Cool and moist, partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Probably. Yesterday had some clouds, and some of them looked pretty ugly, but we never got any rain. We got a lot of wind though.
I was partly successful working my list. I did get my two pickups done. Some stuff for the house and the BOL, mostly. Spent far too long driving near the mall, traffic was heavy around the mall. I thought it would be easier because I was going to a freestanding store, but when I finally got there, they no longer carry what I went there for. There is a store in the mall that does, and since it’s something from W’s list, I guess I’ll be going to the mall today. SO didn’t want to do that. And now I have to do it on Christmas Eve.
That is the main task for the day. Secondary is to get all my gifts wrapped. It would be nice not to be wrapping right up until we start opening gifts. Yeah, I had time before, if I just did it. But I didn’t. It’s one thing I always procrastinate.
I buy gifts throughout the year, but don’t make final decisions on GIVING them until I wrap them. Both kids have birthdays in a few months, so I can push stuff until then too.
Anyway, today will be last minute stuff that I’d normally abhor as a prepper. I don’t do last minute. Until I do.
May all the peace and joy of the season find you.
nick
(and may your gifts add to your stacks)
Beau … Beau … Beau graduated Syracuse Law, like the old man, while Hunter completed law school at Yale after a year at Georgetown.
Consigliere. Robert Duvall’s character in the first two “Godfather” movies, the adopted son whose role is analagous to Joe Gargan’s place in the Kennedy clan.
Keeping with the eerie parallels between art and real life, Corleones and Kennedys, Gargan fell out of favor with the family in the late 80s. In “Godfather III”, George Hamilton replaced Robert Duvall when Duvall opted not to return to the series.
“Chappaquiddick” has Joe Gargan rowing Uncle Ted back to Edgartown after the incident where the official account given to the police was that Kennedy swam back to Martha’s Vineyard.
(The stretch of water in question is the route of the ferry seen in “Jaws”. I don’t think that is a coincidence on Speilberg’s part. The Beard was not always a member of the establishment and still a hungry young director in the mid 70s.)
By the late 80s, Gargan grew increasingly uncomfortable with the lies and let slip that the Kennedy fixers gave serious thought to putting the dead girl behind the wheel of the car, another story thread picked up in the movie.
Ed Helms is very good as Gargan in “Chappaquiddick” BTW. That may have cost him a career outside of possible revivals of “The Office”, but Jim Gaffigan’s appearance as Kennedy fixer US Attorney (!) Paul Markham hasn’t seemed to hurt his standing with Hollywood.
It’s a big club and you ain’t in it.
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Up, with yesterday’s coffee in the mug. It was in the fridge, so it’s drinkable. So much better than no coffee.
Checking that the thing I need to buy is at the store near me… because going to the mall and not getting it would be teh sux.
n
I’d back a crowdsourcing campaign to remaster these ST shows.
I binged Enterprise and am now on NCIS: New Orleans to see Scott Bakula.
Bakula was a lead voice in “Cats Don’t Dance”, which is on my server.
Bakula’s best work is the original “Quantum Leap”. That should be a priority. The BluRay set is beautiful and does the series justice.
Many of the same crew on worked with Bakula on “NCIS: New Orleans” since both are Bellisarius Productions, and “Quantum Leap” was established as being in the same storytelling universe as “NCIS” and its spinoffs.
The accent does get less obnoxious on “New Orleans” as the first season goes on, and Bakula’s real life wife, Chelsea Field, shows up as his girlfriend in later seasons.
As of April, the “NCIS: New Orleans” HQ exterior was still intact, just a block north of The Vampire Cafe, two blocks from Muriels, in the French Quarter. The Tru Tone is a bit out of downtown.
If you really need lunch/dinner, however, I’d suggest Royal House. That’s probably about as close as you will get to Sisko’s for about 300 years or so. 🙂
Didya catch that the “Lower Decks” finale erased all of the other recent “Star Trek” shows from the main storytelling universe canon in less than 10 seconds? Only “Those Old Scientists” from “Strange New Worlds” escaped since it is a crossover episode.
Watch “What We Left Behind” if you want to see a taste of what DS9 would look like remastered.
Just ignore the Trump bashing from Ira Steven Behr.
Really, Ira?
Even if Paramount wasn’t a dumpster fire right now, I doubt a remaster would be something the studio could justify without physical media sales once again being a big part of Hollywood’s revenue stream.
Trump broke Hollywood.
The “Sacrifice of Angels” battle scenes are cool, but take a close look at Nana Visitor’s costume in the filmed sequences with the actors in the newly digitized clips. A lot of detailed work went into DS9.
DS9 and Voyager were filmed. The big expense of a remaster would be the special effects shots.
The Parker Solar Probe is making it’s closest approach to the Sun today:
https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasas-parker-solar-probe-completes-historic-christmas-eve-flyby-of-the-sun-but-it-could-take-days-to-know-if-it-survived
I must say, clever of them to chose mid-winter.
Yup, I’m somewhat unfulfilled by the finale.
I have this on my server along with DS9. I listen to James Darren because of DS9.
It’s one of those curiosities of our calendar and the physical universe, but our northern hemisphere “winter” happens when the Earth is CLOSER to the Sun. Earth’s perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) will be on January 4, while the aphelion (farthest distance from the Sun) will occur on July 5. Those dates vary a day or two either way depending on the cycle of leap years in the calendar.
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/perihelion-aphelion-solstice.html
Good Lord, I have to agree with Obama on something. “Anora” is a very good film.
https://x.com/BarackObama/status/1870210627639083270
Darren gives a very good interview in “What We Left Behind”.
I don’t want to spoil anything. He loved playing that character.
@Lynn air rifle is .22 and the club has a dive tank that I can refill the gun from. I also have a stirrup pump that I can use to refill it if I fancy a bit of exercise. Rifle is new so haven’t had to mess with any seals yet, making sure I keep the seals on the filling probe greased with ‘molly grease’ though.
Cool ! There was an article in American Rifleman recently about hunting in Africa with .60 caliber air rifles. The article claimed that the rifles were more powerful than a Remington Magnum .458. Of course I cannot find the article but this is close.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/5-hot-new-airguns-for-2023/
Up, with yesterday’s coffee in the mug. It was in the fridge, so it’s drinkable. So much better than no coffee.
Yesterday was a tough day. Woke up with heart running 90 to 120 bpm. Shades of my old atrial fibrillation tachycardia except that was 150 to 250 bpm. Tried to take my bp with my Omron but tachycardia does not allow that. I ate breakfast and took my new normal 25 mg/day bp medicine. No effect so I took a second bp pill. That solved the problem after an hour and got me back into rhythm.
I need to find a cardiologist nearby is on my crappy Obolacare. Or else go to my old cardiologist in the Houston med center and pay retail ($300+ per visit). I really want to go to my electrocardiologist in the med center who did my 2018 heart double ablation and see if just need to go back to my 50 mg/day Metoprolol or we need to do another ablation (I do not want to do this !).
Heart problems suck.
I lived large and had two large cups of coffee today. I am not suppose to have caffeine but, screw it.
“Rand Paul’s Festivus Report Exposes Fauci’s NIH Wasting Taxpayer’s Money on Barbaric Cat Experiments with Electroshock and Brain Mutilation”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/rand-pauls-festivus-report-exposes-faucis-nih-wasting/
So Fauci is a cat torturer also. Why am I not surprised ?
“US Fighter Jet Shot Down Over Red Sea In Disastrous ‘Friendly Fire’ Incident”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-fighter-jet-shot-down-over-red-sea-disastrous-friendly-fire-incident
Oops. Bad things happen in the heat of battle.
My former Navy fighter pilot uncle told me a couple of years ago that he would never eject unless he absolutely had to. The cockpit of the A4 was 24 inches wide and his shoulders were 28 inches wide. He was going to try to pick which shoulder to save.
While D1 and I were at the Fun Store fingering all the goods, it poured down rain from a clear sky with the sun shining… Then it stopped.
We hit the HEB for some baking supplies (and the select ribeye roast that was $5/lb yesterday is $14/lb today) and veg for dinner. I didn’t need anything but a pie and some vanilla ice cream won’t go amiss… and the missus wanted her parchment paper.
The mall wasn ‘t crowded. And it’s very much an immigrant thing. VERY few white faces. Maybe 1 in 20 or 1 in 40 despite the mall being in a very affluent and white area. White people have given up on the mall, but it’s still a palace full of treasure to most of the world.
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big thunder just now and it looks like we may get some more rain. Bummer.
b
In more uplifting news, the infamously derelict train station in Detroit, the Michigan Central Station, has been restored:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/detroiters-have-a-newly-restored-michigan-central-station-to-be-thankful-for-this-holiday-season-180985739/
Gorgeous.
The ‘Murcan Mengele needs grilling by Congress and imprisonment.
His pardon has been signed since the Wednesday after the election.
Rand Paul will get a couple of days of testimony, but that will be it.
Lynn, hoping that all will return to normal quickly. Tachycardia is no fun.
Taking advantage of the time zones to wish you all a happy and blessed feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, and of course, best wishes and good will also to those who do not celebrate Christmas.
My cousins were sharing photos of their Christmas cribs, and it turns out that my late father built many of them as gifts for the cousins’ first Christmases in their own homes, which I had not known. He had a habit of doing people kindnesses in ways that no one else ever heard about. At his funeral, all kinds of people told me of the good things he had done for them and he had never spoken of. He was a gentle, humble and saintly man, and both he and my late mother had a great devotion to the infant Jesus. I like to think that they now participate in the heavenly hosts praising His birth.
His taxpayer-funded security detail has been pulled:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/12/anthony_fauci_loses_15_million_taxpayer_funded_security_detail.html
$15 million over two years vs. estimated $11 million net worth. Maybe expatriating and plastic surgery is the best option., although the “where’s Fauci and what does he look like now” websites would make it useless.
My hope is that no one lays a finger on him or his family, just harries them to a dismal death.
Report this morning that yesterday’s ID on the woman murdered by fire in the New York subway was false. Why are the authorities playing games with the ID?
Out: Dark Energy
IN: Lumpy Expansion
https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/research-highlights/dark-energy-doesnt-exist-so-cant-be-pushing-lumpy-universe-apart
Robert Frost was right
Unemployed astrophysicists line forms on the right.
Fred Hoyle is having the last laught.
“Ancient Music”
Winter is icumen in,
Lhude sing Goddamm,
Raineth drop and staineth slop,
And how the wind doth ramm!
Sing: Goddamm.
Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us,
An ague hath my ham.
Freezeth river, turneth liver,
Damm you; Sing: Goddamm.
Goddamm, Goddamm, ’tis why I am, Goddamm,
So ‘gainst the winter’s balm.
Sing goddamm, damm, sing goddamm,
Sing goddamm, sing goddamm, DAMM.
Ezra Pound
Winter arrived in Toronto yesterday. Made my foray to Princess Margaret Hospital extremely unpleasant. I had CT simulation to set up the target for course of radiation treatments in the new year. In spite of the comments here about Canadian healthcare it is a good as the American system, at least for critical issues. If they are not critical, the wait can become infinite. But then, if you have the money or insurance you can always go elsewhere, out of the country. I have been well served by the system. I turned eighty last Halloween and without the care I’ve received in the five years I would either be dead or in palliative care at a hospice.
It’s not cheap. I’ve been paying for this “free” healthcare all my life but I can say that I have gotten my money’s worth.
But for something different:
Peace on earth to men of good will … and a merry Christmas (or something else of your choosing) to everyone!
Rolf (from Canukistan)
@ Rolf, best wishes for a successful treatment and full recovery….
and thank you for the Christmas wishes.
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I’m wrapping my last present for tonight, when it comes out of the jewelry cleaner. Then it’s dinner (pork ribs on the grill) and presents!
Some presents tonight, some tomorrow. My family did family gifts Christmas Eve, Santa and other gifts in the morning. My wife’s family did a couple of non-immediate family gifts on the Eve, but most in the morning. It’s been a point of contention, even though it surely shouldn’t be.
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We didn’t get more rain yet, but some places got huge hail, and we’re forecast for a storm tonight.
I didn’t set up my fake snow machine, as it’s mostly a sort of soap and wouldn’t do well in the rain or wet.
Dinner soon, then unleash the hounds….
n
There are lots of places Fauci could hide in the US to live out his remaining days among like-minded people who would protect him.
When we went to IKEA this week, half the staff in the Round Rock (Austin) store were running around in face masks, proudly displaying their party loyalty … or insanity … probably both.
BTW, something is “off” about IKEA as of late. If places like Bed, Bath & Beyond and The Container Store are in trouble, IKEA can’t be far behind.
United rejected payment for my routine annual bloodwork after they spent the last five months thinking about it.
Fortunately, I didn’t need anything significant this year, but next year might be a different story.
BTW, something is “off” about IKEA as of late. If places like Bed, Bath & Beyond and The Container Store are in trouble, IKEA can’t be far behind.
IKEA is primarily a furniture store. Home goods is secondary to it. That may keep them above water.
@lynn, while at the fun store I looked at the M&P Shield EZ that is specifically designed for weaker hands. Has a grip safety and the slide is shockingly easy to rack. Might be something to at least look at. D1 was looking at wheel gubs….
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we still haven’t gotten any rain here, but the radar looks like north of us is getting hammered.
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we opened a few gifts after dinner. So far so good, no duds.
n
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/store-closures/article-14222669/party-city-bankruptcy-huge-twist-worthless-tat.html
But but but, the gov says inflation is down, and wasn’t all that bad anyway…
/sarc
n
Didn’t believe it the first time I read it. but there is video and picture evidence.
It hasn’t escaped attention that someone who DID step in and help on the subway was prosecuted for doing so.
n
Nick: I bought an M&P Shields pistol a couple of years ago, and it was impossible to pull back the slide. I took it to a local range, and asked “Is there a trick to pulling back the slide?” The guy at the range said “No, it’s easy, just grab it like this and …. ” and he couldn’t pull it back either. Then he said “It’s defective; send it back to S&W.” So I did, and got it back a couple of months later, and it was MARGINALLY easier.
I took it to another range, and the range guy said “It just needs to be broken in. A few thousand rounds, and it’ll be easy to rack.” I’m 74, and I’m not going to be getting any stronger in the near future.
I mentioned this to my brother and he offered to buy me a new Shields EZ, if I’d give him the Shields. So now my brother has the Shields, and I have the EZ, and I don’t have ANY problem pulling the slide back. And the next week, he won a new Glock from a police department raffle.
@ken, I was shocked how easy racking was with the EZ, nothing like my normal Shield. Two fingers pinching and I didn’t even have to grip hard.
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Rain just started crashing down, then backed off a bit. Still raining, but not slamming down. I think we’ll get more slamming soon.
n
Yes, the EZ was …. “easy”. But then, I’d tried MANY times to rack my original Shields, and I could barely do it. It’s amazing, and frightening, how weak I’ve gotten in the last few years. I had purchased the Shields to be an EDC pistol, and it was obviously not suitable for that purpose, for this person. Since then, I have also purchased a Taurus G3, which was relatively easy to rack, and I’m using THAT as my EDC piece. Not only was the slide much easier to pull back, but the 17 round capacity and a reasonably priced Veridian laser sight were definitely pluses when compared even with the EZ, with its 8-round magazine.
64F, raining, and it sounds like a bad night in Bosnia out there. Tons of fireworks and celebratory gunfire. In a rainstorm. Nuts.
I’m going to bed.
n
@lynn, while at the fun store I looked at the M&P Shield EZ that is specifically designed for weaker hands. Has a grip safety and the slide is shockingly easy to rack. Might be something to at least look at. D1 was looking at wheel gubs….
I love my wheel gubs. Josey Wales carried four of them, two Army Colt .44s and two Navy Colt .36s. I’ve got quite a few, about a dozen of several calibers: .22, .38 special +P / .357 magnum, .44 special, and .44 special / .44 magnum.
I’ve been thinking about buying a .45 ACP S&W model 625 but they were discontinued in 2021.
@lynn, while at the fun store I looked at the M&P Shield EZ that is specifically designed for weaker hands. Has a grip safety and the slide is shockingly easy to rack. Might be something to at least look at. D1 was looking at wheel gubs….
Was that a 9mm or .380 ?
My small EDC is a S&W model 360 Chief’s Special .357 five round.
https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/model-360-pd
My large EDC is a Ruger GP100 .357 seven round.
https://ruger.com/products/gp100/specSheets/1774.html
64F, raining, and it sounds like a bad night in Bosnia out there. Tons of fireworks and celebratory gunfire. In a rainstorm. Nuts.
You need to move. Celebratory gunfire is bad news. What goes up will come down.
“The Bork Of Christmas” by Sarah Hoyt
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2024/12/24/the-bork-of-christmas/
Cute story.
We took Lady, our Cocker Spaniel, in to see my wife’s father in the nursing home a couple of times. The staff never said anything. She would jump up in the hospital bed and lay there with him for hours. He loved dogs.