And heat. Lots more heat. We at least got some nice breezes in the late afternoon. Without having to work in the sun, or in a still space, it would be nice and warm in the shade. But, I’m not sitting in the shade. More days should be just like yesterday.
I did my stuff and I’m still not done. I’ll keep plugging away today. Two more trips should do it, if I can find space for the stuff. I am finding good stuff to sell or use so there is that. Some of it was very far back in the unit. Turns out I have a lot more turntables and a lot more shoes to sell than I expected.
One of the odd things I found was a box of harddrives. 5 vintage apple drives each selling on eBay for around $100 was a nice surprise. One might sell for $150 and one had some crazy high asks, but no sales. I put them in the “list this first’ pile.
When I start listing again, it would be nice to have some early ‘wins’. I think I can do that no problem. Just have to DO it.
Which won’t happen if I don’t get a move on. Just as soon as an auction for something for D2 ends. I really want it, in any condition, but it’s gonna be a pain in the butt to pickup north of Austin when I am on my way to the BOL…
Keep the faith, and keep stacking.
nick
Tuesday. Good morning!
Germany are out of the World Cup, so I might be spared the blow-by-blow accounts of matches from now on. Haha. I can hope.**
The temperature is back to normal summertime, which is about 15C less than it was last week, and a good deal less horribly humid too. We might get a little rain today, which is not ideal, as I really need to leaf-blow off the lawn the debris from the big blow on Saturday, so that I can turn the mower robot back on before the grass gets too long for it.
However, Megaproject continues. I expect a chunk to drop on my virtual desk today, so probably no time for gardening. Better to first get outside of some breakfast before the work appears, because there might be no lunch or dinner if it does…
Have a lovely day!
** There is a funny little anecdote in, I think, How To Travel With A Salmon: and Other Essays by Umberto Eco, in which he recounts being regaled with unutterably boring soccer trivia by a loquacious London cabbie, during which Eco debates with himself whether he should reciprocate by waxing lyrical about mediaeval recorder music, his own favourite topic. He thinks better of it, and instead pretends to be interested in football. I am sometimes Umberto Eco.
Back to normal? My Gwad I thought this was going to go all summer and kill half of Eurostan, or so they news said.
60F at 5:30 this am here. We’ve had a couple of days of mild weather. Now heading back to low nineties for the 4th however 97 predicted.
89F at 930am. We’re getting close to 90s at 9, 100s at 10…
———
Coffee is brewing. I haven’t decided on breakfast yet. Kid has a friend over so I’m up and moving around.
———
https://www.dailymail.com/yourmoney/article-15939503/volkswagen-job-cuts-china-factories.html
Unions are opposed to job cuts, and water is wet. I bet those same unions have been raising wage demands the whole time too.
The plan looks like closing all the EU factories, and then maybe leasing the buildings to chinese automakers, or defense contractors. (Interesting, if german defense contractors suddenly need new manufacturing plants.) As long as china can just import their shitboxes, they don’t need to build there, unless the germans have … wait for it… import tariffs!
By my math they make about $11K per employee and cutting 1/6 while maintaining the same profit raises that number to almost $14k. That’s not all that much. It would be interesting to compare profit per employee to the other automakers, and some big manufacturers. Then look at other sectors of the economy.
n
Turns out, that is exactly the sort of question AI can answer, if you believe it.
So it looks like Volkwagon makes 10x net profit / employee more than the “legacy automakers”. WTF does the Board want them to be making?
n
Apparently, people on Medicare Part D are eligible for GLP-1 drugs July 1, if you meet certain criteria, which I do. I am sufficiently fat.
Now I have to talk to my doctor. We’ve had the “I want the drugs” chat. And the “I’d rather you didn’t but I’ll do it if you insist” chat.
Now I have to get him to jump through some hoops to get me in the program, and choose which of the eligible drugs to take.
SCOTUS is retarded:
The libturds+ ruled against tRump’s birthright EO. Now it is Constitutional for any crimmigrant to run over the border, drop a kid, and the kid is a Citizen. And, it is too inhumane to not let the parents stay.
Then they rule with States against troons playing in girls sports.
All tRump can do now is deport, deport, deport. Send those crimmigrant parents home and take your Citizen kid with you.
The Redumblicans will do nothing about this.
looks like https://wheelgunr.blogspot.com/ got nuked.
n
Never allow a non-citizen woman or girl into the US ever again. No student visas, no tourist visas, no work visas, no refugee status. Deport every female non-citizen immediately. Illegal immigrants are to be brought outside of US territory and crammed into cages. Or shoot them as they cross the border; that’s my recommendation though some might find it too harsh.
I signed up for X to see if I could ping zendodeb (wheelgunr) but it’s a hot mess of confusing nonsense. People actually look at that shite all day long?
n
Costco gas only locations?
My local HEB had gas for $3.09…
And people are complaining because services I’ve never seen at Costco aren’t at this one particular station? FFS people. Propane refills? Car wash?? Propane refills have to be a money loser for most places. It takes time, and unless you have customers lined up, there is no way the price covers the cost of labor.
n
I filled up at the San Antonio “far west” Costco on Saturday, at $2.84/gal. And yes, sometimes it’s a zoo trying to get in. It’s the breaks of being popular, I guess.
Nick opines about X:
Not a counter argument, but the “For You” algorithm is terrible. If you find a few people to follow and choose the “Following” tab, it’s better.
But it’s a time sink, and not productive. Thing is, it’s where i get my news, and there’s stuff on X that the commie media won’t cover at all.
Oh, there’s a neighborhood gas station selling regular unleaded for $2.999 Cash price.
With only a quick glance, I think the graphical layout and UI are super stinky. Lots of UI elements are way too big, too much “pick me” stuff covering ⅓ of the page, and the convention for displaying posts/comments on the post/ reposts/comments on that… are not graphically clear.
I understand the desire to have it as a service but it looks like a black and white geocities page without the blink tag.
n
Lost my auction for the kid, and the sun is past noon, so I’m getting ready to leave the house.
n
You’ve got enough kids anyway. Besides, you never know what you’ll get off the internet.
What California really wants is Buc-ee’s. Of course, they won’t admit it.
35°C outside and 24°C inside.
Thank you Mr. Carrier!
Amusingly someone predicted the SCOTUS birthright decision based on the fact that there were no leaks and no fences put up around the court building to defend it against ol’ Lefty.
If’n I remember correctly the San Antonio area has three Costcos. All on the north side. I have been to all three. All were crowded.
My local Costco is really crowded. It is difficult to find a place to park. They just recently expanded the gas pumps by one row and add a third pump to each row. That helped the gas lines. I got the executive membership to get in before the riff raff. I paid $2.96 today at the local Costco. 10 days ago I paid $2.95 at Costco in Chattanooga, which I build a new fueling station.
I buy propane at my local Costco, I basically use it for cooking and the water heater only, and it’s roughly 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the other propane locally available. There is always a line.
From time to time a small propane business will start up locally with a low price – then Suburban buys them out and raises the price again.
I don’t have a Costco membership because it’s like 50 miles to get there. Ok, maybe 40 miles. One way. Plus traffic.
I mean, sure, some stuff there has better prices but by time you add drive time and gas usage, the HEB four miles a way has a better price.
If and when I need a new TV, I know folks with a membership so I can go with them to shop.
Oh wait. They have a location in Leander now. A bit closer than 1431 and the 183 toll road. I still have my membership card, that might get me in the door.
Hey, Nick. Your comment of today to Commander Zero about running a digger would be worth sharing here too.
I wish I had read that before I rented my first excavator. Probably wouldn’t have saved me from getting stuck in the hole, though…
I buy my propane at a local place. Someone told me Hank Hill use to work there. And it seems true.
I mean that as a good thing.
They do fill the tanks more than the Blue Rino or whatever brand sold at the grocery store. And for a couple of bucks less.
“Supreme Court: Fourth Amendment Protects Your Phone’s Location History”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/supreme-court-fourth-amendment-protects-your-phones-location-history
“In its first digital-privacy case since 2018, the court builds on a privacy precedent it set then.”
“The 33-page opinion in Chatrie v. United States by Justice Elena Kagan, joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Justices Brett M. Kavanaugh, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Sonia Sotomayor (with Justice Neil M. Gorsuch writing a separate concurrence), picked up where the court left off six years ago in Carpenter v. United States.”
“In that 2018 case, the court held that police needed a warrant to inspect a suspect’s historical cell-site location information (CSLI), which wireless carriers automatically collect and keep for years. Monday’s decision emphasizes how Location History collects much more precise information and can be inescapable in practice, especially on Android phones. ”
“Gorsuch’s concurring opinion goes further by suggesting the third-party doctrine itself makes little sense. “Do we seriously mean to suggest that most Americans think they have no ‘reasonable expectation of privacy’ in records held for them by their banks or pharmacists or doctors or technology companies?” he writes.”
“As he did in a concurring opinion to the Carpenter decision, Gorsuch suggests a property-rights framing would make it clear that your data is your property and therefore qualifies for Fourth Amendment protections of people’s “persons, houses, papers, and effects.””
“His shorter version of that: “entrusting your effects to a third party for certain agreed purposes doesn’t mean they are no longer yours.””
Get a freaking specific warrant!
looks like https://wheelgunr.blogspot.com/ got nuked.>
This is why Divemedic has his blog in a currently safe area:
https://areaocho.com/hosting/
“Holy Cow”
https://areaocho.com/holy-cow/
“This is how NOT to train with firearms. What live fire range is dumb enough to allow this?”
That is freaking dangerous. If the US Marine Corps does not do it then run away.
“Iceberg”
https://areaocho.com/iceberg/
“The Titanic was doomed before its construction was even complete. Design flaws combined with low quality steel and poor piloting decisions doomed that ship. The only question was when.”
“The nation founded in 1788 lasted 73 years before being replaced in a Federalist coup. The Civil War destroyed the premise of United States when the Confederate states were taken by military force and returned to the “union” by dictate. I remain convinced that Lincoln was the first Ruler of the American Empire. The golden age was in the 1950s, and by the time it completed its crowning achievement of landing on the moon, it was already in decline.”
“Under the Feudal system, people living under a rulers “protection” had to spend 2 days each week working for their “lord” and pay a bit to him from the other days, so that a peasant paid his lord about a third of his productive labor in what we would call taxes. They got off easy. Our effective tax rate approaches 50%.”
“Even that will soon end as we are crushed under the weight of illegal immigrants and their offspring. The Supreme Court just ruled that every pregnant third world refugee who squirts out a child is entitled to stay here and feed from the public trough.”
“As I have been saying, Trump was nothing more than a bump in the road. The Democrats are soon to win the midterms. The nation I was born in, as flawed as it was, is over.”
Yup. Trump is just delaying the disaster known as the USA financial apocalypse. It has been now been moved from 2029 to around 2032.
Wizard of Id: Roofing
https://www.gocomics.com/wizardofid/2026/06/30
And that is why I don’t do roofing. That and I like my ankles.
>> The price dropped from $815 to $600. I did not expect that.
> And now back to $815 in price for the WD 20 TB.
https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Desktop-External-external-storage/dp/B09VCXWPQG?tag=ttgnet-20
And today the 20 TB WD is $745.
This reminds me of fly fishing and I am the fish.
And SCOTUS just made Citizenship worthless. Redumblicans can’t even pass the SAVE Act.
I do see a glimmering hope as commies infiltrate the Dumbocrat party. There will be a time when the commies will dilute Dumbocrat voting in lockstep. The Redumblicans have to act at that point to pass as much of tRump’s agenda as possible. I hope the remaining Dumbocrats see that the commies are trying to destroy the FUSA.
Kill the commies. Kill all of them.
I have had 2 different Blue Rhino tanks that were overfilled.
I ran a tank dry, and swapped in the middle of cooking. Swapped in the too-full tank, and it’s the same as dry; there’s a safety shutoff for that.
YouTube to the rescue! Loosen a screw on the valve, bleed off a bunch, hook it up again, and, as my Mom used to say, You’re cookin’ with gas!.
Sorry/not sorry.
I looked at the Amazon price for that 20TB WD drive; Amazon says I purchased a drive just like that in 2023 for $279.
There are four now. 3 across the north side of town, and one at Potranco and 1604, which is closest to me.
Liberty Hill, out the back entrance of Santa Rita Ranch, one of the big Colonist developments.
Colonists love Costco.
Taking a cool down break and eating. Sensor alarmed on low blood sugar, and it was true. Don’t need that on top of the heat and trying to stay hydrated.
n
The Boy Wonder (Kavanaugh) voted against the EO but did not join the majority supporting the interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
The Supreme Court has been waiting for Congress to settle the issue for 100 years.
I’m happy to oblige the folks here…
From over at https://www.commanderzero.com
nick flandrey on June 30, 2026 at 9:57 AM said:
I’ve rented a miniex twice now for work at my BOL and I’ve moved A LOT of material with it. Pick a spot to start where your precision won’t matter (ie. like the center of a big hole for the tank.) Use that first hour to practice and you’ll figure it out.
Think about a couple of things while you are working.
— where to put the soil you remove. You don’t want it in your way as you dig, you want it close to hand, but without some way to move it, you’ll have a big pile next to your big hole… because you put the tank in the hole. If you plan to just spread it out, do so as much as possible while digging.
— a big pile of leftover dirt is a resource. Think about using it to accomplish another goal, like a berm that blocks a sight line, or filling in a low spot. I piled up all my dirt and waited a year before I knew where to put it. I wish I’d saved a little for some stuff that has come up since.
— think about having a couple of “nice to do” jobs that you can grab if you have time- like pulling up a rotten stump, or moving a big rock.
— miniex makes holes, a skid steer or track loader moves material. They are best used in tandem. Think about all that material, and if you need to move it. You might be renting a skid steer next…
—– and finally, there are a couple of different schemes for how the controls work. There is an ISO standard, and then there are others that evolved from different machines or manufacturers. There is a selector switch somewhere on that miniex to chose between them. If you can’t get your mind and body around how the controls work so it seems “right” to you, switch to another control scheme. I needed the bucket ‘curl’ on one hand, and the ‘reach out’ and ‘rotate’ functions on the other. That was not how they sent it from the rental yard. I didn’t have hours of muscle memory either, it’s just that one arrangement ‘made sense’ and one didn’t.
Running heavy equipment is fun, but it’s also brutal on your body. That machine with knock you all around and jostle you like crazy. Bring up some paper medical tape or moleskin to cover any places where your skin rubs on the armrest or a knee rubs on the machine. Sweat plus sand or dust equals abrasive grit. I wore holes in my arm, wrist, and knee from all the rubbing. Granted I was on the machines 10 hours a day for over a week each time…
And be careful on any inclines, wear the seatbelt, and go slow to start. Looking forward to hearing how it works out for you.
nick
1604/281 is the one closest to my wife’s crash pad, not far from the VA clinic where she works.
My wife gets a lot of pressure from the nurses to take over the clinic at Shavano Park, but the B*tchy Doctor’s Wife made sure word got out this weekend that it wouldn’t happen on her watch.
My job. My house. My choice.
Shavano is a train wreck, and only contractors work there willingly.
The citizens of a sovereign nation have an inalienable right to defend themselves from invading aliens. Doesn’t matter if they are from Proxima Centauri or Mexico. Entering our nation by evading our laws and sovereign right to control who enters is de facto proof of bad intent.
“There were concerns from the hotel community,”
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/06/los-angeles-delays-30-hour-olympic-wage-after-job-losses-shake-industry/
The industry is very concerned that they will not be able to pocket the full amount of the excess charges they intend to screw out of tourists during the event.
Man, the targeted spam out of the AIs has been heavy today. Goes right through the gmail filters into my spam folder.
I see that Big Mike’s beard, whose ability to right a sentence is so execrable that he was and is the only “editor” of the Harvard Law Review who never wrote an editorial, continues to bloviate about our country’s history. It’s like listening to fairy tales by Everett Edward Horton.
Embrace and extend. Redmond has Docker in its sights.
I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before now, however.
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/wsl-container-is-now-available-for-public-preview/
The citizens of a sovereign nation have an inalienable right to defend themselves from invading aliens. Doesn’t matter if they are from Proxima Centauri or Mexico. Entering our nation by evading our laws and sovereign right to control who enters is de facto proof of bad intent.
It will take a civil war to fix this.
No, it won’t, mostly. They scan your card when you enter to make certain the membership is valid. You can get in if you say you are getting a prescription filled. But you cannot buy anything else as the membership card is scanned at the register.
“Justices strike down campaign finance law”
https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/06/justices-strike-down-campaign-finance-law/
“The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a major ruling on money in elections. By a vote of 6-3, the justices struck down a federal law that limited the amount of money that political parties can spend in coordination with a candidate for office. The majority opinion, written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, agreed with the challengers that the coordinated expenditure limits violate the First Amendment.”
“Tuesday’s decision in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission overruled the court’s 2001 decision in Federal Election Commission v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee, in which the court – then by a vote of 5-4 – upheld the same limits.”
“Writing for the court, Kavanaugh said that Tuesday’s ruling “treats all political parties equally. It will allow all political parties—including the DNC and RNC and the respective Senate and House campaign committees, as well as other parties and party committees—to participate more freely and compete more fully in the political process, and to coordinate more closely with their candidates.””
So now I can write a check for a billion dollars to the RNC but still cannot write that same check to the actual candidate.
Especially the Pritzker family.
Running for President is expensive.
Costco profits flow from the memberships. The markups on the merchandise keep the lights on and the stores staffed.
Apparently, people on Medicare Part D are eligible for GLP-1 drugs July 1, if you meet certain criteria, which I do. I am sufficiently fat.
Now I have to talk to my doctor. We’ve had the “I want the drugs” chat. And the “I’d rather you didn’t but I’ll do it if you insist” chat.
Now I have to get him to jump through some hoops to get me in the program, and choose which of the eligible drugs to take.
Huh? What program is this?
So how much do you weigh now and what is your height?
My 5’11” female cousin took Wegovy and lost 50 lbs with that after she lost 50 lbs with willpower. I think she is down to 130 lbs.
She is 10 years younger than me and has had open heart surgery twice, once at 3 days and then at 11 years. She was born with a quarter sized hole in her heart. Her heart is not doing well at all and she has constant afib to boot. They stripped her leg veins the other day, shudder.
Supposedly the new Wegovy pills are $130 a month, all you need is a doctor prescription.
https://www.wegovy.com/obesity/is-wegovy-right-for-me/wegovy-pill-results.html
Since I asked, you don’t have to tell, I am 6’1″ and 253 lbs. And 66 years of age. I snack all the time at work because I am hungry all the time.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/29/health/medicare-glp1-coverage
Link courtesy of instapundit
Eligibility is based on BMI and presence of other problems, like high blood pressure, prediabetes, high cholesterol. Explained, sort of, in the linked article. Just not how to actually get the benefit.
It’s only good for a year and a half, but then we’ll be a year and a half closer to patents running out. Generics will exist. And Congress may repeal their stupid prohibition on weight loss drugs in Medicare.
Cost to patient is expected to be in the $50/month range.
My gas grill says to not open the valve all the way. Because there is a safety shutoff in the regulator. But I replaced the regulator a few years ago so who knows? It works fine with the valve opened a half turn.
I’ve watched the propane guy mess with the bleed valve. But only with a brand new tank.
Your BMI is 33.4 and I believe you have a previous heart attack. As it happens, I’m technically Stage 3 CKD. As if I needed more boxes checked off.
Sure. I know that. But if I’m expired they’ll let me in so I can renew. And I can shop on the way to the renewal counter and if I don’t find the TV or anything else I want, I simply leave.
ERCOT, the Texas Electrical grid, is running approximately 50/50 on solar / wind / hydro versus the fossil and nuclear at the moment at 7 pm on June 30, 2026.
Current Generation Monthly Capacity
Solar 16,038 MW(19.5%) 39,378 MW
Wind 24,560 MW(29.9%) 40,586 MW
Hydro 261 MW(0.3%) 579 MW
Power Storage -187 MW(-0.2%) 20,704 MW
Other 50 MW(0.1%) 643 MW
Natural Gas 27,358 MW(33.3%) 69,756 MW
Coal and Lignite 9,052 MW(11.0%) 13,705 MW
Nuclear 4,995 MW(6.1%) 5,268 MW
total 82,127 MW 190,619 MW
I really really think folks taking the GLP weight reduction drugs are going to wake up in a few years to find they are fucked.
To find their digestive system is destroyed and God knows what other system is screwed.
I apologize to the ladies for the rude word. There may be more.
I have a theory. One puts on weight as one ages. It’s like gaining weight when pregnant. Because the stored calories are to help you get through some “old age event”. Or have enough stores to make milk. And also because one might still eat like they are 35 years old and when you are pushing 65 you just are not as active. It’s gotta go somewhere.
I’ve watch several dogs, err, like 15 as a quick guess, and a longhorn and a donkey…. they got fat. Not obese, but plump. Not rolls of jiggle, just “well fed”. Ribs well covered with insulation fat. But could still feel their ribs. Then when they get really old they get skinny. Like they can’t absorb their food as well.
I’ve watched a few people do the same. Yeah. Mammals. That’s how it works.
But it also works on emu. They get fat and plump and then seemingly suddenly get skinny before they die of old age. It’s like they eat and nothing digests.
But yeah. I think taking a drug to lose weight is not a good idea. I think eating less is the way. But damn, them Doritos sure are tasty.
Take the drugs. If they work for you, super awesome. Live long and prosper.
Me? I don’t recall the last time I took an aspirin. The little pink decongestants you have to show ID to buy? I have plenty. Something changed. The shit’s crazier than a couple of mexican diet pills in college so you get to sleep three hours and wake up bright and ready to go.
I eat a Tums once in a while. That’s all. Half of the Tums I eat are because I’ve already brushed my teeth and I want some candy. I’ve never claimed to be normal.
Maybe snack on meat. Like jerky and bacon. Vienna sausage. Heck, open a can of corned beef and dig a fork in. Yeah, lots of salt. But your kidneys take care of the salt. Hard boiled eggs.
I’ve noticed I get the starving hungries after eating a small bowl of chips… a one ounce bag of chips.
I just figure if I’m hungry after eating dinner, my body is trying to tell me what it needs.
And it’s interesting that three pimento stuffed olives or a few dill pickle slices or a small chunk of cheese makes me not hungry.
It’s not the salt. I’ve tried that. Salt and some water. Nope, still hungry.
When I was a teenager working on the farm I was consuming 7,000+ calories a day and only weighed 140 pounds when I joined the USAF. I was strong and could sling a 60 pound bale of hay over my head, easily. I could that all day. A lot was technique but was still labor. During the summer months, April through September, I moved half a mile of 3”, 40 foot length, aluminum irrigation pipe 60 feet, twice a day. Along with other chores. Problem is, I still like to eat. But, I would rather be happy than hungry.
Honestly, Greg, who put a golf ball up your butt?
Dietary fat helps with satiety. I spent 9 weeks eating sushi and sashimi for dinner 5 nights a week, and even stuffed so full I could barely breathe, I still felt hungry. I’d have a small bag of Lay’s classic chips and that would shut off the hunger. No fat in the sushi to speak of.
Atkins diet adds fat to help with the hunger…
I’m a fan.
n
I too worry about the long term effects of the new weight loss drugs. W started a few months ago and they work, but she’s also working out with a trainer at the YMCA. Anything that has such a powerful effect is bound to have side effects. We’ve seen all manner of wonder drugs fail long term…
I have an idea. Because in some ways, we are kindred souls.
You are born a caucasian American male in the Twentieth Century, and raised on the American National Mythos, that hard work backed by intelligence will lead to almost limitless success. That intelligence and dedication and sticktoitiveness will be recognized and endless opportunities will exist for you to prosper and be productive.
Then, systematically, beginning in the 1950’s, Americanism and American exceptionalism are put down in the Press, in the grade schools, in the universities. Anti-male politics abound. Patriotism is ridiculed. Replacement immigration is fostered, then accelerated. Preference in employment and promotion are denied to white males, and if you complain about it, or even notice it, you are sexist or racist or xenophobic.
Heroes are demeaned and insulted, and then removed. I’m convinced this was initiated by Russian Communist infiltrators and agents, and as Russia faded, it was taken over by the CCP. They already admitted (or were caught) pushing abstract, ugly art, and taking over the universities, starting with Journalism, and I strongly suspect their influence in destroying American industries, not the least by the Ecology movement. Isn’t it odd that American manufacturing is dirty and polluting, but Chinese isn’t?
As a noticer, living through this, a smart man learns to shut up, keep his head low, and control the very few things he can. Do my work, shut up at the office, don’t count on ever getting promoted, resign yourself to being supervised by people who are semi-literate and stupid.
Once you’ve been burned by the system, you scab over and protect the wound.
Sometimes that means asserting control within your family living situation, even if it’s reactive. Or reactionary.
The campaign finance law reminds me of the old Anatole France (I actually thought it was a Rumpole thing) quote:
“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.”
Good or bad, we can add “finance candidates” to that now.
I’m with Paul: as someone who has personally had issues with both Zantac and with statins I think the long-term effects are probably going be huge and the gov’t & medical industry will refuse to address them as long as they possibly can.
For a subset of people it might be a good idea, tradeoffs and all, but I don’t think anyone really understands the cycles and needs of various fats in the body.
I’m with Paul: as someone who has personally had issues with both Zantac and with statins I think the long-term effects are probably going be huge and the gov’t & medical industry will refuse to address them as long as they possibly can.
For a subset of people it might be a good idea, tradeoffs and all, but I don’t think anyone really understands the cycles and needs of various fats in the body.
Every single one of the GLP drugs has explosive diarrhea listed in their effects. And around 0.1% of the users are suing for their extended stomachs.
But, the effects on your joints of less weight is a very good thing. And if your diabetes go away that is an amazing thing. One of my friends has been on a GLP drug for two years now. He has lost about 20 or 30 lbs but he does not have to shoot up 2 or 4 times a day with insulin. He likes that a lot.
“Supreme Court to Decide Fate of State and Local Gun Bans in Major Second Amendment Showdown”
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/06/30/supreme-court-fate-gun-bans/
“The Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will consider whether states and local governments can ban semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15.”
“The court will review two challenges of bans in Cook County, Illinois, and the state of Connecticut in its next session, which begins in October.”
“Doug Hamlin, CEO of the National Rifle Association, supported the high court taking the cases.”
I want an automatic P-90 with a 10 inch barrel and a 50 round mag.
You know, the weapon on Stargate SG-1.
Small minds view this as a drawback. Great minds think of how to make use of this feature.
Weaponized diarrhea aside, I agree that there are likely to be bad long-term side effects. Individuals may decide that the drastic weight loss is worth it, but I would much rather that they be able to make an informed decision than rely on the happy-happy-joy-joy promises of the pharma companies and the MDs acting as their sales agents.
Noticing is racist, sexist, and most likely a crime against humanity!
Nah. Nurses.
You know, the weapon on Stargate SG-1.
I’d rather have a DeLameter Mark IV atomic beam pistol powered by a zero-point module.
But given the present state of affairs, I’d settle for an armory full of the staff weapons used in Sixth Column.
The guy who sits next to me at work has been on one of the drugs for a few years.
I thought he was a few years older than me, but it turns out that he is 51, six years younger.
He doesn’t have the explosive diarrhea, however.
We each get about six feet of desk space and that’s it.
Sea mine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mt8CVXEx4c
“Found ’em”
Life is risk management.
If I stay fat, I’ll get sicker and die sooner, and I’ll have the burdens that added weight implies. Low energy, less interest in exercise, joint pains, muscle pains and atrophy. High blood pressure, cardiac issues, strokes. This is the risk of inaction. This is also the risk of failed actions, outlined below.
If I eat the right magic diet, and stick to it, and have no issues with it, I won’t need the weight loss drugs nor the blood pressure drugs nor the gout drugs. My real lab markers will be perfect, except for the permanent damage I’ve done over the last 70 years. Keto? Carnivore? Calorie counting? Mediterranean? Vegan? Sure. Which one?
But I’ve tried all the magic diets, and discovered that sticking to it is not a viable option – for me. Not “can’t”. I certainly could, if every bite I ate was controlled by someone else, like I was in prison, and I was punished for even thinking badthought. It just doesn’t work. For me. Get this through your head: for 95% of fat people, knowing what to do, and doing it, are 2 different things, and have been for over 50 years. As my Weight Watchers ex-wife always said, “Alcoholics can choose to never, ever drink again. Successful ones do choose that, not control their drinking. Everyone has to eat food. You can’t just quit.”
I understand there are risks with the new drugs. I’ve been taking blood pressure medicines daily for 30 years. Gout medicine for 25. Even though it’s mostly controlled, BP leads to secondary issues that are not pleasant. I hope to trade 2 current drugs for 1 new one.
I have been successful in the past losing weight on low-carb, mostly carnivore diets. I dropped 70 pounds at one point, and kept most of it off – still – in spite of recent gains.
When I did the calculus about the Covid vaccine, I weighed the risk of the danger of Covid vs. the risk of a completely untested drug, and chose to avoid the drug.
The GLP drugs have multiples of the testing of the Covid Vaccine, and much more visibility of side effects, and none of the immunity that was granted to Pharma for Covid. Side effects have been documented, and in general, stopping the drugs stops the side effects.
If I get thyroid cancer in 20 years from the drugs I will have 20 years of better health behind me. That may be a fair trade.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/josephchalfant/2026/06/30/rep-andy-ogles-has-the-answer-to-the-birthright-citizenship-crisis-n2678624
In light of the facile drivel concerning common law that the 5-4 SCOTUS majority used to betray our county, I will repeat what I have said before: It is a principle of common law–and I believe an overriding principle–that criminals cannot profit from their criminal act.
Entering our country illegally is a criminal act. Popping an anchor baby that gives them “rights” and benefits the child is profit. Not allowed, any more than allowing a thief to keep stolen goods.
And the hammer is out and being used. Calling people rude names on this board is not allowed. Go somewhere else chuckster.
But, I would rather be happy than hungry.
My engineering mentor told me that in 1985 when I asked if he was happy being 6’4″ and weighing 350 lbs with a 48 inch waist. Yes, he was happy. He dropped down to 108 lbs in a German POW camp when he got to spend 18 months there after getting his B-17 shot down on its second trip over Germany. He resolved never to be hungry again in his life.
I understand there are risks with the new drugs. I’ve been taking blood pressure medicines daily for 30 years. Gout medicine for 25. Even though it’s mostly controlled, BP leads to secondary issues that are not pleasant. I hope to trade 2 current drugs for 1 new one.
Yeah, I had my first heart attack at age 49 due to my blood pressure which was 210 / 110 when I went to ER. I have been on BP drugs for 27 years since then. Two heart attacks, 2009 and 2013, and two heart surgeries, 2009 and 2018. Who needs a right coronary artery when the left one is a half inch interior diameter? And apparently the back side of my heart has been dead all of my life.
One of my mom’s coworkers was a POW in Vietnam. Same thing. He was a big man anyway but was quite round. He swore he would never be hungry again. He had a year’s supply of food in the house before all the cool kids were doing it.
So if someone calls you heartless, they’re half right?
So if someone calls you heartless, they’re half right?
20%.
My wife, who had been heavy most of her life, has lost 100lbs on Mounjaro in 2 years. She is no longer diabetic, and no longer takes insulin. At 73, she is more foxy than ever in our 45 years of marriage.
My younger brother has lost 50 lbs on Mounjaro in about 6 months, and no longer needs his insulin pump. So far, no serious side effects for either of them.
Mounjaro is the same drug that Bill Quick used to lose a lot of weight. He also reported no serious side effects.
Me? I’ve lost 50 lbs on a low-carb diet, over the past two years. I only have about 15 lbs to go to reach my “goal” weight.
Nice tiny little fire and several chapters read. One skinny possum walked by, 3ft from the scary human, without a care. He did turn and glance at me when I said “hi” but kept walking.
No gunfire but some fireworks…
BTW another neighbor, about 3 blocks away had their truck stolen. 430am this time, and again they were on the main road thru our section of the subdivision.
———
I am still drinking fluids and just peed for the first time since noon. I was drinking water and gatoraid pretty much constantly while working, but it was just that humid and hot. I’m still damp. No me gusta.
———
Time for a shower and bed.
n
I’ve been driving my wife nuts because I lost 35 pounds in a year without trying. I have to eat 5 times a day to even maintain my current weight. If I go low carb, I start losing ½ a pound a day so I am now sure to eat at least some carbs other than from veg every day. The glucose monitor helps me judge how many to eat by how my body reacts.
This is all relatively recent (last couple of years) and not a thing I dealt with before. Most of my life I just ate whatever I wanted and stayed about the same, although a few years of living on the road, drinking a lot, and eating crazy amounts of food got me up to 235 #. That was followed by using the Atkins diet to lose to 190# for my wedding. I couldn’t sustain that but it took 15 years to get back to 230…
I read somewhere that the average American gains 5 pounds a year, so I was half that… but that is way heavier than I am comfortable with.
I’m currently between 203 and 205# depending on workload and what I’m eating.
I weigh myself every day at the same time, with the same scale, so I’m pretty confident that I see the real trend. Below 200# I look hollowed out and older. I have lost some muscle mass which has a big impact on weight. I’d like a little more muscle and a little less belly at 205#. Oh, and I’m 6′ 0″.
We’re trying to raise our kids without the programming and bad ideas about food that we grew up with. It’s very hard to break all that conditioning. We never used food as a reward, never insisted they eat more than they wanted to, only that if we put it on their plate they needed to try it. We do discourage eating sugar, HFCS, and manufactured oils as those are the real demons. They are girls though and tickkytokky or instaspam is a seething pit of mis- and mal- information about biology and food and they are powerful programming tools that get the kids to believe things that just aren’t true.
For too long all discussion of nutrition in the US was captured by the charlatans at the USDA and research on elite athletes. “Carb loading” did more harm to the populous than I think most people realize.
————
but I still haven’t showered or gone to bed. Time to get to that.
n
So the 2-percenter has a new watch, but the 2Q statement for the trust isn’t exactly stellar?
Started watching Gettysburg last night … forgot it was the ‘extended’ edition, will watch more tomight…
Days of the current week are in sync – July 1, 1863 was also a wednesday it turns out.