Way off thread, but anyone here have any experience using Starlink for a home set up?
I have limited internet provider choices where I’m at, and I’ve had just about enough with my current provider, so I’m at the point where I’ll pay more for consistent service.
My house is on a high ridge so I should no issues with connectivity. There are cell phone towers on top of the two ridges on either side of the ridge I’m on.
I also don’t care about good or bad opinions on Musk, I’m not into gossip.
I just bought and set up the mobile one for use with my RV and it could not have been any easier. The hardware seems very solid, the software is easy to use.
If you’re in a big city competing with a lot of other users, it won’t be as fast… But they’re adding satellites all the time. When I was in the middle of the New Mexico desert 150 miles from the nearest big city, it was incredibly fast.
I actually looked into them, but IIRC they were going to charge an extra 'congestion' fee because the area where I'm living apparently has a lot of users that don't have access to vanilla broadband. The price was also more than my Comcast rate, and despite my ambivalence towards Comcast, I've had almost zero issues w/ them over the last few years. When our power is out, their internet pipe usually isn't (yes we invested in a generator).
If I was camping regularly or going more off grid I'd definitely look into their mini/portable setup.
Thanks. My connection goes down way too often, and especially when we have one of our frequent power outages, even though I have a generator. That makes no sense to me. I get my power back via my generator but the internet connection stays down. Trees are always falling over onto power lines where I live. The one we had last week for a day was a tree I had spotted leaning over a bit, but it’s useless to call the power company because they wait until the tree actually falls onto the lines.
Duke Energy in NC. We are very lucky here when lines go down because the main base for all the linemen and their bucket trucks is one town over from me.
I often repeat this refrain to my children: if the real estate listing mentions "beautiful lot with mature trees," run in the opposite direction! We've made it halfway through 2025 and I haven't needed to install the new carburetor on the chain saw, but it could be needed any day now.
I have about 50 good sized trees on my acre plus. I just live with it, because many of them could do some serious damage to my house. They are beautiful, though.
Funny, my boss was just asking me about the same thing today. Does anyone know how stable it is in thunderstorms? His new house is more in the sticks, and has zero wired options. I guess he's tried VZW and it hasn't been great.
It seems to be pretty stable in thunderstorms, although the storms where I use it are usually pretty quick summer monsoons. Overall, the service is pretty good, but there are some days when it is slow. The quality and stability of the connection seems to have increased in the 1-2 years since we started using it (West TX/SE NM).
It’s been great. Works fine in all weather - even melts snow and ice off itself. Biggest issue is locating it if you have trees around that can obstruct it as it tracks the satellites.
Tmobile also has a limited beta for Starlink/cell service, and you don't have to be a Tmo customer. Might be worth trying on your cell just to kick the tires.
The people who believe LLMs have free will operate the same way as LLMs—whatever they say is a statistical approximation of the most likely thing that would come out of their mouths with any given sentence. So they see a reflection of themselves in ChatGPT
For me one of the most fascinating verses of the Bible is John 1:1. I contemplate if not only is it referring to Jesus but language itself. A subscriber of the Gap Theory I think it's possible that pre-Adamite man didnt have the luxury of language and with that possibly an absence of Free Will, which to me is necessary for salvation; Free Will is that important. For us to give over so much power to an entity void of that, without soul or spirit but fully controlled by others, is horrifying.
If you wanted hot, sweaty, hard mano-a-mano wheel to wheel racing then look no further than the leather clad bad boy bikers in tall heels who were at Road America racing in MotoAmerica's Crunchwrap Supreme sponsored KING OF THE BAGGERS.
Race 1 was a Harley Davidson podium LOCKOUT proving that the CHEESEHEAD factory who build motorcycles in Thailand are the best! Wyman, Smith, and Rispoli until Smith was disqualified for his Screamin' Eagle screaming over 7k RPM in a violation of the class rules. No lockout for HD as this pushed Tyler O'Hara on to the podium and bumped Rispoli to second.
Race 2 ended with ass-out excitement in a last turn move from Troy Herfoss. As he took the inside line and pushed Bradley Smith wide both of them were eager to get on the throttle and both started waggling their tails. Unfortunately for Smith, Herfoss' rear bag/wheel slapped into his machine and Smith went down. He would later pick the bike up and cross the finish line for points. Rispoli finished second, and Wyman secured third.
Herrin took first place in race 1 and 2. Bobby Fong finished in second with a pair of solid rides given the lack of the Yamaha's tippy top end compared with the Ducati and BMW. Cameron Beaubier finished third with a hard charge after early issues in race 1. Race 2 he looked set to beat Herrin until a fast wreck (Road America was one of his injuries last year) took him out of the race but thankfully left him relatively unscathed. Richie Escalante was a distant third place for race 2.
Superbike at Road America is a boring processional affair.
Supersport, on the other hand, had lots of lead changes and drafting with a group of 5 or so up front in both races. Young guns Ty Scott and Blake Davis were duking it out with ex-superbike runners Cam P, Matt Scholtz, and PJ Jacobsen. PJ put a pair of great races together despite poor starts to finish 1st in race 1 with Ty Scott and Cameron Peterson's late race collision lending a helping hand. Scott managed to finish second, and Scholtz third.
Race 2 was a close game all the way to the end where Matt Scholtz lost the draft battle to the line and finished 4th with PJ picking him off for 3rd. Blake Davis won first place with under two tenths between himself and Cameron Peterson in 2nd.
Build Train Race isn't worth tuning into and listening to the commentators try to make it exciting is the only mild entertainment to be had.
I am also annoyed that the twins cup rider development series has so few races this year.
MotoGP at Aragon, named after the famous Ranger and Isildur's heir, this weekend.
'Build Train Race isn't worth tuning into and listening to the commentators try to make it exciting is the only mild entertainment to be had.'
In my stint as a MotoAmerica safety car driver, I occasionally found myself catching up to the BTR competitors on their start lap... in an automatic transmission, two-liter Acura ILX on street tires.
They do this with every sport. I don't care that girls like and play sports. They're fun and all but no one wants to watch it unless the chicks are hot. And then we're not really watching for the sport. No one wants to watch my fat ass play sports either. And people really don't want to watch women die which there is always a chance of in racing.
What does this series claim to be? Should they be able to beat a multi-class champ in a standard car? Or are you slobbing your own knob a bit here? Honest question, I don't know the difference.
No self-slobbing. The bikes were probably capable of running a 1:40 flat and a couple of the BTR ladies could, in fact, get close to that. Best I can do in that car is a 1:50-1:51. Some of the riders were really off pace. You wouldn't see that kind of disparity across drivers in any other MotoAmerica class.
Remember all those Godawful sci fi movies from the 50s where atomic bombs turned cockroaches car-sized and made good, wholesome American teenagers into horny greasers? Well, AI is nothing more than The New Movie A-Bomb.
All AI's really gonna do is fuck up your bank balance and make the Chinese think you're into leather porn.
The best one was from 1972, Night of the Lepus, about giant mutated rabbits. There’s no horror involved because for all the rabbit scenes they just used regular sized rabbits but filmed them with ultra close ups to make them seem bigger. Of course it didn’t work, it’s just the entire screen filled with rabbits making normal rabbit faces.
Your kids would love it. No gore or horror and a bunch of cute giant rabbits.
Although if I remember correctly when they finally vanquish the rabbits there’s a bunch of high pitched rabbit squealing that could be disturbing to little kids.
Long before Seymor and Elvira there was local bad TV with wayy too much unscheduled time on it's hands, they'd replay the absolute bottom of the barrel 1950's 'C' grade horror flicks, we'd watch them as comedies .
? Anyone remember "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes" ? a movie made after the parody song became popular .
Before he moved to California and became the voice of ABC (tonight on The Looove Boat...) Paul Thomas Anderson's father Ernie ruled Cleveland's airwaves as Shock Theater Friday night host Ghoulardi.
Is that one of those 300 or so TV shows made in the last 20 years that's basically the same thing: Obsessed with being Good at the expense of Enjoyable?
It's a show about how awful people with a $50m net worth are, which soothes the consciences of the desired viewing audience, which is people with $5m net worth.
I think Justified was the last thing I watched that seemed to have above average writing that more or less captured the spirit of the setting, plot, etc....but was marred by the fact they tried to pass off shooting locations in rural parts of California as rural parts of Kentucky/etc. Sorry, they aren't the same.
He was pretty good in Gemstones, but how many times is HBO going to recycle the same mill of the same actors over and over, let alone Danny McBride being pretty much a one dimensional pony, and I generally like the guy.
the second season is supposed to take place in new vegas so while i havnt watched the show im keen to see how they shit all over the best fallout game ever made
Complete with old TVs with the separate dial for Channels 33-78, where it's three AM on a Saturday and you're 11 years old, a foot from the screen and continually turning the volume down one click at a time so Mom and Dad don't hear you watching Cinemax soft porn during the free preview week.
The naughty channels on our old cable TV service were scrambled pretty bad, but the audio was pretty clear! Once in a while the screen stabilized for a sec or two, and I remember catching some glimpses of some major hardcore action! Hot cha cha!
Make teenagers horny again! Bang, have an accidental pregnancy or two, get married, keep it “hard mode and grow up” at 100% and realize you can have children just fine at 19 just like grandma and grandpa did. This advice is mostly for middle class and up where the guy will stick around.
The missing element in this proposal (increasingly regardless of social class these days) is adequate social pressure/norms to keep the couple together and for that whole scenario to not devolve into a) an abortion b) single mom. Charles Murray's "Coming Apart" covers this well, and it was written back in 2012.
0-Jack and Butterfinger BB have so much in common: They are both middle-aged, hirsute, (moderately) plus-sized Ohioans who make a living dispensing hot takes about cars, motorcycles, and motorsport online; furthermore, they both enjoy getting down in the mud and arguing on Al Gore’s internet.
Similar taste in automobiles (to say nothing of timepieces), too!
1-Max asked for tires, and the team agreed at the time that fresh tires were preferable given the high deg on the worn Spanish tarmac and the long radius curves. Unfortunately, the only tires he had available were (1) fresh hard tires, (2) the used soft tires on the car, and (3) an additional set of used soft tires in the garage.
They weren’t going to put to put him on a different set of used soft tires, so they gave him hards. In retrospect, they didn’t know that the SC would remain out for such a long period of time. Had he not taken tires, he would’ve been defending against the McLarens at the restart with worn tires - good chance he would’ve won the race.
While you do yeoman work in enumerating the many similarities between me and the man who claims to have founded Sadwood despite all evidence to the contrary, you failed to mention the critical difference: Brad is a capitalist who owns multiple pieces of rental real estate to go with his $300 watch, while I will cheerfully stable a Portofino's worth of timepieces in what amounts to a house trailer on a worthless farm plot! By the time Brad is my age, he will be retired and living on his passive income, which from the perspective of America's blog readers will be an authentic blessing.
If i didnt have kids id be retiring at your age too! Which is mostly a lie because i wouldnt have worked nearly hard enough to do it if i didnt have kids.
you'd have to forcefully feed my urethra bits of broken glass before i agreed to be a landlord. i have no moral, theological, or political opposition, i just think its a lazy asset shelter of the unimaginative and unambitious parasite class. BB seems to be just that while ALSO desperately scrabbling for purchase among the champagne socialists.
(that being said, my best landlords have all been oddities. i lived below an interior designer's studio for years with unlimited parking)
All modern landlords know is: pay illegals to paint over electrical switches, call they electrician (5 weeks late), argue about rent increases, and hold security deposits
Seriously, even the best landlord I ever had left me with no hot water for a month while he argued with the plumber over who’s fault the bad heater was.
I haven't had a landlord since college and they took half my deposit as a cleaning fee. Which was probably fair. But I assume like everything else they become terrible over time from dealing with awful tenants.
I highly doubt BB's return will exceed a diversified ETF in today's environment when considering maintainenece, property tax, apartment depreciation, and tenant issues.
All the IG millionaires had a once-in-a-lifetime in a ZIRP environment and many are now on their ass from floating rate loans.
I know many with 'rental properties' and it's all great until you have to evict a judgment proof tenant that trashed the place and stole the washer/dryer and your 'appreciating asset' needs tens of thousands in repairs to be habitable.
The only person I know that really has passive income inherited a few small very rural houses from her father and rents them to known and longtime tenants at below market rates - the tenants appreciate the low price, handle lawn care, and keep the place in good stead. Her husband is more than capable of handling almost any issue that arises. She's also flexible if an unexpected expense delays rent for a month or two - it's a lot cheaper to work out a reasonable solution than evict and chase through garnishments.
Mine is that you and Butterfinger BB will reconcile, and then you can dispense hot takes together. Except now, YOU are the populist and HE is the capitalist pig!
I'm always interested in amusing the readers! Everyone who knows the dude tells me he takes himself really seriously, which is a quality I can only really accept in people who have accomplished something impressive. I dont know what motivates him. Its not women, it's not racing, it's not beauty or art or excellence. He fell ass backwards into maybe a million bucks and his first thought was to be a stun lord. Maybe he had trauma as a kid. He talks about one of his stepfathers with a lot of anger. Maybe he was molested. I hope not.
You seem to love imagining yourself as an Everyman or a poor person, but in reality you're anything but.. that also comes from your attempt to portray yourself as white trash, which I'm sure never crosses over with people owning zegna or whatever the fuck else and jewelry worn on a daily basis, even if just to say it tells time.
I've cleaned toilets for a living and I've skipped meals for financial reasons. I've also spent nontrivial time in a couple different jails. The fact that I wore a five-figure watch to the Village Vanguard last night doesn't erase any of that.
To the contrary, I consider myself very lucky to have my son and my wife and my home. If I come off as self pitying it's because I haven't accomplished everything I should have in life. I suspect you, too, were the smartest kid in the room in your youth and maybe you don't feel like you've done everything you should. Or maybe not. I sure wouldn't wish that on you, or anyone else.
While I feel like I've underperformed relative to my potential I don't try to portray myself as unfortunate publicly, nor do I wallow in self pity (that anyone knows). I think it's a guaranteed way to diminish my current and future potential.
It's the philosophical aspect of calling yourself white trash I'm trying to understand, this being social media and what not.
I get an ironic vibe from Jack, not the impression that he considers himself downtrodden. And maybe, if he does, it’s because many of us find it hard to shed “who we are” after moving or operating above our station of origin
I can relate. Not exactly poetry, but “Crooked Teeth” by Papa Roach comes to mind.
I think the state of California desperately needs it's own DOGE, the fuckwits in this state have blown, skimmed and pocketed megabux in the name of Cause-This and Cause-That, not to mention the absolutely criminal and re-tar-ded high speed rail project (not) connecting (at this moment in time) two places nobody really cares about. wHy aM i LiViNg hErE?!?
Not in the market for babes anymore, and not much for beaches lately, but yeah the weather here can ruin a man for any place else.
That begs the question - what other states in the US can match the 80-90% year-round weather minus all the CA horseshit? I don't care about having 'enough things to do' but being confined to the house most of the winter and/or summer is a non starter.
literally nowhere else in NA mimics the Mediterranean climate like southern CA. thats why it was literally paradise on earth for about 40 years. east coast is either flat and muggy or steep and muggy. you get beautiful weather for five months a year in the northeast. thats why it was so easy to ruin that place; the easy living attracted the "weak men" who create "bad times"
I've been more than a bit interested in this ever since being given the blessing to work remotely (thanks covid). I know of an area in northern WA state that seems alright other than slightly colder winters. I've been through some of coastal Oregon too but I'm not 100% sure those micro climates are more like wet WA or more sun-brain-fried CA.
I think anywhere can be liveable, it's just a matter of expectations, perspective and such. Do we live fairly easy here? Yes to a degree, but we pay out the ass for it and sometimes the benefits don't feel proportional to the outlay. A friend of mine used to tell me, 'you'll just find something new to hate about the next place.'
Eastern wa is high desert with a real winter compared to western wa. I grew up in western wa and moved to eastern wa about 6 years ago. Thinking pretty hard about moving back to western wa.
The Kohala district on the big island of Hawaii has similar climate. But probably worse cost of living, similar bad governance, limited healthcare and you’re a six hour plane ride to the mainland.
I feel this in my bones. What I wish i had done was live there from 1995 to 2020 then sold my house and paid cash for what I have now, since I no longer need the good weather.
I'm thinking a remote corner of Northern California - either up around Eureka somewhere between the coast and I5 or up around Susanville. the scenery and the roads are amazing. either location is in the mountains, largely rural, and every time I've spent time up there is seems pretty laid back and apolitical.
you've still got California governance, of course, but it's not like being in the Bay Area, LA, or San Diego.
PROVIDED, of course, that one has the requisite cash* - Monterey Peninsula or Montecito (chillin with Oprah and Harry) could be swell. The entire Central Coast, really.
*And not having to operate a business in California.
Yes. Both are true. But I live on Oakland, which is wet in winter and fire country the rest of the year. I don't mind the rain - makes the redwoods that much bigger.
nowhere. i ran that trade, and ended up here in San Diego area. previously lived in MI, NY, WA, NM. and have visited almost every state (think I've missed ND and AR).
Would've stayed put in SD and called it quits, but needing work forced a move after ~3 years. Lived in University Heights and over by SDSU. What's changed since '07?
Well, housing prices have tripled since we bought in 2012. Lots of housing being built in south Chula Vista, so traffic on the 5 and 805 get worse every year.
Why do you think we all moved to Boise, Idaho, driving house prices sky high? 40% the weather ain't bad. Buy some wool and a down coat. People actually go outside in winter, unlike the fakers in western Montana.
Chicago and the western suburb 24 miles directly west of it is legit nice 6 months of the year, nice enough the other 3 and crappy for 3. ANd it just happens to be crappy the 3 I work 6 days a week. And as much as I hate the politics, the people are mostly friendly. I can't deal with the California hippy dippy bullshit
Checo had some great races but he eventually fell apart as Verstappen's teammate, the way everyone seems to. Best move would maybe be to get in the time machine and not get rid of Gasly.
Ehh, there is no reason for Yuki to be in F1 at this pont, period.. no point speculating what ifs.
Red Bull have painted themselves into a corner with a car that is difficult to extract performance out of, by everyone, including Max at this point. I'm sure he's talking to people, but his road rage will mean he's bad for anyone's image.
I don't agree with your attitude that it's okay to deliberately drive into people in open wheelers either.
I gave Jack shit about this a couple weeks ago as well. I believe Jack has more optimism in Yukis talents than is warranted but yuki is perfectly mid enough to drive an f1 car.
Maybe he shouldn’t have got caught cheating on his wife. Amazing redbull went to shit, relatively speaking, after two dumbasses did stupid things and got caught doing them.
They (I mean Mr. Spice Girl on Drive to Survive) really acted like Gasly was too weak for this. I think that was unfair. Gasly might have double digit race wins at this point if they never removed him.
In retrospect they should have kept Perez. He was more consistent than Gasly or Albon and was 2nd place in the WDC in 2023. Before Perez the most consistent second banana at RB was Webber. Perez looks like fall guy at this point
The contact looked a little sketchy to me, but lots of Verstappen’s controversies on the track usually do. There are competitors in all sports that are exceptionally good at bending the rules and Verstappen isn’t one of them.
I think the issue with Perez was that he kept damaging the cars AND demanding serious money. If the usual sites can be believed, Yuki is the lowest paid driver in F1. After young Mr Stroll, naturlich.
The arguments against DOGE were always, under the hysteria:
1) What they were trying to do was dubiously legal at best
2) Elon is a fucking idiot who can’t help but keep both feet firmly entrenched in his mouth and his head up his own ass so he can smell his farts better.
By doing everything as quickly and as shoddily as they possibly could, they did little but erode the US’ standing as the preeminent country of scientific research and confidence in the government more broadly. They have to be seen as a resolute failure. Yes there should be a spending watchdog. No not like this.
Tariffs are another example of this. As they meander through the court process, I can’t help but think if they simply tried to do this per the constitution they would’ve gotten most of what they wanted done codified. Instead, they are all vapid children who want to be the one that swings the hammer even if it means they hit their own thumbin the process. Just a government built on the whims of old morons.
was talking to a friend today, who was recently on a all-manager-hands call with his CEO (of a large defense contractor) who basically said "we have no idea what to do about sourcing and moving production sites; everyday is a new thing out of DC, whipsawing all over the place; things are way too uncertain to make any strategic decisions"
The fact that a large defense contractor is having trouble sourcing parts means we have had bad governance for awhile. None of our defense stuff should come from china.
I wouldn't even count that as a prime example of the poor governance we've had for basically as long as I've been alive, but it is something for sure!
Maybe a competent admin would have tried to establish supply lines for critical materials before throwing the last four decades of how internaitonal trade tends to work out like smelly garbage though. Just a thought.
I just read an article this morning on the worldwide shortage of magnets that is having a significant impact on the manufacture of automobiles, trucks, military equipment, and cell phones amongst many other products that require them.
It comes as no surprise that China almost exclusively owns this manufacturing segment, and that they are withholding supply as a result of Trump’s tariff actions.
Was any thought given to this before the bull ran rampant through the china shop (pardon the pun)?
That's a good question. When the tariffs were first announced, I thought that a well-thought-out approach, category by category as well as country by country, would have made more sense. However, I do not know how you could first establish a negotiating position, an "anchor," with that approach. Then I realized you could do that by starting with an announcement of high across-the-board tariffs.
So, another good question is, is this all the Administration is capable of, or is it on purpose? We'll see, I suppose, but even the former is better than doing nothing about manufacturing in America. It would help if the courts would give the Administration a free hand in negotiating tariffs.
the worst thing about DOGE is we will never, ever know just how much data Elon and his minions walked away with, and what they might have planted in all of the code they were fucking around with.
to call them vapid children is to insult vapid children. this administration is packed with blatantly stupid people (Miller, Bondi, Patel, etc), and anyone who isn't blatantly stupid has simply abandoned everything they ever believed to align themselves with someone they don't respect so they might pull the levers of power (Rubio, Bessent, etc.)
Dubiously legal at best? Why? How? Every executive since I've been alive has shut down discretionary spending passed by previous congress' and previous presidents. If anything out of all this, for me, is it showed how entrenched NGOs, Lobbyists, and even elected politicians are in the bureaucracy of the machine.
On a side note, I find it hilarious when the exact same people are worried about government contracts awarded to Elon don't see the hypocrisy when most contractors have to at least bid on projects, but many NGOs and research organizations don't even have to bid on the money they get.
As far as Elon being an idiot...I would say naïve. He had no idea how entrenched the bureaucracy is and how many people are paid or indirectly paid to try and stop anyone who comes along and tries to shrink it.
I, for one, am a fan of judges following SCOTUS precedent and Constitutional separation of powers even if it conflicts with the flavor of the second. It's beyond time for reigning in the bipartisan executive.
This was a worthwhile listen for those concerned about Fed bloat.
A lawyer I read regularly had this to say about DOGE, and he was right:
"But I said it would all fail for two reasons:
First, DOGE’S goals could not be accomplished by Executive Orders, as Musk and Ramaswamy insisted it could; rather Congress would need to be involved from the start; and
Second, DOGE would be able to accomplish no meaningful spending reductions without reforms of the enormous entitlement programs of Social Security and Medicare. However, Trump had already taken those programs off the table:
So, if DOGE is to make any material progress on budget cutting, it will need to advocate for significant reform to the entitlement programs. That will require educating a public which has been reluctant to consider those reforms, and motivating legislators who have studiously avoided touching the so-called “third rail” (the rail carrying the electric current in many train systems).
Bringing the public and the legislators along will, in turn, require from the president strong support and consensus building. Such a concerted effort is difficult to mount in any administration, and will be especially difficult to accomplish in an administration whose early nominations for key cabinet and agency positions appear consonant with the themes of unquestioned loyalty, sycophancy, and retribution rather than coalition building."
Even if DOGE is entirely unable to carry forward any meaningful spending cuts, dismantling the openly subversive and nearly treasonous USAID was worth it, for a start. There are similar agencies that need the axe.
Worthing noting there was a recent article by Bradley Brownell where he boldly claimed Kyle Larson, a championship winning race car driver who has won more races than Bradley Brownell has spent calories, has no talent behind the wheel.
It’s all a joke and Brad is the only one not in on it, right?
I have to believe that Jalopnik keeps him on because these terrible takes drive engagement. I wouldn’t be surprised if he drew more eyeballs than anyone else who has written for them within the past ~5 years.
The fact that they took the time to do a press release about firing him, which is not something sleepy little nonprofit museums do, tells you how big a fumble they considered it to be.
There was a time when that was a very good car museum but over the last 30 years they've sold off a number of cars, not sure what it is like these days.
I lost all interest in F1 after watching an Isle of Mann TT. I suspect it's similar to what F1 was prior to Sir Jackie and Niki loosing the Nannies of Safety. Except the TT is racing the clock, mostly. Compare and contrast, to F1, the ability to control a two (or 3) wheeled vehicle over 37.7 miles of a temporarily closed public road at over 200mph. Average speed of 130 - 136 mph. Normally 6 laps that's over 226 miles. There are corners, hairpins hills and normal road surfaces to navigate. Also stone walls, trees, buildings and cliffs to run into, over and off of. For 118 years these loons have been doing this and I think it's great. One is risky the other minimally so. None of the TT Riders reside in Monaco. They do it for a Trophy.
Agreed! Danger is a big part of why racing fascinates, and the Isle of Man TT riders are always on the edge of disaster. I love and hate watching it at the same time, and can't look away.
I forget their names, but couple of different cable channels (maybe the same channel, renamed?) had a week-long coverage of TT about ten years ago. Saved it. Still watch it occasionally. Still WAY better than F1 has been since (IMO).
My dad's coworker who introduced me to motorcycles and taught me to ride shipped his race bike out to the Isle of Mann (a 125cc two stroke iirc) to race in the TT back in the day. No idea how competitive he was or wasn't but man talk about checking off a bucket list item as a motorcycle racer.
Guitar: He just turned 18 so he’s not a “kid” anymore, but my son’s acoustic was stolen from our house between the house fire and contents inventory, and the hand-me-down Guitar Center tissue box with rubber bands his uncle gratefully gave him in the aftermath had the bridge tear out of the body.
OT: Anyone else think Jonathan Joss’s widower’s story about his death sounds a little…Jussie Smollett-ish?
To be clear, the insurance company was kind enough to take our word for it that the guitar was present prior to the theft and inventory based on receipts and recent evidence of its presence so we did in fact get money for it, less depreciation. We just elected to spend contents money on the bare necessities and debt reduction, used the fire as a financial reset.
Jonathan Joss' widow's story contains only one truth, which is that Joss died. Matt Walsh has some conflicting and documented details. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCC6LYymLqQ
I surely wish Demarkis, our foster boy who recently graduated high school and is taking business classes at SouthWest College down the street, hadn't given up on his interest of music .
He taught him self to use a key board (think 88 string guitar) in less than 1/2 hour so I know he's talented but he's walked away from music sadly .
I once saw him play a guitar at his school, I had no idea he had that skill .
"We talk a lot about checks and balances in the government. We talk a lot about the opposing roles played by the prosecution and the defense in the courts. " oddly enough you never talk about trashing the economy to give taxpayer $ to the 1% .
Nor do you talk about the open criminality of our current President .
Funny thing that .
Looking forward to the next Cat Tails, er _TALES_ .
OT: Biden/Harris-nominated judge has issued a restraining order barring the deportation of the family of the illegal alien who employed a flamethrower against Jewish demonstrators:
I'm hoping and praying that nobody in Dearborn decides to do something stupid.
Sunday night was Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, which celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mt Sinai. It's traditional to attend overnight learning sessions and as I was getting ready to walk over to a lecture I seriously thought about putting my father's Savage .380 ACP in my pocket.
The MSM is moving on from the events in Boulder but I can't help but think there would have been a different reaction if it was a march of black folks that were attacked by a white supremacist.
To be frank, the general crime rate around Detroit is greater immediate threat than the chance of some jihadi attacking me over events 7,000 miles away.
My grandkids' schools are hardened (first floor exterior glazing, armed security with an office right by the front door, and the school's office is further hardened) and the local Jewish Federation pays for security patrols in Jewish neighborhoods on the Sabbath and holidays. I've heard well placed rumors that the Federation is also supplied plainclothes armed guards for religious services at the bigger synagogues in town. I'm pretty sure that all of the orthodox synagogues in my neighborhood have combination locks on their exterior doors. It's unfortunate that people can't just walk into a house of worship but it's better than synagogues in Europe that need fulltime police protection.
A few years back after an attack on a Jewish facility in Seattle where a woman got killed I asked a local orthodox rabbi, "In light of the current events, is it permissible to carry on Shabbat." Generally carrying things in the public domain on the Sabbath is prohibited. Of course, to protect life, one can put aside that prohibition. The rabbi replied, "Don't worry. There are and there are," meaning that some of their regular congregants were armed. I know at least a couple of orthodox guys who give CCW courses required here to get a carry permit.
"Every Jew, a .22." - R' Meir Kahane. Yeah, I know, a .22 is even less powerful than a .380 but it's hard to make a clever rhyme with 380.
It was my father's. I found it hidden in the lining of his upholstered rocking chair. Nobody knew about it, except for my nephew who said my father promised it to him. He also had a 9mm semi and a .32 revolver that somehow disappeared between his death and my mom's dementia.
Way off thread, but anyone here have any experience using Starlink for a home set up?
I have limited internet provider choices where I’m at, and I’ve had just about enough with my current provider, so I’m at the point where I’ll pay more for consistent service.
My house is on a high ridge so I should no issues with connectivity. There are cell phone towers on top of the two ridges on either side of the ridge I’m on.
I also don’t care about good or bad opinions on Musk, I’m not into gossip.
I just bought and set up the mobile one for use with my RV and it could not have been any easier. The hardware seems very solid, the software is easy to use.
Perfect, thanks! My internet connection is flickering right now LOL.
If you’re in a big city competing with a lot of other users, it won’t be as fast… But they’re adding satellites all the time. When I was in the middle of the New Mexico desert 150 miles from the nearest big city, it was incredibly fast.
There should be no congestion here, it’s very low density where I live.
I actually looked into them, but IIRC they were going to charge an extra 'congestion' fee because the area where I'm living apparently has a lot of users that don't have access to vanilla broadband. The price was also more than my Comcast rate, and despite my ambivalence towards Comcast, I've had almost zero issues w/ them over the last few years. When our power is out, their internet pipe usually isn't (yes we invested in a generator).
If I was camping regularly or going more off grid I'd definitely look into their mini/portable setup.
Thanks. My connection goes down way too often, and especially when we have one of our frequent power outages, even though I have a generator. That makes no sense to me. I get my power back via my generator but the internet connection stays down. Trees are always falling over onto power lines where I live. The one we had last week for a day was a tree I had spotted leaning over a bit, but it’s useless to call the power company because they wait until the tree actually falls onto the lines.
PG&E by any chance?
Duke Energy in NC. We are very lucky here when lines go down because the main base for all the linemen and their bucket trucks is one town over from me.
It is a good idea to have a generator in what is - technically - a rainforest (southern Appalachia).
I often repeat this refrain to my children: if the real estate listing mentions "beautiful lot with mature trees," run in the opposite direction! We've made it halfway through 2025 and I haven't needed to install the new carburetor on the chain saw, but it could be needed any day now.
I have about 50 good sized trees on my acre plus. I just live with it, because many of them could do some serious damage to my house. They are beautiful, though.
Check out this house with a redwood in the middle of the house! https://www.dwell.com/article/bret-rossman-mendocino-tree-house-578828b1
Funny, my boss was just asking me about the same thing today. Does anyone know how stable it is in thunderstorms? His new house is more in the sticks, and has zero wired options. I guess he's tried VZW and it hasn't been great.
It seems to be pretty stable in thunderstorms, although the storms where I use it are usually pretty quick summer monsoons. Overall, the service is pretty good, but there are some days when it is slow. The quality and stability of the connection seems to have increased in the 1-2 years since we started using it (West TX/SE NM).
It’s been great. Works fine in all weather - even melts snow and ice off itself. Biggest issue is locating it if you have trees around that can obstruct it as it tracks the satellites.
Tmobile also has a limited beta for Starlink/cell service, and you don't have to be a Tmo customer. Might be worth trying on your cell just to kick the tires.
Some of my neighbors have the T-Mobile non-starlink wireless internet connection over the air, so it’s something I might look into.
The people who believe LLMs have free will operate the same way as LLMs—whatever they say is a statistical approximation of the most likely thing that would come out of their mouths with any given sentence. So they see a reflection of themselves in ChatGPT
Pinned for insight.
NPC -> ChatGPT -> NPC
Hush!
I used to make posts like you, then I took an arrow to the CPU.
I don’t think my CPU’s ever gone beyond a Z-80!
I'm a 6502, definitely.
You can't use math to fake consciousness.
but you can use words
Well...yeah.
Let's put a pin in this and circle back...
For me one of the most fascinating verses of the Bible is John 1:1. I contemplate if not only is it referring to Jesus but language itself. A subscriber of the Gap Theory I think it's possible that pre-Adamite man didnt have the luxury of language and with that possibly an absence of Free Will, which to me is necessary for salvation; Free Will is that important. For us to give over so much power to an entity void of that, without soul or spirit but fully controlled by others, is horrifying.
Ken Ham would like a word with you, heretic.
He better subscribe to Avoidable Contact Forever, first
This. This 100%.
If you wanted hot, sweaty, hard mano-a-mano wheel to wheel racing then look no further than the leather clad bad boy bikers in tall heels who were at Road America racing in MotoAmerica's Crunchwrap Supreme sponsored KING OF THE BAGGERS.
Race 1 was a Harley Davidson podium LOCKOUT proving that the CHEESEHEAD factory who build motorcycles in Thailand are the best! Wyman, Smith, and Rispoli until Smith was disqualified for his Screamin' Eagle screaming over 7k RPM in a violation of the class rules. No lockout for HD as this pushed Tyler O'Hara on to the podium and bumped Rispoli to second.
Race 2 ended with ass-out excitement in a last turn move from Troy Herfoss. As he took the inside line and pushed Bradley Smith wide both of them were eager to get on the throttle and both started waggling their tails. Unfortunately for Smith, Herfoss' rear bag/wheel slapped into his machine and Smith went down. He would later pick the bike up and cross the finish line for points. Rispoli finished second, and Wyman secured third.
Herrin took first place in race 1 and 2. Bobby Fong finished in second with a pair of solid rides given the lack of the Yamaha's tippy top end compared with the Ducati and BMW. Cameron Beaubier finished third with a hard charge after early issues in race 1. Race 2 he looked set to beat Herrin until a fast wreck (Road America was one of his injuries last year) took him out of the race but thankfully left him relatively unscathed. Richie Escalante was a distant third place for race 2.
Superbike at Road America is a boring processional affair.
Supersport, on the other hand, had lots of lead changes and drafting with a group of 5 or so up front in both races. Young guns Ty Scott and Blake Davis were duking it out with ex-superbike runners Cam P, Matt Scholtz, and PJ Jacobsen. PJ put a pair of great races together despite poor starts to finish 1st in race 1 with Ty Scott and Cameron Peterson's late race collision lending a helping hand. Scott managed to finish second, and Scholtz third.
Race 2 was a close game all the way to the end where Matt Scholtz lost the draft battle to the line and finished 4th with PJ picking him off for 3rd. Blake Davis won first place with under two tenths between himself and Cameron Peterson in 2nd.
Build Train Race isn't worth tuning into and listening to the commentators try to make it exciting is the only mild entertainment to be had.
I am also annoyed that the twins cup rider development series has so few races this year.
MotoGP at Aragon, named after the famous Ranger and Isildur's heir, this weekend.
'Build Train Race isn't worth tuning into and listening to the commentators try to make it exciting is the only mild entertainment to be had.'
In my stint as a MotoAmerica safety car driver, I occasionally found myself catching up to the BTR competitors on their start lap... in an automatic transmission, two-liter Acura ILX on street tires.
I assume Royal Enfield's owner shoveling money into the furnace of MotoAmerica BTR is the only reason the series lives.
That, and relentless girlbossin’
They do this with every sport. I don't care that girls like and play sports. They're fun and all but no one wants to watch it unless the chicks are hot. And then we're not really watching for the sport. No one wants to watch my fat ass play sports either. And people really don't want to watch women die which there is always a chance of in racing.
tru-dat
What does this series claim to be? Should they be able to beat a multi-class champ in a standard car? Or are you slobbing your own knob a bit here? Honest question, I don't know the difference.
No self-slobbing. The bikes were probably capable of running a 1:40 flat and a couple of the BTR ladies could, in fact, get close to that. Best I can do in that car is a 1:50-1:51. Some of the riders were really off pace. You wouldn't see that kind of disparity across drivers in any other MotoAmerica class.
Thanks for clarifying, I suppose I could have done a lil research instead of talkin' shit.
No sir, you're free to talk shit, that's part of why we are here!
I'm Popeye the sailor man - poop poop
I don't know what the fuck I just read but MORE PLEASE!
There was one girl in Build Train Race who seemed talented... (Googles) Mikayla Moore. She'd win every race by half a lap. What's she doing now?
She had moved up to Twins Cup, IIRC, but now I don't see an entry for her. I could have sworn I saw her running in another class for a race.
ETA: Apparently that was the tail end of the 2024 season where she did that.
“ If you wanted hot, sweaty, hard mano-a-mano”
Yasss…?
“ wheel to wheel racing”
Oh.
KING OF THE DUELING DUAL SCROTUMS!!! Harsh move by Herfoss, but these babies need a lot of track.
Remember all those Godawful sci fi movies from the 50s where atomic bombs turned cockroaches car-sized and made good, wholesome American teenagers into horny greasers? Well, AI is nothing more than The New Movie A-Bomb.
All AI's really gonna do is fuck up your bank balance and make the Chinese think you're into leather porn.
The best one was from 1972, Night of the Lepus, about giant mutated rabbits. There’s no horror involved because for all the rabbit scenes they just used regular sized rabbits but filmed them with ultra close ups to make them seem bigger. Of course it didn’t work, it’s just the entire screen filled with rabbits making normal rabbit faces.
New easter movie for the kids
Your kids would love it. No gore or horror and a bunch of cute giant rabbits.
Although if I remember correctly when they finally vanquish the rabbits there’s a bunch of high pitched rabbit squealing that could be disturbing to little kids.
Didn't they stampede the bunnies over electrified railroad tracks or something?
I can’t ruin this masterpiece for a new viewer!
Whoops..
Or did a guy with a weird speech pattern in a hunting outfit take them all out, claiming it was “wabbit season?”
KILL THE WABBIT! KILL THE WABBIT!
https://archive.org/details/night-of-the-lepus-svengoolie
Too bad MST3K never did a send up of it
Long before Seymor and Elvira there was local bad TV with wayy too much unscheduled time on it's hands, they'd replay the absolute bottom of the barrel 1950's 'C' grade horror flicks, we'd watch them as comedies .
? Anyone remember "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes" ? a movie made after the parody song became popular .
-Nate
In Chicago we had the daily afternoon movie at 3:30pm for all the kids when they got home from school. They would have horror week, western week, etc.
Before he moved to California and became the voice of ABC (tonight on The Looove Boat...) Paul Thomas Anderson's father Ernie ruled Cleveland's airwaves as Shock Theater Friday night host Ghoulardi.
This sounds a lot more interesting than the last season of The White Lotus!
Lots of actors responded to normal looking rabbits with histrionic horror. It’s really great!
For some unknown reason I still remember how they save humanity and finally thwart the rabbits when all seems lost.
Is that one of those 300 or so TV shows made in the last 20 years that's basically the same thing: Obsessed with being Good at the expense of Enjoyable?
It's a show about how awful people with a $50m net worth are, which soothes the consciences of the desired viewing audience, which is people with $5m net worth.
Oh, right!
But it had Sydney Sweeney (S1) and the oddly hot snagged tooth chick (S3) so it ain’t all bad. Occasionally you get to see some titties.
Parker Posey delivered an amusing performance in S3.
"Be good and you will be Lonesome" MT
Cannot believe how they wasted Walton Goggins.
Sons of Anarchy put me off that dude. Which isn't really fair.
Watch Justified and The Righteous Gemstones for peak Goggins
I think Justified was the last thing I watched that seemed to have above average writing that more or less captured the spirit of the setting, plot, etc....but was marred by the fact they tried to pass off shooting locations in rural parts of California as rural parts of Kentucky/etc. Sorry, they aren't the same.
He was pretty good in Gemstones, but how many times is HBO going to recycle the same mill of the same actors over and over, let alone Danny McBride being pretty much a one dimensional pony, and I generally like the guy.
Add The Shield to the list...
also... team Ava or team Winona?
The transvestite whore episode?
that new fallout show has made good use of welding goggles from what i hear
Honestly one of the coolest characters to be written in my recent memory
the second season is supposed to take place in new vegas so while i havnt watched the show im keen to see how they shit all over the best fallout game ever made
Yeah, I remember that one!
Think I watched it on TNT at like two in the morning back in the 90s.
I thought I was the only one who remembers this movie....and our local UHF station used to show soft porn movies in the wee hours too!
The past really IS another country.
Where did the normal teenagers doing things teenagers are supposed to do go?
I still can’t believe there are no more goofy cheaply shot summer teen movies anymore.
This is a problem.
They have the ability to do their own media now, which is both good and bad.
Things really fell off a cliff when fake IDs became a felony.
HOW ELSE ARE 16-YEAR-OLDS SUPPOSED TO SIX-PACKS OF BEAST ICE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE?!
Complete with old TVs with the separate dial for Channels 33-78, where it's three AM on a Saturday and you're 11 years old, a foot from the screen and continually turning the volume down one click at a time so Mom and Dad don't hear you watching Cinemax soft porn during the free preview week.
We had to earn half a nippel!
The naughty channels on our old cable TV service were scrambled pretty bad, but the audio was pretty clear! Once in a while the screen stabilized for a sec or two, and I remember catching some glimpses of some major hardcore action! Hot cha cha!
And we were convinced we could see titties if we had a bigger TV.
"the past is a foreign country": Space Shuttle launch filmed from Concorde (1983):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ias9rhg_2CU
All that's needed is an SR-71 flyby for this to be peak aviation.
(sent from the back of a 10-across decrepit and delayed 777-200)
Yeah, it looked like the waiting room for Cadbury Creme Egg auditions.
Sounds like the horror (?) film about frogs, it was incredibly bad, same time period .
-Nate
Jaws inspired another round of ANIMALS DANGEROUS films. Bees, dogs, snakes, spiders, etc. I watched "Piranha" as a kid and it still freaks me out.
I used to love Mystery Science Theater 3000 they made great fun of the obviously crappy movies I grew up with .
-Nate
Teenagers From Outer Space.
Crow: "They're all wearing V-necks. It must be Student Council From Outer Space."
"Prophecy."
Katahdin freaked me the fuck out when I was a kid. A 20-foot-tall mutated killed bear inspires A LOT of weapon designs.
why did that movie not win an Oscar?
Make teenagers horny again! Bang, have an accidental pregnancy or two, get married, keep it “hard mode and grow up” at 100% and realize you can have children just fine at 19 just like grandma and grandpa did. This advice is mostly for middle class and up where the guy will stick around.
Seems that's the most fulfilling life.
Married at 18, parents of the first of 8 kids at 19, grandparents at 40.
Not for everybody but for most, seemingly how our species is hardwired.
Was hardwired……
DON'T DO THIS ! .
-Nate
The missing element in this proposal (increasingly regardless of social class these days) is adequate social pressure/norms to keep the couple together and for that whole scenario to not devolve into a) an abortion b) single mom. Charles Murray's "Coming Apart" covers this well, and it was written back in 2012.
The millennials who are having kids seem to be having a lot so I'm hoping this adequate social pressure flips in the next 10-20 years.
They're the subgroup that has the money to!
Around here, a SAHM w 3-4 kids usually = 6bd/5ba house + ski/beach house + Yukon/Suburban/Navigator + husband w high-end laptop job
...and often some "help" with the house's down payment or the vkay house was "in the family."
Worked out alright for me.
I have lost between 1 and 3 jobs to AI and/or the perceived capabilities of AI. We know AI cannot create, but it seems to be able to destroy.
Hell, I got furloughed last week. For an estimated five months.
Got bitten by DOGE.
Wondering if your layoffs are due to this tax law change: https://qz.com/tech-layoffs-tax-code-trump-section-174-microsoft-meta-1851783502 ?
Perhaps indirectly. It definitely affected my ability to find other work.
Joke's on them because I'm into findom *and* leather porn!
0-Jack and Butterfinger BB have so much in common: They are both middle-aged, hirsute, (moderately) plus-sized Ohioans who make a living dispensing hot takes about cars, motorcycles, and motorsport online; furthermore, they both enjoy getting down in the mud and arguing on Al Gore’s internet.
Similar taste in automobiles (to say nothing of timepieces), too!
https://x.com/pluginhybrad/status/1928917635997036880?s=10
1-Max asked for tires, and the team agreed at the time that fresh tires were preferable given the high deg on the worn Spanish tarmac and the long radius curves. Unfortunately, the only tires he had available were (1) fresh hard tires, (2) the used soft tires on the car, and (3) an additional set of used soft tires in the garage.
They weren’t going to put to put him on a different set of used soft tires, so they gave him hards. In retrospect, they didn’t know that the SC would remain out for such a long period of time. Had he not taken tires, he would’ve been defending against the McLarens at the restart with worn tires - good chance he would’ve won the race.
While you do yeoman work in enumerating the many similarities between me and the man who claims to have founded Sadwood despite all evidence to the contrary, you failed to mention the critical difference: Brad is a capitalist who owns multiple pieces of rental real estate to go with his $300 watch, while I will cheerfully stable a Portofino's worth of timepieces in what amounts to a house trailer on a worthless farm plot! By the time Brad is my age, he will be retired and living on his passive income, which from the perspective of America's blog readers will be an authentic blessing.
If i didnt have kids id be retiring at your age too! Which is mostly a lie because i wouldnt have worked nearly hard enough to do it if i didnt have kids.
Good farm land (bottom land) is never, _ever_ worthless .
-Nate
you'd have to forcefully feed my urethra bits of broken glass before i agreed to be a landlord. i have no moral, theological, or political opposition, i just think its a lazy asset shelter of the unimaginative and unambitious parasite class. BB seems to be just that while ALSO desperately scrabbling for purchase among the champagne socialists.
(that being said, my best landlords have all been oddities. i lived below an interior designer's studio for years with unlimited parking)
It says a lot about someone that they feel their best shot in life is to own apartments without knowing how to maintain or improve them.
You’ve redundantly described a parasite, sir
I’ve considered renting my olace so someone doesnt rip it down after i leave. I dont envy or admire landlords but it certainly isnt easy miney
Yeah ;
I hated being a landlord, never again .
-Nate
All modern landlords know is: pay illegals to paint over electrical switches, call they electrician (5 weeks late), argue about rent increases, and hold security deposits
Seriously, even the best landlord I ever had left me with no hot water for a month while he argued with the plumber over who’s fault the bad heater was.
I haven't had a landlord since college and they took half my deposit as a cleaning fee. Which was probably fair. But I assume like everything else they become terrible over time from dealing with awful tenants.
I highly doubt BB's return will exceed a diversified ETF in today's environment when considering maintainenece, property tax, apartment depreciation, and tenant issues.
All the IG millionaires had a once-in-a-lifetime in a ZIRP environment and many are now on their ass from floating rate loans.
I know many with 'rental properties' and it's all great until you have to evict a judgment proof tenant that trashed the place and stole the washer/dryer and your 'appreciating asset' needs tens of thousands in repairs to be habitable.
The only person I know that really has passive income inherited a few small very rural houses from her father and rents them to known and longtime tenants at below market rates - the tenants appreciate the low price, handle lawn care, and keep the place in good stead. Her husband is more than capable of handling almost any issue that arises. She's also flexible if an unexpected expense delays rent for a month or two - it's a lot cheaper to work out a reasonable solution than evict and chase through garnishments.
Like MLK, I have a dream:
Mine is that you and Butterfinger BB will reconcile, and then you can dispense hot takes together. Except now, YOU are the populist and HE is the capitalist pig!
I'm always interested in amusing the readers! Everyone who knows the dude tells me he takes himself really seriously, which is a quality I can only really accept in people who have accomplished something impressive. I dont know what motivates him. Its not women, it's not racing, it's not beauty or art or excellence. He fell ass backwards into maybe a million bucks and his first thought was to be a stun lord. Maybe he had trauma as a kid. He talks about one of his stepfathers with a lot of anger. Maybe he was molested. I hope not.
*slum lord
I'm on an S23 Galaxy. A ladies iPhone would never make that mistake for me!
Ues it would
Well played
He is living LARGE to have found $1MM or so.
Some people
Live beyond thier means!
Wait…
I dont know... he has about 700k worth of rentals with loans on the books... it ain't like he bought a Burger King.
Still and all that's living large compared to most Americans......
-Nate
(feeling the pinch right now)
LCOL region and leverage perhaps?
Isn’t he in Reno?
He has fled Reno for Ohio; he and Jack live near each other!
You seem to love imagining yourself as an Everyman or a poor person, but in reality you're anything but.. that also comes from your attempt to portray yourself as white trash, which I'm sure never crosses over with people owning zegna or whatever the fuck else and jewelry worn on a daily basis, even if just to say it tells time.
I've cleaned toilets for a living and I've skipped meals for financial reasons. I've also spent nontrivial time in a couple different jails. The fact that I wore a five-figure watch to the Village Vanguard last night doesn't erase any of that.
So when convenient you're some version of you from the past? Not who you're today?
I've done those things except the jail time, I don't try to sell myself as 'the downtrodden'.
To the contrary, I consider myself very lucky to have my son and my wife and my home. If I come off as self pitying it's because I haven't accomplished everything I should have in life. I suspect you, too, were the smartest kid in the room in your youth and maybe you don't feel like you've done everything you should. Or maybe not. I sure wouldn't wish that on you, or anyone else.
While I feel like I've underperformed relative to my potential I don't try to portray myself as unfortunate publicly, nor do I wallow in self pity (that anyone knows). I think it's a guaranteed way to diminish my current and future potential.
It's the philosophical aspect of calling yourself white trash I'm trying to understand, this being social media and what not.
I get an ironic vibe from Jack, not the impression that he considers himself downtrodden. And maybe, if he does, it’s because many of us find it hard to shed “who we are” after moving or operating above our station of origin
I can relate. Not exactly poetry, but “Crooked Teeth” by Papa Roach comes to mind.
I think the state of California desperately needs it's own DOGE, the fuckwits in this state have blown, skimmed and pocketed megabux in the name of Cause-This and Cause-That, not to mention the absolutely criminal and re-tar-ded high speed rail project (not) connecting (at this moment in time) two places nobody really cares about. wHy aM i LiViNg hErE?!?
why? for the babes and beaches and sunshine.
the high speed rail thing was complete idiocy from the start.
For the jobs.
Not in the market for babes anymore, and not much for beaches lately, but yeah the weather here can ruin a man for any place else.
That begs the question - what other states in the US can match the 80-90% year-round weather minus all the CA horseshit? I don't care about having 'enough things to do' but being confined to the house most of the winter and/or summer is a non starter.
literally nowhere else in NA mimics the Mediterranean climate like southern CA. thats why it was literally paradise on earth for about 40 years. east coast is either flat and muggy or steep and muggy. you get beautiful weather for five months a year in the northeast. thats why it was so easy to ruin that place; the easy living attracted the "weak men" who create "bad times"
I've been more than a bit interested in this ever since being given the blessing to work remotely (thanks covid). I know of an area in northern WA state that seems alright other than slightly colder winters. I've been through some of coastal Oregon too but I'm not 100% sure those micro climates are more like wet WA or more sun-brain-fried CA.
You’re just trading one problem for another with WA sad to say. West coast is unlivable
I think anywhere can be liveable, it's just a matter of expectations, perspective and such. Do we live fairly easy here? Yes to a degree, but we pay out the ass for it and sometimes the benefits don't feel proportional to the outlay. A friend of mine used to tell me, 'you'll just find something new to hate about the next place.'
Lots of cool foggy days on the OR coast.
eastern WA is very different from western WA (puget sound area).
Eastern wa is high desert with a real winter compared to western wa. I grew up in western wa and moved to eastern wa about 6 years ago. Thinking pretty hard about moving back to western wa.
The Kohala district on the big island of Hawaii has similar climate. But probably worse cost of living, similar bad governance, limited healthcare and you’re a six hour plane ride to the mainland.
I was 45 the first time I stepped foot in LA. Thank God, because if I had gone there in my 20s I never would left.
I feel this in my bones. What I wish i had done was live there from 1995 to 2020 then sold my house and paid cash for what I have now, since I no longer need the good weather.
IIRC I was 14 when I arrived in Shakey Town, I hope to die here .
-Nate
The sky is a different color blue in CA.
"what other states in the US can match the 80-90% year-round weather minus all the CA horseshit?"
i have been searching fruitlessly for the answer to that and if i ever find that place im moving there
I'm thinking a remote corner of Northern California - either up around Eureka somewhere between the coast and I5 or up around Susanville. the scenery and the roads are amazing. either location is in the mountains, largely rural, and every time I've spent time up there is seems pretty laid back and apolitical.
you've still got California governance, of course, but it's not like being in the Bay Area, LA, or San Diego.
PROVIDED, of course, that one has the requisite cash* - Monterey Peninsula or Montecito (chillin with Oprah and Harry) could be swell. The entire Central Coast, really.
*And not having to operate a business in California.
Monterey Peninsula is gorgeous, but so monied it's self-important and, frankly, douchey. Santa Barbara has the same problem.
Susanville is in fire country.
North coast is WET.
Yes. Both are true. But I live on Oakland, which is wet in winter and fire country the rest of the year. I don't mind the rain - makes the redwoods that much bigger.
The second you adjust your mentality to enjoy the cold and snow, everything becomes a lot more affordable.
🎶 We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow 🎶
“On we sweep with, with threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore”
I was 45 the first time I stepped foot in LA. Thank God, because if I had gone there in my 20s I never would left.
nowhere. i ran that trade, and ended up here in San Diego area. previously lived in MI, NY, WA, NM. and have visited almost every state (think I've missed ND and AR).
Would've stayed put in SD and called it quits, but needing work forced a move after ~3 years. Lived in University Heights and over by SDSU. What's changed since '07?
Well, housing prices have tripled since we bought in 2012. Lots of housing being built in south Chula Vista, so traffic on the 5 and 805 get worse every year.
Yeah it’s all about the weather and beaches. Problem is you have to pay and pay to live here
Why do you think we all moved to Boise, Idaho, driving house prices sky high? 40% the weather ain't bad. Buy some wool and a down coat. People actually go outside in winter, unlike the fakers in western Montana.
because it's fucking beautiful and the roads are amazing.
I love the weather in Cleveland and Chicago.
Hot summers balanced out by snowy winters cold enough to kill.
Go ahead. Get out your torches and pitchforks.
Nah ;
All my old East Coast mates still love it, I don't .
Never live where it doesn't make you happy .
-Nate
ALL THE BUGS DIE BEFORE THEY CAN GROW HUGE. Of course, the mosquitoes don't need to be bigger to annoy.
Chicago and the western suburb 24 miles directly west of it is legit nice 6 months of the year, nice enough the other 3 and crappy for 3. ANd it just happens to be crappy the 3 I work 6 days a week. And as much as I hate the politics, the people are mostly friendly. I can't deal with the California hippy dippy bullshit
Yuki is no better, and in my opinion worse than Sergio ever was. I say this as a fan of neither, just racing.
Checo had some great races but he eventually fell apart as Verstappen's teammate, the way everyone seems to. Best move would maybe be to get in the time machine and not get rid of Gasly.
Ehh, there is no reason for Yuki to be in F1 at this pont, period.. no point speculating what ifs.
Red Bull have painted themselves into a corner with a car that is difficult to extract performance out of, by everyone, including Max at this point. I'm sure he's talking to people, but his road rage will mean he's bad for anyone's image.
I don't agree with your attitude that it's okay to deliberately drive into people in open wheelers either.
I'm not saying it should go unnoticed, just that anyone who would hand out a ban for a little bump has the soul of a frightened woman.
Nobody is banning anybody, why are we discussing some imaginary bitch's feelings?
Fair enough!
From the overhead I still think that Russell turned into Max but I probably don't know enough about F1 rules to really comment in an informed manner.
Notice who was conspicuously NOT particularly critical of Max?
Toto Wolff. I wonder why…
Yep, I’ll buy into that. Max was smouldering after that race. He’s leaving RB pretty quick, I bet.
Toto is already insufferable. I can't imagine him slobbing max's knob every week.
"Ehh, there is no reason for Yuki to be in F1 at this pont, period.. no point speculating what ifs."
You could probably say that about 3-4 drivers at this point. He's no worse than them. Probably not any better either.
Yes, but this is in direct opposition to Jack's insistence that he's the baby faced God of driving.
I gave Jack shit about this a couple weeks ago as well. I believe Jack has more optimism in Yukis talents than is warranted but yuki is perfectly mid enough to drive an f1 car.
Maybe he shouldn’t have got caught cheating on his wife. Amazing redbull went to shit, relatively speaking, after two dumbasses did stupid things and got caught doing them.
Are you talking about Checo or Christian? Because they both cheated on their wives!
I was talking about both of them!
We don't know their cheating baseline. Maybe they slowed down too much?
What i tell my kids is “dont do stupid shit. But if youre gonna do stupid shit at least have the decency to not get caught”
Cheating on your wife is MANLY.
Read the room.
Getting caught isnt! Read the room
They (I mean Mr. Spice Girl on Drive to Survive) really acted like Gasly was too weak for this. I think that was unfair. Gasly might have double digit race wins at this point if they never removed him.
It was unfair, I think.
There's only one Max, but you gotta have a second guy.
And if that second guy were in his 7th season on the same team, I have to imagine he'd be an expert in the car by then.
Fully agreed.
I'm watching season 6 of drive to survive right now and Gasly and Ocons fracas cost their insufferable principal his job. Grade A drama though.
In retrospect they should have kept Perez. He was more consistent than Gasly or Albon and was 2nd place in the WDC in 2023. Before Perez the most consistent second banana at RB was Webber. Perez looks like fall guy at this point
The contact looked a little sketchy to me, but lots of Verstappen’s controversies on the track usually do. There are competitors in all sports that are exceptionally good at bending the rules and Verstappen isn’t one of them.
I think the issue with Perez was that he kept damaging the cars AND demanding serious money. If the usual sites can be believed, Yuki is the lowest paid driver in F1. After young Mr Stroll, naturlich.
Poor broke-ass Stroll.
Webber was V8 era. When they changed to V6 turbo, even the Mighty Vettel couldn't handle the car, on the heels of 4 World Driver's Championships.
The world turns.
The arguments against DOGE were always, under the hysteria:
1) What they were trying to do was dubiously legal at best
2) Elon is a fucking idiot who can’t help but keep both feet firmly entrenched in his mouth and his head up his own ass so he can smell his farts better.
By doing everything as quickly and as shoddily as they possibly could, they did little but erode the US’ standing as the preeminent country of scientific research and confidence in the government more broadly. They have to be seen as a resolute failure. Yes there should be a spending watchdog. No not like this.
Tariffs are another example of this. As they meander through the court process, I can’t help but think if they simply tried to do this per the constitution they would’ve gotten most of what they wanted done codified. Instead, they are all vapid children who want to be the one that swings the hammer even if it means they hit their own thumbin the process. Just a government built on the whims of old morons.
was talking to a friend today, who was recently on a all-manager-hands call with his CEO (of a large defense contractor) who basically said "we have no idea what to do about sourcing and moving production sites; everyday is a new thing out of DC, whipsawing all over the place; things are way too uncertain to make any strategic decisions"
It’s either a grand conspiracy or gross incompetence.
Or I guess gross incompetence in the pursuit of grand conspiracy.
In any event, it’s remarkably poor governance.
Its gross incompetence combined with corruption and a lust for power.
you prefer the dems?
Yes .
-Nate
I'd prefer centrist, competent, country and people first politicians, not bought by corporations. They are scarce in both parties now.
The fact that a large defense contractor is having trouble sourcing parts means we have had bad governance for awhile. None of our defense stuff should come from china.
Agreed!
I wouldn't even count that as a prime example of the poor governance we've had for basically as long as I've been alive, but it is something for sure!
Maybe a competent admin would have tried to establish supply lines for critical materials before throwing the last four decades of how internaitonal trade tends to work out like smelly garbage though. Just a thought.
I just read an article this morning on the worldwide shortage of magnets that is having a significant impact on the manufacture of automobiles, trucks, military equipment, and cell phones amongst many other products that require them.
It comes as no surprise that China almost exclusively owns this manufacturing segment, and that they are withholding supply as a result of Trump’s tariff actions.
Was any thought given to this before the bull ran rampant through the china shop (pardon the pun)?
That's a good question. When the tariffs were first announced, I thought that a well-thought-out approach, category by category as well as country by country, would have made more sense. However, I do not know how you could first establish a negotiating position, an "anchor," with that approach. Then I realized you could do that by starting with an announcement of high across-the-board tariffs.
So, another good question is, is this all the Administration is capable of, or is it on purpose? We'll see, I suppose, but even the former is better than doing nothing about manufacturing in America. It would help if the courts would give the Administration a free hand in negotiating tariffs.
the worst thing about DOGE is we will never, ever know just how much data Elon and his minions walked away with, and what they might have planted in all of the code they were fucking around with.
to call them vapid children is to insult vapid children. this administration is packed with blatantly stupid people (Miller, Bondi, Patel, etc), and anyone who isn't blatantly stupid has simply abandoned everything they ever believed to align themselves with someone they don't respect so they might pull the levers of power (Rubio, Bessent, etc.)
Dubiously legal at best? Why? How? Every executive since I've been alive has shut down discretionary spending passed by previous congress' and previous presidents. If anything out of all this, for me, is it showed how entrenched NGOs, Lobbyists, and even elected politicians are in the bureaucracy of the machine.
On a side note, I find it hilarious when the exact same people are worried about government contracts awarded to Elon don't see the hypocrisy when most contractors have to at least bid on projects, but many NGOs and research organizations don't even have to bid on the money they get.
As far as Elon being an idiot...I would say naïve. He had no idea how entrenched the bureaucracy is and how many people are paid or indirectly paid to try and stop anyone who comes along and tries to shrink it.
Well said.
I, for one, am a fan of judges following SCOTUS precedent and Constitutional separation of powers even if it conflicts with the flavor of the second. It's beyond time for reigning in the bipartisan executive.
This was a worthwhile listen for those concerned about Fed bloat.
https://about.libertyfund.org/podcasts/future-of-liberty/mike-pence-on-our-constitutional-moment/
A lawyer I read regularly had this to say about DOGE, and he was right:
"But I said it would all fail for two reasons:
First, DOGE’S goals could not be accomplished by Executive Orders, as Musk and Ramaswamy insisted it could; rather Congress would need to be involved from the start; and
Second, DOGE would be able to accomplish no meaningful spending reductions without reforms of the enormous entitlement programs of Social Security and Medicare. However, Trump had already taken those programs off the table:
So, if DOGE is to make any material progress on budget cutting, it will need to advocate for significant reform to the entitlement programs. That will require educating a public which has been reluctant to consider those reforms, and motivating legislators who have studiously avoided touching the so-called “third rail” (the rail carrying the electric current in many train systems).
Bringing the public and the legislators along will, in turn, require from the president strong support and consensus building. Such a concerted effort is difficult to mount in any administration, and will be especially difficult to accomplish in an administration whose early nominations for key cabinet and agency positions appear consonant with the themes of unquestioned loyalty, sycophancy, and retribution rather than coalition building."
https://montanaskeptic.substack.com/p/musk-and-trump-two-complete-abominations
Even if DOGE is entirely unable to carry forward any meaningful spending cuts, dismantling the openly subversive and nearly treasonous USAID was worth it, for a start. There are similar agencies that need the axe.
Congress is useless. They won't cut a thing.
https://incendar.com/baby_boomer_deathclock.php
Once this gets to 50% adios social security and medicare.
Worthing noting there was a recent article by Bradley Brownell where he boldly claimed Kyle Larson, a championship winning race car driver who has won more races than Bradley Brownell has spent calories, has no talent behind the wheel.
It’s all a joke and Brad is the only one not in on it, right?
I have to believe that Jalopnik keeps him on because these terrible takes drive engagement. I wouldn’t be surprised if he drew more eyeballs than anyone else who has written for them within the past ~5 years.
He works cheap. I've been told he was willing to take something like half of the going rate of the other applicants for his museum job.
How long do you suppose it took the museum to realize what an awful mistake they made by hiring that guy? My guess is not long.
The fact that they took the time to do a press release about firing him, which is not something sleepy little nonprofit museums do, tells you how big a fumble they considered it to be.
I'm not sure that I'd move to Cleveland, but being a curator of a car museum would be a dream job for me.
There was a time when that was a very good car museum but over the last 30 years they've sold off a number of cars, not sure what it is like these days.
Nitwit or "Midwit"? Typo or new hip descriptive? AI needs to know.
Midwit.
is a midwit smarter or dumber than a halfwit?
Considerably smarter, but not as smart as he thinks he is!
The error of thinking you’re subtle when in reality you’re simple.
Bastardized CS Lewis quote, have to find the original in this book on my shelf. AI can’t seem to find it!
I thought a halfwit was a hilarious midget.
Which is all midgets, I guess, because midgets are one of the Nine Inherently Hilarious Things.
You don't wish you had daughters. It forces you to consider some unpleasant things, like where you'd hide the body.
I have a daughter now, of sorts. Happily she is five ten and very forthright.
and a mother whom I am sure would kill the devil himself if he fucked with someone she loves.
Im hiding the body on jacks farm. No one would think id go to ohio. Again
Sounds like a plan.
Don't forget the powdered lime......
-Nate
That reminds me: I really must begin a good compost pile. Or buy a hog farm. Daughter will be twelve soon.
Just remember these words, “I have a shotgun and a shovel”.
My son was a mac daddy from age 5 or so, when he began high school I kept a "Dodger Bat" near the front door but never did have to use it .
He only dated seniors all four years of high school .
Being a parent isn't easy, you have to give them guidance and the space to make mistakes .
-Nate
The guy I bought out grew up on a farm and he used to tell me. The pigs are nice but don't pass out drunk by the hogs are they'll eat you.
And when he said eat he meant bones and all........
Farming can be deadly .
-Nate
Does that work better than lye?
100 acres of hunting land bordering a national forest/swamp, and access to a diesel 4WD JD tractor. I have no worries about where to hide the bodies.
I have a good story about that very subject in the final editing stages.
I lost all interest in F1 after watching an Isle of Mann TT. I suspect it's similar to what F1 was prior to Sir Jackie and Niki loosing the Nannies of Safety. Except the TT is racing the clock, mostly. Compare and contrast, to F1, the ability to control a two (or 3) wheeled vehicle over 37.7 miles of a temporarily closed public road at over 200mph. Average speed of 130 - 136 mph. Normally 6 laps that's over 226 miles. There are corners, hairpins hills and normal road surfaces to navigate. Also stone walls, trees, buildings and cliffs to run into, over and off of. For 118 years these loons have been doing this and I think it's great. One is risky the other minimally so. None of the TT Riders reside in Monaco. They do it for a Trophy.
and at least one guy dies every year
its insanity
i love it
and the guys on two wheels look at the sidecar racers - especially the monkeys - and say, "you guys are fucking crazy."
Agreed! Danger is a big part of why racing fascinates, and the Isle of Man TT riders are always on the edge of disaster. I love and hate watching it at the same time, and can't look away.
I have this great picture from a TT race where some considerate soul wrapped a mattress around a phone booth.
You know, for safety.
couldn't hurt!
I forget their names, but couple of different cable channels (maybe the same channel, renamed?) had a week-long coverage of TT about ten years ago. Saved it. Still watch it occasionally. Still WAY better than F1 has been since (IMO).
My dad's coworker who introduced me to motorcycles and taught me to ride shipped his race bike out to the Isle of Mann (a 125cc two stroke iirc) to race in the TT back in the day. No idea how competitive he was or wasn't but man talk about checking off a bucket list item as a motorcycle racer.
Guitar: He just turned 18 so he’s not a “kid” anymore, but my son’s acoustic was stolen from our house between the house fire and contents inventory, and the hand-me-down Guitar Center tissue box with rubber bands his uncle gratefully gave him in the aftermath had the bridge tear out of the body.
OT: Anyone else think Jonathan Joss’s widower’s story about his death sounds a little…Jussie Smollett-ish?
I'll drop you a note.
To be clear, the insurance company was kind enough to take our word for it that the guitar was present prior to the theft and inventory based on receipts and recent evidence of its presence so we did in fact get money for it, less depreciation. We just elected to spend contents money on the bare necessities and debt reduction, used the fire as a financial reset.
Jonathan Joss' widow's story contains only one truth, which is that Joss died. Matt Walsh has some conflicting and documented details. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCC6LYymLqQ
I surely wish Demarkis, our foster boy who recently graduated high school and is taking business classes at SouthWest College down the street, hadn't given up on his interest of music .
He taught him self to use a key board (think 88 string guitar) in less than 1/2 hour so I know he's talented but he's walked away from music sadly .
I once saw him play a guitar at his school, I had no idea he had that skill .
"We talk a lot about checks and balances in the government. We talk a lot about the opposing roles played by the prosecution and the defense in the courts. " oddly enough you never talk about trashing the economy to give taxpayer $ to the 1% .
Nor do you talk about the open criminality of our current President .
Funny thing that .
Looking forward to the next Cat Tails, er _TALES_ .
-Nate
who would you rather have???
That you have to ask is sad .
-Nate
I really hope some young person gets this guitar and it makes a change in their life .
Music is a window into one's Soul .
-Nate
(who can't carry a tune in a bucket but still loves music)
Absolutely epic race. Another weekend with Piastri in control throughout and marching on to his first championship.
Great start by Hamilton rocketing down the outside, but he looked pedestrian compared to his teammate in the race.
Of course, Verstappen muscles by Norris in turn one, but Norris later redeemed himself with a clean, decisive move on Verstappen.
Hadgar had a good race starting 10th and finishing 7th . Impressive wheel to wheel racing with Gasly to take his spot.
Lawson’s an idiot dive bombing Bearman with Ollie sideways for a huge save.
Toto Wolfe already sweating bullets with his boss sitting beside him when Antonelli blew up.
Hard tires for Verstappen completely fucked him. Watch for the pending announcement of Max’s move to another team.
Nice to see Leclerc with the second podium in a week. Ferrari moves into second place in the constructors championship.
Incredible Hulk started 15th and finished in 5th!
OT: Biden/Harris-nominated judge has issued a restraining order barring the deportation of the family of the illegal alien who employed a flamethrower against Jewish demonstrators:
https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/1930361834848039141
Well, obviously the only legitimate time to punish families is if their relatives were part of January 6!
they're all illegals i've heard. clear 'em out.
I could literally fill my day responding “I voted for this!” to all of the outrage porn my wife’s lefty friends post on the Gram. Some day I might.
I'm hoping and praying that nobody in Dearborn decides to do something stupid.
Sunday night was Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, which celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mt Sinai. It's traditional to attend overnight learning sessions and as I was getting ready to walk over to a lecture I seriously thought about putting my father's Savage .380 ACP in my pocket.
The MSM is moving on from the events in Boulder but I can't help but think there would have been a different reaction if it was a march of black folks that were attacked by a white supremacist.
given where you are im surprised you arent strapped 247
To be frank, the general crime rate around Detroit is greater immediate threat than the chance of some jihadi attacking me over events 7,000 miles away.
My grandkids' schools are hardened (first floor exterior glazing, armed security with an office right by the front door, and the school's office is further hardened) and the local Jewish Federation pays for security patrols in Jewish neighborhoods on the Sabbath and holidays. I've heard well placed rumors that the Federation is also supplied plainclothes armed guards for religious services at the bigger synagogues in town. I'm pretty sure that all of the orthodox synagogues in my neighborhood have combination locks on their exterior doors. It's unfortunate that people can't just walk into a house of worship but it's better than synagogues in Europe that need fulltime police protection.
A few years back after an attack on a Jewish facility in Seattle where a woman got killed I asked a local orthodox rabbi, "In light of the current events, is it permissible to carry on Shabbat." Generally carrying things in the public domain on the Sabbath is prohibited. Of course, to protect life, one can put aside that prohibition. The rabbi replied, "Don't worry. There are and there are," meaning that some of their regular congregants were armed. I know at least a couple of orthodox guys who give CCW courses required here to get a carry permit.
"Every Jew, a .22." - R' Meir Kahane. Yeah, I know, a .22 is even less powerful than a .380 but it's hard to make a clever rhyme with 380.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5vgiWsrp94
To be honest, this is getting pretty fucking annoying. I shouldn't have to think about carrying a weapon to go pray.
its fatigue now and its not just limited to jews
i do not see this getting any less violent as time goes on
Only consequences will work.
.380?
Come on man, at least use a 9mm.
It was my father's. I found it hidden in the lining of his upholstered rocking chair. Nobody knew about it, except for my nephew who said my father promised it to him. He also had a 9mm semi and a .32 revolver that somehow disappeared between his death and my mom's dementia.
>Mohamed
found the problem
Might as well have said Megatron.
He isn't real, either.