Probably starting the day in the mid 70sF and getting well into the 80s and maybe the 90sF in the sun. And there should be sun as the national forecast has us in the ‘clear’ area for a couple of days at least. It was nice in the shade yesterday, but really hot in the sun. Not quite Summer, but I know it’s coming.
Spent the morning doing stuff. Did a load of domestic bliss, but didn’t fold it yet. Did some hobby stuff, still hoping to get a new venue closer to me. I’m selfish that way. At least I’d like the membership to decide which part of town is most convenient for the most people. Herding cats would be easier.
Then I did pickups.
Today I’ve got a round of pickups, a meeting with the potential venue and Board members, and if time works out, an estate sale to check out. The sale has 4 vintage McIntosh speakers visible in pictures but they haven’t mentioned them or highlighted them in any way. They’re just sitting in the room with other crep piled on them. It’s worth trying to steal them as they sell for about $500 each… and where there are good speakers, there is usually and amp, and turntable, although none were pictured. I’m taking cash with me.
Sometimes, you have to strike while the iron is hot, and the payoff would be worth it.
Other than that, I’ll be stacking auction stuff and getting ready to head to the BOL for the weekend. Lots of work up there just waiting for me……..
Stack what you can.
nick
Thursday. Good morning!
Today is Ascension Thursday. A holiday here, so not bashing Bambi this morning, which is no great loss, as the weather is appalling – driving rain in strong wind, and cold with it. Sibling got a big roebuck yesterday evening, and is delighted. I am pleased too. I like to see people happy.
It was a treat to have a lie-in. Makes getting up tomorrow morning seem daunting, though, but at least we will be better rested than on the previous mornings.
Currently musing about what to eat today. The shops are closed, so it will be something already on hand. Time to have a peek in the freezer. Maybe minced-meat tacos with venison mince. Hmm.
Have a good day!
@Denis
Bambi needs the day, too. Sounds like a glorious time.
Neither culture would survive the unrest resulting from the transition of their respective currencies to “reserve” status. Even a basket of currencies becoming the new trading standard would be a problem.
Americans wanted $20 Reeboks even if it meant becoming the early 80s South Korea from which the legend arose.
Mission Accomplished.
We started in the low 40s just as the sky was lightening and I opened the coop. Should hit mid-50s. Sun? What sun? Drizzling for the past couple hours, 100% cloud cover. Supposed to rain for about the next 24 hours. Hooray.
I found a kind of green that the chickens don’t much like. I picked up a bag of shredded collard greens at the grocery store, as a change of pace. They ate their handful of greens, mostly, but not enthusiastically. When I give them romaine lettuce, chinese cabbage, or pretty much anything else, there’s a feeding frenzy. With this it was more, “I guess I’ll eat some if there aren’t any other treats.” I’ll see if my wife wants the bag or I could cook it myself.
Is there a mosquito repellent that works especially well?
– I turn off the lights so it’s dark. At the lake I turn on some rope lights that aren’t near me and use a kerosene lamp near me. The rope lights draw the bugs, the kero lamp does not seem to attract them. The smoke from the ‘fire’ seems to keep most away.
Plus, I put on long sleeves and pants (very light fishing gear in the summer, warm stuff in the winter) and a hat just to keep from being bumped into. I hate the way that feels.
Mainly though, they don’t seem to be attracted to me, and if they bite, it doesn’t hurt or itch. Every once in a while, one bites and it feels like a needle driven into my leg, but usually, I have to see them to know I’m being bitten. I used to attribute it to the level of Jack Daniels in my blood, but it’s been almost 20 years since I drank whiskey, so that can’t be it. I joke that I smear a few on my skin as a warning to the others…
My wife, she’ll be pincushioned between the house and the car. She gets swarmed and they leave marks. Kids too, but not as bad.
I’ve never liked or worn repellent, since I was a kid. If they’re bad enough to bother me, I rarely, like once ever 10 years, will put some spray on my pant legs, but I can’t remember when the last time I did might have been.
————
wow, it’s 68F this morning. Starting a little cooler than I thought. Lunch is made, kids are poked but not moving. Even the dog is asleep.
n
@denis, sounds like you guys are having a great season. So tasty.
@stevef, I use this recipe for collards and like them a lot. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/51803/kickin-collard-greens/ I cut out the stems with a pizza roller, stack them, and cut into strips with the roller too. It’s very fast.
Collards are about the only thing I can grow consistently, and by careful harvesting, I am using some plants that are three years old, maybe four?
n
There is a theory that the canniest, biggest roebucks come out to mark and defend their territories in May during the middle of the day, rather than at dawn and dusk. Maybe they have noticed that hunters are out early and late, but less active at midday, so they adapted, or the ones that are active and dawn and dusk get shot, favoring the later risers. Plausible.
Certainly, male roe are more active and visible at this time of year than otherwise, except perhaps for the rut in July/August. If the weather gets a bit less awful during the afternoon today (doubtful), we might go out and look for one a bit earlier than usual.
It is a glorious time. I am very much enjoying the days off work, the company of my sibling, and of some close friends. Lots of camaraderie, laughs and banter. Some adult beverages. The hunting and spending time outdoors is both the excuse and a bonus. The weather is only middling for hunting, but really not of much importance in the greater scheme of things. We have warm and waterproof clothes.
Breakfast today was muesli with joghurt, strawberries and blueberries, followed by creamy scrambled eggs with cured ham and grated cheese on malted dark bread. Not awful.
One of our party has a birthday tomorrow. We will make a birthday lunch: monkfish, scallops and bacon bits, served with mashed potato and green and white asparagus, with a white wine hollandaise. Maybe strawberries and some ice cream for dessert.m
That is how I feel about anything containing dark chocolate. I had to look up what collard greens are. Looks like they might be good with cooked ham and boiled potatoes. Maybe a little parsley or mustard sauce.
Perhaps time for a wee nap now…
Perhaps time for a wee nap now…
– an excellent idea
n
The US Treasury is the best of the fiat currencies, widely held and trusted as redeemable in any commodity or goods worth having. It is the major export of this country, better and larger than airliners or chip designs. It allows us to paper the world with IOUs at interest while we receive actual, physical goods. Quite the privilege.
Most everyone has skin in the game, therefore self interest in continuity of the system. Domestically: Social Security, Medicare/aid, “defense” contracts, school stadiums, whatever depend on the current system and their numerous beneficiaries. Internationally, oil, priced in dollars, the lifeblood of industrial prosperity, mostly keeps non Americans in line.
The value of the Treasury comes from the mafia like “skim” tax payments of a third of a billion most economically productive population on the planet. At 30(?) + % of GDP in federal, state and local taxes, the remainder of actual productive folks subsidize all the “public” expenditures.
At $2 trillion per year or so expansion of the “skim” for the perceived nefarious actions of the Feds there is considerable self interest in finding a replacement of the fiat system or at least a sidestep mechanism.
My suspicion is that gold, a gold derivative or a blockchain enabled gold exchange product will gradually or not, replace fiat currencies of every flavor.
https://pjmedia.com/rick-moran/2026/05/13/the-release-of-ufo-documents-theres-no-there-there-n4952819
Exactly my thoughts. And the news excitement died down fast.
A pleasant morning here in the High Desert, the winds finally subsided so I sat outside with a cup of coffee and watched the rabbits browse through the newly mown stubble in back.
Kind of a SteveF thing I guess.
– you could say the exact same thing about the Epstein files. INCLUDING the part about the excitement fading.
n
They didn’t find orangemanbad, so they don’t care.
n
– this matches what my auction guy said about his family in Cuba.
n
Fascists in the Europile and that ain’t no wood…
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/05/14/upping-the-ante-european-military-action-against-american-internet-companies-n3814944
@Denis:
From Wordnet (emphasis added):
Lynn may have meant “stand-alone,” although nothing precludes a book from being both singular and stand-alone!
Feel free to call me a pedant; I’ve been called much, much worse! 😀
The US Treasury is the best of the fiat currencies, widely held and trusted as redeemable in any commodity or goods worth having. It is the major export of this country, better and larger than airliners or chip designs. It allows us to paper the world with IOUs at interest while we receive actual, physical goods. Quite the privilege.
My suspicion is that gold, a gold derivative or a blockchain enabled gold exchange product will gradually or not, replace fiat currencies of every flavor.
There is at least $70 trillion floating around Earth as people desperately try to keep their wealth. Reputedly, almost 20 % of it belongs to the Saud family.
The number one goal of that money is to maintain its value. The second and lesser goal is to derive income. There is nothing so usable as the US treasuries. I can buy one today and sell it tomorrow for the same amount of money.
If that dependability is damaged, what is left to put that value into ? Remember, there is $70 trillion floating around, that amount would swamp Switzerland.
I love UFO “culture” and wear a “I want to Believe” patch on my hoodie, but so far we only know two things about UFOs: Jack and Shit.
Roswell Saucer Day is July 7th. Time to visit my “real” parents. The Greys.
Value vs. price. Gold, oil or any real fungible commodity leap in price to ballistically stratospheric levels. Bond prices fall to subterranean levels. Not enough lifeboats for everyone.
There is tremendous inertia of confidence today due to the massively widespread credibility and self interest of dollar holders. 2008 showed us that confidence is ephemeral. Whose balance sheet today can re-inspire a renewal of confidence, and survival of fiat currency, once lost?
There is tremendous inertia of confidence today due to the massively widespread credibility and self interest of dollar holders. 2008 showed us that confidence is ephemeral. Whose balance sheet today can re-inspire a renewal of confidence, and survival of fiat currency, once lost?
Yes, but who audits the bullion? We haven’t heard much about that audit of Fort Knox lately.
The aliens took all the gold.
And Elvis.
I found a kind of green that the chickens don’t much like. I picked up a bag of shredded collard greens at the grocery store, as a change of pace. They ate their handful of greens, mostly, but not enthusiastically. When I give them romaine lettuce, chinese cabbage, or pretty much anything else, there’s a feeding frenzy. With this it was more, “I guess I’ll eat some if there aren’t any other treats.” I’ll see if my wife wants the bag or I could cook it myself.
Collard greens are very salty, right ? I guess that they do not like the salty flavor.
BC: Artificial Intelligence
https://www.gocomics.com/bc/2026/05/14
True dat.
My experience with collard greens and turnip greens is limited to the Glory brand canned versions.
Not a fan.
I found it helps to add a dash of vinegar on top after you put a spoon or two on your plate.
I had no idea they were expecting to find evidence of the Bad Orange Man in the UFO files. Learn something new every day.
Er, I don’t think so, not raw. They’re kind of bitter.
re dictionaries, there are two approaches: descriptive and prescriptive. The former describes the meaning of words as usage evolves. The latter describes how the word should be used.
I understand the need to at least update dictionaries regularly as meanings and usage evolve, but overall I prefer the prescriptive approach. The descriptive approach leads to atrocities such as “biweekly” meaning both “once every two weeks” and “twice a week”. This came about because a number of 20-somethings sniffed each others’ butts and ran in an ovide mass into incorrect usage.
😛 I saw a headline where Trump mentioned a trip to Kentucky for that purpose recently. Does Ft. Knox have a golf course? Texas has a State Depository but I’m not aware of how an individual would work that. The online precious metal dealers will allocate your metal to a space in a Brinx vault, for a fee. With enough metal you can buy storage in Switzerland or the Caymans. The banking regulatory bureaucracy is against monetizing in fiat a shoe box or whatever you have stored in a third party solution.
The child was at the house for something. Came across some pictures of me walking with her in the forest behind the house when she was a preschooler. She was jokingly complaining that I look the same as I did 15 years ago except that my beard is greyer, and that makes it impossible for her to judge adults’ ages.
In your face, all those of you who are not functionally immortal!
“College Scam”
https://areaocho.com/college-scam/
“Colleges attempted to meet demand by adding all sorts of degree programs. The government soon passed rules requiring a college degree, any college degree, in order to get a job. You couldn’t get a job sweeping the floors of the courthouse without a 4 year degree. Tuition began to rise- much faster than inflation. By the time of the turn of the 21st century, the cost of a semester’s tuition was up from $400 in 1970 to over $3,500, an increase of 11.2% per year- more than 3 times the official rate of inflation. During the same period of time, $400 in gold increased to $2,600 worth of gold. By 2000, it cost more than $55,000 to get a 4 year degree by the time room and board was factored in. The demand and profit in college became so great that colleges began opening in strip malls.”
The total cost to get a four year Mechanical Engineering degree from Texas A&M University cost me and my parents about $10,000 from 1978 to 1982. That does not include much of my housing and food expenses. I cannot believe how much these costs have increased since then.
At $2 trillion per year or so expansion of the “skim” for the perceived nefarious actions of the Feds there is considerable self interest in finding a replacement of the fiat system or at least a sidestep mechanism.
My suspicion is that gold, a gold derivative or a blockchain enabled gold exchange product will gradually or not, replace fiat currencies of every flavor.
My suspicion is that somebody, or many somebodies, will figure out how to steal and/or inflate any new wealth storage mechanism that we create and start using. And somebody will start a war to control that new wealth storage mechanism, probably the USA.
@nick,
I once knew, and will know again very soon, how to take a spreadsheet full of addresses and plot them on Google Maps as pins.
If you have all your members’ addresses for your Jane Austin Through Interpretive Dance hobby club, you could do the same to help get a sense of where a central location could be.
I plan on bringing such a map to my hobby club, for purposes of activity sites, if not even moving our monthly meetings. We have low attendance and some complaints.
They’ve already told us. Some sort of Central Bank Digital Currency. Knock off some zeroes and go cashless. Future movies will have illicit or at least private payments with physical precious metals in a back pack instead of neat piles in a briefcase. Probably develop a digital hawala system that will be the focus of zillions of plot lines instead of “money laundering”.
Probably develop a digital hawala system that will be the focus of zillions of plot lines instead of “money laundering”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawala
“’bill of exchange, draft, or promissory note’), also known as havaleh in Persian,[1] and xawala or xawilaad[2] in Somali, is a popular and informal value transfer system based on the performance and honour of a huge network of money brokers (known as hawaladars).”
Persian, Middle East, and Somali. Nope, we don’t need that.
“HAHA VIDEO – Kamala wants Dems to hold a ‘no bad idea’ brainstorm”
https://therightscoop.com/haha-video-kamala-wants-dems-to-hold-a-no-bad-idea-brainstorm/
It is obvious that she is running in 2028.
Note the southern black accent to appeal to black liberal women who will get her on the 2028 ticket.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Blend genes from Kamel, Donkey Chompers, and Poor Drunk Hillary to get wind-and-solar ethanol-powered chimera programmable with punch cards, dress in India-themed pantsuit and Carmen Miranda hat, and send south-of-border to prove that “Women Can Run Cartels Better”.
Kamala’s father was Jamacian and a tenured professor at Stanford in the Economics department.
Her mother was Indian “as in dot” and a researcher at LBL.
Culturally, I am closer to being “Southern Black” than Harris.
The paper from the Federal Guaranteed Student Loan program issued since the nationalization bill passed in early 2010 was the government’s most lucrative revenue generating asset pre-pandemic in 2018. I doubt that situation has changed.
For the sticklers, the stat came from Ramsey, who often repeats it. I’m sure it is out on his web site somewhere.
Talarico as VP on the ticket if he prevails in Texas in November.
Depending on the numbers, he may even be the top of the ticket.
The Texas US Senate race will be an important test this year because, like Florida’s election law requires, the state-wide Federal race goes first.
Commie Harris’ idea to “get rid of the electoral college” would require a Constitutional amendment, and that’s impossible with the nation so divided at this point. Trying to do that through legislation would likely provoke a civil war.
Commie Harris’ idea to “get rid of the electoral college” would require a Constitutional amendment, and that’s impossible with the nation so divided at this point. Trying to do that through legislation would likely provoke a civil war.
At this point, I think that any of those ideas would provoke a civil war. Especially packing SCOTUS.
If no bad ideas are allowed, there will be silence until someone says “I move we adjourn.”
Rich Drunk Hillary. Decades of graft, kickbacks, and sweetheart deals have paid off very well.
“Crime never pays.” Riiiiiiight. Sounds like something the OnlyOnes say to keep others from getting in on it.
Well, the carb didn’t happen today. I just didn’t feel like it. I did open the box and look at it.
But that’s like looking in the fridge for a snack.
The carpet I washed yesterday feels fine today. Looks much better. I’m guessing a combination of damp rug and not freshly washed feet made it feel grubby last night. The dogs walk across it today, not around it. So that’s interesting.
Friday is trash day. Saturday is folks coming for brisket and etc. day. I need to dust furniture and sweep floors. Shake out the throw rugs. Make sure the hall bath is presentable. Might take me all of a whole hour with a beer break.
I rummaged up a pan large enough to hold the brisket. Sprinkled Fiesta Brisket Rub on it. Some salt, some garlic powder, some Penzy’s Cajun seasoning. Flipped that eleven pound chunk of meat over and repeated. Then covered it with plastic wrap and into the fridge. Tomorrow afternoon it gets a few hours in the pellet grill to smoke. Then back into the pan, sealed with foil and into the oven overnight.
Oh yeah. Need to boil some eggs for deviling, too.
It’s not exactly exciting around here. But I usually manage to entertain myself with stuff other than walking dogs and feeding dogs and feeding cats.
Basically a blatant strike at the foundations of the country: “We lost … let’s change all the rules to favor us!”
When they tell you what they really are, and what they really mean to do, believe them.
– indians have long
hoardedinvested in physical gold as a store of value. Others are encouraged to do the same. And to do it BEFORE it’s the only option and one the government shuts off…—————–
D2 had a thing tonight at school, so I went to that. The kids all did pretty well.
—————-
Leftovers for dinner.
Oh, and the McIntosh speakers were $200 each and the foams all needed to be redone. In other words, about 10x their actual value. I got there at 4:05 and there was already a guy in front of me that had looked at them too.
I’m still not sure that the estate company knows what they were, they always price stuff WAY too high. I think they just went “ hey, those are some big freaking speakers, they must be worth a lot.” I didn’t buy a single thing, and the guy had a full workshop. It’s telling that the last half of the last day, they plan on 75% discounts. That would be like anyone else’s 25%.
n
FBI Offers $200K Reward for Former Air Force Agent Who Defected to Iran
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2026/05/14/fbi-offers-200k-reward-for-former-air-force-agent-who-defected-to-iran-n2676126
Defected in 2013.
Someone might be tempted to bail out of the regime with a current photo and info.
“Texas executes 600th inmate since death penalty was reinstated in 1976”
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/14/texas-600-execution-edward-busby-death-penalty/
“Edward Busby was executed by lethal injection Thursday, reinforcing Texas’ position as the nation’s leader in capital punishment.”
“If you kill somebody in Texas, we are going to kill you back” – Ron White
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgQRgT15f9U
Today’s Music Video is “Jolene” by the White Stripes. Dolly Parton reputedly says this is her favorite cover of her song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXlULkwhgrc
Man, I could watch Meg White play the drums all day. Some serious controlled fury there.
Girlfriend didn’t like the White Stripes’ version.
I didn’t like it musically but the energy and emotion were top notch. Perhaps over the top.
One of the comments: Dolly sings it like she’s trying to prevent her from taking him. Jack sings it like it’s happened and the pain has settled in his soul.
Hi, folks. I remember reading about a well-regarded security camera setup from Amazon. Was one of those the “aosu” brand? And I’d be delighted to see any recommendations for a good, “no subscription” system. Thanks.
A few of my 8-year-old cameras have started to fail, and I’d like to upgrade to better cameras anyway,
Thank you all.
I’m headed to bed. See you all in the morning.
n
re: cameras
I bought a 4 camera set from eufy. No subscription, it works fine. Rechargeable, and the battary lasts weeks.
I use them to watch cats…
Girlfriend didn’t like the White Stripes’ version.
I didn’t like it musically but the energy and emotion were top notch. Perhaps over the top.
One of the comments: Dolly sings it like she’s trying to prevent her from taking him. Jack sings it like it’s happened and the pain has settled in his soul.
That commenter is very correct. Jack White does things his own way. He and Loretta Lynn made a CD back in 2014 that I thought was fairly unique for both of them, “Van Lear Rose”. I really liked the “Miss Being Mrs.” song.
https://www.amazon.com/Van-Lear-Rose-LORETTA-LYNN/dp/B0001XASDA
Well, then try Seven Nation Army if you want:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J2QdDbelmY
Or Icky Thump:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OjTspCqvk8
I paid $4.099 / US gallon today for 21.7 gallons for $88.00.
We conservatives may be sunk for the fall election.
“Seven Nation Army” cover by VoicePlay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4xjwkoQ8Uk