This is a blog by an adult for adults. Content will generally be PG-13 with a little beefcake now and then, however strong language may prevail, especially when commenting on the geopolitical BULLSHIT going on around the world. Otherwise, please enjoy the snark, some memes, okay, LOTS of memes, cats, and humor! Welcome!
White House circulates a plan to extend Obamacare subsidies as Trump pledges health care fix
Proposing to extend the health care benefits for two more years? Which White House is this coming from? I wonder if this is perhaps some document that Biden put on "Delay Send" from the WH Email servers. Empathy from Trump on ANYTHING to help all Americans has never been his thing.
WASHINGTON (AP) — "The White House is circulating a proposal that would extend subsidies to help consumers pay for coverage under the Affordable Care Act for two more years, as millions of Americans face spiking health care costs when the current tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year."
AP reported that apparently, Ka$h gifted two 3D printed hand guns to New Zealand security officials, wherein the guns were immediately seized and destroyed because, oh, New Zealand has LAWS banning the OWNERSHIP of anything looking like a handgun.
Guess he either couldn't be bothered to read the room, or thought "It's from Ka$h! They'll let it slide! Just like the security detail for my girlfriend!", but I am more perturbed that dear, ole' Kashole decided that 3D printed guns are acceptable, period. He head of the fucking FBI! With all the fucking gun violence in this country, what? Did he go "How about if I just PRINT some guns to give out as party favors!"
Today is just one of those... miserable... fucking just want to climb back in bed... Mondays. Night of rather... disconcerting dreams (kept waking up after each to look at the clock, so yes, the images are locked into my mind). Woke feeling ragged and with a SORE back from moving crap yesterday (Advil did not kick in until nearly 8AM). 😡
The body is just not willing, but Mondays are also chore day in the house to coincide with trash pickup tomorrow. I had thoughts "I got a Roomba somewhere in storage here...", but by the time I would get that fixed, charged and rolling, I will have the entire 1st floor done.
Just feeling raw today.
Fucking hate Monday's like this, but this, too, shall pass.
Oh, fucking joy. #2 cat came in just coughed up a giant fur ball...
I don't know about you folks, but even with it just being my husband and I (and assorted paws), the holidays are more than likely going to be insane up to the first "eve" of the season. I love using Blogger, and thanks to Ricky, early on I learned how to schedule my postings (Why yes! I AM up at 3AM every morning! Not.). Normally, I will pre-post my blog a few weeks out then tune and tweak them before the actual posting, but... it's rapidly becoming "HAPPY HOLIDAYS!" Turkey this week, then tree, then Christmas crap, last minute holiday travel plans, then hunkering down for New Years (champagne already chilling).
My tradition is finally,that Satan Santa leaves the house January 1. Period. So unless Google Blogger has other things in mind, I got my postings ready to go through to the end of the first week in January. Net: You may see a posting that has... not aged well. Might be spot on in November, but come late December, perhaps the planet may have moved on. I'll edit throughout as able, but hey. Fuck it. For now, I can sit back and relax a little, have a glass or eight of Slivonog and keep to posting interesting things that pop up throughout the week ("Big Beautiful Obituary" by chance?)
I did not just decide to get an Electric Vehicle (EV). The decision
came after many years of research, watching every YouTube channel,
visiting the major auto shows and talking to other owners of available makes and models. I kind of
knew that I wanted a Rivian since the prototype was introduced many years ago at the New York International Auto Show. When the 2nd
generation of the pickup (and SUV) was released mid-2024, I scheduled
a test drive (link below) and absolutely fell in love with the vehicle, came home
and placed my order. It took 12 weeks for Rivian to build the truck (plant in Normal, IL) and get it to New England. One year ago today, I took
delivery of my first EV – the 2025 Rivian R1T pickup truck with an
extended range battery. I have never owned an EV before and though I
did all the research, I still maintained a low degree of anxiety
through the first several months. It’s a year in, and I have to
say, that anxiety is long gone.
2025 Rivian R1T-Large
Yes, it’s an EV, but that aside, just a wonderful, solid vehicle that is incredibly well constructed. A perfect daily driver and great hauler. I traded in my 2019 Nissan
Frontier when I took delivery. The differences are stark; the
Frontier was about $0.15 a mile to operate, the Rivian is $0.09. I
would drive the Frontier an hour and feel like I was beat to crap by
the time I got to my destination; stiff, sore. Nothing of the like
in the R1T, just marvelous comfort. And there is no… difference…
in the range. It is still ¾ of a “tank” to get out to
Provincetown and back; same as with the Nissan. But instead of
needing nearly $40 to fill it up, plugging in will run me about $10.
Not bad for a vehicle that tips the scales at 8,500 pounds.
LOVE the front! And yes, it has a "frunk".
I am retired after
36 years in Information Technology (computer crap). An EV is
essentially driving a computer on wheels. Much like every computer I
ever owned or laid hands on (phone to mainframe), once in a while,
you need to reboot the system. Same holds for the EV; once in a
while, you do have to reboot the truck to fix something.
Yes, I actually WORKED on an IBM computer like that!
(From "The Desk Set" - a favorite movie.)
Lastly, I am aging
(turning 64 in a few weeks) and sense my acuity diminishing; so often
in the Frontier, I would realized I just narrowly missed being in an
accident because of my vision, blind spots and focus. This vehicle
has all the warning bells and whistles, the visual indicators, the
RADAR and traffic sensors, the automatic functions (emergency
braking!) that intervene when I missed something. It feels safe to
be on the road again.
How it felt driving the Frontier.
Would I do this
again? Hell yes! Next to marrying my husband, moving to Rhode
Island and retiring, this rates up there as one of the very best
decisions I ever made in my life.
Parked, charged up and ready to roll!
I am glad to have gone through the process; if folks who read this
blog are curious about EV’s, I highly recommend checking out the
Rivian. They have “Experience” centers around the country where
you can schedule a test drive, spend time climbing around the
vehicles, ask every question you can think of – these are not dealerships or show rooms with sales
people pressuring you to buy; just places to explore this particular
world and type of vehicle.
What's more, the company does good. It's not some photo-op or product placement. They are working to make a change. This is Rivian and America's Indigenous Blackfeet Nation buffalo restoration project:
