Middle Tenant Creek Falls
Not a large waterfall, but if your going to see the Upper Falls, it's worthwhile to stop by for a bit.
Saturday April 24, 2021 — Tenant Creek Falls — Tenant Creek Falls Trail 🗺
U.S. Energy Exports Hit Records as World Adjusts to a Closed Persian Gulf – WSJ
Oil, gas shipments have soared but U.S. will face obstacles turning wartime demand into a permanent boost
Bed After Spraying
Bar them spraying the gooseneck and bed bolts, I am pretty happy with how the bedliner came out. Maybe it could have been sprayed a bit deeper, but they did mask the bed, lights, switches, and removed the maintance panels prior to spraying. And it wasn't super expensive at $575 plus tax, and we're able to get me in right away. The material is grippy but not harsh and rough, and will make an excellent stable surface for storing gear and supplies and camping under the shell. Still I wish they had been more transparent and honest about the bed bolts, but I also should have asked more point blank. Now just waiting on the truck cap..
Friday April 24, 2026 — Old Smokey
Not so cool about them covering the gooseneck bolts
I still pretty pissed about that, especially as they told me they would remove all hardware before spraying, but from what I read that's common practice, and it's not a big deal to pull the covered bolts with a heat gun and maybe a knife and mallet. Not that I'm planning to put a gooseneck hitch there - I'm getting a camper shell in a few weeks but I wish that they had been a lot more honest about it. They did remove most of the other hardware, and it was well masked, though I do wonder if they coated the bed deep enough. Just going to push camping gear there, still I'm not happy with the shop or their answers, so I doubt they'll ever get my future business.
Friday April 24, 2026 — Old Smokey
What is Synthetic Caffeine and Why It Will Likely Replace Coffee ☕
Every time I go to the store it seems like coffee has gotten more expensive. Coffee prices are surging due to climate change and tarrifs. I wouldn’t be surprised if eventually coffee becomes too expensive and rare and is mostly replaced by morning drinks with synthetic caffeine beverages produced from urea and chloroacetic acid. Coffee in many ways pushing up against the limits of mass production of many commodities.
Synthetic caffeine is commonly used in sodas, energy drinks, and pre-workout supplements due to its low cost. While chemically similar to natural caffeine, it is usually anhydrous (water-free), absorbed faster, and often causes sharper, faster energy spikes and crashes. Sounds gross but already widely used in sodas and 5-hour energy / caffeine pills. Probably use sugar or sugar alternative and milk powder as a fat source to make a fairly decent alternative wake you up breakfast beverage.
People think foods are constant in our modern world and never will change or become unavailable or unaffordable but food is constantly in flux and people do seek out alternatives when conventional commodities become too expensive.
Key Aspects of Synthetic Caffeine:
- Production: Primarily manufactured by chemical synthesis using urea.
- Usage: Frequently found in energy drinks, gums, and sodas because it is more cost-effective to produce than extracting it from plants.
- Absorption and Effects: It is absorbed more quickly by the body than natural caffeine, leading to a faster, often harsh, energy boost followed by a rapid crash.
- Side Effects: High consumption can lead to jitters, heart palpitations, insomnia, and headaches.
- Difference from Natural: Unlike natural caffeine found in coffee or tea, which is accompanied by other compounds, synthetic caffeine is generally pure caffeine without accompanying plant nutrients.
- Distinction: It can be distinguished from natural caffeine through highly sensitive radioisotope analysis, as it is often fluorescent and lacks the hydration of natural sources.
