u/swren1967

I took my 2024 in to the dealer for the defroster recall back in March, and they said that the A/C needed to be replaced. They would order the parts and call me when they were ready to do the swap. I called back in May and June to see if the parts had come in and they said it would probably be 6 months "or longer" for the parts to come in. In the meantime, A/C works so I guess it's okay, but it's not confidence inspiring that Toyota can't supply parts for this car. Is my dealer being weird, or is this a reasonable time-line?

Still looking for a better setup for my workshop. I tried the HK Aura, and was disappointed.

I'm fairly sure I want two speakers separated - one on each side of the workshop. Two identical Bluetooth speakers synced together would be okay, but I hear people complain about the syncing process being annoying. I was thinking about getting a pair of Sony Ult 3s but reviews said they were hard to sync.

I've seen outdoor speakers that are wired together, and that would be fine, but outdoor speakers tend to be more loud than good. It's a small space, so I don't need them to be all that loud. A good set of computer speakers might work. I don't need them to be portable at all. In fact I'd like to mount them to the wall.

Bookshelf speakers? Active-passive sets? Any recommendations?

I got a Harman Kardon Aura 4. It sounds good, but I'd like a little more sound separation. I think you can link two of them together, right? Has anyone out there tried it?

Republicans love that we blame Trump for everything. He is a useful idiot who will be gone soon, taking all blame and accountability with him.

We need to make it clear that the destruction of this country is the fault of the Republican party. They are all delighted with everything that is happening. They love it.

So stop blaming Trump. Spread the accountability around, and never lose sight of who is really destroying everything.

The Republicans eliminated funding for cancer research.

The Republicans attacked science and universities.

The Republicans drove up the deficit and national debt.

The Republicans raised tariffs (taxes) and inflated the cost of living.

The Republicans drove up spending to create a violent police state.

The Republicans are destroying our natural resources and encouraging corporations to plunder our parks, our water, and even the air we breathe.

The Republicans attacked other countries without provocation.

The Republicans drove up the price of gas.

The Republicans protect violent rapists and pedophiles.

The Republicans are attacking our right to free speech and assembly, and undermining our free and fair elections.

The Republicans attacked and insulted our allies and threatened independent sovereign countries.

Trump is just a puppet. A distraction. A fat, senile moron in a cheap suit.

The real problem is the whole Republican party and the billionaires who control them.

I don't like the Doss SoundBox I have in my home gym / workshop. It's fine if you are sitting right in front of it, but if you are moving around the room, it doesn't work very well.

I came across the Harman Kardon Aura 4, and the description appeals to me. It claims to fill the room with sound so it sounds good no matter where you are. It also doesn't take up a lot of tabletop space which is good because my home gym is pretty small and there isn't a lot of available surface space.

I wouldn't say that I'm an audiophile -- I don't usually spend $300 for a speaker -- but I might splurge for something that really works in this context.

Is there something else I should be considering? And does the Aura really "fill the room with sound?"

Two years after successful CAR-T. I asked my doctor how long we would be keeping my port. He said, "Oh, if you don't want it, we can take it out now."

I thought I would jump at the chance to get that thing out, but for some reason I said I wanted to think about it.

What is there to think about? Does anybody actually "want" their port? We use it every month for IVIG, but any vein will do for that.

I know you're not my therapist, but why would I feel weird about literally getting this ugly thing off my chest?

I'm making some window screens, and I was going to just use cedar — but cedar can warp over time, and it's a little pricey for good grade. I have used Armorite as an exterior trim, but I'm not sure how it would hold up if it isn't nailed to a solid surface. Would Armorite sag or warp if it's just a 2" frame for a screen? It's about the same price as cedar, but I wouldn't have to spend a lot of time inspecting boards, and if it holds it's shape, I think I'd prefer it for my projects.

The past two summers, I've had a bunch of fat and happy spiny lizards in my yard. I've had my house for nearly 30 years. I've always had toads and anoles and geckoes but never the big lizards I have now. I've been trying to think what changed that might have helped the lizards to thrive. I used to have a family of raccoons that lived under my shed, but I haven't seen them in a few years. I'm wondering if the raccoons leaving might have made space for the lizards.

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I guess I should add that I know raccoons eat everything. But I'm just wondering how likely it is that the rise of the lizards might be related to the departure of the raccoons, or if somebody might have a better theory about what might have led to my new friends taking over my yard recently.

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Another possibly relevant observation -- I live near Waller Creek, and I'm used to seeing lots of squished toads in the streets around here. But recently I've started seeing squished lizards, too. So maybe it's not just my yard. Maybe spiny lizards are taking over the whole neighborhood.

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I've also noticed a LOT more hawks and owls around here, so maybe there is just a general shift in the ecosystem.

I dropped in to vote after work Wednesday. There were about 20 people there, but not one of them was under 70. I'd say that most of them were well over 80... most could barely get around. Old people are the most reliable voters in our country. A lot of them will vote in the interests of their children and grandchildren, but should we be counting on that? As much as people complain about boomers, we sure do seem happy to give them all of the decision-making power in our society.

What is the next classic Austin business that will close if we don't start supporting it? We can't do anything for Lamme's, or Las Manitas, or Martin Brothers, or La Zona Rosa, or any of the other happy places we took for granted. But maybe we can appreciate a few of the bits of our youth that are still around. I admit, I live near Lamme's, and I ♥ Video, and Room Service, but I almost never go to any of them. I don't remember the last time I went to Hyde Park Bar and Grill. I understand that things change, and I love the way that Austin evolves and changes, but if I want to hold on to a few happy places, I need to go actually give them my business.