I'm posting this now before I head out for a ride on this beautiful day (at least, weather-wise). 

This morning I actually remembered to put out flags along our front fence as I occasionally do on appropriate holidays. A little while ago, my daughter came home asked why I did, as we all agree in this house that our country is almost a source of embarrassment now. I made the argument that I could be ashamed of where we are now, but still be proud of what was done in 1776.

But it made me think. Could my displayed flags be interpreted as an endorsement of the sh!t that's being done to his country now? If I could find some, I'd consider alternating the American flags with a "No Kings" flag. Or maybe a big No Kings flag in front of the fence. Am I missing an opportunity?

Are any other members here displaying flags this Independence Day?

It is always a pleasure to read meaningful and reasoned messages on this forum, because they are the ones that move us forward in finding answers to our questions. Sometimes significant practical experience is combined with unusual ideas, and this makes communication even more valuable.
Of course, each of us strives to ensure that his equipment works as reliably and efficiently as possible. And then it is worth remembering about high-quality Hydraulic Lines for attachments, which can not only increase productivity, but also make maintenance of equipment easier and safer.

Howdy all! Good to see the forum back! I've been trying to get back on the forum with my old user name for a few days but have had no luck. I changed my old password and got a confirmation by email but when I try to log in I get this message: "Authorization code mismatch. Are you accessing this function correctly? Please go back and try again." I wasn't able to send an email through the Contact Us link so I created a new user which at first wasn't working but now is.

If Troy or anyone else working on the forum sees this, can you please authorize my original username, JoeM to work now or allow it however it needs to be done?

Thanks!

JoeM (the old guy with the doggie in his sig)

WTF? I can't be the only one who had this email from the SSA waiting in my Inbox this morning.

Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors

Admittedly, I didn't read all 887 pages of the bill (okay, I read hardly any.) But I don't even remember hearing anything about this...

...provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.

I haven't yet determined whether I'm one of the "most beneficiaries", but if so, that might be one thing I could tolerate in this One Big Beastly Bill.

....the movie 'Sinners' hits Max.....

....all the 4th of July events on TV.....

.....Twilight Zone marathon.....Nathans hot dog eating contest [ Joey Chestnut returns this year ]....


3:00 AM
on Max
Sinners
Twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover a great evil is waiting to welcome them back; Hailee Steinfeld co-stars.

5:00 AM
on Syfy
The Twilight Zone Marathon [ THROUGH SATURDAY AT 9 AM ]
Syfy‘s marathon runs through Saturday morning, while H&I keeps the Rod Serling classic going through the holiday weekend.

12:00 PM
on ESPN2
Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
Sixteen-time champ Joey Chestnut returns to the men’s competition after a one-year ban. (The women’s contest takes place at 10:45 am on ESPN3.)

7:00 PM
on CNN
The Fourth in America [ 4 hours ]
Noah Kahan, Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley, Sting, Nelly, Counting Crows, Timbaland, The Fray, CAKE, Sublime, JoJo, Kaskade, 4 Non Blondes, Ashley McBryde, The War and Treaty, I Love the 90’s Tour with Vanilla Ice, Young MC, Rob Base and Tone Loc, B.o.B, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and The United States Air Force Band perform; Dana Bash, Boris Sanchez, Victor Blackwell and Sara Sidner host.

8:00 PM
on PBS
90 MINUTES
A Capitol Fourth [ 90 minutes ]
The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Josh Turner, Lauren Daigle, Trombone Shorty, Yolanda Adams, LOCASH, Abi Carter, and Jack Everly and the National Symphony Orchestra perform; Alfonso Ribeiro hosts.

on NBC
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks [ 2 hours ]
Jonas Brothers, Eric Church, Lenny Kravitz, Ava Max, Keke Palmer and Trisha Yearwood perform; Ariana DeBose hosts and performs.

9:00 PM
on The CW [ 1 hour ]
The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular
Keith Lockhart leads the Boston Pops orchestra with guest-performers LeAnn Rimes, Leslie Odom Jr., Bell Biv DeVoe and more.

Reset my password again and got in! Yay!! Now let the fun begin!!!

Jerry®

Hey everyone! I’m thrilled to share that I’ve just wrapped up editing, illustrating, and designing my mom’s book of poetry — and what a fun, meaningful project it's been!

We’re publishing it through Barnes & Noble Press, and as soon as they approve the final proof, I’ll share the link so you can check it out.

The book is nearly 200 pages, featuring around 60 original poems, plus a special section in the back with scans of my mom’s handwritten manuscripts — I really wanted to preserve her original voice and touch. ❤️

I also did all the illustrations and layout, which made the process even more personal and rewarding. It’s been a labor of love from start to finish, and I can't wait to hold it in my hands (and maybe sneak it into a few holiday stockings this year ?).

Here's a peek at the front and back cover ⬇️

Thanks to everyone who cheered me on along the way — and stay tuned for the link!

Circling back to our chat from before, I think I had something on that, it’s small, but might fit.]
Sorta related, I had something saved, this part might be related, thought I’d share.

I made a new user account (see Left) and compared folders with my normal user account (Right).

I tried to use the same names, but obviously the description and the icons are different.
See on the left 5 folders that cannot be removed. On the right I had only 1, but when I created a few more, now I get 3 that cannot be removed and they do not match the left side. I can add more folder and remove folders, but now I am stuck with those 3, only Inbox make senses, the rest have the wrong icon and the wrong description.

No idea why this happens, only speculation is that imported users had some default folders and new users have other folders.

Blisters? I'm not sure that's the right word, but it's a small raised bump on the surface.

This is our kitchen table; bought during the great COVID supply chain shortage. It was overpriced and low quality.

Our kid came home from school and left a wet umbrella on the table. By the time Mom got home two hours later, the damage was done. It looks like the veneer, or maybe the particle board underneath, absorbed water and swelled.

What can I do?

I'm tempted to try a hot iron. I’ve heard you can fix wood dents with steam, but in this case, the damage is from moisture expanding the material. I’m not sure if heat can reverse that, maybe it’ll dry it out and make the bumps less noticeable?

Aside from just living with it, does anyone have any suggestions?