Quick update to this post. Did not get to meet with the lawyer this morning, they looked a things late last week and said nothing they can do, recommended some other resources (including the group that recommended them), and I’m going to continue to try to get a second or third opinion. Really doesn’t look like a lot I can do at this point, so may just be a hit on my credit score with no recourse. Bleh.
Conference Bound After All
Well, my Godfather found an option that will get me down to the Lightning Strike and Electrical Shock Survivors annual meeting in Tennessee. I will only be doing that, and no visit to family, but the travel costs are only about $150 ($65 down, $85 back) as opposed to $1,200+ for a car rental. I will travel down on Wednesday, stay in Knoxville that night, then take a Lyft out to Pigeon Forge Thursday morning. Sadly, the bus service that used to run between Knoxville and Pigeon Forge is no more.
I took care of the trip this morning; booked a hotel room in Knoxville, and booked a room at the conference hotel. All I will say on hotel prices is ouch. As I noted, have to travel down a day early going down; and, my ride back is overnight so I will get back early on Sunday morning.
More as things develop.
Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.
Solar Experiment
I’ve finally had the time, and the weather, to sit down and play with the solar devices some of you were kind enough to provide for me. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! I’ve actually been using the portable units since they got here, and it is worth noting that I’ve not actually been able to drop them down significantly.
I wanted to see what would happen on a nice sunny day (where I would enjoy being out, sunny in winter isn’t it really). Within two hours, the portable units were fully charged. I’ve not been able to drain them like I expected, as there is quite often enough light to keep them mostly charged.
The fold-out panel is amazing. It has already got the big unit charged up, and you can charge it and another item (like a cell phone) at the same time. Suspect there is some time cost to do multiple at once, but didn’t really notice it on my limited experiment.
As for the big pack, I’m really wanting to try it on the router/fiber optic station upstairs. The fiber optic portion should stay up even in a power failure, so getting power to the router should provide internet access. Good theory, and if the landlord has no objection, will see if the “brick” can power it and maybe get an idea of how long.
While I don’t think the fold-out panel would be good for backpacking, it should be great for camping. The portable units would be great for backpacking and useful with camping.
I’m going to play more with them in the days ahead I hope, but for now I have a solid source of DC power in emergencies for cell phones, laptop, and other devices. Which means I have at least basic communications. If the router test works out, and the fiber optic stays up, that would be very, very helpful.
So, these systems are a very good add to your preparedness power portfolio. Useful for camping and other activities as well. Remember, the more independent sources of power you have, the better.
More soon, and thank you again so very much to all of you who made this possible!
Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.
Sold Car Saga
Those who are long-term readers will remember that I sold my car last year, I thought to a young man (young men) who’s grand-dad was going to use it to teach them car repair. The last few days have been interesting, as that was a great big steaming pile.
Not sure if I mentioned it here or not, but last fall I learned from the BMV that the title had never been transferred. Per their recommendation, I sent a certified letter offering to help with that transfer to the address I had for the buyer. Letter was refused and I made little progress in finding a lawyer (particularly cheap or free) that could help me with the issue.
Got back into that search hard yesterday, as Saturday I got a notice that the car had been impounded by the State Police and that as it was still in my name I was liable for fines, fees, and storage. Talked to the holder of the vehicle, and was told not to worry as if not claimed it would be sold. Since I do not have current proof of ownership, couldn’t claim it even if I wanted to.
So, spent yesterday dealing with Legal Aid and such, and this morning had an online chat with a lawyer through the Bar Association. Short version, I don’t have ‘proper’ legal proof of sale (photo of title signed over to the buyer); there is not much I can do/could do anyway; and, it could zorch my credit rating. Not sure about other legal liability, but am going to go next Monday to talk in person with a different lawyer to see what, if anything, I can do to protect myself.
To make it even more fun, the young man who allegedly bought the car may well have used a false ID, given a false address, and the name given does match a person with an extensive rap sheet that seems to involve a number of issues around cars and fraud going back a couple of decades. Seems ISP may have impounded it after catching him out with false plates on it. Don’t know for sure, but suspect the ‘grandpa’ was this man.
So, at least according to this consultation, there’s not much I can do. Other than Pray, and that will be done. Meantime, will be getting a second opinion, if not a third, and make every effort I can to protect myself and my credit rating.
Joy. Not what I wanted to be dealing with, or ever expected to have to deal with. If you ever sell a car yourself, take care and cover yourself. Oh well, onwards!
Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.
The New Bike
A few weeks ago, I asked for your suggestions on a new bicycle, and several of you made a lot of good suggestions and points. I’ve been looking around and visited several shops, at least two of which had dogs as their top salespeople. In fact, visited two of the shops more than once while looking and researching.
So, last Saturday I went and re-learned how to ride a bike. My balance and coordination weren’t all that great (IMO) before the lightning strike, but definitely took a hit from it (pun intended) and having vertigo issues hasn’t helped. But, with some quick coaching and encouragement, and skipping some near misses of light poles and such, I was able to ride again.
I also rode an e-bike for the first time and found it interesting. It had a throttle and other controls that made it more like a motorcycle than a bicycle. It was different and once I got used to it, not unpleasant.
After riding it, one of the humans at the shop talked with me about things I needed to consider: mobility, carrying, ease of use, and a few other things. Mobility dealt with being able to get on and off a bicycle, and the fact that at my age who knows what additional mobility issues I may face in the future. So, they strongly suggested a step-through design (similar to girls bikes in the 50s and 60s). Being able to easily pick up whatever I got, for putting it on a bike rack on a bus or car, or to carry it around an obstacle, was also a consideration. There were a few other considerations for a person my age, and we covered them.
Then he showed me around the shop and made a recommendation on one of the brands they sold. It was an e-bike, Urtopia brand, but one very different from the one I had ridden earlier. In fact, it hit several of my non-physical/preparedness considerations.
Unlike a number of e-bikes, you can ride it without the electronics charged. In fact, on my test ride, I started out with zero assist and still managed to easily get it up above 20 mph (on a flat/level surface) just using the regular gearing (8 speed). No throttle, start your ride just like a regular bike. The frame is carbon fiber, so I could easily pick it up even with the artificial shoulders. The tires are not super-wide, but are large and can handle streets, gravel, and dirt. Not sure about sand or a beach, but that’s not likely anyway. It also has a built-in security system that I can engage remotely if needed.
The range for the powered side is roughly 70-80 miles, and I don’t know how fast it goes yet as just the second level of assist gets me going faster than I care to handle right now (25-30 mph range). I still haven’t taken it above 2, and it’s going to be a while before I engage the (no joke) turbo mode.
It truly was fun to ride and reminded me a bit of the Raleigh Record from my youth. I do have to remember to squeeze both breaks, as they are apparently pneumatic and work very well. My steering and balance need work, a lot of work, but that will hopefully improve with more riding.
With it, I got what is supposed to be a very good helmet (Smith) with a rechargeable light on the back to aid with visibility. Helmet itself is florescent yellow. The shop also installed a mirror for me and it does help. Security is provided through a bar-lock system (linked metal bars) that folds up and attaches to a carrier mounted on the frame. There is a bag on the back rack that has fold-out side pockets that drop down and can hold larger items and/or a fair amount of groceries. You can get a lot into that little bag, and you can also take the bag with you when you leave the bike, it even has a shoulder strap for that purpose.
Me being me, I’ve also attached a rescue strobe to the bag to help with visibility. Of course, if anyone doesn’t see my fat fluffy rump they are too blind to be driving IMO… I also want to find a way to mount a Streamlight tac light (or larger light even) to the handlebars for an improved front light. What comes with it isn’t bad, but when you need light I really would rather have the power of a Streamlight.
Yes, I did pay more than I would have liked. Then again, I also remember when a top line bicycle cost just $200. As it is, got some good discounts and the new bike was actually less expensive that one of the used rental bikes. It also fits into the bike racks on the IndyGo bus, which gives me a lot more flexibility in travel. For all that I don’t mind a good walk, the bike gives me savings in time as well as in the distance I can cover.
Plan to check out battery life and such here over the next few weeks. The security system does draw power all the time, so need to keep an eye on how that effects things. Then again, static life may not be an issue. I rode it home from downtown Indy the day I bought it, and yesterday after doctor and groceries, took it out along the Pennsy Trail for a few miles. Stopped at a place I’d wanted to check out for a while, and accidentally left it fully on while I was inside. Even with that, battery level only dropped a notch or two.
Indy does have a network of trails for pedestrians and bicycles based on old railroad lines. Looking at using a couple of them for shopping and such where I don’t need my cart but can use the bike bag and/or a backpack. There are a couple of places I like to go, but require a bus change where you can wait thirty or more minutes for the second bus. I can hop over to one of the trails on my bike and get where I want to go in less time than that.
I just wish the Wally World and Meijers closest to me had secure bicycle “parking” as I can easily reach them using one trail in a faster time than by bus. Security is key for me, as right now I can’t afford to replace it and need to look at some insurance to cover it just in case. I also need to look at pulling my elbow and knee pads out of the deployment bag as they might come in handy. So far I haven’t fallen and haven’t run into anything, but who knows. Better safe than sorry.
Other thing that will be ongoing is getting the seat adjusted perfectly. It probably needs to come up at least another inch, but we decided to keep it where it is for now until some of the balance issues with starting/stopping ease up. The one thing I think does need to be done is tilt it down just a hair so that it is a bit more comfortable. Few more rides, and we will see.
Having a bike, even an e-bike, is good for my physical conditioning as it is a workout if done right. It also will save me a good bit of time in running small errands without having to walk, wait on busses, and other such joys. Finally, it will let me cover far more distance than just bus or via leather personnel carriers. So, buying it hurt my inner Jack Benny, but it looks to be a very good investment. That it should also help with recovering more balance and coordination is the cherry on top.
More on this adventure as it develops. Onwards.
Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.
I’m Back
At least sorta. I needed the week after Holy Week to recover on several levels, and am still taking it easy this week where I can. I’m also doing some discernment on some things as I want to be sure I am doing the right thing, at the right time, and for the right reasons.
Along those lines, I’ve accepted/decided that, barring something very unexpected, I will not be able to make the Lightning Strike/Electrical Shock Survivors association annual meeting this year. The transportation costs were just too high, and were going to be at least $1,200+ So, right now looking at ways to get down to visit family and friends in Chattanooga and Georgia some other way. What funding I did have for this had to go into a local transportation option (see next post). One day I will get to attend it.
Had a visit with my GP yesterday, and it went very well. While I was just a shade low on red blood cells and hemoglobin (eating more greens prescribed), the other numbers were fantastic. Cholesterol low, bad cholesterol very low, kidneys excellent, liver excellent, digestive system much happier now that I am back on a Mediterranean-influenced keto diet. Already down a couple of inches and several pounds. For now, trying to stay with two meals a day, no snacking, and Lenten portions as that seems to work very well.
So, GP and Cardiologist happy. We may even be looking at reducing or eliminating a couple of the meds I’ve been on. The less meds, with good results, the better. Some more neuro testing coming up in June, will be interesting to get those results.
Onwards!
Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.
Into The Light: Pope Francis
While I am no longer a member of the Roman Catholic church, I have said a prayer for his soul and also prayed for that church. I was not a fan of Pope Francis, though I had hoped for the best when he was elected. That said, I do encourage prayers for his soul and for that church. Personally, I think they could do a lot worse than to look at Cardinal Sarah. To all Roman Catholics, my condolences on the loss.
A Blessed Week(s)
I’m very remiss on this and apologize. It has been a touch hectic around here, as I’m Chanting at multiple services and occasionally helping out with some other things. That said, should have done this much sooner.
I want to wish everyone a Blessed Holy Week, and a Wonderful and Blessed Pascha! Easter if you prefer. And may the Bright Week that follows truly be bright with joy.
For my friends of an older faith, I am modifying my usual greeting for something I saw that may be a bit more modern: Chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach. If that’s not right, I’m sure I will hear about it. 🙂
Things are about to accelerate, and Bright Week will be rather full. Regular posting may resume during it, but no guarantees. I’m going to take at least a couple of weeks off from Chanting after this to let me and my voice recover.
Bike: Thoughts And Suggestions?
I’m looking at getting a bicycle to aid in getting around town. Part of me wants a cargo bike, but those cost as much as a car, even used. I will admit I’m even looking at an e-bike so I can cover a fair bit of territory at need.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I know things have changed a bit since the days of my much-missed Raleigh Record, but need something sturdy, probably larger tires given the road and other conditions around here, and that I might can mount saddlebags and a back deck onto. Given some of the drivers around here, defensive auto-cannons might not be a bad option.
Found one place not far away that lets you rent bikes to try on nearby trails before purchasing. Seems like a good idea for me to try a couple and be sure the vertigo and other delights don’t preclude me from riding a bike after the lightning strike.
Any constructive thoughts and suggestions are most welcome. I know little these days about brands of regular or other bikes. Have found some places that sell used, plan to check them out too once I do some investigating and trials.
Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.
A Dire Situation
Well, really not that dire, at least in the conventional use of the term. What it is, is a good piece of corporate PR that serves up an interesting dish of ethics.
What I’m referring to is the announcement from Colossal Biosciences that they have ‘de-extincted’ the Dire Wolf. Yes, the caps are there for a reason, mostly to point out that I am referring to the species. For background on this, I will refer you to Leslie Eastman’s very good piece at Legal Insurrection.
Those of you who have read me for a while know I like and respect wolves, and did a small bit of volunteer work at Wolf Park (a wolf research and educational facility). In fact, got to spend some time with the founder, among others. Very much grateful for the time there, and the chance to actually work with/get to know some of the wolves.
I’m going to echo Leslie a bit here, and will simply state that this is overblown. It may be a step towards bringing the species back from extinction, but it is an early step that to my mind is no where near close. Got to agree with Leslie, if you want to bring them back you have to do the following:
1) The entire genetic sequence is from actual dire wolves;
2) The breed on their own; and,
3) They can thrive in the wild.
What they have done on certain levels is create a new wolf-dog hybrid. Admittedly, depending on how they did it, one could argue a wolf-direwolf hybrid, but the effect is the same. They have also created several ethics debates, of which I will approach only a couple of points.
First, it will be interesting to see what becomes of all the pups as they mature. Given all, I don’t expect the normal wolf mortality (roughly 90 percent of wolf pups don’t make it to one year of age if I’m remembering correctly) to be a factor; but, this is uncharted territory and there may be some issues that come up.
So, let’s be optimistic and say normal puppyhood. Seeing how they mature and how they behave as they mature will be interesting. The behavior traits will be most interesting. One of the reasons I used the wolf-dog hybrid analogy above is because it is always a crapshoot as to what behaviors you get in true wolf-dog hybrids.
Side note: quite a few wolf-dog hybrids are not. They are standard dog-dog interbreeds using dogs that look like most people thing wolves look. Lots of what I consider fraud there. When it truly is a wolf-dog hybrid, things get interesting.
One of the big problems, according to someone I used to know who testified as an expert witness in trials regarding wolf-dog hybrids, is that you really don’t know what range of behaviors you are going to get. Sometimes you get friendly and even obedient; and, sometimes you get that really not-so-nice-and-friendly behavior. Most tend to go middle, but that is a lot of ground and frankly a good bit of it is not something you want running around free in the neighborhood.
Which is where I have some issues with Colossus. They talk in the PR piece about re-introducing Dire Wolves into the world to help re-balance nature. Frankly, we are a lot better off (IMO) doing what we are doing with grey wolf populations right now. If you didn’t know, the re-introduction into Yellowstone has had some amazing benefits: deforestation blamed on acid rain turned out to be no such thing, but overgrazing by wildlife, net result forests are healthier (and that’s not the only example); wildlife herds are stronger and healthier; there have been improvements to waterways and the water systems; and, there is more.
Even with this, there are problems when you re-introduce into other, public, ranges. Yes, wolves will hunt the easiest prey, which can mean cattle and other domestic animals. There are other issues, and a lot of prejudice on both major sides of the re-introduction debate.
Thing is, grey wolves are a species of this time, with behaviors/ethology that has been studied and of which there is a reasonable (not complete) understanding. Re-introducing a species that sees (saw) humans as prey is not something I would consider a good idea unless you did so at government centers and agencies.
By the way, healthy wolves don’t see us as prey. I caveat that as sick wolves (including those with brain tumors and such) will attack humans but rarely do they decide to hunt adult humans. Children, especially infants/toddlers, well, easy prey and the latter make movements reminiscent of wounded prey, so…
Generally, unless sick or starving, wolves like to stay about a mile from us. The proper term is flight distance, as in they want to be able to turn and run away from us if we get too close. Now, they are curious creatures (and sometimes too intelligent when it comes to gate latches) and will get closer to check us out — provided they can stay under cover and get away quickly at need. It’s one reason they will creep up on camps and houses at night, when we are not moving about.
Question is: is that a trait that will be present in these pups or any future true Dire Wolf revival?
Now, a few other quick questions: Is it right and ethical to release a revived Dire Wolf into the wild? Is it right and ethical to bring back a species knowing it’s former range no longer exists and they will be in either a constrained area or in effectively zoos and similar facilities? Is it right and proper to try to force them to fit into a new niche?
These are just a few of the ethical (and moral) questions that abound right now. In most respects, my take right now lies somewhere between Sam Neill’s and Jeff Goldblum’s characters in Jurassic Park. I will also admit that knowing George RR Martin is in any way involved concerns me as he is a very reliable 180 indicator. If he is for something, thinks it’s great, etc., you need to head away from it at speed.
What is being done, and most especially WILL be done needs a lot of thought and consideration. I’ve got serious concerns even with this from a behavioral standpoint, much less others.
Thing is, we should have time to explore the ethical and moral issues as while this may be an early precursor step to restoring the Dire Wolf or any species, it is just that: an early precursor step. I hope time will be taken to explore the questions and develop a sound ethical and moral framework for such things. Given all, doubt it will but we can hope.
Meantime, we have some unique hybrids to study and hopefully learn from. And, I have to agree with Leslie, the howls are cute.
Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you