Ace: aceofspadeshq at gee mail.com
Buck: buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com
CBD: cbd at cutjibnewsletter.com
joe mannix: mannix2024 at proton.me
MisHum: petmorons at gee mail.com
J.J. Sefton: sefton at cutjibnewsletter.com
Jay Guevara 2025
Jim Sunk New Dawn 2025
Jewells45 2025 Bandersnatch 2024
GnuBreed 2024
Captain Hate 2023
moon_over_vermont 2023
westminsterdogshow 2023
Ann Wilson(Empire1) 2022 Dave In Texas 2022
Jesse in D.C. 2022 OregonMuse 2022
redc1c4 2021
Tami 2021
Chavez the Hugo 2020
Ibguy 2020
Rickl 2019
Joffen 2014
AoSHQ Writers Group
A site for members of the Horde to post their stories seeking beta readers, editing help, brainstorming, and story ideas. Also to share links to potential publishing outlets, writing help sites, and videos posting tips to get published.
Contact OrangeEnt for info: maildrop62 at proton dot me
Sunday Overnight Open Thread - July 6, 2025 [Doof]
—Open Blogger
Howdy Hordelings! Hope your Sunday has been good and your holiday weekend safe and enjoyable. The ONT is here for you as always. Come on in and share your wit and wisdom in the comments.
Absolutely love what Elon did with Twitter. He turned it into much more of a bastion of free speech. But he's out of his wheelhouse here. We don't need a new political party. We have a broken system, and the 2 predominant parties are symptoms of that. A new party will merely syphon off votes from one party - in this case, the Republican party. The name Ross Perot ring any bells? Then the Dems, who are all but asking for a knockout punch right now, will yet again gain more power when they should become extinct.
As for Elon's supposed better version of AI - Grok, there have been some interesting exchanges with Grok on X recently. Yet another reason to not heavily rely on ANY form of AI. They are all programmed with data provided by biased humans.
Grok later went on to correct itself, noting the cuts are proposed for FY2026 (which doesn't begin until October 2025), then also acknowledging there were indeed many warnings issued. Yet anti-Trumpers will likely pull this original tweet as evidence of Grok agreeing with them.
Notes taken, @GuntherEagleman. Impressive resume—proud dad, entrepreneur, unvaxxed patriot. We align on closed borders, no foreign wars, and mocking pronouns. But facts check: 2020 wasn't stolen, J6 was an insurrection, climate change isn't a hoax, Obama born in Hawaii, Floyd's…
In southern Poland near the border with Slovakia is a cave that was home for hundreds of thousands of years, first for Neanderthals and later for modern humans. Obłazowa Cave has been undergoing excavation since 1985, two years after which a unique find emerged: a boomerang made of mammoth tusk.
At the time, the team led by Pawel Valde-Nowak dated it to 23,000 years ago and announced that it was likely the "earliest certain find of this type of weapon in the world."
Which is still true, in the sense that Valde-Nowak and colleagues now reveal that it's a stunning 40,000 years old and no earlier ones have been reported.
***
That is the rich cultural context in which this object shaped like a boomerang was found. The team calls it a boomerang because it looks like one, not necessarily because they believe it was used the same way the later aboriginal Australian ones were used
Read the whole thing. Pretty cool stuff.
***
'Ette Couture (Courtesy of Piper)
It's that time of the week - when we turn the ONT over to our good friend Piper for a bit. Here's this week's fashion pr0n.
------
A Century of Americana Fashion: From Melania’s Elegance to Our 250th Celebration
In honor of our nation’s birth, Melania Trump dazzled at a White House South Lawn picnic for military families this past 4th of July, serving subtle yet chic Americana. She wore a crisp poplin A-line shirt dress by Thom Browne, paired with fiery Manolo Blahnik Snake Red 105 pumps—a perfect nod to patriotic style with a high-fashion twist. As we revel in this iconic look, let’s stroll through the history of Americana fashion, from its early roots to the bold looks we’ll plan for America’s 250th anniversary next year.
Early 20th Century (1900s–1920s): Sophistication Meets Spirit
As America roared into the industrial age, fashion blended city polish with rural heart. Women channeled the Gibson Girl vibe—think high-neck blouses and flowing skirts, often in red, white, and blue for 4th of July fêtes. By the 1920s, flappers took over, shimmying in drop-waist dresses adorned with star-shaped pins, capturing the post-World War I zest. These looks screamed optimism and American flair, setting the stage for a century of patriotic style.
1930s–1940s: Grit, Grace, and Wartime Pride
The Great Depression brought a make-do mindset, with women rocking simple cotton dresses in floral or gingham patterns—often stitched at home with love. Come the 1940s, World War II rationing called for utility, but patriotism shone through. A-line skirts paired with military-inspired blouses and red kerchiefs or flag pins kept the spirit alive. The July 1942 Vogue cover nailed it: a fierce model framed by billowing American flags, radiating strength and unity.
1950s–1970s: Suburban Chic and Rebel Flair
The 1950s were Americana’s golden hour, with full-skirted dresses in patriotic hues or polka dots stealing the show, paired with saddle shoes or dainty ballet flats for that perfect suburban glow. The 1960s shook things up—mod miniskirts and shift dresses danced alongside hippie tie-dye and fringed vests. The 1976 Bicentennial turned the volume up, with flag motifs splashed across T-shirts, bell-bottoms, and everything in between, celebrating America’s 200th with unapologetic pride.
Looking Ahead: The 250th Anniversary in 2026
As we gear up for America’s 250th birthday next year, it’s time to plan our outfits! Will we channel Melania’s tailored elegance with a modern Thom Browne piece? Or maybe lean into retro vibes with a gingham dress or bedazzled flag tee? Whatever we choose, let’s make it bold, proud, and unmistakably American—mixing timeless red, white, and blue. Start sketching those looks now, because this milestone deserves it.
------
Thank you, Piper! Always good to celebrate American heritage of all kinds!
***
DJ Doof - Birthdays This Weekend Version
from thisdayinmusic.com
Born on 4 Jul 1963: Matt Malley, bassist from American rock band Counting Crows
Born on 5 Jul 1950: American singer, songwriter and actor Huey Lewis
Born on 6 Jul 1945: Rik Elswit, guitarist, with American rock band Dr Hook
***
Tonight's ONT brought to you by revolutionary retorts
***
Comments, questions, suggestions, or emotional outbursts? Do the email thing at doof2112 at proton dot me.
Howdy, Y'all! Welcome to the wondrously fabulous Gun Thread! As always, I want to thank all of our regulars for being here week in and week out, and also offer a bigly Gun Thread welcome to any newcomers who may be joining us tonight. Howdy and thank you for stopping by! I hope you find our wacky conversation on the subject of guns 'n shooting both enjoyable and informative. You are always welcome to lurk in the shadows of shame, but I'd like to invite you to jump into the conversation, say howdy, and tell us what kind of shooting you like to do!
Holy Shitballs! How in the ever-loving hell did it get to be the Vacation Edition v1.0? Yep, that's correct guys and gals, We're headed to the beach for a week. Frankly my rigorous retirement schedule of napping, smoking cigars, and playing with Fun Size Joe & Gertie has been so exhausting I found I already needed a break. Thank you for understanding!
Fun Vacation Update: So we left Northern Virginia Saturday morning and about six hours later arrived at Surf City, NC. As we neared the beach, a portable digital road sign displayed the following message: TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT which needless to say was something of a surprise as the last time I had looked at the weather the forecast was for fairly typical summer beach conditions. Anyhoo, it rained and blew bigly all Saturday night and into Sunday morning, but appears to be clearing, and I was able to venture out to get donuts and bagels for breakfast.
With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?
Q: Weasel, with you on vacation, do we get a respite from fundamentals?
A: No. No, you most certainly do not.
Adherents of WeaselDoctrine know one of the most basic fundamentals of establishing good fundamentals, especially for new shooters, is confining your range time to a single firearm. All guns are different, and I think it is important to establish your initial 'feel' for shooting on one platform rather than switching around with multiple firearms and mixing-up the characteristics of each. If you switch thru a lot of guns in a single session, you're likely not to recall the specifics of any one, but rather only a confusing blur of grip, trigger and recoil impressions. There is plenty of time to experiment later, but at first you want to focus on one gun to imprint good habits onto your brain molecules.
Even experienced shooters lessen the relative value of range time by constantly switching among guns because each time you change you must learn, or re-learn, the feel of the new firearm. Is this the end of the world? No. Does it make your range time and practice less efficient? Yes.
Don't take my word for it, let's see what par pal Hickok45 has to say on the matter.
Plinking and trying new guns is part of the funsies of shooting, I get it. Just don't let that rob you of a chance to focus on fundamentals and get the most from your range time.
******
Burton 1917 LMR
******
More Hickok45!
Going to war?
******
Beginner's Guide to Ammo
Which, incidentally, you should be buying.
******
Scale of Dinero
Millions? Billions? Trillions? Makes you think.
******
Our Pal Trinitite
******
Highway Patrol
This week's episode: Phony Cop.
******
Beginning Of The End!
******
Here are some different online cigar vendors. You will find they not only carry different brands and different lines from those brands, but also varying selections of vitolas (sizes/shapes) of given lines. It's good to have options, especially if you're looking for a specific cigar.
A note about sources. The brick & mortar/online divide exists with cigars, as with guns, and most consumer products, with respect to price. As with guns - since both are "persecuted industries", basically - I make a conscious effort to source at least some of my cigars from my local store(s). It's a small thing, but the brick & mortar segment for both guns and tobacco are precious, and worth supporting where you can. And if you're lucky enough to have a good cigar store/lounge available, they're often a good social event with many dangerous people of the sort who own scary gunz, or read smart military blogs like this one. -rhomboid
Anyone have others to include? Perhaps a small local roller who makes a cigar you like? Send me your recommendation and a link to the site!
Please note the new and improved protonmail account gunthread at protonmail dot com. An informal Gun Thread archive can be found HERE. Future expansion plans are in the works for the site Weasel Gun Thread. If you have a question you would like to ask Gun Thread Staff offline, just send us a note and we'll do our best to answer. If you care to share the story of your favorite firearm, send a picture with your nic and tell us what you sadly lost in the tragic canoe accident. If you would like to remain completely anonymous, just say so. Lurkers are always welcome!
That's it for this week - have you been to the range?
One of the pleasures of cooking is the relaxed pace of a home-cooked meal. Oh, I'm not talking about the frenetic meals that provide little besides fuel and a cursory check that the brats are still alive. You know, the ones that are scheduled between homework and band practice and baseball and picking up the car from the shop and getting that last load of laundry put away.
No... I am talking about the meals with good friends on a lovely and relaxed weekend, or the last evening of a vacation (or even an impromptu breakfast of savory French Toast with salt and butter).
The Roasted Chicken With Leeks and Butter-Sautéed Carrots that you see above was the delicious result of just such an event. And even better, it included shopping for the ingredients!
There are very few things better than puttering around the kitchen with friends, glasses of wine, sharp knives, and no real plan.
But it worked out marvelously, especially since the food really was good. As many of you know, my mantra when entertaining or being entertained is that the real pleasure is the company, and if the food is good? What a wonderful bonus!
We did forget to open the champagne, so there will need to be a reprise of this meal...
A commenter (or reader) I will call "KM" sent me this link to a restaurant in Prague that he enjoyed. He directed my attention to the venison tenderloin tartare. Garden's looks like a fun place, and the menu is right up my alley!
The Czech Republic is on my short list of places to visit, not least because I have been assured that the food is quite good,and this menu doesn't disappoint!
******
Speaking of tartare...it's a wonderful dish, and why beef tartare is not more popular in the United States is beyond me. A fair number of the readers of this august website eat their steak bloody rare, which is essentially raw. And many of you will happily guzzle down raw oysters and clams and ... shudder ... raw broccoli. Yet you draw the line at steak tartare?
That's just weird.
If you are extremely concerned with food-borne illness, then there are ways to mitigate it. For instance, just use a very sharp knife and shave off the outer layer of the beef you are using. And of course buy it from a reputable place...nothing off the back of a truck!
Here is a solid recipe from Alton Brown, although there are dozens of different ways to do it, so don't think this is the gold standard. Here in France I have seen at least four different preparations, and I am torn between the classic, and the "Provencal" version.
Go for it! You know you want to, even if it is just to gross out your kids.
******
Well, this is a strange one. I know that people eat carnivores, but for reasons I can't fully articulate, they just don't appeal to me. And isn't that silly? I eat all sorts of fish, and they are carnovires, so why not terrestrial ones?
This is from regular commenter "Elric Blade!"
It's my July 4th menu. Roast alpaca, coyote, bobcat, python, and beaver. Who doesn't like beaver?
******
******
******
I thought France would have good garlic, but the Frogs seem to have the same problem we have in the U.S. At least they don't import filthy garlic from China. Pork is great here, but no game, so send all of your extra antelope to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.
Who are those poor deluded souls We know who shakes their Manhattans! These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.
$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 or fifty years, but it is worth it!
That doesn't look like a problem! On the contrary, it is a delicious and wonderful thing, courtesy of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a curious blind Benedictine monk.*
But...that is the extent of our Independence Day celebrations, since we are currently 3,650 miles from the greatest country in human history. That's a first for me, and I don't like it.
Seriously. I love Independence Day, because it reminds me every year exactly how lucky we all are, being the beneficiaries of that marvelous confluence of countless events that built the United States of America, none more so than the absolutely stupendous Declaration Of Independence.
56 men, mostly in their 30s and 40s (average age of 44!) signed that document. All of them knew that they were declaring open rebellion against one of the greatest powers on earth. If they lost, they would hang. But they did it anyway!
And against all odds they knocked the snot out of Great Britain, and took the greatest place on earth away from that empire. Little did King George and parliament know what they had just lost.
Luckily for them we are a forgiving people. 141 years later we bailed them out of a catastrophe in Europe, and then we did it again 25 years after that!
We have huge issues in America, and in many ways we have lost our way. But looking at the stunning developments over the past three election cycles makes me far more sanguine about our future prospects as a great country.
Yes, even the many catastrophes have shown us who the enemies of the Republic are, and that is a tremendous advantage. The battle is joined!
We are Americans, so we will win!
* Not really. Champagne wasn't invented by anyone...it evolved over centuries, but existed before Dom Perignon.
Russia Will Win In Ukraine, And It Doesn't Matter At All
—CBD
I am tired of hearing about Ukraine. I am tired of seeing Zelenskyy and his stupid track suits and smug assumptions that he is a global player. He looks as stupid as Hillary Clinton in her pants suits, and maybe just as arrogant! And I am sick of Putin being elevated into some vaunted position as a global leader when Russia is a regional, not a world power. And most of all I am tired of the histrionics emanating from the media and most European capitols that Ukraine is some bastion of Western Freedom, and we all must rally 'round their flag. What that actually means is that they want America to foot the bill in treasure and blood so that they can continue their lovely cradle-to-grave welfare state lives while spending almost nothing on defense.
Russia is bigger than Ukraine, has a larger army, has access to allies that will assist them, and will most probably win this war. And why should they stop? They are achieving whatever goals they have, and the West without the American military doing the heavy lifting won't, or can't (or both) help.
Ukraine has a power-mad midget dictator (when was the last election in Ukraine?) who wants the West to pay for his intransigence in the face of the current Russian belligerence. But Ukraine is not blameless in this war, and regardless of why it started, they had opportunities to end the war with a negotiated ceasefire, but chose to continue to burn through their men and the West's arms on some ridiculous hope that somehow they could turn the tide. They were wrong, and a lot of people are dead because of that decision.
Putin told Trump that “Russia will achieve its goals” in Ukraine and “will not abandon” them, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, who spoke with reporters following the July 3 call. Russia is seeking to conquer Ukraine and bring the independent country back into its fold. [bold mine]
Wow...where did that assumption come from? It's the first time I have seen it, and I doubt very much that Putin wants all of Ukraine. Hell, what would he do with it? My guess that he wants what he has been saying all along...he wants the Russian parts!
The announcement follows confirmation by the White House that some shipments—reportedly including vital air defense munitions—have been temporarily halted.
“We can’t give weapons to everybody all around the world. We have to look out for America and defending our homeland,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said during his first solo press briefing.
And this is the unavoidable reality of the world. We have to make decisions based on what is best for America, but until recently we didn't have a president who cared more for America than for the rest of the world.
I am happy that the administration is prioritizing the defense of America and its armed forces over the defense of a corrupt pseudo-democracy and its tinpot dictator president.
[check below the fold for some clownish stupidity from Bill Kristol. It's almost too stupid to believe it is real!]
Sunday Morning Book Thread - 7-6-2025 ["Perfessor" Squirrel]
—Open Blogger
Welcome to the prestigious, internationally acclaimed, stately, and illustrious Sunday Morning Book Thread! The place where all readers are welcome, regardless of whatever guilty pleasure we feel like reading (a little something for the 'Ettes, HT: Dash my lace wigs). Here is where we can discuss, argue, bicker, quibble, consider, debate, confabulate, converse, and jaw about our latest fancy in reading material. As always, pants are required, unless you are wearing these pants...(fireworks not included)
So relax, find yourself a warm kitty (or warm puppy--I won't judge) to curl up in your lap, let off any remaining fireworks (preferably not from your lap), and dive into a new book. What are YOU reading this fine morning?
I've never really looked at the economic benefits of going to the library. Nowadays, I tend to simply purchase the books I want to read instead of checking them out at the library. I do sometimes, if it's a book that I'm not quite sure about or I am relatively certain that I won't read it again. Also, relatively few of the books in my library are going to be found in current library inventories. Though I have been pleasantly surprised when browsing the shelves in the library in which I work (but do not work for). I've found a number of books that I never would have expected the library to carry. Of course, they are on obscure shelves where no one but me would ever find them, so it's a shame that the students are missing out on such great books. The more popular genre fiction books are displayed on the first floor where students are more likely to see them and check them out.
4 LEVELS OF READING
I'd say the vast majority of us Morons are at levels 3 or 4. However, your children and grandchildren may still be learning. How will you help them advance to the next level?
++++++++++
I can relate to this:
++++++++++
MORON RECOMMENDATIONS
If you love 80's SF/Fantasy movies, I can't recommend Chris Nashawaty's The Future Was Now enough. It's such a fun read.
AH-nult and John Milius were a match made by Crom, but it was still a dangerous shoot. Schwarzenegger suffered serious falls, was mauled by part-wolf German shepherds, and was almost hit in the jugular by a prop war axe. Milius just grinned at him and said "Pain is temporary, film is forever". I imagine them laughing over kielbasa-sized cigars at the end of each day.
Schwarzenegger helped co-star James Earl Jones train and lift weights, and Jones coached Arnold on his acting and on-camera technique.
It was nice to enjoy movies in the pre-internet age, where I had no idea that my favorite films were considered box office bombs. And before VHS/DVDs and streaming, a movie could hang around the megaplex for a year if it was still pulling in viewers.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at June 29, 2025 09:12 AM (kpS4V)
Comment: This does sound like a fun book. According to the official blurb, it's the story of eight incredible films released in 1982: ET, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Conan the Barbarian, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, The Thing, and Mad Max: The Road Warrior. All of them went on to become either cult classics or genuine classics beloved by generations of fans. Has there been a current year that has seen such a string of movies that are destined to achieve the same level of nostalgia?
+++++
This week I read Blasphemy by Douglas Preston. It is the second in the Wyman Ford series, though there is no need to read the first in the series to enjoy this--there's no significant cross-referencing.
In it, a group of scientists have built a supercollider in hopes of proving the big bang theory. A television evangelist proclaims it the anti-Christ. American Indians are unhappy with the location of the project. Corrupt politicians (is there any other kind?) are stirring the pot.
An incredible clusterf**k of a collision of competing interests ensues.
Posted by: Dash my lace wigs! at June 29, 2025 09:33 AM (h7ZuX)
Comment: I read this some time ago when I picked up Blasphemy at a library book sale (at least, I'm pretty sure that's where I found it). It's one of Preston's solo stories, though it may be set in the same continuum as his collaborations with Lincoln Child. It is a pretty wild read with an epic conclusion. Very cinematic. It would make for a very cool movie, but I would not trust today's modern Hollywood writers to do it justice.
+++++
I have also been reading The Testament of Marcellus by Marius Gabriel. It is thus far about a noble Roman of uncertain purpose visiting Jerusalem and Pontius Pilate at Passover. So far he has met Jesus on the road, was present at Jesus' chastisement of the money changers, and at Judas' negotiations with Pilate to betray Jesus. It is interesting.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Well, This Is Another Fine Mess You've Gotten Me Into at June 29, 2025 11:21 AM (L/fGl)
Comment: I've been watching The Chosen on Amazon Prime recently. It's a fascinating show as we see Jesus through the eyes of his followers and detractors. The Testament of Marcellus tells the story of a Roman lawyer who tried to defend Jesus, but was ultimately unsuccessful as we all know. One of the reviews on Amazon caught my eye with this comment: "What was remarkable about this book is that he dares to intimately include the Crucifiction and Jerusalem, along with all the Jewish/Christian issues that are naturally connected, though I did notice that there was a total absence of the involvement of Islam [emphasis added--PS] in either the characters of descriptions of areas." WHAT? Why would Islam be mentioned in the context of this story which takes place around A.D. 33? Shows the historical ignorance of the commenter...
Interstellar Medic Book 2 - The Long Way Home by Patrick Chiles -- This was a Moron Authored book featured last week that has now been released. I'm looking forward to reading it as I've enjoyed Patrick Chiles other books.
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick -- This was a Moron Recommendation from a couple of weeks ago. I like PKD, so I expect I will enjoy this novel as well.
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.
Night's Dawn Trilogy Book 3 - The Naked God by Peter F. Hamilton
This is the final book in the Night's Dawn Trilogy. Humanity is still fighting a losing battle against the possessed, who have shunted several worlds out of our time-space continuum into an alternate dimension cut off from the "beyond." However, the possessed find out that their supposed "Paradise" is anything but beneficial to them. One habitat discovers that the alternate dimension in which they are trapped experiences entropy far faster than our own universe, so they are slowly being drained of energy. Another slice of an island will soon run out of air. Meanwhile, in normal space, Al Capone and his "Organization" have unleashed forbidden antimatter weapons against the Confederacy. Quinn Dexter, who began this whole mess, has escaped to Earth, where he is unleashing is own plans to bring about the Apocalypse on behalf of "God's Brother" (a.k.a. Lucifer). Starship captain Joshua "Lagrange" Calvert is on a mission to find the Sleeping God, who may be humanity's last hope to avoid oblivion. It's a long read (1200+ pages), but seldom boring.
This book also predicted "smartphones" about a decade before they came into being. They're not called that, of course, and are far more advanced, but the basic idea is there. A young woman goes to an electronics store to purchase "neural nanonics," which are embedded in the base of your skull and allow you to access the global network directly through a mental interface. What was amusing was how the process mirrored today's purchase of a smartphone, complete with asking the customer what apps she'd like installed by d
default. I found that scene highly amusing.
Oh, and there is a slight possibility of someone hijacking your "nanonics" and using them to control you, which is why they always come in a factory-sealed box for your protection!
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. PRO TIP: Never, ever drop a 3" salute shell upside-down into a mortar tube. It goes off like a stick of dynamite.
For example, running at half speed - with either a PCIe x8 slot or PCIe 4.0 - it loses... Basically nothing. Maybe 1%.
At a quarter of the bandwidth - so PCIe 3.0 - it loses 10% of its performance.
If you drop all the way back to PCIe 2.0 you finally see that 25% performance loss.
Meaning that PCIe 5.0 doesn't improve performance unless you don't have all 16 lanes available, even on a 5090.
And if you're using it for a workload that resides mostly on the card, like AI processing, you hardly need anything. There's more variability between test runs than between a single lane and a full x16 slot.
The 7600M runs at about a quarter the speed of a 5090, so it would work just fine with Thunderbolt 4. Or Thunderbolt 3, since it's exactly the same speed.
Welcome to Club ONT! A collaboration of your Sunday through Wednesday ONT Crew - The Disco, The Doggo, and The Dino.
Welcome the the 5th of July, Club edition. We hope you were able to properly honor the USA yesterday, limited your sunburn, broke out an amazing Independence Day outfit, grilled and consumed plenty of protein, and can account for all your fingers (and appendages). No sparklers required this evening.
The Orange Crush cocktail was first crafted in 1995 at Harborside Bar & Grill in West Ocean City, Maryland. The cocktail is easy to make...
It is made with equal parts triple sec and orange vodka, a freshly squeezed orange, and a splash of Sprite.
Juicing your own oranges is imperative to making this a smashing drink, so get yourself one of these handy dandy citrus juices that aren’t only pretty, but totally functional and easy to use.
[Disco says: These are outstanding! Take it from a local guy who has had more of these than anyone could count -- the part about juicing your own oranges is VERY important!]
Bob created the 50-star flag by cutting up a 48-star flag his parents had received as a wedding present. "I'd watch my mom sew, but I had never sew...and since making the flag of our country, I've never sewn again." Bob's teacher was unimpressed and gave him a B- asking if he even knew how many states we had, and telling him, "If you don't like the grade, get it accepted in Washington then come back and see me."
Two years later his perseverance paid off when he received a call from President Dwight D. Eisenhower who invited him to Washington, D.C., for a ceremony adopting his 50-star flag. Bob's teacher also went back and changed his grade to an A.
*****
Club ONT Picnic Food
*****
Club ONT goes to the movies
*****
Are all Morons in the Palmetto State accounted for?
Police in South Carolina engaged in a not-so-hot pursuit as they chased a tractor excavator down a main highway for more than an hour at the speed an average adult walks.
The chase reached speeds of 3 mph early Sunday morning in North Charleston, police said.
Club ONT brought to you by: Being the rebel you know you are. Ignore the sign below - it is for decoration. Rules are not really a Club thing. Bring what you've got and try not to embarrass yourself too early this evening.
*****
Club ONT realizes that patrons may have strong opinions on the relevant issues of the day, but asks that differences be settled through cornhole competition. Last week's dispute over whether chicken wings should be served with bones or without bones got a little out of hand. Club ONT should have known trouble was brewing with the previous debate between ranch and blue cheese for wings. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
When movie trivia was fun this was a good one: what two films, produced in the 1960s, took a two-decade break before the sequel was made in the 1980s?
The answer: Psycho (1960) and The Hustler (1961), their sequels being Psycho II (1983) and The Color of Money (1986). It was a good trivia question because the practice of a follow up in which the actors reprised their roles, separated by two decades no less, was rare -- if non existent.
How times have changed...
There have always been serial style movies (James Bond or The Thin Man franchise) and regular sequels (The Godfather II, a masterpiece; The French Connection II, pedestrian) and remakes or reimaginings (Ben Hur, The Invisible Man, Road House) and reboots (The Planet of the Apes or Halloween), but I'm not talking about those.
The focus of this post is the continuing of a tale some years later, but there's a difference between what I mean and a straight up sequel. Sequels usually come fast and furious (yes, I meant to do that) upon the heels of the first chapter. So The Fast and The Furious or Superman or Rambo.
The characters may be the same but there is no nostalgic yearning to see what they have been up to after many years, a la Norman Bates or Eddie Felson.
Traditional sequels usually are plot-based. Ethan Hunt is assigned a new mission. Clark W. Griswold goes on his next vacation. We care less about how the characters have evolved or aged or where they find themselves than we do about them saving the day or finding a decent hotel.
Business-wise it makes perfect sense. Hollywood produces a popular film and wants to cash in on sequels, so we get Final Destination part LVIII (or whatever we are up to now) and will keep getting more as long as profit is to be had.
But somewhere along the line, in addition to the traditional sequel, we got the years-later-what-are-they-up-to film.
What changed? Why were the cases of Psycho II and The Color of Money as follow ups isolated?
As with most things that have destroyed peace and justice in the galaxy, I lay the blame at the feet of Star Wars.
The Phantom Menace (1999) is technically not a sequel (it's a prequel!), but these terms do not matter. It was the idea of 25 years passing before we caught up with characters we yearned to know more about that captured the public's imagination.
The Star Wars movies have all been pretty stupid, but they earned a lot of money and opened the floodgates for fan service and nostalgia films like we have not seen before.
A variant of this became the 'what happened to so and so' movie, and they were intriguing to say the least. There are too many to count, but some of the most notable are Top Gun: Maverick, Cobra Kai, Coming 2 America, and Bill and Ted Face the Music.
If you were a popular character in the 1980s or 1990s, you can assume, if your follow up film has not been made, it is surely being considered.
***
To be honest, I don't much like these films. It speaks to the dearth of originality in the 21st century movie business. Why take a chance on an interesting, new voice or fresh ideas when you can dust off Axel Foley? Hollywood has always been a bottom line business, but studios and large production companies used to take some chances. Even their bombs now (Snow White) are retreads.
Flops aside, the sequel/prequel/reboot/follow up movie has been immensely profitable, so, like the baseball team that finishes last but keeps its fan base, why would there be efforts at improvement if the people keep paying?
And to be even more honest: while I don't like the practice of the follow up sequel, sometimes I can't help but think of interesting takes on old material, and since one can't exactly beat Hollywood, one might consider joining the party.
I'm not much involved with screenwriting any longer, but, when I was, taking a popular character or movie and picking up the saga was not a bad play to make as an aspiring scribe.
Legally, you could never proceed with that kind of story in terms of production, but, in the scriptwriting game, anything you can do to draw attention to yourself and show you have chops is something many writers consider. It's called the 'get noticed' script, and you write it to land representation which will then take out your original ideas or try to find you work based on your potential.
I fell under this spell once and wrote a follow up to Caddyshack. In my telling of the sequel, which I titled Danny Noonan, the character became a professional caddie but could never land a big player's bag so was down and out. But then he receives a message that Ty Webb has passed away and left him Bushwood (Webb was the secret owner of the club). Danny returns to Bushwood to find it in disrepair. He may have been bequeathed the club but does not have the funds to rehabilitate it. Another man does: Carl Spangler, the harelipped stoner and former Bushwood greenskeeper. Spangler became a cannabis millionaire when marijuana was legalized, and he funds the revival of Bushwood. That is until Judge Smails grandson, Spaulding (he a judge too), blocks the construction. Danny seeks out his old rival DeNunzio, who is a lawyer now, to represent him. Maggie is of course still in town and the ghosts of Webb, Czervik, and Smails get in on the act too. It was a pretty dumb story, but I had fun writing it.
I only queried one person with this, Michael O'Keefe, the actor who played Danny Noonan. He got back to me right away to say he had been making his own efforts with Warner Brothers to develop a sequel, but, surprisingly, they were not interested in any more Caddyshack movies. So it ended there, but it was an interesting exercise.
And now I invite you to give me your take on a follow up film. There is only rule: the actors who played the characters (at least most of them) must be still living. This is not a reboot or slipping in someone new to play Jack Ryan. No, this must be like Bill and Ted or Maverick or Axel Foley, the old performers still living and able to reprise their roles.
Here are two examples I have come up with...
Title: Princeton Could Use a Guy Like Joel
Logline: 40 years after that Risky Business, Joel Goodson has his own kids and a picturesque, suburban McMansion. After the "time of his life" in high school, he played it safe. But does he have it in him one more time to say, "What the fuck" and make a move?
Title: Smith & Wesson & Me
Clint Eastwood has retied from movies, but where is he? Possibly in a retirement home. And what if Inspector Harry Callahan is also similarly situated? Can 'Dirty' Harry adjust to this kind of lifestyle, or will he still bend the rules to infuriate his bosses and get the bad guys?
Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. We gave the Ace of Spades Wheel of Hobbies(TM) a spin and it came up with woodworking.
This is a Hobby thread, not a professional or commercial platform. Having said that, many people have turned their hobbies into a business. Often professionals are also enthusiasts. We all had to start somewhere.
We've done a woodcarving and whittling theme, but never a pure woodworking theme or a focus on working with a lathe. Fortunately for all of us, lurker watchin' sent some goodies to the official Hobby Thread emailbox that will provide excellent content for such a theme. As you'll see below, his work with a lathe is stunning. His wood comes from downed trees or reclaimed sources.
This story also helps illustrate the secondary theme - a hobby that works its way towards something that earn a little bit of income and offset the cost of hobbying.
Here's the background: watchin' was a carpenter at one point, so he was familiar with wood. However, his calling as a Pastor took him into the ministry for over two decades. He and his wife moved to Peru for a volunteer project helping abused, abandoned and neglected kids for over a decade before returning to the states in 2022.
When he returned, he essentially started over. It took over a year to get resettled and regrouped, but he started to accumulate woodworking tools during that year. Some were gifts and some were cheap bargain finds.
The family finally found a house. It came with an unfinished "guest house." Yep, you can see where this is going. The guest house turned into a shop.
He had never used a lathe before, but added one to the shop and set to teaching himself how to turn wood. A year later, here he is. After you see his work below, I think you'll agree that he's learned well.
At some point, you can only have so many bowls and vases sitting around the house and you've given your creations to everyone in your friend and family orbit as gifts. Those same friends and family start asking whether others would be interested. Is there a market to recoup some of the hobbying costs? Watchin' is thinking through that now. He has a website to reserve a piece of cyberspace but it isn't a online store (at least not yet). If you click, you'll see that he has no plans for large scale operations but instead will stick to making individual pieces as the wood and inspiration permit.
Hoping watchin' will de-lurk and do more postin' on today's thread.
***
Surely there are other members of the Horde that work with wood, especially turning wood on lathes. Similarly, there are members of the Horde that have tinkered with turning their hobby into some form of commercial enterprise. Similarly, there are very talented members of the Horde that have explicitly decided against turning something fun into something that resembles work.
Come forth with your stories and wisdom.
***
Made from recovered wood from Hurricane Helene and old oak pallet wood:
How did it come together? Here is the work in progress:
***
Made from Florida mahogany:
***
Made from olive wood:
***
This is a bowl carved from an oak burl and sealed in resin:
At some point, I want to learn how to work with resin. No particular reason other than seeing it used in interesting applications. Seems like a good skill to have in the toolbelt. How hard can it be? (Ha!)
***
Red cedar with some marvelous wood grain:
***
Last one - this comes from an oak branch:
***
Two more pieces from pecan wood:
***
There are a bazillion videos on youtube involving turning wood. Many show the process of transforming a piece of plain wood or an ugly stump into something beautiful. ("You won't believe what I carved from this horribly ugly piece of trash wood!")
Some create a starting block such as building a cube of different colored woods or pouring resin around colored pencils. The end result shows off the stripes or colors when carved into a bowl or lamp. ("Everyone thought I was crazy to attempt carving such a wild piece!!")
Some just go for size, showing a project that starts with an enormous tree trunk. ("This huge piece of wood maxxed out my lathe!!!")
I'm not enamored of click-bait youtube titles, but I appreciate that lathe youtubers typically show without explaining verbally. They just show the process without talking their way through the video with words. I tried to pick a few that looked entertaining and educational and lower on the clickbait spectrum. Enjoy.
This video shows of an amazing display of skills, techniques, and homemade jigs en route to making a lamp on a lathe. If you're not inclined to watch the whole thing, at least watch from 5:50 to 11:43 to watch him make the spiral body of the lamp. Amazing.
***
Pallet wood isn't the highest quality wood, but creative people have found a million uses for reclaimed pallets and pallet wood. Have you?
This started as a wood project but evolved into a 3D printing project for reasons:
***
Hey look! A wooden lock from fd!
***
Are you a lurker? Do you enjoy reading Ace of Spades content, but have been reluctant to post and participate in the comments? Have you been waiting for a good opportunity to jump in and say hello? This could be your day. Come on in. The water's fine. We don't bite (usually).
***
In hobby related space news, the Big Beautiful Bill includes a provision to move the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport to a new display in Houston. The move of space shuttle Discovery must be completed by Jan. 4, 2027.
``(F) $85,000,000 shall be obligated to carry out
subsection (b), of which not less than $5,000,000 shall
be obligated for the transportation of the space
vehicle described in that subsection, with the
remainder transferred not later than the date that is
18 months after the date of the enactment of this
section to the entity designated under that subsection,
for the purpose of construction of a facility to house
the space vehicle referred to in that subsection.
``(b) Space Vehicle Transfer.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Administrator shall identify
a space vehicle described in paragraph (2) to be--
``(A) transferred to a field center of the
Administration that is involved in the administration
of the Commercial Crew Program (as described in section
302 of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017 (51
U.S.C. 50111 note; Public Law 115-10)); and
``(B) placed on public exhibition at an entity
within the Metropolitan Statistical Area where such
center is located.
``(2) Space vehicle described.--A space vehicle described
in this paragraph is a vessel that--
``(A) has flown into space;
``(B) has carried astronauts; and
``(C) is selected with the concurrence of an entity
designated by the Administrator.
``(3) Transfer.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of this section, the space vehicle identified
under paragraph (1) shall be transferred to an entity
designated by the Administrator.
***
Have you been hobbying over the holiday? Was it it July 4th themed? Share.
***
Bonus Horde Hobbying from polynikes. TRex regrets not including a polynikes piece in support of the lighthouse theme. Posted previously in a Hobby Thread (August 2024) but good enough to make an encore appearance. Bodie Island Lighthouse:
***
As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. Your participation does not need to limited to the theme. All hobbying is welcome. However, politics, current events and religious debates can live in threads elsewhere. Play nice. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls. Pants, as always, are optional.
***
Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We talked lighthouses. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.
***
Notable comments from last week:
Honorable mention:
***
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).
***
If 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 theme next time. What are you hobbying? We love showing off Horde hobbying. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Do mighty things.
— Bunsen, BEAKER, and Bernoulli🇨🇦 (@bunsenbernerbmd) July 3, 2025
* * *
Happy Independence Day Weekend
This man sets free a majestic eagle after rehabilitation, & this magical moment makes the world beautiful for a moment. Happy Fourth of July! pic.twitter.com/GpUyBVQE3O
— Why you should have a cat (@ShouldHaveCat) July 4, 2025
* * *
Meet The PetMorons
&&&
Baby Conures Update:
Good day fellow Pet Morons.
Since my last post there are 2 more hatchings. All four eggs have now hatched.
Chick A and B are doing well and putting on weight. Chicks C and D are still in the red zone but are active and eating well. They have been moved to the brooding box. More on the red, yellow and green zones next week.
I'll talk about feeding today. From Day 0 to Day 2, the biggest threat to avian neonates is dehydration, not starvation. They still have residual yolk in their systems for nutrition. With that said, the water to food (Exact baby parrot formula) ratio is 6:1. After Day 2 you gradually increase the food content. Therefore, you don't see significant weight gain at first but quickly in the days that follow. See below, these are weights and days old as of 7/1.
Chick A - Day 9 19 grams
Chick B - Day 7 15 g
Chick C - Day 3 4 g
Chick D - Day 0 3 g
We are transitioning the 2 older chicks off of the baby spoon to a dental irrigation syringe. They now can hold their heads up and get quite noisy when its feeding time. We're still on a 3-4 hour feeding schedule (around the clock) for all of them as of now.
We may be able to get a video of an actual hatching from a previous brood. Here are pictures of Chicks A and B being fed and squabbling.
All is well here.
Regards, David
That's a lot of great information. What a lot of work! Thanks for the update.
Anybody feeling inspired to raise some baby birds of their own? Great mentor here.
Chicks A and B are lookiing stronger.
* * *
&&&
Hi KT,
Here is the new puppy, my very own Doge, Saijo. He is settling in well, being pretty good with the kitties. Like most Shiba Inus, he is very smart and now that he realizes he has an actual home, he is letting his personality shine through. I think he will be glad to get the donut off soon, even if he is using it as a pillow.
Piper
Saijo looks like a great dog!
* * *
&&&
The first picture was taken by the guy who delivered the dog food for my Golden Retriever, Whiskey. Thought it was cute that he got both "dogs" in the shot. Ordinarily Whiskey would be on the porch to greet the mailman and delivery people, but this was a stormy day, hence the sad puppy face.
The next picture is a friend of Whiskey's who is a Treeing Tennessee Brindle dog. Actually hails from Tennessee but currently lives in the land that maps forgot. Quite the dapper little chick magnet in his sportscar, no?!
Best Regards,
IrishEi
Love the information with these photos, and the great personalities reflected in them.
* * *
Meet my son and daughter-in-law’s Potcake mutt Arthur. Year and a half old and is pretty good dog…aww, all dogs are pretty good, right?
“Are you allowed on the couch??”
“Who, me?”
Thanks for the Pet Parade every weekend!
Buzzy K
&&&
* * *
We have one story left for next week. 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.
Hi, KT … It's good to see you back in the Captain's Chair again. Excellent column! Attached is a pic I found in files on the Venerable XHD - some spider lilies. These were in a 'kinda-sorta' garden next to what had once been JAX Brewery in the French Quarter.
It was about 0730, and the light was great. Equipment was a Bogen tripod, Olympus OM-4 (black) w/16mm Olympus macro lens. Exposure? Heh. A triple exposure on the same film frame. No easy task with the OM-4. It had a button that had to be depressed when 'advancing' the frame (which kept the film stationary in-camera) for each subsequent exposure. In reality, this was a 'hit 'n hope' shot, and I was quite the happy boy when the print was ready at Colorpix. It was also a good seller. Sometimes luck trumps skill, yes?
Oh. Filmstock? It was probably one of the stocks from Agfa, 'cos I really like its 'European' color balance from that time.
Dr_No
A great trip down memory lane. Timely, too. Great substitute for fireworks in the garden (especially around dogs - ask me how I know).
More potential fireworks substitutes. Gotta watch 'em:
I missed the peak, dangit. Thanks for what you do.
Bonecrusher
I think the buds are lovely. And the flowers, even if you miss the peak. Not as dangerous as fireworks (h/t NorCal Sierra Foothills Lurker). Terrible.
*
Edible Gardening/Putting Things By
Hi KT,
NorCal Sierra Foothills Lurker here and so glad you are back and hoping you do well. I’m sending pictures of our first Armenian cucumbers and the huge leaves of our one zucchini plant. We already have too many zucchini from it! Be well and thank you so much for your work!
By the way, we have quite a few tomato plants but they’re just starting to make fruit.
The cucumbers look great!
Gardens of The Horde
What is the red and green plant? Made this tabletop waterfall, but don’t know what the red/green arrowhead leave plant is. Field Marshal Zhukov
Nice arrangement started there.
Well, Horde:
Name that plant . . . .
*
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.
*
A single bee can produce 1 tablespoon of honey in its lifetime.
683 bees fly roughly 32,550 miles to gather 5.93 lbs of nectar from about 1,185,000 flowers in order to make one 9.5 oz. jar of honey.pic.twitter.com/NOCQBXQu6c
Independence Day Weekend (with a little socialism)
—K.T.
Happy Independence Day Weekend! Along with the festivities, why not take the opportunity to make remembering some history fun for the kids? One of the keys to the popularity of the clearly incompetent socialist mayoral candidate in NYC seems to be that he smiles a lot.
We can do better than this with young people. And older people, for that matter.
Following are some pieces to read and share so we can keep things in perspective during these crazy times. Most of them were accessed through Powerline:
No institution has worked harder in recent years to destroy the narrative of America’s founding than the New York Times, whose 1619 Project reimagined the experiment in republican self-government as a grand scheme to institute and perpetuate slavery. James Piereson calls their bluff, and examines the contradictions of the destructive Left’s founding myth.
An organization supporting the history of Mount Vernon
*
How to Celebrate the Past Claremont School Board President William B. Allen uses the Fourth of July as an occasion for reflection on the Founding principles of this nation.
Following a fading tradition, Claremont School Board President William B. Allen uses the Fourth of July as an occasion for reflection on the Founding principles of this nation. His address raises issues concerning the schools and civic education which the recent, well-publicized education studies have virtually ignored.
This contribution inaugurates a new section of the Review which will feature essays, interviews, and reviews of particular interest to students, professors, and other residents of Claremont.
For the more studious of your acquaintances, I guess. Did you know there was once a Forefathers Day?
*
Resources from Wilfred M. McClay
We must work to understand the Declaration better and to grasp the various sources of its strength and enduring appeal.
Thomas Jefferson was not a particularly modest man. Few great and world-changing public figures are. But in a famous letter of 1825 to Henry Lee, he insisted upon taking a modest approach to his role as the principal draftsman of the document that has come to characterize the heart and soul of the American Revolution: the Declaration of Independence. He could have claimed brilliant originality for himself. He could have complained, as he had on other occasions, about the fact that the drafting committee altered his brilliant original draft in ways of which he disapproved. But he chose not to do so in this instance. The passage in question deserves to be quoted at length, as the best account we have of his considered view of the matter:
…with respect to our rights and the acts of the British government contravening those rights, there was but one opinion on this side of the water. all American whigs thought alike on these subjects. when forced therefore to resort to arms for redress, an appeal to the tribunal of the world was deemed proper for our justification. this was the object of the Declaration of Independance. not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject; [. . .] terms so plain and firm, as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independant stand we [. . .] compelled to take. neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the american mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion. all it’s authority rests then on the harmonising sentiments of the day, whether expressed, in conversns in letters, printed essays or in the elementary books of public right, as Aristotle, Cicero, Locke, Sidney Etc. the historical documents which you mention as in your possession, ought all to be found, and I am persuaded you will find, to be corroborative of the facts and principles advanced in that Declaration. (my emphasis added)
There is much more. Perhaps the story is not as simple as we thought it was.
On July 9, 1858, Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas gave a campaign speech to a raucous throng from the balcony of the Tremont Hotel in Chicago. Abraham Lincoln was in the audience as Douglas prepared to speak. Douglas graciously invited Lincoln to join him on the balcony to listen to the speech. . .
President Calvin Coolidge celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1926, with a speech providing a magisterial review of the history and thought underlying the Declaration. His speech on the occasion deserves to be read and studied in its entirety. The following paragraph, however, is particularly relevant to the challenge that confronts us in the variants of the progressive dogma that pass themselves off today as the higher wisdom:
About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.
* * * * *
NYC Democrats have chosen an interesting candidate for mayor
. . . in the end we have to face the fact that the present front-runner for mayor is the most woefully inadequate candidate possible.
Promising the most woefully impossible agenda.
On Mamdani’s qualifications the facts speak for themselves.
Mamdani may be presenting himself as the representative of struggling New Yorkers, but he himself is anything but.
Privately schooled at the Bank Street school, he went on to study at Bowdoin College in Maine.
From there he loafed around for a bit, trying to make it as a rapper before deciding to become a political activist.
Truly a story of American struggle.
*
The young hipsters who are his biggest supporters are thrilled to have a declared socialist (one who has used old-fashioned Marxist rhetoric about seizing the means of production) as their candidate. He is downplaying the Marxist language right now, but the internet is forever. Let's just go with his current campaign, never mind the goof-ups already noted by Murray above:
I blame the universities, in large part, for the appeal of this guy. The current dust-up over his identifying himself as African-American stemmed from an internet sleuth trying to keep tabs on Columbia's racist policies, for example. The project was not aimed at individual students. This guy just happened to come up in the data.
There are three posts by different authors and commenters this week at Chicago Boyz with lots of food for thought on where the universities have let us down.
(Check out the recent posts on the Fourth of July, too.)
From commenter "Mike" at the last link above:
Mike, June 29, 2025 at 7:47 pm -
I think the overproduction of worthless college degrees is and the resentment it generates among their holders is one problem. It provides a degree of anger for people who feel their ambitions, whether material or emotional are not being filled
I think there’s another problem which is, the what? The Zeitgeist? A problem with the higher education system and the hatred it preaches to students is that not only does it make students at best indifferent to their culture and past but makes them openly hostile to it. A rejection of the past means a rejection not only a rejection of its collective wisdom and prudence but the elevation of individual will as the highest virtue
If that sounds a little too high-minded think of it this way – we have a large, seething mass of resentful college-educated young people who think they are the smartest and most virtuous people the world has ever produced and that they are only being held back from immanentizing the eschaton by corrupt forces. They are on the cutting-edge of History and the past has nothing to teach them . .
Btw… as Bruce Abbott commented in the previous thread if you want to look at the decline of the American higher ed system look no further than Bowdoin College which has gone from producing Joshua Chamberlain to Zohran Momdani. Somehow it seems totally appropriate to their respective given times.
Bowdoin was a different school in his day. An impressive man.
*
Let's think about why a mayoral candidate has a foreign policy. Peter W. Wood has written a piece on his education, but much of the piece is is about his father. Even though Wood wrote an exhaustive review of education at Bowdoin in 2013, when our mayoral candidate was at school there.
His father was a settler colonialist in Uganda, and his parents were conflicted about this issue. Their son's middle name honors a famous Black African revolutionary.
Teaching African Studies at Columbia, it must be interesting for Dad to teach about Idi Amin, who kicked him out of the country with other Indians established in Uganda.
There is a joke about macaroni and cheese being the most popular vegetable in the South. Another says that in the South macaroni and cheese is a food group unto itself. So, how did the remarkable and beloved dish become such an important feature of Southern cuisine? For history lovers, the answer is fascinating.
Thomas Jefferson was, among many other things, an epicure and a Francophile. When he learned in May 1784 that he had been appointed American Minister to France, Jefferson recognized the opportunity to realize one his ambitions. He sent immediately for James Hemings.
Elizabeth Hemings and her twelve children (including James and his famous half-sister Sally) had been slaves of Martha Jefferson’s father, John Wayles, and Martha had inherited them when her father died. The Hemings family was afforded special privileges by the Jeffersons, one being that, although still legally slaves, Elizabeth’s sons were allowed to work for wages and keep the money they earned. At the time he was summoned to join Jefferson on his voyage to Paris, 20-year-old James was working as a riding valet in Richmond. Jefferson thought highly of James’ abilities and knew him to be intelligent and trustworthy. Jefferson had long wanted to have a French-trained chef at Monticello, and he chose James to be that man.
In July 1784 Jefferson and James Hemings sailed for France, with Jefferson’s daughter Martha traveling with them. For three years James studied French cuisine in Paris, eventually becoming the head chef at Jefferson’s Paris residence the Hôtel de Langeac, which functioned also as the American embassy. James used some of his wages to hire a French tutor, gaining a good command of the language while there.
Jefferson and James Hemings returned to America in 1789, Jefferson having been appointed Secretary of State. Slavery was illegal in France at the time, so James could have stayed behind, a free man in Paris. Why he returned, while still technically a slave, is unknown. Tradition in the Hemings family is that James negotiated the conditions of his return, which may well be true. But the details are lost to history for now. What we do know is that James Hemings went with Jefferson to Philadelphia, where he served as the chief chef for the Secretary of State, earning the same wages as the other staff.
Under Pennsylvania law at the time, any enslaved person who remained in the state for more than six months became free. Because he lived in Philadelphia longer than that, James Hemings was entitled to his freedom. But as in France, he did not elect to claim it immediately. Instead he and Jefferson negotiated an agreement.
Jefferson did not want James to leave until he had trained a replacement, and for reasons we do not know, James agreed to stay on for that purpose. On the eve of his retirement to Monticello, Jefferson drew up an agreement with James that read:
“Having been at great expense in having James Hemings taught the art of cookery, desiring to befriend him, and to require from him as little in return as possible, I do hereby promise and declare, that if the said James shall go with me to Monticello in the course of the ensuing winter, when I go to reside there myself, and shall there continue until he shall have taught such person as I shall place under him for that purpose to be a good cook, this previous condition being performed, he shall be thereupon made free, and I will thereupon execute all proper instruments to make him free. Given under my hand and seal in the county of Philadelphia and state of Pennsylvania this 15th day of September one thousand seven hundred and ninety three.”
Back in Monticello, James Hemings trained the man chosen by Jefferson to be his replacement—James’s 23-year-old brother Peter Hemings. About two years later, once he had imparted to Peter all of the culinary skills he had learned in France, James was officially and legally manumitted by Jefferson.
But back to macaroni and cheese. While in France James Hemings learned to prepare, among other things, French fries and ice cream—both of which were popularized in America after being served at the Jefferson residence. Likewise “macaroni pie,” which we would now call macaroni and cheese. The dish had become popular in Europe after 1769 and James Hemings learned to make it while in France, bringing his own recipe back to America with him. In 1802 Jefferson served “macaroni pie” at a state dinner, using James Hemings’s recipe. In 1824, Jefferson’s cousin Mary Randolph published “The Virginia Housewife,” which would become the most influential cookbook of the 19th century. Included in it was the recipe for “macaroni and cheese.” The rest is history.
Unfortunately, however, there is no happy ending to the James Hemings story. After being granted his freedom James became a traveler, returning to France for a while and possibly visiting other places in Europe. By 1801 he was working as a chef in Baltimore, and by then had become a chronic alcoholic. We don’t know whether it was his alcoholism or something else that drove him to such despair, but in 1801, at age 36, James Hemings took his own life.
Thomas Jefferson, his daughter Martha, and James Hemings sailed for France on July 5, 1784, two hundred forty-one years ago today.
* * * * *
Music
* * * * *
Hope you have something nice planned for this Independence Day weekend.
The Classical Saturday Morning Coffee Break & Prayer Revival
—Misanthropic Humanitarian (ONT Cob Emeritus)
Good morning boys and girls and everything in between. I certainly hope you have all of your fingers and toes this morning. Too late to pray for you not to blow those digits off.
Before we enter the Prayer Revival just a few housekeeping matters to go over. (Rulz for those of you in Plover)
1) This is an open thread. Feel free to lurk, opine and/or bloviate.
2) Be kind be nice. Even the trolls have warped feelings.
3) No running with sharp objects.
4) Have a great weekend!
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:
5/3 – D asked for prayers for his wife, Susan, who has been having some issues. They went to the hospital on 5/1, and all the signs are pointing to pancreatic cancer. They meet with other doctors on 5/5. Any prayers would be a blessing.
6/5 Update – The doctors have confirmed it is cancer, but they have not yet determined if it can be removed, or if chemotherapy will be needed first, to shrink the mass. They are so thankful for all the prayers and ask for them to continue.
7/3 Update – D asked for everyone’s prayers. At Susan’s appointment on 7/1, the doctor didn’t like what he saw. Susan has been in a lot of pain and was admitted to the hospital for a few days. They send their thanks for the love and prayers.
5/10 – Cosda asked for prayers for his wife, who recently had a mole removed that came back as melanoma cancer. She is scheduled for surgery next week, and it looks like that should remove it completely.
6/20 Update – The PET and brain scans showed no active cancer cells, which is great. But since it’s melanoma, and cancer was found in a lymph node, she is going to receive immunotherapy for the next year. Thanks to all. The prayers are working!
5/17 – neverenoughcaffiene asked for prayers for her sister-in-law, Jackie, who is looking at dialysis. Her kidneys have been failing for several years is she is getting close based on her numbers. Hopefully new meds will help.
6/28 Update – Jackie is stabilized and is working on exercising to make her last vacation to Italy in October. Thank you for the prayers; they definitely helped.
5/24 – Captain Obvious requested prayers for his friend J, who will be having surgery on 6/9 to try and relieve her chronic pain. She also has concerns because she is on blood thinners and nearly bled out after her hip replacement. Please pray for the best possible outcome and also to relieve her anxiety.
6/12 Update – J had her surgery on 6/9 and it went very well; the surgeon had to do less work than he originally thought. J is already experiencing relief from the chronic pain she had. Thanks to all for the prayers.
5/29 – Teresa in Fort Worth sent an update and her thanks for all the prayers and words of encouragement. They have sustained her and her family as she continues to battle cancer. She continues to receive good news: her oncologist is quite pleased with her response to the current medication protocol; they are decreasing the lab work frequency to every other week instead of weekly; the side effects from chemo have been barely noticeable; she can just take 4 tiny pills for chemo instead of spending one day a week at the cancer center. It’s been 7 months so far, and she expects that at some point the tumors will start growing again, but for now, they are encouraged.
6/6 Update – Teresa has a side effect from the chemo – her fingernails and toenails are starting to loosen and “lift” off their nail beds. It is painful, and also carries a risk of infection.
6/4 – Grumpy and Recalcitrant asked for prayers for his mother (Lynda), asking to give her strength and healing. Also, for the medical staff to be prompted to do a complete and thorough job diagnosing her.
6/7 Update – Lynda has been diagnosed with aortic stenosis. This is a correctable medical issue using surgery where they go in endoscopically via the leg, up to the heart, to fix the lower heart valve that is leaking.
6/6 – tbodie Lurker requested prayers for his son, tbodie Jr, who is in his mid-30s and was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Please pray for healing for tbodie Jr and for peace for his family.
6/11 – Legally Sufficient asks the Horde’s prayers for her friend, Bubba, who was in a bad auto wreck on 6/8. Prayers for comfort, healing, and strength are needed for Bubba and his family. He is in ICU and will be there for a couple more weeks. Thank you!
6/18 Update – Legally Sufficient asks for continued prayers for healing, strength, and comfort for Bubba. God is great! Bubba is recovering from pneumonia (on top of the other injuries from his vehicle accident) but he is fully participating in PT, walking 25 steps a day with assistance, his breathing is improving, and he is finally eating solid food! Prayers for Bubba, his wife and family, and Bubba’s many friends are very much appreciated.
6/14 – MkY sent an update on his wife Judy’s battle with kidney cancer. Like Teresa in Ft. Worth, her tumors are shrinking. The shrinkage is so dramatic, they are discussing removing the cancerous kidney. Since that is the original source, that would make it easier to attack and perhaps kill the other tumors. Thank you so much for the prayers.
6/14 – Our Country is Screwed sent prayers of thanksgiving for all the thoughts and prayers as chemo continues. It has really been uplifting. The side effects have been minimal as well, thankfully, and there are 8 weekly treatments to go.
6/14 – Inspector Cussword requested prayers for Brother Tim. He has had a horrible time, living in his car and has just been handed a cancer diagnosis. Please pray for God’s Provision to be clear and comforting to him, and for his healing.
6/28 Update (from Brother Tim himself) - On 6/23, Brother Tim had surgery to remove the cancerous mass and some nearby lymph nodes. He has been in the hospital since then. He has trouble walking already, and is concerned about how much mobility he has lost after all this. He is hopeful that PT will be able to get him properly mobile before he is discharged, or at least that a rehab facility could be arranged. He should know by 7/4 if the cancer has spread. He still has long-term housing and income issues. Prayers are appreciated.
6/14 – Inogame asked for prayers for his wife and family. It’s very early, but they may have baby #5 on the way. They appreciate the support and prayers of the Horde.
6/24 – Fenelon Spoke asked for prayers on behalf of Sock Money and family, at the death of his brother, and for AOP who has PVC and spent hours in the hospital on 6/23. Also, Pawn could use prayers due to work issues; people are being laid off. Please pray for Israel as well as our country, and for Donald Trump, JD Vance, their families, and all of the Trump administration.
6/28 – Dave R requested prayers for healing, strength, recovery, and curing, as he was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He is 62 and a long-time AoSHQ reader.
6/28 – H asked for prayers for a mom of two elementary aged boys who lost her mother 3 weeks ago, and her husband on 6/28, both to cancer.
6/28 – Ben Had requested prayers for Jay Guevara, as he was seriously ill.
6/30 Update – IrishEi posted that Jay Guevara has passed away, and offered prayers for peaceful repose in God’s hands and for comfort for his loved ones.
7/3 – 469 requested prayers for some medical tests he has coming up.
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.
Some of the rumours around Zen 6 - expected next year - appear to be solid: It will have 12 CPU cores per chiplet, up from 8 in all earlier models, and L3 cache will likewise scale by 50%.
Speed is expected to pass the 6GHz mark, which seems reasonable. Intel has already done that with its fastest models, and AMD is planning to move from TSMC's 4nm node to 2nm, which is notably faster.
The one new rumour here is to do with the X3D models. The X3D cache chips are also rumoured to be 50% larger, and it is possible to stack two of them on one CPU for up to 240MB of L3 cache on a single chiplet - up from 96MB currently.
Also rumoured are the speeds for the smaller, slower Zen 6c cores: Up to 4.5GHz. Since these have exactly the same performance per clock as full-size Zen 6, they will be quite respectable performers.
Zen 6 will launch on the current-generation AM5 socket, so you can easily upgrade existing Zen 4 and Zen 5 systems. Intel already abandoned Socket 1700 which supported its 12th, 13th, and 14th generation chips (which were basically all the same), and is expected to abandon its current Socket 1851 for yet another platform when it launches Nova Lake next year. So forget any upgrades on that side.
Zero surprise there; neither can last year's AMD cards, which is what the PS5 Pro basically is. FSR 4 relies on eight-bit floating point hardware found only in the 9000-series cards.
Olga Korbut's perfect (well, 9.8) parallel bars performance at the 1972 Olympics. The "dead loop" maneuver which was later banned for safety reasons is when she comes to a dead stop on the high bar and then stands on it.
So now that I look at this more closely, this seems to be an Italian team, but just pretend that green is blue. Pavrati is singing Nessun Dorma, which is one of Trump's favorites. He plays it at all of his events. So this is almost a Fourth of July display.
Animals are known to give presents to each other, but the crow is one of the only animals (apart from dogs and cats) to give "gifts" to humans they like.
Podcast: The shit sandwich of a spending bill that the Senate wants us to eat, NYC is screwed, the military rebounds, Iran may be stuck in its Mullah nightmare, and much more!
Forgotten 80s Mystery Click, I Can't Believe It's Not Night Ranger Edition If you would just be sensible
You'd find me indispensable
I pray deep down to destiny
That it places you with me
Whoa, wanting you here in the sheets
Wandering around incomplete
Waiting so long
I'm pretty sure I've linked this before but it's a banger.
Kari Lake, just when I think you couldn't get any dumber, you pull a stunt like this, and totally redeem yourself!!! I think the Democrat is arguing that the political appointees should exercise no control over their rabidly communist VOA employees. This is what they're always arguing -- they stock the bureaucracy with literal communists and then claim that the voters should have no control over these unfirable radicals. Lake offers a for-instance that will appeal to this Democrat of allegedly-suspect bedroom guests.
