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MacGyver

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Everything posted by MacGyver

  1. Brisket West Texas style: Trim hard fat. Rub half and half with salt and pepper. Smoke around 225-250. Use a water pan. I like to pull it out of the smoke around 4 hours and wrap it in parchment. Expect it to stall for while. A bigger brisket might stall around 160 and again around 185. I usually pull mine around 203. I let it rest in a cooler for a couple of hours. That’s important. If you’re on YouTube, Aaron Franklin is the master.
  2. Here’s your regular reminder that at least up through 2012, there’s no evidence that points to voter fraud being either statistically or electorally relevant... The risk/reward scenario is lopsided.
  3. You and I believe in the same economic theory in principle. The problem is the system that we have in practice - and where we've got the political capital to go. For all their free market talk, if you look at the healthcare lobby's spending - the GOP takes the bulk of the payoffs/campaign contributions from the industry. They're the ones benefiting the most from keeping the current system broken. All of this is fun to talk about. The sad part is that the system is still broken and likely to remain that way.
  4. I often tell people that I can fix healthcare in America by lunchtime. Just tell me what something costs - and mark it up - say 20%. The system is structurally broken. The "competition" is rigged. Currently, the doctors, the hospital groups, and the insurance companies sort of play a game of round robin. Somebody gets to be the bad guy and take a haircut "this time" - but in the long run all of them still increase prices and make more money. I'd be all for menu based services. But, that in itself is going to require massive government intervention. Someone has to set those prices. Someone has to tell the companies, no you can't charge $5,000 for this injection that cost .$0.17 to manufacture. That is going to be a lot of government "meddling". How is this different than the other? I should say in my argument above, I'm not saying everyone gets it for free. I'm all for employee contributions and figuring out ways for the citizen to pay for it.
  5. Like I said, I don't like it. I would prefer market solutions - by far. But the reality is that we no longer really have a market economy. The government - somewhat dependent on what side is in power - picks winners and losers. It's gone on long enough now that enough people in both parties are sufficiently in corporate pockets that anything is unlikely to change. I'm a pragmatist. And, I'd love to believe my ethics have compassion in a way that scales. You know I believe that the church has ceded way too much to the government - but charitable organizations aren't going to pick up the slack that happens with 325 million people. All my argument above is saying is that you could probably make an economic argument for getting everyone a baseline of healthcare. How many people do you know in your own life who've delayed making medical decisions until they were eligible for Medicare? I know a bunch. The thing about poverty is that it charges interest. Someone putting off seeing a doctor about blood sugar issues, or hypertension, or other stuff that can be treated easily early on - become giant costly problems when they're delayed. Up until this year, I've paid more for my insurance for my healthy family of five than I have for my mortgage. I know the cost of people putting off healthcare - and think I probably pay for a chunk of it as I write that check each month. I don't like it. All I'm saying is that if you could get past the optics, you could probably make a compelling economic case for it. But don't worry - our political system is so bankrupt that i can't see us actually having a conversation like that at a national level.
  6. Man... Does Newton get a say in all this?
  7. So, I don't like making this argument, and I don't have time to do it this morning (because I'm too busy actually running a small business.) But, as someone who has filtered practically every business decision they've made in the last decade through healthcare, it is where we are right now. I'd be willing to make and support the argument that providing a basic medicare-type option for everyone would actually cost us less nationally - and be far outweighed by the economic benefit received than the system we have right now. I run a small business. I factor the decisions I make through insurance stuff. It weighs on every decision I make. I'm pretty privileged. I know folks push back against that word, but here's what I mean by it in this context. I have the support structures in place in my family and community to allow me to pursue this business without going into persistent, potentially generational poverty if I get something wrong. Everybody who has ever run a business knows you make some bad decisions every now and then. Mine are unlikely to put my children and grandchildren in poverty. I know a lot of us want to push back against this idea reflexively - because free stuff, socialism, whatever. Frankly, I'm in that camp, too. Or, at least I used to be. Here's the question I would ask you consider. How many people do you know who would love to start their own business - or would maybe like to change careers - or would like to leave that toxic workplace where they feel stuck - but don't because they need insurance? What economic opportunity are we missing out on because people with dreams stay somewhere making $14/hour instead of going out and pursuing their dreams, creating jobs, and making the economic pie much larger? Empire is hard, and late stage capitalism pretty much demands that companies take all the money off the table they can. Our broken system is running as it's intended. The problems are architectural in nature - even if you forget the ethical piece. This is a case where market solutions can maybe slow the bleeding, but they're not going to fix the problem. The empire is simply too big, and the companies in the space don't have our interests at heart - they have their shareholders to report to every 12 weeks. Like I say, I don't necessarily like making the argument, but it's squarely where I am now.
  8. Truthfully, we might agree on several things. I just don't trust incompetent people with hard stuff.
  9. Merrells are comfy - I've had Jungle Mocs since around 2000. They're great for walking around the house, but a shoe that soft just isn't going to provide much support if you've actually got issues. I love my Merrells - but man, sometimes I wonder if their soles are made out of chewing gum. I can wear clean through a pair in 6 months.
  10. They're a small business - and you have to know going in that you're likely to pay close to MSRP for a pair of shoes. That's not what a lot of folks are used to who usually walk into Academy and buy whatever is on sale. Of course, that's why their feet hurt, too. I wear a set of orthopedic inserts in my running shoes, and for me just the fact that they opened up every brand in the store and let me try them until we got the right fit was valuable.
  11. Larry, if there's a Fleet Feet near you, it would probably be worth your time to go visit. The folks at the one down by me in Brentwood are really great at getting people into a shoe that fits their need/stride/mechanics. I know a bunch of casual runners with injuries that swear by them.
  12. And, that should be a criminal offense.
  13. I think the problem is that members often post an ad - and then just disappear for a while. I wish there was an easy way for us to do this. We used to expire ads after 30 days. It kept things clean - but made it hard to go back and research price history.
  14. I’ve got a friend who is sponsored by Sketchers. She loves them and races in them. But, trying them on and maybe getting someone who knows what they’re doing to analyze your gait matters. For me, it’s a Saucony neutral shoe. Nike’s wear my feet out. HiPower, you might check out a pair of Hoka’s. They’ve got a few pairs similar to the ones you described.
  15. I used to have one of the Covert assisted models. For long term quality, reliability, and value I’d choose something other than the Gerber.
  16. In my case, I replaced the whole fixture. I hadn’t planned to, but Lowe’s had a 4-bulb low profile fixture for about $30. A wholesale replacement added two bulbs and likely took less time than rewiring my existing fixtures would have required. I went into the project needing new ballasts anyway - and those were more expensive than the LED fixture at the time.
  17. Certainly that admonition applies to all of us. These pages are widely read - certainly much wider than our small community.
  18. Our moderators have been chosen because of the sum of their judgement and experience. We supported and continue to support that call, as we will not support racist or discriminatory views - either directly or implied on TGO. In this particular case the warning served to give a temporary reminder (to the individual and the community) that rhetoric matters. Please remember that.
  19. Forget about using the reloading press. @TGO David has Glock 19 mags coming out of his ears.
  20. I approve of this build...
  21. Yeah, I think Trackers are the boats that the "cool kids" love to hate. I know several people who've had them - and a few that have moved on to bigger and better. But, I don't know anyone who has regretted buying one.
  22. I'm with you on this, Greg. I hate dealing with this stuff. Just tell me what the boat costs and be done with it.
  23. The CPMs30v steel on that blade will serve you well. I like that those are tip up carry - and reversible so that you don't have to change your grip between removing it from your pocket and deploying it. I'm not a giant fan of the handle finish - the "Grivory" they use I think is about the same consistency as FRN - I just like a little more texture. But, that's a personal preference. If it felt good in hand, then that's what matters.
  24. I replaced two flickering two-bulb fixtures in my garage with two four-bulb fixtures that were on sale when I went to get parts. My garage is now roughly as bright as a paint booth. I love it.
  25. I've always wanted a Honda four-stroke. In little engines - think 2, 5, and 10 hp, they're the bee's knees. That said, I've got a saltwater series Yamaha F115 on my center console, and it has been a strong engine for 10 years, doing everything I've ever asked of it. I spend a lot of time in saltwater. So, my maintenance is probably overkill for someone who only sees freshwater. But, change your oil, change the gear lube at recommended intervals, and don't neglect your water pump. Do those things well and you'll likely be happy with any of the major manufacturers. I've come to like the fact that on my Yamaha, I can do all of the prime maintenance myself.

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