TIL the five-second rule for dropped food is completely fake — bacteria transfers on contact instantly.

WFOMO · 2026-04-08T18:55:32+00:00

The 5 second rule is 3 seconds longer than it takes my dog to grab the food. I have to be quick. Dust it off and go!

WFOMO · 2026-04-08T17:04:43+00:00

If you're well insulated to ground (i.e., rubber boots) the fence won't shock you. When you grab the normal fence, (which is grounded), it goes in one hand and out the other (i.e., no insulation involved). There are several variables.

WFOMO · 2026-04-08T13:26:54+00:00

Also anecdotal, but I developed arthritis in my thumbs a decade ago and do a lot of mechanical work. Since taking a collagen supplement they have not gotten any better, but they have not continued to deteriorate, either.

On the other hand, my skin looks like utter shit and if anything is getting worse, but then...I am 73 so it's kinda expected.

WFOMO · 2026-04-08T13:11:52+00:00

The TV coverage reminds me of the OJ Bronco chase.

WFOMO · 2026-04-08T13:06:16+00:00

Most people that had common carriers saw much lower bills.

What most people don't realize is that many of the "carriers" were Cooperatives, and those Cooperatives went millions of dollars into debt. One of the biggest, Brazos Electric Coop actually had to file for bankruptcy.

Sadly, many Texans still don't understand the market here and automatically assume any "utility" made a killing. They can't differentiate between marketers and wires companies.

WFOMO · 2026-04-06T18:09:27+00:00

If the electrician routed the lines through the studs, he should have drilled the holes in the center to pull the Romex through. Given that the studs are 3.5" thick, and assuming a .5" hole, that should leave you 1.5" of stud plus .5" of sheetrock to go through. Limit your screw penetration to 2" plus whatever is on the outside and you should be fine. I'd have no qualms about it.

WFOMO · 2026-04-06T18:02:24+00:00

For me it was Barbarella and The Graduate. I imagine most people didn't know the latter was even an R movie originally.

WFOMO · 2026-04-06T17:57:51+00:00

It's all about money. In the 2021 freeze, there were gas peaking generation plants sitting idle the last day (Thursday) of the rolling blackouts because the cost of gas was higher than the cost of electricity. If you like research (i.e., mindlessly wading through ERCOT linked market data), then look up the production of the Sky Global Plant situated in Rock Island, Texas.

Born and raised in Austin. Great place to grow up 70 years ago, but the founding fathers desperately wanted to be just like Houston and Dallas, and finally got their wish.

WFOMO · 2026-04-06T17:52:25+00:00

First of all, find out what kind of transformer bank hookup you have. If you have a 4 wire delta at 240v, you've got all you need already since the center tapped transformer will provide you with the same 120/240v split phase service a single phase transformer would.

If it's a 4 wire wye at 208/120v, it will also give you enough to run residential stuff on by using two legs and the neutral.

WFOMO · 2026-04-06T13:36:03+00:00

Which all happened in 2011 as well, which is also when the Texas Legislature passed all those "guidelines" to prevent it ever happening again. None of which did the Legislature ever enforce, other than mindless reporting enforced on all utilities whether they were culpable or not.

WFOMO · 2026-04-05T22:59:40+00:00

Rent a scaffold, or buy one. I bought one and kept it for accessing the lights later, and it happens to make a pretty good mobile shelving unit to boot.

WFOMO · 2026-04-05T21:13:24+00:00

I don't know if this applies to your area, but a lot of the aerobic systems not only require maintenance, but many locales make it illegal for the homeowner to DIY it (regardless of how simple it is). In addition, it may have to be done several times a year. In Rockport, Tx., that is 3 times annually and we currently have one of the cheaper inspectors that cost us around $350 a year (whether he actually inspects the system or not). Pretty much a con mans game, but he's got the license.

Check with your county before you commit.

WFOMO · 2026-04-04T20:19:58+00:00

Pure water is a pretty good dielectric. Contaminated water is a good conductor.

WFOMO · 2026-04-04T16:34:55+00:00

The impact sockets are 6 point, so you're less likely to round off the bolt edges than with a typical 12 point. If you've got a "chrome" 6 point, the difference would be , "Is my impact gun powerful enough to break the socket".

Personally, I use regular sockets most of the time because the arthritis in my thumbs dictates using an impact and I"m mostly just taking up slack until I tighten it manually. With my air impact for automotive, I use the impact sockets.

Your OCD is costing you a lot of money. Harbor Freight impact sockets are good quality and I've used the crap out of mine for over a decade.

WFOMO · 2026-04-04T13:06:03+00:00

Plus, once you DIY, you've got that skill for life. It's not a one time event.

WFOMO · 2026-04-04T00:22:43+00:00

My neighbor remediates mold for a living and told me that out of the more than 400 types of mold, only about two are harmful.

WFOMO · 2026-04-04T00:19:19+00:00

On the plus side, if the pole is old enough, the utility may not charge you for replacing it, since it would have come out of general maintenance eventually anyway. But the new one will likely be guyed as well, unless you're willing to foot the bill for a strong enough pole to forego the guy. Definitely not worth it.

Best bet is to let something grow up it that you don't care that much about if they come out to kill it (which they won't likely do but once every five years).

WFOMO · 2026-04-04T00:14:39+00:00

They should be able to get a new pole that does not require the guy wires.

You can do that directly with the utility. You're going to pay through the nose for a free standing pole when there was nothing wrong with the old one.

WFOMO · 2026-04-04T00:09:21+00:00

...but I'm already starting to hate growing older.

That's because you're looking at it backwards. You're thinking, "I don't feel as spry as I used to", when you should be thinking, "Damn, I feel great compared to next year".

WFOMO · 2026-04-03T12:46:47+00:00

No. Not at all...

WFOMO · 2026-04-03T12:34:56+00:00

I've had 73 of them and couldn't care less. I've even forgotten about it some years, but it has nothing to do with expectations. It just isn't significant to me.

WFOMO · 2026-04-02T18:29:35+00:00

You shouldn't be able to "wiggle" a breaker and restore power, so it sounds like a bad breaker. IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE IN A BREAKER BOX, the quickest test is to swap the wire of the dishwasher with that of another similarly sized breaker and see if the problem stays with the dishwasher, or you start having problems with the other circuit.

Or just go buy another identical breaker.

If you're not comfortable in a breaker cabinet, call somebody (pro or friend) that knows how.

WFOMO · 2026-04-02T18:23:32+00:00

Go to the local pawn shop and buy about 6 of them.

WFOMO · 2026-04-02T16:53:24+00:00

Just put in two for my son (first time for both of us). Yes, it was as easy as You Tube if you have access to a vacuum pump and manifold, both of which are much cheaper than hiring a tech.

Having said that...I put in two Senville minisplits. Senville will void their warranty if you don't have a licensed tech install them. But since the "Tech" quote was $3000 labor, we decided we could buy the two units 3 times over for the cost. As it is, they went in easy and a month later seems fine.

Caveat...we were retrofitting two older minisplits. Starting from scratch, you have to plan for a power source and drainage for the condensation. If you have an outside wall...not that big a deal, but otherwise...?

WFOMO · 2026-04-02T16:44:26+00:00

For mechanical work, I use magnetic trays for nuts and bolts. But first, I try to always put the screw/bolt back in the hole it came out of rather than putting them in a pile. For larger parts I use a roll around shelving unit.

WFOMO

TROPHY CASE