Trailrider1951
Trailrider1951's JournalOutstanding interview with Rachael Maddow about her book Prequel
Brought to you by the Free Library of Philadelphia. Enjoy! 
A question for the pie enthusiasts here
I'm bringing a pumpkin pie to Thursday's family get together and I have a crust question. I follow the recipe exactly and usually end up with a soggy bottom crust. I make a whole wheat/butter crust and bake the pie in a 10 inch enameled cast iron skillet. The pie recipe calls for baking the pie at 425* F for 15 minutes, then reducing the oven temperature to 350*F for the rest of the time. I consistently do this, and I have a thermometer in the oven to make sure it is the correct temperature. What else can I do to prevent a soggy bottom crust? Any suggestions? Thanks for your help.
Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner Now Operating On Renewable Diesel
https://laist.com/news/transportation/amtraks-pacific-surfliner-now-operating-on-renewable-dieselWhy it matters: The move away from locomotive diesel, which emit harmful pollutants, is part of meeting a net-zero emissions by 2045 goal that Amtrak announced last year.
"The adoption of renewable diesel for our Pacific Surfliner service is an important milestone in our ongoing commitment to environmental preservation and the fight against climate change," Jewel Edson, chair of the LOSSAN Agency Board of Directors, said in a statement. "We take immense pride in joining forces with Amtrak, state and federal agencies, rail equipment manufacturers, and fuel distributors who share our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainability."
What impact will the move have on greenhouse gasses? LOSSAN spokesperson Puja Thomas-Patel says the transition will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 63% during a train's operating lifetime. But she says it's important to note that the Pacific Surfliner fleet has used diesel-electric Charger locomotives since 2018.
"The Charger locomotives possess the stringent Tier IV emissions certification from the Environmental Protection Agency, making the Charger one of the cleanest diesel-electric passenger locomotives currently in operation," she said. "The Charger locomotive reduced emissions by 90% over the previous Pacific Surfliner locomotives. The switch to Renewable Diesel further reduces emissions."
As a railfan and Amtrak supporter, I am happy to post most of this short article. Little more at link.
Yard sale update
The results are in and the yard sale was a win! I sold most of the stuff on Friday, and only 3 items on Saturday. All told, I made $157 for the two days. What surprised me was that things I expected to sell did not. My old bicycle is still here, as are the practically new firepit and lawn mower. There is talk of another community yard sale next month so I guess I'll just save the remaining stuff until then.
Has anyone here had a yard sale? I'm planning my first one for next weekend
I have lots of good stuff that I don't use anymore, and I can surely use the cash. Can you give me any tips for a successful sale? I'll be in and out all day today and tomorrow prepping for the sale, and I would appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks!
Looks like Jupiter and Venus are having a party tonight
There, up in the Western sky are two very bright objects, and they aren't Chinese weather balloons. I'm here on the left coast where it's 7 pm. If you're in the Eastern time zone they may have already set. If so, try again tomorrow if your skies are clear. Happy viewing!
Another kind of cat video
A very interesting documentary from PBS/Nova on the origin of domesticated cats, and theories on why we love them:
I've had cats all my life and I wouldn't be without one or two. They certainly are entertaining little critters!
Biden-Harris Student Debt Relief Beta Launch
Heads up for those of you looking for Student Loan relief: I just got the following email this morning:
Apply for Student Debt Relief During the Beta Launch
You signed up to be among the first to know when the Biden-Harris student debt relief application is available.
We want to invite you to be among the first to apply for student debt relief, by being a tester of the online application NOW before we officially launch.
Soon, we’ll be opening the online application with our official launch. But we would like you to help us test the site by applying now during our beta test. If you submit an application during this period, it will be processed when the site officially launches. You won't need to resubmit. If you have already applied and received a confirmation email, you do not need to apply again.
Apply for debt relief now
The application is a short online form. You don’t need to log in or provide any documents.
The application will be available on and off during this beta period. If you try and it’s not available, try again later. Once the application officially opens later this month, it will remain open until December 31, 2023.
Learn More About One-time Student Loan Debt Relief
Beware of Scams
You might be contacted by a company saying they will help you get loan discharge, forgiveness, cancellation, or debt relief for a fee. You never have to pay for help with your federal student aid. Make sure you work only with the U.S. Department of Education and our loan servicers, and never reveal your personal information or account password to anyone.
Our emails to borrowers come from noreply@studentaid.gov, noreply@debtrelief.studentaid.gov, or ed.gov@public.govdelivery.com. You can report scam attempts to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-382-4357 or by visiting reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Check your email if you're looking for this notification.
Here is your Jan 6 Committee Hearing reminder:
The next televised hearing will be held on Wednesday, September 28 at 1:00 pm Eastern Daylight time.
https://january6th.house.gov/legislation/hearings
That's 12 noon Central Daylight time,
11:00 am Mountain Daylight time,
and 10:00 am Pacific Daylight time.
If your state does not observe Daylight Savings time, add or subtract accordingly. Alaska and Hawaii, adjust accordingly. I'll be streaming PBS. 
I have a camera question for you photographers **UPDATE**
A friend of mine died a few years ago and left me a nice digital camera, among other things. The camera is a Sony Cybershot DSC-H5. Unfortunately, one of the AA batteries went bad and left some corrosion in and around the battery compartment. I googled the problem, and the advice was to 1. clean out the area with white vinegar and a q-tip, 2. scrub it with baking soda, to neutralize the acid in the vinegar, 3. wipe with a damp lint-free cloth, and 4. let dry completely before inserting new batteries. Does this sound like good advice to you? I have no experience cleaning battery corrosion from electronic gear, only on car batteries. Thanks for your input!
