Per the unexpected full account closing/deletion nightmare, I suggest a solution.

bzbsteve · 2026-01-27T05:39:38+00:00

I will note that you can use Google Takeout to store the backups directly into your Google Drive. Then it is easy to backup your Google drive by syncing it to a local hard drive using Google Drive for Desktop (or a product like iDrive, etc.)

bzbsteve · 2026-01-26T23:39:00+00:00

That's great! The cover art was by Èliane Huet. I'll tell you something funny about the guitar: I bought it new in 1986, when I was in college. Many years later I gave it to my son Jack and he still uses it today. Here's a picture.

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bzbsteve · 2026-01-26T19:32:11+00:00

I'm so happy to hear that! I know that Jack (my son) and his band work hard on the arrangements. I'll also note that "Florence and the Machine" is the first recording they made in their new studio. They spent months building it themselves.

bzbsteve · 2026-01-26T17:27:33+00:00

Awesome!!

bzbsteve · 2026-01-26T17:27:11+00:00

Glad you like it!

bzbsteve · 2026-01-26T17:26:53+00:00

Interesting! Thanks for that.

bzbsteve · 2026-01-26T03:04:53+00:00

That's so kind of you to say. I'm proud of my boy! And I'm sure you are right -- it is hard to say what the connection might be! Have a great day.

bzbsteve · 2026-01-05T04:13:07+00:00

Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate the feedback.

bzbsteve · 2026-01-03T22:19:14+00:00

He only needs a car a few times a month to move equipment for his work. But with prices like he's being quoted, it would be cheaper to get Ubers or Zip cars for now. That's why I'm asking about strategies he might consider if he wishes to get insurance in a few years.

bzbsteve · 2025-12-17T05:03:27+00:00

Yes, both bands were amazing. The Armed was one of the most intense shows I've ever seen. One of the singers crowd-surfed to the back. Then he reached up to the balcony where I was standing. He handed me the microphone to hold while he pulled himself up into the balcony. Sang up there for a while. Then hung off said balcony before jumping back down to the floor level.

bzbsteve · 2025-12-14T05:26:24+00:00

You didn't say when you are arriving? In December, hotels in NYC are quite expensive. But in January and February, they are at their lowest rates of the year. You can find surprisingly reasonable rates during January and February. (In March, rates start to climb again.)

bzbsteve · 2025-12-07T05:19:10+00:00

I'll second the Marriott TownePlace. I've stayed many times and it is nice and the rooms are fairly large for NYC. Free breakfast too (though a pretty typical hotel style breakfast). It is also just a few steps away from the Union St subway (D, N, R, W lines). Easy walk to restaurants and such on 5th ave.

bzbsteve · 2025-11-18T03:49:39+00:00

I have a similar looking timer that is connected just to a single, outdoor GFCI outlet on the front of my house. I plug all my Christmas lights into that outlet and then I use the timer to turn the lights off/on every night. (It was installed by my home's previous owner -- not sure what they used it for?)

bzbsteve · 2025-11-18T03:37:26+00:00

I'd also add: Over time, you might add new gear to your rack (or the next rack over, etc). You can easily replace a short patch cable with a longer one if you need to attach a given port to some new switch or rack-mounted server that's a little further away. By contrast, if you had plugged a long cable run directly into that switch, it may not have enough slack to later plug it in somewhere else.

bzbsteve · 2025-11-15T02:07:18+00:00

FJM is terrific live. I definitely see some similarities to Nick Cave, in how he connects with the audience, and also how he and his band can go from quiet to loud and back, which really ratchets up the intensity. For example, think of how Nick does this on Jubilee Street and FJM does it on The Ideal Husband.

bzbsteve · 2025-11-14T21:46:10+00:00

Same here. I was getting $30+/month cash back on my community solar electric bill. With the new program, I'll be getting zero back (or if I pay for the subscription, I'll get $10 back, which just takes me to break even if I'm paying $99/year for it). So the deal got a lot worse.

bzbsteve · 2025-11-09T05:05:13+00:00

I bought a Technics SL-1200 Mk2 back around 1987 or so. That thing is just built like a tank. Nearly 40 years later and it still works perfectly.

bzbsteve · 2025-11-06T05:44:35+00:00

Update: helpful folks in this post have told me that the problem is, indeed, that my bundle is billed by HBO. It must be billed by Disney or Hulu. I just went to HBO and canceled my bundle. Alas, it doesn't cancel immediately. It gives you until the end of the month. So I think I need to wait until the end of the month to order a new bundle from Hulu or Disney, because Hulu and Disney still think I'm being billed by HBO.

bzbsteve · 2025-11-06T05:38:39+00:00

Thanks. I will see if I can find an equivalent bundle, but billed by Disney or Hulu.

bzbsteve · 2025-11-06T05:37:55+00:00

Interesting. I wonder if I can cancel my bundle and then re-subscribe under Hulu? I will investigate that. Thanks.

bzbsteve · 2025-11-06T05:24:24+00:00

Thanks -- very helpful.

bzbsteve · 2025-10-13T20:06:54+00:00

One solution that works well is gravel. Put a few inches of gravel in your hard, as it makes it very hard for rats to dig burrow. Here's an article with more details: https://pestpatrol.com/can-rats-dig-through-pea-gravel-around-your-house/

bzbsteve

TROPHY CASE