Buying forest land, implementing solar

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I was reading that gazing into the eyes releases significant oxytocin, the bonding neurochemical. (Presumably among other chemicals that creates the "sexual pairbond" in romantic contexts, a thing that gives rise to much lust.)

I wonder if the same thing happens when I look into my dog's eyes? Because, we'll stare at each other after I get done petting him and walk away.

Wondering about this because there's this article talking about how longterm loneliness gives rise to cortisol, which is bad, and oxytocin is produced during "bonding experiences" (Not all forms of interaction cause a "bonding experience", in my experience, if being around someone makes you feel anxious or lonely, GET AWAY FROM THAT PERSON. They are typically the evil bitches in the world.) which counteracts cortisol, reducing it. And, there's been much research in how dog ownership reduces health risks, particularly hunting dogs.

images
 
I liked the Edward Jones economic outlook. A pretty realistic expectation for the economy/stocks, they urge caution and being prepared for 2018.

https://www.edwardjones.com/market-news-guidance/client-perspective/outlook-2018-video.html

The past year was better than expected for investors. Edward Jones thinks the outlook is positive – but not quite as good as the recent past. That's why you may need to take off your rose-colored glasses so you can set realistic expectations and stay patient in 2018.
 
swbluto said:
I didn't pursue it because, based on the size of the job population, it didn't seem "readily achievable".

23,600 actuaries in 2016
I have a much better chance of becoming a software engineer than an actuary based on that number!

Applying probabilities to the real world job market, yes.

There are 1,600 job openings for Actuaries at this time. It's my understanding that there are never enough Actuaries, rarely an unemployed Actuary, etc. The jobs are not considered stressful, etc.

Meanwhile, there's some question of just how many openings there are for software engineers, the headhunters keep recruiting even when they're not trying to fill an actual opening. Software engineers are going to face some unemployment in their life, they can have a tough time getting started, the stress level is high, oh, the problems with the people not being entirely qualified for the position.

Are you SURE you'd rather pursue the software engineer path?

https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/83kzqw/why_does_the_cs_community_seem_so_hostile_to/?st=jennhb4e&sh=0cf7dfb2
 
Looks like a set of certification exams from the Society of Actuaries, so I can take these whenever I want, just for fun.

(Looks like as of now, the tests are around $1500 in total)

comp sci maj, math minor with actuarial credentialing, doesn't sound like an ill-fitted combo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actuarial_credentialing_and_exams#United_States

SOA Exam CAS Exam Exam Title Exam Topics Format Tests per Year Pass/Fail Estimate
P 1 Probability Law of total probability, Bayes' theorem, basic counting, common discrete and continuous distributions, univariate and multivariate distributions, order statistics, transformation of distributions, conditional expectation, variance and covariance, basic knowledge of insurance and risk management Computer 6 Yes

FM 2 Financial Mathematics Basic interest theory, annuities, bonds, loans, cash flows, portfolios, immunization, and financial derivatives, options, hedging, investment strategies, forwards, futures, and swaps Computer 6 Yes
M

FE 3F Actuarial Models: Financial Economics Interest rate models, rational valuation of derivative securities, and risk management techniques Computer 3 No

MLC -- Actuarial Models: Life Contingencies Survival models, Markov chain models, life insurances and annuities, Traditional and Universal Life Models Paper and pencil 2 No
C

4 Construction and Evaluation of Actuarial Models Severity models, frequency models, aggregate models, construction of empirical models, construction and selection of parametric models, estimating failure time and loss, determining the acceptability of a fitted model, credibility, simulation Computer 3 Yes
--

S Statistics and Probabilistic Models Stochastic processes, survival models (including limited life contingencies concepts), statistics, general linear models (including ordinary least squares) and time series[8] Paper and pencil 2 No

My impression of these acturial jobs is that they are tied to the insurance industry, which tends to be concentrated in certain eastern coast cities like Boston and NYC. There might be opportunities down in Houston, somewhere, maybe. I wonder if they're 'widely desired' positions?

If this is true, then cost of living is a significant factor of consideration vs salary.

It's like southern california air force bases, widely desired by many so getting stationed there was difficult.

I think something in this direction would be more desireable in about 5 years or so.
 
It's interesting how my neighbor still has his marbles, /I think/, but he seems to habitually point in the opposite direction of where this particular small town is located. It's located south, he'll point north when referring to it.

I'm wondering why he consistently has the opposite idea of where things are?

I'm wondering if he's always been like this (impairment of spatial cognition) or if he has some progressive mental disease, like alzheimers or dementia.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3028935/

Elderly persons with declines in spatial functioning frequently report difficulties, such as feeling unsafe when driving, having trouble navigating new routes, and forgetting where they placed their keys or parked their car.

In this review, I propose a multi-faceted model of visual spatial cognition that can help elucidate the specific patterns of visual spatial dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lewy Body Dementias, Corticobasal Syndrome, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

Looks like a possible "elderly thing", might be some kind of progressive mental disease.

And rent in boston right now is $2200/month.
 
Hmmm...

breathing heavily, tired.

I noticed that the breathing became increasingly heavy/quick with modest activity, almost seemed like it'd become urgent if I continued.

This mirrors the episode 2 days ago,getting tired unusually early and chest feeling tight laying down, then ate two bananas, chest was ok except it was again getting tight with modest activity.

Was there anything that could've precipitated these issues, assuming something heart related?

None that I'm really aware.

Would anxiety fully explain it?

Hmmm...

Well...

the breathing came heavily after eating 3 bananas, so might've just been from eating.

However, getting tired and breathing heavily...

Then modest activity increasing the breathing severity...

Seems like the modest activity had the effect of significantly reducing the breathing heaviness, though not fully solving the underlying issue.

Suspicion is heart, but I don't want to rule out other possibilities, like anxiety or diabetes.

It's hard to understand where the anxiety came from, if it was purely anxiety.

-------------

Okay, slept from 11-5a.m., then from 7:30-9 a.m.

Arousal is down, and so is the breathing heaviness with modest effort. Guess maybe 5-7:30 a.m., didn't have enough sleep yet.
 
so, the contractor was supposed to follow me to the property but it looks like he earnestly lost me or he simply ditched me, lol. I don't really /really/ know, but given what would seem to be common sense and assuming this guy isn't a /complete/ idiot, I'd assume he tried to ditch me. But, that doesn't make a ton of sense either; why would a contractor ditch a money-making job assignment, which is what I was leading him to?

It was dark, maybe he was getting a little scared, lol.

So, I'm going to create a sign now and there's a few things I need to create it and I'll go get that crap when I go to get water. That sign will be my address sign.

Then I need to mark the trees that need to come down, I'm hoping I'll find some of that.

then i'll just leave my sign up and give them the address, and I'll just let them check it out at their leisure. I'll give them like 2 days to check it out and quote me, then I'll start getting estimates from other professionals if that's not satisfactory.

they didn't really "leave me hanging", i had to get some things anyway.
 
swbluto said:
so, the contractor was supposed to follow me to the property but it looks like he earnestly lost me or he simply ditched me, lol. I don't really /really/ know, but given what would seem to be common sense and assuming this guy isn't a /complete/ idiot, I'd assume he tried to ditch me. But, that doesn't make a ton of sense either; why would a contractor ditch a money-making job assignment, which is what I was leading him to?

It was dark, maybe he was getting a little scared, lol.

BBWolf.jpg
 
lol, well... I didn't trust their sense of timing (They waited until dark last time), so I left them a way to check it out whenever they want, ideally to/away from a job assignment since it's right next to a major road.

Plus, i'm going to call loggers tomorrow and see if there's anyone that will cut down the trees and maybe even pay me for it.

i told my neighbor there's like $50,000 in lumber sitting on the property and he told me "Buy a sawmill and make it yourself!".

Then we started thinking about equipment costs...

Saw mill suitable for at least 24" diameter - $5000
bobcat with forklift attachment or backhoe with forklift attachment - $10000 (To load and move the trees.)

So about $15000 minimum.

And if I were going to go commercial with it, I'd probably want high traffic real estate with easy 18 wheeler access potential, so another $10,000.

$25,000 to start, probably $30000 for the little things like buildings and whatnot.

So, that would require some capital. I asked why don't people do it if it's so profitable, I was told "Nobody has money", lol. Well, I don't believe that really... but, I guess they're busy with whatever else.

Was told no need to advertise, the contractors already know who's who.

I get the sense to create studs, you'd use a sawmill to create slabs, then a bandsaw to create the studs from the slabs.

Apparently the guy who owned the sawmill 'down the way' retired with his millions and shutdown.

I was thinking more along the lines of "went bankrupt" because not profitable enough...

but I guess retirement is another plausible reason.
 
swbluto said:
Was there anything that could've precipitated these issues, assuming something heart related?

Got any cedar trees? Not sure what other kind can cause problems.

DAND214 said:
Wow, 6 hours between posts! I was starting to worry :lol: Maybe they finally got you :mrgreen:

Dan

I just figured he was hanging out with one of his $100 STUDS!

swbluto said:
Arousal is down, and so is the breathing heaviness with modest effort. . .the breathing came heavily after eating 3 bananas, so might've just been from eating.

Oh, wait, ORGANIC bananas, I get it now. So you can start saving your $100. And save up enough to BUY one of these lumber mills if you're going to develop all this property. Just remember that 'Owner has health issues, wants to retire' is code for 'High debt, equipment hopelessly out of date and inadequate.' Generally asking way to much for the outfit and they will indeed go out of business.
 
Well, noticed that the vast majority of currently operable Houston sawmills, large and small, specialized in niche areas (Such as oak, deck boards, beams,etc.), didn't see anyone making studs for example from southern pine. Figured there might be a reason for that, like large players concentrated in key areas like Jasper having far greater economies of scale vs. smaller sawmills.

I like thinking "I can max out my own labor productivity" and 'real world costs' don't really matter, but then outfits like that require multiple people to operate which then enters the realm of employment, and introduces fixed costs like Payroll and interpersonal issues like "motivation and direction"(i.e., leadership/management).

Neighbor was suggesting "just hire a couple of illegals", yeah, that seems real smart in the current political climate, lol. And I wouldn't want to anyway.

Saw this chart of incomes. They were like "median household is 110k" in SF. But then I'm like "mortgages are $60k/year at least"($1mil house,6%), then consider the tax bracket, people aren't really making that much in terms of discretionary income.

Granted, you have a few renegades living out of their van cirumventing the high cost of living, like a true business-minded person.

Then I saw Houston, they also had a share of high incomes.

http://www.businessinsider.com/weath-maps-cities-san-francisco-bay-area-2018-3

And, I'm thinking that's exactly it, money goes a LOT FARTHER with the readily develop-able flatland in all directions and extensive highways to go with it so discretionary incomes effectively are A LOT HIGHER in Houston. I see this manifesting in the form of '70-100k' people purchasing extragavant opulent homes as a general rule and almost everyone is driving a new car (in this area anyway, it tends to be a rural geriatric area too.), a thing requiring discretionary income. A 100k person in San Fran is lucky to afford a modest 2 bedroom house.

Looking at this map, looks like Dallas likely also has high discretionary incomes. You do get that impression from its northern neighborhoods, and there tends to be less mexicans than Houston, so in addition to more zoning and more building codes, tends to be a more preferable Texas metropolis among people with means and a choice.

Houston is nice, you have "poor" mexican neighborhoods, and "poor" white neighborhoods, and "rich" neighborhoods (predominantly white), all of which is readily affordable to everyone involved, and almost everyone is potentially within "commuting" distance. This is as opposed to the west coast, not necessarily is all strata within "commuting distance", effectively locking strata out of the local labor markets, and the ones who aren't, either take severe compromises in living quality (20 mexicans to a house) or severe reductions in discretionary income resulting from high fixed costs.

I noticed that the people in the "wealthier area" I'm moving to tend to be more industrious, involved in construction for example, as compared to this area. It's interesting that, because the people in this area who built their own house also are a bit wealthier than others here. Interesting seeing those with an "industrious" mindset, both here and in the new neighborhood, tend to be wealthier despite not necessarily being involved in development.

development is not a bad area, mortgages are a lucrative source of income, being money printed out of thin air. The closest I can get to that effect in my current industry is people paying with credit cards, which I'm sure some do, just on a much smaller scale.
 
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/why-31-old-supported-parents-152807538.html

Interesting, so this guy was derailed by a DUI and claims he's been subject to "setbacks", and he's entitled to being accommodated accordingly.

Dang, I was hoping of a story of someone with REAL SETBACKS like buddies stabbing you in the back. Or a professor failing your final exam denying you the degree because he despises you. (ultimately, career derailment in most sub-25 male cases)

Well, I guess I come across those stories often enough, it's just that they tend to focus more on the many victims vs. the perpetrators perspective, rarely is the perpetrators perspective brought fully to public light. I guess partially that's because, unlike this guy, they aren't usually trying explain their misanthropy in justifying their deeds, no doubt because nobody would sympathize, in fact, it'd probably do the opposite and worsen the sentencing. Some of them more or less go for the "I'm crazy" angle hoping to avoid the death penalty.

Oh well, I guess some of us are lucky for being /actually/ culpable, not simply arbitrarily scapegoated and subjected to treachery.

After taking a look at tree damage pictures and evaluating the risks of fallen trees, and reviewing the kinds of trees that fall around here (usually smaller trees with less extensive roots and dead trees that fall after the base has rotted out.), I decided the risk of a "from the front" tree falling episode is fairly minimal and if one does fall, it shouldn't cause life-threatening damage, and the back will be protected by a tree guard that will act like a trellis (for grape vines and whatnot), so I can simply go ahead and continue construction.

The guy was telling me of what he has to do, shoveling the dirt away from the base of the tree exposing the root ball, and then pushing it over with his (excavator?), and I thought about whether I want these giant dirt craters in my front... lol...

Feels like I got 2hours of sleep last night, which is unusual.

Think I'm going to be taking a step from the American Indian stepbook and reduce the sugar intake. Seems like the high banana intake is specifically causing a low-grade form of nausea, despite the peanut and coconut intake. Seems like eating fish just recently got rid of that low-grade nauseating stomach feeling, indicating the role of (likely) sugar in that.

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/squash.html

They were famously one of the Three Sister crops, cultivated by Native Americans, who eventually shared them with European settlers. These three vegetables were commonly grown together and included corn (maize), beans, and squash. They provided the staple elements of the diet of early American culture and a number of other cultures throughout the region.

I read this as "beans,squash and [fruit]".

Now, the corn that American indians ate, was that sweet corn or field corn? The latter doesn't have (significant) sugar, commonly used in tortilla making.

https://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/indian-corn-a-fall-favorite

Looks like they actually ate "flint corn", distinguishable from field corn (has dent), which doesn't have a lot of sugar.

So, it looks like in fact, the indians ate very small amounts of sugar in fruits and whatnot.

I guess that makes sense, considering how difficult fruit is to grow vs starch vegetables (flint corn, squash, beans), and how rare it tends to be in comparison in the gardening setting. Vegetable gardens tend to be far more productive than fruit trees. I wonder if vegetables tend to have a far wider "consumption window"? Fruits are often only available during harvesting season when they ripen.

Looks like the native japanese grow pumpkins and sweet potatos. Pumpkins are a squash variety.

Looks like squash consumption is nearly universal in indigenous cultures.

And flint corn looks like it was often consumed as cornmeal, added to meals (such as beans), or soaked until it split opened, and fried over a fire.

It looks like it was often nixtamalized in an alkaline solution (limestone I believe).

Hominy is made in a process called nixtamalization. To make hominy, field corn (maize) grain is dried, then treated by soaking and cooking the mature (hard) grain in a dilute solution of lye (which can be produced from water and wood ash) or of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide, i.e. from lime (material) as in limestone, not from lime (fruit)). The soaked maize is washed. Alkalinity helps dissolve hemicellulose, the major glue-like component of the maize cell walls, loosens the hulls from the kernels, and softens the corn.

Let's see, how much nixtamlization do I want to be doing, lol.
 
swbluto said:
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/why-31-old-supported-parents-152807538.html

Interesting, so this guy was derailed by a DUI and claims he's been subject to "setbacks", and he's entitled to being accommodated accordingly.

Dang, I was hoping of a story of someone with REAL SETBACKS like buddies stabbing you in the back. Or a professor failing your final exam denying you the degree because he despises you. (ultimately, career derailment in most sub-25 male cases)

Good GAWD, this guy is a jerk. I've got some of that in my family. The funny thing is the one most like that guy doesn't himself really do this 'Everyone is supposed to take care of me' crap, he just talks helpless and readily says he's a loser. I can sympathize with him reminding others that THEY are no great shakes either as they get uppity with him, he's never talked that way to me as I HAVE taken care of myself as best I can. And I DO have all the 'Setbacks.' As John Lennon said in his final interview, 'Life is what happens while you're making other plans.' That one has done better than the violent psychopath who always screams about himself as the center of the universe as he's never worked for a living or done much of anything other than drugs and alcohol.

So there's such a thing as the 'Victim/Rescuer/Persecutor' cycle, where the pathetic come to blame anyone who tries to help them for their problems. This video is a perfect illustration. Didn't see the whole show, but the loser himself describes a situation where the parents must be doing a great job with him. I'd point out to the guy that the cops are 'Playing his game.' Going along with him, they've seen his type before. They know who's to blame, he's kidding himself as they always do.

But failing a final exam doesn't deny you a degree. You just have to keep going.
 
Dang, my neighbor was telling me rent in this city near Houston was $1000/month, and I didn't believe him, didn't seem to be a really high rent area just from the looks of the apartments I've seen in the area.

Then I looked online, holy smoly! People actually paying $900/month to live THERE? lol.

Dang, and I'm only going to be 6 miles away (6 minutes on the 60mph road) for .54 acres I paid $5000 for. I know the market value is likely more like $12000, but hey, what can I say... county tax appraisals tend to mislead property owners as to "fair market value", especially when they underestimate acreages, lol.

So, this puts the HEB chicks' plight into more perspective, assuming she had one. Partime minimum wage is like $900/month, and local rent is like $900/month.

Not that I'm savoring at the idea of picking up desperate chicks especially not in light of the nausea and sleeplessness this morning in combination with "shortness of breath"-esque episodes over the last 3 mornings (I sure hope it's not progressive but I'm well aware it could be), but assuming that's what the HEB chick was, that sure was satisfying.
 
Dauntless said:
But failing a final exam doesn't deny you a degree. You just have to keep going.

What if this professor was the only professor who administered and graded this final exam? That'd make him a gatekeeper. Btw, it was an oral exam, so I assume there was more subjectivity involved in the grading with vulnerability to personal biases.
 
swbluto said:
Dauntless said:
But failing a final exam doesn't deny you a degree. You just have to keep going.

What if this professor was the only professor who administered and graded this final exam? That'd make him a gatekeeper. Btw, it was an oral exam, so I assume there was more subjectivity involved in the grading with vulnerability to personal biases.

This being YOU? Do you have a degree or don't you? What did you do to piss off the professor?
 
Dauntless said:
swbluto said:
Dauntless said:
But failing a final exam doesn't deny you a degree. You just have to keep going.

What if this professor was the only professor who administered and graded this final exam? That'd make him a gatekeeper. Btw, it was an oral exam, so I assume there was more subjectivity involved in the grading with vulnerability to personal biases.

This being YOU? Do you have a degree or don't you? What did you do to piss off the professor?

lol, I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about the Aurora shooter.
 
Cool, looks like I could get a low-interest septic system loan by USDA rural development program.

Just wondering how exactly I'd be funding a septic system if I hypothetically don't want to afford it /right now/ or can't afford it.

Seems like septic systems are required and my neighbor tells me someone is going to get penalized in this area.

Apparently not me because I "don't have a house" on this property, hehe.

The more likely reason is because I'm not on the septic people's radar... they have no reason to go down this street and haven't yet...

At the new address, I'll likely have the septic people passing by me doing inspections on the neighbors, so I doubt I can really hide and escape from that this time. I would love to use the "but I'm using an RV toilet and using the dump station", but I get the strange feeling I'd get penalized anyway and there's a reasonable chance the judge won't be sympathetic.
 
No septic, no water? Once again, NO SHOWER.
You know they do make a nice tent you could put up.
Sleep on the floor, do it in the back of the lot. Just hope the wind always blow the right direction :lol: :lol:

You can get a loan, how? You don't have a steady income by the books.

Dan
 
Rural development will be more concerned with getting the septic there than in him having a steady job, I'm sure he'd get the loan. Dang, is this guy even filing tax returns? What about 2016? I'll bet he's anticipating avoiding getting busted a few years, by then the neighbors may have killed him and solved the problem.

[youtube]LS37SNYjg8w[/youtube]
 
Dang, I swear I traumatized this random girl, lol. The anxiety with that one was strong, yes indeed.

See, I was inside my vehicle with my doors and windows closed and I kind of had this impression that no one can hear... well, actually, that's not really true. Anyway, thinking that she couldn't hear me... I said...

Then she looked at me somewhat peeved, lol, and walked on somewhat annoyed.

Then today, saw her again, and she looked really anxious, oh jeez. I don't think she recognized me... cut my long flowing hair between incidences...

I felt somewhat empowered in a sort of "I feel like a boss" kind of way seeing her readily obeying my command.

Stealing a girl's pride, seems like I have that talent when I'm being myself.

[youtube]KjrWw0h1qeo[/youtube]

seems like my throat/breathing is becoming more phlegmy (Slightly harder to breath kind of phlegmy, wheezy) and my left hand is somewhat tingling. Getting that warm flush feeling in the face.

Could be acid reflux, just burped.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/494805-can-acid-reflux-cause-mucous-wheezing-after-eating/

And acid reflux, when enters the lungs, stimulates mucus production and wheezing.
 
DAND214 said:
No septic, no water? Once again, NO SHOWER.
Dan

The water will be sourced by well and a water tank feeding into the water heater. For dumping bath water, just dig up a pit, put gravel in it, and just start dumping. It's grey water, so nothing serious. I'll make sure to use natural eco-friendly soaps just out of moral concern for mother nature.
 
I wonder if I shattered that girl's already fragile self-esteem. I'm thinking maybe I did, reminded her of something she clearly already knew she didn't have.
 
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