Jump to content

Nice Guy Eddie

Certifiably Surly
  • Posts

    16615
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Nice Guy Eddie

  1. overwhelm the media with 5 outrageous stories per day and the media cannot educate the public what is happening because there will be 5 more crazy stories tomorrow. And the largest news orgs like Fox News won't cover it.
  2. re: Elon's team not understanding business data. In any other administration, someone embarrassing the President by making these ridiculous claims would be pushed aside tomorrow. Instead the Trump admin, especially that horrid press secretary, will repeat the lie as evidence. I imagine that we do have fraud where a SS benefits recipient dies but either intentionally or unintentionally the info doesn't make it to the govt. In my only experience with someone dying, I believe SS was automatically notified by the funeral home of the death. I'm unaware of the actual process. I would have to guess that SS does eventually work to prosecute someone if fraud is involved. My sister would have collected our parents' SS indefinitely if she could have. She would have feigned ignorance that she thought it was survivor benefits.
  3. I'm too much of a control freak to use a CPA. And my taxes are relatively simple. I believe that I do a good job of managing the capital gains throughout the year especially in dumping losing investments to at least offset gains.
  4. Even if Trump and Elon cannot fire every federal employee or kill an agency, they fairly easily can start to kill programs within those agencies. Trump would prefer to also get rid of the employees supporting those programs, but he would accept a win of having those employees do absolutely nothing while receiving a paycheck. And if Congress authorized and funded a program, Elon and the cabinet secretaries can create chaos by closing the programs and daring the courts to attempt to restart them. And that's only if Trump agrees to enforce a court's ruling.
  5. Privatize the hurricane center or NOAA, then fast-forward to a world where the private companies who collect expensive data will license it to sites like Space City Weather. Space City wouldn't even be able to discuss a hurricane's location or expected path without paying ElonWeather.com.
  6. The US is becoming a mafia version of countries that demand tribute for “protection.” Perhaps not a perfect analogy because we most likely wouldn’t attack Ukraine directly if they didn’t pay up. Then again if Ukraine rejects a peace deal, maybe Trump has the US military join the Russians to stop the ukraines.
  7. Since Trump is going to sell out Ukraine, what are we getting in exchange? Open up the oil production by Russia and OPEC? I feel like Trump only wants to see < $2 gas in America if only for one day. Of course that would stop all drilling in Texas. And hurt US energy independence efforts. But MAGA even in Texas won’t be able to comprehend that logic.
  8. Social media highlighting the vocal, but small, Muslim groups that proactively went against Kamala hurt a lot of support. I imagine some people still support Palestinians but they don’t want to be shoulder to shoulder with someone who may have helped Trump win. whether it’s orchestrated or not, it’s a good lesson in that the best strategy in beating a movement is to split it. Whether thru active or passive means.
  9. I only recall due to a quick story from his last pro bowl. He was with packers and Peyton with Denver. Peyton didn’t play in their last season in Indy. At the pro bowl, they were obviously on different teams. AFC vs NFC but for one snap, Saturday switched to be center on the AFC team. it was one of those stories that if you missed the pro bowl, like 90% of fans, here was the only remotely interesting takeaway.
  10. Social media commentators are highlighting how dead Vegas is these days. Is that accurate? I went twice in 2024: NYE and mid-week April for a conference. I wouldn’t call it empty but it wasn’t slammed. i had fun on both trips but a decade ago, i would almost start planning the next trip immediately. Not anymore. Part of the change is definitely me being older but much of the Vegas experience is being diluted with having similar experiences elsewhere. And Vegas diluting Vegas. Blackjack is unplayable even at $50/hand. Don’t the old rules usually start at $100?
  11. Negotiate a bulk subscription from Udemy, Coursera and Khan Academy. Then you don’t even need teachers. If everyone graduates with the same gpa, doesn’t that make everyone top 5% for UT or other top schools? Or maybe the top gpa costs a bit extra. i would also suggest putting Don, Jr. on your board of directors and create a meme coin. Check all of the boxes and you’re be a billionaire by next year.
  12. I was able to wrap up my 2025 goal of saving for a new car with the paycheck this week. To be clear, I didn’t start the year at zero. The car purchase will be in 26 or 27. I also have seen an attorney and my first will should be completed within a month. Both of these were two financial goals line items for me. i might pause the extra savings/investing for a month or two to have fun with it. Then hit the non-401k investment goals and start pinpointing the numbers I need to retire in 4-5 years.
  13. When the state starts the voucher system, there will be an influx of new private schools. Charge exactly what they voucher is, offer crappy online education but decent sports and other activities. Toss in mandatory Christian (the real kind, not Catholic or Mormon) classes. The founder will make a fortune. There will be zero education but who cares. Look out OK, TX is coming for your education ranking.
  14. I can’t speak for SS systems but my employer (private) has a customer system that includes birthdate. The field is required but for about 10% of the records, we don’t know their birthdate. The standard for the data entry person is to enter 1/1/1900 in that scenario. It stands out on reports showing someone as 125 years old since no one is that old.
  15. When we ultimately change it back, you know the snowflakes will purposefully say Gulf of America. Especially in the bitchy voice to the waitress at a beach restaurant. “I don’t want shrimp fresh from the Gulf of Mexico, I want fresh shrimp from the Gulf of AMERICA!”
  16. I’m reminded of the joke, the beatings will continue until morale improves. I have to guess that any federal worker is performing at the absolute lowest level now. Not so low that you stand out to be fired or that could easily be discovered by Elon’s minions but tap the brakes on work product that isn’t quantifiable in their data systems. obviously I’m not talking about workers who have been ordered to stop working or fired this week.
  17. I recently came across a Cleveland clinic article and then some videos where they praised isometric exercises as dropping BP as much as 10 systolic and diastolic values. For example 4 sets of wall squat/sits with 2 minutes for each set. One recommendation was that each set should get progressively more difficult so maybe not a 90 degree sit for set 1. Save that for the last set. do this 5 times per week. BP is supposed to be improved with a month or two.
  18. Does that phone # only work for patients and those in their facilities, or is it a generic number for anyone in Houston who is in need of immediate assistance? Asking for a friend.
  19. Would love to see a reporter ask Hegseth or Trump why we're such pussies with the Russians.
  20. Most installs are at ground level but makes sense to me to raise it up as long as the entire structure won't rattle when in use.
  21. I recall a documentary about Ted Haggard, disgraced Christian preacher who eventually got caught with meth and male prostitutes. In the documentary, he was talking about sex with his wife to younger male churchgoers. Not from the pulpit but in casual conversation in front of the camera. It was so weird that anyone would do that with acquaintances or strangers especially in front of a camera. The fact that Mace made those comments tells me everything I need to know about her. She's some combination of damaged and has zero social/people skills.
  22. One aspect of this debate/order is how false or stupid arguments can easily resonate with the public. The fact that a penny costs 2 or 3 cents to mint does not mean it's a bad deal. A penny effectively lasts forever unless it's intentionally destroyed or lost. A dollar bill also costs 3 cents to print, but it has a short life if it has an average circulation. If the minting/printing cost vs nominal value is the goal, then we should only print $100 bills if not bring back $1,000 bills. I'm not disagreeing that the penny should be retired but the main argument from Trump is for stupid people.
  23. Not that I have back pain but I just finished watching an hour-long video with a Houston Methodist neurosurgeon on the topic of back pain. He seemed very clear that surgery should always be the last option. It was also interesting that imaging results were only a piece of the diagnosis puzzle. I tried to link the video to start at the doctor interview at the 3 minute mark.
  24. If I recall correctly the first female Citadel student, Shannon Faulkner, was a year or two before Mace. She had to take the battle to court to become a full time student like them men. Faulkner was hazed like the male students, and most likely received it more harshly, but she quit within a week or two. I have to guess that it wasn't easy to go through the Citadel basic training and hazing in August in SC. The heat calmed down when Mace joined. It also GREATLY helped Mace that her father was a US Army general and more importantly he was the Citadel commandant of cadets at the time. I'm sure it was tough but Mace was never not going to graduate. He's described online as the most decorate graduate of the Citadel. EDIT: I agree with the comments that both items in the thread subject could be true.
×
×
  • Create New...