GlibFit 4.0 – Coronavirus Edition XXXVIII: Make It Stop

by | Dec 6, 2020 | Fitness, GlibFit | 275 comments

It’s been another week of eating like a pig.  My birthday is today and various people in my life have wanted to celebrate.  It’s been sweet and I’m touched.  I’m also stuffed with sugar and feel like junky who needs to kick the habit.

Knowing I need to work off the pounds I’ve undoubtedly gained, I started to think about the various forms of conditioning the Glibberati have reported doing.  More specifically, how many calories they require.  Behold the results of my research:

Walking  ​​200-300 calories/hour

Swimming  ​​528 calories/hour (assumes medium speed crawl)

Running​​  800 calories/hour(assumes 8 MPH pace)

Cycling​​  500 calories/hour

Rowing​​  600-800 calories/hour

Jumping Rope​​  600-900 calories/hour

All these figures are dependent on your weight and exercise intensity.  Most of the reported figures are for a 140-pound person.  For many of you MLWs these may be reasonable estimates.  For the rest of us, there is a good chance the hourly rates likely go up.

I’m afraid to step on the scale to see how much damage has been done.  I suspect I have many hours ahead of me to get back to where I was not too long ago.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Completely off topic, I must recognize the genius that is David Hasselhoff.  Since discovering the Baywatch channel (yes, an entire channel) on my TV, I’ve been hooked.  This show is unbelievably dumb.  The acting peaks at mediocre.  I think half the actresses were cast because they appeared in Playboy.  But… it is relentlessly upbeat.  And it has great eye candy.  So, I pronounce it GlibFit approved.

Do not post any “where are they now” photos.  Time has not been kind to some of the cast.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Now back to our regularly scheduled rant.  Motherfucking (that’s our new name for Governor) Gavin Newsom is once again shutting down our state.  You can read the order here if you have an empty stomach.  This is literally a stay at home order.  I did it once.  I’m not doing it again.

The only interesting part of this is there are areas where ICU capacity is running over 85%.  You know what I don’t know because reporters are unbelievably lazy?  How much capacity is normally used.  How easy or difficult it is to expand capacity.  How this affects the medical staff in the ICU.  What our state government has done, or failed to do, for this long feared second wave.  It is entirely possible the answers to these questions support the motherfucker’s order.  But I can’t find a single news report that answers these questions.

But we shouldn’t worry. The order only lasts for three weeks.  Yeah, sure.

This week’s music link.  

About The Author

Chafed

Chafed

I'm looking California but feeling Minnesota

275 Comments

  1. Kwihn T. Senshel

    Baywatch came along at an… Impressionable… time for me.

    Slo-mo bouncy-cam for the win.

  2. Fourscore

    Happy Birthday, Young Man, hope this day is a good one and all the rest to come.

  3. Nephilium

    Shit. I can’t imagine being down to 140, I’d look like a stick.

    Weight’s stayed stable over the past week, I’m contemplating just trying to maintain through the end of the year instead of going back to counting for a couple weeks before the holidays.

    • UnCivilServant

      What’s a skeleton weigh? I’m both fat and big-boned, given the skeletal measurements.

      *looks it up*

      Oh, less than thirty pounds. We really are mostly water weight.

      • Surly Knott

        The human body is ~80% water. We’re basically cucumbers with anxiety.

      • hayeksplosives

        Lol

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        +1 vintage Woody

  4. Fourscore

    I’m a bit heavier so my calorie requirements are a little more. I’m back on the treadmill, 3 miles this morning, everyday I want to add a little. Boring but M’soda so I don’t notice it. I do a little work on a Weider machine after the walk, may go back on the weights after a while. I’m beginning to feel better physically, the ol’ bones are still tired though.

    Saw the local ICU figures, 5 o6, all were being overwhelmed at about 20%. One helluva pandemic. Not to worry, we have our variety of quality governor calling the shots. He may be slow but he’s behind everyone else. Not his fault, he’s special.

  5. UnCivilServant

    In downer glibfit news, I’ve not been as diligent about regularly walking since the 20th. Between a messed up sleep schedule and every jot of inclement weather, I’ve made too many excuses.

    I’m mad at myself.

    • UnCivilServant

      Oh, and this goddamn early sunset from the clock shifting had not helped. It’s practically dark by the time my workday ends. One more thing that makes it too easy to put off the walk.

      • Fourscore

        Seems like the days suddenly got a lot shorter, I know, I know, but I’m with you, I need to get everything done in the morning, COB seems to be about 4 PM. Ahh, but in about 2 weeks the days begin to lengthen, just in time for winter. I count Jan 15th about the 1/2 way point of winter.

      • Surly Knott

        Hey 4S, thanks for the kind words of support in the dead thread!
        I turn 70 next June, but there’s no sign of tests slowing down. The IBS probably has something to do with that ;-\
        My longest-lasting annoyance with my primary care doctor is his idiot assistant. She routinely messes up prescription refills, reverting to old, outdated dosing regimens. I just paid $20 co-pay for a dosing regimen that hasn’t been active in at least 18 months. 540 useless pills. I’m going to have to start auditing her plans in detail since she just can’t manage the “nothing’s changed, so just like last time” that she cheerfully assents to. I’d proofread the scrips themselves, but they’re pretty much insisting on tele-health rather than office visits. Another pet peeve 🙁

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Sounds as if incompetence is common among medical staff. I recently saw phenylephedrine misspelled twice on 16 letters.

      • Surly Knott

        Oh, hell yes. Typos and gross misspellings everywhere. It’s especially troubling when it’s symptoms or diagnoses.
        And don’t get me started on electronic medical records. Jeez, what a nightmare, and for something that should be fairly simple and straightforward.
        The more they try to help, the worse things get.

      • Fourscore

        Podunkville, at least in my case, hasn’t been so much of a problem. I sort of object having to see the sawbones every year for a prescription renewal but that’s about all. I have had problems with the VA and misdiagnosis but that’s not unusual or rare. I use the locals as opposed to VA.

        Depending on what those 540 pills are you might be able to turn a profit over at the high school.

      • Surly Knott

        Heh. I go in, or do “tele-health”, 4 times a year, which is pretty absurd given I’m now stable on all measures. Had a couple of rough spots, but mostly nothing major.
        The pills likely have little or no street value. They metabolize directly to a barbiturate, but no fun or spacy effect. They’re for tremors, and work fairly well without having any real side effect. I guess, though, the other part of the quarterly visits are the blood work to make sure they’re not ripping up my liver. Getting old is not for sissies, that’s for sure.
        I guess I could hang on to them as part of the exit package, should it come to that…

      • Gender Traitor

        Does your schedule allow for a midday break that would allow you to take a short walk? Maybe then you’d be more inclined to take the “other half” of your walk after work.

      • UnCivilServant

        My schedule is dictated by other people dropping meetings on my calendar. I can’t even reliably schedule lunch.

        I did get a walk in today, but it was shorter than I wanted.

        I have also gotten stuff written.

        “So, which building should we look in?” I asked.

        “They’re all the same building,” Konstantin said, “We’re on the roof of the lower levels. But, if I had to guess…” He trailed off and simply started walking. He opened a door in the same way as he had the front gate, and we entered. With all the architectural sophistication I’d seen in Yothos, the use of a corbel vault for the entryway seemed almost crude. It was barely taller than we were and pressed in claustrophobically on all sides. The green-gray stone soaked in what little light spilled from the lanterns affized to the walls. Thankfully, the passage was only long enough to pierce the thick wall of the structure. I smelled the books before I saw them. The familiar scent of old leather, parchment, and paper conjured up old memories. I half expected to round the corner and find my uncle sitting in his favorite chair and thumbing through a voluminous tome. Of course, I saw no such thing. The library stacks sat closely together, their shelves almost groaning under the weight of the volumes packed onto them. A few of the bindings sparkled with gilded lettering. Most were faded leather. Some had cloth bindings. Between the variated hues of the book spines and the wooden shelving, the light had a warmer feel than in the entryway.

      • Gender Traitor

        I have also gotten stuff written.

        ::happy dance::

    • Nephilium

      I find it’s far too easy to make excuses for myself unless I put a strict regiment in place.

  6. juris imprudent

    Just came back from walking the dog (exercise for the both of us, discipline work for her) – the morning weigh-in was motivation, not horrendous just a friendly reminder to not be sedentary.

  7. Gender Traitor

    Happy birthday, Chafed. If you’ve eaten too much sugar, here’s a little something that might induce you to…try the Karen Carpenter diet.

    • Chafed

      That was cute. Thanks.

  8. juris imprudent

    As to ICU utilization, one FB friend does IT for a hospital in NV, and says they are creating temporary capacity as their normal facility is full (although that does not answer how often that might be normal, or how much now is COVID specific).

    • Chafed

      That is more information than I’ve gotten from any news source.

  9. Toxteth O'Grady

    ?¡Cumpleaños feliz!

    At least you aren’t in LA city. Wonder how the adjacent incorporated burgs (SM, BH, et al) are looking.

    • Chafed

      I’m grateful for small favors and thanks.

    • C. Anacreon

      adjacent incorporated burgs (SM, BH, et al)

      Exactly where on the map can one find this Bong Hit?

      • Surly Knott

        If it’s not in your living room, you’re doing it wrong 😉

  10. Derpetologist

    I don’t know how many calories this burned, but who cares?

    AR-15 5 shots in 1 second with fastest shooter ever, Jerry Miculek (Shoot Fast!)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3gf_5MR4tE

    • EvilSheldon

      Amazing as it seems (and not to take anything away from Jerry’s shooting), that’s not actually hard to do with a properly set up AR-15. I could have anyone here shooting jailbait splits on an open 5-yard USPSA target in around 100 rounds of practice.

      It’s nice to see Jerry and the clan putting out content again, there’s some good stuff in there.

  11. Tundra

    Hi Chafed!

    And a very happy birthday to you, my brother!

    The best advice I ever read was “You can’t outrun your fork!”

    Forget the scale. Starting tomorrow, track your food for a week or so. No sugar, no starch, plenty of protein. I promise by next week you will feel way better. Just a nudge back into the groove. I’ve gotten a little sloppy too, so I’m gonna dial it in for a few weeks.

    I lifted this week at a secret underground gym. I am incredibly grateful for my buddy and his generosity. i don’t want to go back to zero again (please don’t tell me about fucking bodyweight exercises – they are not sufficient).

    It’s hard to stay positive when we are watching the destruction of society in super high-res slow-motion. But I know that being stronger will always be a superior strategy, no matter what the fuck is going on around us.

    Good luck this week, Glibfitters. It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do last week. You get out there and get the fuck after it.

    • Nephilium

      I find calorie counting works best for me. Going low-carb didn’t help me, because I can (and will) eat a huge amount of fat and protein if I’m allowed to. To me, the key is trend lines. Weigh in every day, watch the trend. If you don’t like the way the trend line is pointing, make a change, and track it for at least 3 weeks.

      • mrfamous

        Weight loss (in terms of actual tissue, not fluid) is determined entirely by “calorie balance.” That’s not just proven, it’s essentially by definition (law of thermodynamics). That said, “calorie balance” can be trickier than it sounds. Both “calories in” and “calories out” can do all sorts of strange things, particularly the “calories out” part.

        Furthermore, nobody actually wants to lose “weight,” they want to lose “fat.” And that also adds some nuance to proceedings.

        That said, I topped out at 375 pounds and currently weigh 182, and got there entirely through counting calories and exercise. Obviously plenty of that weight was fat. So I’m a big proponent of calorie counting as well. If you don’t count calories you’ll have to come up with a calorie deficit some other way. Trying to do that with exercise becomes tricky because, as a general rule, the more you burn off calories exercising, the more your body will want to eat those calories back. So you have to come up with some sort of restriction plan to achieve the deficit.

      • Nephilium

        I’d prefer to be back down in the 160-170 range, but I’m currently around 210. I’ve been down that low in the memorable past (first time dropping weight was after I quit smoking). I’ve found that going 4 days a week with strict calorie restrictions will help me keep the trend line pointing downward. The issue for me is that home cooking makes it very difficult to count calories, and I enjoy cooking.

        /hides the empty beer bottles

      • Hyperion

        I’d like to be back down to 172 again, like I was 15 months ago. Now I’m back to about 210 also, sigh…

        I’ve only been to my target, somewhere around 170-175 once in the past 10 years, and I was walking/running 5-10 miles a day, every day, and no beer for at least 6 3-4 months to get there. And I had started at 230, which is really fat for me.

      • Hyperion

        To put it in perspective, I lost 60 lbs. But to truly understand that, I realized that’s carrying around the extra weight of 2 30 packs of 16oz waters. That’s crazy.

      • Nephilium

        I’m the heaviest thing on my bicycle. Hitting the restroom before a ride is like a $150 savings on parts! 🙂

      • Nephilium

        I was just above 180 back in March, before the lockdowns started.

      • Hyperion

        I get up and walk around the house about once an hour while working, because I can’t sit for much longer than that at a time, hurts my back. I get about 1.5-2 miles a day doing that. not enough, I need a bigger house (especially for some exercise equip). Also need to stop all this beer drinking every day. I blame 2020 for all of that, stupidest year in history and sadly, I think 2021 is going to top that.

      • Nephilium

        I can sit for 12 hours a day. The back pain starts after a day or two of that.

        I’ve been trying my best to keep up getting at least 250 steps an hour for 10 hours a day while working from home (I’ve got the Fitbit set to bitch at me if I’m short). That usually keeps me around 1.75 miles a day, which is not enough for me to drop weight (if I’m not calorie counting).

        I’m contemplating doing a 4 week dry run early next year just to see if I drop weight doing that or if I step up my eating as a response.

      • Tundra

        Beer destroys my efforts. I’ve tried gaining the system every which way and it doesn’t work.

        Booze in general is detrimental as is takes processing priority and absolutely torpedos fat burning.

        Weed, however, doesn’t affect my blood sugar at all. I may have to just switch intoxicants.

      • Nephilium

        Tundra:

        For my homebrew, I’ve got the information to get a decent calorie estimation of the beer (I can provide the formula if anyone is really interested). For store bought, I’ve found this is usually close. If I keep it under my calories, it still usually works out for me.

        The problem is after indulging, not then snacking and giving up.

      • Hyperion

        “Weed, however, doesn’t affect my blood sugar at all.”

        Not until the Oreos with double stuff and chocolate marshmallow swirl ice cream binges ensue. When I was 20 and smoked some weed, I’d eat 2 16″ pizzas and 3-4 boxes of ding dongs and twinkies, by myself, after getting high. But because I was 20, I didn’t gain an oz.

        If I smoked now, I’d eat all that stuff and probably double down on the beer consumption. I’d look like Triggly Poof, only better looking.

      • IRBE

        I agree and disagree with you here. I do believe counting calories matters but I think there are multiple variables that impact level of percentage fat. I believe hormones and inflammation play a more significant role.

        I think there is a “sweet” spot to losing weight and it is not just calories. Finding that spot and maintaining it is the key but it is different for everyone…

    • Chafed

      Thanks Tundra. Amen on the eating. Congratulations on finding an underground gym.

  12. Mostly Peaceful JaimeRoberto

    My weight is back down to pre-Thanksgiving level. Did virtual bike rides in Slovakia, Israel and Morocco and a 33 mile ride in real life yesterday. About half on gravel with a steep hill called the Widowmaker that I had to walk up. I’m sore today.

  13. Toxteth O'Grady

    Has anyone found that the first time low-carbing was nearly magical and subsequent attempts less so? I’ve read warnings about the principle but I forget the term: first / golden something something?

    • mrfamous

      It’s glycogen. The amount of carbohydrates you eat modulates the amount of glycogen your body stores. Glycogen is stored weight for weight with water, thereby the more glycogen you’re storing, the more fluid you’re retaining.

      When you go low carb, the glycogen comes out of the system along with all of that water. And you can lose dramatic amounts of weight. Once that process is complete and your body is now storing glycogen more in line with your current diet, that stops and you have to lose weight by actually burning fat (or unfortunately muscle).

      This goes in the opposite direction as well. That’s why you can gain 10 pounds over a particularly bad diet weekend. It’s mostly gonna be water due to all those yummy carbs.

      Fat loss goes noticeably slower and is based mostly on calorie balance (with exercise levels, genetics and food composition as other smaller factors).

    • Gender Traitor

      That was exactly my experience. The first time I went low-carb early in 2019, I lost 15 lbs. in about three months. I didn’t gain all of it back, but since trying to go back to low carb and exercise more, it has been MUCH harder to drop weight.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        GD an especially warm not-so-distant summer. Ice cream makes a poor air conditioner.

      • IRBE

        I agree with mrfamous. My theory working theory of why this diet doesn’t work when tried again is that people are not as disciplined in counting carbs and take more in. The 50 gram carb/day is kind of arbitrary and is probably just simpler/effective to eliminate carbs all together.

    • Tundra

      It always comes back to insulin response. The typical shitty diet is 250-300 grams of carbs per day. When people initially cut back to any sort of low/medium carb diet they get an almost immediate benefit, particularly if they move to a whole food diet. Their insulin resistance has nowhere to go but down.

      What appears to happen is that many think they have it dialed in enough to go by feel. This is often a really shitty decision. I can almost guarantee that most people who say it doesn’t work are simply overeating or eating stuff that spikes their blood sugar too often for too long.

      The goal is to adapt your body to burn whatever fuel is available, which in turn reduces the tendency to store fat. This adaptation is different for every single person on the planet, but in general a diet low in sugars and other simple carbs will enable a faster and more reliable adaptation.

      You need to learn the foods that fuck you up. The old adage “all things in moderation” is fucking bullshit if you want to be as healthy and fat adapted as you can be.

      It all comes down to goals. Personally, I want to build as much muscle as I can. I limit my potential by trying to stay lean enough to keep the best long term waist-to-height ratio. There are always trade-offs, especially as you get older.

      So, the short answer is, you get a freebie the first time around but after that you need to dial it in more. But it absolutely still works.

      • Fourscore

        An old saying,”If you don’t look good at 19, blame nature. If you don’t look good at 29, blame yourself”

        For most of us waiting until we’re 20-30-40 or more lbs over our goal is too late. I set 5 lbs, when I hit that mark it’s time to stop those little “rewards” sitting on the kitchen counter. It’s tough and the belly is restrictive and does not want to cooperate.

  14. The Late P Brooks

    I am becoming a proponent of political assassination, in theory.

    Even then, I doubt there are more than a handful of politicians at any level of government sufficiently self-aware to say, when viewing the image of one of their cohort swing in the breeze from a lamppost, “You know, that could be me. Maybe I should stop destroying everything I see.”

    • one true athena

      Yeah, that’s the overall issue. I have no doubt that most of these weasels really truly believe they are “doing the best thing possible to protect safety,etc,” because that’s what the weasels in their various departments tell them. Most of them are not smart enough to look for any other points of view, consequences, nothing. They know what they are told and that’s it, and they are arrogant enough to think that’s correct. (I mean, nobody thinks Newsom is the brightest bulb in the box, right?)

      And if that’s true, then they also are not going to understand opposition, or ever think “well I should change tack or that could be me.” SO even if some poor beleaguered restaurant owner violently recalls with a firearm say, Garcetti – no way Newsom would ever think “well, maybe I was wrong.” He’ll just think “well, that person was a deranged Trump supporter, we need martial law”

      • Gustave Lytton

        There’s zero consequences for failure. Either directly or out of shame.

      • Chafed

        Bingo!

    • Threedoor

      I find it astonishing that it hasent happened en mass.

    • Urthona

      No one does that any more. Assassination attempts have plummeted steadily in the past five decades.

      If the FBI is reading this thread, eat a dick.

      • prolefeed

        “If”?

    • kbolino

      One need only look at the record of political assassination in this country to conclude on its futility. Every assassination (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy) has not done one whit to deter the growth of the state. If anything, each assassination has been followed by a renewed interest in greater state power.

  15. IRBE

    Happy Birthday!..thanks for the edition and greetings from NOCal. We are headed into lock-down here, too. I gotta say I’m not really feeling it this time. I admit I was pretty scared of this virus the first time. Now, I am more scared about my betters and fellow subjects continued response…Can’t we just ignore it and hope it goes away because of neglect or indifference.

    Weather here has been a carbon-copy of the same day for 3 weeks with sunny/cool mornings giving way to sunny warm afternoons…we could really use some rain. Hiking this week has shown an interesting phenomena–the electric scooter disguised as a mountain bike. They are every where..never seen so many on some many steep and rugged trails. Today alone saw about a dozen. Weird to see some pretty old, fat and out of shape scooterers’ yelling cautions out while the non-powered are trailing miserably behind barely able to suck in enough air to speak. Kind of funny..in a people suck way.

    Up 3 pounds from month low before holidays. Too many sweets and carbs. I plan to knock down/eliminated carbs during the first half of week to see if that modulates the weight back down.

    G-fit update: Sleep good. Food priority, highest quality proteins, limited alcohol consumption to weekends and holiday. Still burning 2600 cals/day before bed: but missed a couple of days. Eased off the Wim Hoff/meditative techniques…really need to get back at it everyday. With the holiday and erratic work schedule, I have lost a little discipline.

    During the holiday week, I found myself with a couple days that didn’t require any computer work..so I just unplugged. No computer, TV, tablet for a day and half. It was interesting. I had to watch myself quite a number of times from the temptation of just checking in..similar to negotiating with yourself over any other vice. It was kind of boring but I got a number of chores done, that I have been putting off.

    While unplugged, I went through the junk mail and stumbled onto the ValPak coupons. On a happy note, there was a coupon for Cremation for only $799. (No urn, no ashes, just said incineration). That seems like a lot..I would have guessed maybe $250 or $300–with the Folgers can. It must be all the regulations. There must be volumes of regulations, for the good of the corpse or something.

    De todos modos, ¡tenga una gran semana y sáltese una comida o tres!

    • rhywun

      the electric scooter disguised as a mountain bike

      Those things outnumber regular bikes here in NYC by about 20 to 1. The vast majority are delivery guys, and they’re a fucking menace because they still think they don’t have to follow any of the rules of the road (or the sidewalk).

  16. KSuellington

    I am actually shocked that the Chron published this, but it states that the typical ICU rate is 80% occupied. I am going to disobey this order as much as I possibly can. I really don’t want to uproot my family and leave my thriving biz behind but I am giving it until April. If I don’t see a significant move towards a return to pre coronapanic by then we are going to be planning the out of state move. Where to? Good question. Need to do more research.

    https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/ICU-capacity-Bay-Area-stay-at-home-hospitals-COVID-15778598.php?IPID=SFGate-HP-CP-Spotlight

    • KSuellington

      Oh and happy birthday Chafed. Glad to hear you’re enjoying it.

      • Chafed

        Thanks KSuell. I’m going to miss you. I moved to CA in 1991. I’m effectively stuck here until retirement. I’m moving out when that happens.

    • Threedoor

      What does your buisness do/make/create?

      • KSuellington

        Locksmith and door hardware. 12 years plus. I have an inexhaustible supply of work here, but this corona bullshit is becoming the last straw for me here. I’m born here and all my family that doesn’t live in Ireland is within 20 minutes. Wife’s fam is all UK or Australia. If we move likely mountain west or possibly Texas.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Great hopes to you, from an Eireann-phile. ☘️

      • KSuellington

        Slainte T!

    • Hyperion

      It will be, as long as everyone takes their vaccine like good little boys and girls. Otherwise, we can’t go back outside to play again.

    • J. Frank Parnell

      If hospitals normally operate at above 80% capacity, and if health experts have been warning for months there’s a very high likelihood of a winter COVID surge fueled by people moving indoors, the natural follow-up question is why state and local officials did not help hospitals build up surge capacity in anticipation of the uptick, so that new strict stay-at-home orders would not be necessary.

      “That’s a very good question,” Day said. “San Francisco is very data driven, and they’re using very complex and refined models to tell them how the pandemic is changing. Based on earlier data the city was working with, the early predictions were we would have a surge, but not to the extent that called for more restrictions. But what the data told us just a week or two ago is the spike is exponentially higher than they originally thought, and that’s why they’re doing what they’re doing now. They’re trying to be proactive stop it before it gets higher.”

      How the city’s “very complex and refined models” did not signal danger until a week or two ago is a story for another time.

      Wow wow wow. How did this get published?

    • Mojeaux

      Kansas City MO, where the funnest Glibs live.

      • Libertesian

        Damn straight, Mo in MO!

      • Ted S.

        I don’t live in Kansas City.

      • TARDis

        Mrs. T.: You’re funny! Funny lookin’.

    • Mostly Peaceful JaimeRoberto

      The author of that article is probably the best journalist on that site. He often includes data and charts in his articles. I may not always agree with his slant, no pun intended, but he’s worth reading.

  17. The Late P Brooks

    In theory, as in, “Let somebody else do it.”

    I’ll cheer them on grimly from the safety of my couch.

    Maybe I’ll watch the movie version of Conrad’s mad bomber story.

    • Threedoor

      That no old guy has done it saddens me.

      • prolefeed

        The currently more rational approach is to pack up and leave CA or wherever, go someplace less insane. That’s still an option.

        Shooting just one of these arseholes will result in TMITE making them into a martyr.

      • Threedoor

        TMITE?

      • But Enough About My Pulsating, Geriatric Pecs

        Acronym which stands for The Media Is The Enemy.

        Variant: SMITE (Social Media Is The Enemy).

  18. Threedoor

    I’m back on low carb and despite my loathing of exercise spending some time on the elliptical. It’s time for the farce that is the DOT physical. All they care about is vision, BMI (bullshit metric), and blood pressure. My blood pressure is always 10 more that they want and they try to force pills on me every other year.

    Down 19 pounds or so.

  19. Nephilium

    Now it’s time to party like it’s 1994 again!

    That was the last time the Browns were 9 and 3.

  20. The Late P Brooks

    even if some poor beleaguered restaurant owner violently recalls with a firearm say, Garcetti – no way Newsom would ever think “well, maybe I was wrong.” He’ll just think “well, that person was a deranged Trump supporter, we need martial law”

    Look at the response to the alleged “kidnap plot” against Whitmer.

    I P-Brooks-topia, there would be dancing in the streets if a Whitmer or Newsom or Murphy(? NJ) suddenly vanished from the public view.

  21. The Late P Brooks

    That no old guy has done it saddens me.

    I’m pretty old, but I’m not *there* yet. Give it a year or two.

  22. The Bearded Hobbit

    Happy birthday!

    I’ve been wanting get out for daily walks but the temps just drive me away. I’ve settled for re-starting Ozy’s Challenge with a twist. In addition to increasing daily squats I’ve added increasing daily jumping jacks. Started on 1 Dec so I did 6 each today.

    I did a low-carb diet about 4-5 years ago and had very good results. Been trying again but I think that I’m still eating too much overall. Hard to cut back while staying with Mom (and her delightful cooking).

  23. Mustang

    I tried what’s known as a pescatarian* diet for 30 days for a couple reasons. One, my family has a history of heart problems on both sides and my blood pressure has been really high lately, so this is something more sustainable for heart health over the long term. Two, my gut has been obnoxiously noisy. Like, “sitting in a meeting and everyone turns to look” noisy.

    So I lost 15 pounds in six weeks, which is good, and my gut is no longer screaming at people from across the room. I’m on blood pressure meds so I won’t make any conclusions about how it’s affected that. I now will eat some meat once a day but try to avoid it if given the choice, so I’ve basically managed to convert to a Mediterranean diet (+delicious, wonderful Japanese food). Overall, 10/10, highly recommend, will keep going.

    *Vegetarian + fish and dairy

    • Ted S.

      my gut has been obnoxiously noisy. Like, “sitting in a meeting and everyone turns to look” noisy.

      Hawt.

  24. hayeksplosives

    Happy Birthday, Chafed. May your black market connections see you through the 3 week tyranny drill.

    As to Glibfit, I’m taking Tundra’s words to heart:

    “It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do last week. You get out there and get the fuck after it.”

    • Nephilium

      Standard statement at the spin studio I go to:

      “It doesn’t matter where you place in class, you beat everyone at home on their couches.”

      • Chafed

        Thanks HS. Neph I like the attitude at your spin studio.

      • Nephilium

        I enjoy the attitude, most of the instructors are pretty good about getting a read of the class and adjusting their goals based on it. The reason I’m a big fan is that they actually have power meters on all the bikes, and track the stats for you. That lets me set goals for a class that I can aim towards.

  25. Tres Cool

    Flash poll: current titty status ?

    • Nephilium

      Orange/Brown.

      Probably need to go scarlet and grey for Saturday.

    • Tundra

      Not good.

    • Gender Traitor

      Unencumbered.

      • TARDis

        LOL. My wife has used that. Also, unfettered.

      • Don escaped Two Corinthians

        “veter” is lace in Dutch

        more apt than you might have known?

      • TARDis

        What’s dutch for blue-jean halter top? Boing!

    • Chafed

      Enraged.

    • blackjack

      Chilly in the morning, but sunny and warm in the afternoon.

    • rhywun

      Spectacular.

    • blackjack

      BTW, I noticed you used the term ” Flash poll.”

    • Mostly Peaceful JaimeRoberto

      Hairy.

    • Urthona

      Good. Kinda sick of whining about him not wearing a mask enough.

    • blackjack

      If that dude beats covid, ain’t nobody gonna be scared of it ever again, except for the politically motivated ones, of course.

      • Urthona

        Chris Christie already beat it. Game. Set. Match.

  26. westernsloper

    Happy birthday Chafed!

    • Chafed

      Thanks WS.

  27. The Late P Brooks

    *Vegetarian + fish and dairy

    I could live with that.

    • robc

      Add on steak and all forms of pig and I would be okay.

    • kinnath

      Great song; better photo.

      • Lil Yu and the NK Defects

        Yep,
        /America! Fuck Yeah!

    • Ted S.

      Sorry, Yufus Changed His Handle, but this is Carly singing about me.

  28. commodious spittoon

    Chevy Chase was Al all along.

  29. The Late P Brooks

    There’s zero consequences for failure. Either directly or out of shame.

    Over and over, the demonstrable real world consequences of their policy prescriptions are proven to be objectively wrong/bad, but they keep cashing their paychecks.

    • hayeksplosives

      “ It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.”

      —Thomas Sowell

      • Fourscore

        Need to vote on that, democratically.

        I think that was a turning moment for me, when I heard someone say, “Majority rules”. I asked why should the majority be a defining factor of what is right or in other words, “Screw the minority”

      • Don escaped Two Corinthians

        @justinamash
        We can’t really amend bills.
        We don’t genuinely debate bills.
        As a result, even fewer people bother to read bills. Bills that are passed don’t reflect the work of the body.
        Congress is only superficially a legislature. Congressional leaders have effectively nullified Article I.

        Who would even want to belong to such a “republic?”

  30. grrizzly

    !יום הולדת שמח

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      something something sh–!

      /not cheating: QED

    • Chafed

      ((Thanks))) grizzly.

  31. Lil Yu and the NK Defects

    My routine,
    Walk dog, .5 miles
    eat and work out, .5 hours
    Walk dog on the sand at the Beach, 1 mile of sand,
    Drink a bunch of Beer,.whenever,
    Walk Dog, .5 miles
    What a workout…
    /50 Lbs. of Fury…..

    • Ted S.

      Terrible song.

  32. The Late P Brooks

    The HORROR

    The COVID-19 vaccine will be available to first responders as soon as this month, but a poll of New York City Firefighters revealed a majority will refuse it.

    The findings of about 55% saying they will not take the vaccine come from a Uniformed Firefighters Association poll of 2,053 members – about 25% of UFA’s 8,200 active members – the New York Post reported.

    The FDNY will not make the vaccine mandatory, it announced this week. Notably, FDNY has more than 130 COVID-19 positive cases as of Friday, and at least six firehouses have three or more cases, a source told the Post.

    “A lot of them probably feel they are not in a risk category, they are younger, stronger, they may have already had it and gotten through it, and feel it’s not their problem,” UFA President Andy Ansbro told the Post.

    “They are more familiar with the coronavirus than they are with the vaccine.”

    Vaccine skepticism has been common of late, potentially leaving NYC’s frontline as spreaders.

    “The 55% doesn’t surprise me: They’re called the bravest, not the smartest,” a veteran FDNY member lamented to the Post.

    “It’s saving their lives, and the lives of their co-workers, families, friends, and the people they take care of. They respond to live-threatening medical emergencies. The last thing you want is a family member in dire straits being worked on by an unvaccinated firefighter.”

    B’Kaaaaaak! B’Kaaaaaak!

    And a great chorus of chicken-squawks arose throughout the land.

    • kbolino

      Firefighters might do EMS work in a pinch, but do they typically spend long periods of time “working on” people?

      • Threedoor

        My home town has the fire guys as the EMTs. It’s a cleaver way to keep competition out.

      • rhywun

        How seventies.

        Yeah, around here I think they’re associated with hospitals. Never heard of firemen doing it until I saw that show.

      • Nephilium

        My brother in law is trained as an EMT. I’m fairly certain everyone at most of the suburban fire departments here are all also trained as EMTs (he went that route to join the department).

      • rhywun

        Oh, I’m sure they’re all trained that way, just in case, but that’s not their primary function. If I call for an ambulance, I don’t get a fireman trained as an EMT, I get an EMT who does nothing else.

      • Nephilium

        Most suburbs around me, if you call 911, you get a cop car and a fire department ambulance. If there’s other fire evidence, the big trucks roll out. You can also call private ambulance services if you need just an ambulance.

        Of course, I’ve also got a plethora of hospitals to go to here, all with different specialties (even to the different campuses).

      • Gustave Lytton

        That’s the way it is around here. Call for an ambulance and you’ll usually get a fire engine too unless it’s to a care facility. Part of it is they’re sitting around anyways and often can use an extra hand or three.

      • Threedoor

        It’s a way to keep their call numbers up and inflate the pay on the EMS side.

        Privatize both of them.

      • Ted S.

        +1 Julie London

    • Hyperion

      They’re not going to force anyone to take it. They’re just going to not let you outside of your home if you don’t take it. And also, no work for you, even if you’re working from home. And no ordering necessities from your home, because you might infect the delivery folk, even if you never come into contact with them, because most trickiest virus ever.

      • hayeksplosives

        One might even say that the virus is inscrutable…

      • Nephilium

        Not mysterious?

      • Hyperion

        Where do I sign up for his newsletter?

      • Nephilium

        Here for six seasons!

        /AND A MOVIE!

      • Hyperion

        I’m a Prime member, thanks!

        I was hooked when he said ‘Why do I teach Spanish? It’s none of your business’, lol.

      • Nephilium

        I hope you enjoy the show at least half as much as I do.

        /pushes Prime because Netflix and Hulu both pulled an episode for “blackface”

      • Hyperion

        Space Kitty?

      • Hyperion

        Wait, it’s a dog…

    • rhywun

      Spreaders! Kulaks!

    • hayeksplosives

      Objection. Faceless bureaucrats presuming to know my feelings and motivations.

      “ The last thing you want is a family member in dire straits being worked on by an unvaccinated firefighter.”

      • UnCivilServant

        Wrong.

        The last thing I want is for some over-exaggerated panic about a weak bug causing everything to be upended.

      • blackjack

        NO! The last thing I want is a lowlife public leech deciding who can work and who can go outside based on his emotional state. Everybody knows they don’t need the vaccine.

  33. The Late P Brooks

    “San Francisco is very data driven, and they’re using very complex and refined models to tell them how the pandemic is changing. Based on earlier data the city was working with, the early predictions were we would have a surge, but not to the extent that called for more restrictions. But what the data told us just a week or two ago is the spike is exponentially higher than they originally thought, and that’s why they’re doing what they’re doing now. They’re trying to be proactive stop it before it gets higher.”

    tl;dr- Their model is completely worthless. They are clueless.

    • Hyperion

      No no no. Their models are so smart they can tell you how rioting and looting do not cause spreading of the virus, but how attending church and visiting family on holidays, totally causes spreader events.

      You cannot argue with models that are that smart.

      • hayeksplosives

        At work I am presented with all kinds of claims, from potential vendors, from competitors, even from pockets of the company I work for, that “prove” or “demonstrate” that blah blah is true.

        My first question is where the data came from? Oh, it’s from models, not hardware testing? How did you validate the model?

        It’s amazingly effective both at dismissing the half baked models and at helping bolster the case for the models that might have a future if adequately tested and transparently presented.

      • Hyperion

        If you give me enough grant money, I can come up with whatever result you want, and I can some up with the opposite result tomorrow if required. Because if I am a researcher, for starts, I am no longer as much a scientist as I am a professional grant writer. Same thing for data modeling. Anyone can tweak the data input and output to deliver any outcome you are looking for.

        Anyone who says this is not true, they are either lying or, well, they’re lying.

      • Nephilium

        First question I ask anyone asking about reporting for their call center is, “What are you looking to measure, and for what reasons?”

        The reasons usually reveal more then what they say they want to measure.

      • Hyperion

        “and for what reasons?”

        Because SCIENCE, of course! We freaking love science!

      • Nephilium

        It shocked me at first how many people were aiming for impossible goals. Now, I expect it, and try to point out the issues with what they’re setting as goals.

        “You want your agents to be on the phone, ringing, or on break for 8 hours? Do you have the call volume to support that? What’s the service level you’re aiming for?”

  34. deadhead

    Happy Birthday!

    • Chafed

      Thanks deadhead.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Confessions of a louse: I overlooked that part. Happy Birthday to our glibfitter-in-chief!

  35. The Late P Brooks

    One need only look at the record of political assassination in this country to conclude on its futility. Every assassination (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy) has not done one whit to deter the growth of the state. If anything, each assassination has been followed by a renewed interest in greater state power.

    Yes, without question. Cut off one head, seven grow back.

    • hayeksplosives

      Nothing to worry about!

      Again, to make this all work, Amazon is going to use a small portion of users’ home internet connections and share it with the community. All activity on the network is encrypted and your personal internet activity won’t be shared with anyone.

      Safe as kittens!

      • blackjack

        Yeah, huh! It’s not like these people are collecting info on us. It’s not like they are using it to, say, alter an election or anything. They just want to make sure we see ads for the things we want to buy, amirite?

      • UnCivilServant

        It’s not their bandwidth.

        Thankfully, I’m diligent about minimizing the number of spying devices in my home, and locking down the ones I can’t dispose of. (Damn phone…)

      • Nephilium

        I’ll take a MITM attack for $1,000 Alex.

      • Ted S.

        Technically, you won’t take it from Alex any more. 🙁

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      You there, Winston Smith!

    • rhywun

      Sounds like deputy dawg tried to get in the way of the hipster beard dude’s car. I doubt he “tried to run him over”. Still not a good look. Now DeBlasio has a handy martyr to point at as he sends you to jail and throws away the key.

  36. Lil Yu and the NK Defects

    High 35, low 27, welcome to Michigan, Bella doesn’t care,

    • hayeksplosives

      It’s 73 degrees out, full sun.

      Dry as kindling though. They said there might be another “red flag” (wildfire danger) warning on Monday.

      So potentially they’ll be asking millions of people to stay home without electricity.

      The makings of a heated reaction are coming together. But what will be left in the crucible afterwards?

      • Lil Yu and the NK Defects

        Dust, nothing but dust, I miss my home big time, but don’t regret leaving it, here I at least have a chance,
        /all you have to do is show up for a job…

      • Old Man With Candy

        When I went out this morning for a walk, it was 18 degrees. Glorious! I miss this kind of weather for exercise.

    • Hyperion

      Ah, I see, you are still enjoying that balmy Dec weather. Don’t get used to it.

      It’s in the 50s here today.

      • Lil Yu and the NK Defects

        I’m used to it now, 70 would kill me,

      • Hyperion

        -30 def will. Don’t get lost in the woods there.

      • dbleagle

        Expecting a high of 83 (82 now) and a very chilly 72 tonight.

        I just picked another 20 tomatoes. Gardening has no off season here.

      • Hyperion

        I brought all my maters in containers inside and put them on a cart beside a wall of glass patio doors, before we had a freeze, mid November. I get about a pint pint size container I pick full of those every day now. They’re all small tomatoes, plums, cherries, grapes, and some micro-dwarfs on a stand right here beside of me. There’s also a lot of peppers. The maters won’t last much longer, but there’s at least 100 green tomatoes on them still. The peppers, I keep picking more of them, jalapenos and different bell peppers, those will be around 2- 3 years still producing.

      • robc

        They are barely different, still in same quadrent even.

      • Hyperion

        Me either.

  37. Derpetologist

    ***

    American Capitalism Is Working — That’s the Problem

    By
    Nicole Aschoff

    The United States is not a failed state — just ask any American capitalist. But we desperately need something better for everyone else.
    ***

    [Kif sigh]

    Oh yeah – pinkos paywalled their article about evil profit.

    [head desk]

  38. Don escaped Two Corinthians

    288 – 222

    It’s over. We all know that Trump is the Baby Jesus’s choice to be our president, but this conspiracy has overwhelmed even God.

    There’s nothing left to do but to contribute more bucks to the Trump retirement slush fund. He only has $200M. Give what you can . . . for Jesus.

    • Lil Yu and the NK Defects

      I’ll keep my stickers until the EC votes, I don’t accept your numbers….

      • Don escaped Two Corinthians

        Not my numbers, bub: this is what the evil conspiracy wants you to believe.

        You’ve got to stop it. Write a check today for Trump because you know that’s what God wants.

      • Lil Yu and the NK Defects

        He needs to write me a check, I’m broke…

      • Hyperion

        You’ll be more broke on Biden’s first day in office, because he said repealing Trump’s tax cuts on first day in office. And your are one of those billionaires if you have a job.

      • rhywun

        Biden’s Day One is going to busy as fuck.

        After selling us out to Iran and China, I can’t believe he’ll have time to unconstitutionally executive-order a tax hike.

      • Hyperion

        If things are done correctly, he’ll be harassed within an inch of his life for his entire time in office, just like they did with Trump. And from what I’ve been seeing, I have no reason to believe that will not be so.

        Reap what you sowed, assholes.

      • Urthona

        how’s he gonna do that without the senate?

      • Hyperion

        If they didn’t have any trouble with cheating in a presidential election, what makes anyone think they won’t deliver the ‘the correct’ results in GA Senate races? This my be a once in a lifetime chance to restore our democracy!

        I bet if you track it, both R candidates will be well ahead when they mysteriously stop counting at 4am. Then in the morning when most awaken, the D candidates will have surged ahead.

      • Urthona

        Nah. Republicans in that state are really on the ball I’m sure.

    • Threedoor

      My dad always said “Nuke the homeless, starving, gay baby whales, for Jesus.”

      • Lil Yu and the NK Defects

        ” Fuck the Whales, Harpoon a Fat chick”
        We used that a lot, then got married,

      • Hyperion

        Time to call in the Japanese. Fuck a you, land whares!

  39. The Late P Brooks

    The United States is not a failed state — just ask any American capitalist. But we desperately need something better for everyone else.

    “Dude- it’s a big fat goose. And it lays eggs of solid gold.”

    “Awesome. Let’s kill it.”

    • Hyperion

      Well, how about some nice communism? Anyone see all those middle class Chinese? Don’t even look over there at the 1.5 billion Chinese peasants who aren’t party members, and the Uighurs who fare even worse. That’s not real communism, we’ll get it right this time.

    • robc

      You dont eat a pig like that all at once.

  40. robc

    Harris Teeter sales and my Traeger have made me a hige fan of porterhouse in 2020.

    I never had anything against it, but now it is go to.

    • robc

      s/hige/huge/

    • Nephilium

      I need to make my way to the butcher shop before next weekend. It’s been too long since I’ve had a good steak, and the grocery stores have been… lacking through the lockdowns.

    • Lil Yu and the NK Defects

      Get some Porter to go with it, your good to go….

    • grrizzly

      Stop n shop has an extremely generous loyalty program since August. As it is. But it also makes mistakes in my favor. Constantly. We’re eating free steak 3-4 times a week.

    • Sean

      That’s what I grilled for dinner. ?

  41. Gustave Lytton

    Woo hoo! Fixed one thing today. Replaced the door lock on the washing machine. Seems to be working so far.

    Any Glibs have suggestions for cleaning water stains off of vinyl windows? Tried Zep and 303 vinyl cleaners and neither got all of them off. Next step will be CLR then baking soda. Trying to avoid replacing all of the windows with new ones just for something that only shows up when the sun is shining directly through them.

    • zwak

      Barkeepers friend.

    • Threedoor

      I’ve not tried them on vinyl but Magic Erasers are, well magic.

    • Don escaped Two Corinthians

      MEM has a lot of humidity like PDX: walls and roofs green over with moss and such.

      I’d defer to the guys down at the window store . . . I bet they know . . . but my chemical side guesses that TSP would be good: it’s water soluable, and you can dilute it way down and see how much concentration is needed.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Thanks all! I’ve been reluctant to use abrasives since it’s vinyl but I guess that’s the next step.

  42. TARDis

    Tick tock, kiddies. This will be on you. I’ll be dead and so not care.

    • hayeksplosives

      That was Keynes’ plan too.

      “In th long run, we’re all dead.”

      • TARDis

        Remember when the debt broke a trillion?

        *weeps* *giggles*

      • hayeksplosives

        I ‘member.

        I also remember that it used to be mentioned frequently in political debates.

        No point in debating if both parties agree already.

    • Hyperion

      Don’t worry, socialism is going to fix that.

      • Hyperion

        Don’t worry, when the dems take over with a supermajority, national debt will once again be a good thing. We’re saved!

    • Gadfly

      Damn, I didn’t realize how bad it has gotten. I know it’s a bad year, and all, but spending 220% of what you pull in is stupid, crazy, crazy stupid, and stupid crazy. Also, since when did the spending/GDP ratio get so high? Our government is really already spending 47% of the nation’s productivity? The socialists have already won.

  43. Don escaped Two Corinthians

    @robc

    Is there a quorum of Glib golfers in the low country ?

  44. hayeksplosives

    On the California “lockdown” thingy that starts at midnight tonight, I don’t see that there’s been any attempt to notify the citizenry of it.

    I find have power W-F, then yesterday and today I haven’t watched TV except for Amazon streaming. I don’t listen to the radio.

    Nothing was nailed; there were no text messages.

    Is the state assuming that the social media and news media will make the announcements on their behalf? Are they correct?

    • Urthona

      you’ll find after you are arrested and only if you live in a blue county. Live in Orange county or Riverside? Continue life as normal.

      • hayeksplosives

        I live in a red part of a blue county that is too physically large and diverse to be one county. I’m planning to continue life as normal.

        (I did note a significant overlap of “red” precincts with the areas that had their power cut Wednesday. Purely coincidence of course)

      • Urthona

        can anyone challenge the legitimacy of this?

        this is clearly not an emergency as it’s been going on for 9 months. the legislature has had ample time.

        the governor can rely unilaterally do that much to shut down people’s lives? i find it all very odd.

    • rhywun

      Is the state assuming that the social media and news media will make the announcements on their behalf? Are they correct?

      Yes and yes.

      They are arms of his party, after all.

  45. Don escaped Two Corinthians

    @greggnunziata
    To Trump, a RINO is a Republican who recognizes reality.
    To me, a RINO is a long time registered Democrat and Clinton donor who saw an opportunity to run for president and became an R.

    • Hyperion

      “saw an opportunity to run for president and became an R”

      All of whom have lost since Bush.

  46. The Late P Brooks

    Biden’s Day One is going to busy as fuck.

    Undoing President Cartoon Villain’s rampage of authoritarian mayhem is going to be a herculean task. Let’s all hope and pray Grandpa Ballgag is up to it.

    • Hyperion

      How much effort does it take to sell the USA out to the CCP and Iran? I think it’s going to be a pretty passive activity.

    • TARDis

      I wonder who will be tasked to change his shit filled drawers. I’ll bet Jilly ain’t gonna do it.

      • Hyperion

        Camela will be the diaper changer. Poetic justice if there ever has been.

      • TARDis

        The cover up of her stabbing him would be epic. I hope there is leaked video.

  47. The Late P Brooks

    Remember when the debt broke a trillion?

    It hurts, the first time. But after that, you start to enjoy it.

    • TARDis

      I did enjoy it earlier . Four months off with a $810/week check. Drunk everyday. TV, video games, ammo shopping, wandering about in my subdivision. Taking a drive on empty interstates. Drive through food. Food delivery.

      I miss the good ole days of early 2020.

      *sighs*

      CARES Act x 5
      #Bringit #thankskids #stupidkids #you’refucked #notmyproblem

      Plus, I got to annoy my work from home wife everyday. Bonus.

      • Derpetologist

        Riders of the Purple Wage looms large.

        ***
        Riders of the Purple Wage is an extrapolation of the mid-twentieth century’s tendency towards state supervision and consumer-oriented economic planning.[1] In the story, all citizens receive a basic income (the purple wage) from the government, to which everyone is entitled just by being born. The population is self-segregated into relatively small communities, with a controlled environment, and keeps in contact with the rest of the world through the Fido, a combination television and videophone. The typical dwelling is an egg-shaped house, outside of which is a realistic simulation of an open environment with sky, sun, and moon. In reality, each community is on one level of a multi-level arcology. For those who dislike this lifestyle, there are wildlife reserves where they can join “tribes” of Native Americans and like-minded Anglos living closer to nature for a while. Some choose this lifestyle permanently.
        ***

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_of_the_Purple_Wage

      • rhywun

        Nice. I’m currently reading some other PJF.

    • Lil Yu and the NK Defects

      10 trillion, 20 trilllion, after a certain point, who cares?

      • Hyperion

        The only solution to this is a cashless society. Feature, not bug.

  48. Hyperion

    Despite how you feel about Trump… I’m a big supporter myself, best president of my lifetime. But anyway, I think it is a really bad idea for him to run again in 2024. He will be 78 years old by then, the same age as senile Biden is now. I know people’s sell by date differs considerably. My dad will be 92 next June, and until just a few years ago, he was still very active and energetic.

    Still, unless there is some significant breakthrough in anti-aging medicine in the next few years, 78 is too old to run a major country.

    The R’s need an alternative and god forbid the Rino establishment makes a comeback and nominates someone like Mittens or Jeb.

    No idea who it would be, only time will tell, but please no more Mittens or Jeb, Stupid Party. It has to be someone who Trump supporters would embrace, or the GOP is fucking toast for real.

    • Urthona

      It’s a bad idea.

      Also, he underperformed average Republicans severely if you believe any of the results.

      It would be nice to get a non-pushover who is at least marginally clever.

      • Derpetologist

        You can’t spell underperform without derp!

      • Hyperion

        “It would be nice to get a non-pushover who is at least marginally clever.”

        I differ slightly in my opinion. I think they need someone like Trump who is better spoken and who does not constantly twatter when there is nothing but downside to it. I like Don Jr, but then you get into the dynasty stuff and we know that is Taboo for good reason.

        There has to be someone, I just do not have any idea who it might be, things change a lot in 4 years and you can guarantee that the public will have soured very much on the Biden admin by then. Which means R’s prospects will be great if they can just keep from screwing it up.

        And no, I’m am not a republican. My voter registration card says independent (actually non-affiliated in MD). The LP are batshit fucking stupid. But I will never vote for a democrat, I mean, because I sort of do not like commies.

      • Lil Yu and the NK Defects

        Vannevar Bush? Geo.HW Bush? Geo. Bush?
        Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy?
        your point?

      • mrfamous

        Vote totals in swing states were up by 15-20% in most of the swing states over 2016, a ridiculous number. 2020’s election can be compared only to 2020, because we literally never did this kind of vote before.

      • Hyperion

        Mail in ballots.

    • Ted S.

      Noem?

      • Hyperion

        At least she’s way more qualified that Candace Owens or Ivanka. If you’re going to play identity politics, at least find someone with some actual skills. This is why I basically left Parler. Those people are like the right version of DU.

        Candace Owens tweets something and they’re all like ‘Candace 2024!’.

        They apparently never stop to ask themselves, why?

    • Don escaped Two Corinthians

      No reason to think he’ll even live that long.

      Trump was Game One in identity politics: he served the wounded (ironically, the same sort who rightly point out that victimhood has become a profession).

      But in identity politics, no one likes a loser: no one is going to follow someone who let the election get stolen from him. He is, literally now, a loser.

      Even the bots will stop following him.

      There are real men out there.

      • Hyperion

        If Trump loses his election challenge, it will be for one reason, and one reason only.

        The guy has a horrific record of choosing his closest allies. Sessions? Barr? WTF? That shit made me furious.

        Also, we all know that SMITE has a great effect on society now. You had guys like Thiel who understand all of this and he practically threw himself at Trump and Trump ignored this guy. How hard would it be to red pill someone like Musk? Not that hard, he’s already headed that direction and it is guys like this who would seriously challenge the MSM and make a difference. Trump has the right opinion on a lot of things, but he has no vision about how to actually change the game with the media and social media, and chooses to ignore people who actually do have that knowledge.

        You want the capital to actually challenge the MSM? Only guys like Elon have that kind of money. The other people who do, like Bezos and Gates, love the current media and want no change.

      • Hyperion

        Well, there is that fact that you cannot believe anything from MSN. I don’t know much about Kemp either. I do know that my R governor is a fatass Rino.

  49. Derpetologist

    Started reading Paradise Lost. It’s a humdinger.

    Milton believed that Christianity was much more than dogma handed down by popes and preachers to lesser mortals. It is a spiritual battle everyone must fight to save themselves from despair.

    Heavy stuff, and the etchings are baller.

    The artist, Gustave Doré, got shat on by all the critics. I’m sure he cried all the way to the bank.

  50. The Late P Brooks

    No idea who it would be, only time will tell, but please no more Mittens or Jeb, Stupid Party. It has to be someone who Trump supporters would embrace, or the GOP is fucking toast for real.

    It might be electoral suicide, next time around, but I’d still like to see somebody who is not a lifetime creature of the beltway. Who that person might be, i know not.

  51. Chipping Pioneer

    Apparently the ICU here is rammed, but not with Covid patients. No idea what that means.

    • limey

      but not with Covid patients

      Minor admin error. They’ll have that corrected soon enough.

    • rhywun

      I suspect the real problem is that hospitals decided they need multiple ICUs because you can’t mix the coof victims with run-of-the-mill ICU patients.

    • Threedoor

      Bunch of people getting the surgeries they had planned for the spring done but were forced to put them off would be my guess.

  52. Derpetologist

    “I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that’s the America millions of Americans believe in. That’s the America I love.”

    -Mitt Romney, 2012 stump speech, quoted in Steyn, Mark (2012-1-22). The Man Who Gave Us Newt. National Review. Retrieved on 2012-02-02.

    “So burn the flag if you must, but before you do, you better burn a few other things! You better burn your shirt and your pants! Be sure to burn your TV and car! Oh yes, and don’t forget to burn your house! Because none of those things could exist without six white stripes, seven red stripes, and a hell of a lot of stars! ”

    -Nelson Muntz

    • limey

      To be fair, people in the GDR had shirts, and pants, and TVs, and even state-approved programming to watch on the TVs. They also had cars, and let me tell you something, mister capitalist *spits*, you would have a marvellous choice, if you were a good and loyal communist, of a Trabant, or a Wartburg, which are of course far superior to your American *spits* or Japanese *makes racist eye gesture* automobiles and all their many decadent, ridiculous features such as fuel injection and electrically operated windows.

      • rhywun

        At least the average Bürger could probably repair his own Trabi.

  53. The Late P Brooks

    On the California “lockdown” thingy that starts at midnight tonight, I don’t see that there’s been any attempt to notify the citizenry of it.

    I find have power W-F, then yesterday and today I haven’t watched TV except for Amazon streaming. I don’t listen to the radio.

    Nothing was nailed; there were no text messages.

    Maybe Newsom should send fleets of trucks with loudspeakers out to update the residents of his occupied territories.

    I believe that’s traditionally how it’s done.

  54. The Late P Brooks

    They also had cars, and let me tell you something, mister capitalist *spits*, you would have a marvellous choice, if you were a good and loyal communist, of a Trabant, or a Wartburg, which are of course far superior to your American *spits* or Japanese *makes racist eye gesture* automobiles and all their many decadent, ridiculous features such as fuel injection and electrically operated windows.

    Nobody needs more than two cycles for their combustion.

  55. DEG

    Happy birthday!

    Good music link.