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
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
Food Thread: Ripe Tomatoes, Dust Safety, And Chewy Meringues!
—CBD
Ah...it's that time of the year, when tomatoes are mature and ripe and very, very, tasty! I can't think of many other foods with such a short-lived window of opportunity. Asparagus is one, and I guess there are some fruits that ripen in a three week window, but frankly I don't care much about fruit, and I never have!
But tomatoes? Yeah, I do care about them, although there is a small voice in the back of my mind that is telling me that lovely ripe tomatoes are merely a vehicle fro fresh mozzarella, good olive oil, a dash of Balsamic vinegar, and a few snips of fresh basil!
What about you? Do you believe, as all right-thinking people do, that tomatoes are best served with mozzarella still warm from the water bath? Or do you serve them in some weird way. like on Skyline Chili dipped in Canadian Whiskey?
What to do with the six egg whites left over from the six egg yolks I used in the coffee ice cream? Remember...I am a cheap bastard, so tossing them was never an option.
So meringues it was! Except I was lazy and didn't want to pipe them, so I just heaped them onto a single sheet pan. Yup! Those are big ones! And tasty, though soft in the middle, which is an interesting twist on the classic crunchy meringue. But fun, and once I figure out what to do with them besides eat them plain, I'll make some more gargantuan ones! The chewy middle was quite pleasing!
******
I am a big fan of minimalist, simple cooking. Recipes do not have to be complicated, with endless steps and dozens of utensils and dishes to be delicious.
But... there are some shortcuts that decrease the overall quality of the dish. Here is a good example, and I am not picking on "The Spruce Eats," because it is one of the better and less fussy cooking sites out there.
Chicken Parmesan can be a fantastic dish if the chicken is crispy and the sauce is delicious and the mozzarella is fresh and just melted without being desiccated. But that requires a lot of work and several steps.
This version, Easy Chicken Parmesan, is easy! And tasty, but it is a far cry from the one that requires a lot more work. Have I made something like this? Of course I have. Sometimes cooking is simply a vehicle to get the meal on the table in the quickest way possible, and that is perfectly okay, and in fact is probably the default for most people.
But if you have the time and the inclination, give some of those great recipes a try...
******
The folks at Fallow are classically trained chefs with imaginations and senses of humor. That makes for good videos, and more important... good food! I have eaten at one of their restaurants a couple of times and was very pleased. They are not inexpensive, but I think we got good value.
Anyway, they love bacon! The Best Way To Cook Bacon is a meandering trip through lots and lots of different techniques, and some surprising results. It's worth a watch.
******
Why yes, that is a slice of mozzarella with a chunk of fried chicken skin on top. And don't you dare scoff! it was delicious!
******
This is the coffee ice cream with chopped heath bars that I mentioned in the FWP thread. It was excellent, especially considering I haven't made ice cream in many years. I should have chilled the custard down almost to freezing before I put it into the machine, because it wasn't quite as creamy as I wanted. The longer it takes to freeze, the larger the ice crystals are, and that is the enemy of creaminess. But next time I will be better prepared! And there will definitely be a next time, because it was fun as well as tasty!
I might have to recertify for my Dust Safety Certificate soon!
******
The great garlic experiment of 2025-2026 was a resounding...meh. Send all of your excellent home-grown garlic to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.
About the Bourbon Bubble...I think it has burst, but the category is also suffering from the inflation that affected everything else (Thanks Biden!). I think the sweet spot is still $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!
I went to the closest supermarket to buy a few things...milk, cream, bananas (don't ask, but I think they are disgusting), and Heath bars for Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream that I want to make.
Never mind that I last bought a Heath Bar in 1979. THAT'S NOT THE POINT!
On The One Hand, Iran's Economy Is imploding...On The Other Hand, The Mullahs And IRGC Are Willing To Suffer A Lot! We Need More Hands!
—CBD
Every second that goes by weakens the Iranian attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz. There are multiple projects underway to create the infrastructure to bypass the chokepoint of Hormuz, and not just pipelines that bypass it. Shale oil, fracking, horizontal drilling, vast improvements in techniques to maximize production in existing wells, reopening huge oil fields like in the North Sea, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and the Trump administration push to make America an energy exporter have all contributed to the decrease in the importance of Hormuz, and Iran's power over the world oil economy.
Guyana is becoming a serious producer, Venezuela's oil industry slide into unimportance has been stopped, even Canada is quietly producing for their customers in the Pacific.
But...the Mullahs and the IRGC are willing to cause massive damage to the people and the economy of Iran to further their geopolitical goal of a religious armageddon. They will not surrender, and they will not relieve the pressure on the people...they simply don't care. Their goal is simple...survive to continue their quest for the destruction of Israel, America, and the West.
But...their blockade, incomplete as it may be, is cementing their position as the enemy of the Gulf states, and it will have far-reaching consequences both diplomatically and economically for years to come. The massive American and Israeli military response to Iran has destroyed most of the military industrial capacity, has destroyed most of their missile stocks and anti-aircraft capability, and has killed a huge number of their senior leadership, which has created a massive power struggle across the Mullahcracy and the IRGC.
But...American resolve has an expiration date. The United States is not in the business of colonialism, and when we tried it, we failed miserably, so "fixing" Iran is not and hopefully will not be a part of our geopolitical goals. The Mullahs and the IRGC believe that simply waiting us out will be a win.
But...economic pressure, coupled with a Western naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz will gradually erode the ability of the Mullahs and the IRGC to control the Iranian people and to project power through their terrorist proxies. It will also take Iran and Hormuz off the front page, since economic warfare and boring escorting of commercial vessels is far less interesting for the hysterical media.
But...President Trump is fanatical about the appearance of a deal, and perhaps he will settle for a public deal that sounds good but has no substance.
But...it is entirely possible that Iran is on the brink. They do not have the foreign exchange to purchase enough gasoline to run their economy, their central planning has been destroyed, the death of Khamenei Senior has left a huge hole in the message being conveyed to the faithful. The Mullahcracy might just wither away.
But...The IRGC is dug in like ticks, and getting rid of them will be a massive undertaking. Even if the Mullahs fade into nothing, the IRGC will be a danger, at least until they become a priority target of the American armed forces. Or even better: the Persian people!
See my point? The perspective on the Iranian situation is complex, and there are rational arguments to be made from most sane sides.
One reason stands out...we are dealing with a mindset that is completely foreign to Western culture. There is no risk/benefit calculation being made in Tehran. There is no sensitivity to civilian casualties. There is no sense of honor or respect during "negotiations." There is no cultural imperative for truth. There is one goal, and the means justifies the end to an extent that most westerners cannot comprehend.
That of course supports one clear strategy...the total destruction of the Mullahs and the IRGC. Whether that happens economically or militarily remains to be seen, but there will be no end to the Iranian Problem until that occurs!
Sunday Morning Book Thread 8-16-2026 [Sabrina Chase]
—Open Blogger
Welcome to the Book Thread, Guest Poster edition! I will be your host as we explore all sorts of book-related topics. All usual Book Thread rules are incorporated by reference (pets, beverage, clothing covering the lower limbs, etc.) with the special Sabrina Chase exemption for those stylish persons preferring kilts. Now let us proceed to today's topic, which is ...
Genre, meaning a category of style or content, is a useful label for fiction. In that context it usually refers to categories like mystery or romance. It has an unfortunate reputation in Literary Circles, where "genre fiction" is dismissed as poorly written schlock, with unrealistic settings (like rocket ships and quaint English villages beset by multiple murders every month). Not like literary fiction, which features yard-long paragraphs and characters such as middle-aged literature professors getting seduced by licentious co-eds. Don't laugh, it could happen! Someday ...
No, the real issue is genre fiction is enjoyed by the masses. A lot. And you don't need a degree in Fine Arts to enjoy it either. Now it is true that the quality can be ... uneven. Some of that is due to the need for LOTS of genre fiction. Writing at what is sometimes called "pulp speed" can create content that is a little rough around the edges. Romance writers are amazing at writing a lot, fast. They have to be, because romance *readers* go through multiple books per WEEK and are always looking for more. Their writing discipline is scary and their marketing chops...well, lets just say all the other genre writers try to imitate it, because romance writers know what works and what doesn't. And boy do they sell a lot of books!
Genre is a shorthand signal for setting reader expectations and makes it easier for you to find just the type of fiction you want to read, giving a hint of the contents without giving the entire plot. It's like the label on a box of cookies. We all know the horror of mistaking an oatmeal raisin cookie for a chocolate chip one! If your mouth is set for oatmeal raisin, the label should say so and then you can enjoy your cookie in peace.
It is the same way with fiction and genre. If you want existential dread, cthonic horror, and Things Man Was Not Meant To Know, a regency romance will not make you happy. Genre is just a label, and does not indicate quality, good or bad. And as we at the Book Thread know, happiness of the reader is the most important thing!
The Sabrina Chase Genre Identification Guide (what readers want)
Romance: the plot focuses on the characters' relationship(s) and feelings Western: the main character holds true to their code of honor, even at great personal cost Horror: the plot isn't as important as giving the reader adrenaline spikes of fear. Science Fiction: plot centers around solving the inciting problem using logic and internally consistent rules. (One rule can be broken from our world, like FTL, but rarely more than that.) Fantasy: Magic is often a part of the world but not always. the main character is tested and proven after adventure. YA: Plot and character development focuses on things kids ages 10-16 find important (finding friends, finding Mom, surviving school). Usually, but not always, has less profanity and gratuitous sex and adults sometimes read YA if they want to avoid that stuff.
Each of those has sub-genres, like Regency romance, steampunk fantasy, space opera, and more are getting invented every day, like isekai and LitRPG. In addition, you can have sub-plots of a different genre lurking in the shadows! I write science fiction and fantasy with an emphasis on action and adventure, but there is usually a romantic sub-plot in my books. BUT! I do NOT write romance!
This actually got me in big trouble once. A very nice book reviewer read and enjoyed my science fiction series and posted a glowing review on her site. Unfortunately, she specialized in romance. Her readers were looking for romance. They read her review and bought my book, and HATED it so much they returned it! So I am looking at my Amazon dashboard seeing all the returns and wondering if I forgot to run spellcheck or something. I was quite mystified until I found that review.
Your weekly reminder that it is the 21st century, and not everything is poop-flavoured ice cream.
In a truly 21st century maneuver, one of the companies on the list announced plans to merge with a group owned by the sitting US president last December in a $6 billion deal.
President Trump rewrote former President Biden's original grant of $10 billion to Intel - which had strings attached that the company couldn't meet - into $10 billion in non-voting stock, netting the public a neat $50 billion paper profit.
I'm old enough to remember Compaq's acquisition of Digital being a big deal (I'm old enough to remember Compaq and Digital, for that matter). That was valued at around $9 billion.
Oracle's valuation skyrocket through massive deals for AI datacenter operations, and then people started to run the numbers through their abaci and raise questions.
Specifically referring to a diverging industry with a booming commercial computing market and a consumer market that has had its throat slit and its entrails torn out and been left to die alone in the snow while the wolves gather in the distance.
Well, that's a little unkind. It's not Intel that killed the consumer market, and they are offering us five year old technology in exchange for our magic beans.
Not surprisingly, Grok has the least distinct left-wing bias, but the difference isn't as large as you might hope.
The writers tested for both left-wing and right-wing bias across a sample of a hundred multiple-choice questions, and also for citations of web pages that don't exist. Hallucinated links were a major issue even when the AI models got the answer right.
Oh, and don't trust ChatGPT or Gemini for anything that touches on present-day politics, but I'm sure you already knew that.
Musical Interlude
Disclaimer: The secret is to adjust the strength of the weak nuclear force, guys. I don't know, apathetic bloody universe, I've no sympathy at all.
Three nuns were driving through rural Texas to a church fundraiser when their old minivan sputtered, coughed, and died.
"Out of gas," sighed the oldest nun.
Luckily, a farmhouse stood just down the road. The farmer felt terrible but, after searching his barn, said, "Ladies, I'd gladly loan you a gas can, but the only thing I have that'll hold gasoline is this old bedpan."
The nuns looked at each other. Not ideal, but desperate times. They filled the bedpan with gas, carried it back to the van, and carefully poured it into the tank. Just then a pickup pulled up beside them.
The driver stared in silence. He took off his baseball cap, placed it over his heart, shook his head in amazement, and said, "Sisters, I've been an atheist my whole life, but if that van starts, I'm going to church with you."
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Heather and Marie are old friends. They have both been married to their husbands for a long time. Marie is upset because she thinks her husband doesn't find her attractive anymore.
"As I get older, he doesn't bother to look at me!" Marie cries.
"I'm so sorry for you. As I get older, my husband says I get more beautiful every day," replies Heather.
"Yes," Marie said, "but your husband is an antique dealer!"
*****
Drink of the Night
Jägerbomb
Ingredients:
1/2 (8.3 ounce) can citrus flavored energy drink (e.g. Red Bull)
1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger Jägermeister liqueur
Instructions:
Gather all ingredients.
Pour energy drink into a pint glass.
Pour Jägermeister into a shot glass.
Make a toast and drop the shot into the pint glass.
Drink
The Straw Hat Riot of 1922 was a riot that occurred in New York City at the end of summer as a result of unwritten rules in men's fashions at the time, and a tradition of taunting people who had failed to stop wearing straw hats after autumn began. Originating as a series of minor riots, it spread due to youths choosing to harass men wearing straw hats past the unofficial date that was deemed socially acceptable, September 15. It lasted eight days, leading to many arrests and some injuries.
The riot itself began on September 13, 1922, two days before the supposed unspoken date, when a group of youths decided to get an early jump on the tradition. This group began in the former "Mulberry Bend" area of Manhattan by removing and stomping hats worn by factory workers who were employed in the area. The more innocuous stomping turned into a brawl when the youths tried to stomp a group of dock workers' hats, and the dock workers fought back.
Although the initial brawl was broken up by police, the fights continued to escalate the next evening. Gangs of teenagers prowled the streets wielding large sticks, sometimes with a nail driven through the top for hooking hats, looking for pedestrians wearing straw hats and beating those who resisted.
Fair warning Horde - only a month left to wear your straw hats before Piper shows up to enforce fashion order by force.
*****
Club ONT Department of Irony
Major League Baseball recently held the latest gimmicky "MLB at Field of Dreams" game
Wikipedia:
MLB at Field of Dreams is a recurring Major League Baseball (MLB) regular-season specialty game played in a ballpark adjacent to Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, west of Dubuque, a site popularized by the 1989 baseball film Field of Dreams."
The movie features a ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Wikipedia:
Jackson is often remembered for his association with the Black Sox Scandal in which eight members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox participated in a conspiracy to fix the World Series.
"Fix" - as in lose on purpose to assure gambling winnings for bets against you.
Shoeless Joe was banned from baseball forever even though it is widely believed he never actually tanked during any of the games - but he supposedly knew that the fix was in yet stayed silent about it.
Anyway - the outfield walls at the park featured at least 2 logos for online gambling companies.
What are the odds this was just a stupid oversight? Nah - bet ya it was intentional!
*****
Club ONT Department of In-song Chants
Let's go, fellow 29 year olds -- You know the words!
Only Generation X could get a song banned at dances and school functions. So yes, ban the song if you must. But good luck getting Generation X to stop singing it 😂 We all remember the words pic.twitter.com/6nYgqAtdbl
Saturday Evening Movie Post [moviegique]: Young Washington
—Open Blogger
"Washington! Washington!"
To Internet users of a particular vintage, those two words spoken together immediately trigger a semi-musical rapid hyper-ventilation and a litany of unlikely attributes and accomplishments ascribed to our first President. But The Boy and I kept that to a minimum as we partook of Young Washington on this 250th anniversary of our independence.
This is the latest big effort from Angel Studios, who did The Sound of Freedom, among others, complete with a pitch for you to buy tickets for people to come see the movie.
This is much like Sound of Freedom now that I think about it, with many of the same strengths and flaws. I think it's better overall, and highly enjoyable, yet not quite to the level of the Korean historical dramas we used to be able to see in Koreatown.
Significantly, however, it serves the same purpose. And it earned its $20M budget back at the box office on the first weekend, so it won't be a money loser. For The Boy and I, it increased our hunger for more such material, basically unplumbed since I was a child.
We begin with Washington desperate to find his own men at The Battle of the Monongahela, which they manage to pronounce less silly than I always do ("mun-ON-gah-HEE-la") and which they are losing, until a dysenteric young Washington charges into (against Thomas Gage's advice) to find the Virginia militia.
12 years earlier...
I was on the fence about the flashback. At first I thought, well, this is a start-the-movie-off-with-a-bang thing when I would've appreciated a slow build-up to get to this point. By the end of the movie, I thought they had done a good job with getting back to that point, and the movie was almost a superhero origin story as the socially adventurous Washington tries to climb through the British ranks only to get ahead of his own abilities and to lose the very wealthy girl to the more socially appropriate British noble, culminating in losing valuable men to his stubbornness in a humiliating defeat against the French.
The arc is very good, and very "Korean", if you will. The capable but proud leader finds humility in failure and learns the important thing is serving others. Sorry if that's trite: That's the way it plays out in the history books and it's a good lesson for everyone.
To be great, you have to faceplant.
William Farnklin-Meyer does a good job in the lead. He's handsome and believable, both in proud and petulant moments. Mia Rogers as love-interest Sally is beautiful and...uh...heaving...and is very convincing as the woman who loved Washington but gave him up for the more socially correct choice. They're both actually English, too, which is sort of amusing.
The big names in the cast are Kelsey Grammar, Andy Serkis and Ben Kingsley, all with small but meaty roles. Oh, and Mary Louise-Parker does an excellent job as Ma Washington. Great casting choice.
Good acting all around, in other words, which helps tremendously. It's also well edited. The sound—I thought some of the dialogue wasn't as crisp as it should've been, but otherwise it was quite good. Good use of score.
The action is pretty good. It's Hollywood-ified, but if I'm not going to ding a Korean movie for that (and I never have), I'm certainly not going to ding an American one for it. The pacing is occasionally odd, reminding me a bit of Sound of Freedom.
Storytelling like this is a muscle, and in America it's a muscle that's been underused since the Bicentennial.
Having Sally Fairfax be a knockout makes George seem less like a social adventurer. (Jaclyn Smith played her in the 1984 "Washington" miniseries.)
On a technical level The Boy felt the portrayal of the battle scenes wasn't spot on. He didn't hold it against the movie much but he's jonesing for a movie that understands Linear warfare. Me hearing Bach and Petzold* at a 1755 English ball rankled me.
The Rotten Tomatoes split on this is predictable: 92% for audiences, 60% for America-hating critics, and for all the expected nonsense reasons. It's no Braveheart and not even The Patriot, but those movies were even more brutal to history than this was. This one very nicely blends true elements with a little modern education and some myth-building. I particularly enjoyed Washington's penchant for hacking away at trees when he was mad, and then having him chip in during the Ohio campaign to hack apart a tree that had stopped Braddock's army.
There is a wide range of juicy historical "Easter eggs" for the America Cinematic Universe, from the easiest ("Oh, you say there's an identity separate from the British here?") to more subtle ones ("Oh, you say Thomas Gage doesn't care about the colonials.") Lots of good classist snobbery (which is probably authentic, and even played down, honestly). Lots of, "Huh, slaves...are going to be a problem eventually, ain't they?" that recall the Nate Bargatze "Washington" sketch.
Good stuff. Recommended if you don't hate America. Even if you're so-so on America, you can have a good time.
I stole this from a story with the caption "Ben Kinglsey says he won't stop acting." Why would he? He's great!
*I just this second learned that Bach's Minuet in G was actually written by Christian Petzold, and this was discovered in the late '70s. News just reached me, some 50 years later.
OTHER MOVIES & THINGS:
I was busy finalizing my cover and glossary for my next book, "Lair of the White Worm" and pickin's were slim, but here's what we saw this past fortnight-and-a-half:
The Fisher King: From Terry Gilliam's golden period ("Time Bandits" to "Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas"), Jeff Bridges is a shock-jock (remember how much they hated Rush and blamed him for everything?) whose antics result in Robin Williams' wife being murdered. Williams ventures into hell to get her back. (Wait, no...)
12 Monkeys: Arguably Gilliam's best film (though I still favor "Munchausen"), Bruce Willis is a time-traveler trying to mitigate the apocalypse. Brad Pitt is a crazy man running a pro-animal death cult that may have caused it. Brad Pitt is better at being authentically crazy than Robin Williams was. Plot twist: Pitt achieves this by literally imitating Terry Gilliam.
Network: Massive 1976 Oscar Juggernaut featuring Faye Dunaway as a rapacious network entertainment executive with a vision of corrupting the news to make it profitable. I was struck by how relevant it all felt today. Highlight: Communist revolutionaries arguing over ancillary residuals they'll receive from the TV show based on their terrorist antics.
The Samurai and the Prisoner: Terrific new Japanese historical drama based on a leader whose main problem seems to be an unwillingness to brutally murder the people he's supposed to, which includes children and harmless people. (Or are they?)
Sheep in the Box: Kore-eda's new drama about a couple that replaces their dead son with a robot, and realizes they can't replace their dead son with a robot, and a whole bunch of other things. Interesting but unfocused.
White Nights: Luchino Vischonti's 1957 classic based on a story by Dostoevsky. Filmed at Cinecitta, elements of this Russian drama don't literally work, but it's a gorgeous film with gorgeous Italians in it.
The Rivals of Amziah King: A unique musical/comedy/crime/thriller/drama which is marvellous for the first 45 minutes. Brilliantly edited, heartfelt and good-looking with some fabulous music, it suffers from one unrecoverable issue at the end of the first act which, while absolutely necessary to the plot, dooms the rest of the movie.
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. For this week, the Wheel of Hobbies (TM) is feeling lucky and decided on a fire truck theme for this Hobby Thread.
A what? A fire truck theme?
[Top photo: 1922 Howe fire truck on a Ford Model T chassis at the former Kokomo, IN Automotive Museum, photo credit David D Jackson]
Fire trucks are fun. How many kids looked up to firefighters and visited the local firehouse? How many kids had firetrucks as toys?
How many firetrucks have made their way down parade routes with lights and horns?
Firetrucks and fire fighting apparatus and memorabilia are popular with many people, including many that were never firefighters.
Firetrucks can qualify as a hobby. Anything firefighting qualifies. Any among the horde own a firetruck or have a friend that does? Anyone have an antique fire truck? Has any among the horde served as a firefighter? Does anyone collect firefighting equipment or memorabilia? Anyone visited a museum with a firefighting theme?
If you're an amateur pyromaniac or arson is your hobby, better to keep that to yourself.
***
What are you hobbying?
Fire trucks may not be everyone's favorite but give the content a chance before you judge. Any adjacent hobbying is in scope (such as small scale collecting or model building), so jump in with your interests, stories and questions.
In any event, the thread is not limited to to the theme. Anything (legal) you are hobbying is welcome. Even if the theme does not speak to you, you might learn something or be entertained. If not, offer something else relating to hobbying. If all of that fails, just check in and say hello.
As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. Leave politics and religion to threads elsewhere (unless your hobby is building or restoring churches). Pants? Nope. As always, puns are welcome and encouraged.
Play nice and do not be rude. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls.
SPAAMFAA was established in Syracuse New York in 1958. Over 1800 members are part of fifty local chapters, primarily in the US and Canada. You don't need to own a fire truck or other antique fire apparatus, but it doesn't hurt. Some members focus on photography or collecting books, patches, toys and models and other fire fighting memorabilia.
Are you aware of other similar groups?
***
Want to buy a firetruck of your own? Fire departments periodically sell their old trucks. This guy bought an operating fire truck in Kansas for $3,000 from a facebook post. What a deal! (Really - three grand seems like a steal, even with pricey replacement parts.)
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How to make a fire truck
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People in Poland party with their fire trucks!
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This looks like fun
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Wow. Restoring or keeping old fire engines running is a labor of love.
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I love this. Restoring an old metal toy firetruck:
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Mythbusters tackle firehose power:
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Apparently some people collect fire extinguishers. Sure, why not?
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Horde Hobbying - Moron Beckoning Chasm has been busy with animation:
Maybe BC will add context or background on his project in the comments. I think he'll appear if you say his name three times.
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I do not have the patience, skill or talent to do this:
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"Why would I watch a 30 plus minute video on cymbal making? Because it is incredibly cool."
Related:
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Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did a random car theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.
Notable comments from last week:
***
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).
***
Reminder: if you put links in the comments, use a URL shortener and describe what you're linking to. Failing to do either or both makes you barrel-eligible. Don't make people click to find out what you're linking.
Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Or just email to say hello. Do mighty things.
But I think someone left another cat in our yard last night.
HISTORY
For International Cat Day I have cleaned-up for you this wonderful Autochrome plate by Arnold Genthe. It is entitled "Miss Anna Holch with the cat Buzzer" which was taken in colour 116 years ago using an early colour glass-plate process. It isn't colourised. pic.twitter.com/paJ52sFAlv
At the San Diego Zoo, an otter family stole the spotlight in the most adorable way, turning a simple visit into a viral sensation.
While visitors watched in delight, a proud mother otter carried her tiny newborn pup right up to the glass for everyone to see. Moments later, the… pic.twitter.com/otBzXAAmkT
Our home-bred and born George (Soyara's Dragon King), with his New Jersey dad, Ron. Clearly he's enjoying the good life, even if he is in the Garden State. I sent a message to Ron saying he should be called King George because he's living like one.
Hadrian the Seventh
George is a handsome boy. I think Ron will be a great Dad for him.
* * *
here is my friend's newest addition to the family - Friskers! He's. . . um, excitable.
Boswell
Best wishes to your friend and Friskers! Looks like an interesting new friend!
* * *
Thank you for sharing your pets and animal photos and stories with us 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.
Mr Jimm has put in a daylily bed with a nice assortment of daylilies. Maybe we will se some more in the future, with some cultural information!
Some lovely specimens there. Including some fancies. But I like the plain yellow, too.
*
Edible Gardening/Putting Things By
Eris Enthroned:
Here is a picture of some of my crop this year: Lemon Boy, Costoluto Genovese, Indigo Rose, and Rebel Starfighter Prime.
What a fantastic assortment! What's your favorite?
And:
Torture Garden
Here's a photo of my first T-Rex Yellow hot pepper, 1,500,000 Scoville Units.
Dear God.
Just the tip: no worse than a habanero. Go in deeper: dragon napalm.
I need to sneak this into somebody's Bloody Mary.
Too hot for me.
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Nature
My condo is a second floor unit opening out to my personal terrace and then a larger common terrace. There are water gardens which mean mostly low growing succulents and some pretty container arrangements and some small trees in large containers. Yesterday I found this guy on one of plants. Where could he have come from? He is a handsome specimen so I took his picture.
Sharon(willow's apprentice)
I'm glad you didn't have a horde of them. One was enough. Though he is handsome.
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The other day we were talking about giant spiders. I spotted this one down by the creek.
- fd
"Spotted". Glad you didn't run into it.
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If he: - brings you flowers - listens attentively to everything you say and every sounds your body makes - keeps a warm home fully of plants - watches you carefully when you're nearby - lives in a cave - squeaks are you
Along the way, they depend on native flowering plants to rest and refuel. Planting native wildflowers and milkweed in your yard or in your community is one simple way to help these remarkable travelers complete their journey. pic.twitter.com/yyEFnmPgCJ
The hibiscus next to the monarda started blooming the 2nd weekend of July, and so did the orange Helenium (sneezeweed) in front of it. There is also an Arctic Blaze purple salvia (front center) that I planted this year. I hope it will have enough flowers next summer to interest the hummingbird.
badgerwx
Nice planting for attracting pollinators and hummingbirds!
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Hope everyone has a nice weekend.
If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening 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.
After the unfortunate death of Jason Arday, Ed Driscoll wrote: IT RARELY ENDS WELL FOR A MASCOT OF THE ANOINTED: "The real [Arday] story is of an elite academic world that was so excited by a compelling narrative that they rushed a clearly mentally unbalanced man with no real qualifications to the heights of academia because he ticked so many useful boxes."
The sentence just above quotes Enguerrand VII de Coucy but the Mascot of the Anointed phrase is linked to a short archived piece from 1995 by Thomas Sowell in which "the anointed" worked at the New York Times and their "mascots" were old prison inmates.
Thomas Sowell:
The "New York Times" recently ran a front-page story dripping with sympathy for a multiple murderer who is now very old and who, on some days, "cannot remember" why he is in prison. His victims, however, cannot remember anything on any days.
There are also photographs of him and other prisoners. One prisoner is described as having a disease that "brings mental deterioration." Another, with his legs amputated, is shown trying to catch a baseball on his knees. Yet another prisoner is shown in a wheelchair.
All sorts of heart-tugging stories are told about elderly inmates who are succumbing to various diseases and infirmities of age. There are, however, no stories at all about their victims, or their victims' widows or orphans, or how tough their lives have been. . .
Ways that statistics are disconnected from the images are described.
Criminals are just one of the groups adopted as mascots of the media. All sorts of parasites and predators have been displayed as if they were ocelots or other exotic creatures that adorn the world of the anointed. The deeper question is: Why is it necessary for the anointed to have human mascots? And why do they choose the kind of people that they do?
Whoever is condemned by society at large - - criminals, bums, illegal aliens, AIDS-carriers, etc. -- are eligible to become mascots of the anointed, symbols of their superior wisdom and virtue. By lavishing concern on those we condemn, the anointed become morally one-up on the rest of us.
Is that important? To some it is paramount. A quarter of a century before the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln said in a speech in Springfield, Ill., that the greatest danger to the future of the United States would come, not from foreign enemies, but from that class of people that "thirsts and burns for distinction."
These people could not find that distinction "in supporting and maintaining an edifice that has been erected by others," according to Lincoln. In other words, there is not nearly as much ego satisfaction in building up this country as in tearing it down.
Our schools and colleges are today turning out more and more people who have been taught to want to "make a difference," "save the planet" or "reinvent government" -- in short, to treat policy-making as an ego trip. . .
A lot of potential quotes are packed into this little piece, which has aged well.
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On August 6, Richard Fernandez wrote something that seems too prescient a week and a day before Jason died:
The way I understand it is the bureaucracy uses people like Jason to walk point. Behind him comes the whole pageant of Cambridge DEI administrators, lavishly funded programs with strange names and a highly paid sinecures. If trouble comes he'll be the first to get it.
One thing that I found interesting is that there were stories about Jason Arday learning to read at the age of 18 and video clips of him hugging the man who taught him, but no one seemed interested in putting his teacher into the lecture circuit in higher education. The teacher seemed to accomplish something amazing, according to "the anointed." Was it the absence of dredlocks which kept him out of the limelight?
Jason Arday was diagnosed as autistic, but he seemed to be articulate with people in the administration of Cambridge. His communication with students seemed to be less successful. What was his role in the institution?
When the British invaded Virginia in 1781, General Lafayette was in command of the American forces opposing them and he was desperate for reliable information about the British forces. William Armistead, who was serving as Virginia’s commissary for military supplies offered a suggestion: why not use my slave James as a spy? After interviewing James, Lafayette approved the plan.
James passed through British lines and got a job waiting tables at British headquarters. Not only was he able to carry back to Lafayette the conversations he overheard while serving Lord Cornwallis, he smuggled out documents showing the British intent to remain in Yorktown—extremely valuable information that contributed to the decision to try to trap Cornwallis there. James was also able to carry messages from Lafayette to other Patriot agents behind British lines. According to tradition, a few days after the British surrender, Cornwallis was meeting with Lafayette when he noticed James. “Ah, you rogue,” he said to James. “You have been playing a trick on me all this time.”
After the war James returned to his old life as a slave of William Armistead, who was then serving as a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly. But in 1784, after a chance encounter in Richmond, Lafayette gave James a written statement which read: “This is to certify that the bearer by the name of James has done essential services to me while I had the honour to command in this State. His intelligence from the enemy’s camp were industriously collected and most faithfully delivered. He perfectly acquitted himself with some important commissions I gave him and appears to me entitled to every reward his situation can admit of.”
Two weeks later James submitted a petition to the Virginia General Assembly, requesting that he be emancipated in recognition of his services during the Revolution. James was formally freed by an act of the General Assembly, effective January 1, 1787. Upon being granted his freedom, James took the surname Lafayette.
In his old age James Lafayette was granted a pension by the General Assembly and he became something of a celebrity in Richmond, to which he would travel twice a year to collect the pension. James was in Richmond in October 1824, when Lafayette visited during his grand tour of America. As his procession was making its way to Capitol Square, Lafayette spotted James. Before a cheering crowd, he stopped the procession, called his old spy over and embraced him.
James Lafayette died in Baltimore at age 82, on August 9, 1830, one hundred ninety-six years ago today.
Apologies for a slightly light TWiP this week; John and I are both overseas gadding about. I think John is in London, and I’m today in Barcelona, where I am continuing research on my forthcoming guidebook to European hotels that have decent air conditioning and more than three ice cubes in inventory at any one time. Anyway, the most important issue of the week is who will replace the splendiferous Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary. It’s a tough call, but we have some suggestions.
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Hope you have something nice planned for this weekend.
The Classical Saturday Morning Coffee Break & Prayer Revival
—Misanthropic Humanitarian
[H/T: Meme - Hrothgar. Research indicates Misanthropes do as well]
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Good morning boys and girls and everything in between. Before we enter the Prayer Revival there are just a few housekeeping matters to go over. (Rulz for those of you in Black Earth)
1) This is an open thread. Feel free to lurk, opine and/or bloviate.
2) Be kind, be nice. Enjoy our sanctuary.
3) No running with sharp objects.
4) Have a great weekend!
Please submit any prayer requests to me, “Annie’s Stew” at apaslo at-sign hotmail dot com. Prayer requests are generally removed after four weeks unless we receive an update.
Prayer Requests:
5/23 – I used to have a Different Nic could use some prayers as he waits for the results of a biopsy of a mass on his prostate.
6/23 Update – The latest update is that he has stage 2, “unfavorable intermediate”, which he notes is an awful name, but what it means is, it is in the middle, but bad enough that they want to treat it. It’s more aggressive than previously thought. He is at the point where he has to decide on treatment options, which means choosing which set of pretty unfortunate side effects he prefers.
7/31 Update – He has reached the halfway point in treatment. He’s had some side effects, that are “just annoying”.
6/20 – bluebell gave an update on grammie Winger. Grammie had some major surgery related to her cancer in March and is pretty much housebound. She said she isn’t keeping up on news since her diagnosis; she doesn’t have the energy. She said she thinks of her grey-box friends often with fondness. Please keep praying for her. Your prayers are a source of great comfort to her.
6/27 Update – grammie winger requested bluebell to let the Horde know that she is hospitalized again, with sepsis, and cannot eat or walk. She is very tired and cannot speak for long. She is being fed by tube. They don’t know how long she will be hospitalized or where she will go after (rehab, hospice, etc.). Bluebell has a mailing address for grammie, so please contact bluebell to send a card or note to grammie winger. Please pray for her, that her suffering will be eased, and pray for her family, who are suffering along with her.
7/25 – grammie winger popped in to say thank you for all the cards, letters, and encouraging words. You are a treasure.
6/27 – “A” sent thanks for the prayers for a family friend, who is at home recovering with the family and doing much better. “A” has an additional request for long-time friends (J and S) who are in the midst of intense family problems and requesting healing, peace, repentance, and restoration in the family.
7/18 Update – “A” sends his thanks to all the prayer warriors for all the personal concerns listed here. The requests above are all doing better. Prayer really works. Sometimes the results are not what we expected but end up being what we really needed for other reasons. Thank you all!
7/15 – Captain JS’ daughter needs prayers for his/her daughter. Early on 7/15, she experienced complete heart failure. She is in the ICU on a heart/lung machine. They will operate to see what is happening. Captain JS sends thanks in advance for the prayers and has faith in their power.
7/15 Update – Thanks to all who responded to Captain JS’ request for prayers. The daughter is still unconscious but is still alive. The doctors suspect a blockage to the left side of her heart. They are planning to take pictures and then insert a stent.
7/18 Update – Captain JS’ daughter passed away. Her heart, brain, and other organs were too damaged to regain function. Captain JS sends his thanks to the Horde for all the prayers.
7/25 – Matthew Kant Cipher humbly asks for prayers for Marshall, a long-time friend and HS classmate of Mrs. MKC, who is currently hospitalized with heart failure.
8/7 Update – Marshall passed away after multiple organs failed. Matthew Kant Cipher humbly asks the Horde to pray for the repose of his soul and that God’s perpetual light would shine upon him.
7/25 – Teresa in Fort Worth posted an update. She is still doing fine. Her chemo pump seems to be working and everything appears stable for now. She says she is incredibly blessed! She is working on a stocking for an as-yet-not-born grandchild. She would appreciate prayers for a successful IVF procedure and pregnancy for her daughter and hubby. Next week, Teresa and her husband will be going to California to visit their daughter who lives there and her family.
8/4 Update – Teresa was admitted to the hospital while on vacation in California. She has a bad infection – cellulitis - not due to the cancer. She is being treated with antibiotics and hopefully it will be cleared up in a couple of days.
7/29 – Notsothoreau asked for prayers for Billy Ray’s mother, who was just admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. She is a cancer survivor and chemo destroyed her immune system, so this is a big worry.
8/2 Update – Billy Ray’s mother is feeling better, on oxygen and medication. She is not out of the woods, but has stabilized. She appreciates the prayers from around the globe and says thank you very much.
7/29 – TecumsehTea wrote that MrTea’s diagnosis is colon cancer stage 4. They are praying for guidance for how to proceed.
8/12 Update – MrTea will start radiation treatments for the tumor in the sigmoid colon on Monday – 10 treatments. They are not sure what will follow; they are still looking at options. Surgery is not an option. The cancer has metastasized to the lymph node nearest the tumor and there are 3-5 small spots in the liver. There are also spots in his lung which are indeterminate. He continues on fenben and ivermectin. Prayers are appreciated.
7/30 – David sent an update on his wife, Susan, who we have been praying for as she is treated for cancer. Susan is still doing well and her numbers are headed in the right direction, but they are still having issues with the side effects of the chemotherapy. It is manageable, but they have to increase the number of office visits for additional treatments. Some days are really good right now, but others are only bearable with the Lord’s grace. They are so grateful for the prayers on their behalf.
8/1 – Isophorone Blog requested prayers for his mother. His father passed this past Sunday. His mother had been in the hospital for an entire month previous to that, so they never got to see each other at the end. His mother is out of the hospital, but in declining health.
8/1 – Tonypete asked for prayers for his BIL, who is a developmentally disabled adult and has been living independently (sort of) for decades but the time has come for them to make some changes in his living arrangements and personal finances. This will not go well as he has VERY poor impulse control and anger issues. His dear wife has POA but that is limited in its reach and it is probably time for her to be granted guardianship.
8/7 – neverenoughcaffiene asks for prayers for Lynell, who was recently diagnosed with a rapidly growing brain tumor. Surgery was performed and they were not able to remove all of the cancer. Her prognosis for survival is one year. She is being treated with chemo and radiation. On top of her diagnosis and treatment, she recently broke her ankle. Please pray for Lynell and her husband as they navigate this new reality.
8/8 – Ace-Endorsed Author A. H. Lloyd posted that Mrs. Lloyd will undergo a double mastectomy to remove the breast cancer. She has advanced to Stage 1. Much hinges on the biopsy to determine the specific sub-category of cancer and whether chemo is necessary. Please pray for her in this time of need.
8/8 – Retired Buckeye Cop requested prayers for his nephew, Josh, who is losing his business due to overwhelming debt. Old addictions have returned; he is drinking heavily. He is currently estranged from his family. His mother is Mrs. Cop’s kid sister.
8/12 – Joe Kidd asked for prayers for a friend’s cousin, who is beginning chemo treatments for stage 3 cancer.
8/11: Donna V with &&&&&& contacted Mis. Hum. to let the Horde know the following: "Please let the horde know I am doing fine in hospice". She would appreciate your prayers. You can drop her a line or a card at donnav489 at g mail dot com.
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.
Because they still support cheaper DDR4 memory. The company hasn't hinted at any new architectures featuring DDR4 support, but it has introduced new configurations in Bartlett Lake chips, which use the same core design but offer up to 12 performance cores on a chip instead of 8.
You can't officially buy them at retail and they require different BIOS code, but they are floating around and so are alternate BIOS files.
This also applies to the Xbox One and perhaps more importantly to server ships like the Opteron 6300, which I hope nobody is still running for anything critical.
Selecting for models that do well on benchmarks (and indeed training for them or on RLVR tasks in general) inherently selects for models that make bold, usually-correct assumptions in the face of ambiguity. It penalizes models with a tendency to stop and ask for clarification or direction.
In short, because the incentive was to forge ahead and get things wrong rather than to stop and ask questions.
That makes it twice as fast on that benchmark as the Gen 3 I have in the tablet I just bought, although given price increases it will likely cost four times as much. The Gen 5 model of that tablet already costs three times what I paid.
Ah, the old hide your fraud attempts in white text on a white background trick. And I would have got away with it too, if it weren't for that meddling Select All.
Moronic DEI degenerate Don Lemon demands a court dismiss the charges against him for invading a church to scream at the attendees, gaysplaining that Drumpf is just obsessed with him.
Don Lemon wants a federal judge to throw out the criminal charges against him stemming from an anti-ICE demonstration that disrupted a church service in Minnesota, with the former CNN anchor arguing that the prosecution is politically motivated because of President Donald Trump's longstanding dislike of him.
Lemon's attorneys filed a motion seeking dismissal of the federal civil-rights charges, claiming his prosecution violates the First Amendment and is the product of President Trump's alleged "animus" toward the journalist.
"The record could not be more clear that Mr. Lemon has been a persistent target of President Trump's ire before the events in Minnesota," Lemon's attorneys wrote, according to Variety.
The filing further alleges that the Justice Department "acted on the President's animus by filing unprecedented charges against a journalist for doing his job."
That's Lemon's argument. Federal prosecutors have alleged something considerably different: that Lemon's conduct went beyond simply observing and reporting on a demonstration that entered a church while congregants were attempting to worship.
What Happened Inside Cities Church
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According to the Justice Department, Lemon was charged with conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship under 18 U.S.C. § 241 and injuring, intimidating, or interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship under 18 U.S.C. § 248.
The latter statute is part of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act, which also contains protections for people exercising their religious rights at places of worship.
The DOJ eventually charged dozens of people in connection with the incident.
Lemon has pleaded not guilty.
His defense now hinges heavily on the contention that, regardless of what the demonstrators themselves were doing, he was present solely as an independent journalist covering their actions.
The left has ginned up another George Floyd hoax, this time claiming that violent, knife-armed man attacking cops shouldn't have been shot because he's black.
Yes, that's pretty much their argument. No one would make this preposterous case if cops shot a knife-wielding, out-of-control, violent white man.
Madison police officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson survived an encounter with a man armed with a knife. Now his name is public, his family's safety is a concern, and precautions are being taken to protect them.
Welcome to the second ordeal faced by an officer who already survived the first one.
PBS Wisconsin (emphasis mine):
Investigators on Aug. 10 released the name of the Madison police officer who shot and killed a 38-year-old Black man in July -- a shooting that was captured on video and sparked protests that put Wisconsin's capital city on edge over how authorities treat people of color.
Kiel Baitinger-Peterson, a white officer with nearly 11 years' experience in law enforcement, fired the shots that killed Corey Ruiz on July 22, the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement. Baitinger-Peterson was one of four officers who surrounded Ruiz, who was on a bike, in response to calls about someone who was checking out parked cars and an alleged burglary attempt, police said.
The shooting sparked days of protests and calls from the Black community for Madison to address racial justice issues.
Baitinger-Peterson did not reply to an email seeking comment.
...
The Wisconsin Department of Justice identified Baitinger-Peterson Monday as the officer who fatally shot 38-year-old Corey Ruiz on July 22. The facts released so far are remarkably clear. Police responded after reports of someone checking parked vehicles and an alleged burglary attempt.
Ruiz fled on a bicycle; four officers later encountered him near South Baldwin and Williamson streets, and a struggle followed.
Ruiz brandished a knife and injured Baitinger-Peterson. Two other officers tried Tasers, which failed.
Baitinger-Peterson fired his weapon; another officer was also injured. Investigators recovered a fixed-blade knife at the scene.
...
Yet long before investigators finished their work, Madison Alder Noah Lieberman publicly called Ruiz's death "absolutely unacceptable" and wrote that he found it difficult to imagine any justification for the officers' actions.
He encouraged people sharing his outrage to join peaceful protests. Police Chief John Patterson hadn't yet been able to answer Lieberman's questions about precisely how quickly events unfolded.
Now the public has Baitinger-Peterson's name.
Wisconsin Professional Police Association Executive Director Jim Palmer says he's deeply concerned about the safety and privacy of Baitinger-Peterson, his family, and the other officers.
Palmer says officials are taking those concerns seriously and have put appropriate precautions in place.
Think about what those words mean.
A cop with nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience leaves home one morning, gets injured by a man wielding a knife, survives, and later learns his wife, children, parents, or whoever else shares his life may need protection because strangers now know exactly whom to hate.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who's been crawling from racial scene to racial scene and represents Ruiz's family, has already called for Baitinger-Peterson to be charged.
There's another attempt to hang a cop for defending himself in Colorado. A black man -- of course; this would not be "murder" if it were a white man -- kept advancing on a cop who repeatedly told him to stop advancing on him. The man also kept shouting to his son to pick up the gun he had tossed on the ground, to shoot the cop, of course.
Ultimately, the cop shot the man who would not stop advancing on him and would not stop urging his son to pick a gun off the ground.
Officer Charles Neely repeatedly backs away as Stubblefield advances on him, while Stubblefield can be heard telling his son to retrieve a gun from the ground. Neely keeps retreating until he's being forced toward the street--and only then does he fire.
I've watched the footage. I don't see murder. I see an officer using deadly force in defense of his life.
So how did prosecutors get a murder indictment?
The left is pushing the idea -- they don't dare say this aloud, but this is what they're fighting for -- that black men may veto a cop's arrest. They can simply decide they don't want to be arrested, and violently resist arrest, and the cop is then obligated to Respect the Arrest-Veto of a Black Man and let him go.
Obviously, we cannot allow members of a specific race to decide that they are immune to the law.
Woke One was craaaazy, man. By the way, did you know that all countries, pastimes, sports, hobbies, cities, states, and people generally are "too white"
West Hardford, CT School board member LaToya Yagaloff says black teachers should get paid more because it’s hard to be black pic.twitter.com/jUibmkoPyd
We can reveal that a former supporter of Hizb ut-Tahrir, now banned as a terror group, has been appointed assistant research professor of education at Cambridge, in the same faculty as Arday.
Farah Ahmed has explicitly attacked 'western education' as a 'threat' to Muslims, condemned democracy and integration, and criticised British schools for teaching pupils that child marriage is wrong.
During her time at Cambridge, she has written that the Islamic concept of education is sharply opposed to 'gaining literacy and numeracy and other disciplinary skills demonstrated through qualifications'.
These statements are part of her long record of bigoted, extremist and separatist views on education.
We can reveal that a former supporter of Hizb ut-Tahrir, now banned as a terror group, has been appointed assistant research professor of education at Cambridge, in the same faculty as Arday.
Farah Ahmed has explicitly attacked 'western education' as a 'threat' to Muslims,… pic.twitter.com/XkZ7vgVyj5
Will Fauci Ever Be Charged? Plus: Terry Moran Says He Did a Piece for ABC Asking if Covid Was Created in the Wuhan Lab. ABC Killed the Piece -- On Fauci's Orders.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he'd been warned about "significant cytokines storm and fever" after 2nd dose, with pregnancy implications. Louisiana AG says people who raised same concerns were told "we were anti-vaxxers and we were liars."
From the first week of the Biden administration, public health officials including Dr. Anthony Fauci privately expressed concern that pregnant women who take both doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines early in pregnancy could miscarry, according to a text chain recovered from Fauci's government-issued cellphone, released Monday by GOP Sens. Ron Johnson and Rand Paul.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy asked Fauci, then-director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky whether they had "any data or theoretical reason why vaccinating early vs late in pregnancy would be preferred."
Murthy said he was telling pregnant women there was no "evidence of concerning adverse outcomes in the trials" while acknowledging the number of pregnant women in the COVID vaccine trials were "likely [...] limited." Fauci reminded him that "pregnant women were not allowed" in the trials.
Within two hours of telling Murthy there was a "misperception" even from "female health care professionals" that vaccination "very early in pregnancy" could be harmful, Fauci told the chain he "asked around a bit more." He was warned that the "significant cytokines storm and fever" that commonly follow the second dose "theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester."
Walensky and Murthy both agreed the second-dose concern was a "good point," and Walensky added that she had heard concerns about "mRNA causing mutations in the developing fetus as well."
The next day, Murthy was panicking about the World Health Organization recommending pregnant women not take the Moderna mRNA vaccine "unless they are at risk of high exposure." He called it "potentially quite damaging to public confidence among pregnant women," and Walensky agreed.
Fauci reassured them that "more than 10,000" pregnant women had been vaccinated by that point after emergency use authorization: "No issues have arisen."
Sen. Rand Paul is examining Dr. Anthony Fauci's government-issued phone and says he is taking a special interest in whether it contains evidence of "deletions."
That's significant because Fauci's former factotum, David Morens, is awaiting trial on charges of concealing and destroying government records, allegedly on behalf of his boss, and is facing up to 51 years in prison. Not that many people know that, since only one reporter covered his arraignment in May: The Post's own Josh Christenson.
Paul may have bigger ambitions for Fauci than the criminal referral for contempt of Congress he sent off to the DOJ last week, after the former COVID czar pleaded the Fifth an excruciating 111 times in his Senate committee testimony rather than come clean with the American people about why he funded dangerous gain-of-function research in China's Wuhan lab.
If Fauci can be shown to have concealed or destroyed government records, then he could find himself sitting alongside Morens in the dock, depending on how robust his last-minute pre-emptive autopen pardon from Joe Biden proves to be.
In previous data dumps from Paul's Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Fauci is already on record telling two associates to delete emails.
On February 2, 2020, in the early stages of the pandemic, Fauci wrote to his boss Dr. Francis Collins, then director of the NIH, about the WHO's handling of questions about the origins of COVID: "Please delete this email after you read it."
On July 20, 2020, Fauci emailed his chief of staff, Greg Folkers, about Paul's accurate claim that Florida's handling of COVID was more successful than New York's, writing that the senator, a licensed doctor who volunteered at a Kentucky hospital during the pandemic, was "full of s--t", before instructing Folkers to "please delete this e-mail after you read it."
Fauci declared in sworn congressional testimony in 2024 that he never deleted official records and has repeatedly distanced himself from Morens and denied knowledge of the "secret back channel" Morens claimed in emails that he had to his boss.
Like the pardon of his son, Hunter, Joe Biden's retrospective pardon covered Fauci for any offenses he may have committed in the seven years between Jan. 1, 2014, and the end of Biden's term in January 2025, related to his work as director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a member of the White House's COVID-19 task force and chief medical adviser to the president.
The unusual start date of the pardon, six years before the pandemic began, suggests some of Fauci's legal problems are connected to the period when he was funding dangerous gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology from which a lab leak is believed to have sparked the global health crisis that led to millions of deaths.
...
Fauci and his boss Francis Collins have categorically denied that they funded the research at Wuhan, but the funding path via cutout EcoHealth is documented and undeniable, as is Fauci and Morens' pally relationship with EcoHealth head Peter Daszak. Included in the case against Morens are allegations he accepted bottles of wine from an unnamed co-conspirator reported to be Daszak.
...
Fauci's government-issued phone was uncovered last June by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to FBI Director Kash Patel, who told podcaster Joe Rogan at the time about the "great breakthrough."
"We think that there was definite foul play . . . That's what we're working on," Patel told Rogan last June.
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Paul told Mark Halperin's podcast last week that his investigators were searching for evidence of deleted material on the phone and any "indication someone has cleaned up or wiped the phone."
If such evidence is found, it would place Fauci in the same boat as Morens.
...
Nobody would be surprised if Morens repaid the disloyalty by offering to testify against Fauci if he were offered a plea deal.
🚨NEW: Fox News' John Roberts says he developed pericarditis after his third COVID shot and that it worsened after his fourth shot.pic.twitter.com/fT3AsjCJuG
Bonus: Archlefty Terry Moran, formerly of the Disney Groomer Network, says that he did a piece about the mere possibility that covid leaked from the Wuhan Laboratory for Leaking Covid.
The piece was effectively killed -- by Fauci.
🚨 Fmr. ABC News’ Terry Moran Says Fauci Shut Down Their COVID Lab Leak Story
“The day that it's supposed to air, it gets reviewed and it comes back to me — it is incomprehensible … I was told ‘Fauci’ … There was an organized campaign … to say there's no way there's a lab… pic.twitter.com/FM2Q6oe3m8
The Left's New Charlie Manson, Dreamboat Killer Luigi Mangione, Pleads Guilty to Federal Stalking Resulting in a Death, Admits He Murdered Brian Thompson
Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges and admitted in federal court on Friday that he shot and killed a health care executive in Manhattan in 2024.
"I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan. I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death of bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal," Mangione told the judge, the New York Times reported.
Judge Margaret M. Garnett accepted the plea and said she will sentence Mangione on Dec. 18. He faces a maximum of life in prison.
Mangione, 28, was not charged with murder in the federal case, which accused him only of stalking Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. He still faces a murder charge in state court, which is scheduled to go to trial next month.
In federal court, Mangione faced one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death. Both charges carry a maximum potential sentence of life in prison.
And he'd better get life in prison. I'm seeing on twitter that New York state has a more expansive definition of double jeopardy than most states, or the feds, do. Double jeopardy usually applies for the exact same charges. So in most jurisdictions, a conviction for stalking with intent to kill would not result in a bar for prosecuting this scumbag for murder under New York state law.
But apparently in New York, a judge might rule that the charges are close enough so that double jeopardy does apply.
So if we don't get life in prison... well, this plea might wind up wiping out the New York state prosecution.
Cambridge's Fabulous Fabulist Jason Arday Found Dead, Assumedly By His Own Hand
—Disinformation Expert Ace
This is your fault, Racists. You forced him to lie cheat and steal his way into a position he never had any right to, and you forced the woke communists of Cambridge to promote him to such a high position that his inevitable downfall would be deadly.
Benjamin Ryan
@benryanwriter
50m
Jason Arday found dead
Academic had resigned from the University of Cambridge last week
Jason Arday, the former University of Cambridge professor, has been found dead.
Mr Arday was found "unresponsive" at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said officers were called by the London Ambulance Service at 3.12pm on Friday.
He said: "Sadly, a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.
"At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious. The case is being investigated by officers from the Met's Central South Command Unit. A file will be prepared for the coroner."
I can't even stand the sight of you. #DoBetter, Racists. #DoBetter.
I'm not gloating here. Any death is sad. I'm merely reacting, proactively, to the attempt by the left to shame me for their elevation of a basket-case dullard and liar to a perch he would inevitably fall from.
Adrian Hilton
@Adrian_Hilton
Prof Hilary Cremin @CamEdFac is a disgrace to Education. Baroness Morgan @FitzwilliamColl and Sonita Alleyne @JesusCollegeCam need to resign. And so should the Vice Chancellor of @Cambridge_Uni, Deborah Prentice, who has plunged this once great University to the depths. All those who sat on the two panels and judged Jason Arday worthy of two professorial positions need to search their souls. I said a few days ago that this scandal was of Shakespearean proportions: it is now a monumental tragedy. Shame on all those who never assessed his academic inadequacy and the consequences for his emotional vulnerability.
Remember, entitled, privileged narcissists are too sheltered and weak and fragile to handle the consequences of their actions. So it's incumbent on you to protect them from those consequences.
So you have to indulge them as they kill members of your family.
A South Carolina woman accused of drunkenly crashing into a bride and groom on their wedding day appeared in court for her bond hearing. The suspect, Jamie Komoroski, who has pleaded not guilty, was denied bond. @DeborahNorville and @StevenFabianTV have the story. pic.twitter.com/JYTno5lUXZ
🚨 Newly released bodycam footage from the deadly 2023 crash shows convicted drunk driver Jamie Komoroski screaming for officers to check on newlywed Samantha Hutchinson after slamming into her golf cart on her wedding night.
But I don't think she would have gone to prison if she were a minority. There's a black schizophrenic who has been arrested dozens of times for violently attacking white and Asian women on the street for no reason at all, and the black woke DA keeps dismissing the cases against him. The maniac's own family is pleading for the state to arrest him (and "give him the help he needs," though I'll personally just settle for sealing him away forever).
They won't lock him up until one of the tiny women he plays the knockout game with actually dies of head trauma. And he's getting very close to that achievement.
Unrelated: Hasan Piker's Islamist terror wingman Abdulrahman El-Sayed is behind the Republican candidate Mike Rogers, and Rogers hasn't even begun pounding him with negative ads yet.
Also from the pollsters' analysis: "El-Sayed is underperforming with Black voters, women and suburban voters compared with former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Rogers similarly trails Trump’s 2024 support among voters under age 30 and…
President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order calling for revamped childhood vaccine recommendations that promote his long-held but discredited theory that childhood shots should be spaced out into separate medical visits.
The order advocates separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different single-disease shots and administering all childhood immunizations at separate appointments whenever possible. It also directs the nation's health department to improve research on vaccines, which are already extensively studied, and present a plan to offer separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines for children, since that is not currently an option in the United States.
The renewed focus on vaccines marks a departure from the Trump administration's recent efforts to emphasize less controversial health policies related to healthy eating, drug price negotiations and medical fraud crackdowns ahead of November's midterm elections.
"Less controversial"? The left has opposed all of these proposals, including the ones they used to support. I saw media headlines asking if ultraprocessed foods, full of chemical preservatives and additives, were really bad for you like RFKJr. says.
Motherf***ers, you've been decrying ultraprocessed foods for fifty f***ing years. Now of all a sudden you're not so sure?
Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit.
Oh dear, in the two months between vaccinations a child might encounter some of these largely-controlled diseases.
Childhood vaccines -- and how and when to give them in combination -- go through rigorous studies, and safety tracking continues for years as the shots are used.
Trump called the announcement a "major victory for parents rights, religious and constitutional rights, and for the gold standard science."
Trump's order specified that the schedule take account of the medical practices of other "peer, developed countries." In other words, other rich, advanced countries that aren't shithole countries with their heads up their asses.
In other words: Europe and Japan.
Because Europe and Japan aren't as vaccine-crazy as the American establishment wants this country to be.
But this article doesn't mention that, because they don't want to admit to readers there are disputes about the American vaccination schedule, and those disputes are found in advanced, wealthy countries.
And they do that because the "elites" do not believe in science or even democratic discussion. They believe in authoritarianism, and they like to claim "all of the experts" agree with us on this, so shut up, peon, and do what your superiors have commanded.
It is deadly to this argument to admit that the experts in other advanced countries disagree.
So they just don't even mention that.
But the media is here to inform you, right?
Speaking about the order at the Oval Office on Monday, Trump repeatedly suggested the number or timing of vaccines could play a role in rising rates of autism spectrum disorder, even as scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link. The order also includes several changes to the childhood vaccine schedule that his health department has already attempted, but that have been blocked by a federal judge. A White House official who insisted on anonymity to brief reporters said Trump was within his right to provide his own recommendation through the executive order and said the lawsuit blocking the health department's schedule was a separate issue.
Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the announcement spreads uncertainty, fear and confusion where "there doesn't need to be any of that." He disputed Trump's recommendations and said previous ones should stand.
Oh well we certainly wouldn't want any "uncertainty" about what our Medical Experts have decided is best for us, would we? They got everything 100% right during covid, right?
The media is also freaking out because Pete Hegseth declared that good testosterone levels are good for military performance, and obviously the women and soyboys of the media react to testosterone like scraggly genderfuck vampires react to garlic.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that he is rolling out a new screening program for "testosterone deficiency" among troops, calling it necessary to allow them to operate at their "absolute best."
The screenings will be conducted annually as part of service members' required medical screenings for those 30 and older, he said. Troops under 30 can volunteer to be tested. In a video on social media, Hegseth said receiving testosterone replacement therapy would be voluntary.
In the video, Hegseth simply refers to troops, though it appears he is talking about only testing men in uniform for hormone irregularities.
Good Lord, they can't even let a program to test for testosterone be about men. They want to know why they're not screening women for testosterone, too.
The move comes as other Trump administration officials have begun to advocate for men to have easier access to testosterone replacement therapies, but the messaging from Hegseth and others blends known science on the hormone with broader, and less substantiated, claims.
When asked what conditions Hegseth was looking to address with the new policy, the Pentagon referred to Hegseth's remarks in the video that mentioned keeping troops "strong, resilient and capable" and that the rigors of the modern battlefield demand "maximum psychological and mental readiness."
Over the past several years, special operations troops -- and specifically Navy SEALs -- have come under scrutiny for their use of testosterone and similar substances to enhance performance.
The death of a SEAL recruit during training in 2022 led to a discovery of substances in his possession, including testosterone, and revealed far more rampant drug use among the elite program than was previously acknowledged.
A year after the recruit's death, the Navy said it would begin a drug-testing program to screen for "any hormonal substance, chemically or pharmacologically related to testosterone, that promotes muscle growth."
Hegseth said his new initiative is "not about artificial enhancement."
The Pentagon did not respond to questions about what research or academic studies underpinned the move. It also didn't say if female troops would be able to be evaluated for estrogen-based therapy as they entered perimenopause.
Sign.
What's the number of post-menopausal women in the military? A couple hundred?
You know, the great bulk of the military is 1, Male, and 2, ages 20 to 40?
And does a deficiency in estrogen reduce performance?
I'm not saying that estrogen replacement isn't important for women. As I understand it, it improves women's lives and was wrongly withheld from women for decades due to flawed studies suggesting it was dangerous.
But we cannot talk about men's issues for one single fucking second without the left shrieking But what about the hundred and fifty postmenopausal women in the military?!! WHAT ABOUT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO MATTER?!
Testosterone levels in men decline naturally with age and have long been linked to issues like erectile dysfunction, low libido, mood changes and weight gain. But experts have debated for years how to diagnose those problems and whether they should be treated by replacing the hormone.
Hegseth's announcement comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump administration officials are moving to make it easier for doctors to prescribe testosterone. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration proposed easing prescribing limits on testosterone gels, pills, patches and injections.
...
But many influencers and proponents of Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement tout testosterone as a way to look younger, build muscle and stay mentally sharp -- although those uses aren't accepted by most medical experts.
Again, what would we do without experts?
In other health news: There's a trend of AWFULs getting extra covid boosters they don't need just to own the CHUDs.
Oh, and cause a miscarriage, too.
But I don't think these women are likely to be pregnant.
BREAKING - White liberal women are starting a trend of getting COVID booster shots to get back at RFK Jr., MAGA, and Florida for removing vaccine mandates. pic.twitter.com/LmJ7fuv6Ge
Supposedly "Japanese walking" -- walking at a very brisk, athletic pace for three minutes, then strolling for three minutes, and repeating -- is a very efficient exercise.
It's called Japanese walking, and it's popping up everywhere from group chats to doctors' offices this summer. The idea started with exercise scientists in Matsumoto, Japan, who have spent almost two decades studying it, long before anyone filmed themselves doing it for social media. What makes it different from your usual walk is the timing.
You speed up, then slow down, then speed up again, switching every few minutes instead of holding one pace the whole time. No gym membership, no equipment, just a sidewalk, a track or a treadmill and a willingness to change gears.
Why So Many People Are Skipping Exercise
The gap between wanting to exercise and actually doing it is real. Recent data found that 27% of American adults report zero days of exercise in a typical week, and people who work out nearly every day report noticeably lower daily stress. That pattern shows up most clearly among women, though it's not limited to them.
The method comes from exercise scientists at Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan. It's simple. Walk briskly for three minutes, then slow down for three minutes, and repeat for about 30 minutes total.
A five-month study followed 679 middle-aged and older adults and found their peak aerobic capacity climbed by 14%, while a score measuring several disease risk factors improved by 17%. The gains leveled off once fast-walking time passed about 50 minutes a week, so more isn't necessarily better. Steady, one-speed walking over the same stretch of time didn't come close to the same results.
Why Doctors Are on Board
Doctors interviewed in widely read coverage this year say the pace switching pushes your heart harder than an easy stroll, without beating up your joints the way running can. The faster bursts may also keep your body burning a few extra calories after you've stopped walking, an effect linked to interval-style workouts in general.
There's a blood sugar upside, too. Muscles working harder during the fast stretches soak up more glucose, which doctors say could matter most for older adults keeping an eye on their blood sugar.
I'm going to try this. I used to try to walk really fast as exercise. Sometimes I could walk as fast as 13 minutes for a mile.
The problem with that is: It takes a lot of mental effort and concentration. Unless you are literally concentrating in motivating your body to walk much faster than it does naturally all the duration of the walk, you will inevitably just stop walking at that pace. Your body doesn't maintain that pace automatically. You slow down into your normal pace, not because you're tired (though it does take exertion) but just because your brain isn't telling your legs to walk as fast as possible.
You always have to keep mentally focused on keeping the pace as fast as possible, and frankly it's a bitch. If you want to just kind of think and daydream while walking, you're out of luck trying to maintain a fast pace. You will be thinking of walking fast and nothing else.
But... I do think I could keep that kind of mental focus for three minutes, before relaxing into a more normal gait. And then focus again for three minutes. Et cetera.
Keeping focused for 30-40 minutes is hard, but maybe just focusing three minutes at a time is doable.
I have no gains to report. Well, I guess maintenance gains.
Do you have any gains?
Marco Rubio doesn't. And he seems almost proud of that.
Q: “Are you MAHA?”
RUBIO: “I'm in favor of MAHA. I think people should be healthy.”
RUBIO WIFE: “No, he's not.”
Q: “What's he eat?”
RUBIO WIFE: “Pop-Tarts!”
RUBIO: “The Pop-Tart is one of the great American innovations in the history of the world.” pic.twitter.com/DauPi9klwp
Podcast: In Wisconsin, the Dems steal an election from themselves, abortion is cheered in Massachusetts, Spain gets what it voted for, the economy is humming, and more!
Selections from H.P. Lovecraft's Brief Tenure as a Whitman's Sampler Copywriter
Chocolate Cherry Cordial
You must not think me mad when I tell you what I found below the thin shell of chocolate used to disguise this bonbon's true face. Yes! Hidden beneath its rich exterior is a hideously moist cherry cordial! What deranged architect could have engineered this non-Euclidean aberration? I dare not speculate.
Caramel Chew
There is a dimension ruled by a blind caramel God-King who sits on a vast, cyclopean milk-chocolate throne while his mindless, gooey followers dance to the piping of crazed flutes. It is said that there are gateways in our world that lead to this caramel hell-planet. The delectable Caramel Chew may be one such portal.
Forgotten 80s Mystery Click I haven't forgotten this one. I play it a couple of times a month. But I bet a lot of you forgot it:
Athletic (boogie down)
Hustle (turn back)
Feel pathetic (sugar town)
No muscle (soul hack)
I'm jumping (you move)
No dancer (beside me)
I'm thumping (you prove)
Don't get no answer
He was their living lawn jockey, period. They won't say that 'cause they're sensitive and down with his struggle and all. He was there to appease and flatter their sense of being uplifters of the oppressed. In truth, he served as their living lawn jockey -- no more, no less, and unworthy of even a second thought on their part. Tokenism, pure and simple.
Podcast: More Iran bluster from Trump? Enough! Deportations hit a record, and that is a good thing for all, Todd Blanche's nomination is out of committee, the DSA is on the march, and more!
The Short Unhappy Life of a Russian Soldier: Why recruits die in 20-30 minutes Interesting video. Some key parts: drones were responsible for 70-80% of all battlefield deaths in mid-2025, and I bet it's higher now. The Russian army is incredibly corrupt. Men get assigned to the most dangerous frontline units, the "Storm" units, unless they pay a superior $2,000 to be assigned to a different unit. Furthermore, there is often no real training for recruits -- commanders pocket the money that would have gone towards fuel and ammo costs incurred during training. Much "training" consists just of taking a single picture of soldiers doing something soldier-y, like fording a river, and publishing that as proof that the training was done. Even when it is done, training is only two weeks long.
Podcast: CBD and Sefton discuss the Berlin attack, Iran...Again! Sefton's mini Odyssey review, Data Republican's blockbuster reveal about the DNC, and more!
Forgotten 80s Mystery Click She's totally committed to major independence
She's a lady through and through
She gives them quite a battle, all that they can handle
She'll bruise some, she'll hurt some too
Podcast: Illegals registered and voted in NJ! Leftist violence is baked into the Democrat cake, Iran's capabilities are being degraded, Londonistan? And...come on SC...no senate dynasties!
