Hot again, humid still, but a little bit less of both. It was partly cloudy yesterday and that helped keep temps down. Not down in the ‘cool’ range, but not in the ‘broil your brains in your skull’ range either. Hoping for more of the same today.
Yesterday I got the wife out the door, kid to school, other kid medicated, took a nap, then took the kid to the doc in the box to see the ‘medical provider’. Wait a couple of days and see if she gets better… but at least the swabs were all negative.
Did laundry and folded it. Ah, domestic bliss…
Did my pickups and took stuff to the shop. Baby steps, but keeping the momentum moving.
Will have about the same today, with all the kid taxiing of a normal Thursday, plus the steps my wife usually does.
Time is flying by. Every day without a global conflagration is a good one.
Stack.
nick
Days lately seem to be either soggy or damp—not much dry.
Countdown to the goblin feast has begun. In case you missed it, the candy companies got their bought and paid for bill to lower the standards for chocolate. Not enough that a “family” size is approaching four pieces of fractional ounce mostly sugar, the 0.00x chocolate is now even less.
Tampa has a very large, established Coptic community. They are well represented in this country.
As for Afrikaans, Austin has a sizeable expat community. I doubt their nukes are stashed in the US, but, after meeting a few individuals, I tend to believe the theories that they have one via the Taiwanese program.
Taiwan doesn’t have uranium.
A “share” bag of Hershey kisses is above $5 at HEB. I just bought one.
What was the line from “1984”? “The chocolate ration has been increased!”
I had no time to thaw and make something for dinner last night, and a package of four mostly bone pre-cooked chicken thighs was $5.
The election will be ugly for Republicans.
One Republican strategist on the local Faux News last night was ruing Paxton as the party nominee for the Senate seat, theorizing that Corzine would be up five points right now. Cut to commercial for Gina Hinojosa.
Texas is going Blue right down the ballot in the Federal and state-wide races.
Not that I’m sad about the possibility of “MAGA” Mays losing. His political career needs to be nipped.
Thursday. Good day from Vienna!
It is the birthday of a person who is not I, so we went shopping for breakfast ingredients. Fresh berries, yoghurt, crispy rolls, Tiroler cheese and salami, followed by Viennese pastries and coffee.
Shorts and T-shirt weather. We will go window-shopping in the 6th Bezirk after brunch, then take a trip on the historic ring route of the tram, to look at the majestic buildings and avenues. Wiener Schnitzel for dinner, I hope!
W1 brought the archives with her. Previous visits were 2008 (twice) and 2015. Will be interesting to see what has changed.
Have a good day!
@denis, enjoy the day!
———-
80F and time to get the kid to school is coming up.
Didn’t get to sleep until 2am. Started a book that sucked me in instead of putting me to sleep.
Snack is packed.
I’ll definitely want a nap when I get back.
n
TN failed to execute the person they were supposed to execute. Two injections of the lethal fluid failed to result in a demise. It boggles the mind how that process can be done so incompetently. The “doctor” that supposedly did the injections probably missed the vein. The last time TN tried to execute someone that same doctor was unable to find a vein in almost an hour of trying and the execution halted.
That doctor should lose his license and be permanently barred from ever having a license again, in any state, or federal facility. The incompetence displayed by the TN execution squad is simply mind boggling. The governor has halted all further executions until the process can be examined. Too late for those bunch of idiots.
There is a simple way to kill someone. Replace all the oxygen in the chamber with helium. Or bring in a veterinarian, they are able kill horses with ease. I am for piping in the exhaust fumes of a ’58 Edsel.
The ATF has 1.4 billion gun records in a searchable database:
https://townhall.com/news/mattvespa/2026/10/01/gop-congressman-wants-to-know-why-the-atf-essentially-has-a-gun-database-right-now-n2683914
In violation of the law.
Despite all past ATF directors denying the db exists.
We’ve known about this fir years, but it’s taken years fir congress to pry the information out.
The database must be destroyed.
After the elections, the Republicans must modify the statute of limitations as it applies to government employees, extending it to ten years for lying to congress, and delaying the start until the date when the crime is uncovered.
Then prosecute everyone at the ATF who has been involved. Obstruction of justices charges Violation of the plain language of the law. Strip pensions and 12 months jail time. Minimum. Horrible examples.
Rain just started. Coming down hard in the back, but not as much in the front. Weird.
n
Hydromullet
Went out to see if the ground was dry enough to mow. Nope. Got some rain earlier. I didn’t think it was that much but apparently it was enough. Parts of the yard squish when I walk I suppose I could mow the level-ish parts on the uphill side but that’s not enough of the yard to be worth bothering with. And I’d have to get the lawnmower up the hill, which would involve pushing it up a rise which consists of wet clay held together only by grass roots. Seems like a bad deal.
The hens were not happy about having to go back to the run after only 15 minutes of freeeeeeeedom but when they noticed the treat in my other hand, the smarter* two waddled expeditiously to the run and the others followed. Most of the birds understand “Go home” and “Treat”. Some understand that when I say them together, they won’t get the treat here but have to go home to get it. Plus one does understand a handful of commands but chooses to ignore them, something like a cat, except that this critter lays eggs and doesn’t knock things off the kitchen counter.
* for chickens
Facts presented without evidence. Let the chickens into the kitchen with stuff staged on the counter, and get back to me.
@Greg Norton
“A “share” bag of Hershey kisses is above $5 at HEB. I just bought one.”
A
“share”singl;e-serving bag of Hershey kisses is above $5 at HEB. I just bought one.FIFY. No guilt.
@Greg Norton
Tampa has a very large, established Coptic community. They are well represented in this country.
As for Afrikaans, Austin has a sizeable expat community. I doubt their nukes are stashed in the US, but, after meeting a few individuals, I tend to believe the theories that they have one via the Taiwanese program.
The official figures are 98,000 Somali immigrants in the U.S., with 44,000 in MN, 10,000+ in OH, and 10,000+ in WA. Some figures show significantly more in each of those populations, but it’s unclear if they are using the same immigration numbers.
If Coptics in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater are 0.14% of 3.4 million that’s roughly 4700.
The numbers of Afrikaaners in Austin seems to be some unspecified fraction of “over 13,000 African immigrants living in Austin”, so guestimate 5,000 (i.e., not a majority as a first pass.
How about we welcome another 100,000 of each for a start?
This Is What We Voted For: Trump Slashes Federal Workforce to a 60-Year Low
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2026/10/01/this-is-what-we-voted-for-huge-reduction-in-federal-workforce-numbers-are-amazing-n2207621
Keep going. And get going on relocating more of them out of D.C.–a long way out.
Hegseth announced that brass in the services will be cut 20%. Give them a certificate and a toaster on the way out the door. And recall Milley and a few others to duty so they can be courts-martialled.
The rain stopped shortly after it started, but I was napping.
Then I was doing domestic bliss, and auction stuff.
Past time to get some work done.
n
“Alito Speaks After Stepping Aside From Climate Case as Family Energy Inheritance Comes Into View”
https://thelibertydaily.com/alito-speaks-after-stepping-aside-climate-case-as/
“(The Daily Caller)—Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito commented after his decision to recuse himself from a landmark climate case following scrutiny over his family’s oil and gas interests.”
“Alito, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, recused himself from Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County on Tuesday — one week before oral arguments are set to commence in the closely watched climate case. Investments held by the justice and his wife Martha-Ann Alito came under scrutiny both before and after the recusal.”
“The conservative jurist’s absence leaves eight justices to hear the case, raising the possibility of a 4-4 split that would leave the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision allowing Boulder’s lawsuit to proceed in place.”
Dadgumit Alito, don’t do things that you are not required to do.
Colorado needs to be spanked hard.
“Major pool supply chain with over 200 Texas locations files for bankruptcy”
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/leslie-s-pool-supplies-bankruptcy-houston-22458245.php
“The company was already facing years of financial pressure due to inflation, and unfavorable weather.”
“A popular pool and spa supply chain is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Houston, but company officials say customers should still be able to shop like usual as it prepares to shutter nearly 80 stores.”
“Leslie’s Pool Supplies, known as the largest direct-to-consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry, announced Wednesday its “restructuring” agreement with its lenders to cut about $685 million or 90 percent of its outstanding debt. Part of that agreement involves filing for chapter 11 cases within the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.”
And the hits keep on coming.
It’s been dry – that is, rain-free – for a couple hours so I went outside to mow.
Rain started about 20 seconds later.
This has happened before.
The only reasonable conclusion is that the universe hates me.
The only reasonable response is to hate it right back.
“Newscum Goes Islamic: State Now Honors Muslim Holidays Over Christian Days”
https://discernreport.com/newscum-goes-islamic-state-now-honors-muslim-holidays-over-christian-days/
“(WND)—California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a far-left Democrat who is known to have aspirations for higher office, has made it official: his state has endorsed Muslim holidays and officially honors them.”
““This is really disconcerting,” Rabbi Michael Barclay said in a report at CBN.”
““Ramadan is not a month of peace; in fact, al-Qaida calls it the month of conquests,” he explained. “And it’s a horrible statement about California and about our politicians who are pandering for whatever money or votes they think they can get from the Islamic community.””
More madness from kakafornia.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
“Texas’ biggest sports bettor uses Kalshi for massive World Series gamble”
https://www.chron.com/culture/article/mattress-mack-kalshi-astros-bet-22456344.php
“The huge bets always coincide with huge promotions at Gallery Furniture.”
“Houston furniture magnate Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale has once again bet big on the Houston Astros to win the World Series. But this time he was able to do it from the comfort of his own home using controversial prediction markets.”
“McIngvale, who would usually head to Louisiana to place his bets, has officially wagered $516,000 on the Astros to win it all, which could net the furniture salesman more than $13 million in winnings. He used the federally regulated financial exchange and prediction market, Kalshi, where users trade on yes-or-no contracts on real-world future events.”
Huh. Who is the House because the House always wins.
Mack is the house. He runs a big promotion where people buy his furniture, with the guarantee that if he wins his bet, all the furniture is free. If he loses the bet, he gets the profit from the furniture sales (offset by the bet amount). Which I suspect he deducts as an advertising expense.
If he wins, he refunds all those customers (who are happy) and still walks away with winnings. And I suspect those refunds are also deductible as advertising.
Plus he builds on his reputation as a booster of Houston.
95f in the shade. It is supposedly going to be like this for the next ten days.
I took a walk, excavated for the water shutoff valve at the house, it is frozen, bought a vault for said house shutoff valve at Lowe’s, looking for some KROIL penetrating oil, checked in on dogs at friends house.
Can’t say he is wrong. I think it would work.
We expect a hard frost in the next week or so.
Plus he builds on his reputation as a booster of Houston.
– his rep is already pretty good. He and the company always respond well to hurricanes or floods. He’s got high water rescue vehicles to send out, and he opens the stores for evacuees.
His voice in current ads sounds slurred, like he’s been drinking or maybe had a stroke some time ago.
n
100F, and naturally it looks like my friends drip system isn’t working….
I hand watered and will investigate tomorrow.
Bah.
Mack may also hold stock in Kalshi.
I have no doubt that the Legislature will take up the issue of online gambling next year, especially if UT Austin wins the National Championship in football.
The Manning family’s restaurant in New Orleans is part of the Harrah’s/Cesar’s Palace complex. More dimes will drop this season like they did with the Ohio State game.
Can’t say he is wrong. I think it would work.
We used this in the 1920s when we loaded anyone who looked Hispanic in cattle cars and railroaded them into Mexico. Nobody knows how many but it was well over ten million people. Most of them born here.
Who has a ticker symbol like KALSZZX?
Is that a SPAC?
Plus he builds on his reputation as a booster of Houston.
– his rep is already pretty good. He and the company always respond well to hurricanes or floods. He’s got high water rescue vehicles to send out, and he opens the stores for evacuees.
His voice in current ads sounds slurred, like he’s been drinking or maybe had a stroke some time ago.
He had a very serious heart surgery that was only partially successful about two years ago. The news people had the obits ready.
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/jim-mattress-mack-mcingvale-update-open-heart-surgery/285-a58f0aaf-d273-476c-b29a-c396d8c410aa
as a data point, Dotz pretzels at 6 months past best by are right on the edge. You can just barely taste the “old” flavor.
n
I have a postcard for a joint here in town at 404 N Water Street. I thought it was a BBQ place. I don’t drive through that area very often.
They are pushing pizza. Half price on a large pizza with the coupon. I have no idea about full price.
They sell breakfast sandwiches and burritos and even a breakfast pizza.
The tiny picture of the breakfast pizza on the postcard looks like scrambled eggs with chopped up bacon and sausage. AKA, the basic breakfast burrito… not rolled up but a pizza.
My plan for tomorrow is to drop off the trash and go to Tractor Supply for a bag of cat chow. Then I’ll check out the pizza deal. If they make breakfast pizzas a pepperoni/mushroom should be available. If not, well, ok. I’ll survive.
Then a stop at HEB for dog cookies.
It’s rained almost all day. Not hard after the start at 6:15am. Just a heavy drizzle. The high today was 72f. The cats act like they are about to freeze to death. But, it was 96f yesterday.
I took Buddy out for afternoon potty walk. He got to the edge of the patio and turned around… uh no, I ain’t going out there!. We went anyway. He liked being towel dried when we got back to the house. He was just a bit damp.
Silly dog is such a whatever about getting wet.
No movie tonight. Not in the mood.
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16175201/France-riots-schools-education-schools-teachers.html
Egalite’. diversite’. Oh how you’ll pay.
Sure don’t look french to me, nor does the mayor.
Wanna bet the thing they want that they aren’t getting in school is related to islam?
n
“A surging, seething, murmuring crowd of beings that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate.”
The Scarlet Pimpernel may ride again, but this time for real.
They seek him here.
They seek him there.
Those Muzzies seek him everywhere.
Is he in Heaven?
Or is he in hell.
That damned elusive Pimpernel.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/10/sens-marsha-blackburn-and-john-kennedy-take-on-dirty-jack-smith/
Not sure about the wisdom of the $1 amount. there are hundreds of phone records that Stasi Jack requested. A reasonable amount in damages could be multiplied into a quite costly judgement.
And why isn’t Merrick Garland in this suit? Jack didn’t appoint himself.
Wizard Of Id: Oh Henry
https://www.gocomics.com/wizardofid/2026/10/01
Yeah, that was just mean.
“The Ghost Brigades (Old Man’s War Book 2)” by John Scalzi
https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Brigades-Old-Mans-War/dp/1447295382?tag=ttgnet-20
Book number two of a seven book space opera military science fiction series plus a couple of short stories. I reread the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by Tor back in 2006 that I bought from Amazon in 2026 (my son probably stole my original). I own all of the succeeding books and plan to reread them also plus the new book in the series. BTW, this series was just awarded the 2026 Hugo Award for Best Series, a very legitimate award in my opinion.
In the first book we learned that 75 year old volunteers from Earth have their consciousnesses moved from their birth body to a new vastly improved green body with SmartBlood ™ built for them using their DNA with a BrainPal ™ at another star system. So what happened to those volunteers who did not make it to 75? Their new bodies are built and then booted up minus their consciousness to become the new Special Forces, nicknamed the Ghost Brigades.
One of the top consciousness transfer scientists, Charles Boutin, an Earthborn, is a traitor to the Colonial Union and has defected to the Obin, an alien race who want to build their own consciousness transfer device. The Special Forces make retrieving Boutin their top priority.
There is a much better synopsis of the story at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_Brigades
The author has incredibly busy website at
https://whatever.scalzi.com/
And he has a mallet if you annoy him. In fact, he has malleted me a few times. His website, his rules.
My rating: 6 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (19,986 reviews)
Lynn
“Pentagon says Golden Dome shield covers everyone and will cost $185B, CBO says it will cost $1.2T”
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/pentagon-says-golden-dome-covers-everyone-cbo-says-it-will-cost-12t
“The Congressional Budget Office estimates a notional system consistent with the administration’s missile defense goals could cost about $1.2 trillion over 20 years”
“A Pentagon official in the Golden Dome program office, who asked to be identified that way, said the system “protects all Americans to include Guam, Alaska and Hawaii,” and is meant to defend all of America, “not part of America.””
Get on with it!
Renee Good’s family has filed two lawsuits:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/10/the-rufo-conspiracy.php
More like “has had two lawsuits filed in their name.
I doubt that any one of them has taken a close look at the vidos from that day. Their beloved family member came within a fraction of murdering or seriously injuring a federal agent–somehow they missed that in the videos.
Christopher Rufo describes it thusly:
Defendants should file a counter-suit and demand an investigation into frivolous prosecution.
Flock thyselves
If you’ve been wondering whether Flock cameras are tracking your movements, there’s a way to find out.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/flock-thyselves/
No really.
You can find out where some of the cameras are located–color me skeptical if I don’t believe that every camera is on that map. Anyone want to bet against federal and state government having a mechanism to “stealth” designated cameras?
Flock camera information is a database assembled at the behest of our governments from information that they provide through their agreements to site the cameras. The records in that database have only a tiny intersection with crime–about as much as a phone book that includes a few criminals amongst the overwhelmingly law-abiding population–cannot be considered privileged, and by their origin should be subject to FOIA requests. It’s past time for someone to test the theory.
A couple of new flock cameras popped up on my route to the BOL in the last month. And a bunch more have popped up in my surrounding area. Several are even mounted to municipal traffic control structures.
———-
The state run ANPRs are harder to spot. They are easier to spot at night, because they almost always have IR illuminators you can see, and it’s never just one or only one cam.
I’ve seen several more traffic monitoring blutooth readers pop up too. Those are patch antennas pointed at 90deg to the roadway. They often have a ribbed front surface. They read every passing blutooth emitter, cars, phones, headphones, etc. TxDOT says they discard the logs after use, and that if more than one is traveling together, they discard all but one. Sure they do, hardrives are cheap. /sarc
————
Just finished “Dog Logic.” H/T to Adaptive Curmudgeon for the recommendation. I wanted a break from all the LitRPG I’ve been binging, and his recco was timely. Definitely recommended. I spent the first 6 hours reading straight thru and finished it tonight. It’s a bit like “A Confederacy of Dunces” in style at the beginning, with a very untrustworth narrator, and totally worth it.
—————
Temp dropped a few degrees and a cool wind blew in with the front and we got some rain tonight. The temp was perfect for me sitting out with my tiny little fire, I eventually had to take cover by moving my chair to the porch, but the rain was mostly vertical and smelled great.
75F feels cold. I’m hoping the BOL gets some rain too.
——————-
Spent the day on auction stuff and domestic bliss. Not many sale items at HEB this month. Did pick up one sirloin cap roast (picanha roast) at $9/pound. More than I’d like to pay, but the first meat I’ve bought in a couple of months. Only bought one because I’m not making dinners at the moment, and the freezers are in good shape.
————–
Time for a shower and bed. Lots to do tomorrow.
n
Aha. Nick is another who can smell petrichor. Most people don’t seem to. W1 is always bemused when I smell rain coming.
“The Huge SCOTUS Case That Could Make or Break the Trump Administration’s Deportation Initiatives”
https://jdrucker.com/the-huge-scotus-case-that-could-make-or-break-the-trump-administrations-deportation-initiatives/
“The Supreme Court just agreed to hear the immigration fight that could double President Trump’s deportations or cut them in half. MAGA world noticed. So did every illegal alien who has spent years inside the country waiting for a friendly judge to hand him a bond slip and a bus ticket.”
“On October 1 the justices granted review in Rhoney v. Barbosa da Cunha, No. 26-104. Oral argument is expected sometime between January and April 2027. The new term opens Monday. This case is already the one that matters.”
“RedState’s Kyle Becker put the nerves on the table. An America First Insight account called it “easily the most important SCOTUS case being taken up during the 2nd Trump Admin” and said the outcome “easily could double deportations, or halve them.” That is not courtroom poetry. That is arithmetic.”
“St. Louis Homeowners Win Sidewalk Squatter Lawsuit, Expose Who City Hall Puts First”
https://redstate.com/beckynoble/2026/10/01/st-louis-homeowners-win-lawsuit-against-city-over-squatters-but-prove-who-city-cares-about-more-n2207626
“This situation began way back in September 2020 when the couple, refugees from Sudan, erected the tent from tarps, blankets, and plastic bags. They ended up staying until April 2024, roughly 1,300 days. The couple was using a hibachi grill to cook on and storing kerosene tanks in the tent, which attracted rats. They took bucket showers and used bucket toilets. Baumhoff said, “It’s been difficult. … Closed up in your home. Couldn’t open shades or windows, you know? The smell was coming in; it was really bad.” McClanahan and Baumhoff began contacting police, their city alderwoman, the health department, even then-Mayor Tishaura Jones, with no results.”
No, no squatters in front of my house. That would not be tolerated.
That picture is horrible.