DDT: Data Dense Thursday.
Retail Sales
Softer than many expected: “Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for June 2026, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $768.6 billion, up 0.2 percent (±0.4 percent)* from the previous month, and up 6.7 percent (±0.5 percent) from June 2025.
Philly Fed Outlook
“The current general business activity diffusion index rose to 41.4 in July from 10.3 in June. 53.1% of the respondents reported an increase in general business activity, and 11.7% reported a decrease from June to July.”
Here, Hold this bag: BTC traded under $64,000 again, overnight.
Unemployment Filings
Drought and About
But enough of this “drying out” talk. Here comes some:
100 Proof News
Elaine’s more laid-back (and her memory seems improved) since we’ve both gone on “news diets.” We listen to a top-of-the-hour summary once in the morning, once at lunch, and after that, who cares? If there’s a major weather issue, Alexa handles the alerts. We also have the office weather radio—and stepping outside to pee always involves a quick sky scan.
Your time and attention is the most valuable thing you have – and if you want to squander it on 13,216 repetitious headlines from the doom troller channels, enjoy.
Our design – freeing up lots of time to actually live our lives – involves leveraging software to fit our needs, not those of advertisers. Which is why we use the:
News Compressor
The main thing that changed overnight is continued escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict over the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. expanded strikes into northern Iran and disabled a ship attempting to run the naval blockade, with additional strikes reported on Iranian targets. Iran responded by claiming strikes on bases in Kuwait and Jordan, warned that the Strait of Hormuz is a “red line,” and threatened further actions while releasing a detained American woman as a reported goodwill gesture. Oil markets remained relatively steady with Brent crude around the $84-86 range amid the tensions.
Domestically, the Texas Hill Country is getting scrubbed: Uvalde County entered a rare flash-flood emergency Thursday morning, with catastrophic flooding, active rescues, structures threatened and U.S. 90 closed west of Uvalde.
Not water everywhere, but the Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday evening for three people still missing after a boat capsized on San Francisco Bay during a family memorial.
D. J. Trump fired a newly court-appointed U.S. attorney in Seattle shortly after his appointment. (Maybe he will skip another “Deals” book and work on an HR manual next?)
That’s where we are.
Where We Go Next
12–96 Hour News Outlook
- Further U.S. or Iranian strikes in/around the Strait of Hormuz or northern Iran (next 24-48 hours) — oil flow disruptions or tanker incidents could spike prices sharply; de-escalation signals or diplomacy would moderate this.
- Trump primetime speech on election security (expected Thursday evening) — potential market and political volatility around midterms and voting claims; content could shift narrative focus.
- Todd Blanche’s attorney general confirmation fight could affect DOJ operations and enforcement policy. Bring popcorn.
- Wildfire smoke spread from Canada/Minnesota into U.S. Northeast/Midwest (next 12-72 hours) — air quality alerts likely to persist or worsen for sensitive groups.
- Potential tariff or trade actions (e.g., Brazil 25% tariffs noted) — supply chain and commodity price ripples in coming days.
Over the Horizon Newsdar
- Public and political pressure on data centers and AI power demands gaining traction in U.S. discourse.
- Ongoing cyclospora surge tied to produce, with record cases prompting state investigations.
- Shifts in Ukraine leadership (defense minister dismissal) potentially signaling internal political strains.
This last is interesting because I expect a BIG policy fight might erupt over whether to drone-swarm the Ukrainian nuke plant that’s been in Russian hands. Reel that outlook into the 30-days after HR grenades realm.
At the Ranch: Bathtub Brandy?
Before we dig in, a thank you to PN subscriber Dana, who wrote a very flattering post about our Peoplenomics “deep-dive” this week. It’s about the upper limits of human I/O and how our attention is being robbed at screenpoint. The “educational” part of Dana’s post was this:
“Need a tube of toothpaste? Whether you’re in a supermarket aisle or on an Amazon page, you’ll see too many brands, each with too many sub-brands and benefits: Enamel-strengthening? Gum health? Whitening? Tooth sensitivity? Breath-freshening?
If you don’t have your selection pre-determined, the visual input is instant overload for the decision-making process.
It reminds me of what my mother used to say when she hit maximum kid-overload: “I need some time to hear myself think!”
True story for you:
Years ago, I had lunch with the best telemarketer on the planet. A fellow named Phillip Trout. He specialized in very high-end deals like investment partnerships for the doctor and dentist crowd. He spent his typical workday in his bathtub, smoking a stogie or a joint and sipping brandy.
So we go to lunch. Waitress comes for the order. “What will you gentlemen have today?”
Phil went first. “Bring me the best thing on the menu – tell the chef to outdo themselves – bring me the absolute best they have ever done!”
The waitress thought about it for a moment. “That’d be our London broil or the corned beef and cabbage. Which sounds best?”
“You decide. I like surprises.”
“Me?” She looked confused. Phil just nodded, prompting her to think it through. Then she made the call. “I get more compliments on the London broil than anything,” she concluded.
“Then that’s what I’ll have!”
Naturally, I had the same thing – and it was amazing. But I also asked Phil about it – why turn over his decision-making power to a waitress?
“Because she wants a big tip. I get a great meal, she gets a great tip. And I don’t waste my valuable mental focus on minutia that I don’t need to. I also always get the best meal in the house.”
To say that was a life-changing experience for me is pure understatement.
To circle back to Dana: Notice how Phil’s logic didn’t merely avoid decision fatigue; he built a small incentive system that produces a better outcome for everyone. That directly supports the human-I/O theme. Society is now operating, in the Peoplenomics perspective, on the backside of the “attention power curve.”
Phil’s method delegated the trivial and preserved his attention for work that mattered. Today, I’m facing the opposite kind of system—one that takes what should be a simple transaction and turns it into a continuing attention drain. I call it:
The Road To Hell Through Dallas
Yeah, that old saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
With a nod to the Deacon, the background is worth a mention since we’re all on this Earth Ride together. The core idea — that good intentions can still lead to bad results — has older roots in Christian moral thought. Similar sentiments show up as early as the 12th century, sometimes loosely credited to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. The first clear printed version appeared in John Ray’s 1670 collection A Collection of English Proverbs as “Hell is paved with good intentions.” The more familiar modern wording didn’t show up until Henry G. Bohn’s 1855 A Hand-Book of Proverbs. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, it had become a popular way to call out well-meaning but poorly thought-out actions and policies.
Regardless of its exact origin, we now have fresh evidence that Dallas is also on the road to hell.
“Why Dallas???”
I thought you’d never ask.
It started innocently enough. Elaine did a hitch in the U.S. Army back in the 1970s as an MC/ST operator in the Adjutant’s office at what was then Fort Lewis (now JBLM). In a fit of nostalgic weakness, I bought her a genuine Army-green IBM Selectric II online on July 6 — said to be in good working condition.
Now we wait.
Wed, Jul 15 4:57am — Arrived at USPS Facility, Olathe, KS
Tue, Jul 14 9:55am — Arrived at USPS Regional Facility, Dallas TX Distribution Center
Tue, Jul 14 9:21am — Departed USPS Regional Facility, Dallas TX Logistics Center
Mon, Jul 13 through Sat, Jul 11 —
“In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving Late” (every damn day)
Thu, Jul 9 — Denver distribution centers
Tue, Jul 7 — Shipping label created in Aurora/Denver area
My dear Watson, do you remember all the problems we had five or six years ago with the Coppell Postal facility routing things into the wrong black hole?
“Indeed I do, Holmes. Why do you mention it now?”
Perhaps we should inquire whether any personnel or routing protocols were quietly transferred from Coppell over to the Dallas Logistics Center?
“Holmes, your powers of deduction remain as sharp as ever. But did you contact the sender? And wasn’t there a World Cup game in Dallas the same day your package arrived at a postal facility and seems to have left on a truck to Olathe 20 minutes later? Soccer impact?”
Balls, Watson! First, there was no World Cup game at a U.S. Postal facility. And second, our sender has sent us this, “Yes I’ve looked into it weird that it was sent to another state I’m guessing there was a mistake with barcode scan at some point they should reroute it back I’ll keep you posted…”
What I think, my dear Watson, is we will have an opportunity to see the Post Office “sanitize” the written record when their “We don’t make mistakes – butt-covering” software gets word of our plight. I’ve seen it before.
“So, for now?”
Now we wait, my good man. We approach the problem with precision. One tracking update at a time, Watson. One line… then another. And for your column? It’s still in Olathe as of 5:34 AM this day.
I like surprises.
[dramatic music sting] [fade to commercial]
Write or risk being stamped out,
Yo Sidewinders’,
Have I got a lucrative farming opportunity por vous.
1st the setup – please see linked story @ https://www.dailymail.com/sport/football/article-15974695/Erling-Haaland-heros-welcome-RACCOON-Norway-Viking-Row-World-Cup-run.html
I think youse can already see where the brilliant mind of the tbs is going with this, no?
Thats right Homegamerz – this is what Synergy is all about..
Buy cheap catfood
put out for the Feral Cats, and local Trash Pandas
put some wet food on the bait tray in Ure Have-A-Heart Trap (misnomer if ever there was one)
promptly dispatch trapped Trash Panda. Dont want top damage the little Legs.
Place carcass in maggot box, and let the lil maggots clean up the corpse.
Dead, Cleaned trash Panda now ready for “stuffing”.
Those bad boys are sold out in Dallas, and the Viking Horde wants more!
Be like selling cool clean fresh water to the Arabs..how many ?
re: “Crime and Punishment”, Dostoevsky, 1867
feat: from Russia with love?
Winston Churchill might counsel to listen to the gin before the doctor. The beloved late Queen Mother apparently enjoyed her headlines at the dawn of afternoon with a zaza cocktail. This is per her equerry Major Burgess in “Behind Closed Doors”.
If racoons aren’t your favorite main, has someone ordered roast goose – Russian style? No sooner had the US Secretary of War proposed that testosterone tests be administered to troops than US VP Vance publicly linked Epstein to Mossad.
The “Daily Mail” picture editor drove a proverbial stake through the heart of a Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor in its report on the subject. A republished image depicted a late American convict and his now-incarcerated English girlfriend in relaxed pose on the deck of Hunka Hut on The Firm’s Balmoral Estate. The pictured pair occupied the same space as Queen Elizabeth II habitually did when visiting her favorite getaway spot.
Hunka Hut dates to the Queen’s 1977 Silver Jubilee when it was gifted by the Hunka pine home construction enterprise of Finland. The structure is situated in Balmoral’s Ballochbuie (gaelic: “Yellow Pass”) Forest. As chance would have it, Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” featured zhyolty bilet (ru:”~yellow pass”) as id papers for sex workers in Imperial Russia.
Here is a “Daily Mail” link to the image bucolic image:
https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/07/15/21/110043135-15980465-Vance_told_Joe_Rogan_that_Epstein_clearly_had_connections_to_the-a-5_1784146412272.jpg
Wait! I thought Vlodoplayer Zelensky had the title “Crimea and Punishment” reserved. Am I losing it? Maybe “Crimea River” could work as a b/u plan. While he works the Trump HR handbook cover to cover, we charge the geigers and nervously eye winds aloft over Cessapol.
re: “Easy Money”, 1983
feat: respects to Rodney
Sunny skies in Kyiv today welcomed a farewell visit to the palace and a cheque from outgoing UK PM Sir Keir Starmer. The Ukrainian President posted a video clip of his presentation of the Order of Liberty to Sir Keir which has previously seen award to former Canadian PM J. Trudeau as well as Mr. George Soros.
Not content to let the pictures do the talking surrounding today’s appearance of Sir Keir, a summary of perhaps copied and pasted paragraphs of his accomplishments also was attached to the President’s public post. Regrettably the summary’s fill-in-the-blanks simply bore the name of the last UK recipient of the Order of Liberty, former PM Rishi (sanskrit: “sage, seer, wise poet”) Sunak.
Hahaha OMG good ones!
Yes, I have been enjoying reading the Peoplenomics Slow Layer…piece from yesterday, didn’t finish it yet ;=))
re: “Jurassic Park”, June 11, 1993
feat: Pop goes the Weasel
A division is said to have happened some 29 million years ago in the superfamily of musteloidea (lat/gr: “weasel-like ones”). Racoons became first cousins to badgers and ferrets.
Today King Charles and Queen Camilla wound their way south in the direction of the Jurassic Coast. They made a public stop at a brewery founded in 1777 situated at postal code DT11 9LS.
“Reuters” pictured the Royal Couple stationed behind a bar stocked with Badger brands including a bottle of “Ale to the King”. However the King elected to sample a pint drawn from a cask of Fursty Ferret. The brewer’s website informs its alcohol content is 3.4%, and the concoction is “named after a real ferret…with a mischievous reputation”. Apparently the creature had gone by an unspecified latin name allegedly meaning ‘little thief’. If indeed it went by Furunculus the Ferret then one hopes it was not mistaken as being a skin infection. (This is not medical advice.)
ALVIN TOFFLER – FUTURE SHOCK (1970)
Chapter 12. THE ORIGINS OF OVERCHOICE
Chapter 16. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSION
THE OVERSTIMULATED INDIVIDUAL
BOMBARDMENT OF THE SENSES
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
DECISION STRESS
VICTIMS OF FUTURE SHOCK
THE FUTURE-SHOCKED SOCIETY
Man o mano shevitz youse Peeps are “killing me”, goodness sakes.
ABC – Always Be Closing.
Not only does this “closing” practice/exercise consolidate all the Information contained in your current Session/Situation, but,
the Closing Exercise is also an actual closing of the NRG membrane/shield in Ure Brain pan.
I do not have adequate vocabulary/language skills to better define the exercise/practice or mechanism of action.
There is even an Accessory Closing that can be performed when a regular Closing just isnt enough to handle/process all the super refined Qi of a Master or some other powerful Being or Event.
Underneath of all of this is the corruption/corrupted NRG-DNA for many, many Humans. We can thank the adversary of the “Garden” for the “cockroach” DNA infecting so many of us.
*Shame Lord Osiris didnt Dip his “Pen” in more company Ink, mostly in Inanna, who produced 2 hidden Sons – Daboo- known as Anubis, Reusem.
His Son by ISIS, after his MURDER – the immortal Falcon Heru, rhymes with HERO – thats his Eye destroyed by metal tipped whip of the “adversary” – known today as Wedjat Eye of Horace.
Lost it in legendary Fight/Battle with Enlil/Set/Setes, his ancient uncle. Heru’s weapon, a very specially “designed” Green Crystal. Activated -NRGized by your own Internal QI – making an External Qi “weapon” that cuts thru just about anything, except “star iron”, no idea why.
“D. J. Trump fired a newly court-appointed U.S. attorney in Seattle shortly after his appointment. (Maybe he will skip another “Deals” book and work on an HR manual next?)”
well ol slo joe bribems wrote a book,, is he even aware of it?, could have let me title it,,’Pardoned me Boy’, as his train has left the station already, he should have read ure column about all timers disEASE
as to too many choices and brain overload, the George Carlin covered it pretty well,,,”George Carlin: The Illusion of Choice”
“George Carlin on Freedom of Choice”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt49DsfKDMc
Olathe,,,, kansas city and omaha, regularly bounce my parcels back and forth like BB players, within each metro area regional/sorting centers USPS.
I prefer using UPS
Peter Grandich: I was hardly alone in believing Biden—and whoever was truly in control late in his administration—was the worst ever. Although I am not part of MAGA, despite being married to someone who is, I genuinely hoped Trump might turn things around or at least keep bad situations from getting worse. He did accomplish a few things, including halting the immigration invasion for now, but he may ultimately rival or even surpass Biden. I don’t have TDS; I still believe I have a realistic mindset; thanks be to God. And the day after Election Day, we may find ourselves worse off than before.
When I started as a stockbroker in March 1984, my sales manager told me that success required avoiding three subjects:
1 – Politics
2 – Religion
3 – Other men’s wives
I broke the first two rules long ago, even though most people in financial services avoid saying what they truly believe. Instead, they say what they think others want to hear—and it sells.
I know some readers will dislike this commentary, but I have held nothing back. What you see is what you get.
https://petergrandich.com/from-bad-to-worst-with-no-real-hope-in-sight/
Too many times to count, the USPS routed through Des Moines (or any Iowa station, come to think of it) gets sucked into a circular wormhole void from there to Indianapolis for a couple of weeks before being flung like ocean detritus towards southern Indiana. Occasionally, it’ll fling it towards Denver before realizing that is the wrong direction. Amazon can be a crapshoot because of this.
Thank one of Trump’s largest donors for your postal delays:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/10/politics/louis-dejoy-trump-rnc-donation
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who has faced intense scrutiny from Democrats over changes he has made to the US Postal Service, donated more than $685,000 to the host committee that worked to stage the Republican National Convention, new filings show.
DeJoy, a North Carolina businessman and Republican mega-donor, was the lead fundraiser for the convention before he was tapped to lead the USPS. DeJoy’s relationship with President Donald Trump, along with the President’s repeated false claims that mail-in voting is rife with fraud, has sparked allegations that the administration is using the nation’s mail system to sway the election. DeJoy has denied the allegations.
George,
Dallas has no corner on the market for stupidity. In Tennessee, the regional distribution point is Memphis. If I were to mail a letter to the next town over (which is 8 miles), it goes to Memphis before coming back. Bear in mind that this town is next in line for the postal carrier to pick up from my locality, but it can’t stop there. It goes 130 miles in the wrong direction; before returning, provide the highly skilled personnel do not lose it.
FedEx is no better. Memphis is the world headquarters for FedEx; but if a parcel gets to Memphis and does no leave within 24 hours, you can kiss it Goodbye.
Shreveport is as bad or worse. I call it the USPS Travel Agency for Wayward Packages. They’ll go anywhere but where the address label specifies. Post Office Ping Pong at its finest.
TSMC pledges another $100 billion to expand US chipmaking.
I have a question. Who is writing all the software for these new and improved A.I. chips ??
AI itself! (of course…) As I said in the recent PN – what has our attention now is who’s going banko when the money doesn’t show up (it ought to be mid depression by then) when the AI frenzy build passes and actual cashflow is needed. At $21 a month per user….
Hey George,
I love your follow-up commentary on the Phil Trout method! Streamlining input/optimizing results. If only you could Trout-ify the Postal Service logistics. Hmmm, could it be a new project for your AI pals?
Not enough processing power in this sector of the galaxy, it would appear…
“Trump primetime speech”
Perhaps Trump will explain the sad, sad Chinese interference during the 2020 election. Declare the interference an act of war canceling all future elections until further notice. Then he’ll spend the next 58 minutes telling us how great he is and because of his greatness America is great again. And the promised factories will break ground, next quarter…..
Ahoy. Rough water behind us (being Nurse Ratchet with sister in Indy).
I went for a swim before and after. This morning Mrs. E rolled out in her bikini so we are wet and in repair. I come to decide our doing (free) best efforts transport … it’s not ideal. Hmm …
Chill yet anxious lake day before, another after, a galactic payback? More please.
Markets are puking on select Generals. All the Gens. either go away or counter. Look at IBM. Look at Micron. These fractures are all part of price discovery. You can’t value nothing. Many Zombies have it nailed. Or, did. No kidding … things are breaking. Bessent had yield curve control working … until the market was bigger than Treasury. Now new lines of defense? Yep.
ATL : trying to do nothing. It’s my best thing. It’s scorching but our yard rides above stable water level (governed by an outflow dam). Good yard grass can send roots down 6′ so, if what I have can’t reach 12-18″ its not good enough. Or I’ll water/please stand by/film at 11 (not really).
We are reeling from storm rebuild but, possibly of interest to the mystics here, I have been served (3) weird Apparition. Possibly it’s worth sharing one or two. One I am haunted by and think *to* me alone (supe-not-rational, no-rationale. Woowoo-land).
Always, Egor
~~ /) /) ~~~
You, dear Admiral are a genius of modern Urban Economic Reality. Ought to talk to those crupto clowns.
“You can’t value nothing.”
There is no care here except the wind be down and the rain be gone between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00. Tide’s good and after three whacko days in the boat yard it’s time to float again. Then it’s back to the dirt home and nap time.
Basically it’s all down to that. Nothing else is important.
Three days in the yard definitely reminded me what parts are getting older. On the boat too.
Stiks
Hah! You think YOU have postal problems? Every single ‘Ground Advantage’ shipment to Hawaii takes 30-45 days to arrive. There is a black hole at 94804 San Francisco. I have a previously unannounced arrival coming in today… Surprise!… after only 30 days. Read the list from bottom up:
=============
Estimated Delivery date Updated to Jul 16. [Of Course!]
Thu, Jul 16 8:30am
Out for Delivery, Expected Delivery by 9:00pm
PAHOA, HI 96778
Thu, Jul 16 8:19am
Arrived at Post Office
PAHOA, HI 96778
[Tracking just ends here. Delivery date becomes a lie. Until suddenly… after 30 days in the BLACK HOLE of 94804, it gets thru Honolulu untracked and ‘Presto’!…]
Thu, Jul 2 12:00am
In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving On Time
Wed, Jul 1 12:00am
In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving On Time
Tue, Jun 30 12:00am
In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving On Time
Mon, Jun 29 12:00am
In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving On Time
Sun, Jun 28 12:43pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
SAN FRANCISCO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 94804
Sat, Jun 27 11:06am
PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
SAN FRANCISCO CA DISTRIBUTION C, 94804
Sat, Jun 27 11:06am
Estimated delivery date updated to Thu, Jul 9
Sat, Jun 27 8:12am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
SAN FRANCISCO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 94804
Fri, Jun 26
11:20pm In Transit, Arriving On Time
Fri, Jun 26 10:58am
In Transit, Arriving On Time
Thu, Jun 25 11:48pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
NORTH HOUSTON TX DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 77315
Thu, Jun 25 10:36am
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
NORTH HOUSTON TX DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 77315
Wed, Jun 24 7:11pm
Departed Post Office
HOUSTON, TX 77064
Wed, Jun 24 4:25pm
USPS picked up item
HOUSTON, TX 77064
[How it got from Georgia to pickup in Houston is not specified]
Wed, Jun 17 5:39am
PRE-SHIPMENT INFO SENT USPS AWAITS ITEM
TUCKER, GA 30084
Wed, Jun 17 4:57am
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item TUCKER, GA 30084
Wed, Jun 17 1:57am Tracking number provided
=======================
I believe what happens is that SanFrancisco throws these packages into a container and then collects them until the container is full. Then the container goes on a slow boat to Honolulu, another week transit time. Honolulu unloads these containers at their leisure after all other work is done, and there is no tracking done there. Packages just suddenly appear at the destination Post Office, the estimated delivery date is updated to THAT DAY, and all is good.
Hank,
Why are you left-handed?
https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-am-i-left-handed-20260713/
“Why are you left-handed?”
How did you know? What gave me away?
Now you’ve opened a can of worms. Lifelong friend ( who became a Registered EEG technologist) and I have studied consciousness and brains in particular. One thing that has been shown (the article touched on it) is that we ‘lefties’ (or mixed-usage) have a larger nerve bundle between halves of the brain…. greater inter-cortical communication is inferred. This accounts for dyslexia and other left-right confusion also.
Now the genetic anomaly… it’s a racial thing. Individuals of mixed Asian & Caucasian heritage have the highest percentage of this brain adaptation & lefty-ness of any group studied. Now living in the melting pot of Hawaii, where that genetic mix is common, I have encountered the most left-handed individuals of anywhere I have been. “Hapa”, or ‘half’ in Hawaiian, people here are among the most intelligent humans I have encountered anywhere.
The most perfectly ambidextrous person I know is a fellow broadcast engineer that I worked with. He can sign his name in script… backwards… AND he can do this with either hand! I always had to check his work, though. He could wire a terminal strip completely backwards without realizing his error.
Me? I have a small amount of ‘native american’… which is genetically ‘Asian’… along with my French & Germanic genes. I got lucky. I am the only lefty, and the smartest one among my siblings.
When my mother was teaching me to print the alphabet at age 4… before schooling… I was doing it with either hand. I asked her which hand I should use. She told me to use which ever hand felt best. I settled on my left hand for writing. Bless her for her acceptance.
So that’s why I’m left-handed.
My parents told me when I was a child they kept putting the fork in my right hand, but I immediately put it in my left hand. They said they tried for a long time to convert me to right-handed, but finally they gave up.
For those who caught the volcano eruption I posted yesterday, those lava fountains were measured at 950 feet high… just for reference. That was episode 51 of the ongoing eruption sequence at the summit crater. It has been doing that every several weeks since last year.
And George, your copper ground rod idea would have melted. The lava is hotter than copper melting point. Probably would have increased the local spot ground conductivity, though.
And if you had enough copper to infuse the whole rollover of the (whatever its name was) undersaas run-off (on its way to boiling the Pacific and giving California and iron shore beach – well THAT would have been one hell of a counterpoise!