I thought I could make it through work today, and I thought absolutely wrong. I’m on my lunch break, and all I’ve done so far is watch my performance indicators go straight to hell, screwed up basic procedures, and have multiple intrusive, unwanted, and frankly frightening thoughts. I can’t stand the thought—particularly with my finances as they are—but I’m probably going to leave early and skip out on about fifty bucks worth of pay (about four and a half hours of work).
I can’t keep doing this. And there’s my blood pressure alarm AND my blood sugar alarm. Apparently that number has also crashed, down to 54.
If beating but my card got declined. How much worse can things get?
I think it's a little odd but weird, but about ten minutes after I walked out of work (after trauma-dumping all over my boss…), my head felt a bit clearer. Not better necessarily, but at least clearer. I hope that makes sense?
I pass a John Deere building on my commute which was a surprise to see in Silicon Valley. I assume that is where they write the software which makes it impossible for farmers to fix their own tractors.
"Us all" is a lot of mouths to feed with limited arable land, limited fresh water, and limited skilled labor, all while limiting the amount of nitrites and other chemicals used.
#1321412314: Your harvester will break. But JD layed off all of their technicians who could come fix it for you. But they kept thousands of lawyers working to sue you if you try to fix the harvester yourself. This is the thing: When you signed the purchase papers, you signed away your right to repair said harvester yourself.
This is what "ownership" in the 2020s is like now.
I think that Deere field technicians are from the independent dealers.
Before I was felled with heart troubles, I worked at Deere in the vehicle guidance division for a couple of years.
They are very smart people there, solving some very difficult problems.
Internally, repeatedly, sincerely, they frame it as:
"How do we feed a planet with 8 Billion people?"
The media likes to clickbait with right-to-repair stories, but as a corporation, they are working to keep us alive, at least more than some other manufacturers. There's an interesting culture there, lots of farm kids, with a farm kid's work ethic, and you could feel it.
Before that, I was at Intel in Chandler, AZ.
There's an ethic there too, but it wasn't about honest work.
There are some farms in Canada so big, the planting and harvesting continues in a straight line for so long, vehicle guidance takes in account the increased closeness of the longitude lines up north.
Going at angles across hills, on soft soil, with (at the time) a two inch accuracy from planting to harvest, year after year.
Astounding tech that I had no idea of.
They weren't there yet, but the machines Deere makes are really giant agriculture robots.
I use a Dallas server for my VPN. I was watching a movie tonight, and there were multiple John Cornyn ads on TV, featuring prominent pictures of him and Trump. Cornyn is worried.
He's lost all credibility as the "reasonable" and "smart" TX republican. All of it. He's just another geezer trying to stay in power and looks and acts pathetic. I hope he loses badly--the headwinds against are growing. 🤞🤞🤞
I'm feeling like they're doing some of their crimes way too early--shooting their wad and leaving time for people to realize how badly they've been screwed and how high prices are getting etc. And giving us time to see the underbellies and hypocrisy of the public-facing minions, especially Pam Bondage and Wormtongue Miller and Krusty Noem and RoidFK Jr., whose pronouncements can be met SO EASILY by their own words that demonstrate their depravity and inconsistency.
GOP gerrymandering efforts could well backfire and blow up in their pathetic faces. It will take a miracle or some sort of monumental event for Trump to have the endorsement power in 2026 that he has enjoyed in the past. Barring either, his backing of GOP candidates in 2026 could be toxic and detrimental to their chances of winning.
I suspect it is stuck on "Alaskan men will fall for the 'keeping the government off their backs' line, but how do I convince the single mothers that lack of healthcare is actually good for their kids?"
I was in the VABC store a few were joking about the tr*mp wine being a big seller in our city (not) and the rep for Maker’s Mark said “I don’t want none a that”. Nope, us either!
Thank you for this, because yesterday, excepting the Kilmar news (pre-Uganda, which I hope is blocked, because wasn't the point that he's entitled to DUE PROCESS??!?!?), was a doozy. Fucking Stupremes and other assorted minions, but also the silence about Anusface's obvious senility and physical weakness after that "press conference." Fuck you MSM. You really are "lamestream" now.
In PA Democrats have been winning special elections in districts thought to be "Unwinnable" at the State level. In places that Trump won by 20 pts. At least in PA, endorsement by Trump is becoming the "Kiss of Death". Hoping this trend continues and grows EVERYWHERE!!
GODDAMNIT. Something's wrong with my bicycle AGAIN.
This time I'd barely taken it out when I noticed it. The rear brakes are rubbing against the tire rim because...who knows why.
I love riding that thing when it works, but it is SO. FUCKING. BALKY. It develops a problem if I look at it too hard.
So now I will do my usual two-step dance:
1) Fuck around with the brake cable, accomplish nothing, and probably make things worse.
2) Give up, haul it to the bicycle shop and beg for help.
I just stashed it back in the garage because I was hot and annoyed enough already. I just wasn't in the mood for step (1). I'll get to it after I recover from having an angioplasty on Monday, meaning who knows when.
Grumble grumble first world problems so what fuck you too grumble.
The brake pad may be off center. There is a bolt in the bracket that holds the brake pad. If you haven't done so already, try loosening that bolt, and moving the pad to where you want it to be, giving the brake lever a squeeze now and then to check position while doing so. Putting in some new pads might be a good thing.
Often on mine that's from bumping the brakes against something like while locking it, try rotating them. It takes barely any pressure usually, and that's with properly tightened ones, just look which side is rubbing and push against the brake arm to rotate the other way for a second.
Less often it's the cable tension, especially needing to loosen it. But check Park Tools youtube channel for short videos on how to fix *anything*, they are worth the time.
Offset brakes are easy to fix, but it is more likely your wheel is out of place. Make sure it is set in the rear fork and rolls true (without wobbling). If it’s not the wheel, make sure your calipers are aligned. Easy hex key fix. Don’t mess with cable tension.
Next Friday, August 29, is Qixi Festival, also known as the Double Seventh Festival or Chinese Valentine's Day, celebrates the romantic legend of two lovers, Zhinü and Niulang. Zhinü was a weaver girl and Niulang was a humble cowherd. Their love was forbidden by the laws of heaven, but they were allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
My Chinese-born friend has already texted me three reminders to send flowers. We're not lovers but I feel like I'm the cowherd in this relationship.
Well, as Obama said, "No one is coming to save you." Does anyone have a suggestion on how we can save ourselves?
I thought I could make it through work today, and I thought absolutely wrong. I’m on my lunch break, and all I’ve done so far is watch my performance indicators go straight to hell, screwed up basic procedures, and have multiple intrusive, unwanted, and frankly frightening thoughts. I can’t stand the thought—particularly with my finances as they are—but I’m probably going to leave early and skip out on about fifty bucks worth of pay (about four and a half hours of work).
I can’t keep doing this. And there’s my blood pressure alarm AND my blood sugar alarm. Apparently that number has also crashed, down to 54.
If beating but my card got declined. How much worse can things get?
Here's a hug, with the hope that you did leave work early and are feeling better?
I think it's a little odd but weird, but about ten minutes after I walked out of work (after trauma-dumping all over my boss…), my head felt a bit clearer. Not better necessarily, but at least clearer. I hope that makes sense?
It makes sense. Hope that things continue in a positive direction for you the rest of the evening.
Huh. I just realized that because Joe had a Build Back Better bill,
the idiot had to name his one the Big Beautiful Bill.
That's why he called it that.
He has the mind of a toddler.
Thank you Robyn! Valentino was my late Mother's heartthrob all her days. She would have been seven when your clip was new. Happy memory!
When I think of a "Valentino", I think of Valentino Rossi.
My bad.
You've commiserated with Henri's existential despair.
You've shared adventures with boxes with Maru.
Now...
Bask in the raised hackles misanthropic hostility that is Merv!
https://youtube.com/shorts/SPXMHT-7KbQ?si=h_JSoT-mYuy8mrZC
Poor soul. Merv needs gummies. I will be hostile for him.
💗💪🤩🐾😎
Threat Level: Critical
•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•---•
"Realtime Fascism – Watch fascism unfold in the United States in real-time"–https://www.realtimefascism.com/
It's a democratic republic's worst nightmare made manifest.
And it's not going to be resolved peacefully. Not even close.
Winning!
𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝟮𝟯𝟴 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁
Hard to make a major equipment purchase when PAB is constantly fucking with the market for your soybeans, corn, and wheat. Ask Nebraska about this.
Iowa, also, too.
Perhaps farms in some countries have decided to make-do without importing hardware from the US.
The heck you say!
I pass a John Deere building on my commute which was a surprise to see in Silicon Valley. I assume that is where they write the software which makes it impossible for farmers to fix their own tractors.
Hm, maybe it's this
𝐽𝑜ℎ𝑛 𝐷𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑐𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝐹𝑙𝑎𝑔 𝑅𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑠, 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑝 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑆𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑜𝑛 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦.
𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝐹𝑙𝑎𝑔'𝑠 𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦.
𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝐹𝑙𝑎𝑔'𝑠 𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝐷𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑜𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦, 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑦.
We don' need no steenkin' workers!
The robot farmer feeds us all!
Beats starving.
"Us all" is a lot of mouths to feed with limited arable land, limited fresh water, and limited skilled labor, all while limiting the amount of nitrites and other chemicals used.
What could possibly go wrong with this scenario?
(Please try to limit your answers to 1 million characters or less)
#1321412314: Your harvester will break. But JD layed off all of their technicians who could come fix it for you. But they kept thousands of lawyers working to sue you if you try to fix the harvester yourself. This is the thing: When you signed the purchase papers, you signed away your right to repair said harvester yourself.
This is what "ownership" in the 2020s is like now.
Is that correct?
I think that Deere field technicians are from the independent dealers.
Before I was felled with heart troubles, I worked at Deere in the vehicle guidance division for a couple of years.
They are very smart people there, solving some very difficult problems.
Internally, repeatedly, sincerely, they frame it as:
"How do we feed a planet with 8 Billion people?"
The media likes to clickbait with right-to-repair stories, but as a corporation, they are working to keep us alive, at least more than some other manufacturers. There's an interesting culture there, lots of farm kids, with a farm kid's work ethic, and you could feel it.
Before that, I was at Intel in Chandler, AZ.
There's an ethic there too, but it wasn't about honest work.
There are some farms in Canada so big, the planting and harvesting continues in a straight line for so long, vehicle guidance takes in account the increased closeness of the longitude lines up north.
Going at angles across hills, on soft soil, with (at the time) a two inch accuracy from planting to harvest, year after year.
Astounding tech that I had no idea of.
They weren't there yet, but the machines Deere makes are really giant agriculture robots.
It was mostly snark. However, sometimes my snark turns out to be true and the joke is on me. I don't know if this is one of those times.
In 2025 America farm equipment owns you. (h/t to Yakov Smirnoff).
"What a country!!"
Well, there had better not be any pedestrians walking around in the field while that combine is working out there.
Or anywhere else the AI decides is a "field."
See Tesla auto-drive for examples.
It's not like that, at all.
Why make inflammatory shit up?
We already gave at the office.
“ sorry about your tomato plants grandma, And that
Rosebush knows what it did”
Like the "field" during the Super Bowl half-time show.
Yeah. The A1 [sic] might decide your roads, fences, trees, buildings, other equipment, etc. are also fields.
Potato iz potato.
Sorry about your
veggie garden Gladys.
All ur “fields” are now belong to J Deere Robotics now… & U & everything on earth are now “fields”
"Warning: This product may contain bits of bone and hair"
And you have to pay JD technicians to come out and clean it for you.
Prolly "AI" as well.
😳
ZOMGDS look at he WHISKERS on kitteh Syl!
Are the MAGAs happy about the Maxwell interview data dump (and how can we tell when they won't shut the fuck up about a stupid logo)?
I 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑤 I'd have the perfect use for this one!
https://substack.com/profile/177712563-dina/note/c-148576993
I use a Dallas server for my VPN. I was watching a movie tonight, and there were multiple John Cornyn ads on TV, featuring prominent pictures of him and Trump. Cornyn is worried.
He's lost all credibility as the "reasonable" and "smart" TX republican. All of it. He's just another geezer trying to stay in power and looks and acts pathetic. I hope he loses badly--the headwinds against are growing. 🤞🤞🤞
Yep, and I see "smart" Republicans scurrying to get off of the "Trump Train" before it derails Next stop, the bottom of the canyon!
I'm feeling like they're doing some of their crimes way too early--shooting their wad and leaving time for people to realize how badly they've been screwed and how high prices are getting etc. And giving us time to see the underbellies and hypocrisy of the public-facing minions, especially Pam Bondage and Wormtongue Miller and Krusty Noem and RoidFK Jr., whose pronouncements can be met SO EASILY by their own words that demonstrate their depravity and inconsistency.
My two cents anyway.
By the midterms, GOP candidates may find Trump to be more of an Albatross than an Eagle.
Water Water everywhere ...
GOP gerrymandering efforts could well backfire and blow up in their pathetic faces. It will take a miracle or some sort of monumental event for Trump to have the endorsement power in 2026 that he has enjoyed in the past. Barring either, his backing of GOP candidates in 2026 could be toxic and detrimental to their chances of winning.
Let us hope that the endorsements from the toxic Orange Turd help to turn the tide of Republican majorities.
Hmmm ... I wonder if Lisa Murkowski's face has unfrozen from her "oh, shit" look after the BBB vote. Enquiring minds want to know ...
That look is actually the "fake independent" mask falling off. Collins is having the same issues.
I suspect it is stuck on "Alaskan men will fall for the 'keeping the government off their backs' line, but how do I convince the single mothers that lack of healthcare is actually good for their kids?"
Oh it's all just an act with Murkowski just like it's all an act with Collins. Both of them are disgusting two-faced liars!
Yeah, they are sharks.
Not even close to award-winning performances at that.
I was in the VABC store a few were joking about the tr*mp wine being a big seller in our city (not) and the rep for Maker’s Mark said “I don’t want none a that”. Nope, us either!
It's always nice to hear stuff like this.
Myself, I have noticed a marked decline in enthusiasm among the stalwart "Trumpies" I know.
Thank you for this, because yesterday, excepting the Kilmar news (pre-Uganda, which I hope is blocked, because wasn't the point that he's entitled to DUE PROCESS??!?!?), was a doozy. Fucking Stupremes and other assorted minions, but also the silence about Anusface's obvious senility and physical weakness after that "press conference." Fuck you MSM. You really are "lamestream" now.
In PA Democrats have been winning special elections in districts thought to be "Unwinnable" at the State level. In places that Trump won by 20 pts. At least in PA, endorsement by Trump is becoming the "Kiss of Death". Hoping this trend continues and grows EVERYWHERE!!
I hope all especially purpleswing states/ districts audit / verify 2026 carefully
Oh yes, balm to my soul, THANK YOU!!
You just did our respective hearts good. 🧡
WE just have to get out the VOTE and hand these aholes a crushing defeat in 2026. We have the numbers on our side!
Man I hope so cuz we sure do NOT have the ptb/ Dems in powerful leadership positions on democracy/ our/America’s side
GODDAMNIT. Something's wrong with my bicycle AGAIN.
This time I'd barely taken it out when I noticed it. The rear brakes are rubbing against the tire rim because...who knows why.
I love riding that thing when it works, but it is SO. FUCKING. BALKY. It develops a problem if I look at it too hard.
So now I will do my usual two-step dance:
1) Fuck around with the brake cable, accomplish nothing, and probably make things worse.
2) Give up, haul it to the bicycle shop and beg for help.
I just stashed it back in the garage because I was hot and annoyed enough already. I just wasn't in the mood for step (1). I'll get to it after I recover from having an angioplasty on Monday, meaning who knows when.
Grumble grumble first world problems so what fuck you too grumble.
I am fortunate enough to count among my associates a very accomplished bicycle mechanic.
Scott is a virtuoso. The "Segovia" of the bicycle. I never have to beg. Just pay him in cash seconds after he hands me his invoice.
The brake pad may be off center. There is a bolt in the bracket that holds the brake pad. If you haven't done so already, try loosening that bolt, and moving the pad to where you want it to be, giving the brake lever a squeeze now and then to check position while doing so. Putting in some new pads might be a good thing.
Often on mine that's from bumping the brakes against something like while locking it, try rotating them. It takes barely any pressure usually, and that's with properly tightened ones, just look which side is rubbing and push against the brake arm to rotate the other way for a second.
Less often it's the cable tension, especially needing to loosen it. But check Park Tools youtube channel for short videos on how to fix *anything*, they are worth the time.
Offset brakes are easy to fix, but it is more likely your wheel is out of place. Make sure it is set in the rear fork and rolls true (without wobbling). If it’s not the wheel, make sure your calipers are aligned. Easy hex key fix. Don’t mess with cable tension.
Pick it up and spin the wheel to see if it's warped. If it is, you get to learn how to tighten spokes.
Speaking for myself, tightening spokes in order to straighten the wheel is the shortest route to madness.
Yeah, you just chase the warp.
In theory, equal tension on each spoke should correct the problem. In theory... it never seems to work!!
At least take a YouTube tutorial. It requires a special stand, too.
I did and it's not.
Good! That's one less thing to fret over. I agree with the other comment - don't mess with the cable tension.
Right; leave it to the pros.
Next Friday, August 29, is Qixi Festival, also known as the Double Seventh Festival or Chinese Valentine's Day, celebrates the romantic legend of two lovers, Zhinü and Niulang. Zhinü was a weaver girl and Niulang was a humble cowherd. Their love was forbidden by the laws of heaven, but they were allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
My Chinese-born friend has already texted me three reminders to send flowers. We're not lovers but I feel like I'm the cowherd in this relationship.