To the progressives here

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Freedomforall
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Re: To the progressives here

Post by Freedomforall »

Back in 2008 our A/C guy quit doing small time work and started working for Al Gore who at the time had a house in Nashville. He installed one of the first ever in Tennessee Geothermal units. He showed me a picture of how it worked. I recall seeing at least two fairly large lines going deep into the ground.
Big and Bashful
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Re: To the progressives here

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I have been reading a lot on alternative forms of heating, from a UK standpoint.One thing that stuck in my mind was that the cost of electrickery to run your heatpump as a replacement for gas boilers will still be very significantly more than current gas prices. That plus the price of heatpump installation and the cost of trying to insulate houses to a sufficient standard to make heatpumps effective is going to be a big economic barrier to a lot of people. Even with the Govingment offering a £5000 grant, if it costs £20000 to convert, I think I know one person who could afford to do it. And he already has.
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Sinned
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Re: To the progressives here

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As a comment to an article about no Government Minister having a heat pump I posted the following:

"I see the heat pump fiasco as having a parallel. In the press there are articles and a movement for men wearing skirts and dresses. My wife would be ok with me wearing one when she sees a few men around wearing them. The parallel? Well, when I see more properties in my local area installing them and proving that they work then I will install one. Incidentally they can't ban combis if the majority of the country are still using them and the uptake of heat pumps is low with lots of complaints about them. He could try."

combis = combi boiler, providing heat for hot water and central heating.

The time is nearing for us to switch the central heating on. The decision is taken on a day by day basis.
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crfriend
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Re: To the progressives here

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Sinned wrote: Tue Nov 02, 2021 8:51 pmThe time is nearing for us to switch the central heating on. The decision is taken on a day by day basis.
We had to switch ours on a week or so ago which yielded the terrifying conclusion that the system wasn't working other than to provide hot water.

The landlady's SO (and landlady) were away at the time, so I got deputised to figure out what was going on, and I pretty much immediately found one problem (a switch controlling a pump had been turned off for service and never back on) which was easy, but then the woman who lives in the apartment next to me (and whose thermostat I have in my space (in the room with all of my computers!)) was bereft of heat and had to then troubleshoot that. It got done, of course, and my diagnosis was correct which was verified when the technician showed up, asked a few questions, got evidential guidance (but no advice) who asked me a couple of questions in return and subsequently headed out to get a replacement part which was the correct solution. (I fix computers; I know how to use a voltmeter, and have complex systems chops to boot).

Everybody's warm and happy now, save that the curtains I had to install over the past weekend because of light pollution of my adjacent neighbour's space during 3 months (and growing) of at least one weekly all-nighter are going to cause a further disruption in the heat-balance equations that allow me to heat her space and hopefully keep mine somewhat tolerable.
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geron
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Re: To the progressives here

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Sinned wrote: Tue Nov 02, 2021 8:51 pm Well, when I see more properties in my local area installing them and proving that they work then I will install one.
Outside this community of male skirt-wearers, your comparison may seem bizarre. But if you want to see an air-source heat-pump installed, I can point you to a hamlet not many miles outside your fair city, where I noticed one just across the road from a house I was visiting last week. The real question is whether they work and are economic, not whether the neighbours have one.
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Sinned
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Re: To the progressives here

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I have just noticed ( possibly ) a couple of them on the side of a well-known car dealership a couple of minutes away from me. The boxes fit the general description of having two big fans. Not sure if they will appreciate me going in, not to buy a car but, to enquire about their heating system efficiency. geron, yes I would be more concerned as to the ability of the units to heat my house and water but I would like to see them appearing so I could elicit real opinions and not those from the media.
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moonshadow
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Re: To the progressives here

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Well now..... looks like Virginia just flipped red.

I hope Washington D.C. was paying attention, they're next if they don't knock their crap off.

Now, it's time to get people off their ass, and back to work. I'd like to have a day off anytime now. Enough with the government handouts. And while I know the Virginia election doesn't have anything to do with that, I also believe that this lopsided economy, inflation, half of us working our fingers to the bone while the other half sits at home and milks covid freebies, etc are likely what drew many to the polls...

Enough is enough.
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Coder
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Re: To the progressives here

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moonshadow wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 10:44 am Now, it's time to get people off their ass, and back to work. I'd like to have a day off anytime now. Enough with the government handouts. And while I know the Virginia election doesn't have anything to do with that, I also believe that this lopsided economy, inflation, half of us working our fingers to the bone while the other half sits at home and milks covid freebies, etc are likely what drew many to the polls...
I watched a YouTuber brag about being able to buy a $600+ vacuum, and sheepishly thanking the Government for the covid check. My guess is they didn't *really* need that money, though it's a bit unfair for me to pass judgement, I would have accepted any stimulus the gov't was passing out.
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crfriend
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Re: To the progressives here

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Coder wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 2:10 pmI watched a YouTuber brag about being able to buy a $600+ vacuum, and sheepishly thanking the Government for the covid check. My guess is they didn't *really* need that money, though it's a bit unfair for me to pass judgement, I would have accepted any stimulus the gov't was passing out.
Seeing as I have a job and make a certain amount of money the amount of "COVID stimulus money" I saw from the government was precisely zero. I'm OK with that because I was able to hold down a job for the duration, but I'm not sure how much longer I can continue at it before I completely burn out. What galls me, however, is that it's guys like me paying for those checks when the billionaire class isn't paying a dime by virtue of the fact that the billionaire class does not pay tax. It's about fairness and equity.

Note that the situation is not going to change unless we can get the corruption out of "both" "parties" and make them accountable to the general population and not the billionaires. The former is the way a republic operates; the latter the way an oligarchy operates.
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Coder
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Re: To the progressives here

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crfriend wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 3:26 pm
Coder wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 2:10 pmI watched a YouTuber brag about being able to buy a $600+ vacuum, and sheepishly thanking the Government for the covid check. My guess is they didn't *really* need that money, though it's a bit unfair for me to pass judgement, I would have accepted any stimulus the gov't was passing out.
Seeing as I have a job and make a certain amount of money the amount of "COVID stimulus money" I saw from the government was precisely zero. I'm OK with that because I was able to hold down a job for the duration, but I'm not sure how much longer I can continue at it before I completely burn out. What galls me, however, is that it's guys like me paying for those checks when the billionaire class isn't paying a dime by virtue of the fact that the billionaire class does not pay tax. It's about fairness and equity.

Note that the situation is not going to change unless we can get the corruption out of "both" "parties" and make them accountable to the general population and not the billionaires. The former is the way a republic operates; the latter the way an oligarchy operates.
I think I got $12 one time? Or something to that effect. It doesn't bug me per-se - people were being forced out of their livelihoods by - well intentioned or not - government mandates - and so it was a unique/special situation, and I had the luxury of working from home. But nowadays... the only daily sign of COVID seems to be two things: masks and shipping delays. Otherwise, it feels like we are back to "normal" even though we aren't.
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Uncle Al
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Re: To the progressives here

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When the talk turns to "Stimulus Checks", I wonder what has happened. :oops:

In 2020 I received 2 checks(Direct Deposit) which came in quite handy.
I've saved most of the second one as I knew 'things' were going south on us.

In March of '21, I was notified of a third check, and it should arrive mid-April.
It still hasn't shown up. :|

It would really come in handy at this point of my life. Still haven't received
the beneficiary amount from my wife's retirement.

I had to 'dip into' my 'escrow' account(Taxes and Insurance) to cover the
Co-Pay for my oral surgery. That hurts the pocket book but the pain is
gone from my mouth.

I hope this Financial Crap gets straightened out - SOON :!:

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Sinned
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Re: To the progressives here

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If it comes as any consolation things aren't any better over here. Taxes are up and bills are up. Looks as if interest rates will be increasing soon. Our billionaires are pretty much tax exiles. One, Branson, even owns his own island. There may be others. I read that the UK is even responsible for 25% of tax evasion since most of the tax havens come under British supervision or are British owned. Not being an expert surely these must be semi-autonomous otherwise our government would be able to do something about it.

The government has just voted to disband a parliamentary standards body that issued a 30-day suspension of an MP for lobbying on behalf of companies that were ( are ) paying him shed loads of money to do it. This suspends the suspension. Replace the body with a new one that would revisit the case. Sleaze, sleaze, sleaze. MPs are considered below estate agents and lawyers in terms of status and trustworthiness. Why don't sharks eat lawyers/MPs? Professional courtesy.

Mind you there are others such as GPs that are rapidly getting to join them.
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Re: To the progressives here

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Uncle Al wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 6:51 pmI hope this Financial Crap gets straightened out - SOON :!:
It will end when the last dime is bled from the working class into the accounts of the billionaires and not a moment before that.
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Re: To the progressives here

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Speaking of shortages, etc...

Went out to dinner tonight with family - this is the first time in a long time I ate IN a restaurant in my local area. First one we went to - a nice Italian restaurant. A sign outside the restaurant "NOW HIRING ALL POSITIONS". Half the seating was closed - wait was going to be 45 minutes. They had signs up explaining, due to rising food costs, one of their specials was no longer being served. We left (unfortunately) and went to a Mexican restaurant down the street. No wait, but signs were up asking for patrons to be patient as they were short staffed. Inside we had to wear our jackets, it wasn't heated well, and portions seemed light. Oh, and the menus had their prices adjusted upwards in ballpoint pen over the plastic lamination. Then, showing a family friend around, we went to the local IKEA. It wasn't exactly barren, but there were lots of empty shelves, and it was uncharacteristically empty of customers. Also, they had converted a section of their office seating products into a garish video gaming theme - very un-IKEA like.
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Re: To the progressives here

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crfriend wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:38 pm
Uncle Al wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 6:51 pmI hope this Financial Crap gets straightened out - SOON :!:
It will end when the last dime is bled from the working class into the accounts of the billionaires and not a moment before that.
There has been an "elite" class pretty much for all of human civilization. It stands to reason that it isn't going away any time soon.

No matter who is in power it seems that the elite class isn't going to pay their share. However there does seem to be a key difference between the two:

One party supports making the lower and middle classes work and pay into the system.

The other party supports keeping the lower classes at home drawing a government dole while the middle classes pay to both sides.

As anyone who has had a serious stomach issue can certainly relate: it's a real drag when it comes out both ends, at least with the former, it's only coming out one.

Tell me I'm wrong...
-Andrea
The old hillbilly from the coal fields of the Appalachian mountains currently living like there's no tomorrow on the west coast.
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