Mon. Aug. 11, 2025 – home sweat home…

By on August 11th, 2025 in culture, decline and fall

Hot and humid. Again and still. Here in Houston too. We did get some thunder but no rain at the BOL yesterday afternoon. It seems to be like my house here, weather often swerves around us. Beautiful sunset and huge orange moon rising…

I got a bunch of stuff done. And some stuff started. Mowed the lawn. Seeded the bare dirt and sprinkled it in. Cleaned up leftover dirt and debris in the driveway. Powerwashed the rental machines. Powerwashed the house, the roof, and the garage door. The roof is white metal corrugated roofing and it was looking shabby. I only had time to do the side facing the street, but what a difference. I’ll have to do it all now. Then it was ‘leaving the BOL’ list… and home.

Today I’ve got a list to do here. Because of course I do. It’s long too. Kids start school Wednesday, so there will be some getting ready for that too. I’m sure that they’ve forgotten something critical. You always do.

Stack, plan, help, build, repair, reuse, rejoice.

nick

33 Comments and discussion on "Mon. Aug. 11, 2025 – home sweat home…"

  1. Greg Norton says:

    >>Sling is similarly crippled so we dropped that as the price started to head towards what we paid for basic cable. 

    One of the classic commercials: https://youtu.be/CoXoErAkles?si=yc8U1JhpDsL-FIUa

    Yeah, they used to be a lot more open about the agenda.

    It looks like The Mouse was premature about announcing the big NFL deal this weekend, but the source of the power and profit from ownership of ESPN is the NCAA football/basketball packages.

    Don’t ever suggest to a college sports fan that they should cover the full costs of the weekly nationwide feed for their beloved Golden Woodchucks, win or lose (mostly lose).

  2. Nick Flandrey says:

    Up and moving, albeit slowly.   Wretched pain on one side of my lower back, probably due to all the powerwashing yesterday, which had me in weird positions for hours.    It’s really just the same base issue aggravated.

    I’ll definitely need to hit the chiropractor today.

    Sunny day.   Mug of tea in my hand.   Breakfast and coffee later.

    Dunno how hot, but it’s probably pretty hot.

    n

  3. Ray Thompson says:

    Damn Xfinity, ESPN, whomever. $32.00 a month for sports fee on Xfinity. $32 freaking dollars, $384 a year for something I don’t watch, don’t care about, and for me is worthless.

    Then add in the local broadcast fee of $18.00 a month. Multiply that by a million customers in the area, divided by the three local TV stations, that works out to $3 million a month per TV station. I doubt they are getting that much from Xfinity and Xfinity is probably pocketing $17.75 of that $18.00 fee into Xfinity’s coffers. After all, no one is auditing what Xfinity charges for these services and what Xfinity actually pays for those extra services.

    Xfinity, a bunch of scumbags.

  4. Greg Norton says:

    Damn Xfinity, ESPN, whomever. $32.00 a month for sports fee on Xfinity. $32 freaking dollars, $384 a year for something I don’t watch, don’t care about, and for me is worthless.

    All of the varsity athletes at the university are now eligible to be paid for playing, with a per school cap of $20 million/year.

    Someone will have to pay for that eventally.

  5. drwilliams says:

    Shares in Danish wind grifter Orsted plunge 27%

    https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2025/08/11/us-off-shore-wind-prospects-looking-even-shakier-with-rsted-surprise-this-morning-n3805709

    House of cards built on taxpayer subsidies and screwing ratepayers trembles mightily. 

  6. drwilliams says:

    Re: Xfinity

    A one-time investment of $20-40 for each tv gives you local channels (in some areas a mast on the roof and an external antenna) most of the time. That’s $60 per month for shiite you don’t use that increases the cost of the rest. 

    The numbers were cheaper 20 years ago when I said “no sale”. 

  7. Nick Flandrey says:

    especially ironic considering that local TV  insisted that cable companies HAD to carry them because they were worried that no one would watch OTA broadcasts.   

    Now it’s even more complicated.

    https://www.fcc.gov/media/cable-carriage-broadcast-stations 

    Q:  Why must my cable system carry so many broadcast stations?

    A:  The Communications Act requires cable operators to set aside a specified portion of their channels for local commercial and non-commercial television stations.  A cable operator with 12 or fewer channels must set aside up to three channels for local commercial television stations and at least one channel for a local noncommercial educational television broadcast station.  Cable operators with more than 12 channels must set aside one third of their channel capacity for local commercial stations.  Cable systems with between 13 and 36 channels must carry at least one, but need not carry more than three, local noncommercial educational television stations.  Cable systems with more than 36 channels must carry all local noncommercial educational television stations requesting carriage with some exceptions for duplication of signals.  Local television stations choosing the must-carry option and those that have negotiated agreements for retransmission with the cable system count towards this quota.

  8. Ray Thompson says:

    A one-time investment of $20-40 for each tv gives you local channels (in some areas a mast on the roof and an external antenna) most of the time

    Not here. I live in a valley with some hills between my location and the transmitter. I would need an antenna 75 feet tall, or higher, to receive the local stations.

    There is the streaming option, ROKU (I have two of them) but the interface really sucks for getting anything but ROKU’s preferred streaming partners. Google is not an option because of data brokering. Amazon is not really better. I suspect Xfinity is also sucking down my viewing habits and selling them to the highest bidder.

    insisted that cable companies HAD to carry them because they were worried that no one would watch OTA broadcasts

    And based on some of the local programming, especially the idiotic local news, that is probably true.

    My opinion is that if a commercial entity cannot support itself, it deserves to disappear. Local TV would fall in that category. Several local radio stations have found out the hard way that their current format is dying as their quality subsides. PBS is about to experience that same fate.

  9. MrAtoz says:

    There is the streaming option, ROKU (I have two of them) but the interface really sucks for getting anything but ROKU’s preferred streaming partners. Google is not an option because of data brokering. Amazon is not really better. I suspect Xfinity is also sucking down my viewing habits and selling them to the highest bidder.

    No Apple TV? You can probably find refurbs or EBay ones. I know you like to pinch the pennies. Tubi, Pluto, and YouTube get you a lot of content for free.

    Does your cell plan require the TV package? That’s a downside of cable provided cell.

  10. drwilliams says:

    @Ray Thompson

    A one-time investment of $20-40 for each tv gives you local channels (in some areas a mast on the roof and an external antenna) most of the time

    Not here. I live in a valley with some hills between my location and the transmitter. I would need an antenna 75 feet tall, or higher, to receive the local stations.

    The conditions for which the original CATV systems in the U.S. were created. I recall reading an article in Popular Science ca. 1968.

    If your area is like others, there is a contract with the city, and a citizens board with a bunch of parasites that are more concerned with getting freebies like a local government channel or two, use of studio facilities, etc., in addition to their own perks and bennies. 

    You probably know more about the biz than anyone on the board. Why not run for a seat or lobby for an appointment and advocate a reduction in OTA fees and an audit of the existing structure?

    ADDED:
    Audit to include viewer numbers, particularly of any government channels. That function is probably easily replaced with a live stream.

  11. drwilliams says:

    Trump Declares a Crime Emergency in Washington D.C.

    Under the authority vested in me as the President of the United States, I’m invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act—you know what that is—placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control

    U.S. Attorney General for DC Jeanine Pirro explained how DC leadership protects criminals:

    Here’s the problem. Assuming that they’re 17 years, older than 17 years old, I can’t get the case if they’re under 18 years of age. I can only get the case if it’s murder, rob[bery] one, rape, even if they shoot a gun, but don’t kill you, I can’t get it.

    So the law has to be changed, as the President said, cashless bail, that has to be changed. All right, then even assuming I get the case, I get jurisdiction, I get a conviction, the DC Council has given the judges the ability to give probation on shootings. And so then it’s up to them all of these things, the Youth Rehabilitation, Incarceration Reduction Act, and now they want to seal records.

    So if we work hard, we get a conviction, they want to wipe it out. So that needs all to be changed.

    Any one over twelve that commits a crime that includes use of a gun or other weapon, physical violence, or gang crime should be tried as an adult unless they have a previous medical finding of impairment.

    And when perps are 12-15, charges should be brought against the parents for negligence. Two findings of negligence and the children are removed from the parents, who are then removed from the benefits list: no welfare, no Section 8 housing, no SNAP (food stamps), etc. Anyone with children receiving those benefits should be informed in writing of those policies, and required to acknowledged understanding in writing. 

    And everyone convicted of a violent crime should have their DNA sampled, with all new adult entries run for filial matches against criminals, which then trigger an audit and charges for child support as appropriate.

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  12. SteveF says:

    Why not run for a seat or lobby for an appointment

    Nah, too much work. Ray’s a photographer. What he needs to do is invite all of the current board members to photo shoot. If they ask why the lens is the size of a 2L soda bottle and has a cooling unit, tell them that they’ve obviously never seen professional gear before. Then Ray presses the button and the concealed 1kW laser bzorps their heads clean off.

  13. drwilliams says:

    i can haz lazer bzorper to?

  14. drwilliams says:

    Justice for P’Nut and Fred: Couple Suing NY for Massive Amount After the Execution of Their Beloved Pets

    https://redstate.com/katie-jerkovich/2025/08/11/justice-for-pnut-and-fred-couple-suing-ny-for-massive-amount-after-the-execution-of-their-beloved-pets-n2192689

    Arrest everyone involved and perp walk them. Then, in an ironic twist, they attempt mass escape and several of the guards are bitten in the ensuing melee. Since no absolute determination can be made as to who bit who, it is decided that they all be decapitated and checked for rabies, after which they all plead the 5th and refuse to answer questions.

  15. Nick Flandrey says:

    Active shooter wearing Hawaiian shirt guns down four at Target in Austin

    By LAURA PARNABY, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

    Published: 16:18 EDT, 11 August 2025 | Updated: 16:21 EDT, 11 August 2025 

    Four people have been shot at a Target in Austin after the gunman, who was described as wearing a Hawaiian shirt, opened fire on shoppers. 

    The shooter is currently on the loose and the public have been warned to stay away from the store on Research Boulevard, Texas.

    Shots were fired just before 4pm ET at the Target, by a suspect described as a white man possibly wearing khaki shorts and a Hawaiian or floral shirt. 

    At least four people are being treated by medics at the scene, EMS confirmed.  

    Austin Police Department said in a statement: ‘APD Officers are responding to a shooting incident at the Target located at 8601 Research Boulevard. 

    ‘The suspect is still at large. The suspect is described as a White male. Possibly wearing khaki shorts, Hawaiian/floral shirt. 

  16. SteveF says:

    Now, when they say the suspect is White, do they mean White-White or Hispanic-but-we-call-him-White-for-reasons?

    As for “male”, who are they to assume zir gender?

  17. Greg Norton says:

    Active shooter wearing Hawaiian shirt guns down four at Target in Austin
     

    We were just in that parking lot on Saturday night.

  18. Greg Norton says:

    Now, when they say the suspect is White, do they mean White-White or Hispanic-but-we-call-him-White-for-reasons?

    As for “male”, who are they to assume zir gender?
     

    White Adjacent is a distinct possibility in that part of Austin due to the concentration of Asian business interests around the Target, including several karaoke bars and decent Chinese BBQ.

  19. Nick Flandrey says:

    What we know about the suspect

    The unidentified 32 year old suspect in Monday’s shooting was known to police and had a known mental health issue.

    Police say the suspect is white and has a prior criminal history. He was seen wearing a Hawaiian or floral shirt.

    It remains unclear what prompted the man to open fire outside of the Target at 2.15pm, killing three people.

    He then fled the scene in a vehicle, which he soon wrecked, before he hijacked a Volkswagen.

    The suspect is now in custody, though the charges against him are still

  20. Greg Norton says:

    What we know about the suspect

    Local Faux News is still saying “white male”. I haven’t checked the Tenga and NexStar stations, however.

    All of the TV stations lean left, even the Faux-owned station. If the suspect was unquestionably a white man, his picture would be everywhere by now.

  21. Ray Thompson says:

    No Apple TV? You can probably find refurbs or EBay ones

    Yes, I have two of them. One an older model that does not support 4K and a newer model that does support 4K. I have not seen much on Apple TV+ that is worth subscribing. I did binge watch For All Mankind for one month. But that show sort of went off the rails.

    If your area is like others, there is a contract with the city

    Yep. Xfinity has a contract with the city, back from the days of Oak Ridge Cable (that was purchased by Comcast), that prohibits any competitive cable system, even fiber, within the city limits. Xfinity pays a lot of money to the city for the privilege of being a monopoly that can rape the customers through high cost.

    the lens is the size of a 2L soda bottle

    That is not far from the truth.

    Then Ray presses the button and the concealed 1kW laser bzorps their heads clean off

    I would much rather use that capability for some of the idiot heads at Xfinity. Although finding “Ralph” in India may prove to be a challenge. There must be a couple of hundred people named Ralph working for Xfinity. Most with cow dung on their shoes.

    Active shooter wearing Hawaiian shirt guns down four at Target

    I guess we should now demand a ban on Hawaiian shirts being work by any white male.

  22. Nick Flandrey says:

    White male in hawaiian shirt = boogaloo   

    Beware the white racist proud boys.

    n

  23. drwilliams says:

    Justice at Last: Rachel Morin’s Illegal Alien Killer Finds Out His Harsh Destiny

    https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2025/08/11/justice-at-last-rachel-morins-illegal-alien-killer-finds-out-his-harsh-destiny-n2192698

    If some other lifer should decide to adjust this miscreants remaining time on earth, I would send him a strongly worded note each month condemning his violence, enclosed with his selection for the Custard of the Month Club. I’ve heard desserts are powerful reformers.

  24. SteveF says:

    Dear Mr Hardened Killer,

    Killing is bad. To help you reflect on the bad thing you did, I have added $100 to your commissary account so you can smoke cigarettes while you think.

  25. Nick Flandrey says:

    I’m taking some meds and headed to bed.   Today was a write off.   Nothing of note got done.   Best to end it early, and at least get a full night’s sleep.

    n

  26. drwilliams says:

    Dem Whistleblower: Adam Schiff Authorized Leaks to Smear Trump on Russian Collusion

    The whistleblower reportedly worked for Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee for over ten years, and reported Schiff’s alleged behavior to the FBI in 2017. 

    https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/08/11/dem-whistleblower-adam-schiff-authorized-leaks-to-smear-trump-on-russian-collusion-n2661716

    Every one of the FBI officials who knew about this should have their badges pulled, given a small box for their personal items and walked out “pending investigation and charges”. The crime is treason and the death penalty should not only be on the table but be glued down to the f***ing table.

    8
    1
  27. drwilliams says:

    It’s being reported that the WNBA is requiring d*ldo-catching nets be installed around the courts

    Ace had a comment:

    I’ve never seen lesbians so fearful of free d*ldos.

    My question is whether they will put more staff on to clean the nets at halftime, or just suffer the reduced visibility?

  28. drwilliams says:

    Dear Mr Hardened Killer,

    Killing is bad. To help you reflect on the bad thing you did, I have added $100 to your commissary account so you can smoke cigarettes while you think.

    That should make him popular and help fill his social calendar.

  29. Lynn says:

    I have a new friend.  My heart doctor’s PA called me today and said that my recent heart scan revealed a 0.4 cm lung nodule.  They are recommending me to a lung specialist.  “Lung nodules (pulmonary nodules): What you need to know”.

       https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/lung-nodules–what-you-need-to-know.h00-159703068.html

    Should this get serious, I am heading to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

  30. Lynn says:

    Don’t ever suggest to a college sports fan that they should cover the full costs of the weekly nationwide feed for their beloved Golden Woodchucks, win or lose (mostly lose).

    Hey, I resemble that !

  31. Alan says:

    >>I guess we should now demand a ban on Hawaiian shirts being work by any white male.

    And probably best to ban the Target  targets. 

  32. Lynn says:

    xkcd: Where Babies Come From

        https://xkcd.com/3127/

    I like the software engineer explanation.

    Explained at:

       https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3127:_Where_Babies_Come_From

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