Mid-Morning Art Thread

—CBD

Overseas Highway
Ralston Crawford

The Morning Report — 9/ 29 /26

—J.J. Sefton

Good Morning Kids. Let's start off with a couple of blood pressure-raising items and then ask a simple question. First off we have this rancid, repugnant despicable skank from Beantown...

. . . Registration documents tell enrollees that no legal status is required to earn a grant. “Classes cover organizing, public narrative, city government, immigration history, racism, and equity,” according to the New Bedford Guide. The program is also sponsored by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, which funds deportation-defense lawyers and opposes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Wu’s administration is paying migrants $575 to enroll in a ten-week civic-engagement and community-organizing course to help migrants grow their political power to replace Americans.

From the funding of brown-skinned Anti-American foreign-born brownshirts with our own money, we move along to the ungrateful, self-hating America-hating scions of those who made fortunes by embracing America, Americanism and the free market to the fullest, now selling us down the river to the cancer on humanity from the east.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a $1.4 billion U.S.-based charity with funding from the Rockefeller family and other donors, has forged a "dangerous partnership with Communist China" and is pouring millions of dollars into China-based nonprofits that are advancing the Chinese Communist Party's foreign policy goals.

That's one of the findings in a new report, "The Rockefeller Network: How the Rockefeller Family Turned Their Oil Fortune into Extreme Climate Activism," out today from Americans for Public Trust, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative watchdog organization.

Just to underscore the aforementioned, there's this bit of completely unsurprising commentary from the Speaker of the House...

Johnson revealed his thoughts about AI data centers during an appearance on Fox Business when host Cheryl Casone suggested that China has been stoking the opposition. “This is what Democrats do. Every election cycle they find something to glom onto and say that this is doom and gloom and everyone will die if we don’t win,” Johnson said. “Don’t buy it. This is a Chinese psyop. I really believe that. That’s not a conspiracy theory.”

I don't disagree, but certainly our own homegrown Luddite Communist scum are stoking the fears on their own, of course the Chi-Coms have the cash and wherewithal to fuel the propaganda campaigns against AI and for the insane Communists now running the Democrat Party in the hopes of derailing and hastening the destruction of America post November of this year and two years from now.

To this I ask of you all, where are our death squads?! Of course contrary to the Leftist blood-libels we are not racist Nazi white supremacists — we are tolerant to a fault, way too tolerant given that the wolves are now quite literally at our throats.

At the barest of bare minimums why are Wu the Rockefellers and all the other ne'er-do-well miscreant scions who commit treason by throwing billions of their forbears' wealth to those who seek our destruction, not in orange jumpsuits facing a life of pounding big boulders into pebbles.

A candidate seeking the State Senate District 47 seat in the November General Election was convicted recently of felony charges and sentenced on Thursday to seven years with two years to serve in a state prison. Or the Georgia State Senate. Justin Grant Gillespie, 41, of Hull, was convicted in a bench trial before Madison County Superior Court Judge Chris NeSmith, who found him guilty of cruelty to children and battery.

Meh, considering the past 200 years of our history, this is a nothing-burger from the Democrats.

If only we the people of We The People were the tiniest scintilla of the anti-(small d)-democratic fiends they accuse us of being, WOW! Where is our Meir Kahane/Simon Bolivar?!

Just axing the question, as the bromides from my old Brooklyn neighborhood might say. On these and all the other repulsiveness in the linkapalooza, I bid you all to,
Have a good day.

ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
• Victor Davis Hanson: Republicans risk repeating 1992 by failing to counter economic pessimism with the facts about strong growth, falling inflation, rising incomes, and a recovering economy. Remembering the False Gloom and Doom of the 1992 Elections—and the Upcoming Midterms

Daily Tech News 29 September 2026

—Pixy Misa

• OpenAI still doesn't seem to have a handle on all its rogue AI activity. (Tech Crunch)
  
  Because they are idiots.
  
  
  
• Nvidia has launched a new platform for reining in rogue AI activity. (Tech Crunch)
  
  A profitable market because people are idiots.

Monday Overnight Open Thread (9/28/26)

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

Quote I

“Go back to Somalia, go live in Somalia then, if America is so bad,” he said. “And it’s not just Ilhan. It’s Ilhan. It’s Mamdani. It’s Sayed.” Former NBA player Royce White.

Quote II

“It’s not people like you, I would love to have you on,” Maher said. “I talk about Islam. It’s never personal, and it’s never about race. It’s about ideas. Religion is an opinion; that’s all religion is.” Bill Maher

Quote III

Revenues often come from activities that those with discretionary funding can afford like golf, the marina, and beer gardens. These activities are traditionally and predominately supported by white users. This racial inequity is born from a history of systemic racism & injustice. Wisconsin Communist Candidate for Gov, David Crowley

Sorry your kind sits on the front porch slugging down malt liquor and not congregating with us high fa-looting pilsner drinkers.

Good evening, it has been a while since you had Paul Joseph Watson and yours truly on one night.

Respect your elders? Treat women with respect? No, only the lust for enslavement by 7th century B.C. savages.

Anger grows across Spain after elderly woman is evicted from her home of 70 years
Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was removed from the Madrid apartment she had called home since 1955. Her eviction has fueled anger about Spain’s housing crisis.

That is what happens to the average citizen when they give up all means of self-protection.

Speaking of protection, Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna has left the rails pursuing the 2028 Commie nomination. The only leader qualified is a convicted multiple murderer!

How to win friends & influence Dems

Marwan Barghouti is serving five consecutive life sentences for murder. He is incarcerated in an Israeli prison. When it published a column by Barghouti in 2017, the New York Times tactfully described him as “a Palestinian leader and parliamentarian.”

Now the ambitious Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna picks up the thread from the Times whitewash in calling for Barghouti’s release in order for him to become a Palestinian leader. “Palestinians must choose their own leaders. Barghouti has a unique standing among all Palestinian factions. He’s seen as non-corrupt, a strong leader and secular. Barghouti could deliver a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel,” he said.

*****

Would you like or love to Make America Great Again SCOTUS? Well for one thing, give Mr. Kenneth Jouppi back his fvcking plane, with an apology and a large check.

How a six-pack of beer and the Magna Carta could finally fix a problem plaguing Americans for decades
Kenneth Jouppi's $95,000 Cessna was confiscated after a misdemeanor conviction for bringing beer into a dry village

The Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in a case out of Alaska that centers around an airplane, a six-pack of beer and an amendment to the Constitution that traces its history back centuries as a legal expert lays out the potential impact of the ruling to Fox News Digital.

"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted," the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states.

That amendment is at the heart of a case that will be heard by the Supreme Court in December, and Cully Stimson, a senior legal fellow at Heritage Foundation, described it as "the case that libertarians and freedom-minded people have been hoping for years."

So what is happening next door in the Land of 10,000 lakes and 82 million TDS sufferers? It seems like Minnesota doesn't give a halal rat's ass about any citizen's rights.

President Trump’s Justice Department has taken Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul to federal court over gun-purchase delays that can leave law-abiding citizens waiting nearly two months.

The lawsuit targets a state permit-to-purchase system and local practices that DOJ says turn a constitutional right into a bureaucratic waiting game.

For a person facing a credible threat at home, 30 or 60 days is not an administrative inconvenience. It can be the entire emergency.

The Justice Department says Minnesota law imposes a 30-day period on residents who want to acquire a firearm for home defense but do not intend to carry it publicly. DOJ says the delays can approach 60 days in Minneapolis and St. Paul, even after an applicant has passed a federal background check.

When guns are banned. Only outlaws and a large number of useless LEOs will have them. And we know who will use them and who won't.

*****

The ONT Musical Interlude & Color-Rama Emporium

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*****

Go big or stay home and blame the accelerator pedal says our, Genius Award Winner.

EUGENE, Ore. - Eugene police arrested a man after he repeatedly crashed his car into a bank building on Willamette Street, according to the Eugene Police Department.

EPD officials said that officers were called to US Bank at 800 Willamette Street around 10 a.m. on Sept. 24 after reports that a Subaru was running into the building. The driver left the area on foot before police arrived. When officers got to the scene, they found the Subaru parked near the front entrance of the bank. The cinder block siding of the building had a large hole in it, and rubble and debris were scattered on the sidewalk. The Subaru had heavy front-end damage with the front bumper and grill hanging down, and branches from bushes were stuck in the rear bumper.

*****

Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by Mixed Signals.

Notice: Posted with permission by the Ace Media Empire & AceCorp, LLC. No shoes, no shirt, no lingerie, no problem. No more credit from the Liquor Store. And remember, Lutefisk happens.

Close it up

Noah's Recreational Ark Cafe

—Disinformation Expert Ace

The maned wolf has long legs

Little girl missed her older brother, who's now going to Big Kid School. (Elementary school.)

Sea wolf.

Golden retriever is treated as a threat by kittens, until their mama vouches for him.

Copykitten.

A very cute rescued baby elephant.

Corgi helps.

Cat hostess.

Covid hoarding affected dogs, too.

Contagious yawning in cats. I could have told them all about this. I used to fake-yawn to cause a cat to yawn in reply.

The "sky train," a hanging elevated train with windows in the floor.

Horses on the beach.

Quick Hits

—Disinformation Expert Ace

The farmer who did the UK government's job for it and spotted the terrorists casing the Fairfield air force base says the government, get this, is covering the incident up.

Darren Grimes @darrengrimes

The farmer who called in the RAF Fairford incident has spoken. And she's not having Wes Streeting's spin.

There were "definitely more than five," she says. Eight to ten. Faces covered. All dressed the same, "almost you'd have thought perhaps it was what they'd been told to wear."

Five were arrested. All five are now out on bail.

Streeting went on the telly to say she only had a "partial picture." Her reply? Nobody in any official capacity has even been in touch with her.

So: a declared major incident. The one witness from that night says more men were there than were ever arrested. Not one official has picked up the phone to her.

But the Defence Secretary found time to go on the BBC and mark down her account.

Something doesn't add up.

"Well this completely surprises me!" said a baby who was born seven seconds ago.

Report: Google and Microsoft used politically-biased algorithms to block GOP fundraising messages, blocking an estimated $117 in funding for Republican candidates.

I'm sure no one minds such beggary being blocked. But they didn't block so many Democrat begs for money.

A newly published study estimates that Republican fundraisers lost $117 million last year after email providers, chiefly Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo, inappropriately flagged GOP fundraising messages as spam while allowing Democrat fundraising emails through.

The New York Post reports that the study, authored by Dr. Cameron Ellis of the University of Iowa and Dr. Lars Powell of the University of Alabama, uses itemized Federal Election Commission (FEC) donation records to seperate first-time donors from repeat donors across the Republican platform WinRed and its Democratic counterpart ActBlue, then tracked how donations moved during two stretches of spam filtering last year.

The first stretch ran from June 30, 2025, when the GOP consulting firm Targeted Victory told Google that WinRed fundraising emails were landing in spam, through September 15, 2025, when Google dropped a spam blacklist called SURBL that the researchers say had been improperly flagging the messages. During that window, spam filtering cut first-time WinRed donations by 75 percent across Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo. The second stretch, affecting only Outlook, ran from February through April of last year, and saw first-time WinRed donations drop 83 percent. Together, the two periods cost Republicans 142,126 expected first-time donations, which the researchers converted into $117 million using FEC data.

"It's a pretty big number," Powell told the Post. He said the loss doubled as a gift to the other side. "You can really think of that as an in-kind gift to ActBlue recipients."

I shan't believe it:

EXCLUSIVE: Former WPATH President Linked to Multiple Pro-Pedophilia Academics and Activists Over Several Decades, Previously Advocated for Sex Offender Rights

Reduxx can reveal that a leading figure behind the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), an organization which promotes the medical 'transitioning' of children, has a long history of working with pro-pedophile academics. Eli Coleman, a former WPATH president who oversaw and influenced the Standards of Care for transgender medical protocols for decades, has professional ties to multiple academics who either defended or advocated favorably for adult-child sexual relations, and had himself previously drafted Standards of Care for sex offenders.

Coleman is an American sexologist, professor emeritus, and former director of the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health (previously the Program in Human Sexuality) in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota -- where WPATH was previously based for several years. Coleman was an instrumental figure in the development of WPATH Standards of Care (SOC), specifically contributing to the three most recent iterations: the sixth, seventh, and eighth editions.

Significantly, Coleman served as the Chair and Lead Author for the development of the Standards of Care 8, which recommended the validation of a "eunuch gender identity", and would later be revised to remove specific age limitations on the prescription of puberty-halting drugs to children.

He crusaded to see "eunuch" enshrined as a protected "gender identiy."

Through a series of investigative reports, Reduxx revealed that the Eunuch Archive, the forum sourced by WPATH, was co-founded by a man who would be convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in a pedophile ring. Thomas Pidel was linked to over a dozen individuals who had subscriptions with a Belarus-based child pornography enterprise which sold thousands of paid memberships internationally to access child sexual abuse content.

Pidel, who described himself as a "boy lover," was active in multiple Usenet groups dedicated to pedophilia activism and castration fetishism in the years just before his arrest in 2004. Some of the groups Pidel was active in during this time were alt.support.boy-lovers, alt.fan.prettyboy, and alt.eunuchs.questions, the latter of which would become the Eunuch Archive.

The most popular stories in the Eunuch Archive depict the forcible castration of children, and, as previously revealed by Reduxx, of the approximately 10,000 pornographic stories on the site, over one-third involved minors.

Three academics identified exclusively by Reduxx as having played a foundational role in the Eunuch Archive gathered opinions from anonymous forum members which were published as research. The leading figure behind this work, Professor Emeritus Thomas W. Johnson, presented research they co-authored together at a 2009 conference in Oslo held by WPATH.

The collapse of "higher education:"

Companies Are Skeptical of New Graduates. Cornell Has Ideas to Fix That.

The authors of Cornell University's new report on "The Future of the American University" asked employers what they thought of America's new graduates, and the results were not flattering.

Companies have a "jarring" skepticism of higher ed, the authors found, thanks to a new generation of degree holders who lack key skills like handling uncertainty, compromising, and absorbing feedback.

That's because they've been taught that they're always right and challenging them is racist, even when -- especially when -- they know absolutely nothing about the topic.

The sprawling, 238-page report -- the latest in a series of self-interrogations by elite universities -- lays out a plan to once again instill essential skills by the time students walk across the commencement stage.

The report recommends a series of pedagogical "principles" that Cornell should implement or re-implement. "Sound judgment develops through practice, not transmission," the report says. That is, it's not just important what discipline-specific knowledge students learn, but how they learn it. For the report's authors, the road to "essential capacities needed to thrive in the professional, adult world" runs through the liberal arts.

...

To understand newer graduates' preparedness or lack thereof for the workplace, the committee spoke to a variety of organizations and alumni, Phoebe Sengers, one of the co-chairs, told The Chronicle.

One such organization was the Albany-area Chamber of Commerce, in N.Y., where an employee told the committee that companies had reported a greater need for conflict-resolution training, said Ariel Avgar, another co-chair. That squared with reports from the campus: Even graduate-level faculty say that incoming students, despite four years of undergraduate education, are found to be "underdeveloped" in relational skills, said Avgar, a professor in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

They just completely pretend they can't identify the real problem causing this: Uneducated know-nothings who have been brainwashed into thinking they have the answer to everything, and that answer is Muh Racism. And Muh Sexism, and Muh Transphobia.

...

The first commitment, toward "cultivating sound judgment," most directly addresses new graduates' lack of personal development. The report recommends a series of pedagogical fixes, including tightening Cornell's rules on late assignments so that students practice making tough decisions about competing priorities. And the university should anticipate that students will have moments of serious self-doubt, such as when they receive a bad grade in an important course, and "intentionally teach how to respond to negative feedback."

Their big fix? "Group projects." Terrific.

Let's just ignore all of the real problems:

Wesley Yang @wesyang

While she was an undergraduate, Nikole Hannah-Jones wrote a letter to her college newspaper that included a reference to a completely fabricated claim that Africans visited the Americas long before Columbus and helped the Aztecs build their pyramids.

Many prominent black folx in media and politics have similar publication histories from their youth -- Kristen Clarke, who headed the Civil Rights Division of Biden's DOJ, wrote a letter to the Harvard Crimson endorsing the theory that "melanin endows Blacks with greater mental, physical and spiritual abilities." Ibram X. Kendi, then writing under his birth name "Henry Rogers", wrote in the Florida A&M student newspaper that wypipo invented AIDS as a biological weapon against non-whites.

One way to look at the 1619 Project was as a kind of gentrification of Black Nationalist cod history (referencing scholarship convergent with such critiques of American history that have proliferated in the last two decades) once typically espoused by a bowtied street preacher outside Brooklyn subway stations.

Pro America Politics @proamericapol

🚨JUST IN: The migrant caravan from Honduras barreling towards the United States of America is showing no signs of slowing down.

Reports are coming out that it's GAINING IN NUMBERS.

Their plan is to overwhelm border patrol and force their way into the interior of the United States, where they know Democrats will protect them.

This is a national security threat that we are watching approach in real time.

Claim: Candace Owens is a Lesbian Who Cheated on Her "Husband" with a Woman, Keeps Multiple Gay Dating Profiles

—Disinformation Expert Ace

Is any of this true? Well, rumors of Candace Owens' preference for ladies have swirled for years.

I guess we can say, like Candace Owens says of ever batty claim she invents, "We don't know-know, but we know."

"Esoteric Shaggyism:"

Esoteric Shaggyism @EsoShaggy

Candace Owens is a lesbian who cheated on her husband George Farmer in 2022 with a woman.

4 data leaks from 2007/2008 gay dating profiles connect to her emails, including a University of Rhode Island one.

The "Christian tradwife" lied to her audience about everything. The data leaks are from 2011 & 2016, respectively, before her rise to fame.

The accounts themselves date back nearly 20 years. This was before Candace was known, let alone before her birthday, location, and emails were public. Multiple have not been logged into for over 10-15 years and they were utilized for years.

One account was logged into on January 12th, 2022, while she was married and had kids.

"Candamo" is short for "Candace Amber Owens". The 429 in her usernames and emails stands for her birthday, April 29th.

Candamo429 is incredibly specific. The only instance of it being used is for Candace Owens' 2008 YouTube channel, which features a video with her face, voice, and name in the credits for a URI video.

Only 1 Candace Amber Owens attended the University of Rhode Island from 2007-2010. One dating profile is named "Cdot429", which matches Candace's mid 2015 Cdotamber Flickr page and her email Cdotamber429. Cdotamber, Cdot429 and Cdotamber429 are specific.

Every single one of the profiles is solely oriented towards women, with multiple identifying as lesbian and even the bi ones only expressing an interest in women. The way these websites work is if you select "interested in women," only women show up, listing as bi wouldn't make men appear.

Getting into the profiles, 3 were on one site. One, Fling, was on another but is only visible via a 2011 data leak.

Profile 1 - LickyouinRI: Candace Owens describes her sexuality as bi, but only lists an interest in seeking out women. Candace's bio has a savant-like tone.

This account details Candace's desire and passion for the female anatomy. She considers herself an expert at this.

The email attached to this account is an EDU email for the University of Rhode Island and links to her MySpace page. That MySpace page has her name and features a previously unknown photo of Candace in Young Steff's music video.

Profile 2 - collegefuck5: Candace states her intentions in her name. Candace exclusively shows interest in women and licking them.

It also requests a group session with a female couple! No men allowed by the author of "Make Him a Sandwich". That's despite listing herself as bi.

This profile is important because it was last logged into on January 12th, 2022, years after her marriage and first child.

There's no reason to log in again and not delete your gay dating account as a married woman with children. That is, unless you're cheating on your husband with a woman.

I tested it, and it takes about 4 clicks to delete your account on this site. You don't even need access to your email. Even if Candace lost access to her email, she could delete her account easily. Yet she logged in and didn't!

Candace hilariously lists her race as "East Indian" because her grandfather who came from St. Thomas.

This dating profile mentions being a college student from Kingston, Rhode Island, where the University of Rhode Island has its main campus.

Profile 3 - cdot429: Candace Owens lists herself as "lesbian" and states her location is Stamford, Connecticut, her hometown. This profile solicits a discreet encounter with "no strings attached." Candace last used this profile in 2013, confirming she identifies as a lesbian.

The height matches Candace Owens. The email is linked to a Candace Owens from Stamford, CT, who goes by "Candamo429".

Profile 4 - letmelickyou13. This profile is accessible via leaks. All that is shown is that it's exclusively interested in women.

This profile continues the licking theme.

More at the link, including further arguments about the obviously-dishonest woman lying about everything at the link.

He emphasizes that Candace Owens is one of the many pseudoright grifters pretending to be super-religious and "trad," despite being nothing of the sort.

He wrote up these findings at his blog.

Some screenshots of the suspected "Candace Amber Owens" dating profiles below.

Candace Owens is a lesbian who cheated on her husband George Farmer in 2022 with a woman.

4 data leaks from 2007/2008 gay dating profiles connect to her emails, including a University of Rhode Island one.

The "Christian tradwife" lied to her audience about everything. The… pic.twitter.com/AmWCNLxxAb

— Esoteric Shaggyism (@EsoShaggy) September 28, 2026

Full proof this is Candace: Candace Owens' original 2008 YouTube channel is named "Candamo429", featuring a video with her. This matches multiple emails registered to her gay dating profiles. The video is at URI and she later wrote about it on Degree 180.

The one different email… pic.twitter.com/PttKL1CMgO

— Esoteric Shaggyism (@EsoShaggy) September 28, 2026

Here is his evidence that these are Candace Owens' accounts:

Esoteric Shaggyism @EsoShaggy

Full proof this is Candace: Candace Owens' original 2008 YouTube channel is named "Candamo429", featuring a video with her. This matches multiple emails registered to her gay dating profiles. The video is at URI and she later wrote about it on Degree 180.

The one different email matches her Flickr, Cdotamber. It has her birthday too, April 29th.

The URI email is linked to Candace Owens' MySpace page that features her full name. The account and the dating profile are nearly 2 decades old.

Candace's original twitter was @Candace_Amber

All locations match where Candace was at that exact time. Stamford, CT. Kington, RI. Narragansett, RI. Stamford has 139k people. Kingston has about 7k people. Narragansett

There is only 1 Candace Owens born April 29th (429) from Stamford, Connecticut who later attended the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI. That is an exact duplicate of the dating profiles, along with the time frame Candace attended URI.

There is one other Candace A Owens from Connecticut who is over 20 years older, but not from Stamford. There's a Candace Danielle Owens who lived in Stamford at a point that's roughly her age, but born 7 months later and has lived elsewhere since the 90s. Candace lived in Stamford (after New York) until she moved to university.

Candace Owens uses the same passwords everywhere.

Additionally, Candace Owens used the same phone number on her Explore Talent profile as she used on her on her Degree180 website. That Explore Talent profile is linked to a candamo429 email.

The Candamo429 email was first posted on Kiwi Farms in 2016 on the third page of Candace Owens' thread when she was originally identified.

The 2014 date is only because the AFF leak was in 2016, so later dates didn't register. However going to the profile itself shows it was last used 2022.

The only alternative explanation is that a timetraveler went back to 2008 when nobody knew who Candace Owens was, hacked all her accounts, spoofed her IP 4 times, somehow linked multiple social medias, her own website and all her data to compromised emails. Also Candace was never notified of this.

And then this timetraveler logged into just one profile in 2022. As a 18+ year consistent psyop.

He has what he says are pictures and videos of Candace Owens showing she's a lesbian here. One video features Candace Owens -- or her spitting double -- being kissed by a woman embracing her from behind.

And there's this one, which I call "Candace Canoodling."

Could these be fakes? Sure. This could all be a Zionist Lie.

But Canoodling Candace, who responds to most negative mentions of her, hasn't said anything about this claim yet.

Not sure when this happened, but the account that was supposedly Candace Owens' first twitter account is protected:

She deserves whatever she gets.

Candace Owens @RealCandaceO

There isn't a Department of War propaganda campaign from the gates of hell that can undo what I am reading.

It's over for Turning Point USA. The most damning part? They refused to participate in the independent review while publicly lying about what took place. They lied repeatedly and publicly.

I am thoroughly disgusted with Erika Kirk.

All of this information was at her fingertips and she attempted to be a helpless widow while allowing her employees to publicly lie.

Close it up

Hollywood: Shit or Garbage?

—Disinformation Expert Ace

Netflix appointed feminist DEI director Greta Gerwig to direct its new Narnia series -- based, of course, on the very clear Christian allegory book by C.S. Lewis. An allegory so obvious that even fellow Christian J.R.R. Tolkien thought it was a bit much.

The feminist did exactly what you'd guess she would do -- she has gender-flipped Aslan, the clear Christ figure in the story.

Meryl Streep is officially Aslan in Barbie Director Greta Gerwig's Netflix adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia.

After more than a year of reports and speculation surrounding Greta Gerwig's upcoming adaptation of The Magician's Nephew, Streep has now been confirmed as the voice of C.S. Lewis' Great Lion -- one of the most explicitly Christian figures in modern fantasy literature.

But that's only the beginning.

Gerwig has also revealed that her interpretation of Narnia draws heavily from 1960s and 1970s British rock, that she approached the movie with the idea of making a "rock opera," and that her new version of Aslan has been visually inspired by David Bowie.

For longtime Narnia readers -- and particularly the generations of Christians for whom Lewis' books carry enormous spiritual significance -- there's a lot to unpack here.

...

The available material continues to describe Aslan as male, so this doesn't appear to be a straightforward gender swap in which Aslan has been rewritten as a lioness or female deity. Rather, Gerwig has cast a woman to provide the voice of the male Aslan.

I think they're just calling him a "he" for the moment, to tamp down on backlash.

They only have three tricks -- deconstruct; rewrite to propagandize about Current Day Isssues; race- and gender-flip -- and they just do these same three tricks over and over, and then demand praise.

Groomer Network Disney will enable ads on its channel -- even for subscribers who are paying extra to not see ads at all.

Disney has updated its subscriber agreement in parts of Europe to expressly permit advertising before or after content across every Disney+ plan, including tiers marketed as ad-free.

Disney's U.S. agreement already allows limited promotions, sponsorship messages, product integrations, and certain other exceptions on ad-free plans. However, the newly reported European language more explicitly permits "advertisements before/after playback" on all tiers.

Sony's new Gay Wolverine game -- which features a homosexual yearning between Wolverine and his nemesis, and half-brother, Sabertooth -- is being censored in Middle East countries do to its "Pride" content.

Players in parts of the Middle East say regional copies of Marvel's Wolverine have been altered so that Mystique's marriage to Tyger is hard to see and, in some scenes, hard to hear. The reports began circulating days after the PlayStation 5 launch and have since been repeated across gaming sites, including coverage that collected player screenshots, a letter with the text blocked out, and a compilation clip from Reddit.

Insomniac Games' story treats Mystique and Tyger as wives. In versions players describe as Middle East copies, that framing does not survive intact. A framed wedding photograph can still be picked up, but the image itself is blank or fully blurred. A letter tied to the couple is likewise unreadable. Spoken lines that mention "wife" drop out while the rest of the scene's audio keeps going. Subtitles in those moments replace the word with asterisks. One player wrote that the cuts first looked like a glitch, then repeated often enough that they no longer did. Another post aimed at Insomniac asked why Mystique's relationship had been removed in Lebanon.

...

The pattern is not new for this studio's Marvel games. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was previously changed for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, including pride flags and a side quest built around a same-sex couple.

The game, by the way, is bad. Skill Up says it's one of the worst Triple A releases he's played. In addition to being repetitive, it's also low-skill to a fault. The game's levels are the typical single-path linear tracks, but the game assumes you are stupid and points out the way to go, using Wolverine's "scent" ability to draw a glowing bright blue trail for you to follow, and won't let you lose Quick Time Events.

This itself seems to be a political choice. If you're not a gamer, you probably don't know that there's an argument in the gaming world about whether games should require skill and should be difficult to beat, or if they should be "for everyone" and hand you a win just for pushing the top arrow button. I'm a very casual gamer myself so I appreciate games having an easy or moderate mode, but this game seems to take that to extremes, and doesn't offer a harder difficulty for those who want to actually beat a game using skill.

Skill is racist and discriminatory.

It's going to bomb, terribly. And it cost over $300 million. (Yes, Triple A titles cost as much to produce as big spectacular blockbuster movies.)

This guy says his estimates show that while the game sold okay for its first three days, word of mouth has collapsed sales since then:

JayViper @JayViperTV

🚨 WOLVERINE SALES HAVE PLUMMETED.

According to Alinea Analytics, Wolverine made $130 million from Tuesday to early Friday morning, last week. That was a reported 1.9 million copies.

Since that time, it has only made approximately $18 million. This includes the weekend! This represents about 2.3 million copies, so 400K have moved since Friday morning until today, Tuesday.

Wolverine's falloff has been historic, if these numbers are correct, so I checked my own which were close to Alinea's.

My data shows that when I had it at ~1.4M units on Thursday, that now accounts for about 66% of all sales, so my estimate puts total sales at 2.1 million (as of YESTERDAY; my data lags by 1 day).

So yes, it does look like the Wolverine sales have stalled, hard.

Zach Snyder is in director jail -- where they put directors who've had a run of poor-performing films -- after the very divisive results with the DC movies and then the much-mocked Rebel Moon Star Wars copy-pastes he did for Netflix.

So, to get himself out of director jail, he's refuting his rumored conservative leanings and telling everyone he loves The Gays.

Despite having a loyal fanbase and several blockbusters under his belt, Zack Snyder may be finding that Hollywood's doors no longer open as quickly as they once did.

During a lengthy interview with Variety promoting his new film, The Last Photograph, at the Toronto International Film Festival, the director addressed several assumptions frequently made by his critics. He also attempted to distance himself from the perception that he is somehow "right wing."

His comments come as Snyder searches for a distributor for his latest effort, which appears far more grounded than his action epics. During the same interview, Snyder called himself "pro-gay" and described 300 as "the gayest movie ever made." There is no indication that these remarks represent a coordinated effort to make The Last Photograph more appealing to a left-leaning industry, but the timing is difficult to ignore.

During the interview, Snyder argued that his films are frequently dismissed simply because he made them.

"With me, it's more clickable to say, 'I hate Zack Snyder! He's a fascist!' than it is to say, 'I saw the movie and it was cool,'" Snyder said. "Nobody gives a f-- about that. And obviously, I'm not a fascist."

The Last Photograph, an independently produced film from Snyder, is already receiving harsh reviews. Major outlets have described it as "pretentious," "superficial," "miserable," and "undercooked." Until general audiences can see the film for themselves, however, it remains unclear whether those criticisms will reflect the broader reception.

Still, Snyder appears optimistic and is already looking ahead to future projects. That is where the conversation becomes particularly interesting.

The Variety interviewer asked Snyder whether there were any other films he was "just dying to make."

The director admitted that he still wants to make a Rick and Morty movie.

"It would be fun," Snyder said. He then added, "For the longest time, I've been trying to make The Fountainhead into a movie or into TV show because it's too long. I've written it.

When Variety pointed out that adapting the famous Ayn Rand novel was unlikely to "help with the right-wing allegations," Snyder quickly agreed.

"I was going to say! That's not going to help," Snyder said. "But it's an undeniably great book. What people don't realize is that The Fountainhead in the 1950s was like Harry Potter now in terms of popularity. It was off the charts. Even just the why of that is worth it. And The Fountainhead is an insane melodrama. That'll probably be my magnum opus. I'll probably die on that one."

He's also pitching himself as the right director for a Dark Knight Returns live action production, though he stole much of the plot of that for his poorly-received Batman v. Superman movie.

I don't hate the guy for trying to ingratiate himself to his Leftist Masters. He's in steep career decline and can't afford the industry being against him just because his politics are slightly right of center (maybe?).

But I don't think this is going to work. SJWs never forgive. They don't even forgive imaginary sins.

Mark Ruffalo actually wind up helping Paramount/Skydance win in its effort to buy Warner/Discovery? Maybe -- the communist imbecile was a loud and angry agitator against the merger, but he may have blown up his side by attempting his own merger, merging the fake "anti-trust" concerns with open antisemtism.

Mark Ruffalo spent months fighting to stop Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Now, in a remarkable twist, a new report claims the actor's crusade may have actually helped Paramount get the deal across the finish line.

The New York Post reports that California Attorney General Rob Bonta faced mounting political pressure to settle his antitrust lawsuit against Paramount, with Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and others pushing toward a resolution as concerns grew about the potential economic consequences of continuing the fight.

But according to people cited by the Post, Ruffalo's increasingly vocal involvement became another problem for Bonta.

The report describes Ruffalo as a "constant opponent" of a settlement and says the actor made what sources characterized as a damaging mistake when he connected his opposition to the Ellison family with Oracle's contracts involving Israel.

One person familiar with the situation told the Post that Ruffalo's comments "hurt Bonta's effort" and created political problems for the attorney general among fellow Democrats.

Ruffalo had become one of Hollywood's most visible opponents of David Ellison's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

The actor helped spearhead an opposition campaign that collected signatures from thousands of entertainment industry workers. Earlier in the fight, Bonta even publicly acknowledged Ruffalo's concerns, writing in February, "Mark, I hear you," while saying he was speaking with fellow attorneys general about the transaction.

But Ruffalo's campaign eventually expanded beyond traditional antitrust concerns.

In August, Paramount accused Ruffalo of employing antisemitic tropes after he criticized the Ellisons and Oracle's business relationship with Israel.

...

The controversy nevertheless became entangled with the merger fight, with National Jewish Advocacy Center head Mark Goldfeder publicly questioning Bonta about Ruffalo's influence on the case.

The Post now reports that the episode proved politically damaging to Bonta's efforts.

Tasty.

What's even tastier is that the Ellisons are seeking Elon Musk's investment in the company.

Paramount executives reportedly have discussed asking billionaire Elon Musk to take an equity stake in its $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery -- a move that could fuel the burgeoning panic among CNN staffers.

Hollywood mogul David Ellison is looking to build up his media empire's finances ahead of the mega merger, and has been mulling over several wealthy individuals who could back the deal, according to a Semafor report. The size of the investment that Paramount is seeking is unclear.

His father, Oracle founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison, is currently on the hook for more than $40 billion of the equity financing supporting the acquisition, and a contribution from Musk -- a close friend -- could help reduce the burden, the report said.

An investment from Musk could incite uproar at left-leaning CNN, where staffers are already in a panic about potential layoffs and who will be in charge of the network once David Ellison takes over, sources told The Post.

..

Layoffs weren't addressed in detail by the California settlement -- and employees at both companies fear a bloodbath in the months ahead.

"When it rains...[it pours]," one CNN source said of the Musk news. "It's really scary given what he did at X and DOGE."

Love it.

Three Years After a Gang of Immigrants Stabbed Innocent People While Declaring "We Are Here to Stab White People," French Judges Finally Charge the Killers with Murder -- and Anti-White Racism

—Disinformation Expert Ace

The attack occurred three years ago.

I do not know why the decision to finally charge them with murder comes three years after the crime.

Nine members of a gang that descended upon a small French village to "stab white people" have been arrested after leaving one dead and 16 injured.

During a village winter ball in Crépol on Saturday evening, a gang of "outsiders" descended on the French village and went on a rampage that left a sixteen-year-old boy named Thomas dead and 16 others aged between 16 and 65 injured. The dance had seen around 300 of the 532 members of the village attend.

On Tuesday, the government announced per Le Figaro that it had arrested nine individuals in connection to the horrific attack on the. Reports have claimed that the band of young male attackers came from the La Monnaie neighborhood of Romans-sur-Crépol. The area has been associated with rampant issues involving drug trafficking and was the site of widespread unrest during the racially-inspired riots across France in July following the police shooting of an Algerian heritage teenager.

While police have yet to disclose any information about the backgrounds of the alleged attackers, Le Dauphiné Libéré newspaper reported that a young local man who was stabbed during the spree claimed that the knifemen pronounced their intent to specifically kill white people.

"We were having fun, we were among friends, having a good time together and a little towards the end, some people arrived. I heard that there was commotion outside, there was a crowd, I went out, I was stabbed in the shoulder and back, I saw my friend Thomas being stabbed, I was scared, I went back into the room," he said.

"I saw another friend of mine get stuck in the back, I compressed his wound to make a tourniquet, he was hit in the kidney. It was horror. For me, it was clearly an attack. The attackers said: 'We are here to stab white people'."

Now, three years later,
judges have finally charged them not just with murder but with anti-white, anti-France murders.

This is France, so judges actually bring the charges. I don't understand this whole system.

Nearly three years after the mob stabbings allegedly carried out by a group of youths at a dance party in the small French village of Crépol, judges have determined to charge 12 defendants with murder and attempted murder with the aggravating circumstance of "racism against white people and the French nation".

"Indeed, both the analysis of certain cell phones and wiretaps demonstrated that some of them possessed information about the events or the perpetrators, information they took care to conceal."

The decision by the judges to charge the defendants with crimes aggravated by anti-white racism came despite the local Valence public prosecutor's office saying that while there were "racist insults" made by both parties during the incident, they could not determine a racial motive behind the attack.

This desire to cover-up, yet again, for violent foreign terrorists could be what has caused the three year delay.

Le Figaro reported that the ruling came after the judges were presented with evidence from the General Alliance Against Racism and for Respect for French and Christian Identity (AGRIF), which has become a civil party involved in the case and is representing two young men who were present at the Crépol dance on the night of the attack.

However, three defence lawyers involved in the case have appealed the aggravating circumstance of racism and filed a motion calling for the recusal of the investigating judges who made the ruling.

Commenting on the decision to include charges of anti-white racism, the Mayor of Romans-sur-Isère, Marie-Hélène Thoraval, said that she welcomed the news.

...

Due to French privacy laws, the defendants have not been publicly named. Contemporaneous reports claimed that at least one of the alleged attackers was "of North African origin" while another was said to have had "a historically French first and last name".

Update to Fairfield Terror Bombing story:

If you're worried the UK government is being too hard on these future doctors and engineers and space wizards, don't worry, they've already released the flight-risk terrorists on bail.

British Counter Terrorism Police officials said on Monday that the suspects in the alleged terror plot on the Royal Air Force base at Fairford on Sunday have been released on bail, while only being identified publicly as "British nationals".

Amid a growing chorus for more information, UK authorities released a limited description of the five men alleged to have attempted to use explosives to attack RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which is a defacto U.S. Air Force base, including during Operation Epic Fury against the Islamist regime in Iran earlier this year.

According to the BBC, citing counter-terror officials, all five suspects are "British nationals", meaning that they have British citizenship. It is currently unclear whether all men were born in Britain, migrated to the country and were later granted passports, or have British ancestry.

The disclosure, which also omitted the suspects' names, stated only that they were London residents, including a 24-year-old from Camden, a 24-year-old from Willesden, and three men aged 23, 24, and 25 from Westminster. Due to recent demographic changes as a result of mass migration, all three areas of the British capital are now multicultural hubs, where the white British population has been relegated to minorities.

Speaking outside of Scotland Yard on Monday, the head of Counterterrorism Police, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said that the five suspects have been released on bail after "extensive interviews". He cautioned that their release does not mean the investigation is over.

Yes it is. It's over.

Liberal Media Hack Terry Moran: I Tried to Report on Biden's Mental Decline, Which I Saw First-Hand, but the Disney Groomer Network "Shut Down Very Hard" My Pitch

—Disinformation Expert Ace

This is a six-day old story but I don't know if I covered it.

Moran got fired from the Disney Groomer Network last year. He's now free to tell tales out of school.

Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran says network brass "shut down very hard" his attempt to report on former President Joe Biden's health in late 2023 or early 2024 -- after he had grown concerned about the the commander-in-chief's condition while traveling with him months earlier.

"I tried to do the story of Biden's health before anybody else did in network, because I'd seen it and I got shut down very hard," Moran said during an appearance on The Daily Beast Podcast.

Moran, who left ABC amid a spat over one of his social media posts, said he traveled with Biden to Japan in the spring of 2023 and closely watched the then-80-year-old president.

"I thought, okay, he's still functioning, but man, he's frail," said Moran.

"He looked like he'd blow away in a stiff wind and his voice was getting lower and lower."

By late 2023 or early 2024, Moran said he believed Biden's condition had become a legitimate story -- and pitched his ABC colleagues and news bosses in an email.

"I wrote an email to everybody as gently and as respectfully as I could," Moran said. "I think I still have it."

Moran said he stressed that he was not attempting to make a medical diagnosis, but argued that Biden's apparent condition was a legitimate concern for voters.

"I'm not a doctor. I'm not diagnosing," the journo said.

"But we all know what we know when we see people fading. We all have had grandparents. We're all getting old ourselves. And so there's no doubt about it, this is a legitimate concern for the voters of America," he said.

But Moran said ABC effectively told him to back off.

"This is the medical unit's business. It's not yours, basically," Moran said he was told. "And that was that."

Possible Suspect in 1982 Tylenol Cyanide Poisoning Named

—Disinformation Expert Ace

This article recalls the 1982 Tylenol killings and the national panic it caused.

It turns out tomorrow is the 44th anniversary of the first death:

On Sept. 29, 1982, seventh-grader Mary Ann Kellerman complained to her parents of a sore throat. In turn, she took an Extra-Strength Tylenol to ease her symptoms. However, her condition became much worse. Adam Janus, a postal worker, similarly took Tylenol and was unable to wake up from his nap. He was taken to the emergency room in critical condition and unfortunately passed away in the hospital.

A California chemist who had worked with Lockheed Martin killed himself months after the Chicago-area Tylenol poisonings.

He killed himself in an Idaho church. At the time, his identity was unknown. Police called him the "Unknown Wanderer." He had $1900 in cash in his pocket with instructions to use the money to pay for his cremation. The note was signed "Wm. L. Toomey," but no man of that name was found to exist.

His method of suicide was taking cyanide. But it was a different form of cyanide than that used to poison the Tylenol capsules. That can be explained away by wanting to hide his identity as the killer (if he is the killer).

Reportedly, he told coworkers that he thought cyanide would be an effective way to kill people without being caught.

Maybe this is the killer.

But maybe not.

A man found dead in a church halfway across the country may have suddenly unlocked the key -- quite literally -- to one of America's most famous unsolved crimes.

On Dec. 4, 1982, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boise found a man collapsed under a pew. She had worked as a nurse, so she quickly recognized the man was either dying or already dead. A priest was summoned to give his last rites, and police came not long after. In the dead man's pockets were a typed suicide note and $1,900. The note said the money was enough to cover his cremation and any additional funds should be donated to the church. It was signed Wm. L. Toomey.

No such man existed. His fingerprints came up empty for matches, and it seemed like his sandy-colored hair might have been a dye job to conceal his appearance. Even a feature on "Unsolved Mysteries" in 1990 did nothing to uncover the identity of the man dubbed the Unknown Wanderer. All that was known for sure was that he had used cyanide to kill himself.

The case went cold, but in 2019 Ada County Sheriff's Office cold case investigator Tim Cooper took a fresh look at the evidence. Among the items preserved since 1982 was an engraved key found in the man's possession. Cooper traced it to a neighborhood in Jacksonville, Fla. He learned a homeowner there disappeared in 1982, and he was eventually declared dead in absentia. His name was Dr. Mathew Betkouski.

...

But although he had a successful career, working at one point for Lockheed Martin on a NASA-related project in New Mexico, Betkouski had a reputation for making unsettling comments. Former coworkers told Cooper that Betkouski spoke of how to commit a "perfect crime," had a "history of volatility" and referenced cyanide as an ideal way to kill without detection. He also mentioned putting poison in over-the-counter medication, an especially worrisome comment coming from someone who had worked in multiple drugstores.

"It was said that Dr. Betkouski attempted to obtain some type of pills or capsules from a pharmacy in the Las Cruces area," Cooper said at a press conference last week. "He said this would be for an experiment. For reasons not fully understood, Dr. Betkouski created a disturbance at the location and the police were summoned."

Less than three months before Betkouski killed himself, a national terror was unfolding in Chicago. In late September 1982, seven people took over-the-counter Tylenol for their usual aches and pains. The capsules had been opened and filled with potassium cyanide, killing the people who took them. The crimes sent widespread panic throughout the country. At the time, tamper-proof seals were not standard, and investigators believed someone had swapped in the poison after the bottles were placed on shelves. Johnson & Johnson issued one of the largest pharmaceutical recalls in American history as investigators tried to find the culprit.

...

Now, Ada County detectives think Betkouski may be a compelling suspect. He and his wife divorced the year before the Tylenol murders, and he killed himself in the months after the Chicago cases.

Five Middle Eastern "UK Nationals" Arrested In Plot to Bomb Fairfield, UK Air Force Base Used by B-1 Bombers

—Disinformation Expert Ace

Five Middle Eastern and, for some reason, shirtless men were spotted by farmers acting suspiciously near the Fairfield, UK air force base.

Police arrested them.

Five men who were arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences after a major incident was declared at an RAF airbase in the west of England are due to be released on police bail.

Three vans were spotted near RAF Fairford in the early hours of Sunday morning and the police were called, before a huge police operation in Gloucestershire saw the area put under cordon.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said on Monday that officers were exploring "multiple lines of inquiry", including whether proxies or individuals knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state were involved.

The five men are all UK nationals in their 20s from London.

...

Gloucestershire Police said it received a call about "three suspicious vehicles" travelling towards RAF Fairford at 00:45 BST on Sunday.

Five men were later arrested by its officers near Whelford, a village which lies directly east of the base.

A bomb disposal team was also deployed to the village to examine a number of vehicles, police said, around which a 400m (1,312ft) cordon is in place.

Aerial pictures showed a remote-controlled robot approaching two stationary white vans in a wooded area, though its use has not been confirmed by police.

CTP is leading the investigation into the incident. The BBC understands the operation was not intelligence led.

A cordon remains in place around the scene as counter-terrorism investigators continue their work.

Supposedly the terrorists are "UK Nationals."

That is, immigrants granted citizenship.

Sophy Ridge
@SophyRidgeSky

BREAK: Five men arrested over RAF Fairford are all UK nationals, all from London, all in their early twenties

The media always high-fives each other at the "victory" of discovering that Muslim terrorists are technically citizens. They get to say "it wasn't an immigrant, racist!" without noting that they are almost all immigrants granted citizenship, or the offspring of immigrants.

They don't understand that it hurts their deranged ideological position that these are technically "citizens." It shows that that the naturalization process does not work and that people from Muslim countries retain their culture including the cultural approval of jihadi violence.

Just Saying. @Baz704

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale who beheaded Lee rigby were UK nationals as was:

Salman Abedi: M/C bomber: 22 dead
Khurram Shazad Butt: 2017 London Bridge: 8 dead
Usman Khan: 2019 London Bridge stabbings: 2 dead
Mohammed Siddique Khan, Shazad Tanweer, Jermaine Lindsay, and Hasib Hussain. 7/7/05 London bombings: 52 dead
I could go on.

THE MORNING RANT: Lemon Zest Has Gotten Entirely Out of Hand; also, Are Crows Holding a Multi-Generational Grudge Against Ace?

—Buck Throckmorton

I am taking a break today from policy and politics to address what is indisputably a first-world problem. I know how blessed I am, and the fact that I can complain about this issue is evidence of how blessed I am.

With that disclaimer, may I address a situation that has become epidemic in America’s restaurant kitchens…lemon abuse. My plea to American chefs: Please ease up on the use of lemon zest.

Seriously, I have reached the point where I’d rather go to Texas Roadhouse for some reliable comfort food than pucker up to yet another mouthful of lemon peel at a fancy restaurant.

I don’t dislike lemon. I put lemon in my tea and I love chicken piccata. But lemon is like rosemary or cilantro – a little goes a long way. Too much will ruin a dish, as will putting it where it doesn’t belong.

At one expensive new restaurant my wife and I recently visited with another couple, we ordered a crawfish dip appetizer that tasted pretty much like straight lemon juice. The crawfish were visible in the dip, but they could not be tasted due to the intense lemon flavor. I noticed our guests not touching the dip after one bite.

Soon thereafter, my wife and I went to another restaurant that recently opened. Here I ordered the lobster roll. Again, all I tasted was lemon – extremely bitter lemon. Not only was the lobster drizzled in lemon juice, but it was also coated in lemon zest. The sous chef had clearly gotten into the bitter white pith of the lemon rind while grating it. Suffice it to say, there was zero lobster flavor amidst all the bitter lemon flavor.

At yet another recent meal – this time a prix fixe dinner with a celebrity chef – pretty much everything had lemon zest in it, including an appetizer, the entrée, one of the sides, and the dessert. To be fair, some of it was tasty and an appropriate use of lemon zest, but what is the obsession about putting lemon zest in every dish? I love the taste of oysters, but that doesn’t mean I need to put oysters in every dish I make.

A jar of hand-made peach preserves was recently given to my wife and me. She opened it, spread some on a bagel, took a bite, and then made a disgusted face. She said it tasted nothing at all like fresh peaches and asked me to try it. I did, and there it was again – the deeply bitter taste of lemon rind. We threw the jar away.

This lemon zest trend makes me recall the exasperation I felt a few years ago during “peak rosemary.” I don’t dislike rosemary, but I do dislike too much rosemary. There was one night my wife and I went to a small-menu restaurant at which we had previously enjoyed good meals. The chef had suddenly got caught up in rosemary fever. The pork and chicken dishes were both cooked with rosemary. Rosemary bread was served with the meal. And if you wanted potatoes as a side, they were served roasted with rosemary seasoning.

Occasionally if a waiter asks if I have any food restrictions, I’ll tell him/her that I’m allergic to organic food. They usually get the joke. (Organic food purists tend to also be the ones most likely to have self-diagnosed food allergies.) I’m thinking now that I may start telling waiters I’m allergic to lemon zest so that I can get a disclosure of which menu items have had lemon zest inflicted on them.

Crows Hold Grudges…Maybe They’re Holding a Grudge Against Ace?

Since this is a non-political post, this might also be good time to discuss the boss’ problem making friends with neighborhood crows. Several weeks back, as you may recall, Ace discussed his efforts to befriend the crows who were hanging around his place. Sadly, the crows rebuffed his efforts.

Mid-Morning Art Thread

—CBD

Judith Beheading Holofernes
Artemisia Gentileschi

The Morning Report — 9/ 28 /26

—J.J. Sefton

Good morning kids. Over the weekend a powerful Nor'easter blew up over the east coast, causing much inconvenience and destruction as well as tragically one death. Hopefully none of you were affected too severely or at all. But it's the weather and it is what it is. Mercifully the one thing that hasn't really been blowing much are the blowhard global warming doomers. That myth at long lasts seems to be fading. Of course, so long as there is government and other money to be grifted it will continue until the suckers, including federal and state treasuries, are sucked dry. Colleague friend and Cob CBD had an outstanding piece on this and it's well worth a second if not first read.

Last week we noted that so far there had been zero Atlantic hurricanes, a record. For the first time in 112 years, we’ve now gone this deep into hurricane season without one. Of course the media ignore this monumental phenomenon because it doesn’t fit the global warming tale. So what other inconvenient facts are they covering up? Here’s a partial list. . . Activists, Democrat politicians, the media, and general population cranks have long pointed to the worst-case-scenario, everyone-is-on-fire, the sky-is-aflame predictions pumped out by the United Nations as reason to stop using fossil fuels. As it turns out, the U.N admits the extreme forecasts are “implausible.” Will any of the purveyors of this fiction own up to their error, write lengthy articles explaining why they were wrong to trust the U.N. or apologize for unnecessarily stirring up fear? Former climate activist/climate reporter Lucy Biggers, now head of social media at The Free Press, recently confessed that she “never covered positive climate stories because it would muddy the message that climate change was an existential threat that was burning the planet.” She would cover the stories “that made the climate look worse.” This is “why we rarely see events like this year’s historically quiet eastern hurricane season covered widely by the news,” she adds. “Many reporters believe covering it will give fodder to climate change deniers.”

Naturally grift and fear is what keeps the Democrat Socialites of America going, that and the lust for absolute power to take us down.

Far-left candidates, especially members of the Democratic Socialists of America, are doubling down on the GND. . . President Trump also understands that the only surefire way to ensure that the United States has uninterrupted ample energy on hand is by going all in on the only energy sources that can supply dependable power no matter the weather conditions or time of day. Under present circumstances, based on a recent Heartland Institute energy scorecard, “natural gas makes the most sense according to the affordable, reliable, and clean standard, with nuclear, hydro, and coal not far behind. Biomass trails by a moderate margin while wind and solar stand apart as the least desirable power sources.” The revelation that fossil fuels and nuclear get the best energy bang for the buck should not be a surprise. Neither should the fact that wind and solar are far less reliable, more costly, and much worse for the environment.

Meanwhile, we move from the most serious threat to our existence to something that happened over the weekend that is the height of frivolity, as you can plainly see, so apologies in advance for my flippancy!

British authorities arrested five men near a military base hosting U.S. forces early Sunday on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack. RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire in southwestern England, serves as a forward operating location for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command and has recently been used to launch B-52 and B-1 bombers targeting Iran.

President Donald Trump praised the arrests while speaking to reporters Sunday and said the United States had worked with British authorities on the case. “The arrest in the UK was fantastic,” he said. “Working with Britain, it was an amazing job. We had them under investigation.” Trump said the suspects were “looking to do big damage” and that the group had been under watch “for a long time.”

Great, now do the terrorists here at home!

San Antonio Socialists Call for ICE to Leave Austin After Shooting Incident. . . A few dozen protesters showed up at San Antonio’s City Hall to protest the shooting of a 28-year-old Venezuelan illegal alien during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action on September 20. The poorly attended protest, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), drew little attention from passing tourists visiting the Alamo City on Friday.

Meh, the President should surge every ICE agent in the nation to Austin and San Antonio and kick every wetback within reach across the Rio Grande as far south to Tierra Del Fuego or the Ross Ice Shelf that they can.

And speaking of Democrat terrorism.

Nearly 60 Democrat members of Congress signed a letter to sound an alarm: Black Americans are being found hanging, including some from trees, in a wave of possible “modern-day lynchings.” . . . Every suspicious death deserves investigation. But history is not evidence. What are the facts? Demartravion “Trey” Reed, 21, was found hanging at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. The medical examiner found no foul play and ruled the death suicide. His family confirmed that his girlfriend said Reed sent suicidal texts the previous night.

If I was spawned and named Demartravion, I'd put on Klan robes and lynch myself faster than you can say Robert Sheets Byrd!

Dear Lord, Lopecia Pressley, Titty Caca Cortez and all the rest of them can't go to Hell fast enough to suit me, because that is where they are driving us...

Have a good day.

ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
• The storm is expected to continue through Monday.
  Powerful Northeast Storm Kills At Least One, Knocks Out Power For 100,000

Daily Tech News 28 September 2026

—Pixy Misa

• Thieves stole two entire trucks belonging to Plus.ai and got away with 20 tons of raw Nvidia silicon. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  So raw that it was still sand. Because Plus.ai is an autonomous trucking company and was using the sand as a test load. The Nvidia logos on the trucks were related to investments and nothing to do with their contents.

Sunday Overnight Open Thread - September 27, 2026

—Doof

From Mikey

Howdy Hordelings! Welcome to the Sunday ONT. Appreciate you stopping by. Open thread, as always. Fashion and music, as always. What's on YOUR mind tonight?

***

Wholesome content from yesterday

Justin Verlander says goodbye to his teammates

And then holds his daughter’s hand as he leaves the mound 🥹 pic.twitter.com/huyCnsijTR

— MLB (@MLB) September 26, 2026

Today wasn't a game, it was cinema 🤩 pic.twitter.com/F8eWc6u7vT

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 26, 2026

-----

More cool stuff from yesterday

Presidential arrival. 🇺🇸

Air Force One with an EPIC flyover at Neyland Stadium. pic.twitter.com/YVIGSWi24L

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 26, 2026

President Trump just posted his entrance to the Tennessee Texas game!

He was high-fiving, waving, and dancing to everyone screaming USA! 🇺🇸

The crowd was PUMPED UP. That’s the Trump effect. 💁‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/cHtLTZS8v0

— JJ🕊️ (@jesseyjay94) September 26, 2026

-----

If you're gonna do something stupid, go all out!

Blind Man With No Driver’s License Drinks and Drives Car 150 Miles on Highway

In the early morning hours of June 29, when English officers patrolling the M6 motorway near Carlisle noticed an Opel Meriva swerving chaotically from one lane to the next, they thought they had caught a reckless motorist, but they were in for a big surprise. Not only was the driver visibly drunk, but he had no driver’s license and was almost completely blind!

At a recent hearing, Anthony Hall admitted to drink-driving, driving without a licence or insurance and taking his partner’s car without their consent. His lawyer told the judge that Hall had acted out of desperation, trying to escape a difficult personal situation, including relationship issues and financial problems. However, that did little to explain why a blind person would get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive on the motorway while intoxicated.

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OK guys - have you ever thought about your eyelashes? Ever?!?!

Bizarre Beauty Trend Sees Men Trimming Their Eyelashes to Look More Masculine

Long eyelashes have always been a coveted physical feature among women, so much so that we have an entire industry built around the sale and mounting of fake eyelashes. However, long lashes are not as popular among men. Some “alpha types” apparently consider them too feminine and will have them trimmed for a manlier look, despite the serious health risks of such a procedure.

Videos of young men having their eyelashes cut or trimmed at barber shops or beauty salons started showing up on TikTok and other social media platforms last year, but instead of quickly fizzling out, they apparently turned into a global trend.

Forget about too long or too short -- I refuse to believe ANY guy who thinks about the length of his eyelashes is "alpha". Or even hetero.

Anyway - photos and videos at the link. If you care.

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'Ette Couture (Courtesy of Piper)

It's that time of the week - when we turn the ONT over to our good friend Piper for a bit. Here's this week's fashion pr0n.

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What to Wear to the AOSHQ Texas MoMe

The short version: comfortable picnic clothes. The long version is below, because a Texas ranch in the sun will punish anyone who treats this like a cocktail reception, even those of us who are inclined to treat everything like a cocktail reception.

This is an outdoor meetup on a ranch. You will be standing, sitting, walking, eating, and possibly wandering toward whatever shade you can find. Dress for heat, dirt, grass, and a long stretch of being outside. If it looks good at a backyard cookout and you can still move in it after three hours, you are in the right neighborhood.

The basic uniform

Wear something you would actually picnic in.
• Breathable shirt: cotton, linen, or a light performance tee. Light colors help in the sun. A button-down you can leave open over a tee works if you want a little coverage.
• Shorts or casual pants: shorts, jeans you already know are comfortable, or lightweight pants. Remember, if you wear shorts, there are bugs and taller grasses out there. If this bothers you, think more light weight pants.
• Closed-toe shoes you can walk in: sneakers, trail shoes, or broken-in boots. Ranch ground is not a manicured lawn.
• A hat with a brim. Texas sun is not a suggestion.

That is the whole look. Comfortable. Outdoor. Picnic. Ranch.

What “comfortable” actually means here

Comfortable does not mean “I just rolled out of the car in pajama pants.” It means you can sit on a bench or the ground, stand in a cluster talking, walk to the next activity, and not spend the afternoon tugging at clothes that were a bad idea.

Bring a light layer. Even on a hot day, shade, wind, or evening can change the temperature. A hoodie or light flannel stuffed in the car is cheap insurance.

Sun, sweat, and ranch realities

Assume sun. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat will do more for you than any outfit choice.

Assume you will get dusty. Do not wear anything you would be sad to see with grass stains or ranch dirt on it.

Assume bugs. If you are the person mosquitoes treat like a buffet, long sleeves in a light fabric or a bit of repellent.

What not to wear

The brand-new white sneakers you want to keep white, and anything that needs dry cleaning. When walking around the property, you don’t want open toed shoes, unless you are okay with surprises from the grass in the form of stickers or bitey things. This is not the moment to channel Johnny Cash. All black leather is cool, but not when it’s really hot!

A simple packing list

• Breathable shirt and comfortable bottoms
• Walking shoes, closed toe
• Hat and sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm – guys too! The air can be VERY dry
• Light extra layer
• Water bottle
• Hearing protection if you are going to shoot
• Safety glasses if you are going to shoot
• Raincoat or poncho because you never know!

You are going to a ranch picnic with the Horde, not a photoshoot. In fact, we don’t even like to take photos! Dress like someone who plans to stay outside, eat, talk, and enjoy people outside of grey boxes.

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Thanks, Piper!

Although I kinda think this guy has the right fashion idea for Saturday night at the MoMe

American shows up in a disco suit and his own homemade Flock safety camera that he made in his garage to the Lee’s Summit, Missouri City Council meeting

He’s exposing how the city spent $909,000 on only 54 Flock cameras the cameras remain property of Flock. Even if the contract… pic.twitter.com/nMRaG4pnOi

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) September 11, 2026

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DJ Doof - Random Stuff Edition

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Weekly commenter stats for week of 09-27-2026

AoSHQ Commenter Statistics:
Posts : 86
Comments : 23066
Unique hashes : 1363

Top 10 commenters:
1 [634 comments] 'Sponge - F*ck Cancer' [90.05 posts/day]
2 [507 comments] 'TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films'
3 [455 comments] 'jim (in Kalifornia)'
4 [420 comments] 'Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _'
5 [384 comments] 'Ronson Zippo, Esq.'
6 [317 comments] '18-1'
7 [316 comments] 'Skip'
8 [312 comments] 'Bulg'
9 [308 comments] 'Hadrian the Seventh'
10 [285 comments] 'JackStraw'

Top 10 sockpuppeteers:
1 [327 names] 'Ronson Zippo, Esq.' [46.45 unique names/day]
2 [148 names] 'Quarter Twenty'
3 [104 names] 'Maybe that's only on Emirates'
4 [76 names] 'Triggleypuff'
5 [24 names] 'Duncanthrax'
6 [22 names] 'jim (in Kalifornia)'
7 [22 names] 'Hurricane Smith'
8 [22 names] 'Count de Monet'
9 [22 names] 'Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison'
10 [21 names] 'Mike Hammer, etc., etc.'

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Tonight's ONT brought to you by sing along photos

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Doof Enterprises, LLC. thanks you for ending your weekend with us.

Your feedback may or may not be very important to Doof Enterprises. Follow Mr. Doof on X @doof2112 or do the email thing – doof2112 at proton dot me.

Close it up

Gun Thread: El Final-O of September-O Edition!

—Weasel

Howdy, Y'all! Welcome to the wondrously fabulous Gun Thread! As always, I want to thank all of our regulars for being here week in and week out, and also offer a bigly Gun Thread welcome to any newcomers who may be joining us tonight. Howdy and thank you for stopping by! I hope you find our wacky conversation on the subject of guns 'n shooting both enjoyable and informative. You are always welcome to lurk in the shadows of shame, but I'd like to invite you to jump into the conversation, say howdy, and tell us what kind of shooting you like to do!

Holy Shitballs! How in the ever-loving Hell did it get to be the El Final-O of September-O Edition? I am making a quick road trip this weekend so may be in and out of the comments tonight. Y'all please don't burn the place down, 'kay?

With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?

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FUNdamentals

Shooting low & left? Easy to fix! The answer? Don't do that.

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M1 "Tanker"

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1911 v M1 Carbine

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M2 Carbine??

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1911 Holster Review

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2026 TXMoMe

They Mome'n down in Texas!

The time has come to begin the discussion of the upcoming TXMoMe in Corsicana, TX on October 16-17. This is the eleventh annual TXMoMe, or Conservative Burning Man as it's popularly known, and it promises to be a doozy. A double-doozy even. A bigly double-doozy! If you're in either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere of the Planet of the Earth, contact Ben Had for details on attending. The dates and email links for all MoMes are always helpfully included on the blog's main page, left sidebar.

What started years ago as a small get-together and informal plinking session lasting a couple of hours has matured into a full scale jamboree-hootenanny including a program of shooting activities for both handguns and rifles over two days. I have to thank Ben Had, Cow Horse Queen and RancherBob for making this whole thing happen and providing the opportunity for the shooting to comprise such a significant portion of the event.

But wait! There's more! Combine that with world class food and drink, and the even world classier company of your fellow Morons, and you have a weekend that legends are made of. For those not inclined to shoot (?), there are non-stop opportunities to relax in the shade of the carport or under a handy nearby tree with a beverage and visit with your online pals to your hearts content, which is really what the whole damn thing is about in the first place..

Allow me to be serious for a minute. I have said this probably two hundred and eighty-three times now. These gatherings are a really good time, and I know of no one who expresses regret after having attended one. Actually it goes beyond that. It's not just a weekend of laughs, it's an opportunity to connect with lots of like-minded people and create lasting friendships and priceless memories. No kidding. Think that's hyperbole? It snot. Would your ol' pal Weasel lie to you? Well, yes he would, but not about this. TXMoMe veterans will attest to the funness and completely laid-back nature of the event. Don't be a dork, do yourself a favor and get yo' ass to Texas!

TXMoMe veterans: please jump into the comments to encourage the scairdy-cats to join in the fun! What was your first MoMe like? What were you expecting? Were you surprised? Did you have a great time?

If you are attending the TXMoMe this year, and all the cool kids are, please keep an eye on this section for important information and updates in the coming weeks. I also want to reiterate the TXMoMe is not a gun thing with some socializing attached, but rather is a social thing with some shooting attached. If you aren't a shooter, I guarantee you will not feel out of place and will have a great time. No fooling!

Are all y'all getting excited? Weasel are!!

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09/27/26 Update/Reminders/New Stuff

Added 1pm(ish) lunch on Saturday. Moved the handgun start times a little.

**

Here's a fun question:
Q: Weasel, whatever should I wear to the TXMoMe? I want to be both stylish and comfortable.
A: Well in that case I'd suggest your stylish and comfy picnic outfit, with sensible shoes.

Seriously? You're asking me for fashion advice? You're asking a guy on the internet who calls himself Weasel for fashion advice? Buy ammo and no wobbly shit is my fashion advice. Any other questions? How about medical opinions? Need me to diagnose something? How about investment advice? Want me to manage your portfolio? In trouble with the law and need representation?

Sheesh. You people!

**

Call for ideas: I have been doing the same class on rifles Friday morning for years now. Are you getting tired of it yet? I would like to have the session be more of an open forum where your particular questions can be answered with a discussion by the group. I am perfectly willing to keep doing the same presentation, or parts of it, but think a roundtable forum would be interesting and informative. Please let me know what you think in the comments.

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Volunteers: If you are interested in helping out, please send me a note (gunthread at protonmail dot com) on when you plan to arrive (day and approximate time). It is really critical to have this information for scheduling and to make certain we have the proper coverage to make the shooting portion safe and enjoyable for all concerned. Thank you in advance!

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2026 TXMoMe Schedule

Here is an outline of the schedule of events. Times are tentative and subject to modification/change. This schedule will be included in the Gun Thread with any changes incorporated going forward until the event, so please check back weekly.

Friday, 10/16

Rifle Program
8am - 10:30am: Rifle Clinic (carport)
10:30am - 11am: Combined Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Friday Shooters! (carport)
Noon: Light lunch provided (carport)
11am - 4pm: Live fire (rifle range - targets to 1,000 yds)

Handgun Program
10:30am - 11am: Combined Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Friday Shooters! (carport)
11:00am - 12:00pm: Static live fire (pistol range)
Noon: Light lunch provided (carport)
1:00pm to 2:00 pm (carport - confirmation pending) - Demonstration: Basics of Rifle & Handgun Cleaning and Maintenance - EdL
1pm - 4:00pm: Static live fire (pistol range)

Saturday, 10/17

Rifle Program
9am - 10am: Combined Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Saturday Shooters! (carport)
9am - 1pm: Live fire (rifle range)
1pm(ish) Lunch (carport)

Handgun Program
9am - 10am: Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Saturday Shooters! (carport)
9am - 1pm: Live fire (pistol range)
1pm-ish Lunch (carport)

**

Shooters: Bring your own hearing and eye protection, and wear sensible shoes as the ground on the ranges can be uneven! Also, please plan on stopping somewhere along your way to Texas and picking up some ammunition if you plan to shoot and aren't bringing your own weapons/ammo. Everyone is very generous with sharing, but please don't rely on the generosity of others to provide everything for you. You can really help out by grabbing a box of 9mm or 5.56mm or whatever you want to shoot. Here is a link to Brinson Power Sports in Corsicana which sells ammo. They also sell ATV's if you want to grab one of those while you're there.

Anyhoo...

For a while I have been conducting a Rifle Clinic on Friday morning followed by range time Friday afternoon and then again well into Saturday. Most of you (I think) have endured this presentation before, so if there are other topics you would like to have covered, speak up in the comments and I will try to address your request.

We have also been steadily refining the handgun portion of the program and this year will be focusing on the static pistol range as well as continuing to offer a separate setup for gun-curious beginners desiring one-on-one supervision and instruction. If you are a novice shooter, or even have never been to the range before and think guns are icky, you are welcome to shoot! Just see an RSO and they will set you up with an experienced shooter to help you.

These times are approximate and programs may change as weather conditions and participation warrant. We anticipate a hard stop on both ranges at 1pm on Saturday to allow everyone to participate in the bigly fun TXMoMe festivities.

Range Safety
You will note there are combined rifle and handgun range safety briefings both days and attendance is mandatory if you want to shoot. We take your safety seriously and ask everyone who wants to shoot plan on attending this important briefing. Again, we are conducting one combined safety brief each day. No exceptions.

At the conclusion of each day's safety briefing you will be asked to sign a general liability waiver, after which you will receive a color-coded wrist band. The color is different each day, and it is your ticket onto the range(s) for the day. No wrist band, no shooting that day. Don't want to sign the waiver? No problem, just do not expect to shoot. If you miss the mandatory range safety briefing which is mandatory and must be attended, you are welcome to watch the live fire activities from designated observation areas.

All shooters are asked to check in with an RSO (sporting an Orange Cap of Dorkiness for easy identification) upon your arrival at either of the ranges who will answer questions and direct you to an open firing position. The RSOs wield unspeakable power so it is in your best interest to be nice to them. Want to do things your way? I suggest that your own personal range on your own personal property is a good place for expressing your individuality.

IMPORTANT: I would hope this goes without saying, but anyone failing to immediately and politely follow RSO instructions will be removed from the range(s). Period. No exceptions. This means YOU.

I will probably think of more things to yell about in the coming weeks so please stay tuned.

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Our Pal The Micrometer

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Zeroing/Calibrating Our Little Buddy

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Space Cushion!

I see nothing about space or upholstery.

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Highway Patrol!

This week's episode: Blood Money!

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Unknown World!

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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.

Cigarsinternational.com
Cigarpage.com
Famous-smoke.com
Cigarsdaily.com
Neptunecigar.com
Smallbatchcigar.com
Bobalu Cigar Company
Cigarbid.com
Nicks Cigar World New!

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!

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Ammo Link-O-Rama
I'm really very seriously not kidding around anymore. Buy Ammo
AmmoSeek - online ammo search tool
GunBot - online ammo search tool
SG Ammo
Palmetto State Armory
Georgia Arms
AmmoMan
Target Sports USA
Bud's Gun Shop
American Elite Ammo
Lucky Gunner Ammo NEW!

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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?

Close it up

Food Thread: Ranch Dressing...The Universal Ingredient!

—CBD

I am a big fan of grilled chicken. And not boneless, skinless, chicken breasts either! I prefer full-fat bone-in, skin-on thighs, because I am not an effete hipster who is afraid of good food, and who politicizes his meals!

My usual plan is simple, and dependent on what herbs I have in the refrigerator. But the first thing I do is trim the excess skin from the thighs and make gribenes, which is Yiddish for chicken-skin cracklin's! As snacks go, they are hard to beat. Then I salt the thighs and put them in the refrigerator for several hours. I think of it as a dry brine, and it works quite well.

Then it is time to make a marinade, and if I have Cilantro, then I am a happy camper, because it DOES NOT TASTE LIKE SOAP! Parsley works, and so do fresh chiles, and pretty much anything else.

But that bottle of Ranch dressing was whispering to me, and not because I bought it. I think one of the brats picked it up for some weird concoction, and didn't take it with them when they finally left. And what was it whispering? Damned if I know, but I tuned it up with some garlic and chili flakes and honey and a bit of mustard and maybe some other stuff I don't remember, and it was great!

Because marinades are not complicated things. They add flavor. That's it! So anything that tastes good and can be a liquid is going to work.

No...I am not so proud that I won't use bottled dressing that has 46 ingredients. Maybe I won't make it a habit, but why not give it a shot?

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That's a butter keeper, to allow one to keep butter at room temperature so that it is soft and spreadable. And that is a laudable goal, and one that I appreciate. It works...sort of. But butter will not keep indefinitely on the counter, and I noticed some mold growing in it that disturbed me. In the future I will put the butter in the refrigerator and take it out before I need it malleable. Of course that defeats the purpose, but I have never been a fan of moldy butter, unlike cheese, which is delicious!

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Veal Marsala (Scaloppine al Marsala)

I like veal! A good grilled veal chop is delicious. And stupidly expensive. So using it for a dish like Veal Marsala seems silly, because the meat is delicate and easily overwhelmed but the strong flavors of the dish. A much better choice is pork or chicken, at a tenth the price!

Which is what I am going to use tomorrow night!

[Hat Tip: Misanthropic Humanitarian]

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For $10, this wine is hard to beat. It's a generic Sauvignon Blanc without any regional or vineyard designation, but that is at least as much the laws in France as it is a reflection of quality. This is the sort of wine that has good grapes in the bottle, but because they weren't grown on a fancy-named hillside, it is much cheaper than the named equivalent.

And that is perfectly okay with me. I would rather drink good wine from a no-name vineyard than drink overpriced swill from named vineyards that are coasting on their reputations.

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It's called "Stargazy Pie," and it is made with Pilchards, thankfully only in Cornwall.

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Kraft Dinner has turned its iconic mac & cheese into a cream soda flavor

It's only available in Canada for a limited time pic.twitter.com/X3OW0P6uVS

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) September 23, 2026

It's Canada, so not surprising. But still...that sounds disgusting!

[Hat Tip: Vendette]

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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!

Close it up

First World Problems...

—CBD

Do you see the problem? And it happens only to the right shoe!

Obviously the design of shoes with laces is woefully inadequate for these sorts of situations. A better design would include a hydraulic balancer that keeps length and tension equal on both ends of the lace.

And while they are at it it, maybe design a better grommet that doesn't chafe the lace. Perhaps one that pivots with the tension.