More Hank Shaw… Drive long enough and everything seems boring. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not the countryside that’s boring, it’s you. Or more accurately, you lose your ability to absorb sights and create meaning from those sights the longer you see them. Life blurs. And slows. There’s physical evidence for this. My heart rate can drop dramatically in a long drive, dipping below 55 beats a minute. My thinking slows, too, although this is not necessarily a bad thing. I find my mind will hold a thought, turning it this way and that, really ruminating. Sometimes this helps me solve problems. Sometimes it doesn’t.

“There is actually a law called the anti-deficiency act that stipulates that the Executive Branch must spend the amount of money allocated by Congress to a particular agency,” Sarah observes. “So you can’t just not spend the money, at least according to the statute.” I don’t think this would constrain Trump and his allies. Elon in particular is going to want to head down this road. His WSJ op-ed with Vivek lays out a clear plan to shrink the workforce by reducing the number of regulations they are responsible for. In a battle between Elon and the bureaucracy, I’d bet on Elon. I’d be very concerned if I was a rank-and-file federal employee.

Wisdom from Hank Shaw: I’m going to view this [small freezer failure tragedy] as a chance to live more sustainably, more in the moment and less about planning for things a month, six months, maybe even two years down the road. I’ve done that sort of heavy planning before, and it can create a web of expectations for that “perfect” meal in my head that are, frankly, almost impossible to live up to when the time actually comes. If it ever comes at all.

I’m really impressed with Albyhub. This is the way. #btc #bitcoin #getalby #albyhub

An industry in taters… Potato makers are getting chopped, boiled, and mashed up by antitrust. Five new federal lawsuits accuse frozen-spud producers Lamb Weston, Cavendish, McCain Foods, and Simplot of running a curly-fry cartel, colluding to overcharge grocery stores and consumers since 2021. The four companies are said to control 97% of the US frozen-potato market with products like fries, hashbrowns, and tater tots. The suits say that prices of those freezer-aisle staples have soared nearly 50% in the past two years through July. Staple?! No. Value added luxury product. Ridiculous.

Please take the time to exercise your voice and fulfill your civic duty. https://discourse.nomineesforthepeople.com/

We should immediately abolish the private interest owned for profit system of incarceration in the US.

Damus is my daily driver, but is anyone else really excited about the marketplace on Amethyst? #lightningebay #amethyst