The Zombie War Continues

At least a few people are talking about restoring some sanity and ending this whole switch-your-clocks-twice-a-year madness.  As seen over at the NYT: Springing forward to daylight saving time is obsolete, confusing, and unhealthy critics say  If for no other reason than, as mentioned in the article linked at yesterday's post, to avoid the on-average five additional traffic deaths correlated with this idiocy each year.

My take is that there were a lot of bad ideas that came into fashion in the 1910's: personal income tax, eugenics, prohibition, World War I and – minor yet annoying – DST.  It's like there was some cultural madness that took hold in that era.  It is high time that we reclaim what sanity remains to us and, for a start, simply set our clocks once and leave them there.

The Day The Zombies March Forth

https://www.vox.com/2019/3/5/18245095/daylight-saving-time-2019-begins-spring-forward

Don't Click That Link!

But do click this one to today's SMBC cartoon and see about why to curb your own internet access.

That's all I got for today.

Backpacker Tent Survey Results

... are up over at Section Hiker.  link

As with last January's survey of which water filter backpackers use, there's a lot of experience packed in there.  While it's a completely unscientific survey, it is from a self-selected group of somewhat nerdy online avid backpackers, those are exactly the kind of people you'd trust for gear recommendations.  At least, it's got to be more meaningful than reading the average Amazon reviews.

Back to the survey, it has a few surprises.  Big Agnes brand is the run-away winner, with slightly more than the next two brands (REI and Tarptent) combined.  Eureka, my pick and a best-seller with the car camping crowd, is way down the list.  There are also breakdowns by shelter type (tent, hammock, etc.) and a few more sub-divisions, including intention to buy a Dyneema tent ($$$$).  Interesting data, it may influence you to try something new.

ps: Weather looks poor this weekend, so that Tuxachanie trip is likely a scrub.

State of Amateur Radio Survey

If you're a ham, take a minute and go fill out the survey.  Results from 2017 & 2018 are also at the link.

Parade-Going in New Orleans Yesterday

Saw the Iris and Tucks parades in the family-friendly part of St. Charles.  It was a lot of fun, and you'd have to be a real photographer for pictures to do it justice.  Here's the best out of 20 or so phone snapshots:

Hat tip to The Darling Daughter and her crew for having me over.

TPO Solar: Don't.

First, TPO = Third Party Ownership

Not from personal experience, but instead I refer you to this article at Bloomberg:

What Happened When I Bought a House With Solar Panels

Really though, it's a pretty crappy title.  There's nothing physically wrong with solar panels on a house, apart from usually not making financial sense and having a bunch of holes in your roof.  The real problem is the complicated financial schemes some people sign into to get them on that house with no money up front.  "No Money Up Front" = "Trouble."  And afterward, good luck trying to sell that house while it's still under one of these contracts.

Anyway, there's your medium-long weekend read.