Bernard

Install a fence until the kids are old enough to be trusted around the pool unsupervised. You can remove the fence later. Bernard

In separate news, I hit a new low today: 92 pounds gone since New Years. Bernard

Re Low T: I’d be very wary of taking medical advice from a for-profit business that only makes money by recommending the only product they sell. Make sure you understand all the pros, cons, and risks, plus alternative remedies that may not be telling you about. First Google hit on these articles. Lots more info out there I’m sure. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/well/testosterone-therapy-is-popular-but-studies-are-mixed.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/well/live/testosterone-supplements-low-t-treatment-libido.html https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/weighing-testosterone-benefits-and-risks/ https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/opinion/overselling-testosterone-dangerously.html Bernard

When I walked onto UT campus freshman year in 1987 I was 208. Haven't seen that weight since. That's my goal right now. 199 would be nice though. Real nice. Currently 234. Bernard

Fuck yeah. New lows kick ass. Bernard

Describe that one meal. Bernard

Test first thing in the AM. Some say that’s when you’ll see the highest reading. Bernard

Watching the scale drop is great motivation, but it sucks when the scale doesn’t move. Get some ketosis piss sticks. No matter what the scale says, when see the stick turn any shade of dark you know damn well your fat cells are shedding fatty acids and your liver is converting them to ketones to fuel your body. It’s good positive feedback that what you’re doing is working. After poking several new holes in my old belt, I recently bought a new one. Definitely a good feeling. I’m going to see a bunch of folks next Saturday at the Texans pre-season game that I haven’t seen since December. Many will be quite surprised to see me down 90+ pounds. Another good feeling. Bernard

Don't be a slave to the scale. It weighs a lot more than just your fat. All the food in your stomach gets weighed. All the shit in your bowels gets weighed. Hydration changes can make a big difference. Your body like 70% water. One pint a water weighs a pound. If you're eating broccoli and meat once a day in reasonable quality, you are going to burn fat. Guaranteed. Eat that every other day or every third day and you'll burn fat even faster. Bernard

The sky is blue. Dogs hate cats. Water runs downhill. Bernard

I’ll be in NYC for a pub crawl on Thursday. 20 drinks in 20 bars (four per borough) is the goal. Train to DC on Friday. Hitting the town on Friday night. Can we designate a place where we might see from friendly faces? CSB: Last time I was in DC visiting a chick, we were walking the city one afternoon and I saw a missing poster for Chandra Levy. I noticed she had been missing for at least a week, maybe two. I looked at my lady friend and said, “She’s dead.”, A week or so later that same photo was all over the national news after she was linked to Senator Gary Condit. Bernard

Sure. Maybe Chad calmly, rationally and logically assessed the current situation, plus likely future events/circumstances and reached the conclusion that the best thing to do is sell his house. Maybe now he’ll focus all his free time and financial resources on tastefully repairing his home to showing-ready condition. Maybe he’ll hire a qualified real estate broker to find a buyer willing to pay market price and the sale will close smooth as silk. Then maybe Chad will disappear into thin air. Or maybe there’s a bunch of clueless women in the neighborhood playing telephone and no one really know what the fuck is going on in Chad’s world. Bernard

Dude has a YouTube channel with 272k subscribers and that video has 1.6 million views in eight months. Dude is probably making more money from his YouTube channel than he does owning/running that C-store. Bernard

Uncle Sam is running a huge deficit right now with no end in sight. Should have stayed there for some free universal healthcare. Bernard

There’s no way the judge is forcing him to sell the house. Dude may have offered to sell it, but I doubt he actually does it. And the court won’t force him. How is that even possible? What if there’s no buyer? What if the price isn’t acceptable? The city can sue him. The city can fine him. They can pressure him into deciding sell. Logic doesn’t work with crazy though. They can’t force him to sell. I call BS. As for Wells Fargo, there’s a 99.9% chance this loan has already been sold into a securitized loan pool. Wells is the loan servicer, not the lender. That being said, their loan servicing contract no doubt requires that they take steps to protect the pool’s collateral. If they are notified of what’s happening, they will act. Of course, their options are somewhat limited too. They will start with a sternly worded letter, which will do nothing. They can ratchet up some pressure too though. If I were a neighbor, I’d be getting them involved ASAP. OP should be banging the phones to find out who to talk to at Wells re loan servicing issues. Have a PDF letter ready to email to anyone at Wells you can get on the phone. Start the letter with, “I’m writing to inform you about a homeowner who is in the process of destroying the value of a home that secures a loan serviced by Wells Fargo....” Include all the bad shit he’s done to house. Include lots of pictures. Leave out all the facts about him acting crazy, being arrested, etc. That’s not relevant. Stick to the facts about the house. Add a paragraph about how other neighbors property values are being lowered due to this eyesore. Include a slightly veiled reference to possible liability (to the loan pool; and the neighbor’s) on Wells Fargo’s part if they do not act to protect the value of this asset, and nearby assets. Don’t think the first person you talk to is going to fix this. Keep escalating it. Second Level Shit: Find out how much he owes on he house. How much did he put down? If this thing drags out, offer to buy the loan. Get a dozen or so neighbors to chip in on the purchase. I promise Wells will be happy to sell the loan out of the pool, very likely at a discount to the outstanding balance. Read the loan file. Find out this dude’s net worth. Does he really have money? Or is he judgement proof? If you own the loan, you can put the screws to this guy yourselves more aggressively than Wells may choose. Don’t expect the City or Wells to take care of this guy on their own. Bernard

I was in Salt Lake City on business and discovered what they refer to as a sidecar.... By law bartenders cannot free pour booze. Max booze in any drink is 3/4 ounce measured shot. Sidecar is an extra 3/4 ounce shot that you order separately from your cocktail of choice. Server delivers both to your table. You pour your sidecar into your cocktail and enjoy. That was just one of various bizarre alcohol rules encountered on that trip. Bernard

Been off Surly for a while. Came back to post on the ex-cop who murdered a Houston cardiologist in cold blood. Now down 90 pounds (from 324 to 234; 6'5") via fasting. Hoping to hit 100 before the Maryland game. I was hard core for Jan through April. Took a few months off for healthy eating. Now back on the fasting train. Bernard

Killer was an ex-cop. Color me surprised. Bernard

Certainly didn’t mean to imply these examples were the perfect car for all situations, or even my personal situation. 95% over my driving is in the Houston area where the streets are crowded and the freeways are either bumper to bumper or full of speed traps. LX470 is big, but not huge; super quiet and smooth; very comfortable, doesn’t ride like a truck, but rugged enough for any bumps in road. I really liked the XKR in the first post, although I wonder how often I can really enjoy it. It wouldn’t be a daily driver. Bernard

I thought he was talking about the Mercedes I posted, not the Audi he referenced. Bernard

If you think a 2007 S600 and a new Avalon belong in the same sentence, you aren’t qualified to participate in this conversation. Please. Not to mention a new stripped Avalon in XLE trim starts at $35,500 which is $10,000 more than the 2007 S600. If want want the Limited trim level Avalon you’re up $41,800 plus options. If you really want an Avalon, you can buy one barely broken in (33k miles) for$19,000. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Avalon-XLE-4dr-Sedan/192554436065?hash=item2cd52385e1:g:2IcAAOSwN2VbBZ5x&vxp=mtr Bernard

Your repair prices are WAY off. New transmission is $6k. Turbos can be rebuilt for very reasonable cost. Repairs are pocket change compared to the original owner’s depreciation expense. Maintenance costs are certainly an important consideration. I’m not saying these cars are for everyone, or even me. They are are a lot of car for the money though, even including repairs. My daily driver is a 2001 LX470. Bought it several years ago with 156k miles for $12,000, almost fully depreciated. Now at 216k miles and still worth $8,000. Just fine for my daily travels on the mean streets of Houston. Only repairs beyond regular maintenance (tires, brakes, fluids, timing belt, etc.) include: exhaust manifold; radiator; a couple O2 sensors; a wheel speed sensor; a new windshield and an ignition coil. All quite manageable. I’m confident it’ll go to 300k+ and still be worth $5,000 when I’m done. I put my 75-year old mom in a 2005 Jaguar XJ8 last year. Cream puff with 90k miles. Looks nearly new. Cost $8k with suspension issues and check engine light on. Four new air shocks were $2,200 plus install. CEL was solved with an inexpensive mass air flow sensor. Now she’s rolling in a georgous, fast, smooth ride for $12,000. Ford invested billions to solve Jaguar’s age old reliability issues. These are great cars. I put my 74-year old dad in a 2001 Audi A8L almost a decade ago. 65k miles for $17k. Spent a few thousand out of the gate to fix a few oil leaks plus new tires so maybe he’s into it for $20k. He’s a self employed chemical engineer who works from home. Doesn’t drive a ton. Currently pushing 150k miles. Other than an $8,000 new transmission about five years ago, it’s needed minimal repairs. Whole lot of car for the money. I keep suggesting new options, which he can easily afford, but he loves what he has. Bernard

2007 Mercedes S600 52k miles MSRP: $150,000 (approx.) Sold for: $25,222 + 5% fee https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2007-mercedes-benz-s600-8/ Bernard

My kinda guy... except for those new cars. 🙂 Bernard

True that. Tight supply could cause high prices and BK a REP. I was thought you meant the other way around, as in Breeze BK causing limited supply leading to brownouts. Bernard