Cool, but warmer than lately. It really warmed up yesterday and that carried through to today. Or it should have, we’ll see when I wake up. In fact it got hot and sweaty by late afternoon. I guess our little cold front has passed.
I did a few things yesterday. Costco, gas, pickup. Cooked dinner. I need to do some domestic bliss today though.
Haircut, laundry, cleaning… if not today then soon. I’ll probably get the rest of the lights and decor down too. I usually want to leave them up as long as possible, but for some reason I’m not feeling it right now. Maybe it’s the artificial tree? First year we don’t have a [formerly] live tree, and I miss the smell and the hassle of filling the water. It’s a pretty good fake, expensive and real looking, but still a fake. Does that have an effect?
Or it could be the kids being a bit older. Dunno. Magic is missing a little bit. Or it could just be me.
In any case, the list is long and my patience and motivation are short.
Stack it up.
nick
This was the first year that W1 and I had no Christmas tree at all, neither natural nor artificial.
Family obligations and travel plans meant that we would not have been in one place for more than a couple of days at a time, so we decided not to sacrifice the two or three previously-living trees that we would normally have, and we saved some money too, which W1 promptly spent on other decorations, so we weren’t without festive trappings.
I do miss the nice pine smell.
Saturday. Sunshine on fresh snow. It is bright. Time to get myself outside of some breakfast foods and a coffee. Also going to take a magnesium capsule and eat a banana – I had a wicked cramp in my right calf in the night. I am surprised my pious exclamation didn’t wake W1.
Have a beautiful Saturday!
News reports are appearing that US troops have captured Maduro and flown him out of the country.
Solitary accommodation at Guantanamo? Guest room at Mar a Lago?
My guess is Gitmo, outside the jurisdiction of federal judges.
Liberal heads exploding in 3… 2…
Confirmed on X by the White House.
https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2007396973758816564?s=20
PSA: Kaiserschmarrn. Get yourself some!
“Starbase”, Texas is pretty remote, and the Border Patrol is an integral part of the security.
I don’t think anyone goes out there without a lot of entries in logbooks being recorded.
Musk probably also has an arrangement with the Mexican government as well as the cartels.
No. Bondi is talking a trial on US soil.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pam-bondi-says-maduro-will-face-full-wrath-of-usa-as-she-lists-charges/ar-AA1TvnSk
Gitmo is a unique place for Muslims since their life expectancy outside the gates would be measured in hours. Cuba is a Catholic country.
Maduro is a Cuban ally, and Gitmo is a long-term lease, technically Cuban soil. The legal issues could get tricky if he was held there.
Short trial
Guilty
1-kg suppository of cargo recovered from kinetic strike on Venezuelan boat.
Anyone who thinks it’s fish powder can get one of their own.
Maduro and wife are being held in NYC (hi, Diddy). An Amish BJ Klinton appointee is the chief judge. She’ll probably let Maduro out on his own recognizance, then dismiss the case, Then declare tRump issued illegal orders to the military (since we know district judges actually control the country). Then tRump will be arrested and placed in the cell Maduro is in.
Amazon popped up a silly “buy it again” ad, this time for the little Ryzen 7 mini-pc I bought in July.
Then it was $312 for 32GB, now it is $390 for 24GB…
Some lawyers will get very rich indeed on the Maduro case, if there is to be a trial in the US.
There will be lots of interesting arguments, sovereign immunity, kidnapping, et cetera et cetera. The AG will need to ensure that a judge sympathetic to the Trump government is and stays in charge of the case.
Mismatched memory DIMM size may mean a decrease in performance.
Assuming that we aren’t attempting to install a provisional government in Venezuela, this may have been the cleanest option to clean up the mess Clinton allowed to happen by not recognizing what happened with Chavez’ rise to power as being a Marxist revolution.
The oil has to start flowing again, and the Venezuelan professional class fled to Miami 25+ years ago.
I am watching the livestream of the press conference. Trump just said the US are staying in Venezuela until a judicious transfer of power can be organised, and that US oil companies are going in.
This is the livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/LqqrIlirOt0
Well, sleep in a bit and miss a whole regime change.
Why now?
Finally got to sleep after 3am.
Time for coffee.
n
>>Well, sleep in a bit and miss a whole regime change.
Why now?
Jeffrey who??
The oil isn’t flowing.
Plus, Dominion.
Where will Maduro’s trial be? I would expect Miami, and that least some Venezuelan expats would be on the jury.
New York.
Miami would be a wild card in terms of jury, and the Florida Governor’s mansion is up for grabs next year in the Midterm elections.
The Venezuelan professional class needs to go home and reestablish the flow of oil.
Let Billy Bob explain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmbZwxEnAFc
Flow the oil for WHO? We don’t need it.
n
If I understand correctly (and Lynn would know about 1,000,000X about this), we do need the Venezuelan crude. Most American crude is lighter than we really want, so it gets blended with heavier at the refineries. It doesn’t have to be from Venezuela, of course, but that crude is conveniently close and formerly inexpensive.
It’s not about the oil. It’s about West Taiwan and Iran and Russia moving in. See: Monroe Doctrine.
“Slap on the Wrist”
https://areaocho.com/slap-on-the-wrist/
““The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.””
“Over a year ago, I was involved in a case where a patient attempted to punch a pregnant doctor. I stepped between them and took the punch instead. I pressed charges. After a year’s time, where I was served with no fewer than 5 subpoenas and had at least two depositions taken, as well as giving a written statement, and a few calls and visits involving the police and the prosecutor’s office, the case is done.”
Unreal. This person who attacked them should be in a mental hospital at a minimum.
If not the mental hospital then executed.
I have an old pole lamp. You’ve seen them…. three shades on a pole. I’ve had this one since 2004. It was old then. Looking at the cord, I’m guessing it’s pushing 50 years old real hard.
It’s not fancy, no spring loaded tensioning stuff here. Stand on a chair, press down into the carpet and extend the top post and tighten it with a wingnut.
It’s old enough to think of the socket switches failing. Anyway. I have LED bulbs in it now. No more 100 watt incandescent bulbs cooking parts like an E-Z-Bake Oven.
Well. I got tired of fumbling into a pitch dark room to turn on the light. I went looking for a remote switch.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0845PYFPK?tag=ttgnet-20
It fits nicely on the bookshelf just inside the doorway. Right at elbow height. No fumbling.
Not exactly what I was looking for. But $19 for two versus $12 for one identical looking unit labeled as Phillips, well, I have a spare. I did not get the pretty printed box. Just plain cardboard. All thrown away now. Well packaged though.
It’s an interesting switch. It doesn’t run an actual AC wire to the switch. Probably a good thing if you have critters that might chew on a wire. It has a relay. Default is off. So if the power blinks your light stays off.
If you look at the video of Maduro challenging Trump to “come get me”, it’s clear that we were invited.
If I understand correctly (and Lynn would know about 1,000,000X about this), we do need the Venezuelan crude. Most American crude is lighter than we really want, so it gets blended with heavier at the refineries. It doesn’t have to be from Venezuela, of course, but that crude is conveniently close and formerly inexpensive.
The Gulf Coast refineries can run just fine, and do, without the heavy crude. All they have to do is reconfigure the refinery and take out several unit operations. It is a pain in the buttocks though and they hate doing that. Blending will allow them to run the refinery as built.
Most of the crude produced in the USA now is light and sweet, only requiring a tea kettle refinery.
https://x.com/antoniogm/status/2007398586246672723
https://x.com/WarPath2pt0/status/2007438499083854326
John Fogerty files lawsuit, organizes Maduro Aid concert with Heart and Bono.
Unreal. This person who attacked them should be in a mental hospital at a minimum.
One hundred volts at the temples for ten minutes should fix the problem.
“I have an old pole lamp. You’ve seen them…. three shades on a pole.”
Is that ray-ciss?
” tighten it with a wingnut.”
and that sex-ist?
It’s not about the oil. It’s about West Taiwan and Iran and Russia moving in. See: Monroe Doctrine.
Yup. We are not going to allow some petty warlord to roam around the Caribbean causing trouble. And sounds like he was inviting people to the party that we do not like.
A few weeks ago someone recommended Man on Fire. I looked on Big River and hey, buy just that movie for $17 or buy a set of three movies for $7?
Triple Feature: Courage Under Fire / Man on Fire / the Siege.
All good movies. But The Siege….. what the hell? The twin towers were still there, Bill was president, the cars are great, and WTF, the arabs are blowing shit up way back then and we still let them into our country?
There’s a CIA lady… kind of pretty…. she said her first boyfriend was a Palestinian. So she’s CIA and supposed to be busting Pali terror stuff in the US? Yeah…. might be biased towards the enemy. Anyway, the sandshark died and I was like “good riddance”.
They would not make this movie now. Characters said it’s all the moslems and jews causing the problems beyond what the negros do.
Trippy. .
If the after-party is as well-organized, the babble juice has done it’s work, we have the bank name and account numbers and have already had the conversation with the bank president and head of the country.
I’m curious as to whether Rubio or Hegeth made the calls.
“All your feelthy drug monies belong us!”
Be the perfect seed for the “Fentanyl Survivors Reparations Fund”
Be the perfect seed for the “Fentanyl Survivors Reparations Fund”
– if they were really in it for the people who were most damaged.
n
“Trump Teases Mexico as Next Potential Target for Military Intervention After Capture of Venezuela Dictator”
https://thelibertydaily.com/trump-teases-mexico-as-next-potential-target-military/
Trump is negotiating.
Early in the Clinton administration, the extremists made an attempt at bringing down the World Trade Center using a bomb in the parking garage.
To quote the often forgotten line – but my favorite — in the “Best of Both Worlds Part I” episode of “Next Generation”:
“Incorrect strategy Number One.”
Everyone remembers “Resistance is futile.”
Johnny Reno didn’t do a thing. She spent eight years running for Governor of Florida. as US Attorney General. She blew it with the Elian Gonzalez fiasco.
I
hmmmm…
I had forgotten that Slow Joe had issued a warrant for Maduro back in 2020:
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/01/03/jennings-biden-venezuela-n2668820
Convicted Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan Resigns (and Plays the Victim)
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/01/03/hannah-dugan-resigns-n2668816
Have not looked into Wisconsin law, but they should impeach her anyway.
Dugan, Maduro…, meh.
In important legal news today: Tom Bodette has come to a settlement with Motel 6.
I’ve been sorting stuff in my office. Several bins worth of paper and small electronics…
Took a break to get the rest of the inflatables down. Took the lights off the little fake cedar trees on the porch too.
———
I finished re-reading the “Sprawl” trilogy by William Gibson. It’s his first novel, “Neuromancer” and the two that tell the rest of the story “Count Zero”, and “Mona Lisa Overdrive”. I wondered if they would hold up, and if I’d enjoy them as much as I did the first few times.
Yes. They do hold up. There are some things that you just have to say “alternate universe” and ignore, like the lack of cell phones, no social media, and that the japanese didn’t come out of the 80s owning everything…
Since the story is a thriller, with mercs, murderers, intrigue, and a tiny bit of love, and he’s a decent writer, it holds up well. This time thru, since I paid a bit more attention and wasn’t drinking while I read it, everything makes sense, even the voodoo stuff, and everything wraps up nicely at the end. There are a couple of pivotal lines near the end that don’t get enough emphasis in the text, but they are there.
The dark world of a balkanized US with bigcorps running things is very 80s, like “Jennifer Government” or Stephenson’s “Snow Crash.” I’m glad we don’t quite live in it, and it does kind feel like a period piece, having come of age as a reader during that period of SF.
All in all, I think it stands up well for a modern audience, at least if you were alive during the 80s and witnessed the transition into the modern world. If you used a pay phone, and know what static on a CRT TV looks like, but also use the internet and live a significant portion of your life online, then you’ll have no problem with it.
n
I stayed in many M6’s as a young officer. Back when they were clean, simple, and cheap. Whatever Bodette got, it was deserved. “We’ll leave the light on for you..” will never be forgotten.
Re: Venezuela: Watch if refineries get built or expanded there. Watch if a giant US military base gets established. Watch how much local political autonomy develops. Watch if the local currency gets re-established or if they just use dollars. Watch what the local cost of goods sold rate is for their oil and how it competes with Texan oil price. Pop some corn and watch just how independent the new Venezuela is vs a South American satrapy for the USA.
West Taiwan, huh, I like that description. Cuba will go thru even more major unpleasantness.
Oil priced in dollars has been backing our fiat currency for 50 years and is the reason it remains the reserve currency. Since oil is consumed, unlike gold, and the oil reserves are an indefinite estimated measure, currency games and deficit finance remain possible and allowable, too.
Reuters: Venezuela vice president Rodriguez in Russia, four sources say
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuela-vice-president-rodriguez-russia-four-sources-say-2026-01-03/
All your luxury automobilez belongz to the peoplez!
In between everything else, messing with networking for W. She gets crazy low speeds at her desk. I blamed low wifi signal strength, and it did get better when I added a WAP above her. The hardwired computers aren ‘t getting great speeds either…
One speedof.me for the ddg browser was 1/10th of nominal, and when we checked again with chrome it was where it should be. So no more DDG browser for her. Dunno why she was using it in the first place, but at least on that desktop it was a D-O-G dog.
New macbook on the new WAP is getting ⅓ of wired speed, but it’s symmetrical. Very odd.
Our ATT fiber plan is nominally 700 down, 350 up, and my desktop using FF and an adblocker, on speedof.me usually tests right around there.
ATT says the link between our fiber converter and their test point is 1K down, 800 up, but that is a made up number as we can’t get it with our plan.
Clearly there is some room for optimization and trouble shooting during my network reorganization, and I need to test the hardwired ports again too.
n
West Taiwan, huh, I like that description. Cuba will go thru even more major unpleasantness.
I liked the West Taiwan also.
Cuba is a island with very little natural resources other than people. Lots and lots of people that they can barely feed. Things will get much worse there before they get better.
Oil priced in dollars has been backing our fiat currency for 50 years and is the reason it remains the reserve currency. Since oil is consumed, unlike gold, and the oil reserves are an indefinite estimated measure, currency games and deficit finance remain possible and allowable, too.
We, the USA, have forced everyone to use our Dollar since the Bretton Woods agreement. Until recently, if we detected anyone exchanging goods on the planet without using the SWIFT system, we would declare war on them. But since we started using the SWIFT system to punish people, we have let the BRICS be built and used.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton_Woods_system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRICS
Now Russia is building a rail line and more pipelines directly into China.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/proposed-russia-china-pipeline-needs-tremendous-work-cnpc-researcher-says-2025-12-11/
The alternative clearance system is in place. They have played around with doing oil deals in yuan and alternative currencies.
They are getting ready.
n
“CLAIM: Efficient method to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere developed”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/01/03/claim-efficient-method-to-capture-carbon-dioxide-from-the-atmosphere-developed/
“The method developed by Postdoctoral Researcher Zahra Eshaghi Gorji is based on a compound of superbase and alcohol. Tests done in professor Timo Repo’s group show that the compound appears promising: one gram of the compound can absorb 156 milligrams of carbon dioxide directly from untreated ambient air. However, the compound does not react with nitrogen, oxygen or other atmospheric gases. Capasity clearly outperforms the CO2 capture methods currently in use.”
“The CO2 captured by the compound can be released by heating the compound at 70 °C in 30 minutes. Clean CO2 is recovered and can be recycled.”
I like this comment the best:
“There are these things called plants they take in carbon and store it in the bodies and roots, then when they die or get cut back, the roots drop and decay in the soil leaving the carbon there. Why is this so complicated?”
Because they can’t monetize plants?
n
Had my tiny little fire while I read something new. It’s caught my interest, so I’ll mention it later.
It wasn’t too cold when I went out, but I started up the Mr Heater and was pretty chilled by the time I came in. Time for a hot shower and attempting to sleep.
n