Also today: wondering what kind of world I live in - where the govt elected Nancy Pelosi (and her husband) appear to be making investment returns with reports indicating a 70.9% gain in 2024 compared to the S&P 500's 24.9% return. The best investment hedge funds in the world can't come close to her household financial gain (percentage basis). Of course she gets upset when questioned about it by CNN reporter.

And here I thought most people cared about the difference of right from wrong.
What a fool I am to believe that.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2025 10:46AM by maverick1.

[www.instagram.com]

Can't follow the link; don't do social media. What are you saying, barefoot?

In re to Maxwell: Let’s see how the Supreme Court handles her appeal. She has already been given preferential treatment in transferring her to a minimum security prison - which is not allowable for sex offenders. Not many people are aware that she took part. If they overturn her sentence there will be a backlash like they’ve never seen,

If a democratic president facilitated this the republicans would be clamoring for a special counsel investigation. If she is given any more concessions it will be the final straw for Rump apologists. He figures if the mystery is taken out of the MAGA conspiracy theories, they’ll become bored and complacent. The fun is in the hunt for them. Now they’ve discovered (to their horror) their own leader is running for cover, it’s time to show their true colors - since it was all about punishing this huge network of child predators, right?

How many people are proudly standing by him now?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2025 08:42PM by Minime.

I'm sitting and waiting to claim a $150 Shell shop. The 48-hour completion window (with padding) is still a few hours out.

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Thanks for asking. The trip was great....how do Californians stand that weather though? LOL.....70s, no humidity, full sunshine and a light breeze every darn day! LOL.
I am worn out, we covered a lot in 9 days....2 full days of wedding festivities, 2 days of wine tasting, lots of hiking and walking....driving the PCH, we did see the remnants of the fires....that was so upsetting....in some areas, it burned everything right down to the sea, we did a whale watching cruise off the coast, we went to Laurel Canyon to see the rock history there - what remains of it. I am the only member of my family who appreciates Mexican food, so I missed out on that part of the California experience. Other than that, California is a feast for all the senses. I kept asking myself why I haven't gone there more often...lol - you know there's the distance and expense...but it was great. Most enchanting for any east coast person has to be those parts where craggy mountains reach right down to within feet of the ocean.

Sounds like a nice relaxing vacation getaway. A change of scenery with nice weather is good for the soul.

Put your blinders on and head for your home stretch.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Can't follow the link; don't do social media. What are you saying, barefoot?

Beautiful, cool, dry day today. Mom and I had iced Matcha tea with honey and scones poolside. Then it became chaotic with people coming and going. Not taking Mom home unless she throws a tantrum, LOL. We love her so!

Will follow a seemingly real news story regarding concerns about lawmakers and stock trading.

Continuing with audio lessons in holistic health and well-being. This doc tells us that we need to fine tune our 'baloney meters' and teaches us how to do it! :-D Among other helpful methods, he dispels medical myths that gained traction online and one-time facts and beliefs which, simply due to time and advances in medicine, have expired. He reminds us that we probably can manage at least half of our health risks and encourages us to utilize current and future information as needed. And much more... so good!

Reduced my sleep deficit, enjoyed my morning coffee to the last drop without interruption, and am doing a deep clean in the kitchen.

Cleaned scum/mold(?) out of two condensate pumps with an old toothbrush and Simple Green. What are condensate pumps? Well, silly rabbit, they pump condensate from an air conditioner or (some) water heater to a drain or outdoors.

Most homeowners pay a HVAC tech to perform this service as part of an annual maintenance contract. I mean, scam. I'm a frugal DIY homeowner.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Will follow a seemingly real news story regarding concerns about lawmakers and stock trading.

Continuing with audio lessons in holistic health and well-being. This doc tells us that we need to fine tune our 'baloney meters' and teaches us how to do it! :-D Among other helpful methods, he dispels medical myths that gained traction online and one-time facts and beliefs which, simply due to time and advances in medicine, have expired. He reminds us that we probably can manage at least half of our health risks and encourages us to utilize current and future information as needed. And much more... so good!

BS meters continued:

Theres a direct correlation between the finder of any study profiting from the published results…especially big pharma, so dig deeper and find out who they are before you take that data to heart, because, like individual Congress members, most medical professionals don’t have/take the time to do it, and/or assume someone already did (like the hallowed Ivy League universities and journals that publish the studies) who are often supported by the funders of the studies as well.

Time keeps showing us that politics + $$ = corruption. When we make health care a for profit industry with a lot of government funding…we all need to be “following the money trail” to sort out what’s real, what’s just another sales pitch for ridiculously profitable remedies so we can choose our best options.

Anyone else know someone who died because they couldn’t afford the insulin they needed to live? Those prices are ridiculously to black market prices…here in the US.

I also had to witness the death of a family member when needed treatment was denied…after sitting on the file awaiting urgent approval for 6 weeks.

Health care for profit without limits leaves too much opportunity for corruption.

Kudos for exploring the options.

Based on personal experience I recommend seeking out second opinions for a particular issue to address the root cause, and highly recommend the cost of a diagnostic visit to a vetted Naturopath- they are MD’s with an additional natural/functional medicine degree to look at “the whole” person (aka holistic perspective) to find the root cause (rather than “band-aid” symptoms for more profit) and address the root cause with options from both worlds based on your situation…without the mainstream BS.

It saved my life, and when I was a kid, so did an experimental application of a mainstream approach so There’s room for both, with high integrity and focus on healing the person rather than …what’s most profitable for the “pill pushers.”

(Rant over)

It's always a disappointment to me, to read the reports that rank US healthcare last among its high income nation peers, even more so when they also mention we pay more than our peers. So, we pay more for less.

Outside of that, I am almost always pleased to read of overall medical care advances....my parents would likely still be alive today if the advances that would have saved their lives would have arrived 10-20 years earlier, so I am all for research.

Shop et al, if you don't mind sharing the name of the doc you're listening to...if you'd prefer by PM instead, either way I would appreciate.

SBP, a big vote for due diligence, to the extent possible.

Today: still taking it easy, getting caught up, returning calls, paying bills, restocking the fridge...all that stuff.
On a brighter note - just booked a sunny vacation for Carnival 2026!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/2025 08:55PM by BarefootBliss.

@barefoot: This doc is the retired physician/professor Dr. Anthony A. Goodman. The series is from 'The Great Courses' and is most valuable-- possibly-- for teaching us to be informed consumers of information. He acknowledges that information will change and that we can keep up with all the changes because we are taught the principles of how to consider what is presented to us. No pedestal, here. Just information that people/patients can use.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2025 12:44AM by Shop-et-al.

thank you for the info

PS/I also have no use for pedestals

Picking Saskatoon Berries. (Possibly called Service Berries in US)
Making turkey pot pie and Saskatoon. Berry crisp.

Cannot say much about the game of basketbsll.(new & intersting thread in general.chat) but will share that I am going to replay Merge Mansion. Well, I will try it again. Really need a walkthrough for the exact number of each tool... in order to get past the opening gardening thingy...yeah... i am probably the suckiest person at this game... but how else can i find out what grandma ursula is hiding?!
:-D

Loving the temporary slower work pace. Came home at a reasonable hour, spot cleaned, cooked with Mama. I may even watch the news tonight.

Pfft. Another game bites the dust. Read the gist of the Merge Mansion story somewhere (a good story) and skipped the merge stuff. Beginning to think that free games are not for me. Spendy games are not for me, either.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Pfft. Another game bites the dust. Read the gist of the Merge Mansion story somewhere (a good story) and skipped the merge stuff. Beginning to think that free games are not for me. Spendy games are not for me, either.

No games for me. Life... people actually, provide enough games.

Golf, Washing Saskatoon Berries. I wish Hubby would quit picking them
Playing with stray kitty
Cleaning house, weeding garden.

@prince: what do you do with all those saskatoon berries?

Have waded, completely unprepared, into a basketball discussion. Hope my little question.yields information, or at least a direction to real news about the subject. OTOH, I might have asked for something inaccessible (bylaws or topics under consuderation).

@Shop-et-al
We make pie and crisp. Very popular in my family. So lots in the freezer is a treat.
People make jelly and syrup also. I don't.

I went to the National Institute of Health to see if I qualify for future clinical trials.

I saw the call for test subjects on social media. I clicked the ad and gave my info. I received an email with the available dates.

I chose the first day, today. They scheduled an Uber and didn't account for rush hour. I was late. I have to return for a second visit.

Today's visit consisted of height, weight , blood pressure, MRI test run, and mental acuity tests.

Well, I must officially be in some maturity club...

Last week I was at a new family Dr's office for an annual physical (since our family Dr for decades finally retired). Today I was in the Dentist's office for a cleaning (my hygienist was out sick, so I had a very gentle and thorough young hygienist who must be recently out of school). Next week it will be an annual dermatologist screening.

So far, nobody is finding anything that needs additional attention...WINNING!

This is my week to track daily water intake and minutes of exercise. So far, so good.

Getting prepped to do some tile work in the house. After the backer boards are all installed, it's time for "mudding."

If you see my other post, you'll know what I'm listening to...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2025 12:34AM by maverick1.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

This is my week to track daily water intake and minutes of exercise. So far, so good.

Does water in coffee and beer get counted? Asking for a friend.

@maverick1 wrote:

@Shop-et-al wrote:

This is my week to track daily water intake and minutes of exercise. So far, so good.

Does water in coffee and beer get counted? Asking for a friend.

:-D

Coffee? No. Alas!
Beer? I dunno. Don't drink.