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
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
Even if you take Islam out of the equation, whatever lower level government officials and worse elements of the IRGC that remain will rapidly move in to fill any power vacuum. There is no way any sort of moderate elements whether domestic or expat Iranian civilian resistance to the regime will ever be allowed to take control, not that they have the means to do so in the first place. Of course, I imagine even the less hardcore regime elements and officer corps in the military and the lower ranks themselves are more or less committed to ensuring the survival of the regime. I could be wrong about that, but even those in its ranks that hate the Mullahs likely are loathe to be seen as aiding and abetting foreign attack on their nation. Patriotism often trumps common sense and opportunity. Plus, anyone who steps out of line not only risks their own neck but that of their family, such is the nature of repressive totalitarian regimes. Aside from removing the greatest international exporter of global terrorism and the threat of nuclear weapons in the hands of dark age Armageddon-craving Muslims, it certainly would be a wonderful thing to see the long-suffering Persian people return to a relatively free and prosperous society such as they had under the Shah.
The strikes on Tehran’s leadership outposts are likely aimed at destabilizing an Iranian regime that is already on the defensive following Israel's successful opening salvo. That regime could soon face mass unrest if its fragile governing systems break down, and while the hardline government has for years quelled protests against it, the added pressure of a full-scale Israeli assault brings complications."It could certainly be the result because the Iranian regime is very weak," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday after Fox News's Bret Baier asked whether "regime change" was part of Israel's war effort. "They certainly don't have the people. Eighty percent of the people would throw these theological thugs out. I mean, they murder them, they oppress them for 46 years, they yearn for freedom."
The Jewish state has already assassinated more than 20 senior Iranian military leaders, constituting "the entire top tier of Iran’s military command," according to Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "This is not just retaliation—it’s strategic decapitation."
Closer to home, this past weekend saw the joyous celebration of the 250th anniversary of the US Army and Flag day. Which coincided with President Trump's birthday, all of which led to these offensive "No Kings" demonstrations, the radiant gall of which was visible clear across the known universe considering the totalitarian proclivities of the traitorous tyrants of the Democrat-Left and the 200-plus year of violence and destruction they have unleashed on this nation in their unslakable quest for absolute power and control.
There are no kings in California, just government bureaucrats who were able to rule more ruthlessly than most kings and forbid even the most ordinary average everyday activities like going to the beach or meeting up with family members or going to school.
A king would have been far less onerous than California’s actual rulers. And less corrupt and abusive.
The marchers pretending they were protesting against some phantom tyranny and for some even more elusive freedom were doing the bidding of a vast nationwide network and more specifically the local political establishment that goes back to Gov. Newsom.
A network that spends each legislative session banning new things. Living in California means discovering new regulations and new losses of liberty every legislative session.
And there’s no telling when once again, Californians will be banned from sitting on park benches or going to church or synagogue.
Over the mob denouncing the kings we don’t have while submitting to the ‘czars’ that we do, was the transgender flag. No kings. Only drag queens.
The suspected assassin had “No Kings” flyers in the vehicle he left behind, the Minnesota State Patrol said.
One of Hortman’s final acts as a Democrat lawmaker was voting with Republicans during a special session in the Minnesota Legislature on Tuesday to approve the remaining pieces of the state budget.
“I know that people will be hurt by that vote, and I’m — we worked very hard to try to get a budget deal that wouldn’t include that provision,” Hortman said through tears when reflecting on being the sole DFL vote alongside Republicans in the House.
Allegedly he's a Trump voter/supporter but frankly I smell a big fat rat here. It looks as if he took sides against the family. The press will do its usual job of not digging very deeply or else hiding any inconvenient facts that go against the preferred narrative.
While investigators were still sorting out what happened in the Minnesota shootings — when the blood was barely dry at the crime scenes, much less cleaned up — a desperate U.S. senator fired a most contemptible shot at Republicans.It wasn't just beneath the honor of a senator, it was beneath contempt. It’s even worse than Minnesota lawmaker Erin Murphy, who just this week — after free health care for illegal aliens was voted down — accused Republicans of “putting a gun to the head” of a woman who, mere days later, was fatally targeted in a shooting carried out by an appointee of Democrat Minnesota Governor Tampon Tim.
Rioters stormed a building used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Portland, Oregon, late Saturday night. The riot took place after an anti-Trump “No Kings” demonstration in the city. At least four officers were injured in the attack, which included the rioters hurling fireworks, smoke grenades and rocks, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Elections have consequences, and so does how people vote. Voting for more taxes, higher fees, and the crazy bills the Democrat supermajority pushes through is costing Oregon thousands of highly-paid citizens who have had enough, and they then leave Oregon for different states. Yet Oregon continues down the same old path to economic disaster. Oregonians cannot figure out that Democrats are all the same; their solution to problems is to raise taxes and fees on everything. For decades, Oregonians have been voting for Democrats to lead Oregon, and nobody noticed that conservatives and Republicans were leaving over economic or freedom issues. The Democrats, Liberals, and progressives just kept on making Oregon less affordable and less desirable to raise a family or retire here.
In 2024, most of the nation moved right to elect Donald Trump President of the United States. Oregon voted to move farther Left, giving the Democrats a supermajority in the state legislature. Once the Democrats had the supermajority, they decided that higher taxes, fees, and other things that impacted people's incomes and families were needed to fulfill their mandates. They raised taxes, and the rental of U-Hauls headed out of Oregon rose along with them.
It certainly seems as if Israel and the Iranian people will Please God, have the good fortune or at least the better than even chance to no longer be threatened by the specter of an evil, totalitarian tyranny while our own nation, in whole or in part might be dragged under by Islam's kissing cousin, totalitarian Socialism/Communism and its black hole singularity/epicenter the Democrat Party.
Time will tell.
And lastly, a quick shout-out and thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.
Roger Kimball: June 14 brought flags, parades, protests, a fake senator scuffle, a political shooting, and Iran’s unraveling—all under the shadow of Trump’s birthday. June 14: America on Parade—and on Edge
John Graham’s sweeping history shows that presidents, not unelected bureaucrats, have shaped regulatory policy for decades, leaving Congress sidelined. Who Really Runs the Regulatory State?
Democrats insist that Republicans and MAGA supporters are Nazis, but cold, hard facts establish that Democrat values and tactics echo that evil movement. Immigration Riots and America’s Fascist Party
The riot took place after an anti-Trump “No Kings” demonstration in the city. At least four officers were injured in the attack, which included the rioters hurling fireworks, smoke grenades and rocks, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Rioters Storm Oregon ICE Building, Injure Officers
The soldiers bad been dispatched early in the week by President Donald Trump along with the National Guard to help quell violent riots that broke out last week over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens in the city. Marines Stand Tall in Face of Verbal Onslaught in LA Protest
“Just … follow the money.” – Deep Throat, All the President’s Men . . . Today? Not so much. At least not when doing so could implicate Democrats or upset the left’s agenda. Suddenly, Journalists Don’t Want To ‘Follow The Money’
The pro-illegal immigrant riots in California and other states have sparked an ongoing investigation after the involvement of paid agitators was alleged. Crowds on Demand, a California-based advocacy group that provides crowds for protests, has received “numerous high-budget requests” to get involved with the demonstrations in Los Angeles and other cities, but has supposedly declined participation.The company refused to intervene in the riots in Los Angeles and stated they did “not want to get close to any form of illegal activity, including violence, vandalism, or blocking off roads without a permit.” Congress Investigating Role of Paid Agitators in Pro-Illegal Immigrant Riots.
Victor Davis Hanson: Iran bet on bluff and delay—but lost its proxies, deterrence, and leverage, leaving a regime rich in threats but bankrupt in power. What Exactly Was Iran Thinking—Or Not?
The final act of a dying regime. Khamenei’s Bunker (Steiner will come, or the 13th Imam from Qom? - jjs)
We are witnessing friction between an ascendant American civilization and weak embers of collapsed empires -- a caliphate and imperial China. Cold Salami
Daniel Greenfield: Israel took “Death to Israel” seriously. We should take “Death to America” seriously. Death to Iran’s Regime
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The Doves say that we’re watching Israel’s, not America’s war; the Hawks say that Iran holds the whole world hostage and has America in its crosshairs. On Iran, the Doves and the Hawks Duke It Out
The U.S. president said he has a track record for de-escalating conflicts, and that he would get Israel and Iran to cease hostilities “just like I got India and Pakistan to make” after the two countries’ recent cross-border confrontation. Trump: Israel-Iran Will Come to Deal ‘Soon’(Mr. President, I love you but you are delusional - jjs)
Clarice Feldman: The Israelis pulled off the most brilliant offensive in modern military history; the President orchestrated a genius misdirection; Iran’s regime is on its back feet from which it will not recover. Peering Through the Fog of War
“It had so much to do with what their attack on Iran looked like. While taking down the air defense systems was priority one so they would have air superiority, the remaining air defense systems that they didn’t take down in October, taking down leadership targets that would clearly cause them command and control issues,” Keane said. Retired General Jack Keane Says Iran’s Manner Of Retaliation Against Israel So Far Offers One ‘Good Sign’
“America does not and should not have a veto on other nations’ foreign policy.” This Is Israel’s War
Israel’s precision strikes on Iran aren’t endless war—they’re a rare case of strategic force serving global security without costing American lives or treasure. Why I Support Israel‘s Recent Actions in Iran
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reportedly handed over personal information of foreign Medicaid enrollees to immigration enforcement authorities. The data transfer reportedly includes names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of individuals enrolled in Medicaid programs in sanctuary states such as California, Illinois, and Washington State, as well as Washington, D.C. RFK Sends Immigration Status of Millions on Medicaid to DHS.
The status of the wife of suspected Minnesota political assassin Vance Boelter remains unclear after she was detained and questioned when police reportedly found a weapon, ammunition, and passports in her car during a traffic stop Saturday morning. Wife of Suspected Minnesota Lawmaker Killer Vance Boelter Detained by Police
The “No Kings” protests took place in several cities across the United States, with some of them turning violent, including one in Portland, Oregon, where rioters stormed a facility used by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Reporters with the Daily Caller in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, California, observed children taking part in those demonstrations against Trump. (RELATED: Watch As Man Saves Old Glory From Being Burned By Mexican Flag-Waving Rioters) Liberals Force Young Children To Participate In Violent, Vulgar Anti-Trump Protests
“Democrats (more than Republicans) tightly centre their belief-system around a set of positions at the extremes of these particular items, implying that people who deviate from these positions are likely to be considered as outgroup members,” according to a study from the British Journal of Social Psychology is making the rounds on social media. “It is possible that holding extreme (and thus unnegotiable) attitudes on important social-political issues has become increasingly identity defining for Democrats,” the authors speculate. ‘It’s Bullsh*t’: Liberals Seethe At Diversity Debunking Study
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, THE COURTS, WASTE/FRAUD/ABUSE
A former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) official and three corporate executives have pleaded guilty in a decade-long bribery scheme involving more than $550 million in government contracts. Two contractors—Apprio, Inc. and PM Consulting Group LLC (d/b/a Vistant)—admitted criminal liability and agreed Thursday to deferred prosecution deals with the Justice Department.Roderick Watson, a former USAID contracting officer based in Maryland, admitted to accepting bribes from corporate executives in exchange for steering contracts to Apprio and Vistant. He was bribed with cash, electronics, luxury suite basketball tickets, mortgage payments, and favors for relatives. The bribes were often funneled through Paul Young, president of a subcontractor working with both companies. USAID Official Pleads Guilty After $550m Bribery Scheme Uncovered.
The American Conservative tries to make a case for Trump abandoning the Jewish State. The result leaves a lot to be desired. Cutting Off Israel for Its Own Good?
Carlson would be an irrelevant crank except for his vast audience -- which makes him dangerous. Who are the Warmongers?
RED-GREENS, CLIMATE CHANGE HOAX, DEMOCRAT-LEFT WAR ON FOSSIL FUELS,
California became the first state in the nation to pursue a phase-out of gas-powered cars, attempting to halt all new sales by 2035 and effectively force its citizens to purchase electric vehicles. After Trump’s move, Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., who is currently letting Los Angeles burn by not responding to riots there, signed a reciprocal order reaffirming the ban, while Rob Bonta, the state’s far-left attorney general, filed a lawsuit against the move. Trump Overturns California’s Authoritarian Ban On Gas Cars
As the Trump administration rolls back key Democrat climate policies, officials who worked under former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden are admitting that the party’s push for an exorbitantly expensive green agenda has not won over the American people, according to Politico. The Democrats spent over $1 trillion on climate initiatives in the Biden years, though several polls over the course of his presidency indicated that voters did not consider climate change to be a top priority ahead of the 2024 election. Dems Finally Realizing Most Americans Don’t Want Enormous Climate Agenda Imposed On Them (Pfft, the Democrat way is the triumph of their will over the American people - jjs)
EDUCATION, AND WHAT PASSES FOR IT
If you’re desperate to find out how a nation as influential as America can have 50 million functional illiterates, here is the place to start. Can You Handle the Truth about the Comintern?
THE 2020 and SUBSEQUENT ELECTION HEISTS , SHENANIGANS/FRAUD and AFTERMATH
Thad McCotter: AI could enhance election integrity by cleaning voter rolls, flagging fraud, and tracking mail-in ballots—if lawmakers allow it and partisanship doesn’t block the code. Can AI Improve Election Integrity?
DEMOCRAT/LEFTIST AND RINO SCANDALS, MESHUGAS, CHUTZPOCRISY
An attendee at the event told the Daily Caller News Foundation that big-name guests included former Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democrat Reprobate. Malig-Nancy Pelosi of California. Failed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also attended the wedding and delivered remarks, The New York Times reported. EXCLUSIVE PICS: Democrat Bigwigs Hobnob At Ritzy Soros Wedding On ‘No Kings’ Day
“Imagine throwing a ‘No Kings’ protest after your party refused to hold a primary, coronated Kamala without a single vote, sued to keep RFK Jr. off the ballot, and attempted to remove Trump from state ballots only after your illegal lawfare scheme failed.” Jamie Raskin Mocked Over ‘No Kings’ Speech Given Under ‘Pride’ Flag on Flag Day
POLITICS
Democrats have been grappling with controversies surrounding former President Joe Biden’s (D) cognitive decline as he was leading the nation, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) recently voting to remove gun-control activist David Hogg as its vice chair, and the upcoming primaries. Report — ‘Bad Vibes’: Infighting Roils Democrat Party as Troubles Multiply
Weingarten recently defended former DNC vice chair David Hogg, who was ousted from the committee last week. The vote in May came as Hogg, a gun control activist and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor, was reported to be planning to spend millions funding primary candidates against “ineffective members of Congress.” Report: Teachers Union Boss Randi Weingarten Resigns from DNC, Citing Disagreements with Leadership
Only 5% of college English majors were able to understand the first seven paragraphs of Dickens' Bleak House.
Now it's understandable that someone might not fully grasp the specifics of social roles in 19th century England - at least not if they haven't read Dickens or Austen or other great authors of the period before - but it is worse than that.
Much worse.
Paragraph from Bleak House:
As much mud in the streets, as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill.
And here's the response. Note that this is from a college English major:
[Pause.] [Laughs.] So it's like, um, [Pause.] the mud was all in the streets, and we were, no . . . [Pause.] so everything's been like kind of washed around and we might find Megalosaurus bones but he's says they're waddling, um, all up the hill
And this is when the students had access to freely look up anything with which they were unfamiliar.
Kowalski, analysis:
Like this subject, most of the problematic readers were not concerned if their literal translations of Bleak House were not coherent, so obvious logical errors never seemed to affect them. In fact, none of the readers in this category ever questioned their own interpretations of figures of speech, no matter how irrational the results. Worse, their inability to understand figurative language was constant, even though most of the subjects had spent at least two years in literature classes that discussed figures of speech.
But the above study is a year old and the students had all been in college for two years or more at the time, so that's probably not the full answer.
Edit: Turns out the above study (the first article, not this one) was originally conducted in 2015. So no, AI is not the answer. Their brains were already fried.
Apart from anything else - Vienna has a pretty mild climate most of the time, rarely getting very cold and never getting extremely hot - there's something more important hidden away in a footnote:
About half of Vienna's 2 million residents live in social housing. Here, at Biotope City, the social housing has solar panels. Vienna is using social housing to cut greenhouse gases and help adapt to climate change.
Sunday Overnight Open Thread - June 15, 2025 [Doof]
—Open Blogger
Howdy Hordelings! Happy Father's Day to the dads out there. Did you get a call or visit today? If your dad is still among us, did you call him or visit him today? Those of us whose dads are no longer here, let's raise a glass to their memory. If you never had a good relationship with your dad, I hope you were able to celebrate and honor someone who is like a father to you.
Tonight's ONT features a lot of stuff to celebrate dads. Also some usual Sunday night stuff. And as always, it's an open thread. So step on in and join the conversation!
The dog tag ID belonging to a fallen World War II soldier has been returned to his family 80 years after his death.
Joseph L. Gray was one of 31 servicemen who died in April 1945 when their plane, a B-17 Flying Fortress, crashed into a hill on the Isle of Man.
In 2010, around 65 years later, the Philadelphia soldier’s dog tags were unearthed by a metal detector and handed over to the Manx Aviation and Military Museum on the UK island.
It wasn’t until the great nephew of another soldier who died in the crash—Donald Madar, a friend of the museum—saw the tag this year and said he knew a relative of Gray’s through a Facebook group he runs.
Eight decades on, he returned the “prized possession”, taking it back where he said it belongs—to the technical sergeant’s great niece Bridgette Daily.
“It was a wonderful moment handing the tag over,” Donald told SWNS news agency.
In honor of #FathersDay tomorrow I thought y’all would get a kick out of these girls pranking calling their dads. The dad’s reactions are hilarious & absolutely priceless too! 😂🤣 #GirlDadpic.twitter.com/SSpEiqq0Js
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.
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Melania was a stunner this week, and so was Usha!
Melania turned heads at the opening night of Les Mis at the Kennedy Center in a Bottega Veneta matte crepe viscose jersey maxi dress. The dress featured an asymmetrical neckline, statement gold accents, and draped beautifully. This is what understated elegance means!
Melania paired the dress with Christian Louboutin Napa Patent Veau Mirror Eklectica 120s. Unfortunately, these are sold out at the moment.
At the same event, Usha looked beautiful in a black crepe asymmetrical Eva gown by Shoshanna.
At the Whitehouse picnic this week, Melania looked chic in a summery ensemble with vibrant florals. The First Lady paired a white blouse with Dolce & Gabbana peony print cotton jacquard pants. She wore Manolo Blahnik BB 115 Orchid pink suede pumps that completed the look perfectly, and our President wore a matching tie. Could that be any cuter?
Standing beside President Donald Trump during the 250th anniversary of the Army, Melania’s outfit was master class in aligning with the patriotic theme of the parade. It was a fantastic blend of elegance with a military inspired edge. Melania wore a custom Adam Lippes white with blue pinstripe suit. It featured a structured blazer with shoulder pads done right and pencil skirt.
In a world that feels chaotic, I appreciate being able to bring you a moment of frivolity. Back to Doof!
What other dad / father songs should we listen to today?
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Tonight's ONT brought to you by simple logic
Mystery Click?
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Comments, questions, suggestions, or emotional outbursts? Do the email thing at doof2112 at proton dot me. Or better yet -- tell me in person at next weekend's NoVa MoMe!
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 Mid-June and Father's Day? A big hearty Gun Thread HFD to all the Dads out there!
Big happenings in WeaselWorld this week. After 40 years with the same company, I retired on Friday. Frankly, it's hard to believe I didn't manage to somehow screw that up at some point over the years. Anyhoo, that should free up some time for farming and shooting and Gun Thread writin', and who knows - maybe even some WeaselAcres videos down the road. But bigger than that; way, way, WAY bigger than that, the 2025 NoVAMoMe is this coming Saturday, June 21st. There is still time for you to email our pal bluebell if you would like to attend, but you really should now be rushing your NoVAMoMe plans to completion. Hope to see you next Saturday!
With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?
Fundamentals of attitude and preparation, that is. Last week I asked the following:
Welp, I think we have pretty well established you people, for the most part, are not thinking about anything and definitely not focusing on fundamentals when you are shooting.
SIGH
This hurts, people. This hurts Weasel deeply
Q: Weasel, why does our lack of focus on fundamentals hurt you so deeply?
A: Glad you asked.
It hurts Weasel, because Weasel knows this is the true path to shooting enlightenment.
How about attitude? Do you think your attitude affects your shooting? If so, how so?
What I am getting at is attitude and mental preparation are key aspects of performance. It doesn't much matter what complex task you are performing, your attitude and preparation plays an important part in deciding whether you suck or perform well. That's what this whole focus on fundamentals boils down to. If you want to shoot well, focus on the fundamentals of shooting. If you want to make toast well, focus on the fundamentals of making toast.
Hell, you don't need to believe me. Here is a video with a Delta badass describing his very own focus on fundamentals during his official badass training. It's over three hours long, but you only need to watch a few minutes.
Skip to 24:00 and stop around 33:35.
See? Do you see? I did not just make this fundamentals business up. If you want to shoot well, it starts with fundamentals. If you want to improve, it continues with fundamentals.
So what about attitude?
Attitude is a part of preparation. Proper attitude involves focusing on the task at hand. I have mentioned this before, but I have seen more than one competitive shooter take themselves entirely out of a match on the basis of attitude alone. You have to be positive and confident about what you are doing on the range. You need to mentally rehearse the proper fundamental way of doing things before you start, and then go do them at the range. Things not working out? Ready to quit and go home and lick your wounds? No. Go back to fundamentals and figure out what went wrong.
Try it people. It works.
Next Week: Fundamentals.
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The Fourth Shot
Or how I shamed my ancestors by not focusing on Fundamentals.
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M3 and M3A1 Grease Guns
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.380 Better Than You Think?
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Our Pal The Turbine Jet Engine
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Highway Patrol!
This week's episode Trojan Horse
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Gamera The Invincible!
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2025 NoVAMoMe
Note: One of the great joys of NoVAMoMe season, at least for me, is being able to cut and paste the entire block of text below and haranguing you to attend the event. Are you attending? Are you focusing on the fundamentals of attending?
Alright, guys and gals, the long awaited and highly anticipated details of the 2025 NoVAMoMe are here! That's right, I finally got my act together and updated the information page for 2025, and need to go over a few details. First, the date is June 21st, 2025. Nextly, my bestest blog buddy bluebell and I have decided 2025 will be a year of NoVAMoMe simplification, and want to pass along the changes from prior years.
First, no more registration and no more advance charge for food. If you would like to attend, send an email to WeaselBell Productions, and let us know. You will be directed to a sekrit webpage with all of the details. We do ask once you have decided to attend to let us know so we can coordinate an expected count with venue management. Once there if you are hungry or thirsty simply order from the onsite menu and pay separately. Cash and credit cards accepted. Next, although fun, we have decided to take a break from the raffles and mug sales this year. Depending on how it goes, that may be something we bring back in future years. While your generosity is always appreciated, with no prize table, please leave donations and contributions at home, but bring your appetite for a great afternoon spent with your imaginary online friends.
A NoVAMoMe PSA from our pal bluebell
Hi folks - just a quick PSA. If you write for info about the MoMe, please give us a few words in the body of the email just so I know you are a Moron and not a spammer (moron). I do receive spam on this email account because it's sitting right here in my nic, so that's why I'm asking. I don't want to give our details to a spammer. Also, remember to check your spam folder if you don't receive a reply email.
Thanks.
bluebell
Seriously, just send an email then go to the website with the password provided. If you forget, a link to the email is on the main page, left sidebar. If you do not sign up, bluebell will be disappointed. Weasel will be disappointed, too, but it's bluebell you need to worry about.
Lately I've been trending mostly maduro and darker fare, but came into a new-to-me Connecticut shade stick to try, and glad I did. Drew Estate's Undercrown Shade is a handsome golden brown cigar with minimal "tooth" or veins to its wrapper. Actually as you'll see in the photo, this stick had some small cracks in the wrapper up near the cap. Noticed this, so got out my handy burmacol (vegetable glue, what holds cigars together) and touched up the flaws - and let it dry while I loaded another 50 rounds of 45ACP. When I did burn this cigar, it was a pleasant experience throughout. Even burn, nice medium draw, ample smoke (though not as much as many Drew Estate sticks put out, which can be sort of amazing). Definitely mild-medium, with a distinct overall sweetness, and to me a sweet citrusy note. Perfect choice when you're looking for something mild and easy. I smoked the gran toro (6 X 52), which can be found online for just over $8. As a side note, any more than occasional cigar smoker should have the glue on hand. I have PerfecRepair brand, there are others. Wrappers do sometimes crack, and for a few bucks you can have the ability to save a cigar that would otherwise unravel on you.
Most excellent, rhomboid! Thank you!
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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!
This week's mailbag entry is from our pal CBD. Great one!
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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?
Food Thread: Ketchup On A Hot Dog! Confirmation of Parkinson's Law Of Trviality!
—CBD
That's disgusting!
How does one screw up a great American (in the case of course, for the crunch!) hot dog? It's pretty much the perfect casual meal!
There is one way...ketchup. There are two ways...ketchup and relish! There are three ways... a Chicago Dog. And there might be four ways...chili dogs are right on the cusp!
But ketchup is the arch criminal in this strange American gang that refuses to recognize that the hot dog is great and pure and simple when eaten with mustard and sauerkraut. Or, just mustard for you purists.
Ketchup is far too sweet and overpowers the dogs delicious, meaty flavor. And it soaks the bun too quickly and makes it a sodden mess. it is on par, or maybe even worse, than shaking a Manhattan, or (shudder) putting maple syrup on French Toast!
I needed some flour for a batch of pita, and I had, inexplicably, run out! Off to the local supermarket, where I bought their house brand, mostly because the stuff I usually buy was $8 for a five-pound bag. Yeah, this place has some interesting prices.
Anyway, it was terrible. How does one f*ck up flour? Clumpy, not milled as fine, and that probably caused the real problem, which was the incredible laxness of the dough. It had no structure at all, and I had to use a scraper to put it on the peel to transfer it to the oven.
That's nuts!
The pita wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't my best effort. And all of this could have been avoided had I been less of a wimp as I drove past the King Arthur Flour store on my way back from shooting in New Hampshire. It was raining, so I decided not to stop.
P*ssy!
Oh...it was crap as a sourdough feed too! Probably because it was bleached.
UNIDO launched its Food Safety Approach 2.0 at the Vienna Food Safety Forum earlier this month. The plan calls for robust food safety systems, acknowledging the complexity and numerous stakeholders involved, and emphasizes the relevance of shared responsibility.
Challenges such as a shortage of qualified auditors, rising certification costs, and diverse regulatory requirements can disrupt supply chains. Because of increasing economic pressure, decision-makers in authorities and industry are often trying to save costs related to food safety.
What blathering nonsense, and what ridiculous overreach and duplicative effort and cost. The UN is, at best, a pathetic waste of time and money, and at worst is a malign influence in the world.
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Speaking of sourdough, this is from commenter "Joe Kidd," who snapped the photo of a friend's kid's effort on the bread-baking front. Nice looking loaf, and I especially like the subtle adornment. That stuff is fun, and can be amazing looking.
Or stupid, to which most of my efforts can attest.
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Well, here is something quite useful! it is tempting to assume that high quality and high price go hand in hand, but there are very few categories of goods in which that holds true. Sure, there is a correlation, but it is nowhere near 1!
I'm going to buy one of the two that seem to be the best, and I will run it through its paces and get back to you.
[Hat Tip: Weasel]
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This is my base for roasted rack of lamb. I play with it a lot, and really, it's a standard recipe that can be found anywhere.
But it has occurred to me that I should probably try it with pork racks! Mustard, garlic, Parmesan, Rosemary? That will be great! obviously a different cooking technique, but still...
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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!
The idea that weather can be accurately predicted is amusing, since all of us have been bitten in the ass by the pretend-scientific forecasts of...pretty much every weather service. And let's not start on predicting climate!
But they can't even get it correct for the next 24 hours!
I grilled yesterday evening. And the weather reports enthusiastically parroted the 4% chance of rain nonsense.
They were wrong, and my uncovered grill got a soaking. It's not a crisis, or maybe it is, because I want to grill tonight, and I will have to heat the grill another 30 seconds to drive off the moisture left by the rain. And because the grill was uncovered it has some detritus from the garden on it, and that means a wipe-down!
The Arrant Stupidity Of The Shock Troops Of The Globalist Left Is Matched By Its Ignorance
—CBD
The smug assumptions of much of the left's street armies that they understand complex geopolitical issues is belied by countless examples of their ignorance of even the most basic data. "From The River To The Sea!" Which river? Which sea? They don't know! Or the uncomfortable reality that Spain occupied Mexico for 300 years, and before that it was the Aztec Empire? They have no idea.
And even worse is the hilarious lack of understanding of even the most basic cultural concepts, such as the very common Muslim and Arab antipathy toward overt homosexuality. "Gays For Palestine" sounds like a punchline, but it is real! Or the complete ignorance of how Islam sees women. Chattel; not equal. Or how deeply offensive some of their most loved shibboleths are to traditional Americans. Show a cross-dressing freak dancing for a first-grade class to a seventh generation American named Sanchez, whose name indicates membership in that freakish cult, and see how he reacts! Or legal immigrants who patiently waited on line for years to come to America and become a part of American Exceptionalism; ask them how they feel about illegals crashing our border!
Egyptians are very well aware of how horrid the Gazans are. That's why they built an almost impregnable barrier between Gaza and Egypt! But these smug and hip leftists make the intellectually flaccid assumption that all Arabs love Gaza, so therefore Egypt will allow them to waltz in unimpeded to perform whatever political theater they wish. And they were wrong!
And even better is the autistic troll, desperate to remain in the public consciousness. Never mind that her little stunt was ridiculed, and that it was a complete waste of time, since the amount of aid that Israel is allowing into Gaza dwarfs the pitiful show they put on. And don't forget that Gaza is a war zone....what country would allow a protest vessel to enter their enemy's territory? That's just...moronic!
This is the saving grace for the sane world. These people are so amazingly dumb, yet so supremely confident that their various causes are just and good! Yet they do not have the self awareness to examine in any way more than the most cursory the issues surrounding their cause of the day.
And that is good. Their masters can control them and send them this way and that, and like good lemmings they will follow. But it is becoming more and more difficult for them to make any substantive change, since the alternative media are carefully reporting the reality, rather than the rosy and false portrayals of the dinosaur media.
Sunday Morning Book Thread - 6-15-2025 ["Perfessor" Squirrel]
—Open Blogger
(HT: CBD)
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 (they say confession is good for the soul). 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...(calamine lotion not included)
So relax, find yourself a warm kitty (or warm puppy--I won't judge) to curl up in your lap, and dive into a new book. What are YOU reading this fine morning?
Oh, and HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Some joker moved it on the calendar this year...
CBD sent me a link to this website where you can order your very own library mug. Of course, I have five cats, one of whom is very keen on sweeping things off the counter onto the floor. So it's unlikely a mug like this would remain intact in my home for long. She already broke my mug that was in the shape of Darth Vader's head.
"WHY DOES EVERY YA BOOK HAVE SMUT?"
I don't think EVERY YA book has smut in it. In fact, I'm pretty sure a lot of YA books are fairly tame, though that may be changing in recent years. However, the YouTuber above brings up an interesting point about authors who are known for writing YA deciding to write in a different genre, inserting quite a bit more erotica into their more adult books. Unfortunately, readers who are used to reading the YA novels may not realize that the author has chosen to write in a different genre, assuming that all the author's books are written with a younger audience in mind.
This can sometimes work in the other direction as well. Clive Barker, for instance, is an author well known for graphic sexual content among his horror novels. He has written a few books that are suitable for a younger audience, though, such as the Abarat books and The Thief of Always, neither of which contain any graphic sexual material at all (though Abarat still has quite a bit of body horror).
Even authors like C.S. Lewis can sometimes find themselves stereotyped as a writer of fiction suitable for younger audiences, such that when one reads Out of the Silent Planet, the contrast between the writing style in that novel compared to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe can be jarring. Both are great stories, but they are so different it almost seems like they were written by two different people.
One way YA authors who want to write adult fiction can get around the problem of being stereotyped as a YA author is to adopt a pseudonym. J.K Rowling, who is, of course, most famous for the Harry Potter series, has done this with her Robert Galbraith persona. I have not read any of those books, though a few have been recommended by Morons, so I don't know how they compare themewise and stylewise to her earlier books.
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(HT: Also CBD)
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BASED BOOK SALE!
Hans G. Schantz is hosting anothe BASED BOOK SALE for Morons and sundry other readers.
The Summer Based Book Sale starts Wednesday, June 18, 2025 and runs through Tuesday June 24, 2025: hundreds of books by based authors all $0.99 or free. Sign up to be notified when the sale goes live, and if you're an author who'd like to participate, see the call for authors, and leave a comment at: ,a href="https://basedbooksale.substack.com/p/call-for-authors-summer-2025-based" target="_blank">https://basedbooksale.substack.com/p/call-for-authors-summer-2025-based
Thanks!
Hans
ESSENTIAL NOVELS
I don't generally like to post "top ten" lists of novels, but Andrew Klaven makes a key point in his video above. He himself says that the point isn't to find novels you HAVE to read before you die. Instead, the whole point of reading novels is that doing so will increase your wisdom over time. I'm astounded every single week by the knowledge and wisdom on display here in the Sunday Morning Book Thread. Collectively, we Morons read A LOT of books. Enough books to fill an entire library of our very own. If you are someone who struggles to read novels, then don't freak out because you haven't read the "essential" novels or "great books" of all time. Focus on short novels, quick reads, something that will entertain you and will also provoke some additional reflection when you are done. The best novels aren't all doorstoppers (1000+ page behemoths like The Count of Monte Cristo or Moby Dick). Some of my favorite novels are less than 200 pages, but they blow me away every time I read them because they are so good. Find novels like that and then work your way up to longer, more challenging reads. Before long you'll be a wise Moron indeed.
MORON RECOMMENDATIONS
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is the true story of Louis Zamperini, who served as an Army Air Corps B-24 Bombardier in the Pacific during WWII. Louis was always fearless, except he hated to fly. He overcame that fear and discovered he liked being a bombardier. Unbroken tells of Louis' service, the crashing of his plane, the 47 days spent drifting on a decomposing rubber raft until they reached land (during a typhoon), and 2.5 years spent in unspeakable horror as a Japanese POW. It is an amazing story of courage, faith, and despair. The story follows Louis from early childhood through his encounter with a young Franklin Graham. It was through faith that Louis overcame the PTSD and other obstacles that were a result of his combat service and the ravages of the substance abuse he tried as a cure. Louis' post-war life focused on helping others and it was a delight to learn that he was still in great shape when he turned 100 years old. I found myself repeatedly asking how it was that our great nation could not only create such brave men but inspire and compel them to fight for our freedoms and liberty against such great odds. God truly has blessed the USA. Highly recommended reading.
Posted by: Legally Sufficient at June 08, 2025 09:22 AM (rxCpr)
Comment: This seems like an appropriate recommendation for Flag Day weekend, as we celebrate the anniversary of the creation of the United States Army. So many of our veterans have remarkable stories to share about courage, faith, patriotism, and their duty to protect our country.
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I've begun reading Too Much the Lion by Preston Lewis, an historical novel about the Civil War Battle of Franklin, the title referring to Confederate General John Bell Hood. This is one of those books in which there are no fictional characters, the only other novel I know of that does this is Robert Graves' I, Claudius. In this book, he is twice forced to fictionalize names because the characters, although real people, have not had their full names recorded in history. Lewis is known as a YA author and this may be intended as a YA novel. This is an engaging and tragic novel of the Confederate army marching to its destruction.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, And You're Not at June 08, 2025 10:50 AM (L/fGl)
Comment: Interesting narrative choice to use entirely real people to record a historical fictional account. I like it, though, as the author fleshes out fictional details of the real people of whom we know so little, so that we feel like we do know them after all. By the end of the story, we *should* feel sadness for those brave souls who lost their lives during a horrific conflict, even if they were on the wrong side of history.
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.
I didn't get as much reading done this week as I would have liked. I finished Silverberg's Majipoor series and then I couldn't seem to muster up motivation to find something else. It's been an odd week for me. I finally settled on the following:
Night's Dawn Trilogy Book 1 - The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton
This doorstopper novel (1200+ pages) takes a while to get moving, as Hamilton is keen on building up his Galactic Confederation. True to form, 600 years from now, humans have "evolved" through artificial means such as genetic engineering and biotechnological enhancement to become smarter, stronger, and yes, better looking. Humanity has spread out to colonize well over 100 other worlds. One one such remote world, still in its infancy with respect to colonization, a renegade criminal (and Satanic cult leader) encounters something that threatens to shatter the Confederacy, if not bring the entire galaxy to ruin.
As usual with Hamilton, there's a lot of free love between characters, as well as insane, over-the-top technology. Lots of crazy action set pieces. Humans breed starships from living polyps, then form a symbiotic bond with them. The "Adamists" are those who have rejected some of humanities advances, preferring a more natural evolution by comparison, but still embracing nanotech implants. The "Edenists" are those who employ genetic engineering techniques to adapt to the conditions of living in space.
A null pointer set a Google service into a boot loop when a change was applied without an appropriate policy set. The missing policy should have been caught and the update rejected, but wasn't, because everything is nightmarishly complicated.
PCIe 5.0 SSDs are twice the price of PCIe 4.0 models anyway, and PCIe 6.0 is sure to be unreasonably costly for small drives, so if you're building a desktop just go for four PCIe 4.0 drives in RAID-0.
HBM8 will - eventually - deliver five times the capacity and 32 times the bandwidth of next-gen HBM4, with up to 240GB of RAM per device and 64TB per second of bandwidth.
And use 180W of power for a single HMB8 stack. HBM1 was slower, true, but it only used 4W of power.
An Associated Press analysis of fraud reports obtained through a public records request shows California colleges in 2024 reported 1.2 million fraudulent applications, which resulted in 223,000 suspected fake enrollments.
Because until last Friday you don't need to provide any ID to apply for student aid.
Saturday Night "Club ONT" June 14, 2025 [The 3 Ds]
—Open Blogger
Welcome to Club ONT! A collaboration of your Sunday through Wednesday ONT Crew - The Disco, The Doggo, and The Dino. You're in! And look fabulous! There is no turning back now. Grab a chair or mingle with the questionable characters - they have a bunch of inside jokes that make little sense. Remember to clear your search history.
[Top photo: Today is Flag Day. Celebrate accordingly.]
Club shoutout to JQ for whipping the place back into shape in time for the festivities this evening. She has unlocked the coveted and legendary Aluminum Foil Membership.
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Saturday Night Joke and Other Funnies
An American legislator hosts a Russian legislator at his very nice, upscale home on a lake. The Russian is impressed and asks him how he affords this on a legislator's salary. The American points and says "See that $50 million bridge?" The Russian nods. "I got $55 million allocated to it, and through various means, I funneled $5 million of that to my own pocket in the process." The Russian looked very impressed.
Later, the American visits the Russian, and was amazed when he saw that the Russian had an entire mansion. He asks him how he afforded it. The Russian points and says, "See that $50 million bridge?"
"No" says the American.
"Exactly" says the Russian.
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Back in the 1980s, a reporter from NYC called Moscow and asked, "Is it true that under communism, grain grows like telegraph poles?" "In principle, yes. We don't quite have the size yet, but the spacing is right already."
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Happy Birthday, US Army!
🎉 250 Years Strong! 🇺🇸
Today, we celebrate 250 years of courage, commitment, and sacrifice. From 1775 to 2025, the U.S. Army has stood ready to defend freedom, at home and around the world.
Today we honor the legacy of the Soldiers who came before and the next generation who… pic.twitter.com/rDqV5BQd6f
The Club honors and thanks members and guests who have served in any branch of the US military, and today we send a special HOOAH! to those who served in the Army.
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It's National Bourbon Day!
Flag Day, The US Army's Birthday, and National Bourbon Day. Can we represent all of that in a single photo? Why, of course we can!
Bourbon is a type of primarily corn-based whiskey that is made in the United States and aged in new charred-oak barrels. Although it legally must contain 51% corn in the mash (or total makeup of grains), most bourbons are often made with anywhere from 60-86% corn. The other grains in a bourbon can vary, but may include rye, wheat, or barley. There are no regulations as to how long bourbon must age, but to be labeled straight bourbon it must age for at least two years in new charred oak.
This is helpful!
OK - but what's the BEST bourbon? That's a subjective question that involves a lot of different factors.
1. It tastes the way YOU want it to taste
2. It is priced at an amount YOU are willing to pay
3. It is available anytime YOU want it
Yeah - YOU determine the answer!
That 3rd one is the tricky one. Some brands (looking at you, Buffalo Trace) make great varieties of bourbon and are often at the top of people's lists of favorites -- but they are not always available everywhere.
So keep trying different ones and find the one that YOU like best!
Horde approved whiskey decanters!
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Drink of the Night
Can only be one choice today!
Bourbon. Neat.
Directions:
Open a bottle of bourbon
Pour some in a glass
Sip bourbon
Repeat
Actually, there's an important step in there before sipping it. Smell it!
Jim Beam master distiller Fred Noe explains in this video. He also talks about "The Kentucky Chew" - the way his father, Booker Noe, tasted bourbon.
Burying a bottle of bourbon keeps the rain away on your wedding day?
Time it right: You'll want to bury an unopened bottle of bourbon exactly one month before your wedding date near the site where you'll be reciting your vows.
The right way: Also, it has to be bourbon (not whiskey) and it must be buried upside down to ensure the best possible weather for your big day.
The last step in completing this Southern tradition actually happens after the ceremony. Once you've officially sealed the deal, you have to dig your bottle of bourbon up and share it with your wedding party.
Club ONT provides a reminder of the Golden Rule: thou shalt stay out of the passing lane unless thou art passing. Those who sit in the left lane and hold up traffic behind them impede those attempting to reach Club ONT with appropriate alacrity. Fair notice is provided that Club ONT personnel are authorized to utilize heat seeking missiles to deal with offenders. There shall be no impediments for the Horde to get to Club ONT. Almost forgot..the door latch is a little wonky, so make sure to close it after you enter Club ONT.
I Can't Handle It: Re-Examining A Few Good Men and the Writing of Aaron Sorkin [Lex]
—Open Blogger
A film school professor of mine often asked, “What is a movie you are supposed to like but cannot stand?” His answer: Federico Fellini’s 8 ½. He found the main character Guido execrable, and all of Fellini’s magical realism could not cast a spell to overcome his dislike of the lead.
There are many foreign, art, and independent films I know I am supposed to admire. But let’s face it: you need a lot of patience to watch Tarkovsky or Warhol or Cassavetes or Bresson.
In the Hollywood canon of all-time greats, there are movies I find slow or unengaging (Apocalypse Now, The Apartment), but I still respect them.
But after all these years (I graduated film school in 1998), there has been no highly praised movie I could not abide. Until recently.
Enmity did not come right away. Released in 1991, I do not remember having strong feelings either way about A Few Good Men. Like most, the story intrigued and entertained me.
On the surface, everything about the picture meets the highest standards of film-making. It took me some time, however, to realize the writing does not.
How can I say the writing in A Few Good Men is anything but first class? After all, Hollywood darling Aaron Sorkin penned the screenplay. He is perhaps the best known industry writer since William Goldman.
The characters and dialogue in the movie stand out as some of Hollywood's most memorable, and countless screenwriting programs, seminars, and textbooks hold up the script as something to emulate.
But A Few Good Men is insincere and manipulative.
Strong words I know, but allow me to present my case, your honor.
***
The film begins at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where two Marines administer a beating to a fellow Marine, who later dies. We cut from the attack to Washington D.C, where we see a flapping American flag followed by some fascinating rifle exercises—both set against upbeat, martial music. Seems harmless, but there is already mocking of the military underway. A ghastly assault and an immediate cut to the flag coupled with pomp and circumstance.
Walking past the rifle exercises is Lt. Commander Galloway (played by Demi Moore). A JAG lawyer, she wants to defend the two accused Marines and seeks permission from her superiors to be assigned the case.
No doubt the Captain of this unit is a sexist jerk, but when Galloway first walks in and he offers her a seat, she stupidly refuses it. After being treated like a little girl, her superiors assign the case to Lt. Caffey (Tom Cruise), believing she is too inexperienced to be the lead defense counsel.
We meet Caffey at a softball practice. A prosecuting attorney is there to discuss a case because Caffey did not bother to show up at his office. Caffey belittles the prosecutor while simultaneously plea-bargaining and hitting grounders.
Of course, it is more interesting to have this scene play out on a softball field as opposed to a stuffy office, but the opening sequence sets the table for the entire film where everyone treats everyone else contemptuously or dismissively or confrontationally—and almost always without good reason.
This tone is what caused me to turn on the film after repeated viewings. Sorkin has the characters behave the way he wants them to, for his own purposes, not how they should organically be for themselves.
Only someone writing with an agenda would craft characters and dialogue this way. Did Sorkin’s committed leftism perhaps drive him to write an anti-Corps movie? Or maybe he prefers this style and understands glib and confrontational characters will always strike a chord with audiences.
It is not my goal to see into his mind, and there is certainly nothing wrong with an agenda-driven script. I am only stating my reaction to it upon repeated viewings, and I believe it is far overpraised due to its callowness.
I am not going to breakdown the rest of the movie. I am working on the assumption most cinephiles have seen A Few Good Men. But I do not have to describe any more of the film because the important thing to note is its tone, which, to me, comes from a place of cynicism and almost never waivers from this inauthentic posture.
Caffey treats everyone with nauseating ennui. His co-counsel, Lt. Weinberg (Kevin Pollack) is an insouciant wiseass. The two accused men, Corporal Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and PFC Downey (James Marshall) are both unbelievably robotic even in the face of the charges against them. Caffey talks down to Dawson and Downey, while they are, respectively, stubborn and moronic.
When we ultimately meet the senior Marine officers at Guantanamo Bay—Lt. Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland), Lt. Col. Markinson (J.T. Walsh), and of course the infamous Col. Jessup (Jack Nicholson)—who set the crime in motion, there is not even the pretense of depicting them as sane men.
Spoiler alert in case you are one of the few who have not seen the film. The senior officers ordered Dawson and Downey to carry out the assault that led to the death of their fellow Marine. Besides being unrepentant sadists—leaving out Markinson who wants to do the right thing but is too weak to push back—the three officers seem to loathe one another and goad each other with threats and disparagement.
All I have described occurs in the first twenty minutes of the movie, and it does not change for the next two hours.
***
Were A Few Good Men a parody or satire, this tenor might be more understandable, but it is a straightly played drama, so its defining quality is sheer manipulation.
What am I talking about? All storytelling is manipulation to a certain degree.
When we watch a movie, we suspend our disbelief that the actors are pretending. We are all open to manipulation as consumers of any story. Yet there is a point at which this deference is beyond rescue.
I have friends who are perfectly happy with even the stupidest iteration of the Fast and Furious characters. Over the course of the franchise, the characters went from street-car mechanics to space shuttle pilots, and that does not seem to bother some.
In A Few Good Men, we are not dealing with an offbeat or even absurdist gestalt where human behavior as we know it might not apply. Instead, the film styles itself as an accurate depiction of the Marine Corps—JAG officers in particular. The technical details are flawless, but the portrayal of the characters and the dialogue undercut any fealty to the milieu.
***
If you look at most of Sorkin’s work, this is not an isolated case. From his TV series (The West Wing and The Newsroom), and other films such as The American President –perhaps the most cloying and pretentious in his oeuvre—Sorkin cannot seem to help himself. All of his heroes (and antagonists) are over-stylized to the point where their personas and behavior do not feel authentic to the world they inhabit.
To Sorkin’s credit, he is very crafty about hiding his bias and tactics in A Few Good Men. I think that is why the film does not catch as much flak as it should. Because his sleight-of-hand fools viewers—and I counted myself in this category for a long time. He is distracting you with slick dialogue, oodles of conflict, and plot twists. In this sense, he has done a great job as a writer, but at least I, for one, must reveal the prestidigitation is just that.
***
What exactly changed my view of this movie? How did I come to see that A Few Good Men is an unserious fantasy instead of the hard hitting drama most believe it to be?
I do not believe it is my political leanings, which are conservative. A Few Good Men is decidedly anti-Marine Corps, but I greatly admire Full Metal Jacket and Platoon, and those movies are also not kind when it comes to their depiction of the Corps or the armed forces.
However, while these films are unsparing in their criticism of the military, one never gets the feeling the writers, directors, or producers have inserted themselves into the drama. It does not seem to be enough for Sorkin to tell the story of a crime committed in the ranks of the Marine Corps. In A Few Good Men he wants his voice to be part of that story as well, and it just does not wash.
And if it is not politics, I think my beef with the movie is more a personal reckoning with Hollywood. Not only is the industry a system that creates myths on screen but also off it. Hagiography has always been part of the game, but Sorkin and others have been over-hyped to the extent the system cannot admit it has been reckless with its king-making.
This is especially true when a film earns a lot of money or wins awards. Think ‘The New York Times’ winning Pulitzers for reporting on Russian collusion. It would take profound humility to confess to being gullible, or, worse, culpable, so the path of least resistance is to go along with the conventional wisdom that A Few Good Men is a work of brilliance.
Or perhaps I always had these reservations and did not want to be that guy: the one who is hating on everyone else’s darling. But no longer. I am calling A Few Good Men to the stand where I am exposing it for the juvenile piece of work it is.
I am not sure my film professor had quite this length and breadth of explanation in mind when he posed the question about movies you are supposed to like but cannot stand, but I finally, and without hesitation, have been able to submit this one.
What about you? What truth (or movie) can you not handle?
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 decided to celebrate nostalgic toys a year of hobby threading with TRex! We'll leave the board games and legos for another time and focus on other toys for this thread.
Lots going on in the sphere of current events. Let's give the Hobby Thread theme a little space to breathe before we resume insightful observations and witty commentary on the news. The 100 comment rule is in effect.
As always, your hobbying participation does not need to limited to the theme. All hobbying is welcome.
Standard terms apply for any commenting. Play nice. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls. Pants are optional.
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The Hobby Thread existed well before TRex arrived on the scene and (hopefully) will last long after TRex has moved on. However, this weekend marks the one year anniversary of TRex officially taking the helm of the Hobby Thread. There were some sporadic appearances before to help fill in here and there, but the keys to the Hobby Thread were left on the Ace of Spades counter this time last year and ended up in my pocket. Never underestimate the reach of short arms...
Thanks much to all of you for reading, commenting and contributing. The breadth and depth of Horde interests and skills is breathtaking.
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If you're going to be crafty, you know about the sock monkey.
***
Did you pull newsprint with silly putty?
or were you more of a Play-Doh sculptor?
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The Hobby Thread has covered a wide range of topics and themes over the past year. In many cases, the theme is only a starting point and the comments take the thread in different directions. It is organic and unpredictable which makes it fun.
What themes have been most popular? Comment volume is the easiest measure, but volume depends a lot on time of the year and what else is going on. Quantity also doesn't measure quality. Some themes attracted fewer comments, but the comments resonated with the Horde and sparked wonderful memories and insights. But...we have comment volumes, so we'll go with that as an indicator.
The winner by a large margin was the model rocket theme in July 2024.
Second place is a tie between coin collecting and writing (both in November 2024). Both were likely popular on their own, but he colder weather likely kept people at home and closer to their computers more than warm weather months.
Third place is a four way tie: national parks in June 2024, tools in May 2024, genealogy in July 2024 and knitting/stitching in August 2024.
All of those were in 2024. The three biggest themes in 2025 were Presidential history locations and model railroading in Jan and museums in March.
The comments often provide inspiration for future themes. If there is interest and energy, we'll go with it. If you have ideas, please offer them. Either post in the comments or send a note via email.
Please remember the theme is just a suggested rally point. Comments are welcome on whatever you're hobbying or interested in. No need to stick with the theme.
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One of the best parts of looking after the Hobby Thread is the ability to showcase Horde Hobbying. We've shown quilts, scale models, decorated eggs, paintings and more. We had a feature specifically for jewelry and trinkets created by Jewells before she passed away.
Thanks to all who submit their Hobbying to share with the Horde. Thanks to all who haunt my emailbox periodically just to say hello. Please continue.
Tankascribe's quote anchors each post. There is truth in those words. There is a reason they are included each week.
Anyway, thank you all.
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Indestructible.
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Tinker Toys or...
Lincoln Logs...
or Erector set?
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Etch a sketch and...
the mighty View Master.
Related comment of the week candidate taken out of context from the Wednesday Art thread:
Hat tip to Cicero and scampydog
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Jacks...
marbles...
and dominoes.
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Hot wheels and matchbox (along with miles of orange track):
Crashing carnage. Demolition derbies. Jumps and races. Sadly, parents disposed of some collections thinking their children had "outgrown" toys. SMH.
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Still being made, but I'm stunned that a Big Wheel costs $129 or more on the interweb these days. The original apparently cost between $11 and $18 - which is roughly in line with current prices when adjusted for inflation.
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Barrel O Monkeys and...
Slinky!
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Did you make anything edible in an Easy Bake Oven?
Senior Cara de Papa
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What else? Hula hoop, Magic 8 ball, yo yos, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Rock em Sock em Robots, kaleidoscopes, Stretch Armstrong, Operation, Lite Brite, Simon, paper dolls, jump rope, frisbee, Barbie, GI Joe, plastic green army men, etc.?
Nerf warrants a category of its own.
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For those whose hobby is motorsport in some form, the Hobby Thread reminds you that this weekend is the 24 Hours of LeMans and next weekend is the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. If that's not enough, the 24 Hours of Spa follows to make three straight weekends of endurance racing.
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What are you hobbying these days?
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Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We talked treehouses. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.
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Notable comments from last week:
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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).
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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.
Today is a big news day, and we are behind in pet news, but we are going to stay behind. We do have some important things from the recent past which will interest members of The Horde. They deserve our attention today.
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Our friend Jewells and Shep's Place:
You may recall that our friend Jewells asked that remembrances in her honor be sent to help senior dogs at Shep's Place. Donors from The Horde have been recognized for their generosity and love for Jewells (Julie McGuire):
Hello, this is Russell Clothier from Shep's Place. I wanted to let you know the fund for Julie McGuire stands at $2,929, which is nearly 60% of the way to the $5,000 goal. Thank you for honoring her this way!
We will remember the photos Jewells sent of the adorable senior dogs who are helped at Shep's Place.
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Pets: Life's apology for every crummy day ever - Anon
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Meet The PetMorons
RIP Reuben
John
&&&
I wish we had come to know sweet Reuben better.
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Thank you for visiting our pets with today.
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.
Hello! A short thread as I get re-oriented to the big outdoor world! I've missed you. Thanks for all the help from the COBs!
Hope everyone is doing well.
Hey KT,
Glad you are back at it again and hopefully feeling good.
Saw in today's garden thread a hibiscus discussion. I have a little story about this one. When we first moved here to Wee Kreek Holler, we put a garden in off the living room patio. One of the first plants I bought for the area was a lavender hibiscus bush. It did very well and grew to be quite large, and then about 8-9 years later, it up and died. Not sure if that was its life span or it got tired of the unrelenting death star beating down on it. But before it croaked I managed to harvest some seeds after it bloomed. I have had those seeds for over 10 years now and I had tried planting them here and there and never any luck. This year I was cleaning out my seed storage and decided I would throw all the seeds I had left of the lavender hibiscus into a pot and if I got one, great, if not I wouldn't have to stare at that seed envelope any more. Lo and behold the plant Gods smiled down on me and one took. It just bloomed yesterday. I will have to transplant it out of the pot soon but I was very happy to have another one. I enjoyed it very much the first time and I am sure I will enjoy it as much this time around.
Never give up Horde, sometimes 10 year old seeds will surprise you!
WeeKreekFarmGirl
Never give up!
We have a lot of Hibiscus and their relatives among The Horde.
Attached is a picture of my little 20 sq foot patch of Earliglow strawberries. I ripped out my old strawberries last year, because they were tired and played out, and I replanted with new roots. We are up to our eyeballs in strawberries right now. This bowl-full is just what my wife picked today, and we're picking on average about 30 berries a day right now. Suffice it to say, dessert every night is strawberries. Of course, these are "Junebearing" so they'll play out pretty soon.
Prayers for your continued recovery,
Buck
Thanks! The berries look great! We may need recipes later.
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Ah, Nature
Big thunder storms last night. We all woke up to a rainwashed morning with leaves and flowers shedding drips onto the unwary early riser. Even Mr. Mousie looks as though he found it hard to avoid some of the droplets ...#embroidery#EmbroideryWhispererpic.twitter.com/6Q527LJR8V
— #EmbroideryWhisperer Helen M. Stevens (@helen_m_stevens) June 14, 2025
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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.
Well, it's been a while since I posted, with some life complications along the way. I had open heart surgery a while ago. I still can't drive and some of our household equipment and parts of automotive equipment have decided to die. Then on Thursday, hubby fell among cut-throats in an operating room. Things are a little better now but don't expect great thoughts today.
Thanks to our wonderful COBS and to all of you in The Horde. I've missed you!
We are blessed by family and friends, too.
Anyway, there's a lot going on in California and the world right now, but sometimes the larger culture seems less important than at other times. There's only so much you can pay attention to at one time these days.
But my mind hasn't been much on the development of ancient culture lately. Forget the riots and other stupidities of a moment. There are people out there who don't pay much attention to them. Sometimes we count on these people, even the ones we don't know.
I have noticed some things about people that I might not otherwise notice, during our health challenges. Like people who work in the hospital system. Some of them are mediocre, but there are many who are very good at their jobs, even if their jobs are rather limited. They may do mundane things that keep a hospital system going, like patient transport, for example. They seem to prepare appropriately for their work days. I noticed that smart phones were not too evident in their work lives. They aren't making a big splash in the world, but they are making a difference in lives by being competent in the jobs they have chosen. They meet real people. Several I met treated their charges appropriately at all times.
There are other limitations to our everyday culture, too. The people at the nurse's station where it was possible to reach my hubby after surgery had a hard time informing me when he was to be discharged after doctor rounds, or even when doctor rounds would be. This information was not in their typical mode of communication. But they did inform our designated driver!
Our designated driver had her own challenges the same day, when it took her an hour and a half to get blood drawn. The person who drew her blood wanted to talk, for one thing. Perhaps she was bored. None of this had anything to do with political conflict, and it did not seem to be affected by notable societal trends.
What directions do you see education pushing everyday civilization, beyond politics? Any adventures with stranger interactions which have affected your life recently?
I have been grateful lately for ordinary people who hang onto civilized behavior even when we don't see it much in the news.
Quotes
“If we ever allow morality or law to become just a question of whose ox is gored, then we will have taken a fatal step toward national suicide. We can survive lapses into hypocrisy, but we cannot survive making hypocrisy a ruling principle.”
There is growing opposition to this weekend’s Army Birthday Parade…ordered by President Trump. Apparently because he ordered it, his opposition is finding all kinds of excuses to complain about it. It costs too much, it disrupts soldiers’ holiday weekend, it’s really about Trump as it is his birthday too. Hogwash.
These people are wrong.
Here’s why.
America needs this parade and frankly it needs more of them. Today’s military is drawn from a remarkably small percentage of the American public. Only about 1% of Americans are currently serving and only about 6% identify as Veterans. The result of this is an America that does not identify with the military, cannot understand what it does, and, sadly, many just don’t care. Whatever they need to know about the military, Hollywood will teach them. Parades can change this. It is an opportunity for thousands of citizens to see what an artillery piece looks like, what a tank sounds like, and what an MRAP looks like in the street. It allows citizens to see soldiers marching, looking sharp and standing tall. America meet your Army.
It is a training opportunity. The President gave an order. It will be carried out. Staffs begin planning. Units are alerted to begin preparations to participate. They will need to plan for travel, shipping of the vehicles, feeding, housing, and care of the troops. They will need to plan for time to set up, rehearse, and inspect. They will need spare parts for maintenance, special training for specific units, and leaders need time to check each soldier involved. In short, deploying to a parade in Washington DC (or anywhere else) is not that different from deploying to, say, the National Training Center for a month of training. It is just another mission to accomplish.
Further, it isn’t an excessive cost. The troops are going to be doing many of these things anyway, whether on their Post or in the field. They will still get paid. They will still eat. They will still have a place to sleep. Leaders will still be checking their soldiers. Maintenance expenses are factored into annual training forecasts. The only real delta in the budget is travel and that isn’t a huge cost, given the payoff. In short, the majority of the budget for the parade is sunk cost.
But there is a huge upside. Yes, troops will bitch about this stuff. It will be a couple of weeks of hurry up and wait. Multiple inspections, spot corrections, last minute changes, and boredom. But when the marching begins, most troops stand a bit straighter and take pride in their units. The soldiers I knew who did a major parade like this were in the DC parade after Desert Storm. All of them told me it was a real pain in the butt. But they also said that afterwards they were very glad to be a part of it. “Sir, it was a huge party!” Children coming up and giving a soldier a bouquet of flowers, strangers shaking their hands, hundreds of civilians saying thank you, and best of all, they never had to buy their own drinks.
Lastly, a parade is a huge recruiting event. When I commanded a Recruiting Company, any time I could get some equipment into a high school or a local civic event, I did so. The results were always positive and some were incredible.
America needs to renew its acquaintance with its soldiers. And soldiers need to see who it is they are fighting for. We cannot let this bond be broken.
The Saturday Morning Coffee Break & Prayer Revival
—Misanthropic Humanitarian (ONT Cob Emeritus)
[H/T TRex]
I would stop there just to get a cup of coffee because of their clever name. I'm guessing if they put that much thought into their name, the coffee has to be fine as well.
Now we before we enter the Prayer Revival, just a few house keeping matters to take care of. (Rulz for those of you in Delevan)
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. Don't even think about it. No. No running with sharp objects.
4) Have a nice 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.
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.
6/11 Update – Pathology of the lymph node taken during surgery indicates metastatic cancer cells. Now she will have a brain MRI and a PET scan the week of 6/16. She is classified as stage 3.
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.
5/24 – The new meds have not helped. Her score for kidney function is 16, and the trigger for dialysis is 15.
5/17 – B asked for prayers for the Lord to move a bowel food constriction or “kink” out so that his bowels would function properly.
5/31 Update – B sent his thanks for the prayers. He is healed from the bowel obstruction. He requested prayers for his friend, Jerry, who is in the hospital needing surgery for an ulcer and MRSA, and another friend, Mary, who is fighting cancer.
5/23 – Hrothgar asks for prayers for a dear friend’s son. Tim battled cancer 20 years ago, but has been living with kidney disease for several years. It has progressed to the point that he needs a transplant. In a real blessing, he was approved for the transplant list. Please pray for Tim, that he would receive a donated kidney. There is no cost to the donor, and the donor generally goes on to live a full life with just one kidney, and it would make a huge difference for Tim, versus long-term dialysis.
5/31 Update – Tim must lose 50 pounds in the next 90 days to remain on the transplant list, and he is thinking that is impossible. Please pray that he realizes what a God-given blessing he has been given to reach this point, and that he makes the right lifestyle choices to lose that weight.
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.
5/24 – L sent an update. Her daughter, Shannon, the Franciscan sister who we prayed for when she had heart surgery, is much improved. There were some setbacks along the way – a problem with defibrillation and a respiratory infection - but she is healed now and will take her final vows soon. L is also much improved, after her knee implant surgery.
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!
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.
Written by Phil McKinney, who was the CTO of Hewlett Packard at the time HP bought and then promptly murdered Palm.
The CEO at the time of the acquisition was fired by the board before HP's new PalmOS products could launch, and the new CEO wanted nothing to do with hardware, and killed the entire lineup seven weeks after launch.
While the CTO was out recovering from emergency surgery.
And the new CEO was in turn fired by the board just months later, after spending $10 billion on British software company Autonomy and then being forced to write down its value by 80%.
My first day back at HP will be burned into my memory forever. I was simply trying to grab lunch in the cafeteria at HP Labs when I found myself surrounded by what felt like the entire technical staff. They weren't there to welcome me back - they were there to hold me accountable.
The scene was intense and unambiguous. Engineers and researchers who had watched the WebOS disaster unfold were pointing fingers and raising voices. Their message was crystal clear and brutal: "You can never take leave again - EVER!"
Their exact words still echo in my mind: "The CEO and board need adult supervision."
Indeed they did. Those were dark days at Hewlett Packard.
Gartner warned last year that end user organizations adopting AI could discover "500 to 1,000 percent errors of AI cost estimates are possible," because of vendor price hikes, not paying attention to the cost, or simply inappropriate use of AI.
Yeah, beancounters love it when bills are unexpectedly ten times higher than you told them.
Musical Interlude
Disclaimer: Had to throw out two lizards today. Don't know how they keep getting in.
Troops wearing Union army uniforms walked by, and then the First Cavalry wearing their cavalry hats and big yellow buff leather gloves. They even had a horse-drawn wagon. Now WWI uniforms.
BTW, Tampon Tim, China stages a lot of Chinese army parades, too. Weird that you didn't compare Trump's military parade to the parades staged by your patrons in China.
A commenter says the Real America network will cover the Army's 250th Anniversary Parade starting at 4pm. (Eastern, I guess.) The Right Side Broadcasting network will cover it starting at 4:30.
Israel bombs Iran. Finally. Iran's top nuclear scientist says the nuke plant at Natanz has been completely destroyed. Though it's in Iran's interest to lie about Israel having been successful, so they can start their nuke program again while claiming it's all been destroyed.
Podcast: The Los Angeles riots: should we let it burn? Why are the Democrats all in on rioting? Who is supporting it? Trump says, "No Enrichment!" The Scandinavian Troll in the news... And more!
ANTIFA affiliate “No Kings” (funded by Wal-Mart heiress Christy Walton ) is scheduling riotscivil disobedience in cities across the U.S. on June 14. Included in their itinerary is a small-town “road game” at the ICE Detention Center in rural Taylor, TX this Saturday at 10 AM. Good ol’ boys in Central Texas will have a rare home field advantage if their visitors get rowdy. [Buck]
Lost 90s Mystery Click, Post-Grunge Alt-Rock Edition Don't scream about, don't think aloud
Turn your head, now baby, just spit me out
Don't worry 'bout, don't speak of doubt
Turn your head, now baby, just spit me out
Read my new book "Burned", describing how the media was TRICKED by activists into reporting the anti-ICE protesters were peaceful and lawful...
Space Ice: Batman & Robin Space Ice has avoided all superhero movies (I think) in the past, but now that he's out of Steven Seagal movies, he might have to transition. Or maybe he's just covering it because it's Arnold. Wrong! He's done Madame Web and Morbius and probably a bunch more I've forgotten.
Podcast: President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill...isn't, Congress shirks its responsibility again (shocker!), Boulder should be an overdue wake-up call for Jews in America, should Israel sink Thunberg's boat? And more!
Legacy media isn’t just fake news, it’s also full of Hamas-sourced, terrorist propaganda: Fox News, AP, CNN, Others Ran With Massive Hamas-Sourced Fake News, Then the Surveillance Video Came Out. “Multiple press outlets…ran with a report early Sunday morning claiming Israeli forces randomly opened fire on civilians gathered to collect aid. Sourced by ‘health officials’ and ‘witnesses,’ the claim involved dozens being killed and ‘at least’ 175 injured.” It wasn’t true. But our loathsome media wanted it to be true, so they reported it anyway. [Buck]
President Donald J. Trump's economic agenda is working: inflation is down, income is up, and the trade deficit just fell by the largest amount on record.
Today's economic report follows multiple robust jobs reports, below-expectation inflation reports, and a strong bump in consumer confidence.
President Trump continues to prove doomsday "experts: wrong with his America First economic agenda that's delivering for the American people.
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