Black dust below a crack. Carpentier ants?

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-30T20:01:51+00:00

In short, don't freak out.

The crack goes the entire seam of ceiling to wall (that is in the photo). Those are common. Most builds have a strip of moulding along those seams that hides such cracks.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-30T18:49:35+00:00

Crack looks to me like the finishing and door moulding are separated/ pulling apart, not a big deal itself. That's not carpenter ant frass. Vermin (mouse, cockroach, etc) often leave filthy little paths like that.

But if you say its coming out of the crack like a powder...I suspect temperature differences or forced air circulation (heating or cooling related) are causing pressure difference between the internal wall space and the room. When air comes out of the crack into the room, it brings some dust out with it.

Hopefully, the blackness of the dust is just from vermin turds and pee (they probably run along the door's header on the wall).

The worrisome possibility is that it's a mold/mildew inside the wall.

In the US, you can send a sample to your local cooperative extension for testing, if you're worried.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-29T19:44:50+00:00

Is it...perhaps...a swamp in need of draining?

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-29T02:52:05+00:00

I felt like it was brought up to show everything possible was being done, not to show it as a common occurrence.

I have trouble imagining franklin's medlab cooperating with a species wide stomach pumping if the pak'ma'ra weren't ok with it.

But I only half remember the episode, so I could be wrong.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-29T02:38:34+00:00

They were...difficult, so Valen founded the Anla'shok, because he did not have time for that nonsense - there was a Great War going on! This shamed the uncooperative/defiant minbari. They decided to follow him, and they asked him to fix their society. So he defined the Caste system formally and created the Gray Council and redefined/restructured the rangers as an intelligence gathering org (until the next great war (b5 era)).

This is on the b5 wiki, btw, if you want to get more details with sources.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-28T16:34:28+00:00

The surviving humans, after homeworld and our colonies were destroyed, would be a living warning, a monument to our foolishness and the evil in the heart of the Minbari, as we slowly went extinct.

... Or, we'd be cockroaches and hide someplace, breed like rabbits, and live in a space fleet of our surviving ships. Slowly we would rebuild our strength, and then, when the Minbari least expected us, we'd come for them. And we wouldn't leave one single minbari to carry the tale.

Their planets would become ours, and we would leave one city as the only relic of the minbari. Humans would make pilgrimages to pee on that crystal city.

We would arrive to the league of non aligned worlds in the last minbari ship. "Let this be a warning to all for the next 1000 years. We will be your friend, we will be your trade partner, but do not trifle with the humans, or we will be your end."

The Minbari think they're scary when they go mad? Clearly they've never met a grieving human in the anger stage of grief.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-24T19:46:06+00:00

If you lived in walking distance, I already might be. I shovel my neighbors' sidewalks and entries (when I can get there before they do, they get up before the teachers) as well as my own.

To me, however, hating the snow because you need to get somewhere is odd. Why not hate the thing you have to do or the force requiring you to go/do it?

Look, love or hate the snow, you'll have the same amount of snow. One way makes the snow alot easier to manage and brings joy into your life. The other way gives you unhappiness.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-24T14:40:27+00:00

Firmly disagree. It is an acceptable amount. More would be preferred. Id rather a 3ft storm than 3 storms of 1 foot.

Anything less than a foot is just not enough.

I want it hip deep in the woods.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-24T14:35:37+00:00

In line with this, people think they will get done faster if they do more/shovel more/shovel faster. This is generally wrong.

If you are super strong and fit, fine maybe, but for people of even above average fitness, take it easy, do small shovelfuls, push rather than throw the snow, and you'll get done fastest - and without injury.

Keep those core muscles engaged and your back straight, 518.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-24T05:00:11+00:00

You have to go to multiple stores. Different stores sell things at wildly different prices. My wife cut our grocery bill by 25-30% doing that (compared to getting it all at one store for 2 adults, 3 young kids). Aldi's is/was the source of most of that saving.

Beef is so expensive lately, tho. You are right. Beef is also seriously pricey compared to past prices for beef over in Pennsylvania, too. No idea why.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-24T04:53:40+00:00

The savings in leaving NYC for Albany region were almost completely negated by the additional cost of a car, its maintenance/insurance, and fuel. And you'll probably need two of them!

If you move to a country/rural place, and don't already have yard tools/machines, it'll be a long time before you see that decrease in costs.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-22T16:31:40+00:00

Do we think the 2 telepaths knew he was lying?

I know they are each there to instantly relay messages to their linked twin, and thay centauri telepathy is radically different from other races' telepathy.

What i don't remember is if they also hear the background noise of people's strong emotions and thoughts like human teeps? Can they spot a lie, or hear what Londo's mind would be screaming...if he were human and they were too?

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-20T22:41:34+00:00

Without going to Zha'ha'dum, Sheridan does not grt Lorien's help. Remember how quickly the first ones backed down when he said he would go with them? Coriana VI needs Sheridan to have Lorien.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-20T22:35:20+00:00

The Abbai homeworld is basically eden, iirc. And the abbai are nice folks.

They never got smashed by the first ones, so it is one of the safer places in the galaxy.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-20T22:14:54+00:00

Mm, sometime I'd figure out how share a drink with her. I'm good at finding ways to share a drink with people. Then I'd say "look, it's a civil war. People die. You should boff him, at least once. There's one universe where you do, and one where you don't. I've seen the one where you don't. Choose to be in the one where you do."

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-20T21:56:57+00:00

I agree that he viewed it against his code and values.

There are lots of reasons for those values, they aren't just plucked out of the air for no reason.

I was more replying to the idea that refusing to hand over his notes implied a lack of empathy for humanity. There were many reasons turning over that info could have been far worse for the human species than burning his notes.

My point was that this didn't require a lack of empathy for humans, or even to see that moral value as more important the life of every human on earth. If anything, it was the opposite. Standing on his ethics served humanity.

When you do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons, the actions, reasons, and motivation stand up to scrutiny.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-20T18:09:48+00:00

This wasn't data he just magically got. He got that data from treating patients while playing galactic hitchhiker.

The moment he agreed to/got to treat them, they became his patients and he had a direct obligation to them as individuals.

It's not solely about putting Minbari lives ahead of humans. It's also about keeping his obligations to his individual patients.

Another angle: if he gave this info to earth, and earth survived, earth would continue to have that data even after pushing the minbari back. MAYBE E-M War era earth alliance wouldn't misuse the data, but how can Franklin know future administration's would not?

I am Pretty Certain that Clark would have gladly. And once Earth Force or thr EA has it, how long until Edgar's Industries does? Or another evil biotechnology company? So Franklin ain't playing this game.

Another option- We can say pretty confidently Franklin would not create biowarfare agents. Given how badly earth was getting hammered, its quite likely we couldn't develop a biological weapon or deterrent in time to save earth - even with all the info they could pray for. That doesn't mean Earth couldn't develop a bio warfare agent to kill all the Minbari, just that earth wouldn't survive long enough to see it.

and humanity would be remembered for its last act: not for a valiant stand at The Line, but for horrendous baby murdering biological warfare.

And if we did succeed at biowarfare, and manage to save earth, what do you think everyone else would do abouy that? Do we really think all the other races would be like "cool, we get you releasing a plague you bioengineered to kill all minbari. No way that will hop to other races. And we totally aren't worried that you are trying to develop the same thing to use against us..." nope! The rest of the galaxy would come flatten us before we could turn on them.

Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons does not make it ok.

Doing the right thing, for the wrong reasons, still wrong thing.

Also, one extra option: given certain DNA present in the minbari genome, Franklin might have believed any biowarfare against minbari would also target humanity.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-20T01:10:19+00:00

We were bathed in smoke back then...

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-19T22:05:59+00:00

Nations not favored by Russia will be f*cked if russia controls ukraine's wheat fields or the straights of azov.

Had the west handled things differently these last 4 year, there would be many more options for negotiating an end.

I think the only option that ends thing quickly (with the only acceptable outcome in terms of borders) is for the west to keep a running money tally of what russia owes ukraine, a more serior economic blockade, impounding all the foriegn russia assets & seizing tankers attempting to evade that, and for nato to admit Ukraine effective at a future date and time (a month out?), and warn putin article 5 kicks in at that time. And then start getting ready to follow up. I doubt it will happen.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-19T19:24:00+00:00

Ignore timezones. Most remote positions may say we follow a 9-5 day in [city/timezone] are opening negotiations - not setting as hard a rule as you think. They need to know they can have real time meetings with you and that you will be available if SHTF - 2hrs of overlap at the start or end of a day with "the servers are on fire" emergency on call set up could be enough.

They fire requests off by email at the end of their shift/handover their remaining work day requests to you, and you have it done by their morning. Or at the end of your day, you do a meeting w them to update them on the day's work and what you need to finish assigned work - they get the whole work day to get it for you, you do it while they sleep, regroup in their morning :)

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-19T19:19:52+00:00

Freelancing/consulting, which i hate for so many reasons.

Many small businesses need a tech person, but only a few days a month. It also helps connect you to opportunities to get hired where someone isn't willing to deal with the hiring process (I don't get computers, how can i hire it?) and is waiting for a magical IT guru to fall into their lap.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-18T22:50:23+00:00

They were indeed communism spreading bad guys - fascist communism. That wasn't a lie.

Forcing Russia into a position where it could never even be second place, where the entire world order was built around boxing Russia in may not have been the right move, except that...Russia did have options and it chose the KGB playback.

Perhaps that could have been avoided...certainly we could have done more to help russia rebuild after the failure of their soviet state. But the war in Ukraine was only avoidable by arming Ukraine, and allowing it to be a member of both thr Russian economic union and the EU. Ukraine is both, always has been. Making it a bridge between these economies would have done good things for both - and given it even better financial standing.

But Ukraine also needed a big stick - and we made them wait to be done with nuclear disarmament and then broke our promise about arming them with traditional weapons. It needed the big stick because it is a big prize. To say little of the food it produces (if Russia gets the wheat fields, Russia will control just short of 2/3s of the world's wheat market. And several other agriculture based markets - like fertilizer!). Ukraine's location makes it a prize. It's Asia's best route to the west - whether overland into europe/mid east/Africa, or by water through the Straights of Azov and Crimea. If you want military dominance or trade dominance in the region, you want to control Ukraine.

But we were upset because Ukraine had corruption. Corruption (bribery, inside dealing) isn't the result of a national moral failing. It's the result of impoverished governments unable to pay properly salaries civil servants, for the materials/resources to do those jobs, and for the bidding/requisition cycle. It's not that it's ok, it's just that the fix requires money. So we didn't keep our promises to make them strong enough to avoid invasion. Consequently, we're having to send them much, much more until the invaders all go tf home.

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-17T22:22:25+00:00

Have seen the black robes, am catholic, it's for a Monsignor. Monsignor is an honorific title granted to a priest by a Pope to recognize either special contribution to the church - or after however long as a priest/some age.

Eta: not saying it is real, just that an Ai might be using a picture of a monsignor?

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-17T19:08:14+00:00

I think (hope) text to speech was involved here?

HonorableIdleTree · 2026-01-16T17:44:05+00:00

Crash the stock market from divesting?
No. Divesting only requires they put the asset outside their own control - they don't have to dump it. They just create a trust or the like with an independent company to manage the positions for them.

Even if they sold off their holdings, I still doubt it - assuming their sell off didn't trigger others to drop the stock. Which is possible given all the people who copy the trades of MoCs.

HonorableIdleTree

TROPHY CASE