Warmer. Damper. Maybe wetter. We’ll see. It was 71F and very damp when I went to sleep. During the day it was very nice. Some clouds, but no rain. Hoping for more of the same today.
I did some stuff. Went to my client’s house to pick up my check and look at something else for him. Solved a tech issue while I was there. The Christmas light guys had left some connections in the mud and they tripped a GFCI that took out my wireless link from the gate back to the house. The first question when troubleshooting should always be “what changed”. Of course if you are really coming in blind, the first question should be “did it work before?” THEN you ask what changed.
I followed that up with three pickups in the southwest of Houston, and then home. Leftovers for dinner and kid taxi service took up most of the rest of the evening.
I did sit out for a tiny little fire and a book, and the possum came along the same route as before to get a drink from the ‘pond’. Then he departed without ever looking at me. The pond must be on his patrol route for every night. I’d bet there are some humans (probably walking dogs) that have a patrol route ever night too. I might have to enable some of the AI features on my newest camera and see if I get a log of any pedestrian traffic.
And maybe I should look at some of my commercial WAPs to see if there is a ‘presence’ log that captures passing wifi or blutooth traffic. I’ve had building something to do that on my low priority list for a long time. Two instances have already happened, the teens stealing from cars, and the mail thief, where it might have been useful to see what their car or phones are named…
So many things. So little time and motivation.
Today I’m helping my wife at the middle school theater. I’ll do some of the sound notes from last year, and help her with installing some other donated equipment. Should be able to get done by late morning. Might have to follow up another day. I’ve got pickups in the afternoon, and moving another load from storage to the shop on my calendar. We’ll see if that happens.
Meatspace and community involvement is important. The appearance of being normal folks, and being helpful to others is a good thing to have on your side, no matter who you are. It probably won’t save you if things go horribly wrong, but it might smooth out some smaller issues. Can’t hurt, and feels good. Win-win.
Always be working to improve your situation. Sometimes that is relationships. Sometimes it great big heaping stacks…
nick
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm75aLGua4E for a video by a green beret who normally charges for online courses but is offering them for free until Thanksgiving.
Somalia doesn’t take it’s own people back. Yes, that is in violation of international law, but lots of African and Middle Eastern countries are like that. Skipping the unrealistic options, the only realistic one is to make a deal with a third country in Africa, and deport the people there. Rwanda is more than willing to make such contracts.
However, courts have so far managed to block this, claiming that it will lead to inhumane treatment of the refugees. The UK attempt to do exactly this failed back in 2022.
Let’s say the quiet part out loud: inhumane treatment is the point. Illegal immigrants and fake asylum claims need to have a serious consequences, to discourage others from trying the same thing.
The news here is speculating that Trump was forced to support this. However, they also speculates that he already knows that the files cannot actually be released, because they are being used in current investigations.
Trump played this really stupidly. One of his campaign promises was to release the files. As soon as he was in office, he didn’t want to hear anything about it, and started attacking his own supporters, when they demanded he keep his promise.
Bet: He found out that his name appears in too many places to be easily redacted…
Understandable. I don´t think the US would be thrilled, if Canada started bombing parts of the US. Yet around 80%-90% of the guns used in crimes were smuggled in from the US, so…
Well, that’s the other explanation…
Stuff a few hundred into a C-141. Fly over Somalia. Nose up, ramp open, problem solved.
I’ve seen papers on tracking people inside a building with ambient WiFi going back at least 15 years.
I’m calling Boondoggle on this company’s product, however.
Hookers and Steaks.
Or Pappy Reserve served up by a busty shot girl at SxSW.
The decision makers in education aren’t that much sharper than the typical C-suite resident in Corporate America. I’d actually say less.
https://curvepoint.ai/press/chartiers-valley-first-to-deploy-wi-ai/
I have first hand experience with the individual who is now the CTO of one of the biggest school systems in the Orlando suburbs. He was one of our Village Idiots back at GTE in the day.
School systems hire him because he fills a race quota and his wife is a big deal in the NEA.
Even my management at GTE hired him out of curiosity about the job his wife held at the time.
I can’t imagine that this particular individual is unique.
Wednesday. Busy, busy bee, that’s me. No time to post before Brad or SteveF. Bah!
There are three sets of measuring calipers in this house, two digital, and a rack/pinion/dial, and not one of them works. Time to see what the Black Friday offers from Mitutoyo look like….
Wishing you all a nice day!
My dial caliper came from Harbor Freight. They used to sell the tool for less than $20 pre-pandemic, but inflation caught up. Now it is $28.
The only downside is calibration in inches.
Plus, during the pandemic, all of he stores were seriously into the Sickness Kabuki and checkout at the nearest Harbor Freight was run like a concentration camp by an angry gay man who is probably way too into leather at home.
Austin.
Coffee. So good.
Affordable luxury. Treating yourself in some small way. A cigar. Premium alcohol. Chocolate. Coffee. This is the future as people try to feel a little bit better about themselves and the world.
Cut back in everyday life, but have a small indulgence as a treat.
————–
I’m up, fed, started my caffeination, and will be getting dressed soon.
Wouldn’t you know, on a day when she’s only driving herself, D1 is up and moving. Most days it’s like pulling teeth. D2 will be helping us at the middle school today.
n
Bet: He found out that his name appears in too many places to be easily redacted…
— even if it’s true, and they talk about him every day, doesn’t mean he’s a pedo like the other’s who went to the island. I still maintain that if the files had weapons to use against trump, they’d have used them by now. His enemies have had the files for years.
More likely is that there are serious national security issues with some of the people that are in the files. WE want to see who’s a compromised freak, and long term, you can’t blackmail someone when the secret is out, but short term, having dozens of senior leaders compromised by the release will significantly weaken us politically.
Fer instance, if there is strong evidence it was a mossad op from the beginning… or if there are links to other conspiracy theory villians… or if it just turns out to be irrefutable that SOMEONE has been blackmailing senior pols and shaping US policy.
Or it may reveal methods and techniques the three letters don’t want compromised.
He promised. He should make it happen. HOWEVER. The goalposts have moved though from releasing the client list, to dumping all the available intelligence, which is a much bigger and harder thing.
n
There was something Obamma promised, made a big deal about, then when he got in office and [presumably] learned the truth, he suddenly downplayed it and stopped any further demands. I wish I could remember what it was. I remember calling it out at the time.
n
(muggy out this am. yuck.)
BTW, dems have had the files for years. If the republicans are “scrubbing the files of names” then all they have to do is release the older, intact versions they’ve had access to and compare…
n
If you really don’t remember, you’re probably thinking of closing Guantanimo. Obottom made a number of promises which he didn’t keep but that one got the most play.
If you were being disingenuous in claiming not to remember, then it could be any number of things.
Yah. By this point, any claims that “we’re really gonna get Trump” – because of lies in his tax filings, because of the “secret dossier”, because of the Epstein list, or because of pretty much anything else – are wishful thinking at best, spiteful mud-slinging at worst.
FWIW, The Child has been getting herself up in time for classes, has been doing more than her share of keeping the dorm suite cleaned (because one roommate isn’t doing her share), and has gotten her assignments in on time. Last year, her senior year of high school, it was usually a challenge to get her up in the morning, it was a challenge to get her to do anything with cleaning the house or helping with upkeep, and she lost or forgot to turn in so many assignments that she was frequently marked as failing a quarter, until the assignments were finally turned in. No doubt some of that was because she needed to get up at 0615 in order to catch the school bus, rough for most teens and some was because she was sick so often, but I think most was because she had me to lean on until the day she moved to college.
Mitutoyo list promotion price today for a dual 6″/150mm vernier (very-near) caliper is 32 bucks before VAT and delivery, but they will supply only to trade, meaning businesses with a VAT registration number.
Big River has the same item retail for 42 bucks, which is not awful, considering that their price includes VAT and delivery. I ordered one. I didn’t feel like splurging 200 bucks on a digital model.
I am old enough that I can work in imperial or metric units. I don’t quite remember the old non-decimal coinage, though.
The biggest Obama lie:
If you like your doctor … you can keep your doctor.
I figure that I’ve taught about 10,0000 people in three states the painful truth of that one.
And for the sticklers, even PolitiFact has given up trying to spin that lie.
People are so weird about healthcare, even Republicans. Dems have exploited fear on the issue for 35 years.
Not closing Gitmo was part of Obama buying off the military brass, particularly the CentCom freak show in Tampa who runs the place as part of the “wars”.
Millions of dollars are remitted from Somali Scams to the homeland every month. Five minutes after fedgov starts blocking Somalia will be begging to take people back.
A pleasant 33F this morning, a few clouds.
I think the storms dropped about 50% of our annual rainfall in the last couple of weeks (an entire 2″).
I have things to do, back permitting.
All students should start carrying a hammer in their backpack.
Ha, ha. Why would the 51st State bomb itself.
If you need a cheapy also, I just got these from Big River to measure my neck width for a crowd sourced doodad:
Ultrassist Plastic Vernier Caliper (2pcs), 150 mm Mini Plastic Caliper for School Student, Portable 0-6 Inch Measuring Tools, Sliding Gauge
Lodge cast iron mini skillets.
WRT the wifi detection: 2.4Ghz is about 5″ wavelength, 5Ghz half of that.
Not quite imaging through the students clothes…
Reverse Cramer! Reverse Cramer!
When Jim Cramer Says the Stock Market is Miserable, That’s the Ultimate Buy Signal
Buy, buy, buy.
“Standard Medicare Part B monthly premium to jump 9.7% in 2026”
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/17/standard-medicare-part-b-premium-2026.html
“The standard Medicare Part B premium will increase to $202.90 per month in 2026, up 9.7% from $185 per month in 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced.”
“Because those monthly premiums are typically deducted directly from Social Security benefit payments, those rates affect just how much of a cost-of-living increase beneficiaries will see in 2026.”
“The Social Security Administration has announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026.”
Even the Medicare costs are jumping. But the Social Security payments are not going up very much. Hmmm.
“Branco Cartoon – Incoming”
https://comicallyincorrect.com/branco-cartoon-incoming/
“A.F. Branco Cartoon – After years of Democrats attacking Trump and his supporters with Government weaponized lawfare, Justice could be coming. But when?”
No joke, when ?
My son thinks that there is a civil war raging in the federal government, especially in the DOJ and CIA. We better hope that civil war does not spread to the general populace. But the militias on the left, the antifa, are spreading their hate and violence as fast as they can.
“Prince Mohammed bin Salman signals openness to joining Abraham Accords as Trump announces sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia”
https://thepostmillennial.com/prince-mohammed-bin-salman-signals-openness-to-joining-abraham-accords-as-trump-announces-sale-of-f-35-fighter-jets-to-saudi-arabia
What could go wrong ?
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Coffee. So good.
Affordable luxury. Treating yourself in some small way. A cigar. Premium alcohol. Chocolate. Coffee. This is the future as people try to feel a little bit better about themselves and the world.
Cut back in everyday life, but have a small indulgence as a treat.
HEB Butter Pecan ice cream.
I need to stop. I am gaining weight again after losing 20 lbs last year.
After the Saudi‘s pay, line the aircraft up on the tarmac and “here they are, come get them”. Then see how they react. If they ask for help “sure, another $5 billion should do it.”
Trash hasn’t been picked up. I went out and noticed that the truck is broken down about 200 feet from my house.
Call me selfish, but I was thinking: “why couldn’t it break down after… ”
“Lodge cast iron mini skillets.”
4-oz cross-peen:
https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D2670-4-Ounce-Cross-Hammer/dp/B0000DD181?tag=ttgnet-20
Civil war would be an improvement. For the past 15 years, the attacks and the killing have been one-sided.
Can’t you bring your trash cans 200 feet and dump them in the back?
Wizard of Id: Shutdown
https://www.gocomics.com/wizardofid/2025/11/19
Yup, that is what really happened during the shutdown.
The Clintons Aren’t Going to Like What James Comer Just Said About Their Epstein Depositions
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2025/11/19/comer-remarks-on-clintons-and-epstein-depositions-n2196347
Tarp the visitor’s chair and make sure the floor drain is high-capacity.
The Dems want Epstein, give them Epstein. Put Bill on during prime time and hammer him flat. Schedule Miss “Like, With a Cloth” for Night Two, and send over two cases of complimentary wine the day before.
Swan Eaters: Baba Yaga’s Lil Hut is dancing
https://www.gocomics.com/swan-eaters/2025/11/17
Um, she sets herself on fire for her dancing ?
Genius!!! Jasmine Crockett Embarrasses Herself with Epstein Gotcha Moment
https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2025/11/19/jasmine-crockett-embarrasses-herself-with-epstein-gotcha-moment-n3809070
All of whom received donations from Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, an entirely different person.
Stand this idiot next to a box of rocks and the rocks look pretty intelligent.
Average IQ for a Dem.
Dilbert: Eunuch Programmers
https://web.archive.org/web/20230301233105/https://dilbert.com/strip/1993-11-09
Best Dilbert ever !
Just dropping in…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChpGDDw-Ix0
“Best Dilbert ever !”
Nope. Techno Bill wins hands down.
https://web.archive.org/web/20220625141217/https://dilbert.com/search_results?terms=techno+bill
“Pucky’s Greatest Hour (Perry Rhodan #81)” by Kurt Brand
https://www.amazon.com/Puckys-Greatest-Hour-Perry-Rhodan/dp/4416602650?tag=ttgnet-20/
Book number eighty-one of a series of one hundred and thirty-six space opera books in English. The original German books, actually pamphlets, number in the thousands with several spinoffs. The English books started with two translated German stories per book translated by Wendayne Ackerman and transitioned to one story per book with the sixth book. And then they transition back to two stories in book #109/110. The Ace publisher dropped out at #118, so Forrest and Wendayne Ackerman published books #119 to #136 in pamphlets before stopping in 1978. The German books were written from 1961 to present time, having sold two billion copies and even recently been rebooted again. I read the well printed and well bound book published by Ace in 1975 that I had to be very careful with due to age. I bought an almost complete box of Perry Rhodans a decade or two ago on ebay that I am finally getting to since I lost my original Perry Rhodans in The Great Flood of 1989. In fact, I now own book #1 to book #106, plus the Atlan books, and some of the Lemuria books.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Rhodan
BTW, this is actually book number 89 of the original German pamphlets written in 1963. There is a very good explanation of the plot in German on the Perrypedia German website of all of the PR books. There is automatic Google translation available for English, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, French, and Portuguese.
https://www.perrypedia.de/wiki/Guckys_gro%C3%9Fe_Stunde
There is alternate synopsis site at:
https://www.perryrhodan.us/summaries/89#
In this alternate universe, USSF Major Perry Rhodan and his three fellow astronauts blasted off in a three stage rocket to the Moon in their 1971. The first stage of the rocket was chemical, the second and third stages were nuclear. After crashing on the Moon due to a strange radio interference, they discover a massive crashed alien spaceship with an aged male scientist (Khrest), a female commander (Thora), and a crew of 500. It has been over seventy years since then and the Solar Empire has flourished with tens of millions of people and many spaceships headquartered in the Gobi desert, the city of Terrania. Perry Rhodan has been elected by the people of Earth to be the World Administrator and keep them from being taken over by the robot administrator of Arkon.
The combined 15,000+ space ships of the Terrans, Arkonides, and Springers have defeated the Druufs at great cost. Atlan pulls the Arkonide space ships out of the Solar System but the Springers refuse to leave and demand monopolistic trade right to the Solar System. And Thomas Cardif, Perry and Thora’s traitor son, defects to the Springers.
Two observations:
1. Forrest Ackerman should have put two or three of the translated stories in each book. Having two stories in the first five books worked out well. Just having one story in the book is too short and would never allow the translated books to catch up to the German originals.
2. Anyone liking Perry Rhodan and wanting a more up to date story should read the totally awesome “Mutineer’s Moon” Dahak series of three books by David Weber.
https://www.amazon.com/Mutineers-Moon-Dahak-David-Weber/dp/0671720856?tag=ttgnet-20/
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars (3 reviews)
Lynn
“Secret Sharia ‘courts’ in Texas may be quietly overriding state law — Abbott calls for investigation”
https://www.theblaze.com/news/secret-sharia-courts-in-texas-may-be-quietly-overriding-state-law-abbott-calls-for-investigation
“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) calls for an investigation into “certain entities” that may be defying state and federal laws to push Islamic codes, according to a statement first obtained by “The Glenn Beck Program.””
“Abbott issued a proclamation on Tuesday that designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. As a result of this declaration, individuals who promote or aid their criminal activities could face heightened penalties, and the groups’ affiliates are banned from acquiring land in Texas.”
“CAIR condemned Abbott’s action, calling it “defamatory and lawless,” in a statement emailed to Blaze News.”
I tell you, these people are not good for the USA.
“Is the ‘no-hire, no-fire’ labor market narrative breaking as job cuts mount?”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/is-the-no-hire-no-fire-labor-market-narrative-breaking-as-job-cuts-mount-192139088.html?guccounter=1
“The job market has been seen as frozen. That could be changing, thanks to job cuts.”
““All the signs point to we’re moving from ‘no-hire, no-fire’ labor market to ‘no-hire, start-to-fire’ labor market,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.”
“The US is about to get its first official report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the country’s unemployment rate since August.”
I could have told them that. Very few businesses are hiring and more businesses are laying off people.
Meh. Scary sounding percentages. 60¢ a day ain’t much compared to how other prices have increased. I think it increased $12 last year to the current $185.
Part D prices seem a bit better this year. Looks better. I think the deductible is $650 a year and more drugs are priced lower. And free after you make the deductible. The monthly premium is $zero. I’m not on any drugs so it’s moot for me.
If I’m working the calculator correctly, a big if , 2.8% for me is 63.58. So I’ll see an extra $45 a month after the Part B increase. An extra $1.50 a day.
So roughly, with what I’m pulling from the 401k, I’ll have $103 per day I can spend. Up from $101.
I suppose I should run around with my hair on fire or something but I ain’t feeling it.
This last year has been sort of expensive. Probate was a couple of grand. That needed to be done. And while I could have not had the 30 year old carpet in the LR and hallway replaced with the vinyl plank stuff, that was another $3500. (Sure looks nice. Easy to clean.) But, those are one time charges. 55 days of income.
Oh. Forgot the steers. There went another five grand. Another 50 days of income. Worth it for the ag taxes and hell, walking grass fed food if it gets all zombie.
And bless their hearts they broke the water line to their water tub a couple of days ago. Down at the tee in the water line. I have a puddle with water bubbling up. Not a huge leak, about a garden hose turned on a quarter turn. But now I get to turn the pump off and wait for the system to drain so I can fix the PVC. In the mud. I’m really really looking forward to that task.
I do have valves in the pumphouse. They are all “gatevalves” and none work. The knobs turn and nothing happens. I didn’t think they were cheap but I didn’t know a lot of stuff back in ’93 when we moved here.
Good times.
It’s always been good times for me. Even when I was just starting out and having enough after rent and bills for a loaf of bread and some butter and sandwich meat and canned tuna and Kraft mac and cheese and oh wow! I just found a quarter in the parking lot!!! That’s a can of tuna. And wow, I have enough for a new tire for the bicycle! I made it on my own. Never sponged off of the ‘rents or anyone else.
Nope. Milk or Dutch Chocolate for me. And the HEB pecan flavored coffee? hell no.
BaskinRobbins Rocky Road. Small 14 oz containers. Single serving. Big almond chunks, big marshmallows. $3.50 at my local WalMart.
“Democrats to U.S. military: ‘You must refuse illegal orders’”
https://www.oann.com/newsroom/democrats-to-u-s-military-you-must-refuse-illegal-orders/
And, another step on the way to Civil War in the USA.
In case you were wondering, this is treason by these dumbrocrats in my view.
Stay away from dumbrocrats, they are dangerous.
My wife is on Part D. Her monthly premium is $18.00.
My wife has tiers for cost based on how much she has paid. Her deductible is over $2k before the highest tier. Even then she still pays 25% for some name brand, still under patent, drugs. Never will her costs go to zero.
What company are you using for Part D?
BaskinRobbins Rocky Road. Small 14 oz containers. Single serving. Big almond chunks, big marshmallows. $3.50 at my local WalMart.
I buy the HEB Butter Pecan or the HEB Chocolate Chip in the pint size, 16 ounces for $2.49 each.
I am trying to make each pint last three days, three servings, but I usually don’t make it past two servings for each pint.
And almonds are bad news for me as I am allergic to them. Severe gastronomical distress, especially with almondine cookies as I found out to my sorrow one day after eating ONE cookie.
My wife is on Part D. Her monthly premium is $18.00.
My monthly premium for Part D is zero. I take two prescription drugs: 50 mg/day metoprolol (17 $/month) and one drop in each eye per day latanoprost (zero cost).
My carrier is Wellcare.
https://www.wellcare.com/en/explore-plans/prescription-drug-plans
My three eye medicines after my eye cataract surgery were about $80 out of pocket.
Eh, from what I see, it isn’t. The UCMJ already tells servicemen to ask for clarification if an order may be illegal, to seek legal counsel, and if push comes to shove to refuse to obey.
The implication, of course, is that every order coming from Trump, Hegseth, and their “lackeys” is illegal. But they didn’t say that.
Actually, no. An illegal order must be disobeyed. By regulation. If a soldier is ordered to rob a bank, that is illegal and must be disobeyed. Not all orders are legal. My Lai is one example.
It comes down to what is considered ”illegal”. Some cases, like robbing, are obvious. Some are not so obvious. what the democrats are stating is illegal, is not. Ordered by the CIC, affirmed by judges, courts and congress.
Whoa be to the soldier who does make the decision to disobey. They better be 200% certain and have sought the advice of legal counsel in the military, outside the direct chain of command.
The implication, of course, is that every order coming from Trump, Hegseth, and their “lackeys” is illegal. But they didn’t say that.
Yes, that is what I meant to say. But they sure did push that, wink, wink.
Um. I was doing the College Thing. Because all the school folks said I should. Honor’s Track, whatever. I was sick of school in 10th grade but I went along. We lived in the sticks so finding a job of any kind after four hours a day on a school bus, well, nope.
But I did the College thing. BEOG and all that. Living in the dorms. It was grand. Then an 80+ year old lady cut a left turn in front of me and well, do I head on into that Ford pick-up truck or do I try to swerve? Yeah, I suck at being the Flying Nun. Landed in the gutter with a cracked helmet. Yeah, and a broken at the hip leg.
So the docs said 50/50 on keeping the leg. It was a month in the hospital. I went from 155 to 120 pounds. I stopped growing. They started to get pushy about an enema…. because I hadn’t pooped in three weeks. But by then I was learning crutches.
So one day I had to go. I got out of bed and into the wheel chair and then across the room and then on the crutches for a few feet and made it to the bathroom. I was not suppose to use the crutches without supervision. No weight on broken leg, ever. Sweating like a pig. I ruined the bathroom. Lordy, I’ve never dropped a stink bomb like that since. Then I got back to the bed, sweating like a pig and the therapist lady, she was nice, walked in and “why are you so sweaty? ”Don’t go into the bathroom, just do not”.
She gave me a stern lecture about needing help and yada yada and she was smiling the entire time. So.
I’m very happy they fixed my leg. I don’t limp. Leg hurts almost all the time. But I have it. Right now it’s throbbing. I haven’t figured how to predict the weather.
So, yeah, it’s all good.
Wellcare.
I happened to notice the temperature showing on the coop thermometer an hour or so ago, shortly before most of the birds went up. With two birds up (the older two, who have mostly but not completely grown back their feathers after molting), the thermometer showed 38F, a degree or two above outside temp. Fifteen minutes later, with all birds having gone up a few minutes before but with their coop door still open, the thermometer showed 42F, after outside temp dropped another degree or two. Eight fat little butts in a 30 cu ft coop, not at all air-tight, keep it reasonably warm even as winter is coming on. Yes, there’s a heat light but it doesn’t come on often until the temp is down to maybe 10F.
My wife put a bird feeder in the chicken run a while ago, because it has a camera and that lets her check on possums or whatever squeeze into the run at night. As long as it’s sitting there, I sometimes put food in it, sometimes their ordinary cracked corn and sometimes scratch grains. Every single time the birds mob the feeder. “Starving chickens have never been fed in their entire lives, claim local chickens.” Then Brown Hen, one of the older birds and one who is usually shyer and lets the younger birds crowd her away from treats, comes up and pecks them all away until she’s eaten her fill. Note that they have an always-full food bin and get treats every day, sometimes more than once. (Today they got lettuce leaves and diced fat sliced from a ham, and later got some rice cooked with ground beef, taken from my lunch. Plus a big handful of dried larvae when I brought them back to the run after they’d been in the garden a while. Yes, they’re very spoiled.)
“COP30 is the world’s biggest trade show”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/11/17/cop30-is-the-worlds-biggest-trade-show/
“The vast majority of the tens of thousands of people attending COP30 are there to sell and buy stuff, including oil, natural gas, and even coal. Climate policy has little to do with it. This is by far the world’s biggest trade show, with almost every country represented. There is nothing else like it.”
“Pre-registration for COP30 is around 56,000, the second highest in COP history. Total attendance might be 70,000 or more. The press often talks as though all these people are somehow involved in the climate deliberations, but that is wildly false.”
“The number of actual in-the-building negotiators is likely fewer than a thousand. It is possibly a lot less, as that would be five per country, and some countries only send two or three people. Many countries have several negotiators as negotiations often proceed in multiple simultaneous work groups. So, let’s say it is a thousand.”
“There are also around a thousand journalists, several thousand activist observers, and likely several thousand conference support staff.”
“So suppose there are ten thousand people directly involved in the negotiations as doers, helpers, and watchers. What do the other 60,000 or so people do? Well, for a start, many of them man (person?) the endless pavilions, booths, and presentations going on outside the negotiations building. Many others attend this carnival.”
Huh, I had no idea. I thought the entire COP was a bunch of tree huggers and climate changers.
And….. the weather forecast is for some rain. Right now my freaking leg is throbbing from almost to my knee and almost to the bottom of my ribs.
Yeah. Might be a few short circuits there. Oh well.
Tricare For Life is free for retirees and covers Part D. If we have a recurring drug need we can get 90 day supplies through the Tricare mail pharmacy.
The problem is A/B. MrsAtoz makes enough $$ we have to pay the max. That means we probably pay for 5-6 peeps premium. Yet, we get no more benefit than any other recipient. So we paid in for life and still have to pay. The SSA is kind enough to deduct the amount from our SS pay so we don’t even get a say.
That’s why I called it sedition. Activate the wood chipper? Fuuullll Power!!!*
*Do you know where the Full Power quote is from.
“F-35s, AI chips, and trillions: How MBS, once a ‘pariah’, took back Washington”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-visit-to-us-donald-trump-us-sale-of-f-35s-to-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-murder-mbs/articleshow/125428105.cms
“On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aka MBS with military fanfare, a black-tie dinner, etc.”
Sounds like MBS brought his checkbook.
The Israelis have proven that the F-35 is a fearsome weapon once you turn off all of the error and warning messages. Has long legs too for a fighter jet.
A new Stargate series announced:
Stargate Announcement | Prime Video
Please don’t frack it up. There are still plenty of the original cast who could kick it off.
“Troubling New Survey Shows 90 Percent Of Graduating High School Seniors Don’t Know The Airspeed Velocity Of An Unladen Swallow”
https://babylonbee.com/news/troubling-new-survey-shows-90-percent-of-graduating-high-school-seniors-dont-know-the-airspeed-velocity-of-an-unladen-swallow
“PALO ALTO, CA — A startling new study out of Stanford University shows almost all graduating high school seniors in the U.S. are unable to recall the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.”
I must admit that I have forgotten that myself.
The problem is A/B. MrsAtoz makes enough $$ we have to pay the max. That means we probably pay for 5-6 peeps premium. Yet, we get no more benefit than any other recipient. So we paid in for life and still have to pay. The SSA is kind enough to deduct the amount from our SS pay so we don’t even get a say.
And IRMAA is going up by 9.7% also for Part B. Have fun paying that bill !
https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/medicare/medicare-premiums-2026-irmaa-brackets-and-surcharges-for-parts-b-and-d
Florida Congresswoman Charged with Stealing $5 Million in FEMA Funds
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2025/11/19/florida-congresswoman-charged-with-stealing-5-million-in-fema-funds-n2666731
They keep admitting who they are–why don’t more people believe them?
Are We Shocked the Biden FBI Did This During the Trump Assassination Investigation?
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/11/19/biden-fbi-stonewalled-congressional-investigation-into-trumps-assassination-n2666694
Given the long proven history of FBI coverups, I think it’s time for some real investigations:
Exhume the remains of JFK, RFK, MLKjr, Harvey Milk and every other PLT icon we can think of. Ship them all to a secret forensic facility for examination. Then start “losing” a piece at a time. Leaking reports that show a long list of STD’s. DNA analysis with “interesting’ ancestry. Just make outlandish crap up and put it out there. Publish the files that list all the secret families, abortions, and coverups. Dan Rather’s monkey gland shots. Just make outlandish crap up and put it out there.
Make that three cases of wine for the missus after Bill’s testimony.
Amazon. Of course they will frack it up.
My employer’s stock cratered over the last week. Nothing sells except AI, and no one makes significant money selling those boxes except NVDA.
Gonna need a bigger layoff. Cue Roy Scheider.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT9BeGNnCqw
That scene is awesome in IMAX. The legend is that Scheider improved the line.
That time period was the high water mark for Unix and client-server. Linux has been about the web and, lately, Docker/Kubernetes.
Hot Skillz!
All of the old school IPC, Posix API and Motif are still there, however.
Best Dilbert ever? Find a way to watch the “Testing” episode of the “Dilbert” TV series.
This clip doesn’t even touch the Dogbert subplot which I refuse to spoil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEPoYlihMxI
well. That was a day.
Did my volunteering this am. We got a lot of work done. Not all, but then after lunch we came back and finished.
At 3pm I went to do two pickups on the east side of town. Got that done, then drove across town to get home for dinner.
Ribeye steaks in the kitchen, hot pan method. Pretty good. Sauteed zucchini with cheese and mushrooms in red wine… living like kings.
then start catching up on my web stuff, and auctions.
So far, haven’t won anything tonight.
n
World’s biggest company Nvidia stuns Wall Street as it gives biggest clue yet to state of US economy
Nvidia’s earnings have become a market-moving event unlike almost anything else in corporate America.
—-
‘Triple whammy’ will decide if Wall Street crashes within the next day… and the first sign is just hours away
n
Oddly, I was recently wondering what happened to Kathy Ireland. Had a poster of her on the dorm wall. Pia Zadora too.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-15306707/kathy-ireland-fishing-career-now.html
–It’s not ALL she does, but that is pretty cool.
n
Client-server is back. Well, sorta.
Whenever you see references to “DBus”, just substitute the words “Unix Sockets”.
Same thing but DBus has object abstractions, C++23 libraries, and YAML-to-C++ code generators.
Hot Skillz!
Divide $5 million by her Congressional salary and give her that much time in prison.
“Epstein was a pedo, tRump, tho.”
MS NOW’s Jen Psaki stuns Epstein survivor into silence with question about Trump
The LSM dooshes think they will be golden when CWII hits. They’ll be the first ones lined up…
When I was 34, I was offered the opportunity to hang out with Kathy Ireland, who was at that point about 24.
The catch? It wasn’t a hang-out. My client representative, a Lt. Col., was a family friend of hers, and she was going to be working out with him and the Stanford track team early the next morning, and I was invited to tag along. I was told we’d have plenty of time for the workout and getting to work at JPL by 8 AM.
I don’t get up that early, and I don’t run.
The upside of burkas is that if you divorce and remarry, you can keep the same photo on your desk.
– ah John Wilder, you rock.
n
In the Can’t-Make-This-Shit-Up department:
Judge Blocks Trump From Power-Washing Office Building Near White House
POTUS needs a judge’s permission to wash an Executive building? The judiciary is a joke.
BTW, it was unbelievably humid today, until late afternoon. Sweat running down your spine to your coin slot just standing still, hot and humid.
Thankfully, it did cool and dry a bit later in the day.
CRAZY nasty weather, with overcast and broken clouds.
n
I think I’m going to medicate and go to bed. I’m stiff and sore, having spent the morning pushing, dragging, and carrying, while mostly looking up. My neck is going to be a mess.
n
Plumbers Got Rich Hiring Illegals and Stealing American Jobs – Finally Flushed
https://twitchy.com/justmindy/2025/11/19/plumbing-contractor-arrested-employing-illegals-n2421892
The trade unions are pretty much irrelevant to the Dem fraud machine–it’s the teachers and government workers unions that call that shots, and there is little opportunity for them to hide employment of illegals. The illegals are the unions constituents.
Caught the guy. Federal terrorism doesn’t make much sense to me, but whatever they need to do to hold the guy. Chicongo is notoriously lax with criminals.
n
The trade unions are pretty much irrelevant to the Dem fraud machine
– I wouldn’t go that far. The unions give them a LOT of money. The stagehand’s union gave $40M one year iirc from the magazine article bragging about it. That was 10-15 years ago, but I remember being shocked at the amount. And that union isn’t huge.
SIEU is much bigger.
n
Thursday. At the BOL. We have about an inch of snow. It looks nice, and is not enough to be troublesome. Going out in the woods this afternoon with a rifle will be chilly. I need to look out my warm gear…
Wishing you all a beautiful day. May you be as spoilt as SteveF’s chickens!
I don’t get why the US hasn’t fixed the system. Obamacare is apparently nothing but a disaster. Surely no one in either party would object, if Congress took action?
Switzerland is expensive, yet our health insurance costs significantly less, for a lower deductible (can be as low as $300). And we have no stupid games about in-network or out-of-network: Any reputable doctor is “in network” for all health insurance providers.
FWIW, since Switzerland has stupidly agreed to buy these jets: it has become clear that they only fly if the US wants them to. While there may not be a direct “kill switch”, they need continuous spare parts and software upgrades, and the contracts with the US apparently make it clear that those can be cut off at any time.
The Saudis might get in one or two sorties against some target the US doesn’t approve of, but then they would be sitting on a bunch of expensive junk.
That’s a good feeling.