky.
>> I can't quite visualize what you're proposing. Is the lid a
>> separate piece from the bin? (Ours have hinged lids.)
>>
>> Or do you, like Hal, take the stuff out just before it can be
>> picked up? And, unlike Hal, invert the bins as soon as they're
>> empty?
>> --
>
> One has a hinged lid. The other has a round, removable lid.
> The second kind should be treated the way I suggested.
> Just close the lid on the first.
>
> We do get rain in New England, on the Long Island Sound
> coast, and the river valley where I live, 10 miles inland.
> Bugs are still going to breed in puddles that don't drain
> or evaporate quickly, and in the wetlands near the river.
> Those are less likely to make it up the hill to our little
> apt house and its lawn in any great number. Best case,
> they are dinner for fish, frogs, birds and bats.
>
> The recycling container has holes in the bottom meant to allow
> liquid to drip through.
>
> I forgot to list another threat carried by skeeters:
> West Nile Virus. They've found some two towns south
> of me. Jamestown Canyon virus has been found to the
> immediate east.
>
> https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/West-Nile-Virus-now-in-seven-Connecticut-towns-16346072.php
>
> We can't blame Lyme disease on them. Ticks are the
> culprit for those.
>
> I pointed out to the landlord today where a kitchen window
> needs a repaired or new screen. While the sleeping rooms
> all have A/C, allowing us to keep the windows closed, the
> common areas do not, and one must have the windows
> open and a fan blowing when cooking. Making toast will
> set off the smoke alarms! {slight exaggeration}

We have raccoons. If they fancy your trash or recycle, the mess can be
quite amazing. I once saw them distribute turkey remains over 200 ft2.
Was not near as much fun to pick up either. I make sure that we bag
everything to cut the smell down. My mother puts bungee cords on her
trash can lids.

Lynn

On Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 3:42:18 PM UTC-4, Lynn McGuire wrote:

[snip]

> We have raccoons. If they fancy your trash or recycle, the mess can be
> quite amazing. I once saw them distribute turkey remains over 200 ft2.
> Was not near as much fun to pick up either. I make sure that we bag
> everything to cut the smell down. My mother puts bungee cords on her
> trash can lids.
>

We have the "trash pandas" around here, along with opossum,
skunk, and on a quiet night you can hear the weird cry of the
fisher.* `Coons are the ones who get into trash. We are required
to bag our trash by the city, or their trash contractor. Pickup
goes a lot faster when garbage is bagged. Cans that lock in
order to thwart raccoons or humans trying to slip their garbage
into your bin are a thing. {Lazy dogwalkers are the worst!}

I once did scheduling for a company that arranged for delivery,
removal and cleaning of receptacles, from wheelies to dumpsters.
[skips]. We also arranged to put locks on those, and while sometimes
it was to prevent animals getting in, more often it was to thwart
dumpster diving for food, unshredded business records or anything
else of perceived value that gets tossed. Some containers would
get "contaminated" by some jerk tossing a bag of kitchen trash into
a dumpster dedicated to construction materials, frex. It costs
businesses to get a dumpster power-washed.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_(animal)

--
Kevin R

In article <sdv0al$se6$1@dont-email.me>,
Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 7/28/2021 10:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>> On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 9:00:03 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>>> In article <409394e0-6b74-4a33...@googlegroups.com>,
>>> Kevrob <kev...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>>>> On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>>>>> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
>>>>
>>>> [snip]
>>>>
>>>>>> A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
>>>>>> collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
>>>>>> inside!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
>>>>> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>>>>>
>>>>> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
>>>>> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
>>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> [Vent]
>>>>
>>>> Pet Peeve Dept:
>>>>
>>>> People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
>>>> water. It encourages the growth of mosquitos!
>>> *IF* there's been any rain. Sometimes we get lots; other times
>>> (such as last winter, which is supposed to be the rainy season)
>>> we don't get any.
>>>
>>> We keep our garbage and recycling in the kitchen until Monday
>>> afternoon, not long before sunset, when Hal hauls both bags out
>>> to the bins in the alley.
>>>
>>> But although aluminum cans *could* go into the recycling, we
>>> never do. If we did, some of the locals would come by and dig
>>> through all the recycling, taking the cans out and leaving the
>>> rest of the recycling on the ground.
>>>
>>
>> We too have enterprising individuals wandering the streets (or
>> following a planned route) before the recycling truck comes,
>> attempting to collect anything they can redeem. The city may
>> have a problem with them. If it actually redeems bottles and cans
>> itself, or sells them in bulk to a recycler, cherry-picking the recycling
>> stream could be seen as petty larceny! I don't begrudge those folks
>> the nickel. I do dislike any mess they may leave as they go.
>>
>>> So we store them in bags till we have enough to justify Hal's
>>> making a trip to the recycling center, where he can get enough
>>> money back just about to pay for the gas required to take them
>>> there.
>>
>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>> to the supermarket for redemption. They have machines for the
>> purpose. I should get a new used vehicle, first. I could take 1 bag
>> at a time via bus. Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>
>>> I'd prefer the
>>>> bins be stood on end, with the lid set on what is normally the
>>>> bottom, and the top of the lid facing the sky.
>>> I can't quite visualize what you're proposing. Is the lid a
>>> separate piece from the bin? (Ours have hinged lids.)
>>>
>>> Or do you, like Hal, take the stuff out just before it can be
>>> picked up? And, unlike Hal, invert the bins as soon as they're
>>> empty?
>>> --
>>
>> One has a hinged lid. The other has a round, removable lid.
>> The second kind should be treated the way I suggested.
>> Just close the lid on the first.
>>
>> We do get rain in New England, on the Long Island Sound
>> coast, and the river valley where I live, 10 miles inland.
>> Bugs are still going to breed in puddles that don't drain
>> or evaporate quickly, and in the wetlands near the river.
>> Those are less likely to make it up the hill to our little
>> apt house and its lawn in any great number. Best case,
>> they are dinner for fish, frogs, birds and bats.
>>
>> The recycling container has holes in the bottom meant to allow
>> liquid to drip through.
>>
>> I forgot to list another threat carried by skeeters:
>> West Nile Virus. They've found some two towns south
>> of me. Jamestown Canyon virus has been found to the
>> immediate east.
>>
>>
>https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/West-Nile-Virus-now-in-seven-Connecticut-towns-16346072.php
>>
>> We can't blame Lyme disease on them. Ticks are the
>> culprit for those.
>>
>> I pointed out to the landlord today where a kitchen window
>> needs a repaired or new screen. While the sleeping rooms
>> all have A/C, allowing us to keep the windows closed, the
>> common areas do not, and one must have the windows
>> open and a fan blowing when cooking. Making toast will
>> set off the smoke alarms! {slight exaggeration}
>
>We have raccoons. If they fancy your trash or recycle, the mess can be
>quite amazing. I once saw them distribute turkey remains over 200 ft2.
> Was not near as much fun to pick up either. I make sure that we bag
>everything to cut the smell down. My mother puts bungee cords on her
>trash can lids.
>
Our trash and our recycling go into (separate) Large Trash Bags,
whose plastic string ties are tied firmly shut before they're
taken out. I've never seen it scattered around, so I must assume
they don't get a chance to lure in the raccoons before they're
picked up. (Mental image of a Warner-Brothers-influenced raccoon
floating nose-first along a wave of Eau de Poulet)

And we do have raccoons in the neighborhood; they used to live in
our attic before the landlord (for whom the word "absentee" is
inadequate) finally broke down and got the roof fixed.

I remember, standing in the upstairs kitchen one day and hearing
this sweet chirping sound. Looked out the window and saw a
mother raccoon coaxing her half-grown offspring to climb up the
tree and get into the roof. (Chorus of "Awwwwww.")

The trees in the alley all died of the drought, and Hal got an
electric trimmer and cut them all down last year, because the
city was getting determined about it.

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

On 28/07/2021 23.40, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
> On 7/28/2021 8:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>>
>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>> to the supermarket for redemption.  They have machines for the
>> purpose.  I  should get a new used vehicle, first.  I could take 1 bag
>> at a time via bus.  Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>
> We used to have some of those machines around here.  The guy who owned
> them (or whatever) pulled them all because he wasn't making any money
> off them.  (Or not enough money, same thing either way.)  Now I have to
> take them all to the local waste disposal authority's buy back site.
> Which has been shut down for at least a year now because of COVID.
> <typing>
> Bleep!  Its permanently closed now!  Apparently the space was taken by
> an upgrade to their sorting capabilities.  The nearest facility now is a
> ten mile drive each way!  <censored>

Wow. You don't have curbside recycling pickup right along with your
trash pickup? Every trash company that I've had since the mid-1990s
did both. My current one even has single-stream recycling, so that
I no longer need to sort into paper, aluminum, glass, ...

--
Michael F. Stemper
Nostalgia just ain't what it used to be.

On 7/30/2021 6:20 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
> On 28/07/2021 23.40, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
>> On 7/28/2021 8:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>>>
>>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>>> to the supermarket for redemption.  They have machines for the
>>> purpose.  I  should get a new used vehicle, first.  I could take 1 bag
>>> at a time via bus.  Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>>
>> We used to have some of those machines around here.  The guy who owned
>> them (or whatever) pulled them all because he wasn't making any money
>> off them.  (Or not enough money, same thing either way.)  Now I have
>> to take them all to the local waste disposal authority's buy back
>> site. Which has been shut down for at least a year now because of COVID.
>> <typing>
>> Bleep!  Its permanently closed now!  Apparently the space was taken by
>> an upgrade to their sorting capabilities.  The nearest facility now is
>> a ten mile drive each way!  <censored>
>
> Wow. You don't have curbside recycling pickup right along with your
> trash pickup? Every trash company that I've had since the mid-1990s
> did both. My current one even has single-stream recycling, so that
> I no longer need to sort into paper, aluminum, glass, ...
>
Oh, there's curbside pickup of recyclables. But there's almost no
Redemption Value buy back sites to get back that $0.05 or $0.10 a bottle
we have to pay for a drink container and the like. The whole point of
which was to give people an incentive to recycle.

And the local waste authority has been moving AWAY from single stream
for years. We have "Trash" (Landfill), paper, food-grade plastic &
metal (that "food-grade" is very strict) and compost. And woe the
address that doesn't separate correctly in to the different bins!

--
Troll, troll, troll your post gently down the thread
Angrily, angrily, angrily, the net's a nut's scream.

"Michael F. Stemper" <michael.stemper@gmail.com> writes:
>On 28/07/2021 23.40, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
>> On 7/28/2021 8:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>>>
>>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>>> to the supermarket for redemption.  They have machines for the
>>> purpose.  I  should get a new used vehicle, first.  I could take 1 bag
>>> at a time via bus.  Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>>
>> We used to have some of those machines around here.  The guy who owned
>> them (or whatever) pulled them all because he wasn't making any money
>> off them.  (Or not enough money, same thing either way.)  Now I have to
>> take them all to the local waste disposal authority's buy back site.
>> Which has been shut down for at least a year now because of COVID.
>> <typing>
>> Bleep!  Its permanently closed now!  Apparently the space was taken by
>> an upgrade to their sorting capabilities.  The nearest facility now is a
>> ten mile drive each way!  <censored>
>
>Wow. You don't have curbside recycling pickup right along with your
>trash pickup?

Sure, but they don't pay you for your bottles and cans like
the redememtion centers (or recycling operations for Al cans)

Remember the days of reusable pop bottles, when every grocery
store was equipped to take returns and return the deposit?

On Fri, 30 Jul 2021 14:07:10 GMT, scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal)
wrote:

>"Michael F. Stemper" <michael.stemper@gmail.com> writes:
>>On 28/07/2021 23.40, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
>>> On 7/28/2021 8:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>>>> to the supermarket for redemption.  They have machines for the
>>>> purpose.  I  should get a new used vehicle, first.  I could take 1 bag
>>>> at a time via bus.  Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>>>
>>> We used to have some of those machines around here.  The guy who owned
>>> them (or whatever) pulled them all because he wasn't making any money
>>> off them.  (Or not enough money, same thing either way.)  Now I have to
>>> take them all to the local waste disposal authority's buy back site.
>>> Which has been shut down for at least a year now because of COVID.
>>> <typing>
>>> Bleep!  Its permanently closed now!  Apparently the space was taken by
>>> an upgrade to their sorting capabilities.  The nearest facility now is a
>>> ten mile drive each way!  <censored>
>>
>>Wow. You don't have curbside recycling pickup right along with your
>>trash pickup?
>
>Sure, but they don't pay you for your bottles and cans like
>the redememtion centers (or recycling operations for Al cans)
>
>Remember the days of reusable pop bottles, when every grocery
>store was equipped to take returns and return the deposit?

I remember that being a big deal in Oregon, for some reason.

I remember collecting (and washing) "empties" from a
several-block-radius of houses. These were alcoholic, mostly beer.

Maybe it's time to end the "deposit", and simply require the
recycling.

Or, rather, /past/ time.
--
"I begin to envy Petronius."
"I have envied him long since."

On Fri, 30 Jul 2021 08:20:38 -0500, "Michael F. Stemper"
<michael.stemper@gmail.com> wrote:

>On 28/07/2021 23.40, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
>> On 7/28/2021 8:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>>>
>>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>>> to the supermarket for redemption.  They have machines for the
>>> purpose.  I  should get a new used vehicle, first.  I could take 1 bag
>>> at a time via bus.  Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>>
>> We used to have some of those machines around here.  The guy who owned
>> them (or whatever) pulled them all because he wasn't making any money
>> off them.  (Or not enough money, same thing either way.)  Now I have to
>> take them all to the local waste disposal authority's buy back site.
>> Which has been shut down for at least a year now because of COVID.
>> <typing>
>> Bleep!  Its permanently closed now!  Apparently the space was taken by
>> an upgrade to their sorting capabilities.  The nearest facility now is a
>> ten mile drive each way!  <censored>
>
>Wow. You don't have curbside recycling pickup right along with your
>trash pickup? Every trash company that I've had since the mid-1990s
>did both. My current one even has single-stream recycling, so that
>I no longer need to sort into paper, aluminum, glass, ...

We have single-stream recycling which means that we have to sort into
"pizza boxes that got oil on them vs pizza boxes that did not get oil
on them", and "foam that is not Styrofoam vs foam that is Styrofoam",
and "plastic film that is a bag vs plastic film that is not a bag" and
so on.

We also have to save up light bulbs and the like for the
4-hours-a-year "hazardous waste dropoff".

On Thu, 29 Jul 2021 14:42:10 -0500, Lynn McGuire
<lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

>On 7/28/2021 10:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>> On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 9:00:03 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>>> In article <409394e0-6b74-4a33...@googlegroups.com>,
>>> Kevrob <kev...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>>>> On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:20:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:
>>>>> In article <0tc0ggt368l4lknol...@4ax.com>,
>>>>
>>>> [snip]
>>>>
>>>>>> A week ago, when I went out to take my garbage bin (which the
>>>>>> collectors leave sitting, uncovered, on the lid) I saw ... water ...
>>>>>> inside!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I wouldn't say it rained, but "sprinkled" might not be unreasonable.
>>>>> Some is better than none, and it's also better than way too much.
>>>>>
>>>>> Weather page is still saying Vallejo's going to have a high of 83
>>>>> today. At 11 AM, it's just reached 70.
>>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> [Vent]
>>>>
>>>> Pet Peeve Dept:
>>>>
>>>> People who let garbage cans/bins or their lids collect standing
>>>> water. It encourages the growth of mosquitos!
>>> *IF* there's been any rain. Sometimes we get lots; other times
>>> (such as last winter, which is supposed to be the rainy season)
>>> we don't get any.
>>>
>>> We keep our garbage and recycling in the kitchen until Monday
>>> afternoon, not long before sunset, when Hal hauls both bags out
>>> to the bins in the alley.
>>>
>>> But although aluminum cans *could* go into the recycling, we
>>> never do. If we did, some of the locals would come by and dig
>>> through all the recycling, taking the cans out and leaving the
>>> rest of the recycling on the ground.
>>>
>>
>> We too have enterprising individuals wandering the streets (or
>> following a planned route) before the recycling truck comes,
>> attempting to collect anything they can redeem. The city may
>> have a problem with them. If it actually redeems bottles and cans
>> itself, or sells them in bulk to a recycler, cherry-picking the recycling
>> stream could be seen as petty larceny! I don't begrudge those folks
>> the nickel. I do dislike any mess they may leave as they go.
>>
>>> So we store them in bags till we have enough to justify Hal's
>>> making a trip to the recycling center, where he can get enough
>>> money back just about to pay for the gas required to take them
>>> there.
>>
>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>> to the supermarket for redemption. They have machines for the
>> purpose. I should get a new used vehicle, first. I could take 1 bag
>> at a time via bus. Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>
>>> I'd prefer the
>>>> bins be stood on end, with the lid set on what is normally the
>>>> bottom, and the top of the lid facing the sky.
>>> I can't quite visualize what you're proposing. Is the lid a
>>> separate piece from the bin? (Ours have hinged lids.)
>>>
>>> Or do you, like Hal, take the stuff out just before it can be
>>> picked up? And, unlike Hal, invert the bins as soon as they're
>>> empty?
>>> --
>>
>> One has a hinged lid. The other has a round, removable lid.
>> The second kind should be treated the way I suggested.
>> Just close the lid on the first.
>>
>> We do get rain in New England, on the Long Island Sound
>> coast, and the river valley where I live, 10 miles inland.
>> Bugs are still going to breed in puddles that don't drain
>> or evaporate quickly, and in the wetlands near the river.
>> Those are less likely to make it up the hill to our little
>> apt house and its lawn in any great number. Best case,
>> they are dinner for fish, frogs, birds and bats.
>>
>> The recycling container has holes in the bottom meant to allow
>> liquid to drip through.
>>
>> I forgot to list another threat carried by skeeters:
>> West Nile Virus. They've found some two towns south
>> of me. Jamestown Canyon virus has been found to the
>> immediate east.
>>
>> https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/West-Nile-Virus-now-in-seven-Connecticut-towns-16346072.php
>>
>> We can't blame Lyme disease on them. Ticks are the
>> culprit for those.
>>
>> I pointed out to the landlord today where a kitchen window
>> needs a repaired or new screen. While the sleeping rooms
>> all have A/C, allowing us to keep the windows closed, the
>> common areas do not, and one must have the windows
>> open and a fan blowing when cooking. Making toast will
>> set off the smoke alarms! {slight exaggeration}
>
>We have raccoons. If they fancy your trash or recycle, the mess can be
>quite amazing. I once saw them distribute turkey remains over 200 ft2.
> Was not near as much fun to pick up either. I make sure that we bag
>everything to cut the smell down. My mother puts bungee cords on her
>trash can lids.

Ah ... urban wildlife!

Some of them, before I began pulling the 'shrooms out regularly, would
eat the mushrooms that pop up in the fall and then leave little ...
gifts ... on the lawn.

We have possums as well as raccoons. Also beavers, but those are
mostly in the parks near water. And, if IIRC what has been reported on
Nextdoor, coyotes. Not to mention the raptors.

Over in Spokane, they occasionally have cougars (aka mountain lions,
etc). Of course, they also have Cougars, local college football
players. Sometimes it's hard to tell which of them a given story is
about.
--
"I begin to envy Petronius."
"I have envied him long since."

On Fri, 30 Jul 2021 06:31:46 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

>On 7/30/2021 6:20 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>> On 28/07/2021 23.40, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
>>> On 7/28/2021 8:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>>>> to the supermarket for redemption.  They have machines for the
>>>> purpose.  I  should get a new used vehicle, first.  I could take 1 bag
>>>> at a time via bus.  Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>>>
>>> We used to have some of those machines around here.  The guy who owned
>>> them (or whatever) pulled them all because he wasn't making any money
>>> off them.  (Or not enough money, same thing either way.)  Now I have
>>> to take them all to the local waste disposal authority's buy back
>>> site. Which has been shut down for at least a year now because of COVID.
>>> <typing>
>>> Bleep!  Its permanently closed now!  Apparently the space was taken by
>>> an upgrade to their sorting capabilities.  The nearest facility now is
>>> a ten mile drive each way!  <censored>
>>
>> Wow. You don't have curbside recycling pickup right along with your
>> trash pickup? Every trash company that I've had since the mid-1990s
>> did both. My current one even has single-stream recycling, so that
>> I no longer need to sort into paper, aluminum, glass, ...
>>
>Oh, there's curbside pickup of recyclables. But there's almost no
>Redemption Value buy back sites to get back that $0.05 or $0.10 a bottle
>we have to pay for a drink container and the like. The whole point of
>which was to give people an incentive to recycle.
>
>And the local waste authority has been moving AWAY from single stream
>for years. We have "Trash" (Landfill), paper, food-grade plastic &
>metal (that "food-grade" is very strict) and compost. And woe the
>address that doesn't separate correctly in to the different bins!

If our Congress was any good they would have the Bureau of Standards
come up with a standard recycling stream that includes oily pizza
boxes, Styrofoam, plastic bags, and soda straws and start fining
recycling companies that can't deal with it.

In article <9f68gg99adpeiipq16jsdafjvu9jr5br0s@4ax.com>,
J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Fri, 30 Jul 2021 08:20:38 -0500, "Michael F. Stemper"
><michael.stemper@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On 28/07/2021 23.40, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
>>> On 7/28/2021 8:51 PM, Kevrob wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I have a large bag of bottles and another of cans that I need to take
>>>> to the supermarket for redemption.  They have machines for the
>>>> purpose.  I  should get a new used vehicle, first.  I could take 1 bag
>>>> at a time via bus.  Maybe when it cools down, some.
>>>>
>>> We used to have some of those machines around here.  The guy who owned
>>> them (or whatever) pulled them all because he wasn't making any money
>>> off them.  (Or not enough money, same thing either way.)  Now I have to
>>> take them all to the local waste disposal authority's buy back site.
>>> Which has been shut down for at least a year now because of COVID.
>>> <typing>
>>> Bleep!  Its permanently closed now!  Apparently the space was taken by
>>> an upgrade to their sorting capabilities.  The nearest facility now is a
>>> ten mile drive each way!  <censored>
>>
>>Wow. You don't have curbside recycling pickup right along with your
>>trash pickup? Every trash company that I've had since the mid-1990s
>>did both. My current one even has single-stream recycling, so that
>>I no longer need to sort into paper, aluminum, glass, ...
>
>We have single-stream recycling which means that we have to sort into
>"pizza boxes that got oil on them vs pizza boxes that did not get oil
>on them", and "foam that is not Styrofoam vs foam that is Styrofoam",
>and "plastic film that is a bag vs plastic film that is not a bag" and
>so on.
>
>We also have to save up light bulbs and the like for the
>4-hours-a-year "hazardous waste dropoff".

We have a corner of a bookcase where dead light bulbs, batteries,
and assorted electronics are stowed till Hal finds time to make a
dump run. Then he loads up the truck (I used to help, can't now)
and puts cardboard in the cardboard bin, electronics in the
electronics bin, and light bulbs, batteries, outdated
medications, and other poassibly hazardous stuff to the separate
hazmat dump, where they will take everything that's left in the
truck bed.

Ordinary garbage (including used kitty litter) and recycling
(paper, steel, cardboard that folds down small enough to go into
the bin) gets picked up on Tuesday morning.

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/

In article <sb68ggloqpt66kdpol3p4rjgh0ida3o33c@4ax.com>,
Paul S Person <psperson1@ix.netcom.invalid> wrote:
>
>We have possums as well as raccoons. Also beavers, but those are
>mostly in the parks near water. And, if IIRC what has been reported on
>Nextdoor, coyotes. Not to mention the raptors.

Well, we do have raptors around here, but mostly they soar high
over the freeways, waiting for roadkill.

But I did meet one on the street once. Somebody had run over a
squirrel (what the squirrel was doing on the street rather than
the overhead wires, I'll never know), and a vulture had landed on
the street to eat it. This is a residential street on the top of
a hill, and doesn't get much traffic, so mostly the bird was able
to eat in peace; the occasional passing car would carefully avoid
it (it was about the size of a turkey). Finally it decided in its
tiny bird brain that the street was not quite *that* safe for
dining, and picked up the roadkill and flew it to somebody's
front lawn.

>Over in Spokane, they occasionally have cougars (aka mountain lions,
>etc). Of course, they also have Cougars, local college football
>players. Sometimes it's hard to tell which of them a given story is
>about.

Heh. We have mountain lions up in the East Bay hills, but I
never met one. I have to make do with the occasional picture on
Lolcats, showing a housecat indoors looking out through a glass
door at a mountain lion looking in.

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/
>--
>"I begin to envy Petronius."
>"I have envied him long since."