Still hot, although less so yesterday because the sun hid most of the day. Parts of Houston even got rain. Some of it got a lot of rain. I drove through some on the east side, but nothing at home. Maybe today?
Slept most of the morning despite my alarm going off more than once. Got up late and did auction stuff, then pickups. Well, one pickup. And I got a couple of things out of storage, including a new 8″ chef’s pan. I like the NSF rated simple non-stick pans that Costco used to carry. They end up in auctions surprisingly often, so I stock up. Or stack up… Since they should only be used for a while, and replaced when overheated or when the coating gets damaged, I consider them disposable items. I do take the pan to the scrapyard to be recycled. I like my heavy stainless and my cast iron, but some things are just easier to cook in non-stick.
Today I’ve got pickups, and I’d really like to be inspired and find a nice gift for my wife. It’s not a milestone birthday, but it’s always nice to celebrate things.
I’ve also got to load some stuff for the lake and get ready to head up. I’ve got frozen and cold food to take with me and I’ve got my normal pile of stuff that accumulates between trips. There’s always something that needs to go up.
So stack it high at home, and then duplicate that at your BOL. You’ll have twice the fun.
nick
Eh? Are we married to the same woman?
I’ve stopped letting my wife drive my vans because she’s damaged every one she drove. She broke the side mirror off one (twice!), scraped the side similar to the woman in the linked article, and backed into something (which admittedly wasn’t much damage, just scratched the plastic bumper cover and put a minor dent in the bumper itself). Almost never cleaned after filling the back with something dirty, wet, or stinky; always promised to but was always too busy to do it.
Got really pissy when I wouldn’t let her drive my van about five years ago. Refused to acknowledge that her driving record was the reason. “It was just the one time!”
List of contacts to take care of the hundred things around the house that you take care of, since you never do anything around here, or whatever D1 said and W didn’t correct.
Ray? https://m3.gab.com/media_attachments/68/68/2c/68682c808fd66263b040c5873c990055.jpg
Friday! Good morning (nearly noon here).
Deer season starts for me next week. Woohoo! Off to the BOL later to get it and myself ready.
W1 and I have tickets to see Jazzrausch. Looking forward to that…
The man speaks truth. I just spent a jolly half-hour loading the car. Must not forget rifle!
Another downside of half ton work trucks becoming $60k codpieces even for basic trims is that the insurance companies total the vehicle over what would, in the past, be considered very minor damage resulting from the owner actually using the pickup for … work!
Imagine.
The owner is obligated to make the insurance company aware of the situation since he’s carrying full collision until the payments are finished. If the vehicle ends up in another accident, the carriers involved will get nitpicky over past repairs done to the vehicle, and a $20 gizmo from Amazon will tell an investigator if the paint on a panel is “factory”.
I don’t know about the other insurance carriers, but the Geico Gecko owns a large chain of new car dealerships, the Van Tuyl Group, ~100 dealers across 10 states.
Flo, The General, Limu Emu, et al probably have similar investments in new car dealers but probably not wholly owned or as transparent.
Well, as transparent as the Gecko operates. He’s a slippery lizard.
The current canon “Doctor Who” lead is the poster child for the “Chav” stereotype white girl who lives in those complexes.
Doctor Who. The Cavviest girl in the council flat.
Weep for Britain.
Watch “Picard” Season Three and pay attention.
“Deep Space Nine” is a tragedy centered around the Sisko family, the war, and the consequences of one son’s desire not to lose both parents regardless of the costs.
It didn’t start that way, but the show runners were told to fix the ratings problem in the fourth season or face cancellation.
Ironically, Billie Piper helped create the “Chav” meme with her role as Rose Tyler in the series reboot 22 years ago.
The first season of the reboot emphasizes Rose as poor. It isn’t a lifestyle suggestion, but the UK still deals with the fallout of from two seasons of“The Young Ones” Cultural Weapon of Mass Destruction.
I moved one hunting rifle and an AK to my buddy’s gun safe at the BOL. Until I have a safe of my own up there, it’s gonna be limited to that and what I can carry.
———-
There are aspects of American society that I admire but I don’t want to be an American. I would rather see us adapt them to our Canadian society.
— this is very close to the attitude I encountered most often while working in Canada, 17 years ago. I think they mostly want the US of the late 50s, and not current US. They had a bit of a chip on their shoulder about it, often insisting quite loudly that they weren’t American. They got the multi-culti conditioning full force which leads to things like actively recruiting refugees, even knowing they have links to terrorist orgs. Then there is the healthcare thing, fraught with misunderstanding, but they’re very proud–despite often coming to the US for treatments. I had long conversations with young men in the trades giving up HUGE percentages of their earnings at the start of their careers to pay for “free” healthcare they wouldn’t even use for a decade or more.
I went to dinner at a co-worker’s house in a distant suburb of Toronto, and it was like my childhood – tree lined streets, clean, well kept modest houses, and beautiful maple leaves in brilliant colors everywhere on the streets and yards. Idyllic. Probably overrun with mosques now.
————
76F this morning. Sun is coming up. Looks like a clear day, maybe partly cloudy. No thunderstorms until later if at all.
Coffee is brewing. Breakfast is in the microwave. Kids are out the door. I’ll be at my desk for a while, then auction pickups.
n
BTW, they don’t teach history much anymore. Texas does, with a strong dose of Texas history, but mostly what the rest of the country teaches is social studies and how everyone else is better, and we suck.
This is different from HS in the 80s. We got FAR too much European and British Empire history. War of the Roses? The tribes moving across the same dirt, back and forth, but no context even then. Franks? WTF are they?
I even had an AP History class, and a teacher who made it interesting, but mostly US kids of my generation got Western Civilization from the Greeks and Romans thru the Renaissance and Reformation, English wars of succession, and then the US Revolution followed by the Expansion West. We’d RARELY get past WWII, never tying that long history into the present day. And it got taught in that order at every grade level getting more detailed each time. And never getting to the present.
Now I look at it and think “too many inbred MFs selling their daughters to cousins to keep it in the family”.
Our ‘dynastic’ families are johnny come lately pikers in comparison.
n
– gotta arm up. War is coming.
n
@Denis
“Must not forget rifle!“
ammo?
I had a year of Mexican, Central and South American history in 6th grade. Year of Spanish in 5th. Town had 30,000 population.
ammo?
– only need a couple of rounds. One to confirm zero, and a couple more to get your bag limit…
Right?
n
Rolf Grunsky (a Crimson Tory)
“There are aspects of American society that I admire but I don’t want to be an American.”
Portland, Oregon used to be a great place to visit, but street crime and leftist insanity have ruined it. Powell’s Bookstore is online but nothing substitutes for browsing the shelves
I wouldn’t visit San Francisco on a bet. Ditto LA. But Cali has redwoods and wineries and the lighthouse at Port Reyes is awesome.
Come visit Mid-September. Check out the tour bus companies operating out of Moab, Utah. There are five national parks in that corner of the state. If you want to minimize walking, go to Bryce and Canyonlands—great views getting off the bus. At Bryce you don’t have to leave the pavement to get your mind blown. Canyonlands benefits if you can do 100-200 yards on uneven paths. If you fly into Salt Lake City there is a copper mine tour, a Volkswagon museum, and Ken Sanders book store.
Most of the midwest state fairs are August up to Labor Day. Bunch of good ones in the Midwest. But if you visit earlier in the summer for some other event, the county fairs that precede the state fairs are often worth it.
Wish I could recommend Chicago. The Field Museum and Art Institute are awesome. Wright’s Oak Park Studio is great if you like architecture.
Minneapolis has the same cultural problems, but a morning at the Swedish-American Museum and afternoon at the Russian Museum, followed by a day at the Institute of Arts will top off your cultural heritage tanks. Skip the Minnesota Zoo—Como in Saint Paul has tigers and polar bears.
Many of the industrial tours that I’ve taken over the years are no longer available or very limited due to cost and security concerns. Craft brewing in the U.S. is contracting and some of the best tours are no longer available. Mores the pity.
There are stock car races, college football games, minor league baseball, pro softball, plays and many other events that are in smaller venues and lots of fun.
Just back from 16 days on the ground in Spain. It was a fun trip, but I am tired.
We landed in Madrid and immediately drove to a stopover point Almagro. The next day we went to Granada and spent 3 nights. Then on to Algeciras and 4 nights. We took day trips to various spots – Roman ruins, Gibraltar, etc.
From there it was 3 nights in Seville and then 3 nights in Madrid.
A lot of walking, but we were prepared for that.
Overall very beautiful. Our biggest gripe was with signage at historical sites. Many had audio tours in multiple languages, but most had to markings on which item to play in which order. Plus most of the audio tours were hosted on some kid’s server in their basement hooked to a 128k ISDN line. Signage in general was very poor.
Driving wasn’t a problem except getting the suv (which I didn’t want but Enterprise upgraded me without any discussion) into a couple parking garages was, ummm, interesting. At our Granada hotel, I had to go down the wrong side of the garage as there was no way to physically get the car down the correct side.
The only time I felt mildly unsafe was in Gibraltar, but that was just because it was really crowded.
We had lots of good interactions with locals. English is not as prevalent as is let on in all the travel blogs/sites. We managed though. The tougher part is the late dining hours. But not even that really. there just seems to be a complete lack of concern about running a business with basic customer service. Maybe its a cultural thing, maybe its a socialist thing, or some combination thereof. It didn’t upset me – when in Rome, do as Romans do – but it makes me appreciate home.
We had originally planned in doing a day trip to Morocco, but we axed that even before the current migrant crisis developed. We were able to see the African coast from our Airbnb in Algeciras.
Oh, one more gripe. The whole Tapas culture that you read so much about. It seems to me to just be an excuse to drink. Maybe I’m a little jaded as I hardly ever consume alcohol anymore. I also don’t travel and expect to have an “experience” at every meal. Maybe I’m just simple…
Overall though, it was a good experience and a lot of fun.
Next up will be either Scotland or Italy (more likely) in 2028. My wife does a great job planning, but she wants a break.
Until I have a safe of my own up there…
Nothing suitable came up in your auction watching? My big gub safe at base was German government (military) surplus. Very cheap, no other bids, because too difficult to move. I did a sneaky thing, and had the original manufacturer (still in business fifty years later) pick it up, service it, and deliver it to me. I basically got it for peanuts plus the cost of the service.
My second “big” safe was also government surplus, but only 750kg empty, so I was able to transport it on a trailer behind the car. There was a forklift at the pickup location and they had palletised it for me, which simplified matters.
My sibling got three or four excellent large safes for free from a local bank that was closing down. The only requirement was to extract them from the premises.
Ammo is at the BOL, but thanks for the reminder. It is not very effective just to shout “bang”.
As Nick says, I don’t need a great deal of it. Maybe fifteen or twenty shots for blood in a very good year, plus a couple of sighting-in shots before the season begins, plus forty or fifty practice rounds on simulated running game at the “Schießkino”.
About half of the time, I hunt with a single-shot rifle, as a rapid follow-up shot is rarely required when silent sitting or stalking. However, when a sounder of wild boar appears, all bets are off; then a repeater is called for. Red deer in Scotland need a repeater too, as that is culling work, and I might bag five or six beasts in a session.
I have enough frequent flyer miles for 2 business class round trip tickets to Europe.
There were many places I wanted to visit at one time. I’ve been to Salzburg, and I’ve seen the beginning of the Mozart story. I wanted to go to Vienna and see the end of it, and also Haydn and Beethoven and Clementi… So many historic sites in Greece, Italy, Austria, Germany, even France and Spain. My sons have a Bohemian heritage through their mother and it would be fun to explore that region.
No longer.
I am not a muslim, I don’t want to visit muslim countries, and from here it looks like they’re all muslim countries, or at least are in the process of being taken over by muslims.
I should look into donating those FF miles to a good cause.
Tapas is like that in the US.
We went once for my father-in-law’s birthday, and I’ve never been again.
Drinking and an emphasis on seafood. I’m not a fan of either one.
Mr. Ray is going to Germany again…
To be fair, there is a heavy muslim influnce in Spain. They were a muslim country up until the late 1400’s when Christianity took over. The influence, especially in architecture, remains.
Various spots in tourist areas were heavily worked by muslims. They tended to have the sketchier looking establishments, along with the Indians.
So maybe I’m have more of a European viewpoint than an American one, nowadays, but: WTF is Trump doing re Canada? A physical neighbor, and he is pissing them off enough that they are considering joining themselves economically with another continent, instead of the US. So Trump threatens to embargo Europe. Is he nuts?
Then there was the promise of paying people $5k if the Republicans win the midterms. Which violates all sorts of interesting laws.
Trump seems a bit out of control, even for him…
What an interesting thing to say. It’s as if history begins in 711 AD.
I like that idea. We will probably be traveling in May 2027.
Miles are very useful, and probably of maximum economic value when used for upgrades.
I did the math several times over the years, and it’s been a while, so YMMV, but that is what I found.
Base ticket costs are much higher now than then but it takes a lot to earn 20K miles, unless you are a high level frequent flyer, then you get bonuses that make it much easier to earn miles.
There are several charities you can donate miles to if you want to go that way.
n
I want to know how the “religion of peace” expanded beyond Mo’s hometown.
WTF is Trump doing re Canada? A physical neighbor, and he is pissing them off enough that they are considering joining themselves economically with another continent, instead of the US. So Trump threatens to embargo Europe. Is he nuts?
Then there was the promise of paying people $5k if the Republicans win the midterms. Which violates all sorts of interesting laws.
Trump seems a bit out of control, even for him…
– Canada needs the US far more than the US needs Canada. They’re a yappy little dog that you tolerate because you know you could kick it to the moon if you wanted to.
The “joining with Europe” would be economic suicide and while they seem to be big fans of that, at the moment it just sounds like counter-threats.
Dunno about the “embargo Europe” because I haven’t noticed that. I do remember the anti-tariff nonsense stopping dead when he suggested all European tariffs be removed, if tariffs were so bad.
The “promise of paying”? He’s got lawyers, I’m sure whatever he actually said wasn’t illegal, although I’m sure it was spun that way.
And if he seems “out of control” who is supposed to be controlling the President of the United States? and the meta-question, why do you think that? Media reporting? Because we know for a fact that the media lie and have their own agenda and their own masters.
Just saying that anything and everything we see is part of a battleground meant to move us to do or believe something. Ignore it all. Look at what people are really doing.
Repatriating gold. For years now.
Setting up alternative financial networks. For years now.
Rebuilding military capability and bringing new capability on line. For years now.
Practicing new ways of fighting battles and wars. For years now.
Moving people around the world, inserting vast numbers of military age men into formerly strong countries. ANYONE see large groups moving into China? How about Russia or the former soviet states? Other than the Chinese, anyone see large groups moving into central and south america? These groups are disruptive, expensive, and they are not there by accident. Migration has caused more conflicts than greed. I note that no one is moving en mass to the commie states.
—–
Time to start on my list.
n
One of the original reasons for the Spanish tradition of Tapas was to detect crypto-jews and crypto-muslims in Christian society. Believers have a visceral, detectable, reaction to being expected to consume pork and shellfish. The alcohol was not a problem for the Jews, but might have been for the Moors (although I know Muslims who partake without much reticence; a bit like going fishing with just one Baptist, perhaps…)
Sorry, didn’t realize I needed to go back to the beginning of human migration. I’ll strive to do better next time.
My point was the muslim influnce is not just a recent thing there.
I don’t go seeking out dangerous areas, but I’m also not staying at home refusing to go anywhere. Everyone has there acceptable levels of risk. I don’t consider western Europe to be high risk. Sure there are certain pockets that are high risk, but we have that at home as well. I know the areas of Boston that you just don’t go to, for example.
Scotland, Italy, Greece, France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland are on our list of places to visit. There are others, but in my mind not worth the risk (Croatia being one I can think of at the moment).
Interesting – I didn’t know that. We did learn from our guided tour in Seville that there was a Jewish quarter (which we visited) and that in the past there was a purge of the Jews.
This is a key point. The Lame Stream Media (95% of outlets IMHO) here is partisan Dumbocrat. It is clear they are out to get tRump using any means possible. Especially by lying and spinning about everything he says or does. It doesn’t matter if it is good or bad (tRump does bad stuff, too), he isn’t a politician who got his ticket punched coming up through the ranks.
People, including me, like tRump because he goes against the current. Let’s make America great again, deport every illegal (they are criminals who broke our law), drill for oil/gas everywhere, cut taxes, secure voting, etc. As fast as possible because tRump is gone in less than two years. No, he is NOT going to refuse to leave office or run for a third term through some legal Constitutional trickery. That’s PLT/MSM/Dumbo spin.
“To be fair, there is a heavy muslim influnce in Spain. They were a muslim country up until the late 1400’s when
Christianity took overthey threw the invaders out. “FIFY
The Starlink monthly payment jumped from $120 to $130 this month. I have had it two years, so roughly keeping up with inflation.
I think I saw an ad for watching NF L games on airline flights using Starlink yesterday. I hate to think of what its going to do to the overall throughout when everyone starts doing it.
“By Inviting Canada to Join, the EU Has Revealed Their Plan to Transform the European Union Into a “Global Union””
https://americafirstreport.com/by-inviting-canada-to-join-the-eu-has-revealed-their-plan-to-transform-the-european-union-into-a-global-union/
“The European Union has a population that is larger than the United States, it has the second largest economy in the entire world, and now it wants Canada. Of course any form of membership in the EU will involve giving up at least some sovereignty to the bureaucrats in Brussels.”
“Is Canada really this stupid? The EU likes to dangle the carrot of economic prosperity to tempt prospective members to agree to entangle themselves in their tyrannical web. Of course once you are locked in, it will be exceedingly difficult to ever get out.”
Yes, I believe that Canada will do this over the objections of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
How long until the EU becomes the new Caliphate?
I am thinking 20 years, max.
All of those Brussels bureaucrats will be led out into the large courtyard where 20 or or 30 headsmen wait for them.
I am ever doing in-store pickup for Apple products on release day. I had an appointment for 1:00-1:15. About 50 people in line with the same time. A long line of dorks based on their appearance. I guess the same could be set about me. I did not get seen until 1:30. Got the phone, trade-in evaluated, all was good. But the tax refund on the trade-in value is not applied to my Apple card, the money is placed on an Apple Gift Card.
Then I was sent to another table to transfer all the information from my old phone to the new phone. The person was adamant an Apple person needed to help me. After waiting 20 minutes, I decided to do it myself. I started the new phone, placed my old phone next to the new phone and the new phone asked if it should be setup from a nearby phone, a backup, or a new phone. I chose the new phone and followed the prompts. The last thing that was done was transferring my cell service. That only took a few minutes processing. The old phone displayed SOS, the new phone had bars.
All done. Out of the store in 1.5 hours. Many of the apps had not loaded and that took place while driving home, the phone on the truck wireless charger and using the cellular connection. All the apps were installed by the time I got home. The phone got quite warm which is to be expected when first setup and installing all the apps.
When I got home, I set up my Apple watch. That is all completed. Then I had to setup my digital ID again. Apparently that information does not transfer. Scan the passport page, take a selfie with some head movements, and in 5 minutes the digital ID was confirmed.
The camera hump extends across the length of the upper part of the phone, different than my 15 Pro. The Burgundy color looks good to me. I do have a case on the phone of the same color.
Next is to try out the camera, which is why I wanted to upgrade in the first place. Nothing else on the phone excited me.
And another USB-C to USB-C cable I don’t need.
xkcd: Summer
https://www.xkcd.com/3299/
Summer is not over here on the Gulf Coast. It hit 100 F yesterday before the rain storm.
Explained at:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3299:_Summer#Explanation
@brad
”WTF is Trump doing re Canada?”
You mean other than:
—Trying to bring a gross trade imbalance under control, driven in large part by Canadian tariffs that have, for example, frozen U.S. dairy products entirely out of the market.
—Objecting to their indifference to making their country a primary pipeline for Chinese fentanyl and allowing fentanyl precursor from China to be made into fentanyl.
—Pointing out that imports of Chinese steel being made into auto parts violates the trade treaty.
—Having Carney blow up an agreement at the 11th hour in an apparent effort to affect our elections.
—Having a pissant provincial official make threats for the same reason, in apparent ignorance of the inter-province oil pipeline being routed through the U. S. because the Canadian government is largely dysfunctional
—Being sick and tired of carrying their dead weight in NATO when they don’t dedicate 2% of the budget as agreed, and further being the suckers that will defend their interests in the Arctic when they have neither the budget, the manpower, or the equipment
Aside from those few petty items and a few I don’t recall at the moment, I can’t imagine what Trump is doing.
Yeah, I did that once. I’ve had every iPhone and iPad (including kids/wife) delivered to the house. I think most of the people waiting or shopping at the Apple Store are retarded or PLTs. Probably both. I believe the only way to get your device credit applied to your card is by online and ship to home.
“Harris County leaders defend historic tax hike as homeowners brace for higher bills”
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/how-much-harris-county-homeowners-pay-tax-vote-22438337.php
“Commissioners voted 3-1 to formally adopt a combined tax rate of about 67 cents per $100 of taxable value, the highest combined county rate in recent history. The vote supports a $3.1 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.”
“The tax rate applies across four entities: Harris County, the Harris County Flood Control District, Harris Health System and the Port of Houston Authority. County officials said the new rate will cost the average homeowner roughly $198 more this year, according to the Houston Chronicle. ABC13 reported budget officials put the increase at $188 a year for an average $400,000 homestead and $142 for a $300,000 home.”
Harris county sucks.
Yeah, Carney poked the pooch. He is going to regret backing out of the tariff deal.
How else are they going to pay for Dumbocrat slush funds now that DOGE ended much of it?
Yeh, well, thanks for the insult you, you, you, I’m too much of gentlemen to say it. 🙂 May the feces of a rapid camel appear in your yard.
Nope. Store trade-in works just fine. The credit for the trade-in device is applied to the original form of payment for the new device, unless monthly installments are done in which case a gift card is provided.
I almost got burnt on a MacBook trade-in. The company processing the return claimed there was an issue with the display. It was the reflection of the lights in the facility, not a display issue. Fortunately, I had pictures and a couple of phones calls to Apple got the issue resolved. Since then I have traded all my items at the Apple store. I use the Apple Card for purchase to get the 3% back.
The famous place of pilgrimage at Compostela is named for Santiago Matamoros; Saint James, Slayer of the Moors. It is no longer considered polite in some circles to include the soubriquet, but perhaps it will become acceptable again.
Carney is not Canadian, he is a globalist. He has held passports from three countries. 95% of his petsonal wealth is invested in the U.S. His childten wete educated in Ivy league schools, and two daughters live and work here.
Carney got elected as the anti-Trump candidate. It’s those voters that will suffer, and they deserve it. What kind of dumbasses vote for a guy that keeps his money and family in another country and has no skin in the game? Take your time with that answer.
The man speaks truth. I just spent a jolly half-hour loading the car. Must not forget rifle!
Wait, forget the rifle. Then you can buy a new one at the local gun smith. And you need a Gen4 night scope, they just dropped under $10,000.
#ContactMeForMoreMaritalAdvice
Next up will be either Scotland or Italy (more likely) in 2028. My wife does a great job planning, but she wants a break.
Practice your Arabic first.
Pearls Before Swine: Got Game?
https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2026/09/18
Ah, poor Pig.
Hey. Maybe Ray likes to get out of the house. Social Interaction and all that. Us older folks need some of that. Yelling at the TV isn’t enough.
With the added benefit of being able to leave a few puffs of poison tear gas.
THAT’S why he goes to the Apple Store.
ew
EWW!
“Harris County leaders defend historic tax hike as homeowners brace for higher bills”
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/how-much-harris-county-homeowners-pay-tax-vote-22438337.php
“Commissioners voted 3-1 to formally adopt a combined tax rate of about 67 cents per $100 of taxable value, the highest combined county rate in recent history. The vote supports a $3.1 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.”
“The tax rate applies across four entities: Harris County, the Harris County Flood Control District, Harris Health System and the Port of Houston Authority. County officials said the new rate will cost the average homeowner roughly $198 more this year, according to the Houston Chronicle. ABC13 reported budget officials put the increase at $188 a year for an average $400,000 homestead and $142 for a $300,000 home.”
Harris county sucks.
Our former County Judge here in Fort Bend County, he is now in jail for election interference, tried to get us to create a Fort Bend Health System here too. It was only going to cost a few cents on the property taxes and give us all free healthcare. Luckily, his legal problems started about that time and his nasty plans did not come to fruition.
“How Did AI Send 1M Scams in 3 Days? 7 Brutal Security Stories Making Headlines This Week”
https://www.pcmag.com/news/how-did-ai-send-1m-scams-in-3-days-7-brutal-security-stories-making-headlines
“Microsoft tracked an AI-powered phishing wave that hit 1 million inboxes in 72 hours. Plus, hijacked streaming accounts, fake security apps, and the passkey flaw you need to know.”
I am getting this AI spam scam like crazy. Over 20 PDFs a day going right through gmail’s traps. I am blaming AI machines.
I get junk mail saying I’ve just been charged for another year of the Geek Squad. Almost $300 to my credit card that on file. Isn’t that a Best Buy thing?
I get similar for Norton renewals.
I don’t know. I liked Circuit City better than Best Buy. The folks there seemed smarter.
Is Best Buy still around? There was one in the area of 183 and 620 but I haven’t been there in 20 years or so. Plus the double decking of 183 destroyed most of my landmarks.
Ain’t anyone touching my PC anyway. I’m capable of screwing it up all by myself. I am! And I can fix it, too.
I get a few spams with PDF files. Tempted to open them. Just to see what is in there. Most all I see with the text editor is gibberish…. like opening a Word doc with Notepad.
I get a few spams with PDF files. Tempted to open them. Just to see what is in there. Most all I see with the text editor is gibberish…. like opening a Word doc with Notepad.
Put on a codpiece first and a few other pieces of armour. There are viruses hidden in those PDF files.
I think you will have the Caliphate in Dearborn and other parts of the states long before it’s even attempted here. We have a father and son incarcerated who stated in court that they were not subject to the Crown’s laws. They are never going to get out.
I would take your (collective your) comments about Canada somewhat more seriously if you actually showed some real knowledge of this country. Shit about fentanyl illustrates what you know of this country , Babble on, there is nothing of value to be gleaned here.
“DOJ: Ban on Handgun Sales to 18- Through 20-Year-Olds Unconstitutional, Cannot Be Enforced”
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/09/18/doj-ban-on-handgun-sales-to-18-through-20-year-olds-unconstitutional-cannot-be-enforced/
“The Office of Legal Counsel determined that 18 to 20-year-olds are among “the people” protected by the Second Amendment. “Eighteen-year-olds may vote, serve on juries, be drafted, and face adult criminal penalties, including capital punishment,” said Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser for the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. “The Constitution protects the people’s right to keep and bear arms. The Department of Justice may not constitutionally seek to impose criminal penalties on dealers who sell handguns to law-abiding adults who, in nearly every other relevant respect, are members of the political community.””
Good. I am tired of this nonsense that 18 year olds are not adults. All of the other laws concerning 18 year olds need to be struck down also.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Trump handed the previous Prime Minister of Canada, Wee Pierre, his walking papers in December of 2024 at a semi-secret meeting in Mar A Lago.
Canada has been p*ssed ever since.
KP George. Colonist.
Is he Muslim Colonist?
You mean Fidel’s illegitimate child?
“Warren Buffett Hands Berkshire’s Chair to His Son and Admits Father Time Always Wins”
https://economiccollapse.report/warren-buffett-hands-berkshires-chair-to-his-son-and-admits-father-time-always-wins/
“On Friday, Berkshire Hathaway named the 96-year-old chairman emeritus, effective immediately. He stays on the board. His son, Howard G. Buffett, a director since 1993, takes the chair. Susan Decker remains lead independent director. Greg Abel, who already took the CEO job at the start of 2026, keeps running the businesses and allocating the capital. That is the whole map. Operator. Culture guard. Old man still in the room, no longer holding the gavel.”
“Buffett turned 96 on August 30. In the shareholder letter attached to the Omaha release, he noted that one of his great-grandchildren had just turned one and is moving a bit faster than he is these days. Then he wrote the line that will outlive the press release.”
Alcohol, weed, and gambling need to be next. I need my SS funded!
KP George. Colonist.
Is he Muslim Colonist?
Nope, Indian Colonist. His real name is Kyle Prasad.
https://ballotpedia.org/KP_George
The vending machine company servicing my employer’s campus finally restocked the soda machines in the building, two weeks after the machine on my floor ran out.
You would think they had an incentive to keep the machines fully stocked at $1.80/can.
Also the rest of Ontario, and probably Quebec, but Western Canada doesn’t miss him.
I finished filling the trench to grade today. I still have half a hill to remove, but I’ll leave that until the trench subsides a bit, then refill it. That will probably be in the spring.
Colonists fall into two camps – Muslim and Hindu.
Gotta wonder what was discussed in that meeting. Keep in mind that in December of 2024 Trump was receiving regular security briefings as incoming President but was still a private citizen.
Wee Pierre going to South Florida for anything was a huge security risk. The Cuban exiles just down 95 in Little Havana believe he is Fidel Castro Junior.
About the same time, Trump’s attorneys got Fanni Willis’ cell phone location data and text messages from AT&T just by asking nicely.
I think you will have the Caliphate in Dearborn
– pretty much already do. And in other places as well. Not like Kitchener/Waterloo area where actual terrorist training camps have been found (even 10 years ago) and IIRC several “honor killings” have taken place.
The Caliphate is no joke. They’ve done it before and will do it again, as they are on a mission from God.
n
McKinney/Frisco/The Colony are in the works now.
I saw the new NFM/Scheels complex in Cedar Park last Saturday night, duplicating the one in The Colony on a smaller scale.
Cedar Park is a future caliphate.
Colonists seem to love the Geico Gecko for some reason. NFM is his furniture store, and the one in Cedar Park will break the unwritten rule among Berkshire’s furniture retail chains not to overlap with each other’s sales territories.
Scheels is just along for the ride. Nice store.
I admit to not knowing much of how the politics work in Canada. Seems to have a lot of the same venal stupidity as we have in the US. “Royal Assent” seems to me that Canada isn’t an independent nation. But for all I know, Australia and New Zealand have to deal with “Royal Assent”. I don’t know.
I’m not being dismissive but it doesn’t affect me here in Texas.
I’ve heard the rose gardens in Vancouver are very impressive. And the Chrysler’s built in Windsor that I’ve had were very good cars. All in all, Canada is a great place to live. Other than the snow.
The Caliphate is no joke. They’ve done it before and will do it again, as they are on a mission from God.
I differ with that. The muslims are on a mission from Satan to convert or kill every person on the planet. Especially Christians and Jews.
Kill, convert, or extract tribute.
TRIBUTE: Tapered Rod Inserted Butt-first Until Tormented Expiration
Make Vlad Great Again!
TRIBUTE: Tapered Rod Inserted Butt-first Until Tormented Expiration
Make Vlad Great Again!
That’s no tapered rod, that is a sharpened telephone pole!
The South African Drakas used eight inch poles for providing sitting places for their enemies and miscreants.
https://smstirling.com/books/drakas/
They are definitely extracting tribute, whether gaming the H1B system or defrauding the welfare state.
KP George’s healthcare scheme would be part of a broader plan at work here in Texas to bring in workers on H1B visas and put them into jobs into the community’s retail outlets.
BTW, I’ve heard that “Just pennies per day” line, used by the local ISD board to sell a bond issue a couple of years ago during the property tax “reform” push in Texas in Fall 2023.
Income tax will be next. I figure Fall 2027 even if the Socialist captures the Governor’s Mansion.
Income tax will be next. I figure Fall 2027 even if the Socialist captures the Governor’s Mansion.
If so then there is always Florida.
Now Mark Carney Leads the Free World!
https://townhall.com/columnists/timgraham/2026/09/18/canadian-socialists-are-not-leading-the-free-world-n2683178
Close your eyes and let Neil Young carry you away.
Yes, I am aware of the news of the Geico Gecko’ stepping down as Chairman of BRK, but I doubt he will stop going into the office until he has assumed room temperature.
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/warren-buffett-steps-down-berkshire-173318825.html
“Trump Signs Sweeping Russia Sanctions Bill Into Law, Shrugging Off Kremlin”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-formally-demands-japan-remove-us-typhon-missiles-its-territory
“Back in 2025 we noted the strong condemnations from Russia and China when the US Army first announced and deployed the Typhon missile system to Japan, controversially under the initial guise of holding joint drills.”
The WW III drumbeats are getting louder. We are deploying more nuclear missiles to our protectorates.
Zerohedge. 90% speculative bullshit fantasy. Clickbait.
LMAO!
”Orangeland” for the win!
DeSantis leaves office at the beginning of January, and the race to succeed him is tight.
The Dem bench is so empty in Florida that they are running another retread Republican for Governor with a running mate, Gwen Graham, that the party threw under the bus in 2018 in order to “make history” by nominating a known meth head as their candidate for the top job.
Gwen Graham is also the daughter of late former Governor Bob Graham, a moderate Dem who restarted Florida’s electric chair and kept “Old Sparky” humming through two terms as Governor before he ran for Senate in 1986.
Smell the desperation.
https://www.newsweek.com/new-poll-shows-byron-donalds-david-jolly-deadlocked-in-florida-race-12458370
Yes, “Old Sparky”. It is kept operational as an alternative to the lethal injection if the condemnmed choses to go out that way.
Why do they get a choice?
I mean, really. Get a shot like an old dog being put down. All calm and relaxed… or effing electrocuted hard enough to hurt and your eyeballs pop out of your head.
Like, whoever you killed that got you to being executed might like it to really hurt.
Income tax will be next. I figure Fall 2027 even if the Socialist captures the Governor’s Mansion.
Not as long as there is a repuglican in the governor’s seat. Or the Texas house is repuglican. Or the Texas Senate is repuglican.
Starting an income tax in Texas will require a modification of the State Constitution. And that is not trivial.
9:30 pm and wide awake. Penny is on the bed. Sure, I have to hoist her up. But she likes sleeping on the bed and I like her there. I seem to sleep extra well when I have a leg touching her.
And yeah. her back legs are getting weak so hoisting her off of the bed in the morning has become a thing we do in the last couple of weeks.
But morning walks to the gate? She goes. She’s getting real slow. She pants. But she makes the walk because that’s what we always do. She doesn’t seem to hurt anywhere.
She’s not like zooming 200 feet in each direction from the driveway anymore. I miss that.
Buddy the Beagle right now is insanely loudly snoring in the hallway. His ears are getting gray.
Maybe I’m too easily amused?
But mostly, I worry about Precious Penny Perfect Princess Poo Puppy. She’ll be 15 in a couple of weeks. So, yeah.
@paul
I don’t recall if you mentioned. Is Penny on glucosamine chews?
What to Do When Campus Stalking Is Being Directed by Students
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2026/09/18/what-to-do-when-campus-stalking-is-being-directed-by-students-n3819149
Yeah, gee, what to do.
What to Do When Campus Stalking Is Being Directed by Students
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2026/09/18/what-to-do-when-campus-stalking-is-being-directed-by-students-n3819149
Yeah, gee, what to do.
I know what we would have done at TAMU back in the 1970s.
Natural Gas Is Cheap – Why Is Your Bill So High?
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/09/17/natural-gas-is-cheap-why-is-your-bill-so-high/
Shut up and pass the lube, peasant.
Natural Gas Is Cheap – Why Is Your Bill So High?
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/09/17/natural-gas-is-cheap-why-is-your-bill-so-high/
Shut up and pass the lube, peasant.
For my electric bill, half is the delivery charge, 6.5 cents/kwh, and half is the tortured electrons charge, 6.5 cents/kwh.
Of course, our local electric delivery company, Centerpoint, just spent a boatload of money recovering after hurricane Beryl. I now have a new composite fiberglass and steel pole in my backyard about 60 feet tall. The Texas PUC gave Centerpoint 100% of their costs back to them. Kinda rare for our PUC.
https://gmg-kprc-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/news/local/2026/06/15/centerpoint-made-dollar1b-last-year-heres-how-it-profits-from-your-electric-bill/
There is much debate about whether the lethal injection is truly painless.
The last time Old Sparky was utilized for an execution of a prisoner in Florida, the saline sponge inside the metal cap was not sufficiently wet to conduct electricity properly, and the material caught fire when the executioner threw the switch to start the current flowing.
The prisoner is still given the option, however. The condemned dies immediately whether or not their head catches fire, and the family was given a substantial settlement IIRC.
I’m sure Benny Crump was involved.
Our last gas bill for August was $60, mostly delivery charges.
No one cooks on the gas burners since my wife is in San Antonio during the week, and neither furnace ran.
The upstairs HVAC system requires someone to manually flip a switch to put it into a Heat cycle, and I know that hasn’t happened since my kids were home at Christmas.
I’m sure I’ll get a surprise in January.
Each generation of satellites gains bandwidth per satellite. It depends what goes up faster, capability and bandwidth per satellite vs. consumer population.
There may be limits and walls, but it’s not yet a zero-sum game.
Got to the BOL. Lots of cops doing traffic stops.
It ended up being a nice, relatively clear night. Once the moon set, the stars came out. Quiet tonight.
Nice tiny little fire, and I got CHILLY. It’s almost time to have a small fire while having my tiny little fire.
Time for shower and bed.
n
LOL. Thanks!
I bought only three rifles this week (FN Auto-22, one of my absolute favourites), so I suppose you have a point.
Night vision riflescopes are verboten here, as is hunting at night, but I am thinking about getting a handheld thermal spotter, something useful also during daylight and in low light. I see the basic models from reputable brands are just dipping under a grand these days.
Night vision riflescopes are verboten here, as is hunting at night, but I am thinking about getting a handheld thermal spotter, something useful also during daylight and in low light. I see the basic models from reputable brands are just dipping under a grand these days.
Please let us know if you buy one and how good it is.
My nephew was using a handheld thermal spotter to shoot feral pigs a few months back here in Texas at 3 am or so. He and his cousins shot a farmer’s cow, thinking it was a pig. There may have been beer involved. The cow cost them $4,000 to keep the farmer from pressing charges for shooting over a fence line (a big no-no in Texas).
Our last gas bill for August was $60, mostly delivery charges.
No one cooks on the gas burners since my wife is in San Antonio during the week, and neither furnace ran.
I’ll guess that you probably have a couple of natural gas fired hot water heaters?
October 15 is coming fast. I still have to finish my parent’s 2025 tax return and my wife and mine 2025 tax return. This sucks.
Oops. Obviously, it was the farmer’s daughter’s bottle-raised surrogate mother and favourite pet cow.
That was an expensive lesson on the fourth of the Four Rules. I hope he and his companions learned it well.
“Rep. Brandon Gill Drops Ad to Defeat James Talarico and Elect Ken Paxton to the US Senate”
https://rumble.com/v7fouw2-rep.-brandon-gill-drops-ad-to-defeat-james-talarico-and-elect-ken-paxton-to.html
Why is Talarfreako so interested about tranny kids?
Oops. Obviously, it was the farmer’s daughter’s bottle-raised surrogate mother and favourite pet cow.
That was an expensive lesson on the fourth of the Four Rules. I hope he and his companions learned it well.
The farmer’s wife said they could shoot another cow if they wanted to for another $4,000. My nephew said no thank you.
One of my buddies has an exceptional licence to destroy wild pigs on agricultural land at night. He uses a thermal spotter to locate potential targets, but a night-vision scope for the actual shooting, as he says the NV is the only safe way to be sure of the target and what is beyond it.
At least she had a sense of humor about it, albeit an expensive one. A prosecution would have been bad news, I’m sure.
https://cdn.creativefabrica.com/2024/08/15/Cow-Being-A-Hunter-Sublimation-Clipart-Graphics-103940029-1-580×386.png