Tues. May 9, 2023 – forgot something yesterday..

By on May 9th, 2023 in culture, decline and fall

Cool.  Wet.  Rained lightly most of yesterday and today might be the same.  I didn’t get any outdoor stuff done, and I’ve got pickups to do today.

I did get some more sorting and cleanup done.  But I forgot that D2 had an orthodontia appointment in the morning.   That always messes up my day.

I ended up not doing a whole lot of stuff that needed to be done, and I’ll pay for that today.

I did write a fairly long comment about saving money at the grocery store, and cooking.   It’s later in the day yesterday.   None of it should be new to regular readers, but it’s in one place…

I’ve got a few pickups today.  Some needful things.  Some things for the BOL.   Some things for home.  D1 has a birthday coming up and I need some gifts for her.  I’m way behind on my normal routine for that.  So I need to get out and about.

Should be able to talk to a few people and get a feel for how they feel.   I’m guessing “brittle” and “on edge” but we’ll see.

Get out there and see what your area is like.   And stack the things you need.

nick

58 Comments and discussion on "Tues. May 9, 2023 – forgot something yesterday.."

  1. Nick Flandrey says:

    Mild and damp this am.  (what does the AP style guide say  about “am” in this context?  A.M., AM, a.m. or is this something only old white guys care about and I’m asserting my dominance with my latin.)

    Oops, there I go, culturally appropriating from those italians.  Oh, but they are white so they don’t have a culture.  Guess it’s ok then to steal from them.

    n

  2. paul says:
    might want to be home when you test the end time timer… just sayin…

    That’s a good idea. 

  3. Greg Norton says:

    I understand the CIA has some of the prototypes down in Guantanamo …

    Who knows, but the next time you have a non-poisonous snake at the office, maybe you could call my former Colonel Bat Guano neighbor from Florida. She probably needs fresh snakes on a regular basis for her Gitmo interrogation sessions.

    BTW, her paycheck came from one of the biggest tech consulting companies in the US, not the CIA. Plausible deniability.

  4. lynn says:

    We have gotten at least ten inches of rain so far today.  The ditch in front of the house is five foot deep and fifty foot wide.  It is six inches below my driveway bridge.  My house has standing water on all four sides at least six inches deep.  The house is on a two foot pad that the water is at the foot of so no problems with flooding.  The septic tank is under water again so the sewer is gurgling every time you flush the toilet.

    Houston is a huge swamp and averages sixty inches of rain per year. It would be nice if it came not more than an inch or two per day instead of all at once.

  5. Lynn says:

    “The Biden Economy and How It Could Be Fixed” by Andrew F. Puzder

         https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/the-biden-economy-and-how-it-could-be-fixed/

    “Businessman and Author, The Capitalist Comeback: The Trump Boom and the Left’s Plot to Stop It”

    The hard economic times we are experiencing are especially striking as they come on the heels of the Trump boom, which opened our eyes again to American economic potential when we have low taxes, reduced regulation, and a bountiful supply of domestic energy. Everybody, particularly minority and low-wage earners, reaped the benefits in the Trump years of abundant job opportunities, increasing wages, historic highs in family income, and historic lows in rates of poverty and unemployment.”

    Turning the clock ahead, since March 2021, two months after Biden took office and began reversing Trump’s economic policies, the Consumer Price Index—the average in prices paid by consumers for goods and services, by which inflation is commonly measured—has surged. And it continues to surge. When representatives of the Biden administration say that inflation is coming down, they are playing word games. From month to month, inflation may be going up at a somewhat slower rate—that is, the rate at which inflation is increasing might be down from previous highs. But the increases are cumulative so the dollar impact of each monthly increase adds to the prior months’ increases. And even though the rate of increases is moderating, it still remains well above levels seen prior to the Biden presidency. The Federal Reserve aims to keep inflation around two percent—which is roughly where it was during the Trump administration. It is now at 6.4 percent, having at one point since 2021 hit nine percent.

    Turning the clock ahead, since March 2021, two months after Biden took office and began reversing Trump’s economic policies, the Consumer Price Index—the average in prices paid by consumers for goods and services, by which inflation is commonly measured—has surged. And it continues to surge. When representatives of the Biden administration say that inflation is coming down, they are playing word games. From month to month, inflation may be going up at a somewhat slower rate—that is, the rate at which inflation is increasing might be down from previous highs. But the increases are cumulative so the dollar impact of each monthly increase adds to the prior months’ increases. And even though the rate of increases is moderating, it still remains well above levels seen prior to the Biden presidency. The Federal Reserve aims to keep inflation around two percent—which is roughly where it was during the Trump administration. It is now at 6.4 percent, having at one point since 2021 hit nine percent.

    Stop spending money that we do not have.

  6. SteveF says:

    It is now at 6.4 percent

    … if you don’t count food, energy, education, medical goods or services, or government taxes and fees.

  7. Lynn says:

    “California companies pay higher taxes for unemployment debt”

        https://apnews.com/article/california-deficit-newsom-unemployment-debt-taxes-f6588e0376703fca4398375e11639838

    “Twenty-two states borrowed from the federal government so they could keep paying unemployment benefits. Those states must pay that money back, plus interest. Most states have already done this. But California is one of five states that hasn’t. The state owes $18.9 billion.”

    “But that was before California had a $22.5 billion budget deficit. Now, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to cancel $1.25 billion of that spending to help cover the state’s budget shortfall. That means businesses will have to pay an additional $21 per employee in federal unemployment insurance taxes this year. That tax will keep increasing by $21 every year over the next decade that the debt is not paid off.”

    I wonder how many states on going to walk on their debts like California ?   I suspect all blue states.

  8. Lynn says:

    We have a 50% chance of rain through Wednesday night.  The weather service is claiming that we have had only 2.25 inches of rain so far today, no freaking way.  I had less than a foot of water in the front ditch last night, it is now five feet deep.  And it is 67 F outside, that means something big came through as it was 81 F last night when I went to bed.  We did hit 93 F yesterday.

        https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/tx/sugar%20land/77469

    The new gutters on the back patio are helping with the flooding.  The standing water on the patio is not two inches deep now.

  9. Lynn says:

    BTW, the Trump tax cuts expire in 2025.  If you want to earn some extra money this year or next year, pull some extra money out of an IRA, this might be a good time to do so.  Biden desperately wants to roll back the Trump tax cuts today but Congress has told him to go pound sand.  I can almost guarantee you that the Trump tax cuts will not be renewed in 2025 though.

       https://www.thebalancemoney.com/trump-s-tax-plan-how-it-affects-you-4113968

    I got reminded of this with the Coast To Coast talk show at midnight on AM radio with George Noory. He paused his UFO interviews for a while to talk with a real economist last Friday night.
    https://www.coasttocoastam.com/

  10. Lynn says:

    “Debt debacle laid bare: U.S. owes whopping $7 trillion to foreigners”

        https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/may/8/debt-debacle-laid-bare-us-owes-whopping-7-trillion/

    “The good news during the latest government showdown is that most of the federal debt is owned by U.S. shareholders.  The bad news is that still leaves roughly $7 trillion in federal debt abroad.  That includes $1.1 trillion held in Japan and $860 billion held in China. Those nations are the largest foreign sources of financing the U.S. debt.”

    They might want gold for their debt payments instead of electronic dollars.

    Hat tip to:

       https://drudgereport.com/

  11. lpdbw says:

    @lynn re: rain

    Houston is strange.  I’m getting a lot of rain, and an obvious temperature drop, but the severity is nothing like down where you are.  I-10 is a dividing line; the worst of the weather stays South of it.  I noticed that in prior weather events, too.

    Not that we didn’t suffer from freezes, big storms, or hurricanes.  It just seems worse below I-10 from my vantage point 2 miles North of it.

  12. Lynn says:

    Who knows, but the next time you have a non-poisonous snake at the office, maybe you could call my former Colonel Bat Guano neighbor from Florida. She probably needs fresh snakes on a regular basis for her Gitmo interrogation sessions.

    I keep a five foot long hoe by the front door.  That really helps when I step out the front door and just about step on a snake right there.  I swear that I levitated three foot off the ground when I saw that four foot long snake stretched out along the foundation.

  13. MrAtoz says:

    I got reminded of this with the Coast To Coast talk show at midnight on AM radio with George Noory.

    Ah, CtC. I saw my Art Bell CDs in a box the other day. When he sold all the show data. I wonder if they are worth anything.

  14. Lynn says:

    @lynn re: rain

    Houston is strange.  I’m getting a lot of rain, and an obvious temperature drop, but the severity is nothing like down where you are.  I-10 is a dividing line; the worst of the weather stays South of it.  I noticed that in prior weather events, too.

    Not that we didn’t suffer from freezes, big storms, or hurricanes.  It just seems worse below I-10 from my vantage point 2 miles North of it.

    Houston has many microclimates.  But, I am 20 miles south of I-10.  Shoot, I am five miles south of I-69 (US 59, the southwest freeway).  I am just 30 miles by crow to the Gulf of Mexico which drives our weather.  And I am five miles west of the Brazos River which contributes, the office is ¼ mile away from the Brazos River so I can see a temperature rise of 3 F from the house to the office.

  15. drwilliams says:

    “I wonder how many states on going to walk on their debts like California ? I suspect all blue states.”

    In this case walking on debts to the federal govt, which minus the blue states is the red states. Goody. Let’s game out a strategy to pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting forgiveness of state govt debts to fedgov, and mandating a payment schedule.

  16. Ken Mitchell says:

    lynn says:

    We have gotten at least ten inches of rain so far today.

    Whew! Here in “Far West San Antonio”, we’ve had 0.6 inches. Nice storm, but no flood. 

  17. paul says:
    tupperware – actually NOT tupperware, but the semi-disposable store brands. 

    I had various plastic containers falling out of the cupboard.  So bye bye to most of the various margarine and ricotta tubs.  I bought a lot of Ziploc containers.  The square two cups and four cups sizes.  Some were on sale after Christmas but half price and the container is red or green?  I’m cool.  I have three stacks now.  Two cup.  Four cup. Lids.  Each about a foot tall.  Clean from the dishwasher parts sit on the counter to finish drying and then to the bottom of the stack.

    Works well for me.

    Of course they have improved the containers because I suppose selling the same old thing was boring.

    I have a few of the containers from HEB and random brands.  Those get used if sending someone home with leftovers.

    I have a couple of Real Tupperware that no one will claim.  Someone brought something here, like peanut brittle for Christmas or guac for a summer bbq.  Shrug.  I didn’t buy the stuff.

    Plastic bags? I hate buying the zipper bags because I’m “economical”.  Yeah, that’s the ticket.  I buy the sandwich grade.  There are some freezer grade zipper bags but I didn’t buy them.  I’d rather use Glad fold lock top sandwich bags.  Or some Reynolds plastic wrap fro the 2000 feet long roll.   Glad and Walmart sell a gallon or so size bag for bread, work for bread and works for blocks of cheese.

    I do use the Food Saver.  I buy the bags on eBay, they have a good price and they usually ship the next day. I don’t reuse the bags, I’m not that economical.

    It’s decided to rain.  It’s coming down in sheets.  And thunder just to bother Penny.

  18. Lynn says:

    “I wonder how many states on going to walk on their debts like California ? I suspect all blue states.”

    In this case walking on debts to the federal govt, which minus the blue states is the red states. Goody. Let’s game out a strategy to pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting forgiveness of state govt debts to fedgov, and mandating a payment schedule.

    I am confused.  Are you saying that the red states walk on debts to the USA government also ?  I am sure that they do too. But not $20 billion.

  19. Lynn says:

    “Civil War 2.0 Weather Report: Waiting For A Spark”

        https://wilderwealthywise.com/civil-war-2-0-weather-report-waiting-for-a-spark/

    “It’s not a big spark, but it’s one that should scare the Left. People are waking up, and questioning The Narrative. It’s not a big jump from there to the Left taking another step too far, and getting pushback. As I have said before, the most logical one in the United States is ownership of firearms – there are more guns in private hands than there are people in the United States, and if that’s pushed, I’m imagining that would be the spark. Remember, the Shot Heard ‘Round the World was fired on redcoats that were out to . . . take guns.”

    Biden’s Misery Index ™ is up to 20 Kamalas. I actually understand that unit of measurement.

  20. Lynn says:

    Pearls Before Swine: Low Interest Rate

        https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2023/05/09

    Oh Pig !

  21. nick flandrey says:

    We got some big rain here at Casa de Nick, but not like Mr Lynn.   Streets are empty again.   We also lost power briefly… just enought to dump the computers.

    I’ve been sorting my big estate sale haul, cleaning stuff, derusting, etc.   Time to head out and do some pickups though, since the rain has stopped.  Hopefully the roads aren’t too bad.

    Weather radio alerted that we were all going to flood.   And the robot voice can’t pronounce “bayou” which is kinda funny, but not really.  The flooded intersection warnings were “xxx road and White Oak ‘bay – o’ ” for example.   Took a couple repetitions before I got what the dang thing was saying.

    Back to the grind…

    n

  22. drwilliams says:

    @Lynn

    “I am confused.  Are you saying that the red states walk on debts to the USA government also ?  I am sure that they do too. But not $20 billion.”

    No, I’m saying that we should have a amendment to make it impossible for the blue states to default and have all the states, including the much more fiscally responsible red states, pick up their debt. If it’s done quickly then I suspect that a lot of blue states won’t be too keen on picking op the debt from Cali, FNYS, IL, Wa, and IR.  

  23. drwilliams says:

    “Biden’s Misery Index ™ is up to 20 Kamalas. I actually understand that unit of measurement.”

    Kamala is so scary she reminds me of an old Jack Nicholson line: “I wouldn’t _____ her with your ____.”

  24. Greg Norton says:

    No, I’m saying that we should have a amendment to make it impossible for the blue states to default and have all the states, including the much more fiscally responsible red states, pick up their debt. If it’s done quickly then I suspect that a lot of blue states won’t be too keen on picking op the debt from Cali, FNYS, IL, Wa, and IR.  

    The bulk of money in a lot of private pension plans and 401(k)s have a vested interest in the economic health of the State of California right now.

    As for NY and IL, any Sunbelt state dependent on retirees would see a significant economic hit if the pensioners from those states, both public and private, were forced to take haircuts. When I worked in the drugstore in FL in the 80s the public pension plans for IL and NY alone each had two inch binder notebooks with policies and coverage details.

    Eckerd Drugs coasted for decades beyond the point where their inventory and IT systems were no longer viable just because they could make so much money filling prescriptions for retirees and selling Hawaiian Tropic.

  25. EdH says:

    I am no Grammar Nazi, but the pain of being an engineer corrected (correctly, for once) by a sister with a degree in English Lit. has burned the poison/venom difference into my memory…

    https://www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com/articles/poisonous-vs-venomous/

  26. drwilliams says:

    There are two possibilities: 1) The deadbeats are responsible for their own debts; 2) The deadbeats get to stick others with their debt. If #1 has some fallout, it seems unlikely that it will be worse than #2 in terms of consequences to the citizens of other states.

    If the states that default on their debt won’t pay up, I’m willing to dissolve them, give the haircuts to their citizens, and pay off the rest by siezing assets. Cali, for example, is 20-30% illegals and their representation is similarly inflated, encouraging profligate spending. If I take over all the busses run south for a year, Mexico collapses, and we pick up the northern states by popular election. Logistics look better with a new border 500 miles south and narcos turned into biofuel.

  27. Lynn says:

    “Civil War 2.0 Weather Report: Waiting For A Spark”

        https://wilderwealthywise.com/civil-war-2-0-weather-report-waiting-for-a-spark/

    “It’s not a big spark, but it’s one that should scare the Left. People are waking up, and questioning The Narrative. It’s not a big jump from there to the Left taking another step too far, and getting pushback. As I have said before, the most logical one in the United States is ownership of firearms – there are more guns in private hands than there are people in the United States, and if that’s pushed, I’m imagining that would be the spark. Remember, the Shot Heard ‘Round the World was fired on redcoats that were out to . . . take guns.”

    Biden’s Misery Index ™ is up to 20 Kamalas. I actually understand that unit of measurement.

    One of the comments:

    “Going to get UGLY. Do you have a realistic plan to protect your family during the American Rwanda Event?”

    Have a plan, yes.  Is it realistic, no.

    I live and work in the DMZ between the Rurals and the Suburbs.  This place is going to suck when the EBT cards stop working and the grocery stores run empty.

  28. MrAtoz says:

    This is what the FUSA has come down to:

    BREAKING: Trump found liable by New York civil jury to E. Jean Carroll

    “You didn’t rape her, but we don’t like you. Pay her $5 million.”

    Best comment:

    Jury instructions from the judge:
    Remember, he’s Trump. Even if you don’t find him liable for rape, you must find him liable for something just as ridiculous and assess a multi-million dollar award against him. Remember, Orange Man Really Bad.

    Is there any way this is NOT overturned? A jury just came up with whatever charge they wanted and the judge says OK.

  29. Lynn says:

    If the states that default on their debt won’t pay up, I’m willing to dissolve them, give the haircuts to their citizens, and pay off the rest by siezing assets. Cali, for example, is 20-30% illegals and their representation is similarly inflated, encouraging profligate spending. If I take over all the busses run south for a year, Mexico collapses, and we pick up the northern states by popular election. Logistics look better with a new border 500 miles south and narcos turned into biofuel.

    There are rumors floating around that Cali is now 50% illegals due to citizens fleeing the state in the last five+ years.  And with Silicon Valley collapsing, that dog don’t hunt.

  30. Lynn says:

    Is there any way this is NOT overturned? A jury just came up with whatever charge they wanted and the judge says OK.

    The judge allowed people to testify who reputedly had second hand knowledge from 30 years ago.  That in itself would get you tossed out of just about any court in a real court system.

  31. paul says:

    A bit over a half inch of rain.  Not much sign of any run-off.  Maybe there will be more, I hear thunder in the distance.

    Venomous vs Poisonous is easy.  

    You eat poison.  

    Venom is from an animal injecting you with poison.  

    Lead is a poison.  I can’t recall hearing of poisonous killers shooting someone for example.  Venomous Vermin shooting folks, yes.

    Using one word for the other and watching heads explode is wonderful fun.  Depends on what effect you want to affect their emotions. 

    English is fun. 

  32. Lynn says:

    “Making Concrete More Environmentally Friendly”

         https://www.aiche-cep.com/cepmagazine/may_2023/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1876556&app=false#articleId1876556

    Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a new technique to sequester carbon in concrete. It involves the addition of one simple ingredient to the concrete manufacturing process — sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda — which could offset 15% of the total carbon emissions associated with cement production.”

    Lets see, we have been building stuff out of concrete for 2,000+ years.   You want to change the formula for environmental reasons.  Where is your 30 year study on the effects of 15% baking soda in the mix ?  

  33. Lynn says:

    “BREAKING: Tucker Carlson Announces He’s Bringing Show to Twitter — Walking Away From Millions to Escape Fox Contract”

         https://www.mediaite.com/news/breaking-tucker-carlson-relaunching-his-show-on-twitter-walking-away-from-millions-to-escape-fox-contract-per-report/

    “Ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson posted a video to Twitter on Tuesday, saying, “We’re back.” The clip, which accuses the media of telling lies, announced he will be bringing his show to Twitter, which he called the only “free speech” platform left in the world.”

    Weird.  Wild.  Just like Tucker.

  34. paul says:
    Have a plan, yes.  Is it realistic, no.

    And yet, you have a plan.  

    Whatever your plan is, it’s better than what most folks have planned.

  35. Lynn says:

    “Texas House weighs Senate-approved plan to incentivize new gas plants as grid faces dicey summer”

        https://www.utilitydive.com/news/texas-house-weighs-senate-approved-plan-to-incentivize-new-gas-plants/649767/

    “The Texas Senate on Thursday voted 27-4 to advance a plan to provide incentives and including 20-year, zero-interest loans to companies building gas-fired power plants and the House of Representatives has scheduled a Wednesday hearing to consider the measure, SB 2627.”

    Sounds too good to me.

    “The tighter grid conditions are a result of the state’s growth, Vegas said. Texas’ population swelled to 30 million last year from about 21.7 million in 2002, according to state statistics and the U.S. Census.”

    There are LOTS of Californians here now.

  36. Lynn says:

    “Satisfaction With Starlink Tops ISP Rivals by a Mile, Even With Slower Speeds”

        https://www.pcmag.com/news/satisfaction-with-starlink-tops-isp-rivals-by-a-mile-even-with-slower-speeds

    “Though traditional fixed broadband providers are, in theory, providing the fastest internet in the US, Starlink customers give the satellite service high marks, especially in rural areas, Ookla finds.”

    My home internet, Comcast Cable internet, died this morning.  The wife and daughter were very upset.  As I left, a Comcast bucket truck was pulling our neighborhood router off the pole. Pretty good service.

    3
    0
  37. Lynn says:

    “Buffett Turns Gloomy: The “Incredible Period” For The US Economy Is Coming To An End”

        https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/buffett-turns-gloomy-incredible-period-us-economy-coming-end

    “While Warren Buffett’s insights on the economy are traditionally cheerful and uplifting – usually hitting at time of peak pessimism in the form of self-serving NYT op-eds or CNBC vignettes (and usually around the time the Omaha billionaire knows that the government will backstop his TBTF investments, unlike those of pretty much anyone else), on Saturday the head of Berkshire Hathaway had a far more downbeat and gloomy prediction for his own businesses – and the broader economy in general – the good times may be over.”

  38. Lynn says:

    “Chicago Police Advise Business Owners To Install Shatter-Resistant Glass Shields Amid String Of Break-Ins”

        https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/chicago-police-advise-business-owners-install-shatter-resistant-glass-shields-amid-string

    Good advice.  Triple pane windows with laminate inserts are almost the same thing and function as great weather shields.

  39. paul says:
    There are LOTS of Californians here now.

    More wetbacks than Californians.  Too many of either.  

  40. paul says:
    “Chicago Police Advise Business Owners To Install Shatter-Resistant Glass Shields Amid String Of Break-Ins”

    Well, let us work the math.  New windows costs $X.  A security guard, assuming he stays awake, with a shotgun costs $Y.

    Price of security guy, who can be doing useful stuff like fronting shelves and cleaning along with the price of a shotgun is probably less money over the long term than letting the same looters repeatedly do their looting thing and replacing the windows and stolen merchandise over and over and over.

    If the cops aren’t going to do the job, someone has to.    Smash window, get hit with a blast of shot.  Call it aversion therapy.     

    Actually, the best thing to do is to move your business elsewhere.

  41. Greg Norton says:

    “Buffett Turns Gloomy: The “Incredible Period” For The US Economy Is Coming To An End”

    The book value of the stock is only up 5% for the year, but Buffett is still ahead on his “intrinsic” price if my guess about that number is correct.

    Talking down the economy makes the stock buybacks cheaper, and, as I’ve stated before, I think he’s playing a game comparing holding BRK-A/B to an S&P 500 index fund unless you have a short time window.

    Berkshire put down a huge bet on EV infrastructure, particularly in Texas. Buffett didn’t get his taxpayer funded power generating capacity, but he won’t close on complete control of Pilot/Flying-J until next year, when the real fun begins.

    It wouldn’t surprise me if he made another run at Oncor.

    Buffett still believes the economy has a lot of skim potential. And if he bets wrong on EVs, well, he still has a lot of Oxy, and Pilot/Flying-J are not Buc-ee’s or even Love’s … yet.

  42. Ray Thompson says:

    There are LOTS of Californians here now.

    Just making their best effort to turn Texas into the Shirt(-r) hole they left. Such Shirt(-r) hole the reason they left.

    Californians pulled the same crap in Oregon, then Washington. I would repeatedly hear prior Californians complain about others from California moving into the area and messing up the status quo. I would ask these people complaining, formerly from California, why they are complaining about more Californians. I would ask if they weren’t part of the problem. That did not go over well.

  43. CowboyStu says:

    There are LOTS of Californians here now.

    I’m staying in Californication for now.  My daughter, grandson and SIL have jobs here and my granddaughter will soon be a senior at USC.

    Also, WRT to George Strait, none of my exes live in Texas, so it will be OK in the future.

  44. lpdbw says:

    When I lived in Washington, 1978 to 1987, a popular bumper sticker was:  “Have a nice trip BACK to California”

    I had a dem congressman, but he appeared mostly fiscally conservative and pro-2A.  Until he sold his soul to become speaker of the house.  Then he became yet another PLT dem-bot.  I was out of state by that time, but it was under his watch that the awful Brady law passed.

  45. EdH says:

    There are LOTS of Californians here now.

    I know I should leave here, watching the state and local news here gives me chills.  Hell, just driving into town is eye opening.

    But family, friends, places, etc – memories that are hard to give up. 

    I was never a quitter and that is working against me now.

  46. nick flandrey says:

    @EdH, the one thing Americans do is move to greener pastures.   Been doing it since the Mayflower.

    n

  47. SteveF says:

    I was never a quitter

    … but there’s no sense in being a damn fool about it.

  48. Lynn says:

    “BREAKING: Tucker Carlson Announces He’s Bringing Show to Twitter — Walking Away From Millions to Escape Fox Contract”

         https://www.mediaite.com/news/breaking-tucker-carlson-relaunching-his-show-on-twitter-walking-away-from-millions-to-escape-fox-contract-per-report/

    “Ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson posted a video to Twitter on Tuesday, saying, “We’re back.” The clip, which accuses the media of telling lies, announced he will be bringing his show to Twitter, which he called the only “free speech” platform left in the world.”

    Weird.  Wild.  Just like Tucker.

    https://twitter.com/tuckercarlson

    Elon says that he and Tucker Carlson do not have a deal.

    And Tucker has a new website also.  Looks like a picture of him in Maine holding a double barrel shotgun wearing a pair of Crocs ?

        https://tuckercarlson.com/

  49. Lynn says:

    There are LOTS of Californians here now.

    I know I should leave here, watching the state and local news here gives me chills.  Hell, just driving into town is eye opening.

    But family, friends, places, etc – memories that are hard to give up. 

    I was never a quitter and that is working against me now.

    Maybe some day, California will split into two states.  After all, many of the states want to split up now. Shoot, half of Oregon wants to join Idaho.

    And if you have family there, I would not leave them either. I had a chance to go work for Microsoft in 1987 in Washington State. But I could not leave Texas.

  50. SteveF says:

    And if you have family there, I would not leave them either.

    Family is why I’m still in NYFS.

    It’s kind of rude for me to say that I’m waiting for my mom and my dad to die, but…

  51. nick flandrey says:

    More closures

    Hardee’s franchise files for bankruptcy after shuttering 39 of its 108 stores across eight states – as company blames rising food and labor costs 

     

    Over 100 Hardee’s locations owned by Summit Restaurant Holdings could be set to close after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week.

    n

  52. nick flandrey says:

    We are 1500-2000 miles from family.   And we did it on purpose.   Love them.   Don’t want them popping in.

    n

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  53. Lynn says:

    “Billy Joel on his L.A. years: I felt like ‘an exiled writer living in Paris’”

        https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-03-08/billy-joel-piano-man-sofi-stadium-stevie-nicks

    The dude is 73, has a 7 year old kid and 5 year old kid.  And is touring with Stevie Nicks.

    “Last thing: You recently wrote a letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame urging the nominating committee to put the late Warren Zevon on this year’s ballot. He made the cut. You take any pride in that?
    Well, he was my first vote.”

    “Which of his songs would you perform if asked?
    “Lawyers, Guns and Money.” Love that song.”

    Me too, Bill, me too.

    I’ve seen him twice, both here in Houston.  Super high quality show.

  54. Nick Flandrey says:

    I’m calling it an early night.

    n

  55. brad says:

    Houston is strange.

    ‘nuf said.

    I bought a lot of Ziploc containers.

    Ikea (at least here) has a line of glass containers with snap-on plastic lids. While they’re heavy, we quite like them. For leftovers, obviously, but also for the freezer, and they would work for long-term storage as well. They stack well, both empty and with lids on.

    “You didn’t rape her, but we don’t like you. Pay her $5 million.”

    Trump is so famous that jury bias is unavoidable. That said, it is perfectly possible to sexually assault someone without raping them. And that said, $5 million after all these years seems a bit much, but this is the American tort system, which is known for nutty awards. Appeal incoming.

    And all that said, can people please not vote for Trump in the primary? Literally anyone else would be a better choice.

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  56. Greg Norton says:

    The dude is 73, has a 7 year old kid and 5 year old kid.  And is touring with Stevie Nicks.

    Billy Joel’s ex-, Christie Brinkley, looked incredible doing 40th anniversary “Vacation” PR with Chevy Chase at the Megacon show in Orlando. She’s 70 IIRC.

    Brinkley and Chase will be in Dallas in June, but those autographs/pics are too pricey for me.

    I like “Vacation”, but “Mr. Mom” ranks higher on my list of John Hughes scripts from that time period, when he went from mediocre material like “Class Reunion” to comedy screenwriter legend seemingly overnight..

    “Mr. Mom” dialogue even makes the Windows API with a reference.

  57. Greg Norton says:

    Trump is so famous that jury bias is unavoidable. That said, it is perfectly possible to sexually assault someone without raping them. And that said, $5 million after all these years seems a bit much, but this is the American tort system, which is known for nutty awards. Appeal incoming.

    Trial science. All it would take with Trump is one Amish woman right now.

    Yeah, evidence. Trump tho.

    We learned the hard way in a civil case regarding my father-in-law’s estate once upon a time with two Amish women on the jury of six heading into a holiday weekend. The jury came back in an hour after four days of witnesses – they didn’t listen to a thing about what was said.

    Yeah, Texas Nursing law. Good Friday, tho.

    The other lawyer, a real bottom feeder, understood. Our lawyer, who “pahked tha cah in Havahd Yahd” on occasion during law school didn’t. Plus, I think he wanted to get his strange on with my sister-in-law, with whom he shared smoke breaks.

    My wife still doesn’t understand the significance of that last one.

  58. Greg Norton says:

    The jury came back in an hour after four days of witnesses – they didn’t listen to a thing about what was said.

    – they didn’t listen to a thing which was said.

    The whole world caught fire at work around the same time I posted this morning.

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