******
Only idiots and Democrats don't believe that inflation is out of control, and has not dropped back to manageable levels. Most people don't buy cars and big appliances and houses every few years, but almost everyone buys food...at the supermarket and at restaurants. That's where America sees the failed spending policies of the Democrats in full flower, so the Biden/Harris/Obama junta is frantic to find some other reason for what is glaringly obvious to everyone with two neurons to rub together. That's why this makes me very, very suspicious.

Do I believe that American corporations have, are, and will collude?

Absolutely.

Do I believe that McDonalds is doing the bidding of its Democrat masters by filing this suit and taking the focus away from Democrat failure and placing it squarely on the evil corporations that Chlamydia Harris and the junta has accused of causing inflation?

Absolutely.

McDonald's sues major beef producers for price-fixing

In May, as McDonald’s continued to swat down lingering rumors that the chain was asking an exorbitant $18 for a Big Mac meal at locations across the country, company president Joe Erlinger wrote an open letter to Golden Arches customers, attempting to explain the inflationary pressures contributing to increased prices. He cited rising labor, food and paper costs among the factors affecting the price diners paid for their burgers, fries and sodas.

Erlinger denied that McDonald’s price hikes were double or triple the rate of inflation. But he acknowledged that, from 2019 to 2024, the average price of McDonald’s menu items had gone up 40 percent.

What the executive didn’t mention — but was painstakingly detailed in a lawsuit filed Oct. 4 in a New York federal court — was the company’s allegation that the world’s largest meat processors have been conspiring since at least 2015 to limit beef supplies, leading to elevated prices for the meat they’ve sold to McDonald’s and others.

“The goal of their conspiracy was to fix, raise, stabilize and/or maintain the price of beef sold to Plaintiff and others at supra-competitive levels — that is, prices artificially higher than beef prices would have been in the absence of their conspiracy,” McDonald’s attorneys allege in their complaint. The lawsuit names Tyson Foods, Cargill, JBS and National Beef Packing as defendants. Collectively, these companies control 82 percent of the beef market, according to a 2021 brief from the National Economic Council.

In spite of their control of 82% of beef processing in America, beef prices have not been inflated as much as many other foods. Eggs, butter, vegetables, and milk products all have gone up by outrageous amounts, and in my experience are worse than beef.

It's too damned convenient for me to believe it, especially since the CEO of McDonalds is Duke, then Harvard MBA, and the president of McDonald's America is a Georgetown alumnus. Eh...they are playing the elitist game, so I am immediately suspicious of them.

Is that fair? Nope.

But today's insane conspiracy theory is tomorrow's headline.

******
OOPS!

That is a tomato and shallot relish that I made for some halibut.

See the problem? Those shallots were lovingly sautéed, then forgotten in the pan until they were a lovely shade of black. I tried to resurrect them with the tomatoes and a fair amount of white wine, but no such luck.

The moral of the story is: PAY F*CKING ATTENTION!

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I'm not sure why they are calling it "Cheaters" BBQ pork. Sure, there is no live fire and no smoke, but BBQ has morphed into many different things, so maybe a more polite term is in order.

Or not. I'm all for rigid definitions of things, because CHESTERTON"S FENCE damn it!

Anyway, it looks tasty, although their ridiculous elevation of plain old caramelized onions into some arcane ritual that requires a special recipe is just silly.

Cheaters Only BBQ Pork

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Here's another bit of evidence that the world is rapidly going into the sh*tter.

Actually, corks are almost always pretty good at what they do, and this was an increasingly rare aberration. But it was also a real mess, and I had to use a low tech corkscrew!

The horror...the horror.

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Yes, it is "Epicurious," and they are post-modern, woke turds. That's why I don't link to them any more. But it's also excellent technique, and it demystifies making pan sauces. So I am torn.

The Best Pork Chop You'll Ever Make

You make the call. Should I violate my rules against linking to leftist sites for an excellent and apolitical video of great cooking?

******

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We are entering tomato hell, so beware. Broccolini that isn't $6/bunch, garlic...lots of garlic!, well-marbled hanger steaks and elk chops to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

Who are those poor deluded soulsWe know who shake their Manhattans! These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.

And yes, I used to demand fancy bourbon, but let's face it, $1,200 for a bottle of bourbon is just stupid, insulting, and a ghastly affront to most people's palates and wallets. I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.

The problem...or the solution...is to buy lots of bourbon, take tasting notes, and eventually arrive at your favorites! It should take forty of fifty years, but it is worth it!

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PIC NOTE

Today's pic is the Monster Book of Monsters from the Harry Potter franchise. It's a vicious book that is partly sentient, or at least has enough awareness to snap off a finger if you try to open it without subduing it first. Among its entries are the relatively "normal" beasties like hippogriffs, manticores, and sphinxes, but it also has entries for "shelifferous drogodflikerous" and "darazilnof freaazar."

THE LINGERING DEATH OF FANTASY BOOK PUBLISHING

"Trad Publishing" refers to "traditional publishing," i.e., the huge publishing houses in New York City responsible for releasing a vast number of books we've read over the past several decades. Independent--"indy"--publishing is on the rise, as writers are able to leverage the power of social media to market and distribute their books instead of relying on the gatekeeping power of a traditional publishing house.

In the past, I suppose publishing houses did serve some purpose in reviewing and editing the best of the best stories. Quality editing is just as important as quality writing. However, as Jon Del Arroz points out above, now the gatekeeping has become much more sinister as traditional publishing is pushing their own woke agenda onto the masses by crowding out straight white male authors in favor of anything and everything else. It's very noticeable in the fantasy and science fiction genres, but I suspect it's pervasive across the genre spectrum, from horror to romance to literary fiction.

Eventually, traditional publishing is going to crash and burn at some point, just like the film industry, as more and more people reject their offerings in favor of independent authors or authors who decide to go rogue from trad publishing. A dirty secret about the publishing industry is that they are mostly supported by a handful of tentpole authors/franchises. Most books don't sell that well, but the best-sellers that DO sell a lot of books bring in enough revenue to support the publishing house as it seeks newer, fresher authors. But they are no longer interested in telling compelling stories about universal human experiences, opting instead to find stories by particular demographics, regardless of the quality of the writing.

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BOOKS BY MORON ADJACENT AUTHORS

One of the Horde heard about this new release, and it sounds like a fun read.

What Are the Odds by David List

Ray Dawson--a former NYPD detective unfairly forced into early retirement--never thought he would get another chance to be with his second wife, and love of his life, Stephanie. So, when she opens the door to the possibility, he spends his savings on an extravagant, romantic getaway at a resort in Costa Rica. But Ray is still as much a cop as he is a man, and when, in the hotel elevator, he has a chance encounter with Wilbur Bailey--a wily, neurotic, and environmentally conscious fugitive with a $5 million bounty on his head--things get complicated.

IRS Special Agent Phil Dancourt is determined to bust Mika Salko, the corrupt CEO of Houston based Amco Oil, and believes Wilbur Bailey--an Amco analyst with a conscience--is the one guy on the inside who could help bring Salko down. But in a bizarre twist, Bailey embezzles millions and disappears, putting Phil's job on the line. Now, after Wilbur is sighted in Costa Rica, Phil is sent to retrieve him. But from the moment he steps off the plane--and crosses paths with Ray and Wilbur--nothing goes as planned.

The encounter propels the three men into a harrowing, death-defying, life-changing, and often hilarious journey, attracting unwanted attention from a heroin-addicted dishwasher, a powerful, corrupt CEO, bloodthirsty gangs and drug cartels, and pandering government watchdogs. Along the way, they come face to face, in unexpected ways, with life's larger questions: friendship, love, loss, faith, and the commitment to values larger than oneself. What results is a trio of unlikely friends, and Ray can only hope that, once it's all over, Stephanie will still be there.

BOOKS BY MORON AUTHORS

Moron Author D.S. Blake--who has been featured here before--has a new entry in his current series:

Book 4 in the Exoprenurs series, Will-o'-Wisp comes out on the 15th of October!

This time, Jake Ambler is alone on a planet populated by giant feudalistic dragonflies, their stickbug shock troops, argumentative alligator bugs and enterprising gnats!

What's going on? Jake sure doesn't know. He's just been assigned to protect the Apothikon, a mysterious creature lying in a pit that occasionally emits a signal that makes the dragonfly-like Seyles go into a frenzy attacking it. Can a man and his flak cannon keep the creature alive until it finally emerges from its chrysalis? Should he?

Thanks, as always, for your mentions!

MORON RECOMMENDATIONS

I read Imminent: Inside The Pentagon's Hunt For UFOs by Luis Elizondo. When I was in high school in the early 60's, I read everything I could find about Project Blue Book, the Air Force's study (cover-up?) of UFO's. They have since been renamed UAP's (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), and the subject is still fascinating to me. Elizondo first gives a history of UAP encounters from around the world. He joins the current DOD program studying UAP's has access to current encounters. He came to the conclusion that the phenomena were alien and that they might pose a threat to our military pilots. He spent years trying to get this information to the Secy. of Defense and full disclosure to the American people, but bureaucratic in-fighting kept him from doing so. He resigned in disgust and hosted a TV show to bring this information public. He was successful in getting the UAP Disclosure Act signed into law. An interesting book.

Posted by: Zoltan at October 06, 2024 09:28 AM (uYywX)

Comment: I, too, was fascinated with UFOs and I still am, I suppose, but not to the same degree. I suspect "the truth is out there" but whether or not we will discover it in my lifetime remains to be seen. We live in a very, very strange universe. I do think that any intelligence that is able to overcome the physical limitations of interstellar travel as we know them will be so far advanced of us that we might as well be insects--or even germs--compared to them. Why they are suddenly curious about us is an open question. An alternate theory making the rounds is that these are demonic forces assuming a shape that hides their true forms and intentions.

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I recently read MacGregor's Final Battle, which was a different take on a man w/a terminal illness making a cross-country trip to visit his cousin in Alaska. With the complication that said illness caused episodes of unconsciousness. Recommended.

Posted by: yara at October 06, 2024 10:24 AM (s8LAW)

Comment: I went to the Amazon page for this book to see what it was all about. MacGregor suffers from brain cancer, which is slowly killing him, but he doesn't let that stop him from living his best life as he embarks on an odyssey to follow the Lewis and Clark Trail and then proceed up into Alaska. Not sure I'd have the courage to do that if I was suffering from a debilitating illness like brain cancer.

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This Perfect Day by Ira Levin.

Very good dystopian novel. He does some interesting things that would make it maybe hard to film.

1. The Dystopian Life is a pretty good safety life. You can understand why it appeals to so many and why they would never choose to leave it. Not that they're given the choice.
2. The elimination of all morality and the establishment of a "wellness" regime. If you're not "well", why then you're lovingly brought to a clinic for more drugs.
3. This is perfect Communism more or less, but yet it presents a very clear understanding or what those at the top get out of it all. Which is not what Our Betters want to advertise nor their Hollywood Lapdogs.
4. The story takes place over a number of years, decades really and while that's not a problem in reading, the presentation of that doesn't always work in movie.

Any way, a very good read by a very good writer. Check it out.

Posted by: naturalfake at October 06, 2024 10:40 AM (eDfFs)

What is it about dystopian societies they feel the need to drug their citizens into compliance?

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More Moron-recommended reading material can be found HERE! (1000+ Moron-recommended books!)

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WHAT I'VE ACQUIRED THIS PAST WEEK:

Since I ordered The Last Dangerous Visions, I thought I'd go ahead and get the previous book in the series as well, though I already have it on Kindle.

• Again, Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison -- Accoding to Ellison, the first volume did so well that he was commissioned to edit a follow-up volume. He received so many submissions, he had to leave some of them for the final volume of the series, The Last Dangerous Visions. That was *supposed* to be released six months or so after Again, Dangerous Visions. Didn't quite work out that way.

WHAT I'VE BEEN READING THIS PAST WEEK:

After reviewing some of OregonMuse's old Book Threads, I thought I'd try something a bit different. Instead of just listing WHAT I'm reading, I'll include commentary as well. Unless otherwise specified, you can interpret this as an implied recommendation, though as always your mileage may vary.

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eams

The premise behind this book and its sequels is that mercenary groups--or "bands"--are treated like rockstars in our world. "Bookers" arrange commissions for the bands to go out and fight monsters. Bards often accompany the bands to record the events, but they have a shockingly low life expectancy when it comes to adventuring. Nevertheless, bards do sing the epic tales of monster-slaying on behalf of the bands who performed those heroic deeds.

There is a bit of "wokeness" in this book, though it may have been inserted just to appease the editor as it has NO EFFECT on the overall story. One of the main characters is gay wizard mourning the loss of his "husband," who died from a fatal disease many years before this story began. Change "husband" to "wife" and it alters the story not one bit. And the wizard in question doesn't engage in any homosexual behavior within the story--he's an old man long past his prime. That's why I wonder if it was just put in because someone insisted there had to be a gay character, even though it has NO IMPACT on the story.

Again, Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison

It's been a long, long time since I've read an anthology of science fiction--or speculative fiction--stories. The Dangerous Visions series edited by Harlan Ellison is his crowning achievement as an editor. The goal was to find science fiction stories that were radical for their time, putting humanity with all of its foibles under a microscope for examination as only science fiction authors can do. I'd say he was largely successful.

One of the more interesting aspects (to me) is that Ellison often refers to libraries (public and school) and bookstores refusing to stock either Dangerous Visions or the sequel out of fear of "offending the sensibilities" of the readership. Nowadays, both bookstores and libraries would *insist* on promoting these books *because* they know readers would find the content offensive.

Sandman Slim Book 10 - Hollywood Dead by Richard Kadrey

Sandman Slim (a.k.a. James Stark) is back from the dead, baby! Well, sort of...He's been resurrected halfway by the evil Wormwood folks, who need Stark to eliminate a rival faction with the Wormwood organization. Naturally, the other faction believes *they* are on the right side of history and are seeking ultimate salvation and want to destroy the faction that raised Stark from the dead. Lots of shenanigans--and murder and mayhem--ensue, as usual. Meanwhile, Stark is on a clock as his partly resurrected body is quickly wearing down. His goal is to find someone to resurrect him the rest of the way so that he can return to his old life.

PREVIOUS SUNDAY MORNING BOOK THREAD - 10-06-2024 (NOTE: Do NOT comment on old threads!)

Tips, suggestions, recommendations, etc., can all be directed to perfessor -dot- squirrel -at- gmail -dot- com.

Disclaimer: No Morons were physically harmed in the making of this Sunday Morning Book Thread. The same cannot be said of the vermicious knid.

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Tech News

• California has rejected SpaceX's application to launch additional missions from the state, with some officials opening themselves up to a massive First Amendment lawsuit. (LA Times / MSN)
  
  Oops.
  
  Well, more business for Florida I guess.
  
  
  
• Boeing will lay off 10% of its employees, about 17,000 people. (MSN)
  
  This comes as no surprise to anyone, but is unlikely to affect the people who should be affected.
  
  
  
• Instagram and Threads moderation is out of control. (The Verge)
  
  Did your post get deleted? Too bad, so sad.

  Moderation is a perennial problem on social media, but based on social media posts and The Verge staff's own experiences, Meta is currently banning and restricting users on a hair trigger. One of my colleagues was locked out of her account briefly this week after joking that she "wanted to die" because of a heatwave.
  
  Others, like Jorge Caballero, say the automated system has added fact checks with mistakes to material it detects as political, as well as throttling posts with factual information for events like hurricanes. Some have dubbed their situation "crackergate," as recent posts mentioning saltines or the words "cracker jacks" have been instantly removed.

  Simple solution: Don't use Instagram or Threads. Twitter doesn't do this.
  
  
  
• The Verge is having yet another normal day. (The Verge)
  
  Geeze, lady. Take a couple of valium. Or down a fifth of bourbon. Not both, but one or the other.
  
  
  
• The San Francisco Chronicle has put in place an AI resource nobody asked for to answer questions nobody is asking about the political candidate nobody voted for. (San Francisco Chronicle) (archive site)
  
  It's unintentional self-parody all the way down.
  
  
  
• Do you need 384 cores and 3TB of RAM in a single 1U server? ASRock has a motherboard for you. (Serve the Home)
  
  No price attached but these are generally cheaper than you would think - much cheaper than the CPUs that plug into them.
  
  
  
• We keep pushing products that nobody wants, and for some reason people aren't buying them. (The Register)
  
  It's a meh year for desktop PCs, and a lousy year for Windows. There are a couple of bright spots in the laptop market, with AMD's Ryzen 370 and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series, but not enough to lift PC sales out of the doldrums.
  
  Except for limited edition Hyte PC cases, which are reportedly doing gangbusters.
  
  
  

Disclaimer: Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack
Ban my account so I never come back. D-8.

Close it up

*****

Chippendale's dancers to unionize. The price of thongs has gone through the roof.

The infamous Chippendales dance troupe at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has announced plans to unionize as part of Actors' Equity Association, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. It is the first all-male adult performance group to unionize, with a supermajority of the roughly two dozen cast members signing their authorization cards last week. In case the union does not receive voluntary recognition, the performers have also filed the appropriate paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board in order to hold a formal union election as well; that vote would likely take place within the next month or so.

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I probably should have saved this for next month's time change fiasco. But, I needed a silly video tonight. So here goes.........

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What happens when you subsidize poor behavior and/or choices. This kind of craziness.

100 masked invaders surround Washington home — don't worry, it was only raccoons
A Washington state woman called 911 after scores of the varmints swarmed her house and prevented her from getting inside.

*****

Not enough prank? This one is pretty good. Yeah, it is a rerun. But you come up with fresh material.

Since we are telling fowl jokes here at The ONT, here is another one for you...........

*****

The ONT Musical Interlude & Time Zone Difference Emporium

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Anger management is in her future. Genius Award Winner

OCTOBER 7, 2024Woman, 22, In Pizza Rage Bust Over "Cold And Uncut" Domino’s Pie

Angry that her Domino’s pizza was delivered “cold and uncut,” a Florida Woman allegedly drove from her residence to the restaurant, where she quarreled with an employee, flung the pizza, and damaged the store’s telephone, according to an arrest report detailing the 1:30 AM altercation

*****

The following game was submitted to us by Iris. Don't laugh at her. She'll kick your butt and drink you under the table..........

*****

Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by Tires 'R Us.

Notice: Posted by the hamsters. No word if they had permission.

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Your humble correspondent immensely enjoyed the second and third jamborees (the first sold out before I could get tickets), and was shocked to discover there almost wasn't a fourth one. They were turning into big, expensive, elaborate events—I actually have no doubt they could have become something akin to Comic-Con—when what JB had wanted was for them to be a place where he and Darcy got together with the mutants to watch movies and talk about them.

So, he quit.

Darcy, on the other hand, refused to quit and started doing the con on her own. (She's the one who gets letters from the mutants telling her how important the meet-ups are to us, some of which are heartbreaking.) She was going to throw it with her own time and money, and drag JB there to host, whether he liked it or not. JB ultimately caved, but with the caveat: They would put up tickets—no guests, no bands, no program whatsoever—and see if people were interested in coming. Were they there for the program, or were they there for the mutants and movies?

Tickets sold like hotcakes: We were there for the movies and each other.

As much as I loved the previous years, the vibe this year was perfect. Being about the movies and the mingling made everything feel more relaxed. The music was fan music, and surprisingly delightful. The show started at a reasonable time—I didn't notice if it was late or not. I don't think too late because the sun was barely down. It also ran late, but nobody who is a Drive-In fan expected any less. We like to talk about stuff. A lot.

Svengoolie was at the show, and he was amazing!

They had no sponsors this year and didn't offer much in the way of incentives for featured guests (and some turned them down), but they ended up with a stunning line-up. Svengoolie showed up (free of charge) and co-hosted Saturday night's offerings of six classic universal horrors: Frankenstein, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Creature From The Black Lagoon. JBB is a wealth of movie trivia, of course, but Svengoolie was absolutely stunning in the "Horror Host Havoc" competition where each offered factoids about the movies and the audience decided who the loser was by pelting him with rubber chickens.

The previous night had ended with the three most iconic scream queens of the '80s: Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens and Michelle Bauer, who were inducted into the Scream Queen Hall of Fame, which is totally a thing or will be one day. To me, this was perhaps the best line-up possible, after the previous year's Roger Corman tribute. Bauer stayed to the end (around 6AM!) and showed up the next day for signings. Your humble correspondent was bowled over by her charm and graciousness.

John Carpenter, Master of Horror

Friday night began, however, with John Carpenter. Which was as improbable as it was perfect.

Some of us were somewhat apprehensive about Carpenter. He's famously curmudgeonly and reluctant to do these kinds of things, and we didn't know how he'd feel about us. But he'd come down for free, agreeing to open the first movie and left after the intro to the second. He seemed somewhat surprised that JB had chosen to air Prince of Darkness at all, much less first, but JB pointed out that JC has gotten a ton of questions about The Thing, and Prince of Darkness is a much more mysterious movie.

And on seeing him in person, reacting to a variety of JB and the audience's questions, I'd describe him less as curmudgeonly and more as uninterested in bullshit. And that includes his own. There were numerous places he could've launched into some pretentious arty nonsense and—well, he just didn't. JB asked how he ("no offense but I'm not [Republican]") could work with Kurt Russell ("to the right of Genghis Khan") and he just said, "We just don't talk about it."

This used to be common wisdom.

Anyway, I think we won him over, and he certainly won us over, treating the audience questions respectfully and signing a Michael Meyers figure for a teen fan who had come up on stage to shake his hand.

John Carpenter receives the Hubbie

Prince of Darkness

Sometimes I think Prince of Darkness is the most heretical film possible, even though it's not excessively violent, hardly sexual at all, and fairly restrained in terms of language. But it's also strangely conservative and anti-gnostic, with the idea being that God (like the tribal O.T. Jehovah) walked the earth, but rather than being loving and benevolent was, in Carpenter's words "pissed off". Somehow he gets cast out to the "dark side"—the mirror universe—but leaves behind his son, Satan, which is evil in material form.

We get into college bull-session territory from there as Jesus turns out to have been a space alien warning humans about Satan's material nature and trapping Old Scratch in a container, with the idea that man will eventually evolve scientifically enough to find a way to secure and handle this evil in the future. The Church ends up being the guardian of the container and the promulgator of the lie about a good universe.

The soundtrack, also written by Carpenter (because he had no money to hire anyone) features a better poster than most movies these days.

When the story begins, the last caretaker of the container dies and it begins to leak. And the quantum physics professor talking about how our concept of reality breaks down at the subatomic level is the guy who knows how to handle the substance, which can reverse entropy and possess people and emanate controlling force at a distance, while the heroes receive warning messages sent via tachyon particles into dreams from the far distant year of 1999, where things have gone to hell. If Satan gets loose, he'll be bringing in papa from the darkside, and he's perfectly happy to distract our heroes by possessing them and having them be menaced by street people (led by Alice Cooper).

Basically, we have an almost "Evil Dead" style situation of monsters being outside the church and anyone on the inside also potentially being a monster, with a bunch of novel horror effects both visual and intellectual, to keep things interesting. Some of these implications don't work out, or they suggest a movie that's superversive more than subversive.

That is, as the priest (Donald Pleasance) explains the Church's role and beats it up for its dishonesty, the priests and especially the nuns have a "holy warrior" vibe. They are, after all, holding off the Devil and his demiurge father single-handedly, making a civilization where evil can be defeated technologically.

Another possibility is that the protagonists are in the mirror-universe—but again, it implies an inherent goodness in Man that is so powerful, it can operate in a universe which is made of evil.

A movie about Satan which is still less Satanic than the last Olympics

I don't think it quite achieves what it's striving for. For one thing, the main romance (between "Simon & Simon"'s Jameson Parker and the late Lisa Blount), while being a very typical Carpenterian romance (boy meets girl, they have sex) doesn't have the chemistry of, say, Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall, Tom Atkins and Jamie Lee Curtis, or Harry Dean Stanton and Adrienne Barbeau.

If we contrast with The Thing, one of the things that works so well there is the struggle to survive personally balanced with the concern that's one own survival could mean the death of humanity. The individual need to survive needs to be strong to be relatable, and I'm not sure we feel that in Prince of Darkness.

Prince of Darkness is the second of Carpenter's "apocalypse trilogy", which ends with In The Mouth of Madness). The first film in the trilogy is The Thing.

The Thing

The Thing was the thing (heh) that, in my opinion, derailed Carpenter's career. The attacks on this film were truly outrageous, labeling it literal pornography, and WB naturally panicked and botched an almost guaranteed sleeper hit. An excellent adventure-horror or what we'd now call "survival horror", I remember being slightly disappointed when I first saw it because of the ending. I now think the ending is perfect, and the re-emergence of this scene in the current election season explains why:

Election 2024!

When you get past the action, the suspense, the tension, and the amazing special effects—Carpenter basically credited Rob Bottin with The Thing's artistic success—something still remains, and is still relevant. To with, we have a closely knit society where trust is necessary for survival.

Trust is quickly undermined, and the last scene underscores that beautifully, as two humans quietly freeze to death (maybe) because they can't trust each other. (They have to both be humans, because there's no reason for the alien to leave just one human alive.)

Even this is an over-simplification. There are other possibilities, like they're both infected (but not yet consumed) and the thing is just lurking, waiting for its chance to spring itself on the rest of the world.

The Drive-In Academy Lifetime Achievement Award: The Hubbie

But Carpenter doesn't really make message movies. Even They Live, which he wanted to tie into an anti-Reagan campaign (according to Roddy Piper, who refused), today comes across as a documentary, and an apolitical one at that, at least to those of us who are wearing our special sunglasses.

Listening to him talk reminds me a little bit of listening to Bukowski or Frazetta, in the sense that he's very down-to-earth while at the same time tapping into a sublime artistic spirit that exists on its own plane. And if I can claim any personal experience with it from writing, I notice that what I think I'm writing about always ends up taking a back seat to (or being completely controverted by) the story that's actually there.

"Our logic...collapses into ghosts and shadows," as Victor Fong lectures in The Prince of Darkness.

I think Carpenter was genuinely touched by our enthusiasm, and got a little sense of who we are (not really having an idea before, which, how can you blame him?), and received the Hubbie gracefully and gratefully. (Traditionally, the award is a Cadillac hubcap, but in this case it was from a '57 Plymouth Fury, after Christine.)

Somehow, it was perfect that he would be here for this reformation of the Jamboree: No fanfare, no big bucks, just a bunch of weirdos who like movies getting together to watch them and talk about them.

Close it up

As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to European travel. Politics and current events can wait for other threads. Yes, we all know the EU is going to blow up someday. No need to have that discussion in the hobby thread. Play nice. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls. As usual, wearing pants is optional for thread participation.

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If you are wondering where to go hiking in Switzerland, fear not. The Hobby Thread has you covered. The 13 Very Best Hikes In Switzerland The link has a description of each, associated logistics, and very pretty pictures.

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The German state of Saxony has so many castles, palaces and monasteries, they need a website to keep track of them all. Sachsen had an incredible history before the hostilities of World War I and II and subsequent time as part of East Germany. Dresden, Leipzig, and Meissen are well known cities in Sachsen but Colditz Castle is legendary because of the escape attempts by POWs during World War II.

***

The Alps in Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria get most of the headlines, but the mountain range extends into Italy where they are known as the Dolomites. They have a distinctive and dramatic look with steep vertical walls, sheer cliffs, and deep and long valleys.

If you are interested in military history, some of the least known fighting in World War I took place in the Dolomites between Italy and Austria. Brutal.

The Most Treacherous Battle of World War I Took Place in the Italian Mountains

***

The Rhine River is a main artery through Germany. The waterway is dotted with castles and castle ruins that are great spots to visit or just watch from a riverboat. The hillsides are striped with vines. The rocky soil is perfect for Riesling. We are convinced that the Germans keep the really good stuff for themselves and only export the leftovers. Walking paths wind through the vineyards and pop up stands sell a glass or bottle to enjoy.

***

Ireland has a lot of culture to soak up, lots of history, and beautiful Waterford crystal. It also has miles of dramatic coastline. The Giant Steppes are at the extreme north coast of Northern Ireland. Atlas Obscura calls the interlocking hexagonal columns a geological oddity.

According to legend, an Irish giant by the name of Fionn mac Cumhaill constructed the causeway himself so that he could skip over to Scotland to defeat his Scottish rival, Benandonner. Apparently, while in transit to Scotland, Fionn fell asleep, and Benandonner decided to cross the causeway to look for his competitor. To protect her slumbering husband, Fionns wife gathered him up and wrapped him up in cloth in order to camouflage him as their child. When Benandonner made it to Northern Ireland he saw the large infant and could only imagine how big Fionn must be. Frightened, Benandonner fled back to Scotland. But the causeway remained.

***

Bastogne, Beligum. There were difficult days in the cold and snow at the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of Dec 1944 and Jan 1945. The foxholes are still visible in the woods if you know where to look. The battlefield itself is difficult to grasp but you will see memorials scattered along roadsides at seemingly random spots. You will also see tanks in almost every town square. The past is palpable. The people remember. The Ardennes Forest is a long way from the flatlands of Flanders but are both marked by their their military history.

***

Where do you start with Prague? Astronomical clock? Charles Bridge? St Vitus Cathedral? Music? Bohemian crystal? Cold war and the Velvet Revolution? Prague is the capital city of the Czech Republic and the most populated city in the country.

***

Schloss Hellbrunn is located near Salzburg in Austria. Some parts feel like formal gardens, but touches of whimsy abound if you look more closely. Aside from the odd unicorn, the grounds are filled with trick fountains. Hidden jets of water squirt from every direction (much to the delight of staff with their hands on the controllers who alternate between showing off the water features and catching guests by surprise). Gravity and water pressure power all the fountains. The dynamic nature works better for video than photos, so check out the video clip below for more.

Those who are enamored with Salzburg as a filming location for The Sound of Music also appreciate visiting the gazebo on the grounds. Yes - the same gazebo where Liesl sang about Sixteen Going On Seventeen. There are other locations that were either used as filming locations or inspired parts of the film around Salzburg too.

***

Surely some among the horde will mention Paris or France. Rather than show a picture of the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, or Notre Dame, the photo below is from a church in the small town of Angoville au Plain. The church is inland from Utah Beach in Normandy. This is one of the few places in the world where paratroopers are shown in the stained glass of a church window. The ground outside the church was fiercely contested and medics of the 101 Airborne set up in the church to treat wounded from both sides.

By the evening we had 75 of them (wounded personnel and one local infant, in the church). Our own folk had come to tell us that they could not stay any longer. So we we are left with the wounded. A German Officer soon arrived and asked if I could tend to his wounded too. We accepted. During the night the churchyard was the scene of another battle. Two of our casualties died. But among those I could tend, none lost their lives. I tended all sorts of wounds, some were skin deep but others were more serious abdominal cases.

***

When in London, visit the British Museum. Yes, go see the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey and say hello to the King at Buckingham Palace, but go to the British Museum. There is only one Rosetta Stone and it lives at the British Museum. It has been on display since 1802 with the exception of a stint in underground storage towards the end of World War I.

A decree is inscribed three times. One in Egyptian hieroglyphs (think formal language), one in Demotic (think cursive Egyptian script used for daily purposes), and Ancient Greek. Having the same content in three different languages opened a window into understanding hieroglyphs. Before decoding, nobody could understand Egyptian hieroglyphs. The content is less important than the language implications, but click here if you are curious to know what the stone says.

***

Did you miss last week's hobby thread with a disaster prep theme? The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content. More importantly, did anyone take action to improve and enhance their disaster preparation situation after reading horde wisdom?

Separate question - should the disaster prep thread from last week be preserved somewhere on the site as an easily accessible reference?

***

Notable comments from last week:

Honorable mention due to floating fire ants:

***

Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

***

This time next week, the Horde will be gathered at the TX MoMe. Looking forward to seeing you. I am shy, so say hello if you see me.

***

If the wonders of Europe are not your thing and you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, hijack the thread for your hobbying as you see fit. We will feature a different hobby next time around. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Travel tip. If you are having trouble being understood, just talk slower and louder. That usually does the trick. Enjoy the SpaceX Starship launch tomorrow. Excitement guaranteed.

Close it up

* * *

Black cat at work:

Assistant window cleaner. pic.twitter.com/Vu8lFMf9dC

— cats with jobs 🛠 (@CatWorkers) October 3, 2024

* * *

Careful out there on the road:

“DOG DAY AFTERNOON”

Too funny! 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/lP7nOXAfjn

— Texas 🇺🇸 (@MustangMan_TX) October 10, 2024

Courtesy Hrothgar

* * *

Courtesy Hrothgar

* * *

Meet The PetMorons

Here is the beautiful stray cat of my apartment complex. Her name is Nimbus due to her white with edging of light to dark gray. The tenants in the other apartments all know her name and have half-adopted her. But she is still a 'wild thing'. Last year when she was a kitten she snuck into the apartment and almost got to the stairs. She likes boiled eggs, shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, always hungry but always pretty. Nobody can tame her, yet she is always near. (She may be 'of the street' but she has not had a litter yet.) Tough to say no sometimes if you know what I mean.

--
Thomas Chanteloup

A lovely cat. "Nobody can tame her" but they can pamper her. Thanks for sending in her story and the lovely photo.

* * *

&&&

Here’s Fritz (the GSP) and Bertie (the English Setter.) They’ve been my buddies for the last 19 years. They are the bestest of good doggos. Fritz (the source of my nic) was literally the pick of the litter, I chose him out of the whelping box.

Six years ago, on Oct. 13th, Fritz climbed up in my bed as I was reading and laid down next to me at 1:00. At 2:30 I felt his last heartbeat. He lived a good, happy life.

Bertie joined us about six months earlier. Being a pup he didn’t pick up all that much from Fritz, but enough to be an equally great doggo.
All said, I’ve been very dog rich these past 19 years.

Fritzy

Thank you for sending in the great photos and wonderful stories about Fritz and Bertie. So sorry that you lost your great friend, Fritz. Happy that you still have Bertie.

* * *

&&&

From By-Tor:

Momma Cat in repose

Momma Cat is great at relaxing. Hope she is feeling well.

* * *

PetMoron Adjacent Animals
Encountered by Members of The Horde

From By-Tor:

My Ring notification went off so naturally I assumed it was Amazon. Wrong.

An out-of-season visitor!

Anybody have hurricane or fire visitors?

* * *

An interesting collection of pet stories today. Thank you for sharing your pets with us.

If you would like to send pet and/or animal stories, links, etc. for the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, the address is:

petmorons at protonmail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Until next Saturday, have a great week!

* * *

If you start feeling nostalgic, here a link to last week's Pet Thread, the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, October 5 Some special PetMoron stories and photos there.

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Close it up

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

From the famous Pat*

Part of my fall harvest: All the pie pumpkins (5) - all the purple sweet potatoes (about a pound) - half the fingerling potato harvest (27 pounds) - and some representative green zucchini, onions, and Sun Gold cherry tomatoes.

Tremendous!

*

Hurricanes and Trees

One thing we learned in the recent hurricanes was that trees can pose a danger when they come down in hurricanes, tornadoes or other high winds. The University of Florida has a fact sheet with several lessons learned from hurricanes about wind and trees and lessons learned about soil and rooting conditions. Plus recommendations. Which do you find that might be applicable to you?

The first recommendation is to plant trees in groups.

*

Palm trees are generally considered to be wind-resistant and are often planted in hurricane zones. But some are more wind-resistant than others. Here are some data on hurricane survival of various trees. And some tips on tree choices.

There may be some tips to make even palms safer.

Florida Problems are real! These palm trees grow too fast and have to be maintained in #Hurricane season. #Florida pic.twitter.com/STIm1Cpptt

— Butch Newell (@GottaGoOutdoors) July 25, 2024

*

Cut Flowers

Dahlias in Switzerland

*

Puttering

Hubs built an owl box last month hoping to attract a mouse catcher. While raking hay he snapped this pic of a barn owl already checking out the new digs.

S.Lynn, Idaho

What a great project!

*

Adventure

Visited the Boyce Thompson Arboretum with the grandkids, Arizona's oldest and largest botanical garden, located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, just outside Superior AZ, and had a fun day. Definitely worth the visit.

Lots of hikes available.

We saw quite a few beautiful butterflies.

Recognize the butterflies, or the plants?

They have a fall plant sale starting tomorrow. It's their centennial!

*

It might be possible to get enough starts to create a cactus fence. Looks like it could be effective.

A cactus fence built to keep intruders out.

[📹 theregrowthproject]pic.twitter.com/XyI7LLRNgU

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) October 7, 2024

Gardens of The Horde

Garden report from OrangeEnt

Sorry, I bailed out early on the thread. Most of the time no one replies to me, so I leave.

Anyway, We live in LV and it gets hot in May. We're still getting 100 plus temps for at least the next week. That's usually fine because I drape that green outdoor netting over the plants. Maybe it's because I used Miracle-Gro stuff. I'd seen a story a while ago that their stuff wasn't any good.

We planted cherry tomatoes, and Early Girls in a different bed than last year. We had the tomatoes all over the place last year and got bowls full of toms. This year, the plants wouldn't even grow. One or two green ones that shriveled up. I pulled them. A second bed had two zucchini plants. The flowered, but it seemed we got only a couple female blooms. One set and started to get good sized, then we saw it turned yellow on the end. There were a few more, but they all yellowed and shrunk after a couple days of good growth. On a third bed we planted two rows of carrots. They grew up, then stopped. I'm not sure, but maybe the watermelons nearby took all the water. The melon plants grew well and I kept them trimmed. Had a few good sized ones and waited and waited for the yellow spot that indicates ripeness. Cut one open and it was completely white inside.. Some of the others were the same way. The last one was overripe. I pulled everything out after that.

I planted garlic, marigolds, and basil in between most of the plants for pest control. That part worked at least. Couldn't get very many bees or butterflies to pollinate. So, I don't know if it was over or underwatering, poor soil, or no pollinators. I'll amend the soil and deepen it in the new bed to see if that works. I'll put the tomatoes back where they were last year. I'll keep trying because you never know how the economy will be in the next few years.

Thanks.

OrangeEnt

Any tips for OrangeEnt for next year?

*

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

*

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Oct. 5

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Close it up

The American Revolution was a similar embryo of Renaissance men. Thomas Jefferson was perhaps the most famous example of unchecked abstract and pragmatic genius displayed in almost every facet of late 18th– and early 19th-century life—main author of the Declaration of Independence, third U.S. President, founder of the University of Virginia, inventor, agronomist, architect, and diplomat.

But Benjamin Franklin may best approximate the model of the Florentine Renaissance holistic brilliance—journalist, publisher, printer, author, politician, diplomat, inventor, scientist, and philosopher. . .

The history of our own contemporary Renaissance people often suggests that they are not fully appreciated until after their deaths—especially in the post-World War II era.

Why?

We have created a sophisticated modern society that is so compartmentalized by “professionals” and the credentialed that those who excel simultaneously in several disciplines are often castigated for “amateurism,” “spreading themselves too thinly,” “not staying in their lanes,” or not being degreed with the proper prerequisite letters—BA, BS, MA, PhD, MD, JD, or MBA—in the various fields that they master.

But specialization is the enemy of genius, as is the tyranny of credentialism.

I had an eighth or ninth grade history teacher who advocated for amateur specialization as a way to be of service to the community - - developing a hobby such as local geology in which one could become an expert, for example. But I think that is something entirely different from the "tyranny of credentialism". The credentialed would likely reject the expertise of such a local expert.

Do we do enough to value such expertise through local connections today? This may be a way to counter some of the power of the overclass.

Elon Musk

Renaissance people often live controversial lives and receive 360-degree incoming criticism, not surprising given the many fields in which they upstage specialists and question experts—and the sometimes overweening nature of their personalities that feel no reason to place boundaries and lanes on their geniuses and behavior or to temper their exuberances.

The best American example of the current age is the controversial Elon Musk, a truly Renaissance figure who has revolutionized at least half a dozen entire fields.

When summarized as VDH does here, the breadth of Musk's accomplishments are amazing.

Overspecialization

Overspecialization has helped make vulnerable and sometimes doomed complex top-down societies from the Mycenaeans to the Aztecs to the Soviets. A tiny credentialed and often incestuous elite manages the lives of a vast underclass whose daily lives are scripted by top-down master planners—as an autonomous and skeptical middle class disappears.

America is increasingly becoming a bifurcated, two-tiered society of a specialized government-corporate-media-political-credentialed class of degreed overseers and managers who attempt to micromanage an increasingly less well-educated, dependent underclass.

I am wondering right now if Kamala Harris is being micromanaged by degreed overseers and managers. Odd thought?

Renaissance people provide a link to the proverbial people, as they master almost anything they attempt while keeping themselves attuned to the practical effect of their achievement among the people.

The entire piece by VDH is well worth reading and pondering.

* * * * *

Almost Renaissance People?

Victor Davis Hanson?

What other academic commutes from a center of the Power of the Overclass like Stanford to a community where the underclass is so evident, like Selma, California?

Who teaches not only classics and ancient languages but also the history of war? How many academics know how to pick fruit and fix a tractor?

How many professors dare write a book describing the ways Trump has pointed out where our culture and politics have gone wrong?

*

Dennis Prager?

I first became acquainted with Dennis Prager when he had a weekday local talk show which was broadcast in Southern California, plus a Sunday night program called "Religion on the Line". Prager is someone who started with a firm ethical base and then expanded his knowledge in a variety of ways.

His motto for the weekday program was that he would talk about "anything but" and I think the list was architecture, poetry and gardening. Then he changed his mind on gardening when someone brought him some tree-ripened apricots.

This was a time before talk radio became politically charged. I was often stunned by the intelligence of the conversations Dennis had with guests. I preferred his radio commentary to his writing, actually. Though he advocated writing as a way to clarify thinking.

Anyway, he had some good ideas about how people could increase the breadth of interests and knowledge in their lives. When he was young, he decided not to waste his life on the then-equivalent of video games. He sluffed school a lot, but not to goof off. He taught himself foreign languages, interviewed as many interesting people as he could in New York City and taught himself to conduct a symphony orchestra (he later conducted at the Hollywood Bowl).

He has visited most of the countries in the world, smuggled Jewish scripture and documents to and from the USSR and developed an institute for Ethical Monotheism.

All this was before Prager went national (doing his part to save the country and Western Civilization) and started Prager U.

I wish I had access to some of his old programs to share with kids.

His articles and videos often provide a glimpse into the depth of his thinking, but his conversations with people seem to me to be even more valuable. I think he has helped me to address the "tyranny of credentialism" successfully in some personal interactions.

* * * * *

What do you think about the current state of credentialism and overspecialization in our society?

Can you think of any other living Renaissance people or Almost Renaissance People?

* * * * *

Music

Much more on Kris Kristofferson from Scott Johnson. Including Here Comes That Rainbow Again.

* * * * *

Hope you have something nice planned for this weekend.

This is the Thread before the Gardening Thread.

Serving your mid-day open thread needs

* * * * *

Last week's thread, October 5, What would Eric Hoffer, The Longshoreman Philosopher, be thinking about now?

There is a quote in there, from decades ago, in which Hoffer foresaw some of the effects of credentialism in our day, I think. Interesting that he was taken seriously back then by some in the overclass.

Comments are closed so you won't ban yourself by trying to comment on a week-old thread. But don't try it anyway.

Close it up

*****

Moron in good standing Hrothgar is looking out for you Morons. Coffee for Your Heart: The Regenerative Power of Caffeine on Vascular Health.

*****

Before we enter the Prayer Revival, just a few housekeeping issues to take care of. (Rulz for those of you in Hillsborough)

1. This is an open thread. Feel free to lurk, opine and/or bloviate.
2. Trolls are trolls. Don't feed them. And don't jump on the furniture.
3. Running with sharp objects can be dangerous. You have been warned.
4. Have a great weekend!

*****

AoSHQ Weekly Prayer List

Please submit any prayer requests to me, “Annie’s Stew” at apaslo atsign hotmail dot com. Prayer
requests are generally removed after four weeks unless we receive an update.

Prayer Requests:
8/6 - LMD Outer Banker requested prayers for a son who is undergoing an experimental treatment for
chronic Lyme disease, which he has been battling for 25 years. He will be in a clinic abroad for about a
month.
8/31 Update – The son is on his way home. After one month of treatment, the tests appear to show he
is free of Lyme and its coinfections. For the first time in 15 years, he no longer has to take antibiotics.
Now the challenge is for his immune system to repair itself to be able to ward off future problems. The
clinic indicates that will take about 6 months of healthy eating and supplements. Thank you for your
prayers; LMD Outer Banker and family are crying in joy.
9/7 Update – Someone Else asked for more information about the clinic and location where this
treatment was possible, if LMD Outer Banker would be willing to post a comment with that information,
or let Annie’s Stew know so she can forward the information. Someone Else has a relative who has
suffered for years and was finally diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Someone Else’s relative also needs
prayers for healing.
9/14 Update – the Clinic is in Germany, under clinicum.st.georg. (The URL is https://www.klinik-st-
georg.de/en). It is extremely expensive. The son said for most of the people there it was life or death.
9/21 Update – CP offered to help with logistics of a Horde member needs to come to the clinic noted
here. He is stationed in Germany, within an hour of the clinic. He also knows people at the local U.S.
Consulate. He said he can’t promise speed, only friendly assistance and moral support. Contact Annie’s
Stew and she can help you get in contact with CP, if you are going to Germany for treatment.
8/23 – Grumpy and Recalcitrant requested continued prayers for J.J. Sefton. J.J. is feeling “not too bad,
all things considered”. His post-radiation/chemo MRI is scheduled for the first week of Sept, and this is
when he will find out where things are at, concerning his cancer. Please keep praying for complete
remission, recovery, and a return to good health.
9/24 Update – J.J. posted that his last MRI was negative, which means that he is essentially cancer-
free. He has just started a 6-week course of chemo maintenance with regular MRIs to monitor for any
recurrence, presumably for the rest of his life. All things considered, his doctors are very upbeat that this
could be longer than the standard prognosis. He sends his thanks again to everyone for their prayers
and messages of support.
9/28 Update – J.J. said he just finished the first month of maintenance. It is amazing that it’s just a pill
that he takes at bedtime, 5 straight days per month, for 6 months. Now he has 3 weeks of until the next
round, and an MRI in the coming weeks.
8/31 – Jewells45 sent an update. She started on Cyremza 2 weeks ago, and the only side effects are
really bad headaches and fatigue. She is praying this works.
9/7 Update – Jewells and her husband had a tough weekend. Jewells had a lesion on her leg that hurt
so bad she couldn’t walk, and her husband had to drive himself to the ER. He was unable to urinate, and
in terrible pain. The problem was related to his prostate.
9/21 Update – Jewells’ husband got another catheter put back in on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he was
very lethargic and barely responsive, so she called 911. It turned out his sodium was dangerously low. If

she’d waited, he probably would have had a seizure or slipped into a coma. He stayed at the hospital
overnight.
9/14 – COMountainMarie had asked for prayers. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of
weeks ago.
10/8 Update – COMountainMarie asked for prayers as she recovers from breast cancer surgery.
9/14 – MH sent a prayer of thanks for the fire fighters and first responders for tackling the dangerous
“Davis Fire” in Reno, NV this past week.
9/14 – Sal asked for prayers for E and her 100-year-old mother, who is being moved into a new care
facility this week, that the move will not be too difficult and that she will adjust well.
9/16 – Teresa in Fort Worth asked for prayers for her husband’s coworker, Chuck. He is a young family
man in his 40s who received a diagnosis of colon cancer a few months ago, and things are looking pretty
bad right now. He had been receiving chemo in preparation for surgery, but now the tumor(s) are
intertwined with other organs, so they cannot safely operate. He and his wife divorced a few months
before the diagnosis, but she is still helping him out. His two adolescent sons are having a hard time
adjusting to all the upheaval. Chuck is planning to sell his house so he can move in with his dad, who is in
bad health as well.
9/16 – notsothoreau asked for prayers for a woman from church, R, and her family. R just lost her son to
suicide. He left a wife and 3 kids behind. There were no warning signs and R is in shock.
9/17 – PA Dutchman asked for prayers for his sister, Lori, and her husband, Fred. Fred just learned that
he has stage 4 lung cancer and there is nothing doctors can do for him.
9/18 – “…” asked for prayers for a friend, “J”, who was injured in a hit and run. He is left with back pain
and his arm is numb.
9/19 – Erebus asked for prayers for mom, whose years of suffering from Alzheimer’s are almost over.
9/21 – Commissioner Hrothgar offered prayers up for former (and hopefully future) President Trump, to
keep him safe from harm and that the forces of evil arrayed against him and our country be made
ineffective and come to naught.
9/21 – Tonypete asked for prayers for the owner of a local diner, Michelle, and her family at the death
of her son due to addiction-related ailments.
9/21 – Matthew Kant Cipher asked for prayers for the soul of Alex and Alex’ surviving family. Alex was a
fine young man who coached MKC’s son’s youth baseball team for a few years. Alex died in a single
vehicle crash this week, leaving behind a pregnant wife and two stepchildren.
9/21 – FenelonSpoke requested prayers for her son, K, to get a job related to his major, which was
horticulture. He has been diligently sending out resumes from searches online, but hasn’t heard
anything yet. Also, prayers for other morons and ‘ettes looking for jobs.

9/21 – vmom stabby stabby stabby asked for prayers for a young mom who works at her dentist’s office,
who is battling a stage 3 brain tumor.
9/21 – RedMindBlueState requested prayers for C, a the two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter of a
friend and fellow parishioner, who recently had a tumor removed from her spine.
9/23 – Lady in Black asked for prayers for her dad. He is 89 and has upcoming cataract surgery. The
cataracts are so bad, he is now legally blind. His surgery is 10/1 and he is very afraid and worried.
Prayers for his peace of mind, safety, and well-being during the surgery would be greatly appreciated.
9/27 – Joe Kidd would appreciate prayers for God’s tender mercies toward the soul of Joe’s older
brother Mike, who passed away on 9/26 from stomach cancer. Prayers for comfort toward his widow
Irene and adjust son Michael are also appreciated.
9/27 – Coelacanth asked for prayers for his son. In the last year, his son has been diagnosed with
fibromyalgia and another connective tissue disorder that can be severely limiting, and his most recent
job has a terribly toxic work environment. Despite this, the son has been pushing through. He has been
praying, but feels that God has abandoned him. The Horde’s prayers helped this son the last time;
please pray for him again.
9/28 – “Perfessor” Squirrel asked for prayers for a family of missionaries from his church, currently on
their way to Kenya to begin training Kenyans on how to engage in Christian missionary work in Africa.
The family includes the son-in-law, wife, and three small daughters of the pastor at the “Perfessor’s”
church. Prayers for their safety and success in their missionary work are appreciated.
9/28 – J.J. Sefton offered prayers for safety and a return to normalcy ASAP for those in and around the
area affected by Hurricane Helene.
9/28 – Tonypete requested prayers for his wife’s best buddy, Mike. Mike is on death’s door as a result of
bone cancer.
10/7 – Mike is on hospice care and will be going on to his reward very soon.
9/28 – mindful webworker welcomes prayers for minor surgery on his eyelid - for a successful snippage
and a quick recovery.
9/28 – Tacitus asked for prayers at the start of a new job. It’s a big step up.
9/30 – It’s me donna asked for prayers for her daughter. She has to have her thyroid removed because
of nodules. She is praying it’s not cancer.
10/5 – tbodie Lurker asked for prayers. During surgery for an ablation, they found an external source of
afib on an outer wall of the heart. There will be a second procedure done soon.
10/7 – Piper requested prayers for her stepfather, who fell and broke his wrist. He will need surgery to
put a plate in. He is in a lot of pain.
10/7 – NR Pax sent an update and thanks for the prayers – mother-in-law’s masses in her chest turned
out to be non-cancerous.

10/7 – 496 asked for prayers for the people suffering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 496 is on his
third bout of pneumonia in a month, so he could use some prayers, too. His doctors have not figured out
yet what is going on.
10/7 – Eromero posted a prayer. “Dear God, Please grant comfort to families suffering worry and
despair over relatives missing after the hurricane damage. Give the searchers and rescuers shart eyes
and gentle hands, guide them to any victims’ location. Supply survivors with medical treatment and
nourishment, place them in safe shelters. Return them to their loved ones. In Christ’s name. Amen.”
10/7 – Marcus T posted the good news that a family member’s cancer is gone. Marcus T’s cancer is
gone, as well, so he says to never lose hope, He will show you the way.
10/7 – FenelonSpoke asked for prayers for her church’s rummage sale, and that the township which has
purchased land from the church would complete the transaction and pay for the land.
For submission guidelines and other relevant info, please contact Annie's Stew, who is managing the
prayer list. You can contact her at apaslo at-sign hotmail dot com. If you see a prayer request posted in
a thread comment, feel free to copy and paste it and e-mail it to Annie's Stew. She tries to keep up with
the requests in the threads, but she's not here all of the time, so she may not see it unless you e-mail it
to her. Please note: Prayer requests are generally removed after four weeks or so unless we receive an
update.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but
not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

*****

As the bumper sticker would say, Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.

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Tech News

• Vietnam is planning to build six chip fabs, with the first one online by 2030. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  Vietnam is nominally communist, but then so are the current governments of the US, the UK, Canada, France, and Australia.
  
  
  
• Leaked benchmarks indicate that AMD's Ryzen 9800X3D is up to 13% faster than the current Ryzen 7800X3D. (WCCFTech)
  
  Which is kind of meh, but it's a meh year for computer hardware.
  
  
  
• If you're thinking you'll just buy a 7800X3D instead, well, good luck with that. (WCCFTech)
  
  It's in short supply and prices on Newegg have jumped from around $399 to $699. Though that's because Newegg themselves are out of stock and the best marketplace offer - from China - is wildly expensive.
  
  My local store actually has the 7800X3D on sale right now, so your mileage may vary.
  
  
  
• TikTok executives knew about the site's effect on teenagers. (NPR)
  
  It turned them into giggling idiots drawn ineluctably to every new trend, no matter how absurd it might be.
  
  ...
  
  Yes.
  
  
  
• Ecovacs robot vacuum cleaners have been hacked to shout slurs at their owners. (Vice)
  
  This is the same company under fire in Australia for collecting audio and video recordings and keeping them even after the customers deleted the files.
  
  
  
• We're not mad at you, Goldmusk, just disappointed. (The Verge)
  
  The Verge having another totally normal day.
  
  
  
• We are mad at you, Goldmusk. (Ars Technica)
  
  Ars Technica is having a just spectacularly normal day.
  
  
  
• Got a shipping notice and a UPS tracking number for my Calliope Mori Limited Edition Hyte Y40 PC case.
  
  Soon. Soon I will have them all!
  
  
  
• But it might take a while to build systems in all the cases I now have.

Apropos of Nothing Video of the Day





Apropos of Moo Deng Video of the Day




Disclaimer: Thank you for being a fiend. D-oops. Well, it was just a short test, and someone reposted it. D-9.

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Fido Friday: Ducking around

pic.twitter.com/VCXIDMkwfo

— ONT WTF (@OntWtf) October 12, 2024

We used to be a proper country

That's one hell of a warranty

Ouch

pic.twitter.com/C55YQoeOBq

— ONT WTF (@OntWtf) October 11, 2024

Brazil

Feel good story of the day

This is cool

pic.twitter.com/hyrAzzi3mj

— ONT WTF (@OntWtf) October 11, 2024

That kid is hardcore

Medical question

This is also cool

pic.twitter.com/vU0OY3EVEe

— ONT WTF (@OntWtf) October 11, 2024

Utopia

Why is it so hard to see that both are equally bad?

Boink!

pic.twitter.com/Jim0gFNcC0

— ONT WTF (@OntWtf) October 11, 2024

Tonight's joke

Kamala's accomplishments

Baseball is so gay

pic.twitter.com/EL7ttEq4TE

— ONT WTF (@OntWtf) October 11, 2024

A match made in hell

How candies got their name

I want this guy on my team

pic.twitter.com/I6Jor0BMoW

— ONT WTF (@OntWtf) October 11, 2024

How to bake

Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by country girls:

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Happy weekend.. 😊 pic.twitter.com/KXEC7UDwXF

— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) October 5, 2024

Sliding into the weekend like...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Red Bull (@redbull)

Nature Beauty 🍁
🎥 @thepureshub#naturelovers #photography #travel #destinations #scenery #autumn #landscape #X #mountains pic.twitter.com/rRKza5syP3

— Maria Jesús Galdos (@mjesusgz) October 5, 2024

That's how dinosaurs went extinct..🐈🐾🦖😂 pic.twitter.com/aadNZp5rKA

— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) October 10, 2024

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"The prices you're paying are misinformation"

Honest to goodness, how terrible is this ticket? https://t.co/1LxwduJSJJ

— Amy Curtis 🇮🇱 (@RantyAmyCurtis) October 11, 2024

Kamala: "I will put my record up against anyone in terms of the work i have always done and will always do to ensure we have a secure border."

She said that with a straight facepic.twitter.com/1RAOS0VqDl

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 11, 2024

Why are Democrats bedwetting?

The race is closer than it was 3 weeks ago in MI, PA, & WI. Way too close to call in all 3. Also, Harris is doing 6 points worse on avg. in them than Biden at this point in 2020.

Also Dems worry more about a Trump presidency than GOP about Harris pic.twitter.com/26IXfhZ3m7

— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) October 11, 2024

And how well did Noted Shallowly-Closeted Homosexual Barack Obama do in attempting to race-and-sex-shame the "brothas" into voting for America's Embarassing Alcoholic Ex-Sidepiece?

Not well!

Strom also calls her Univision Advertisement (it was not a journalistic event) a huge failure.

When a man asked what she would do to improve healthcare -- he was on a waitlist for an MRI for two years, and had to go to Mexico to get one -- she answered that she grew up in (say it with me) a middle class home.

She repeats her line that Trump "filed for bankruptcy six times" so often that a black woman in the crowd mockingly mouthed out the scripted line as she was saying it.

Supposedly this was "unscripted" -- but all the questioners were pre-vetted, and journalists were blocked from knowing who they were or interviewing them.

The comments for the event, coming mainly from Hispanics, are entirely negative.

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I present to you the cringiest political ad ever created. pic.twitter.com/P0JMI1caNS

— Champagne Joshi (@JoshWalkos) October 11, 2024

That is, unfortunately, all too real. This hilarious and skillful piece of media was assembled by a sissy jerkoff from the Jimmy Kimmel show.

And now: Does anyone have any GAINZZZ?

I had to go on to a semi-fast. I was eating some "low carb" cookies from Choc Zero. Lemme tell you, if it sounds too good to be truly low-carb, it is.

Yoga time.. 😊 pic.twitter.com/6b1Zv9ZWom

— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) September 17, 2024

You got this... you got this... this is all you, dude...

pic.twitter.com/giD3g29ulO

— Oops! (@Oops_67) September 18, 2024

You need motivation to get into shape.

When picking a gym buddy, choose one that's at about your level, not a n00b who will only get in your way.

You also don't want a gym buddy who molests you in the middle of your set.

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NEW: Former President Barack Obama says the "brothas" aren't turning out for Kamala Harris like they did for him.

The comments from Obama came during an event at the University of Pittsburgh where Obama sounded the alarm on black voters.

"We have not yet seen the same kinds of… pic.twitter.com/v77CHcOv2A

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 10, 2024

Here are Barack Obama's remarks, chiding black men for making up excuses to not vote for Kamala, asserting the only reason they are not voting for her is her gender:

Jorge Bonilla @BonillaJL

Eventually, everyone disappoints Barack Obama

One month before the election: “Wait, the whole country isn’t just feminists and gays?” https://t.co/WDLMr5Zk0b

— Wade Stotts (@wadestotts) October 11, 2024

By the way, Barack Obama, who oversaw a stagnant economy for eight long, grueling years, is taking credit for Trump's economy.

Democrats are freaking out that Kamala's "Brat/Joy" campaign is failing to allay voters' concerns about the miserable economy she's delivered.

Democratic strategists and donors criticized Vice President Kamala Harris's economic messaging, saying her recent media appearances have fallen flat with voters as the election draws closer, the Hill reported.

"I feel better than I did last week, but it still doesn't feel great. I have a pit in my stomach," one Democratic donor told the Hill, noting that Harris's economic messaging in her recent interviews was not resonating with voters.

"The economy is issues number 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5," the donor said.

...

"She is still fine-tuning her message 28 days out, and I'm sorry, we are in the make-the-sale phase of the campaign now; we're not still tweaking the message," one Democratic strategist said.

...

Since replacing her boss at the top of the ticket, Harris has struggled to build a clear campaign platform. Her team has walked back multiple policy positions she supported in the past--such as a fracking ban and Medicare for All--and tried to distance the vice president from the failures of the Biden administration.

One Democratic consultant worried that although he believes that Harris's campaign is "doing all the right things," it "may not be enough" to get her into the Oval Office.

Rick Moran linked this analysis by Conrad Black.

If allowance is made for the fact that the Democrats carry California and New York by almost 5 million more votes than the Republicans comfortably carry Texas, Florida, and Tennessee, Trump is leading by about 8 million votes in the other 45 states.

Now he's using two polls, Trafalgar and Rasmussen, for his total voter numbers. Those two polls are the best for Trump, and I am hesitant to put too much stock in Trump's best polls. I'd rather go with an average.

But his basic idea is sound enough: There are five states that will clearly go to Harris, or Trump. Most excess -- some might say "wasted" -- votes there are Democrat. Five million more. That means when you look at the vote in the other forty five states, you need to consider that there are fewer "national votes" there. Many "national votes" are stuck in California and New York.

It is still the conventional wisdom that this is a close election, but I do not think so. The only polls that have any record of reliability are those unassociated with the left-wing press and universities and in particular Rasmussen's and Trafalgar. They both show Trump leading the national popular vote by between 1 percent and 2 percent. As I have mentioned here before, this means that if allowance is made for the fact that the Democrats carry California and New York (82 electoral votes) by almost 5 million more votes than the Republicans comfortably carry Texas, Florida, and Tennessee (81 electoral votes), Trump is leading by about 8 million votes in the other 45 states.

I wonder, though, if you break down the states still further, you might find the "excess" votes of the Republican states maybe exceeds that of the remaining Democrat states? I mean, once excluding NY and California, maybe among non-swing-states, Republicans have more "excess" votes so Black's analysis is wrong.

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