495 Comments
User's avatar
Speed's avatar

Does anyone need fasteners?

My father runs a fastener distribution company and can probably get you what you need. Chrome, stainless, polished stainless, even aluminum and titanium are available, among others. SAE and Metric. No minimum order.

Drop us a line at 519-727-4848!

specialtyfasteners.com

You can also message me on here whenever if there's anything you're looking for as I always have this page open.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Pinned, as this is something all of us should write down.

Expand full comment
Speed's avatar

Thanks a bunch!

Expand full comment
Colin's avatar

What are the order minimums? And how much of you catalog is online? I’ve bought from mcsmaster smarr a couple of times and their website is hard to navigate unless you know exactly what you need.

Expand full comment
Speed's avatar

We don't have an order minimum, you can order one bolt if that's what you require. We also don't have a catalogue as our inventory is sourced from multiple places. Of course, you can always give us a call if you know what you want and we can order it for you. He's been doing this for about 40 years so

if you aren't sure what you need exactly, he can probably help. Standard hours are 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM but you can message me whenever.

Expand full comment
Tyler Gorsegner's avatar

I'll make a note of this! I get people looking for oddball stuff that Hillman doesn't stock at a standard hardware store all the time!

Expand full comment
Speed's avatar

Thanks!

Expand full comment
Drunkonunleaded's avatar

I know this is random, but do you deal in anodized aluminum fasteners? I’m restoring a few R/C cars that mainly use dark blue ano’d 4-40 screws of various lengths. The manufacturer has long stopped supporting these things and exact replacements aren’t exactly easy to find. There’s a guy who does stainless kits, but they’re not the same.

Expand full comment
Speed's avatar

Yeah, shouldn't be a problem. Not a stocking item but we can get it and have them anodized for you, just need to know what sizes. Colour matching might be a bit tricky though.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

How well are you fixed with M3 and 0-80 fasteners?

How do you deal with the cost of international shipping? I've been selling some accessories for laser engravers and my Canadian customers pay about 4X what it costs my American customers for postage.

Expand full comment
Speed's avatar

We'll have no problems sourcing those, just need to know what specs you want.

Usually the fasteners are shipped through the mail with the correct customs filled out at the post office. If that's insufficient, then an international shipper like DHL is used.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

You're only about 40 minutes away and normally I'd consider picking stuff up but I'm sure the bridge/tunnel tolls would make it more expensive than postage.

Expand full comment
Speed's avatar

Yeah, it costs an arm and a leg now. $9.50 USD is ridiculous.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

$9.50? The tunnel site says it's $6.50 USD to cross to Windsor and $6.75 CDN to go to Detroit. That works out to $11.50 USD. The bridge is more like $14 U.S. round trip.

Years ago, when I was working auto shows for press kits and swag to sell on eBay, Staples was one of the corporate sponsors of the Toronto show. Normally I wouldn't be interested in an office supply company's press kit, but when I glanced at the Staples binder it had a gift card for $10 worth of office supplies, so I made sure to come home with a couple dozen press kits. There's a Staples right up Ouellette, practically a straight shot from the tunnel.

When I was a kid, my dad usually took Wed afternoons off and often took my mom and us downtown, where he'd drop her off to go shopping at Hudson's and then take us to one of the two kosher restaurants there were in Windsor. As I recall, they'd always argue about which one to go to.

Expand full comment
Speed's avatar

You'd think I'd realize my mistake considering I was just over the border in May! Which restaurants did you head to?

Expand full comment
Donkey Konger's avatar

Would your father like us to start a promotional magazine for him?

We could call it "Means of Attachment."

... i'll see myself out

Expand full comment
Speed's avatar

More clever and less crass than my idea:

"Screwing Around Quarterly"

Expand full comment
danio's avatar

Hey, I recognize that phone number. I grew up in Puce and now live elsewhere in the county. I'll be hitting you up for sure.

Expand full comment
Speed's avatar

Small world! Figured there had to be more than one of us here. Thanks!

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Aug 9, 2023
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

"Another egregious industry that creates massive carbon emissions is the private jet. Private jets generate ten, (10) times more carbon emissions than commercial airlines. Private jet owners are 0.0008% of the global population. Fifty, (50)% of all aviation emissions are caused by one, 1% of the population. Approximately one, (1) of every six, (6) flights is a private jet flight. The typical private jet owner has a net worth of 190 million. Private jets contribute only two, (2)% of all taxes that fund the Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA). A seven-point-five, (7.5)% tax is paid by commercial airline travellers. The taxes pay for staffing air traffic control and maintenance of runways.

Private jet travel has increased by twenty, (20)% since 2020, increasing emissions by twenty three, (23)%. Most of these flights are domestic, equalling about eighty-five, (85)% of all private jet flights. Private jets create more carbon emissions than any other form of transportation. A single 17 minute private jet flight produces emissions that equal 1/4 of what an average person produces in a year. The average journey on one private jet produces CO2 equivalent to driving a gas powered vehicle from Paris to Rome sixteen, (16) times. The typical private jet burns around 5,000 gallons of fuel per hour. That is equivalent to about four-hundred, (400) passenger cars. The average commercial jet burns about half that much. Private jets account for about four, (4)% of greenhouse gases around the world."

Holy shit

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Aug 9, 2023
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Well yeah I was just excerpting a bit for the link-averse.

Expand full comment
Amelius Moss's avatar

How much for Air Force 1 flights between Andrews and Rehoboth Beach. +Chopper service.

Expand full comment
anatoly arutunoff's avatar

makes very little difference to this planet

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

I'm skeptical that humans can affect the global climate the way that the earth itself can affect climate. It seems that the water vapor released into the atmosphere by the eruption of the volcano in Tonga is causing some global warming.

https://news.yahoo.com/tonga-volcano-eruption-could-warmed-234439943.html

Expand full comment
Jeff Madson's avatar

I cannot knowingly talk about most of these data points, but the average mid sized private jet uses about 250 gallons of fuel per hour, not 5000. As an example a Hawker 900XP which is a slightly larger than average jet has an average fuel burn of 257 gal/hr. A Boeing 737-800 burns about 850 gal/hr. This makes the rest of the claims highly suspicious in my mind.

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Aug 9, 2023
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

I ride a lot less now that I'm a father.

Expand full comment
redlineblue's avatar

Weird how much harder the ground looks after they're born, no?

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Ain't that the truth.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

My second thought after I saw that ad for the Buell Blast was, "Y'know, Aryeh's Bar Mitzvah is just a couple of years away. I think he'd like me to be there."

Meanwhile, I've been riding my bicycle for an hour or more every day even though I've had three car-bike encounters.

Who says that people are rational actors?

Expand full comment
win359's avatar

I fell off my bicycle piddling around the neighborhood on Monday, bruised ribs & hip, sprained thumb, lost a fingernail, road rash.

My son and I stopped racing Dist. 37 desert races in SoCal when he started UCLA. Used to "step off" my open class Yamaha regularly with only a bit of Monday morning dirt bike rheumatism to show for it. Guess there is a good reason I never got back to riding.....

Old sucks.

Expand full comment
Eric Siedlecki's avatar

I've got a one and a half year old son, yet I just bought my ZX-14R. I've had it for just over 3 weeks and have put almost 700 miles on it. A week ago I had the compulsion to get it to it's factory limited top speed, and made an honest effort to do it. I was about 10 MPH shy. Before and after the attempt, I kept asking myself why I felt so compelled to do it, and I couldn't rightly answer he question. I also couldn't convince myself not to do it. In hindsight it was clearly dumb, and after doing it, I don't really feel like I want to do it again. It was really kind of a weird headspace to be in. Now I think I'll continue to enjoy the bike in a slightly more, erm, sedate way, while still enjoying the way the bike can effectively let you teleport past slower moving traffic. The bike consumes miles in a way that no other vehicle I've owned can.

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Aug 9, 2023
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Will do today! Thank you!

Expand full comment
Harry's avatar

I shouldn't have been surprised Outside published that vasectomy for climate change shit. They are the worst.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

The weird purity spiral of hiking and backpacking is almost enough reason to wish for an asteroid impact.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

It's very annoying to share habits with very annoying people. I like most hippy dippy bullshit. It's fun but no one can just enjoy something for being fun anymore. Everything needs a deeper meaning.

Expand full comment
Mozzie's avatar

I avoid hiking on trails if possible, wilderness areas are much more peaceful.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

Bike people are the worst and I love riding a bike.

Expand full comment
kamguy's avatar

Skiing, skateboarding, Harley Davidsons, sport bikes, open track days @ Gingerman, drag racing and fast off shore boats all ruined or diminished by people. I still do some of these things, but not with fellow enthusiast. Snowmobiles and dirt bikes have been pretty much unscathed. Ain’t nobody got time for wankers.

People riding bicycles on the street are the worst! Rules for thee not me

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

Snowmobiling where I go (northern WI) is a 50/50 mix of Harley/Goldwing tourers and crotch rocket morons. The more you and your sled look like a Monster Energy drink the less I want to be around you. Especially at night.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

It probably doesn't help I am not a huge fan of people to start with. "Don't you want to add more people to enjoy this wonderful activity we do?"

"No, I do not. We have plenty"

Expand full comment
Keith's avatar

Boat people are the best. Down here in FL I have a group of 10 non boomer boat owning friends.

I love offshore boats but I’m not very into the scene. It is full of boomers.

Expand full comment
TheGr8Landini's avatar

Puts me in mind of Carlin's bit on cyclists from "What Am I Doing In New Jersey?"

Expand full comment
Will's avatar

Eh skiing is fine so long as you're good and you ski off piste for the most part. It's just too many people and not enough new places.

Expand full comment
Slowtege's avatar

So many people biking poorly, and I love riding (and building) bikes, too. Did city commuting in Seattle for most of the last decade. Now out just beyond the urban sprawl outside of Portland. Both states have rules for bikes that basically say if you're biking on the road, you have to obey car rules like stopping, signaling, etc. Sidewalks, if they exist, are ok, but one has to yield to pedestrians. I'm not a sidewalk rider, plus bikes are a ton faster than people walking if you're pedaling with intent. Basically, it's a non-ideal situation for all methods of transportation.

I'll stop for lights and signs, signal (people, everywhere, just communicate! It's easy!), do all of that. And stay in my lane. I'm basically only comfortable riding in cities (low speed limit, everybody knows bikes are going to be part of the traffic mix) or rural roads not directly going between towns (too busy, 55 mph, near zero shoulder, no one really deals with cyclists often = nervous/odd drivers). There's at least one reason gravel biking has taken off--no need to be/feel in the way of cars, and no need to deal with multi-use path walkers four-abreast taking up the whole path, oblivious to anyone else.

This whole particular section of comments should be part of the book I'll never write called People Ruin Everything But You Still Have To Live. It will go next to my other non-existent, self-authored book: All My Favorite Bikes Have Top Tube Dents. All of this to say, finding and riding roads (of any grading) very seldom traveled is on my list, and it pairs well with my desire to not live in or near a city because I do not want to deal with the demoralizingly unpredictable (and heavy) traffic or woeful drivers in and outside of said traffic.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

It’s primarily why i got a gravel bike. I hate road riding unless it’s actual commuting for a purpose

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

"All My Favorite Bikes Have Top Tube Dents"

This I gotta hear.

Expand full comment
Tristan Yates's avatar

> part of the book I'll never write called People Ruin Everything But You Still Have To Live

With some judicious editing you could get this book down to six volumes.

Expand full comment
PJ King's avatar

I agree with both sentiments, plus I worked at a TREK bike store for awhile until COVID was almost behind us and the freighter got crossed up in the Suez Canal. We couldn't get bikes to sell anymore (only the most exotic carbon frames are still made in Waterloo, Wisconsin).

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

Tell me about it. I'm a small L libertarian who likes the Grateful Dead and am also trying to sell my electric harmonica to musicians, a group that tents to tilt left. I try not to roll my eyes when folks in those groups talk politics.

BTW, the Truckin' Up to Buffalo show in the box set of Dead DVDs is very good.

Expand full comment
Al Doland's avatar

Ronnie, which box set? Al

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

All The Years Combine - All the shows in the set are good, which includes The Grateful Dead Movie and The Closing of Winterland (with a cool jam with Lee Oskar of War on harmonica and John Cippolina of Quicksilver Messenger Service). I just wish they didn't do all the cheesy "psychedelic" visual effects whenever there's a deep jam. I can provide my own visuals, thank you very much.

https://www.gratefulweb.com/articles/grateful-dead-all-years-combine-dvd-collection

Also recommended, Grateful Dawg, a documentary produced by David Grissman's daughter Gillian about the collaboration between her dad and Garcia. Included is the music video Justin Kreutzmann made for their cover of The Thrill Is Gone (which has a cameo by the recently departed master of magic and prestidigitation Ricky Jay).

Speaking of Ricky Jay, I just got a DVD of David Mamet's Heist and while our host may not think it's as good as Ronin or Heat, it's a fine film that stands up to repeated viewing. Man, I wish I could write dialogue half as good as Mamet can. "My motherfucker is so cool that when he goes to bed sheep count him."

Expand full comment
Jeff Zahorowski's avatar

Heist is great. I quote from it regularly.

Expand full comment
Ataraxis's avatar

The deeper meaning for these wack jobs is just virtue signaling to their tribe, which only feels but does not reason. Deep down they’re very superficial.

Expand full comment
sgeffe's avatar

Gives new meaning to the term “some people like these don’t have any balls!” 😂

Expand full comment
JMcG's avatar

I don’t know how pure it is. Outside seems to have articles on “overlanding” now and SUV reviews. I imagine these are advertising driven.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

Funny how they don't have a problem with lightweight backpacking tents made of modern polymers, trekking poles made of the same and energy intensive aluminum, along with disposable bags for freeze-dried meals. Not to mention the environmental impact of campfires (which are practically the definition of uncontrolled combustion of organic material and produce ample amounts of some nasty, cancer-causing chemicals).

When I started to ride seriously about 30 years ago I subscribed to Bicycling magazine but I got annoyed with Rodale's predictable progressive stance and that of their readers. I remember a letter to the editor complaining about an advertisement for a male-specific saddle - at a time when Terry was running ads in the magazine for their bikes and saddles designed for women.

Lots of apolitical hobbies have been converged by the left. I know that female social groups often tag and target social pariahs, but cancelling quilters and knitters because they have traditional values is kind of ironic.

Expand full comment
Ice Nine's avatar

These are the same people that were in Puget Sound several years ago protesting the departure of an off shore drill platform that was leaving drydock after its winter maintenance. They figured it would make a statement to don their polypro underroos, synthetic fiber socks, Gore-tex and nylon jackets then paddle out in their plastic kayaks to blockade the "evil oil rig".

Of course, every single one of them was too ill/misinformed to realize they were literally wearing and sitting in products completely of crude oil and/or natural gas.

Expand full comment
Ice Age's avatar

Intellectual and philosophical consistency is not the stock in trade of anyone who thinks "protesting" and "activism" are honorable pastimes.

Expand full comment
danio's avatar

Haha, really showed them with that loss in revenue.

Expand full comment
dejal's avatar

I gave the magazine a shot from the early 80s to early 90s. I felt I was being scolded for my beliefs by the time I gave up. They were sounding more like a religion by then.

The bike wasn't good enough. You had to believe everything they did or you were unclean.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

A lot of times I feel like the line from Bob Dylan's Joey (an outlaw song about Joe Gallo): Always on the outside of whatever side there was.

I can easily get the stink-eye in just about any group of people with whom I generally agree. Sometimes I think I enjoy non-conformity a bit too much.

Expand full comment
Todd Zuercher's avatar

Haven't read the article but how in the h#ll do you tie a vasectomy to climate change?

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

There are a lot of people who think that if they don’t have kids they are doing More Than You for climate change. As if leaving an uninhabited rock (or a rock full of third world breeders) is more noble than having a couple kids.

Expand full comment
Todd Zuercher's avatar

Aha! Got it!

Expand full comment
Errol Smith's avatar

People who think that are definitely doing us all a favor by not having kids.

Expand full comment
Ken's avatar

I'm of two minds on this. Part of me agrees, another part feels bad for them. By the time they realize they've been lied to, it's too late.

Expand full comment
Errol Smith's avatar

A fool and his semen...

Expand full comment
dejal's avatar

Don't feel bad for them.

Expand full comment
Joe griffin's avatar

All part of a depopulation movement.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Or a REpopulation movement, with more malleable subjects.

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Aug 9, 2023
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Brazil is the goal.

Expand full comment
Joe griffin's avatar

I tend to agree with this line of thinking, but I also think that they view a large portion of the population as having little or no value, unless eaters.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

One of the reasons why Germany lost in WWII is that slaves aren't productive workers. Some of the companies supplied with slaves by the SS implemented what they called "performance feeding," giving the more productive slaves more food while depriving it from those who didn't work as hard.

I presume you meant "useless eaters": From Wikipedia: "Unnütze Esser – (lit. "useless eaters" or "useless mouths") Similar to life unworthy of life, a designation for Jews unable to work, people with serious medical problems or disabilities, and other Untermenschen not deemed to be useful to Germany.[24] The term was also applied to Jews, in general.[25] It was used in the 1938 children's book Der Giftpilz by Julius Streicher, and in Philip K. Dick's book[26] and its television adaptation, The Man in the High Castle.[27]"

Expand full comment
Harry's avatar

Malthus.

Expand full comment
Ice Age's avatar

Was wrong.

Expand full comment
Joe griffin's avatar

Absolutely, and he knew it.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

I'm happy that Paul Ehrlich has lived long enough to see that not one of his predictions has come to pass.

Expand full comment
Joe griffin's avatar

Totally agree!

Expand full comment
Gianni's avatar

Me too, but it frustrates me that people still seek him out and listen to his current predictions vs. ridicule him for getting so much wrong.

Expand full comment
Ataraxis's avatar

Julian Simon’s book The Ultimate Resource 2 is fantastic.

Expand full comment
Ark-med's avatar

'Tis a pity Julian Simon didn't live long enough, though.

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

Probably a more noble reason than why I got my vasectomy, so I could rawdog my wife as often as I (and she granted) wanted.

Expand full comment
Alan's avatar

I get the feeling any guy that got snipped for climate change still has to ask not to pull out.

Or still wraps it up because his wife bangs other dudes.

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

“How did you expect her to get pregnant while she was pegging you??”

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

Her bf isnt fixed!

Expand full comment
Fat Baby Driver's avatar

Having a vasectomy doesn't keep your wife from getting pregnant, it just changes the color of the baby.

Expand full comment
PJ King's avatar

🤣🤣

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

If you want to see something interesting, next time you're at a party with both men and women, suggest mandatory DNA testing at birth. The men will be fine with it, the women will not. Rather fascinating how even the most traditional of trad wives don't like that idea.

How's this for a deal? Unlimited right for women to abort their children in exchange for either mandatory DNA testing at birth or elimination of child support payments. If a woman shouldn't be forced to give birth to a child she doesn't want, a man shouldn't be forced to support a child he doesn't want.

Expand full comment
Alan's avatar

Dave Chapelle suggested something similar. "My money, my choice!"

Expand full comment
Ken's avatar

Here. Here. ....Although an unplanned scare for a 3rd - can be a bit motivating as well.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

My motivation was the same, except it was other peoples' wives.

Expand full comment
Sherman McCoy's avatar

Oh, the magnanimity!

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

I've always been a VERY GOOD PERSON

Expand full comment
Shortest Circuit's avatar

There's this upcoming trend in Europe to be that outdoorsy type, even though we have nowhere the national parks that the U.S. does - so what do you do after you've finished pouring yellow die all over yourself and the actual thing that's pronounced the worst? You buy a T3 Transporter, add 400lbs of shitty MDF furniture, call it a camper and putt-putt around the continent at 45MPH while spewing more soot than all the Ultimate Adventure trucks put together. I don't know if there's a video on how to do a vasectomy on yourself in said van, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was somehow allowable under the YT policies.

Expand full comment
kamguy's avatar

I lived in Big Bay north of Marquette, MI. It’s the Ann Arbor of the UP (Marquette that is) and mean that in all the worst ways. Bunch of hippie dippy retards that hate the mines and logging. But as one could easily predict, they drive up to the trails and rivers in clapped out Subarus that haven’t been maintained and tires are low. Got those plastic kayaks on their super cool roof rack and Chinese bikes on the back. Later that night they brag about the acoustic guitar made from rare rain forest wood as they drink weird craft beer and burn wood in the camp fire.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

I'm gonna put on a Sasquatch outfit and run out of the trees at night to forcibly finger their asses.

Expand full comment
kamguy's avatar

I double dog dare you

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Nah I'm too afraid they'd push back on it

Expand full comment
Mike's avatar

You would be elbows deep in assholes

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

I was leaving a hardware store in Munising and noticing an anti-Whitmer bumper sticker on a car, I mentioned to a guy nearby, "the governor isn't real popular around here, is she?" He replied, "If you go to where the educated people are, like Marquette, it's better." I thought to myself, "Oh, you're one of those," but restrained myself from pointing out that somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of Nazi slave labor, concentration, and death camp commandants had advanced degrees.

Expand full comment
MD Streeter's avatar

There's some weirdo with a metal "sculpture" park who has as part of his displays a shrine to Whitmer's leadership. I just can't get behind that sort of blind bootlicking. It makes me want to barf.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

The purpose is to offend you; if you went up to him and said, "I want to thank you for your support of Gov. Whitmer. She's failed in a lot of ways but I think it's critical we boost her so nobody thinks her failures apply to ALL female leaders," he'd walk in the house and kick the gender-neutral dog.

Expand full comment
MD Streeter's avatar

You're right, of course. I dislike people like that so I avoid them as much as I can.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

Whitmer (Whitless? Halfwhit?) and her lesbian attorney general Nessel are trying to turn Michigan into their version of California. Their new hate crimes law is a violent assault on the 1st Amendment. I just heard a PSA on the radio yesterday about state services for veterans and of course the ad made a point of saying that gays and transexuals also served. Heck, proselytizing evangelical Christians and Muslim apologists are less annoying. At least they're honest about trying to change your beliefs and they aren't using state funds to do so.

Expand full comment
Ark-med's avatar

More correct these days to call them gender-neutral rather than neutered.

Expand full comment
kamguy's avatar

Munising is slowly becoming a mini MQT it seems to me. Hope I’m wrong

Expand full comment
MD Streeter's avatar

We moved out to Ishpeming Twp for two reasons: to avoid City taxes and to get the hell away from the overeducated, uncritical morons who live in Marquette. Such a shame, because it really is a neat place.

Expand full comment
kamguy's avatar

Much better.

Have you watched “Anatomy of a Murder”? All the on location filming is too cool. Interior bar shooting was done at bar over by you.

Sad about Marquette. We also lived on M28 looking north at the big lake. Six miles east of light in Harvey

Expand full comment
MD Streeter's avatar

No, we have not seen it, but I think we will put it on our list and when we watch try to identify all the places.

Lots of nice lakeshore along M28, it's part of the nicest stretch of my drive between here and my parents' house.

We lived on Pine St. in Marquette, so we were a few blocks away from the lake. I miss being able to walk to work and to the beach on the weekends, but I don't miss my neighbors' silly political signs and all the noise they made all the time. It's also pretty creepy walking out to my car after work and seeing the zombies passed out everywhere. There are no zombies in my new neighborhood.

Expand full comment
Ice Nine's avatar

And not one Subaru driver or fat bike rider realizes that all those cool trails they are on were built by and for miners and loggers.

Expand full comment
Ark-med's avatar

"…they brag about the acoustic guitar made from rare rain forest wood…”

Obama made sure to raid Gibson and make their lives hell under Lacey allegations after their CEO bad-mouthed his highness.

Expand full comment
Shortest Circuit's avatar

was this before or after they destroyed the Magnum, P.I. mansion?

Expand full comment
MD Streeter's avatar

A true crime against humanity if there ever was one...

Expand full comment
Henry C.'s avatar

Oh MY GOD!

Expand full comment
Josh's avatar

I used to enjoy reading Outside when it was about, you know, going outside and enjoying nature. Now it’s gotten just plain weird:

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-case-for-killing-the-campfire?utm_source=pocket-newtab

(Pocket link so Outside gets fewer clicks)

I really want to know what the deal is with that Wes Silar dude. Talk about speaking out if both sides of your mouth.

Expand full comment
PJ King's avatar

I like the Pocket link thing.

Expand full comment
Sobro's avatar

My 2018 Focus ST has taken a beating in the Carvana "market". Not that I want to sell it at only 28k miles, but my Carvana "offer" in April was $21,194 and as of yesterday was $17,286.

Good thing Lieawatha and Pedo Joe weren't able to tax my "assets" in April.

Oh, and the other day I realized why Obama's sock puppet Joe was never involved with Epstein's Lolita Express. Old Jeff's teenagers were WAY too old for The Big Guy.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Yeah, I could have gotten $41k for the truck in Feb -- but I needed it!

My theory on The Big Guy is that he's simply lonely and sad. Imagine being Biden. Everybody around you, including your skank wife, is busy trying to milk a buck out of you at all times. The only people who don't want anything from you would be innocent children. Wouldn't you want to be around them? Don't get me wrong -- kid-fucking is on the way to being a modern sacrament. I just don't know about Biden.

On the other hand, you have the diary/shower business, which went almost immediately from "debunked/unconfirmed" to "federal charges brought for its theft".

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

That thing about creepy uncle Joe might have been true 10 years ago but now I think he’s about two steps away from being a vegetable, and doesn’t have much cognitive function at all. He’s basically just Abe Simpson.

Expand full comment
Todd Zuercher's avatar

Just wait for an onion on his belt....

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

It was the style at the time!

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

Maybe he deserves it for the life he's lived but what they're currently doing to Biden is cruel. He is a senile old man

Expand full comment
Sir Morris Leyland's avatar

What they're currently doing to _us_ is cruel too!

Expand full comment
Julian's avatar

Carvana market seems dead versus early to mid-covid times. Both my father in law and I got significantly more for our 2021 V60 Cross Country wagons trading in to dealers for our new cars versus Carvana. Ford store gave me 5k more than Carvana offered, and didn't quibble with what I wanted for it, and Volvo dealer give him 8k more (it even was a LEASE) towards his new V60 Polestar

Expand full comment
NoID's avatar

Wonder if my not-nearly-as-cool Charger GT was on the same train or truck as your much-cooler 300 C. It shipped to the Detroit yard yesterday.

At least mine is Sublime. When asked why I ordered the loud color and performance package on a V6 car, I point out that I'm simply following the evolutionary survival strategy of mimicry.

Besides which, with wide tires, performance brakes, and lower mass and better distribution thereof, these things settle down into a corner pretty well. It'll never beat a HEMI in a drag race, but it makes for some fun in daily driving. I only wish it didn't have the fuel economy-focused final drive ratio, you'd think a 300+ HP RWD car could do a burnout.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

I spent a LOT of time thinking about whether my black 300C shouldn't be a Sublime 392 Widebody. In the end, I couldn't justify spending $11,000 more for less equipment and an interior that doesn't ring my land-yacht bell as hard. I also felt like my current over-the-road pace, best described as "AARP-esque", would be a disgrace to any Charger.

I'd sure like to see pictures of your Charger when it arrives!

Expand full comment
NoID's avatar

Oh, I typically drive like a grandpa, but I maintain as much speed as I can in the corners and on ramps in the name of efficiency! Yeah, that's it...

Enjoy your 300 C, it's one of several VERY unlikely programs to come out of Chrysler in the Stellantis era. I'd guess the only reason it was commercially viable was because Brampton never stopped producing the 300 SRT for the export market, so all the building blocks were there.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Yeah, that's what Erich H. told me. "You're getting a Euro 300SRT."

Expand full comment
danio's avatar

Gulf Coast spec. Emirati wheelman approved.

Expand full comment
danio's avatar

That program has been on the shelf since I want to say 2016 when the LX 300 was originally scheduled to die for '18 as a send-off. However during the Mergio years no spend could ever get approved for LB/LF so LX just kept trucking.

So many interesting projects started and never finished for unwillingness to spend while looking to unload the company. If you're bored one day look up Banshee Hercules Bulldog Magnum Stealth Atlantic Road-Jet SD LY RA RB RY among others.

I couldn't wait so I built a 392C Platinum.

Expand full comment
Todd Zuercher's avatar

Silly me - I read 392 and figured you were getting a Jeep!

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Can't afford one!

In truth, Jeeps are pretty rare out here in the Ohio sticks. Even though I live on a literal dirt/gravel road.

Expand full comment
Todd Zuercher's avatar

I figured that would be the case. Haven't been back to the Buckeye state backwoods for 6 years now so I don't know the buying habits. Here in AZ they're thick as thieves.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Working theory: the closer you are to off-road conditions on a daily basis, the less likely you are to drive an off-road vehicle -- or, like me, you have a Roxor/SxS in the garage.

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

Alternate theory: Jeeps are playthings for yuppies and hippies. They’re not good at doing Real Work. If you need to do Real Work, a truck is just as capable off-road as a Jeep for Real World Things, and infinitely more practical at Real Work things.

Expand full comment
redlineblue's avatar

That Roxor isn't street legal though!

Expand full comment
danio's avatar

When I lived in the Rockies and did real overlanding with beer, guns...and hookers there were tons Jeeps. But almost as many Toyota. And virtually NOTHING else. Well I took a Power Wagon once but it wasn't mine.

Expand full comment
Julian's avatar

I see this all the time wherever we are whether in middle Tennessee, CT suburbs of NYC, or south Florida - JEEP's are 100% yuppie cars, whether bought for their kids or to support the "active" lifestyle they want to show off. Real work and driving down gravel and dirt roads is done by folks in pickups or older model full size SUVs.

Also Wrangers are STUPID expensive, it's crazy that anything with middling equipment gets you up close to 50k and my V60 Cross Country probably saw and handled more dirt roads than most Wranglers

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

Wranglers are expensive but hold their resale value insanely well. So from a TCO perspective they’re cheap, and they lease out stupid cheap.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Like Land Cruisers, ironically!

Expand full comment
Julian's avatar

Sure, but you still need the cash (or cashflow) to get into the car in the first place. Resale is only good if you've got the scratch in the first place

Expand full comment
Dannyp's avatar

Can we get a full review of the 300 once you've driven it a few days? I have a 7hr drive to Richmond next month for a work obligation, so I reserved a 300 with Budget rentals for research purposes. It will likely be a V6 model, but I'll get to see whether I like the interior and chassis enough to make one my daily driver someday..

Expand full comment
NoID's avatar

On that note, my lease cars are always available for a review if you're in SE Michigan. I keep threatening to write my own reviews but I keep...not. Maybe a long term (21k miles in 13 months!) review for my Renegade Trailhawk before I turn it in.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Absolutely.

Expand full comment
jc's avatar

I'm not the guy you asked, but I rent a ton of cars for work (100+ days this year). The 300 is one of the best rentals you can get. They drive nice, they're not slow, and you can put 5 adults in one.

Expand full comment
Dannyp's avatar

Good to hear! Do you like the seats for long trips?

Expand full comment
jc's avatar

I don't remember having a problem. And the car is quiet inside, which I didn't think was important till I was in a legit quiet car

Expand full comment
G. K.'s avatar

When I rented a 2022 300 S recently, something about it really hurt my lumbar (and I adjusted it in all manner of ways) after about two hours.

Still, it was *far* better than the 2023 Model 3 I just rented, which was torture on the back.

Expand full comment
Dannyp's avatar

It seems that America still does quiet highway cars best. I recently did a 1200 mi round trip in an 05 Volvo S60, and I've done a 4 hr drive in a 2014 E class wagon in the past year, and my sister's 1st gen Ford Fusion is quieter than both of those cars on the highway.

Expand full comment
Phil's avatar

Don't feel too bad. I had my heard set on a Charger WBSC. Couldn't stomach the upcharges on these things in this market. Ended up ordering a Challenger GT AWD at msrp minus $3k in rebates. Built in April delivered in June.

I have to admit that I like it alot more than I expected to! If I really have teh yearning for more straight line speed and V8 sounds I just drive a Firehawk to work instead that day.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Nobody likes to talk about this, but the pace of the Pentastar cars is essentially identical to that of the first-generation 5.7 Hemis.

Expand full comment
NoID's avatar

I'm a broken record on this, but if they threw the higher numerical ratio axle and a couple other goodies into these cars, called it the Rallye or something, then they'd have a real hit on their hands. I think the problem is that they ALREADY had a hit on their hands, and didn't need another one.

Expand full comment
Keith's avatar

Eagle hemi was tremendous upgrade on the heads and intake. I’d say it’s similar the LS1 vs LS3 but the gen 1 hemi has less potential than the LS1.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

Who can complain about 300hp?

Expand full comment
gt's avatar

The 8spd auto is terrific at making the 3.6 pentastar shine. I really enjoyed my basic SE Charger rental in Vegas in February. If I was buying just a normal commuter/family midsize sedan, it'd be hard not to get a V6 Charger. I guess the trunk is a tad small for what it is (smaller than my wife's 2012 Camry for example).

Expand full comment
kamguy's avatar

Tell me about Firehawk. We had a 94 6 spd without t-tops

Expand full comment
Frank White's avatar

I had a Challenger GT not long ago as a rental. I liked it much more than anticipated. I'm betting you'll enjoy the Charger.

Enough that I'm going to go have a look at a 5.7L manual car that's on the way among offices. It's crossing the 90 day threshold, so the dealer is probably ready to have it off their floorplan.

Expand full comment
Adrian Clarke's avatar

Wait, instead of getting a Moonswatch as birthday present I could have paid YOU $33k for TWO and gotten a free truck? That's almost as a good a deal as the one I just got from His Majesty's Revenue & Customs for late tax filings: a mere £1500 to not have to worry about dropping the soap in the shower!

I've been meaning to add my RC adventures to these racing threads, but I'm never near a keyboard in a timely manner. Well today I am, so buckle up.

The JACCS Integra bodyshell was getting a bit race worn, so last week I made the time to paint and sticker up the HPI Monte Carlo body with a Jeff Gordon #24 NASCAR livery. No particular driver affiliation, I just think it's an iconic scheme. And my using a NASCAR body was a subtle hint to some of my fellow club racers I wasn't taking being nerfed off lightly any longer. Anyway two disastrous weeks of qualifying heats has seen me in a lower final, which both weeks I've comfortably won. Although I completed more laps than other drivers racing my class in the final above mine, it seems it's better to place lower in a higher ranked final than winning a lower ranked one. So, when I return next week I'll be hoping to qualify better. I'm upgrading to brushless and have ordered a new spur gear and pinion set to suit (brushless motors can pull longer gears than brushed) so fingers crossed. And I've ordered some shims to try and get some of the slop out of the standard TT02 suspension arms.....

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

We need a video of some sort!

Expand full comment
Phil's avatar

Looking forward to the 300C review.

Expand full comment
Jared Harris's avatar

Before my 2010 Mercedes S600 gets shuffled off on [UNIDENTIFIED_AUCTION_SITE], I’ll give someone here a chance to grab it. The ultimate grand-tourer… 5.5L twin-turbo V12 with 510 hp/610 tq. Black over Natural Brown (read: tan) with 106k on the clock. Wear commensurate with miles, with paintwork on the right-rear quarter from the previous owner, but no real stories to note. Every possible option except the fridge, which is to say A LOT… heated/cooled/memory/dynamic/massage thrones front and rear, night vision, radar cruise, rear entertainment, four-zone climate, so on and so forth.

Well, maybe there IS a big story… it was covered under a CarMax warranty from February 2019 to February 2023, which means everything was religiously serviced, and I have the records to show it. ABC pump was done at 96k, just before I took ownership, and coils/plugs (a pricey proposition on this car) were done in February at 105k miles. I have records covering 45k miles to now, plus a VMI to cover the rest of dealer maintenance.

Located in the Phoenix metro; I’ll let it go to an ACF subscriber for $20k. Probably won’t be as generous as our humble author regarding shipping, but you’ll have a Hell of a drive home. (Jack’s comment last week about the Aston V8 Vantage’s deficit in an S600 drag race hit home, as I’ve been on the winning end of such drag races.)

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Holy shit. I wish I had twenty grand to spare. What a car at that price!

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

I've got the money! Sadly don't have the time to pick it up or the garage space.

Expand full comment
Prophet's avatar

Yeah, but what have you decided to replace it with?

Expand full comment
Jared Harris's avatar

Nothing as of yet. That Scat Pack is still very intriguing. May refresh my memory on the Viper and/or C7. The Boxster has to go before any upgrades happen, but still a little debugging to do before I’m willing to send it down the road.

Expand full comment
Jeff Madson's avatar

The only question I have is how rich do I have to be to be able to afford a 14 year old 100k mile S Class with a V12?

Expand full comment
Jared Harris's avatar

If you don’t DIY your own repairs? Fantastically wealthy.

If you do? A decent engineer’s salary ought to do, plus heaping amounts of patience. And a lift.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

2011 Volvo xc 60 for sale. Has a hitch. Audi offered me 5k in trade and Carvana offer around 6k. 93k miles. If you're interest let me know. I mostly just want to get rid of it at this point.

He got a vasectomy cause he doesn't want kids. "I'm doing it for the environment" is such a scam. These people can't say anything without lying.

Expand full comment
Julian's avatar

Where is it? and Which motor? this could work nicely for me

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

Vin: YV4952DZ3B2153893

3.2 V6 AWD

Western Chicagoland.

Expand full comment
Thomas Hank's avatar

That’s a solid price for that.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

I'll probably ask for 7 from an ACF reader. It's on Craigslist for 11 but that was mostly testing if anyone was stupid enough to pay that much. I'd guess I can get 8-9 if I put in the work. I'd rather not put in the work.

Expand full comment
Julian's avatar

Let me see with the wife Chicago isn't too far from Nashville where this would live.. She had the same XC60 before and loved it, also we're Volvo people who currently down own one

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

Sounds good. Let me know. Jacks got my email or reply to this

Expand full comment
Jeff Winks's avatar

If I could get Black & Milds at cost I would definitely start back in those it would be hard not to.

Expand full comment
Sherman McCoy's avatar

Funny story:

In my first job, I worked for a specialty investment bank that worked (almost) exclusively with financial services companies: banks, thrifts, insurers, non-bank lenders, specialty finance companies, fintech, etc. The big boss of the firm - who has been in the news a bit lately - is a distinguished alumnus of Notre Dame.

At some point prior to my arrival in 2011, the firm had sold Black & Mild, and had been hired to do so through a ND connection.

In the conference room of our office sat a “deal toy” (the little trophies investment bankers receive to commemorate deals when they close), which was a facsimile of a Black & Mild “cigar” that was about the size of a ruler. One night, while I was flipping through a Board deck in the conference room as the sun rose over the horizon, I found myself VERY tempted to take that deal toy home with me…

Old boss: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/jimmy-dunne-who-is-he-pga-tour-liv-golf-deal

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

"Deal toy". Humans are funny. One would imagine that making stacks o' cash would be enough incentive, but no, the titans of finance need their tchotchkes too.

It reminds me bit like the "limited edition" merch that you get if you buy a VIP package to a concert (typed while looking at poster #4423/15,000 from Dead & Co's 2022 tour). The show isn't enough, you have to have a souvenir. Speaking of which, that's a lovely French word that means "remember" but originates in Latin for "come to mind". We use artifacts to recreate experiences in our minds.

FWIW, though, I do custom embroidery and laser engraving and I'll be happy to supply the financial trades with all the logo embellished items they want.

Expand full comment
Sherman McCoy's avatar

I don’t know WHY the deal toy industry exists. No one takes them very seriously. They are - ostensibly - for clients.

There are many arcane rituals and rules that must be followed in sell-side high finance.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

I'm old enough to remember that when your dad bought a new car, the dealer gave you a scale model of it.

At least there's some self-awareness with the term "deal toy". I'd imagine that in some cases, like retirement watches with company logos, they're collectible.

Expand full comment
Gianni's avatar

Fat Brad on a motorcycle makes me think of the fat guy on the mini bike in On Any Sunday. That was funny, Brad on a bike is lame.

Expand full comment
Charlie's avatar

I just figure he's one of the McCrary brothers.

Expand full comment
Ataraxis's avatar

They lived in the county I now live in. I always forget to ask my local buddies if they knew them.

Expand full comment
kamguy's avatar

That’s what I pictured

Expand full comment
silentsod's avatar

Points if he can drag belly at full lean

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

Oh god. The mental image

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

I started to diet last year when I rolled over in bed and my belly got in the way. I've never been thin (my heaviest was 235 at 5'6") but I don't understand how people get to be 300#+ obese. I guess there's a point where you just say screw it and keep eating. Down 47 lbs and 6 inches off my waist as of this morning. Funny thing is that's almost 25% of my starting weight and hardly anybody has noticed. Maybe I should get some new jeans that fit better.

Expand full comment
silentsod's avatar

Killer work, Ronnie. I have never been one to get too hefty, as you alluded it feels wrong. 47lb and 6" is a lot to lose.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

I fluctuate between 220 and 260. When I hit 260, it's time to get my fatass back into shape. I can't imagine carrying around another 50-100 lbs.

Expand full comment
Tristan Yates's avatar

Nice job! I tell anyone who will listen that you don't want to enter your 40s and 50s overweight.

> Maybe I should get some new jeans that fit better.

You should get a new everything that fits better.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

"You should get a new everything that fits better."

I'd settle for something in a double X chromosome whose weight begins with the numeral 1.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Brad on a bike is the precise opposite of Bruce Brown's dream. Brad will tell everyone what they're allowed to have, what they're allowed to do.. He kills motorcycling fun at a distance.

Expand full comment
Amelius Moss's avatar

This post will be in very bad taste but Saturday while on the Dragon for MATG I came up on a very large rotund motorcycle rider splayed across the hood of an NB with a shattered windshield and hardtop thrown back over the trunk. First thing I thought of reading about Brad's new job.

The rider lived. Lifeflighted out with a broken leg and shoulder.

Expand full comment
Shortest Circuit's avatar

"Wes let his wealthy wife buy him a $100,000 custom Land Cruiser"

a sentence that upsets me in 3 different ways

Expand full comment
Bill C.'s avatar

That guy actually justifies his wife's Land Cruiser because he is saving carbon by not having children.

1) You don't have to justify anything; buy what you want (or have wife do it).

2) Happy to share your joy in not reproducing. Encourage all your friends to follow suit.

Expand full comment
Julian's avatar

What's weird to me is how he keeps calling it his wife's, while I seems to be built to his specs for his adventures...

The big reason we bought an Expedition was to drive my wife and the dogs to dog shows, and roadtrip (potentially with their boat) to my in-laws, and yet I know we "justified" it really because I wanted a truck again, so it's mine.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

This person had a photo taken ten years ago of him and his wife in bed with another man.

He's fuckin' weird.

Expand full comment
Julian's avatar

Now that's an understatement. Just wow

Expand full comment
Harry's avatar

Is he the one with the sword swallower/circus performer? Or is that another writer who publicizes sharing his wife? How does this relate to the ahab incident? At least Dune has encyclopedia (if you can find it)

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Lieberman is the one with the clown sex worker wife.

Expand full comment
KoR's avatar

Is that clown-sex worker wife? Or Clown sex-worker wife?

Expand full comment
Charlie's avatar

Yes.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

Well the sword swallower, he comes up to you

And then he kneels

He crosses himself

And then he clicks his high heels

And without further notice

He asks you how it feels

And he says, "Here is your throat back

Thanks for the loan"

Expand full comment
JMcG's avatar

Who was in the middle?

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

Wes, as I recall

Expand full comment
Jeff Winks's avatar

Weird carbon offset scheme

Expand full comment
Ian Harrison (compaq deskpro)'s avatar

Would he be able to teach them, and would his wife allow it?

Expand full comment
jack4x's avatar

I’m not anyone’s idea of a socialist, but school lunch really should be free, and probably breakfast too. There aren’t a lot of things I’d be happy to pay higher taxes for. Feeding kids is one of the few.

It’s really too bad that Michelle Obama’s healthy eating thing got turned into such a political farce, because god knows kids need to be eating better and school is maybe their only chance to do so. Jack’s comment about kids being too fat is sadly true, and it’s only getting worse as schools cut back recess and gym class.

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

Covid was a weird time, my kids’ schools gave everyone regardless of need free lunch. They even had events where you could pull your car up and pop the trunk and they’d put bags of groceries in your trunk. Led to an embarrassing situation where our nanny (SAHM running an illegal in home daycare) told our daughter they got free apples or something from school and we thought they were going through tough times and tried to give them some money. But they weren’t, it was just free so they took it (the food not the $$).

Anyways, through the whole thing I guess it was nice? that they gave the kids free lunches, but the school has 3% of kids who are under 2x the poverty line, like maybe those resources could have been expended in a much better place than making sure the laptop class didn’t need to drop $50 in their kids’ accounts every couple months.

Expand full comment
jack4x's avatar

I agree that targeting it makes more rational financial sense, but all too often good ideas are done in by trying to calculate who has been “harmed” enough to deserve something, and who is “privileged” enough not to deserve it.

Just give it to everyone. If some rich kids get a free lunch they don’t really need, well, I can think of worse wastes of money.

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

I appreciate the sentiment, but when you don’t target you get the two bailout checks and the PPP, all of which were massively stupid and wasteful and in part led to the inflationary problem we have today.

The median HHI in my town is $91k, and our elementary school district is the the richest part of that. There is exactly one apartment building in our elementary school district that has low income (as in <$75k/yr) which is where the majority of that 3% ( 18 kids) comes from. It was literally a handout to rich people that we were all confused why we were getting.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

The rich kids will still pay for their own lunch, I think. Both to get what they want and for the flex of it.

Expand full comment
S2kChris's avatar

It was an elementary school. Payment is through an online “wallet” and you get an email nudge to drop more money in when it goes under $10 or something, like an EZPass. There’s no mechanism in school for payment, it just draws out of your account based on whether your kid grabs a lunch that day or not. They simply turned the system off one day and said “here grab a lunch if you want it” or something to that effect. Most of us didn’t notice until someone posted on the FB page “hey has anyone noticed they haven’t received an email to put $$ in the lunch account lately?”

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

I didnt know i was a rich kid but we packed our own lunches.

Expand full comment
Amelius Moss's avatar

And had a poptart for breakfast.... before I got on the bus.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

No bus. The butler drove us

Expand full comment
Greg Shaw's avatar

The rich kid’s parents are the ones paying for it anyway.

Expand full comment
Harry's avatar

We did free lunches at our school, and "take home lunches"

It was incredibly important for aot of kids. Our community is made of old and childless rich folk (majority). And the very poor underclass that serves them, who have the vast majority of the school age children in the community.

It was the only good meal for a lot of kids each day. They have kept going with the program after covid with community funding.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

I'm not sentimental about a lot, but the idea of hungry children enrages me.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

The question that I have is why is it that the only good daily meal a lot of kids get is in school? Feeding your kids is a parent's basic obligation.

I'm skeptical about the number of people at risk for hunger in America. The reason that I say that is because even without food stamps or welfare, there is ample free food available in America. Forgotten Harvest is the Detroit area's food recycler. They recently moved into a 77,000 sq ft building with about four times the square footage they previously had.

They're one of the suppliers for a private food pantry operated by the widow of a prominent rabbi out of her garage, around the corner from my house. While she has a small budget for chicken and other bought items, Forgotten Harvest is their main supplier and if I wanted to be really frugal I could probably get by on just what they have there. They get so much food that they have to have regular folks who aren't officially poor come one day a week or else they'd be throwing stuff away.

Sure, most of the "recycled" food is distressed goods in one form or another. The cereal might be reaching its "best used by" date or there might be some mold in one tray out of a pallet of tomatoes, but it's edible and nutritious.

Today I brought home rice, barley, fruit punch, a box of cereal, and some animal crackers for my grandsons. If I wanted, I could have taken some peanut butter, jelly, and tuna fish but I already have plenty at home.

The issue of hunger in America may be more about activists than hungry people.

Expand full comment
TL's avatar

That was mostly what I saw in my 3rd hand relation to the Portland food bank in the early 2000s. An astounding amount of high dollar food sent home with volunteers because it would go bad otherwise.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

Looking around any room in any city I've been to in the USA. No one is hungry in America. Even the poor kids are fat.

Expand full comment
Ian Harrison (compaq deskpro)'s avatar

The Arramark admin people at my school told me before Covid started that a large percentage of families had their account in arrears, and would not pick up the phone, and it was screwing up their accounting. Covid ended up wiping out even the attempt. They kept several lunch ladies employed for a couple weeks making bagged lunches. The ham was cheap but the turkey I shit you not was as good as Boar's Head. Nobody could be bothered to come by and get them, besides one greedy person trying to load up. (I remember they had a cranberry red Jaguar XF.) Luckily, most of the sandwiches went to me and the security guards.

Expand full comment
Amelius Moss's avatar

I have little doubt that some company received double whatever the food cost in profit but I'm just a cynical asshole who has lost all faith in government handouts.

Expand full comment
Ronnie Schreiber's avatar

My late mother had a part time job into her 80s serving the federally subsidized lunches to seniors at the Jewish Community Center. When she'd be busy, I'd substitute for her. The food was supplied under contract by the commissary at the Detroit area's Jewish senior's complex. I'd say about half of the food ended up going back to the commissary, where it was either recycled into stuff like chicken salad, or just thrown out.

Expand full comment
Amelius Moss's avatar

For every actual child in a public school lunch program there are 2-3 fictitious children also enrolled to make up the numbers and increase the budget.

Expand full comment
JMcG's avatar

You’d just be filling dumpsters with healthy food. Whatever that is. The USDA doesn’t have a clue.

Expand full comment
Ataraxis's avatar

A family member volunteered at a food pantry for the poor. The recipients used to take the free shopping bags of food, then leave what they didn’t want on the ground in the parking lot before driving off. Usually it was the healthier stuff.

I’m thinking that most charities at this point just further the behavior they are supposedly trying to prevent. My county of 100,000 people has a large amount of charitable organizations that seem to all be doing the same basic thing. I’m guessing if you asked these organizations for their metrics on their success rates, they would be unable to do so. Just like all the Great Society programs.

Expand full comment
Scott A's avatar

You can’t help people who dont want to help themselves.

Expand full comment
JMcG's avatar

I don’t want to help people that don’t want to help themselves.

Expand full comment
sgeffe's avatar

Boom!

Expand full comment
Ataraxis's avatar

The rules for success or at least for not being a burden to society are well known. Get an education, don’t have children out of wedlock, stay out of jail. That’s it. It works for everyone.

Expand full comment
Jack Baruth's avatar

2 out of 3 isn't bad, I hope.

Expand full comment
Ataraxis's avatar

It’s definitely a sliding scale. Society’s problems never violate just one rule.

Expand full comment
JMcG's avatar

I’m only one for three. I’m kicking it though!

Expand full comment
Bryce's avatar

I remember an Obama-era program at my hick-ass elementary school (right before I was sent to catholic school) wherein they’d bring in “healthy snacks” for us to eat. Knowing a bunch of 3rd graders were repulsed by the idea of eating raw spinach, arugula, and jicama with milk, our teacher let us turn them into crafts and play with it. The goofiest program...

Expand full comment
MD Streeter's avatar

The free lunches thing is fine, but my kids complain about the quality of food, and they are right: it is terrible. I ate a lot of school lunches with the kids in Japan and the food was all pretty good, so I can't wrap my head around how hard it is to feed kids good-tasting (and healthy) food here. Must be pretty close to impossible if highly educated educators can't figure it out.

Expand full comment
Ataraxis's avatar

Some great videos out there covering how Japanese school lunches are made.

Expand full comment
Ross McLaughlin's avatar

I spent basically my entire childhood NOT eating lunch due to the quality of the food. I'd then come home and gorge myself on whatever I could find around the house. Not exactly a producer of great eating habits, and probably why I was a fat kid. I'm sure we could feed our children tasty, simple meals like they do in east Asia, but that wouldn't be a great use of excess corn byproducts!

Expand full comment
win359's avatar

"highly educated educators" In this country?

Ha.

Expand full comment
Tristan Yates's avatar

Except the reality of universal free school lunch is that you'll basically end up buying two lunches for your kid - the free government one that they won't eat because it sucks and the one they actually want.

Expand full comment