Chet Collins

After work ride with friends.

Hot coffee, open windows, 53 degrees, lofi streaming.

Happy Wednesday!

🌤️

Lots of nature on this morning’s walk.

New fawn, red fox, and a turtle.

🦌🦊🐢

Thomas Massie Defeated in GOP Primary After Attacks From Trump - WSJ

President Trump’s handpicked House candidate defeated longtime GOP antagonist Rep. Thomas Massie, underscoring the president’s iron grip on the Republican Party and the dire political consequences for lawmakers who defy him headed into the midterm elections.

Outstanding! A threadbare majority is the perfect time to implement purity tests. Attack your friends first, that’s what I always say. Winning!

Treasury Lawyer Brian Morrissey Quits as Government Settles Trump IRS Suit - WSJ

The settlement created a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that would pay people who claim they were targeted unfairly by past administrations.

I wonder where they’ll get the money.

Why Trump Bucked Republicans With a Risky Bet on Texas’ Ken Paxton - WSJ

The decision, which came after months of waffling, reflected the president’s renewed conviction that he maintains an iron grip on the party following recent electoral victories, according to people familiar with his thinking. It was also a warning shot to Republicans in Congress that Trump won’t tolerate dissent.

Dumb.

Some Republicans worry Trump’s endorsement of Paxton will make an already expensive race even more costly, and they point to Paxton’s personal and political scandals. Texas Republicans continue to support Paxton for his conservative policies, and they argue he has been unfairly targeted. 

One scandal, okay. Two? Maybe. Four? No way. And those stupid fake lawsuits to shake down companies.

Man Cured Of Depression After Doctor Prescribes Millennium Falcon LEGO Set - Babylon Bee

The 39-year-old upstate New York native had explored many different treatment options for his degrading mental health, but had never been prescribed LEGO or even experimented with LEGO recreationally.

Power is out, generator is on.

Estimated time of restoration? I don’t care.

🔌😎

“Dear Dad,

Thank you for all you did for me from 2018 to 2026. Thank you for taking good care of me when I needed you the most. Thank you.

Your Truly Love, Lucy”

‘Sidewalk Closed’ Sign Leaves Pedestrians Frightened, Wandering Helplessly - The Onion

…a growing crowd of disoriented commuters were milling anxiously in front of the sign, with one woman sobbing quietly into her hands and saying, “But this is the sidewalk,” while several others began drifting aimlessly into yards, bushes, and even the street.

Just getting started on Issue No. 02 of Applied Bioethics Magazine. It’ll be out in a few weeks and I’m really excited about this issue.

🏔️

Squad.

When the wind blows in just the right direction, the scent of that lilac bush flows right into my office.

Scary tax bill in the mail was quickly fixed thanks to all those receipts I always save.

Whew!

😅

Report: CIA Raided By CIA - Babylon Bee

“We suspect we’ve been up to no good for a long time,” said one CIA insider who asked to remain anonymous. “We’ve been allowed to run roughshod over the world for long enough, and it’s time for us to hold us accountable for the things we believe we may have done.”

Bloom.

SEO experts are excellent at building websites for robots. Not so good at building for humans.

Why doesn’t Google make it easy to manage a shared contact list in Workspace?

It is truly shocking how inept Medical Billing can be.

DOJ Charges Synergy, Shipping Operator Involved in Deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse - WSJ

A loose wire in a high-voltage switchboard likely caused the first power loss, federal prosecutors said. 

Another reminder of the importance of getting the little things right.

New York Man Convicted After Opening Chinese Police Station - WSJ

Prosecutors said Lu conspired with officials in China’s Ministry of Public Security to open a police station in a Manhattan Chinatown community center where he held a leadership role.

Wild.

It is so easy to get a cell phone number and plan now.

No more stores or appointments or hours. A $3 SIM card on Amazon, and 7 minutes at my computer and I’m all set for $10 a month.

📱

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Aircraft Accused Of Austrian Airspace Incursion - TWZ

the Austrian Air Force scrambled Eurofighter Typhoons in response to the alleged flights in the neutral country’s airspace.

Whoa! Austria has a military?

Just When I Thought The World Couldn’t Get Any Worse, My Wife Makes Me Go To A Play - The Onion

Sometimes I get so bored, I start watching the play. It’s enough to make me wish the next world war would just happen already. If this theater was bombed by China tonight, well, let’s just say I’d welcome them as liberators.