Antoine Doinel

While visiting family earlier this month, the TV was on an we caught part of this horrible French movie called The 400 Blows.  Apparently AMC was having a marathon showing several films by the director François Truffaut following the story of the character Antoine Doinel.  It was kind of depressing.

MAIL

For people interested in chainmail, there's the Maille Artisans International League, or M.A.I.L.  Cool.

Stratospheric Welsbach seeding for reduction of global warming

Is this what those chemtrails are?

Ken Ota

Ryohei Ota posted an article on his father Ken on FB a while ago.  And apparently Bloomington-Normal is called the Twin Cities, too.

Politically True?

Found this on Facebook, actually attributed to Jeff Foxworthy.  Apparently it wasn't him, but a post on a site called Politically True:

• If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If the only school curriculum allowed to explain how we got here is evolution, but your government stops a $15 million construction project to keep a rare spider from evolving to extinction … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If you have to show identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book, but not to vote for who runs your government … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If your government believes that using steroids or other drugs will ruin your life, but throwing you in prison for years will not … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If your government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines with more than ten rounds, but gives 20 F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If, in the largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not a 24-ounce soda because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If an 80-year-old woman can be strip-searched by the TSA but a woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If a seven year old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher “cute,” but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If children are forcibly removed from parents who discipline them with spankings while children of addicts are left in filth and drug infested “homes”… you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government intrusion, while not working is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid, subsidized housing, and free cell phones … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If your government’s plan for getting people back to work is to incentivize NOT working with 99 weeks of Unemployment checks and no requirement to prove they applied but can’t find work … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If you pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big screen TV while your neighbor buys iPhones, TVs and new cars, and your government forgives his debt when he defaults on his mortgage … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

• If your government believes that the way to make a school of unarmed children safe is to pass another law, this time with the illusion that three 10-round magazines in a rifle is safer than a 30-round magazine … you might live in a country founded by geniuses and run by idiots.

Well, that last one is weaker than the rest.  Otherwise, yeah, it's apparent that things are pretty fucked up.

Trusses Again

Well, back to this.

To get the terminology, diagrams help.  The same site implies that sistering the bottom chord is sufficient to reduce sag: "Undersized bottom chords should be stiffened to prevent ceiling sag and cracking of ceiling finishes. Adding a second member to the bottom chord would normally be satisfactory."

A FH blog post had some conflicting advice.  The solution I thought was most sensible was in the comments: "run a beam under the joist,no post needed, create a beam pocket at one end with double 2x4 cripples and 2x12 double simpson hanger at overhead header. Use 2x12 and 1/2 plywood glued with PL400 and your done."  Except that's probably to reduce the span; my issue is that running something cross-wise isn't an option.  It could work for the shelving, perhaps.  I'd have to remove the drywall to install the trimmers for the beam pocket, though.

A JLC article suggested a composite beam along the lines of the above.  Sounds expensive.

Perhaps I should go find myself a structural engineer to bother regarding my problem.  Expertise ain't free.

Alodia as the Baroness

This came up in Alodia's feed on Facebook, which I must say is a cosplay subject I wasn't expecting.

There are more images on Flickr.

MLPs

I was looking at picking up SDT to put in an IRA account, but when I went to the trade page, my brokerage displayed a warning that SDT is an MLP (Master Limited Partnership), which may have tax consequences for my account:

Investments in publicly traded MLPs involve risks and considerations that may differ from investments in common stock.

Tax complexity risk: Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) are generally considered passthrough entities for tax purposes and have special tax considerations. Pass-through entities may generate unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) that may have undesirable tax consequences for retirement accounts and other tax-exempt investors. If you hold MLP units, you are generally treated as a partner for tax purposes and will be issued a Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) rather than a Form 1099 form for use in filling out your tax return. A K-1 lists the partner's share of income, deductions, credits, and other tax items. If the MLP has operations in multiple states, you may need to file a separate tax return in each state.

An MLP that is treated as a corporation in the United States rather than a pass-through entity for federal income tax purposes would be obligated to pay federal income tax on its income at the corporate tax rate. In this case, the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP would be reduced and part or all of the distributions made could be taxed entirely as dividend income. In this case a Form 1099 would be furnished rather than a Schedule K-1. Please see the MLP’s website, SEC filings, or most recent shareholder report for further details about tax treatment of your investments.

A search turned up a page on the National Association of Publicly Traded Partnership's site regarding MLPs and retirement accounts which has some useful information about UBIT (Unrelated Business Income Tax).  BusinessWire also has information on SDT, including a link to their tax information page.

Kumquats

I found a place to get a kumquat plant, for almost $100, if one can't wait to grow one from seed....