Ace: aceofspadeshq at gee mail.com
Buck: buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com
CBD: cbd at cutjibnewsletter.com
joe mannix: mannix2024 at proton.me
MisHum: petmorons at gee mail.com
J.J. Sefton: sefton at cutjibnewsletter.com
A site for members of the Horde to post their stories seeking beta readers, editing help, brainstorming, and story ideas. Also to share links to potential publishing outlets, writing help sites, and videos posting tips to get published.
Contact OrangeEnt for info: maildrop62 at proton dot me
Morocco: Now That We've Sent Criminals to Invade Your Country, We Are Prepared to Negotiate Your Surrender of the Conquered Territory
—Disinformation Expert Ace
NEXTA
@nexta_tv
Morocco has made territorial claims against Spain
Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said Rabat maintains "historical and geographical rights" to the cities of Ceuta and Melilla and wants to create a special mechanism with Madrid for negotiations.
He described their incorporation into the kingdom as Morocco's ultimate goal.
Spain categorically rejected these demands, stating that Ceuta and Melilla are part of its territory.
Morocco has claimed both cities since gaining independence in 1956. Melilla has belonged to Spain for more than 500 years, while Ceuta has been Spanish for more than 400 years.
The issue has flared up again because of the migration crisis in Ceuta, where tens of thousands of illegal migrants crossed from Moroccan territory at the end of July.
Gavin McInnes
@Gavin_McInnes
Ah, so it WAS an invasion. Got it.
Via Instapundit, where Stephen Green wonders if a demand for Andalusia -- the former Caliphate in Spain -- is next.
Thanks to Robert.
Related flashback: In February, Joe Biden claimed that he had ended the mass illegal immigration he... inherited from Trump.
If you're wondering "How is that even a turtle?," there is a shell you can barely see on its back like the shield of Captain Trans America.
As many are asking: Isn't this grooming? Yet another clear attempt to appeal to childish minds.
The Toronto Tempo debuted a new "non-binary" mascot ahead of their WNBA matchup with the Indiana Fever in an apparent swipe at controversial star Sophie Cunningham.
The Tempo revealed Dez, a butch, non-binary Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle who uses she/they pronouns and "has a fondness for soft shell tacos," the team said in an Tuesday announcement unveiling the new mascot.
Sometimes I make up fake quotes and stick them in the quote box as a joke.
This is not one of those times. This is real.
Dez also has a partner in crime, anthropomorphic arctic hare named Dot who uses standard she/her pronouns.
Dez is a Taurus, the team made sure to include in its announcement.
It joins the Seattle Storm's Doppler as the only two non-binary mascots in the WNBA.
The Tempo made a point to announce the new, queer turtle totem during their home game against the Indiana Fever -- and their guard Cunningham who has been outspoken about defending girls and women's sports from transgender athletes.
The Fever beat the Tempo, 101-95.
Cunningham scored 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting, going 3-for-3 from behind the arc while snatching two rebounds and dishing out two more assists.
I have a crow update: the crows returned IN FORCE. I'm not sure why they disappeared or why they came back. I did put out some old cheese and ham that had started to turn and I was just keeping for them.
MORNING RANT: The Data Center Wars - A Massive Proposed Data Center in Texas Drops Request for Tax Abatements
—Buck Throckmorton
There is an intense political battle about data centers right now, with Democrats and their media allies lining up in opposition to their construction, while President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance promote this industrial building boom and its importance to the country. Vance does an excellent job explaining that America needs to be at the forefront of the technology revolution, and that data centers that produce their own electricity make great neighbors, without impacting electricity rates.
I, too, strongly endorse the construction of privately-funded data centers, powered by on-site plants generating electricity from natural gas, but as I’ve previously written, ”I do not support the construction of data centers for which tax abatements, incentive payments, and subsidized utilities must be paid by taxpayers. In the raging battle between pro-data center and anti-data center forces, the two sides may not even be talking about the same thing. It is understandable that many of those who oppose data centers are skeptical, given the horrendous track record of corporate welfare, corporate cronyism, and taxpayer-funded industrial boondoggles they’ve been forced to pay for.”
If taxpayers feel there is a binary choice between either banning economic progress, like several blue states have done with data centers, or subsidizing it, like Republican elected officials reflexively do, you can expect exhausted taxpayers to be opposed to such “economic development.” The message seems to be getting through to data center developers that the era of taxpayer-subsidized industrial development has played out. Rather than make demands on communities, the developers are starting to realize they need to promise to improve the communities where they’ll be building, without subsidization.
Near Austin, in Bastrop County, Texas, a massive (2,800 acre) proposed data center faced strong community opposition because it sought not only a 100% tax abatement from property taxes, but it also sought an abatement from emergency services taxes too. The Pacifico Energy project sought to take services from the community through 2038 without paying any taxes for the services they’d be using.
Pacifico Energy told KVUE it made the decision after hearing concerns from residents. “We withdrew our Chapter 312 and JETI applications because we heard the community clearly,” the company said in a statement. “The Cedar Creek Campus is not seeking any tax incentives and will pay its property taxes in full, like any other taxpayer in Bastrop County.”
The change was welcomed by some residents who have opposed the project. Josh Mincher, a Red Rock resident, said taxes were one of the community's primary concerns.
This is great news – just build it without taxpayer subsidization. In addition, Pacifico will build its own natural-gas fired electricity generating plant on the site.
Another issue facing data center developers is the enmity that the tech industry has earned. During the great awokening, the tech bros were happy to be a censor of forbidden opinions while jamming the woke agenda down our throats. Tech has subsequently embraced an unpatriotic purging of American labor to be replaced by cheap foreign labor, either by offshoring, or by importing foreign H-1B labor. On top of that, many industry leaders engaged in naïve and destructive crowing about how AI will eliminate millions of jobs. They dug themselves a deep hole.
But what is great is that the tech industry has now come to realize that despite their “clean energy” posturing during peak-woke, there is no way to power their future without abundant, reliable energy that can only be provided by fossil fuels or nuclear energy. I welcome their rejection of green energy, the core tenet of the Church of Climate.
I’m excited for the tech industry to be my ally in the war on the globalist climate cult, and this is a start. In addition, if “my team” is going to support tech building data centers, while also getting reliable electricity from fossil fuels, my team will also have leverage to make tech start being better corporate citizens who prioritize America and fellow Americans.
Returning to the Pacifico Energy data center in Texas, I applaud the local residents for being opposed to subsidizing it, and I applaud Pacifico for proceeding without subsidization, while also building a new power plant powered by fossil fuels.
Thanks. I’m solidly pro-industrial development, including data centers, but w/o taxpayer subsidization. I’ve watched GOP governors hurl billions at EV-related startups, and when I object I’m called “anti-business” by those seeking redistribution of wealth from taxpayers to corps.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed California’s controversial “Stop Nick Shirley Act” into law Saturday, which critics say will suppress investigative journalism in the state.
Newsom, however, won’t be around to officially field any First Amendment court challenges of Assembly Bill 2624. The law does not take effect until October 1, 2027, nearly ten months after the northern California Democrat has left office because of term limits. The bill expands the state’s “Safe at Home” program to employees of nonprofits that purportedly help people navigating the U.S. immigration system.
What that could mean, critics say, is investigative reporters are banned from seeking to interview workers whose organizations are suspected of fraud. Mia Bonta, the Almeda Democrat who introduced the bill back in February has rejected that interpretations, saying the law does not conflate legitimate journalism with the doxxing targeted by Safe at Home, the California Post reported. . .
. . . Critics, like Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio from San Diego have countered that the measure is simply meant to intimidate people “trying to shine light on bad behavior.” DeMaio coined the nicknamed the law the “Stop Nick Shirley Act.”
. . . Shirley, an independent journalist and YouTuber, has made viral videos following immigrant workers and accusing them of fraud, particularly incidences involving day nonprofits in the Somali community in metropolitan Minneapolis. . .
The young journalist has criticized AB 2624, alleging it was created only after he “exposed widespread fraud in immigrant communities” in California and Minnesota.
God bless Nick Shirley and anyone and everyone like him, like James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles of Project Veritas, for they are the real journalists and patriots exposing the grift and graft that are robbing the taxpayer and treasury blind while empowering scum like Newsom and funding his and his allies to the tune of billions as they work to enrich themselves while enslaving America and destroying the very foundations of our republic. It is the legacy "mainstream media" whose goal is to perpetuate the myths and lies of Newsom et al, as a de facto Leftist/Globalist ministry of propaganda, in service to our destruction. Trust in them has absolutely cratered year after year over the past decade. When the editorial boards of the NY Times and Washington Post along with CNN and MSNOW(NSDAP) finally go dark, the incandescent light of truth shall be a sight for sore eyes, and that is a light that has been lit by Nick Shirley, and long may it shine, Amen!
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment dropped by more than 13 percent in just one year. . .
This reduction follows the introduction of stricter requirements. Under new federal rules, adults aged between 55 and 64 and parents of children aged between 14 and 17 must now meet work, volunteer, or education requirements in order to qualify for the food stamps program. Specifically, new data released this week revealed that enrollment fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May this year, much faster than anticipated . .
. . . The rapid decline in SNAP enrollment suggests that the President’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and fraud crackdown are achieving their aim of reducing welfare reliance. Waste, fraud, and abuse have become significant problems costing the government immense sums of money. In one high-profile case, reported back in March, a Haitian man admitted to $7.6 million in SNAP fraud committed through his retail store in Boston, Massachusetts. Another bust earlier this year implicated more than 20 retailers in Ohio. In Minnesota, a woman admitted to over $300,000 in SNAP fraud through illegally obtained Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
This is certainly not necessarily Nick Shirley's doing but no doubt the shining of the light certainly makes the efforts of President Trump, Musk and DOGE that much more effective and popular, at least among real actual Americans and Taxpayers.
In conclusion, while the causes of the MAGA and DSA populist movements are similar, thus allowing for rare and specific instances of agreement, the overarching differences between their agendas are as stark and irreconcilable as their respective views of America and the power of its government.
A reformist MAGA seeks to “drain the swamp” to “make America great again.”
A radical DSA seeks to empower government to “flood the zone” to create a socialist hellscape.
And a frustrated electorate just wants practical results that work for them.
Students of history know of the failures and horrors of socialism. But they also know that in trying times, the temptation to trade freedom for “free stuff” can be powerful.
And that the DSA is banking on it.
While certain elements of the establishment Democrat Party are trying to distance themselves from the DSA, others are riding the back of the Tiger thinking they can go all the way to power and immortality, or be eaten last.
Perhaps this is Newsom's logic as he is or at least was a major, if not "THE" contender to beat for the 2028 presidential nomination. I guess, we'll just have to wait and see.
PETA knows how to find a villain. When Kristi Noem, then South Dakota governor and later a member of the Trump administration, revealed in 2024 that she had shot her 14-month-old dog Cricket, PETA went straight for her throat.
The group said Americans would consider Noem a "psychotic loony." It later sold a Halloween costume depicting Noem as a "Puppy Killer."
Nobody had to search for PETA's position. Subtlety had left the building.
Then came Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, Michigan's Democrat nominee for the Senate.
El-Sayed oversaw Detroit Animal Control for about 16 months while serving as Detroit health director. He was reported to have had more than 4,000 dogs and cats euthanized during his tenure, although the number during his actual period of oversight appears to have been closer to 1,900. . .
. . . But principles aren't worth much when their volume changes depending on whose name is attached to the controversy.
Kristi Noem got "psychotic and loony." Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed got a lecture about breeders.
People can decide for themselves whether politics had anything to do with it. PETA made sure they have plenty of evidence to consider.
Well, once President/Mullah El-Sayed starts euthanizing Jews there will be no criticism since per Newsom's law along with the Koran, that will be illegal and get one arrested, "inshallah!"
Facts are facts, even when they complicate a good political punch. But PETA's response remains fascinating. When questioned about El-Sayed, PETA blamed the larger problem on breeders, retailers, people who buy instead of adopt, and owners who don't spay or neuter their pets. PETA Savaged Kristi Noem. For Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, It Found Excuses.
Because Donald Trump comes from the business world, unlike his predecessors in office, he has made it clear he prefers negotiating with adversaries to war, and economic strangulation when negotiating with them fails. The Big Build and the Siege of Iran
The Houthis claimed their targets were a “sensitive Saudi enemy site at Najran Airport” and a facility belonging to Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national energy company. The Najran region is located in southwestern Saudi Arabia, close to the border with Yemen. Iran-Backed Houthi Terrorists Claim Attacks on Saudi Airport and Oil Facility
President Trump's announcement on Wednesday that he was launching an "Economic D-Day" on Iran has been met with a combination of bluster and panic in Tehran. Turmoil in Tehran
The rapid decline in SNAP enrollment suggests that the President’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and fraud crackdown are achieving their aim of reducing welfare reliance. Waste, fraud, and abuse have become significant problems costing the government immense sums of money... SNAP Enrollment Declines Dramatically Amid Fraud Crackdown.
AI-powered cyberattacks are already here. Quantum computing could soon break the encryption underpinning the modern economy. (Hat tip to author and friend of the blog Brandt Pasco - jjs) AI Is a National Security Problem, But Q Day Is Coming.
This is not the only child safety-related lawsuit to face TikTok and ByteDance. In Pennsylvania, the platform is facing a lawsuit alleging that TikTok is addictive and harmful. “TikTok has built its empire based on a model of addictiveness at all costs,” said Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Dave Sunday. TikTok Agrees to $400 Million Settlement Over Children’s Privacy Breaches.
Roger Kimball: They want to acknowledge the sudden rise in antisemitism but they can’t bear to acknowledge that Donald Trump was doing something about it. Jamie Raskin’s Trump Obsession Trumps Antisemitism
This represents another tariff-related decision by the administration this month alone. Earlier this week, the President paused the 50 percent tariffs on Canada as part of progress towards a new agreement with America’s northern neighbor. The pause lasts for three days and applies to approximately $20 billion of Canadian imports. Trump Waives Beef Tariffs to Combat Rising Prices.
With Republicans currently holding a 218-212 House majority, even a handful of altered districts could have major consequences for control of Congress. If all projected changes materialize, Republicans could gain approximately ten additional seats. Win for Trump, GOP as Court Upholds Redistricted Map Ahead of Midterms.
Once the primaries are over, we can’t let our search for purity render us so apathetic that only the lunatics and fanatics decide elections. The Tyranny of Voter Apathy
Florida Republicans could flip more than four Congressional seats this year. As Goes Florida?
“Bottom line, I think Democrats need to be very clear, not just what we’re against, but what we’re for. And I’m very much want to be part of that debate. And I am kicking the tires, testing the waters.” Chris Van Hollen: I’m ‘Kicking the Tires’ on 2028 Presidential Run
So, has that "year of Latin America" materialized? Absolutely.Colombia's newly-elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has promised to restore the relationship in a big way. Sa'ar was actually at his inauguration in early August, signaling a new beginning between the two countries. Why Did Israel Declare 2026 'The Year of Latin America'?
The escalating outbreak threatens to overwhelm the country’s already strained healthcare system. The ongoing violence against health workers undermines the increasingly unsustainable containment operation. . . Ebola Crisis Escalating as Death Toll Passes 2,500.
FEMINAZISM, TRANSGENDER PSYCHOSIS, HOMOSEXUALIZATION, WAR ON MASCULINITY/NORMALCY
Currently, counseling demands affirming people’s LGBTQ+ identity. But some individuals want therapists who can help them break away from that identity. Change The Counseling; Change The Culture
CULTURE WARS, NATIONAL SUICIDE
How a pitcher’s career-ending injury and a surgeon’s daring innovation transformed sports medicine and saved countless athletic careers. Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe
It saddens me to see how far Amnesty has deviated from these founding values. In 2020, Amnesty International Ireland signed an open letter written by Trans Equality Network Ireland that called on “media, and politicians to no longer provide legitimate representation” for people who believe that biological sex is real and material in law. My grandfather cofounded Amnesty International to protect freedom of conscience — today, it does the opposite
ALSO: The Morning Report cross-posts at CutJibNewsletter.com usually within an hour or so of posting here, if you want to continue the conversation all day.
His lawyers say that the CBP were unconstitutionally using their clients past criminality as a pretext to search for his present criminality. Uh, not admitting that either of those occurred.
It think there's a happy medium to be found between hitting them with a relativistic neutron star and dropping them into a black hole and then dropping that black hole into another black hole.
Basically using DRAM rather than SRAM as the basis for last level cache, giving similar performance at four times the memory density or one quarter the cost if you're looking at it from that direction.
Sunday Overnight Open Thread - August 23, 2026 [Doof]
—Open Blogger
Howdy Hordelings! Welcome to the Sunday ONT. A bit in the style of Ace's weekday Cafe threads tonight. Open thread, as always. Fashion and music, as always. What's on YOUR mind tonight?
[Top photo: The Wave - Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona]
College students threw a huge backyard party and instead of complaining, their neighbors joined the fun by lifting a baby and their dogs over the fence to greet the crowd.
Somewhere a therapist is trying to get people to "live in the moment" while this girl is already three levels deep into a made up game that only exists in her head and involves real trains.
She really said, “Let me just skip every day and see what happens.” 😭😳🙌🏾🔥🔥 A year later… THIS. The results speak for themselves. pic.twitter.com/ApjXMhCqif
It's that time of the week - when we turn the ONT over to our good friend Piper for a bit. Here's this week's fashion pr0n.
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Melania Trump: Racing Into Style
Hold onto your helmets, fashion fans! First Lady Melania Trump just dropped pure high-octane glamour in the White House Rose Garden. On August 20, 2026, she posed with a sleek, custom red-white-and-blue IndyCar emblazoned with “Be Best” and “Fostering the Future,” turning a scholarship announcement into the ultimate style pit stop.
In one of the standout shots making the rounds, Melania sits casually on the gleaming race car, holding a matching commemorative helmet, looking every bit the chic powerhouse who could outpace the competition in polish. The car itself is a patriotic dream with the stars and stripes energy and Freedom 250 branding. Melania matched its vibe perfectly.
Melania wore a crisp, oversized blue Michael Kors Collection Crystal-Cufflink button-down shirt with the collar popped high and the top buttons undone to look effortlessly effortless. The cufflinks were swapped out for ones with the presidential seal. This was tucked into a vivid red Dior wool pencil skirt in a combo that screamed classic Americana while staying razor-sharp. Red Manolo Blahnik BB suede pumps in Tabasco Red completed the ensemble, adding a dash of high-heel horsepower.
Why It Works (and Why We’re Obsessed)
Melania has long mastered the art of making political moments feel like fashion editorials. This one blends her signature tailored elegance with a side of cheeky. The oversized shirt softens the structured skirt, creating a modern, slightly menswear-inspired vibe. Those red pumps? Pure statement-making, matching the car’s fiery hue.
It’s not just clothes; it’s a whole mood. Pairing high fashion with an actual IndyCar parked on the White House grounds feels delightful, like if a Vogue shoot collided with the Indianapolis 500. Gorgeous? Powerful? Absolutely. And ready to take the checkered flag in the va va vroom stakes.
And Melania wasn’t the only one bringing the heat to the Rose Garden that day. Harmeet K. Dhillon also brought a little fashion fire in J.Crew! The shirt is J.Crew Tresco Liberty Fabrics Perfect Shirt in Floral Print and the skirt is J.Crew Number 2 Pencil Skirt In Lime Eyelet. She looks like summer, and I am absolutely here for it.
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Thanks, Piper!
The rest of you - Don't forget to check out Piper's X page.
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DJ Doof - Copper Edition
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Weekly commenter stats for week of 08-23-2026
AoSHQ Commenter Statistics:
Number of posts: 85
Number of comments: 20789
Number of unique hashes: 1547
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 Next To Last August Edition? Next week we have the final August edition and then start on September editions! See how that works? All that notwithstanding, its going to be a quick one tonight, so apologies in advance.
With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?
Fundamentals of Texas MoMe'n, that is! Next week I'll start including 2026 TxMoMe information, and you won't want to miss that. Are you planning to attend? Have you started your TXMoMe preparations?
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Muzzleloaders
Last one you would give up? Why in tarnation would you give any of them up?
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More Revolver Fun
Revolvers. How the heck do they work?
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Impossible Shot?
Evidently not!
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Pocket Pistols
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Our Pal The Atlas Missile
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Highway Patrol!
This week's episode: Resort
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The H-Man!
Molecular terror!
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Here are some different online cigar vendors. You will find they not only carry different brands and different lines from those brands, but also varying selections of vitolas (sizes/shapes) of given lines. It's good to have options, especially if you're looking for a specific cigar.
A note about sources. The brick & mortar/online divide exists with cigars, as with guns, and most consumer products, with respect to price. As with guns - since both are "persecuted industries", basically - I make a conscious effort to source at least some of my cigars from my local store(s). It's a small thing, but the brick & mortar segment for both guns and tobacco are precious, and worth supporting where you can. And if you're lucky enough to have a good cigar store/lounge available, they're often a good social event with many dangerous people of the sort who own scary gunz, or read smart military blogs like this one. -rhomboid
Anyone have others to include? Perhaps a small local roller who makes a cigar you like? Send me your recommendation and a link to the site!
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?
I am second to none in my disgust with all things Canadian. The people, the country, the crap maple syrup, the ridiculous ersatz French they pretend to speak, the poutine, and on and on. It is an unimportant place with delusions of grandeur!
Except...those oysters are from Canada; B.C. to be precise, and maybe that makes it better. I don't know and I don't care. Because they were spectacular.
And that is maddening! I don't want to like anything from America's hat. They are, by and large, a useless and weak people who are content to be the serfs for their increasingly totalitarian government.
Biological technology has improved significantly in just the last 20 years. Reporting has improved tremendously, no doubt because of the internet. So forgive me, but the idea that our food supply is getting more dangerous, as every breathless report on it seems to indicate, is a bit low on the list.
But...sourcing food from other countries whose food safety programs are sh*t, and whose workers may very well be illiterate and about a half generation from the rain forest, may not be a good idea.
We grow blueberries in America, and we do a damned fine job of it, so maybe stick to those?
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As usual, the Cooking Horde has the answer...
This is from commenter "LC," who also teased me with the name -- but not the recipe -- of a delicious sounding cake!
Leftover egg whites. Always a conundrum. I also cannot bear to throw away food, and I also have more recipes calling for extra yolks than whites.
They freeze beautifully. I keep a small plastic container in my freezer, with a line drawn on the side. Every time I have leftover whites, I just add them on top of the already frozen whites. When I get up to the line, that's 1 1/2 cups of egg whites, and that means it's time for angel food cake. Usually lines up with the first flood of spring berries, and just in time for a brown sugar bourbon cream cake with dark chocolate drizzle in the winter.
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Apparently the Thursday night bar crew at my new (sort 0f) favorite restaurant is not the "A" team.
That's a Hendricks Gin Martini with a twist and a splash of vermouth. My failing was that I did not specify "white," or "dry" vermouth, so the bartender used sweet vermouth (the red stuff).
I have been drinking in bars for a very long time, and that is the first time this particular issue has come up. I was under the mistaken assumption that everyone in the world knew the recipe for a gin martini. Apparently I was mistaken.
On the other hand, I tried it, and it wasn't nearly as awful as I expected. Of course the guy next to me was egging me on, so I was duty-bound to try it, but it was just sort of boring. The red vermouth cut all the flavor of the gin and I was left with a sort of bland, cold drink.
He did not screw up the replacement. Hendricks Gin is excellent!
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I like Garden & Gun, if for nothing else its name. In this day and age, anything with "gun" in its name will attract my attention.
I went to a corporate event and as is their wont, they gave out parting gifts. Now, I approve of the sentiment, but dislike the expenditure, because they are almost always throwaway things, and I would prefer the tried-and-true method of spending corporate money...putting it into the dividend.
But they gave me a very nice coffee cup filled with hard candies that immediately brought me back to my youth! They were great! Stuff I hadn't tasted in many years, and loads of fun to remember.
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What's the worst kitchen mess you have experienced? No explosions...just normal cooking.
Mine is a Thanksgiving I hosted that grew completely out of control with the number of people we invited. We had to rent extra tables. Not just one!
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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!
Power in but no power out suggests to even the most incompetent homeowner that the controller is shot. And that requires a replacement! The fancy new one in the photo even has a humidity gauge, so the attic vent fan will turn on when the mice up there are uncomfortable, not just hot!
But attics tend to be at the top of most houses...up a flight of stairs and some sort of magic carpet to get into the attic itself. And breaker panels tend to be in basements (at least around here), and basements tend to be at the bottom of most houses... DOWN a flight of stairs.
Yes, that adds up to two flights plus a ladder and an awkward climb into the attic.
And it gets worse! Most electricians and sane people suggest turning off the power before working with household power. Supposedly 120 volts AC at 60 Hz and a bunch of amps does not play well with the human body, in particular the bunch of small muscles called the heart.
Probably just a bunch of internet know-it-alls, but they might be on to something.
So how to figure out which breaker controls the fan? What? No, they are not labeled. At least not well enough. So I can buy a circuit breaker finder, which means I can clip it onto the power feeding the fan, then check each breaker until the magic wand goes beep. Or ... and this is less exciting ... I can go back and forth and up and down 27 times, turning off one unidentified breaker at a time until I stumble on the correct one.
I am confident that I will never use the circuit breaker finder after this little project, but if I don't buy it, there will be a project in the next two weeks that will require it.
That is a fine example of Schrodinger's Homeowner's Paradox. The repair both exists and doesn't exist. But I will be in existential OCD agony until I find out!
The NeoCon Wet-Dream For Iran Is "Boots On The Ground." Hell No! There Is A Better Way!
—CBD
I have been consistent in my denunciation of the tired and discredited idea that American boots on the ground is a reasonable response to Iran's 47 year war against the West, in particular America and Israel.
Would it work? Probably, especially if it was run by war-fighting generals with a healthy disdain for our previous rules of engagement. A systematic campaign to destroy the IRGC, the Mullahs, and any Iranian armed forces that oppose the operation would be at least moderately successful. But we would lose men, and it just isn't worth it.
If the Iranian people want freedom from the Mullahcracy, they can fight for it themselves, with offshore assistance from us (and the Israelis). Will they die. Yes, in large numbers, but it is their country, and our responsibility ends with ending Iran's chokehold on 20% of the world's petroleum, and its obsessive drive to acquire and use nuclear weapons. That is why we are there. Not the freedom of the Iranian people, no matter how noble a goal it might be.
But it is entirely possible that we will drive the Mullahcracy to ground without having to resort to military efforts beyond the occasional swatting of their anti-ship capacity.
The global demand for petroleum has shrunk slightly, in part in response to the war, in part in response to Europe's insanity with respect to oil, and in part because of President Trump's focus on China's predatory trade policies.
Increased domestic production has contributed to the dampening of oil price shocks, and Venezuela's reentry into the global petroleum market has improved supplies.
Rerouted shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz has decreased Iran's ability to threaten shipping. They simply can't reach far enough to hit the southern portion of the strait.
And degraded Iranian military options because of a consistent and successful campaign to destroy their offensive capacity has decreased the probability of a successful strike on shipping or infrastructure.
Iran appears to be losing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz while traffic through the critical waterway has exploded by nearly 400% over the last two weeks — as ships increasingly use a US-backed corridor to cross.
Nearly 200 ships navigated the strait last week, up from 150 the previous week and just 40 two weeks earlier, according to data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center.
The surge brings total traffic along the passage route to about 20% of pre-war levels, through which roughly 20% of the world’s seaborne oil flowed in peacetime.
That's a good start, and probably an underestimate of the total volume. Because the world has other options, Iran's power over world commerce has decreased, and will continue to decrease until the Strait of Hormuz is simply not important.
Add the economic sanctions being applied to Iran by our government, ably administered by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and we have a rational plan to destroy the 47-year-old dictatorship that has been the world's foremost supporter of militant Islam and its terror attacks. Of course Russia and China are working to subvert our efforts, by supplying arms, and in China's case by buying Iranian oil. But there just isn't enough being smuggled to them to make a dent in Iran's desperate need for cold hard cash!
It will take a long while, and there will be spasms of violence and destruction, but the arc of Iran's control over the Strait, and Iran's ability to pursue nuclear weapons is sinking.
All we need to do is stay the course, and don't declare a premature victory. That might be the toughest part of this whole effort! And yes, I am referring to President Trump and his deals!
Sunday Morning Book Thread - 8-23-2026 ["Perfessor" Squirrel]
—Open Blogger
(HT: Hour of the Wolf)
Welcome to the prestigious, internationally acclaimed, stately, and illustrious Sunday Morning Book Thread! The place where all readers are welcome, regardless of whatever guilty pleasure we feel like reading (not for the squeamish!). Here is where we can discuss, argue, bicker, quibble, consider, debate, confabulate, converse, and jaw about our latest fancy in reading material. As always, pants are required, unless you are wearing these pants...(they grow faster than you do!)
So relax, find yourself a warm kitty (or warm puppy--I won't judge) to curl up in your lap, and dive into a new book. What are YOU reading this fine morning?
This week I began the process of permanently removing a significant number of books from my home. I feel kind of dirty even mentioning this, but sometimes truths are unpleasant. I had too many books. **hangs head in shame**
It's tempting to say that I simply grabbed books at random, tossed them in my vehicle, hauled them to the local landfill, and hurled the landfill into the sun. But that wouldn't be quite accurate.
Instead I applied a series of tests for each book that I removed from my home. In the process I discovered that I had books in my garage that I didn't quite want to get rid of just yet, so I brought them into the house.
Here are the criteria I used in this weeding-out process:
Do I own multiple copies of the book?
This is an easy one. If the answer is "Yes" then I can put the duplicate copy in the "removal" pile. For example, I had the first four books of The Chronicles of Narnia in a box. Several years ago I bought the omnibus edition, so I no longer needed the individual books. Same thing for the Dune series, as I recently purchased a handsome two-volume omnibus set of Frank Herbert's magnum opus.
If I read the book, did I enjoy it enough to read it again?
This was a bit tougher to answer, but still relatively simple. If the answer is "No" then onto the "removal" pile it goes. I'm sure we all have books that we read once, thought it was "meh" and have no intention of reading it again. Books that are so unremarkable, I can't even think of an example right now.
Did I try to read it one or more times and fail to finish it?
If the answer is "Yes," then it goes on the pile. There were a number of books that I'd tried to read more then once, but simply couldn't get into them for one reason or another. So I put it down and moved on to something more interesting to me at that time.
Has it been on the shelves for multiple decades without me reading it?
I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that there are quite a few books I've purchased over the years that have sat on my shelves for a long, long time without me bothering to read it. Sometimes I have good intentions, but never got around to it. So I decided that I no longer wanted to have them on my shelves. I had a number of Stephen King books, for instance, including his Dark Tower series, which sounded interesting. I tried reading The Dark Tower series, but didn't like the second book, so I never read the rest of them.
All told, I managed to remove 191 books from my home and returned 39 from their place in the garage to place on my shelves. I did have to go to Walmart yesterday and buy a new bookshelf, though. On the plus side, ALL MY BOOKS HAVE A SHELF! They are no longer crammed on top of each other or sitting on top of the bookshelf. Yay!
So, when YOU get rid of books, what's YOUR process?
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MORON AUTHOR LOOKING FOR ADVICE
OrangeEnt is mostly done with the manuscript of the book he's been writing (authors are never actually DONE, but at some point you have to decide if you are done enough...)
Now he's looking for feedback on the front and end matter. He especially wants to be sure that he's acknowledged everyone who has assisted him with his writing project. He's also trying to think of how to approach writing the "About the Author" page for a pseudonymous author. Since the author is pseudonymous, why not make him the most interesting man in the world? Who's gonna know?
Here's a link to the draft he sent me: FRONT MATTER
If you have any feedback you'd like to provide or if you want to send a reminder of what you did to assist him, then you can drop him a line at maildrop at proton dot me.
(NOTE: You can also join A Literary Horde group via the email above, which is also posted on the left-hand sidebar of the main page.)
MORON RECOMMENDATIONS
I just read this book because I am a fan of the author, Trevor Wardlaw, who is an excellent historian and storyteller regarding 19th century settlement of the American frontier. In fact, I wrote about the legendary Parker family of Texas a few weeks ago at Ace, and then Mr. Wardlaw and I got in touch shortly thereafter. (He is a descendant of the famous protagonists.) Here is the review I left on Amazon:
"Although I bought this book for some vacation reading about the legendary Parker family of Texas (Quanah, Cynthia Ann, etc), it provided the best exposition I have ever read about the settlement of the American frontier, as the Parker family kept moving west until it bumped into Comancheria. The account of Rachel Parker's capture and subsequent return was riveting. The clash of civilizations along the frontier is recounted without judgment of either side's morality, yet it fully captures the sadness of the violence, as well as the the hardships endured by all parties in that contentious era."
--Buck Throckmorton
Brimstone and Butchery: The Parker Family’s Pilgrimage to Texas
Wardlaw, Trevor P.
Amazon.com: Books https://amzn.com/dp/B0H6VWNVB9
Comment: As the American empire spread west ("manifest destiny"), it was inevitable that the pioneers and frontiersmen who settled in the West would clash with the native inhabitants. Often bloody encounters. It was not a great time for either side. Eventually America would win out, but we paid for that victory in blood. It is a fascinating time in American history, unique to world history as a whole.
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I've been meaning to address the discussion a few weeks ago that concerned Speilburg's movie Disclosure Day and how he incorporated the theme, "Ha Ha, stoopidz X-tianists, ET disproves Jesus Christ!!!"
A book written by Paul Thigpen, Extraterrestial Intelligence and the Catholic Faith makes a survey of various theologians and philosophers examining this issue. Published in 2002 by TAN Books, Thigpen shows that Christians have been thinking about life on other planets for millennia. The general consensus is that God is omnipotent and can create intelligent life on other planets if He so chooses.
This leaves three options for intelligent life on other planets:
Not Fallen and thus does not need a Redeemer
Fallen and Un-redeemable
Fallen, but Redeemable. Since Jesus Christ is the Word Made Flesh, the Word (i.e., 2nd Person of the Triune God) could be incarnate in non-human flesh.
Thigpen also makes a brief examination of UFO phenomena and comes to the conclusion that some could be demonic manifestations.
Interesting book. While it's over 400 pages, it's in Octavo-format with fairly large font: so pretty quick read. Rating = 4.25/5
Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 09, 2026 09:07 AM (ksbjf)
Comment: The question about the form Christianity might take out there among the stars is one we can only answer if we go out there to find out ourselves, or if a benevolent alien race chooses to make itself known to us.
But as Retired Buckeye Cop points out, that doesn't stop people from speculating about that question in both fiction and nonfiction.
C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy explores a mixture of the three options. Other planets within our solar system (Mars and Venus) are portrayed as Not Fallen and thus do not require a Redeemer. Earth is uniquely positioned as Fallen but Redeemable.
Dean Koontz's The Taken takes Thigpen's conclusion and runs with it. Alien invaders show up on Earth and begin to xenoform it (the alien version of terraforming), but it turns out that there's a supernatural component to the invasion. Pretty wild story.
Mentats of Dune Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
This is the second book in the Great Schools of Dune trilogy, though it's really an extension of Legends of Dune. The Butlerian Jihad under Manford's demented leadership. He's set his sights on the Mentat school, which is led by Gilbertus Albans, the protege of the robot Erasmus. Albans is teaching his students to emulate machine thinking, elevating human computation to its absolute peak.
Meanwhile, Josef Venport, who represents the side of technology in the struggle between his forces and the Butlerian Jihad, is conducting his own war against them, recognizing them as a destabilizing force for the galaxy as a whole. If the Butlerians win, human civilization will enter into a new Dark Age and may never rise again.
Navigators of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
The concluding volume of Great Schools of Dune sets up the Galactic Empire as we know it in the main Dune books written by Frank Herbert. Most of the loose ends are resolved in such a way that the Galactic Empire achieves its monopoly over the Arrakis spice industry and space travel, though the newly formed Spacing Guild is set up as an independent faction within the Empire.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Now we are back to the main storyline established by Frank Herbert. Dune chronicles the journey of Paul "Muad'dib" Atreides from when he arrives on Arrakis as a teenager to when he achieves his godlike prescience as the Kwisatz Haderach and steals the Empire from Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV.
It wasn't quite as good as I remembered it, but it's still entertaining enough to keep me reading it again. It spans about four or five years of Paul's life, though much of that is skipped over once Paul and his mother Jessica join the Fremen. They disappear while Baron Harkonnen schemes to maintain his hold on Arrakis.
The world building in Dune is impressive, but upon closer examination, it doesn't hold up as well as people may think. For one thing, sometime in the distant past Buddhism and Islam merged to become "Buddislam." This makes ZERO SENSE to anyone who knows even a little bit about either religion. They are completely incompatible. There is no way that Islam would ever join itself with another religion since a core tenet of the faith is to dominate everyone everywhere for all time.
The lack of water on Arrakis is also somewhat puzzling when you factor in the technology available in the Dune universe. They clearly have the means for harvesting comets and other water-abundant sources within a solar system, so they could harvest the planetary system's local Kuiper Belt for all the water they ever needed. Water is a very abundant resource in the greater cosmos. Instead, Herbert devised an elaborate ecological system where an alien animal/plant hybrid is introduced on Arrakis that "locks" the water deep underground, when it used to flow freely on the surface.
Dune: Messiah by Frank Herbert
I can summarize this book in one word: BORING.
Paul's Fremen allies, the "Fedaykin," have launched a jihad against the rest of the Galactic Empire. Why? It's never really explained, other than that the Fremen see Paul as their new god and thus want to force the rest of the galaxy to worship Paul Muad'dib.
Much of the book is simply lots and lots of conversations about "prescience" and how knowing the future is not the great gift the people believe it to be. Indeed, Paul's challenge in knowing the future is that is forced to play out the events that lead to the least worst outcome, since all futures for him are horrible.
Star Wars - Darth Bane Trilogy 1 - Path of Destruction by Drew Karpyshyn
Taking a break from Dune, I decided to read the Darth Bane Trilogy. This documents the rise of the titular villain as he claims the mantle of Lord of the Sith. He methodically destroys the old Sith Order, which was composed of hundreds or thousands of Dark Side Force users and instead establishes the "Rule of Two," where this only a Master and an Apprentice of the Sith. Darth Bane believes that the Dark Side of the Force must be concentrated in as few people as possible in order to cause the greatest destruction.
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
And we're back to Dune.Children of Dune takes place about 9-10 years after Dune: Messiah. Approximately 20 years have passed since Dune. Paul's children are around 10 years old, as they had just been born at the end of the previous book. Like Paul's sister Alia, Leto II and Ghanima are "pre-born," meaning they can access all of the memories of their ancestors going back to ancient Earth. They also have Paul's prescience, so they can see both the past and the future in equal measure.
Leto and Ghanima see a future for humanity without the spice and believe THAT future holds the ultimate key to our destiny, as the spice is actually holding back our development as a civilization. Even though he's physically a young boy, Leto undertakes a desperate journey into the deserts of Arrakis in the hope that he will uncover the lost knowledge he needs to usher in the Golden Path for humanity, in the process losing his own connetion to humanity. It's a sacrifice that he's willing to make.
Tips, suggestions, recommendations, etc., can all be directed to perfessor -dot- squirrel -at- gmail -dot- com.
Disclaimer: Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The ForceMoron Horde shall set me free.
Inherent, which just raised $50 million in funding, didn't build its own LLM. It runs on Qwen 3.6-27B, which anyone can download and run on a Mac or a 32GB graphics card like an RTX 5090 or the much cheaper Radeon R9700.
Saturday Night Club ONT - August 22, 2026 [Disco & Dino]
—Open Blogger
Welcome to Club ONT - a whelming collaboration of The Disco and The Dino.
Open thread - bar is open, too. Come in in, grab a drink or 2. Or 3. Keep it light and friendly. The moose is checking ID tonight, so please check in before entering.
A little three year old boy is sitting on the toilet. His mother thinks he has been in there too long, so she goes in to see what's up.
The little boy is sitting on the toilet reading a book. But about every 10 seconds or so he puts the book down, grips onto to the toilet seat with his left hand and hits himself on top of the head with his right hand.
His mother says, "Billy, are you all right? You've been in here for a while."
Billy says, "I'm fine, mommy... I just haven't gone 'doody' yet."
Mother says, "Ok, you can stay here a few more minutes. But, Billy, why are you hitting yourself on the head?"
Billy says, "works for ketchup."
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A woman visited Dr. Smith for advice on enlarging her small chest. The doctor told her, "Every day after your shower, throw your hands in the air and yell: 'Scooby doobie doobies, I want bigger boobies!'"
She did it faithfully for months, and it worked perfectly!
One morning, she hurried onto a crowded bus and realized she had forgotten her ritual. Panicked, she stood in the aisle, threw her hands up, and shouted, "Scooby doobie doobies, I want bigger boobies!"
A man sitting nearby leaned over and asked, "Are you a patient of Dr. Smith's?"
"Yes!" she gasped. "How did you know?"
The man smiled and said: "Hickory dickory dock"
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Drink of the Night
Tonight we drew the 7 of Clubs from our deck of playing card cocktails
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Club ONT Department of Proper Punctuation
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Club ONT Department of Disco Balls
You think you've seen disco balls before. You most assuredly have not seen THESE kind of disco balls
Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. For this week, the Wheel of Hobbies (TM) is feeling lucky and decided on a radio control theme for this Hobby Thread.
Radio controlled cars, trucks, and airplanes are an ENORMOUS hobby. Lots of people have wrestled with a small hand-held controller that (in theory) makes something else go. TRex is not the most accomplished RC driver or pilot, but I appreciate people that make things and then fly or drive them remotely.
In simple terms, the hobby is building and controlling. Some people spend more time on the building and less time on the controlling. Others mostly skip the building and just want to do controlling. The prospect of damage typically ensures some ability to build and repair is necessary.
This is a hobby that can start humble but get out of hand fast. There are no rules to what you can build. Even a small budget creates opportunities. Disposable income helps buy more and more capable equipment. Racing, digging, and flying is a giggle.
There are common themes with drones in terms of the skill necessary to fly something remotely.
Are you wise in the ways of RC airplanes, cars, trucks, etc.? Do you have any? Have you built any? Do you have kids or grand-kids that are into this sort of thing?
TRex can barely reach the controls, so need help in the gray boxes for this one.
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What are you hobbying?
Radio controlled cars, trucks and airplanes may not be everyone's favorite but give the content a chance before you judge. Any adjacent hobbying is in scope (such as small scale collecting or model building), so jump in with your interests, stories and questions.
In any event, the thread is not limited to to the theme. Anything (legal) you are hobbying is welcome. Even if the theme does not speak to you, you might learn something or be entertained. If not, offer something else relating to hobbying. If all of that fails, just check in and say hello.
As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. Leave politics and religion to threads elsewhere (unless your hobby is building or restoring churches). Pants? Nope. As always, puns are welcome and encouraged.
Play nice and do not be rude. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls.
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The Holy Grail of collectible RC Cars? The Porsche 959!
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3D printing your own working RC excavator?
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If you build a radio controlled excavator in your garage for your kid, is it really for the kid??
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Save this one for later and watch at 1.25x or 1.5x speed. The craftsmanship is impressive but the video is lengthy.
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At some point, a large enough scale RC airplane starts to rival a real small airplane in size.
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Radio control "toys" are a little different with the benefit of disposable income:
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A radio controlled submarine? Ambitious!
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Making an RC airplane out of cardboard and a leaf blower? Sure, why not?
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Building a radio controlled airplane is no fun if you don't know how to fly it. Learn here:
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Does this qualify as a real estate hobby? architecture hobby? Film location hobby? LA history hobby? Dunno, but definitely unique:
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You had me at apple killer (but it is a clever and well written video showing the design and construction process):
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Blame CBD for this - anyone do the homemade ice cream making thing?
Restoring an old ice cream maker (before you dismiss, know that this video has over 9.4 million views - that's MILLION):
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Map quirks are fun. How about a story of a fake town that became real? Anyone ever been to Agloe, New York?
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Not sure if this guy is clinically insane or just a mad scientist type (or maybe a little of both). Regardless, his narration is very clever and funny. Making a semi-automatic saw blade launcher in your garage should count as a hobby, right? By the way, this video has over 586k views which means a lot of people out there are intrigued. You'll probably see him on a Wed ONT niche YouTube channel feature at some point.
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Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did a fire truck theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.
Notable comments from last week:
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Words of wisdom:
"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).
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Reminder: if you put links in the comments, use a URL shortener and describe what you're linking to. Failing to do either or both makes you barrel-eligible. Don't make people click to find out what you're linking.
Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Or just email to say hello. Do mighty things.
There was a stork whose mate passed away during nesting season. Unable to leave her eggs for long, she began going hungry.
Local residents started feeding her fish with a long pole so she could continue incubating her eggs. This happened in Vinnytsia pic.twitter.com/kLe3hmHFDw
Here's a recent photo of MegaRoy (15-year-old Maine Coon / Norwegian Forrest Cat blend) for the pet thread too. He's at the vet, getting treated for olde man constipation. That's about three weeks ago, and he's doing all better now. He weighs in at 15lbs and that's a healthy no fat weight. Paws are the size of 50 cent coins. He's big enough for us all to hear him on the hardwoods when he walks.
I post as BifBewalski.
MegaRoy is a beautiful cat.
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By-Tor's dog Ruger on the way to a hike earlier this month:
Today’s hike- Shabarum Trail Loop, in Hacienda Heights, about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
4.5 miles, 800 foot elevation gain.
Ruger looks excited!
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PetMoron Adjacent Animals
Encountered by Members of The Horde
By-Tor and Ruger met some other animals on their hike:
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And even before their hike, at home:
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Thought I was dreaming about burglars breaking in via my roof at 5:45am. Turns out it wasn’t a dream.
A family!
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Thank you for sharing your pets and animal photos and stories with us today.
If you would like to send pet and/or animal stories, links, etc. for the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, the address is:
petmorons at protonmail dot com
Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.
I'd like to pass on some photos from the spring and early summer, before they become ancient history. They're already outdated, I know. Kept delaying in the hope of coming up with a killer photo.
5, 2, 7. Blueberry is my all time favorite. I make a legendary pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving. And my lemon meringue is nothing short of wicked. (I know, I know - I’m far too modest). https://t.co/3IxqkTeanP
But even though we are in "harvest season", some people might want to check their extension agency calendars for fall planting: bush beans, peas, beets, turnips, kohl rabi, carrots, greens and more. Don't be shy. Take a chance.
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Sunflowers
It's not exactly a garden but I thought you might like these photos of a local field of sunflowers. Still a few weeks out from harvest.
I post as Notsothoreau
Fun! I've seen some very dwarf commercial sunflowers growing near Sacramento.
They look quite different from the typical tall garden types.
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From July 20:
Hello KT!
I have a joyous profusion of sunflowers blooming. We have had to prop up a few of them because they are so top heavy. The cleome and cosmos are starting to look like space aliens. The bees are having a great time!
Thanks again for all you do! Mrs. Leggy
What a happy place for pollinators! The yard looks nice for people, too!
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Gardens of The Horde
If you haven't seen something you sent in to me recently, try it again. Email oddities lately.
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Hope everyone has a nice weekend.
If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:
ktinthegarden at g mail dot com
Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.
Mascots of The Anointed - This Story Isn't Going Away
—K.T.
Last week we discussed events around the downfall of Jason Arday, a Mascot of The Anointed (to borrow an idea from Thomas Sowell). Why does this story continue to grow beyond the former Cambridge professor? Excerpts from an interesting essay for your weekend, from before Arday's death:
". . .even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky"
(From: Musee des Beaux Arts by W.H. Auden)
It's over for Professor Jason Arday. The final shiv - et tu, Brute? - coming, somewhat surprisingly, by way of this excellent piece of reporting by Lanre Bakara in The Guardian. The article's last paragraph or, to use the literary term of art, 'the kicker', is a doozy:
In a recent interview to promote the memoir, Arday spoke about feeling like Icarus when he came under scrutiny after joining Cambridge. "I always wanted to be a person who flew close to the sun," he said. "But sometimes I wonder: did I fly too close?"
Well, yes, Jason, you did, rather: indeed, that's the whole point of the tale of Daedalus & Icarus: it's a warning about something the Ancient Greeks, no mean people, called hubris.
A lot of commentators here have mentioned what a film this saga might make, and it's true. It's even got elements of Morse - the Inspector, not the Code - only in the other place.
This is followed by detailed descriptions of distortions of the truth by Arday and academics around him. And this:
The leftist press starts to break with the far left
Why is most of even the leftist press being relatively honest about his dishonesty, separating themselves from the activist far left? Does this mean that the leftist press has noticed that their formative institutions are destroying themselves and that most of the press is not ready to see those institutions disappear?
The Atlantic didn't pull its punches:
The Atlantic reads Jason Arday's memoir, and finds his life story was even more inspirational than we thought He was beaten so badly as a teen he became an epileptic. When the boys who did this were caught, he magnanimously told the judge he didn't want them to go to prison. "By the time Arday started on his master's degree, he writes, he was reading at about the same level as his 3-year-old daughter."
You complain you can't get a girlfriend. Chad Arday was going through college illiterate, had his girlfriend write out his applications, and managed to father a child. He then got a teaching job. But he didn't have money, so he started working at a supermarket from 11 PM to 5AM, then a cleaner from 5:30 AM to 7:30 AM.
Remember the guys who beat him up? It turns out that two of the muggers ended up being his students. They were so moved by his compassion, that they'd turned their lives around and were now helping at risk youth. As his dissertation approached, Arday got a brain tumor and lost his memory. "More troubles follow in the years ahead: Arday’s brain tumor returns; he splits up with his wife; he suffers autistic burnout during the coronavirus pandemic and can’t get out of bed. He decides to kill himself by jumping off a bridge, but at the very last minute, he listens to his favorite song."
The author of the piece writes: "I reached out to the book’s fact-checker to ask whether this and several other stories from the book had been verified, but she did not respond." The Atlantic also got its hands on his book proposal. There are even more incredible stories in it. As a teenager, Arday got hit by a car and went into a coma. The doctor told his parents to pull the plug, but he refused. There's also a bout of testicular cancer that shows up in the proposal but is not in the book. I guess there wasn't enough room for all of that given all of the other amazing stories in his life. Oh, and the book isn't being pulled. Simon & Schuster are still going to publish it next week. The haters are just one more obstacle Arday has overcome.
The @BBCNews says Jason Arday's death will send shockwaves through universities. It should send shockwaves through the media and the BBC. They promoted him, spread his misinformation, and are to blame for his rise and fall. They must be held accountable.
Imagine trying to protect the public from truthful speech. These laws exist! They're common across Indonesia, UAE, Malaysia, etc, often targeted at protecting government officials and entities. But sane people know how ridiculous it is
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A non-leftist American observes the over-the-top emotional responses at a memorial for Arday. The press killed him, etc.:
Am I going crazy?
He literally made up five of his top ten papers. He said he was the 2nd best distance runner of all time! He said he was on a top-10 British documentary that aired 28 (?) years before he could have been!!!
Powerful & fascinating take: the psychiatrist & writer Dr @MaxPemberton
looks at Jason Arday...
Cambridge had time to handle this quietly before the scandal blew up.
Jason Arday epitomises a major opstacle in Britain's quest for the freedom of speech: In this excerpt from the UCL 'BAME Awarding Gap Keynote Lecture, 2021' Jason Arday discusses why speech and language must not just be limited, but "corrected" because we live in a "hyper diverse multicultural society". Accidentally, he concedes that such a society requires such delicate navigation that it can no longer be permitted to speak freely, and naturally, requires men like Arday to determine those limits. The Jason Arday affair, demonstrates that race science remains an area of academic study at Oxbridge and beyond.
Do people who have a compulsion to lie deserve protection from the press?
It's not like Jason Arday was was genius scam artist, articulate and able to fool the finest minds. No, he's a literal moron that no one dared challenge due to DEI. You could find diverse yoof saying this in a Year 10 history class.
How did academia promote Arday?
I studied in Jason Arday's department at Cambridge. Here's the crap I was taught. Like native tribesmen cah fly through the trees.
Ed Driscoll makes a 1984 comparison. It's a good one.
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Jason Arday was never trained as a sociologist. Jason Arday has no degree, no Master’s and no PhD in Sociology. None. Zero. His entire formal academic training is in Education and Physical Education: BA in Education Studies and Physical Education MA in Education and Pedagogy A second Master’s in Education PhD in Education — specifically on peer-mentoring among student teachers training to become PE teachers That is a doctorate in physical-education teacher training. It is not sociology. It contains no sociological theory, no sociological methods, and no sustained engagement with the core literature of the discipline. Yet within a few years the same man was: Appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Durham Put in front of students teaching modules called Sociology of Education and Societies in Transition Then made Professor of the Sociology of Education at Glasgow Then made Professor of the Sociology of Education at Cambridge Students were paying close to ten thousand pounds a year. Some of that money was buying teaching and supervision from a man whose highest qualification in the subject he was employed to profess was nothing. He had never studied sociology as an undergraduate, never taken a Master’s in it, and never written a doctoral thesis in it. The word “Sociology” appeared only in the job title. Institutions simply accepted the re-description. A PE-and-education academic was re-labelled a sociologist and students were charged elite university fees to be taught by him. That is not an academic career progression. That is a category error that successive universities chose not to notice. My mind has been blown by this revelation. No wonder his students report him leaning on desks talking about celebrities and inequality! He appears to have known absolutely nothing about the subject he was teaching!
The Wiki for his PhD supervisor, Phil Vickerman, was under review for deletion, Aug 18 - 22. His supervision of Arday's thesis (on peer student teacher mentoring in physical education) was reportedly entirely by phone and text.
Comments are closed so you won't ban yourself by trying to comment on a week-old thread. But don't try it anyway.
UPDATE on our Founder of the Week:
In his last known letter, Samuel Adams wrote to Thomas Paine in October 1802: "Do you think that your pen, or the pen of any other man, can un-Christianize the mass of our citizens, or have you hopes of converting a few of them to assist you in so bad a cause?"
The Classical Saturday Morning Coffee Break & Prayer Revival
—Open Blogger
*****
Good morning boys and girls and everything in between. Before we enter the Prayer Revival there are just a few housekeeping matters to go over. (Rulz for those of you in Cold Spring)
1) This is an open thread. Feel free to lurk, opine and/or bloviate.
2) Be kind, be nice. Enjoy our sanctuary.
3) No running with sharp objects.
4) Have a great weekend!
Please submit any prayer requests to me, "Annie's Stew" at apaslo at-sign hotmail dot com. Prayer requests are generally removed after four weeks unless we receive an update.
Prayer Requests:
5/23 - I used to have a Different Nic could use some prayers as he waits for the results of a biopsy of a mass on his prostate.
6/23 Update - The latest update is that he has stage 2, "unfavorable intermediate", which he notes is an awful name, but what it means is, it is in the middle, but bad enough that they want to treat it. It's more aggressive than previously thought. He is at the point where he has to decide on treatment options, which means choosing which set of pretty unfortunate side effects he prefers.
8/20 Update - He has finished his radiation treatment, so all he has left are blood tests and waiting. Thanks for everything.
6/20 - bluebell gave an update on grammie Winger. Grammie had some major surgery related to her cancer in March and is pretty much housebound. She said she isn't keeping up on news since her diagnosis; she doesn't have the energy. She said she thinks of her grey-box friends often with fondness. Please keep praying for her. Your prayers are a source of great comfort to her.
6/27 Update - grammie winger requested bluebell to let the Horde know that she is hospitalized again, with sepsis, and cannot eat or walk. She is very tired and cannot speak for long. She is being fed by tube. They don't know how long she will be hospitalized or where she will go after (rehab, hospice, etc.). Bluebell has a mailing address for grammie, so please contact bluebell to send a card or note to grammie winger. Please pray for her, that her suffering will be eased, and pray for her family, who are suffering along with her.
7/25 - grammie winger popped in to say thank you for all the cards, letters, and encouraging words. You are a treasure.
7/25 - Matthew Kant Cipher humbly asks for prayers for Marshall, a long-time friend and HS classmate of Mrs. MKC, who is currently hospitalized with heart failure.
8/7 Update - Marshall passed away after multiple organs failed. Matthew Kant Cipher humbly asks the Horde to pray for the repose of his soul and that God's perpetual light would shine upon him.
7/25 - Teresa in Fort Worth posted an update. She is still doing fine. Her chemo pump seems to be working and everything appears stable for now. She says she is incredibly blessed! She is working on a stocking for an as-yet-not-born grandchild. She would appreciate prayers for a successful IVF procedure and pregnancy for her daughter and hubby. Next week, Teresa and her husband will be going to California to visit their daughter who lives there and her family.
8/4 Update - Teresa was admitted to the hospital while on vacation in California. She has a bad infection - cellulitis - not due to the cancer. She is being treated with antibiotics and hopefully it will be cleared up in a couple of days.
7/29 - Notsothoreau asked for prayers for Billy Ray's mother, who was just admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. She is a cancer survivor and chemo destroyed her immune system, so this is a big worry.
8/2 Update - Billy Ray's mother is feeling better, on oxygen and medication. She is not out of the woods, but has stabilized. She appreciates the prayers from around the globe and says thank you very much.
8/16 Update - Billy Ray's mother is at home, recovering, and down to just needing a little oxygen at night. One of the doctors told her that he didn't think she was going to make it. Prayer works.
7/29 - TecumsehTea wrote that MrTea's diagnosis is colon cancer stage 4. They are praying for guidance for how to proceed.
8/12 Update - MrTea will start radiation treatments for the tumor in the sigmoid colon on Monday - 10 treatments. They are not sure what will follow; they are still looking at options. Surgery is not an option. The cancer has metastasized to the lymph node nearest the tumor and there are 3-5 small spots in the liver. There are also spots in his lung which are indeterminate. He continues on fenben and ivermectin. Prayers are appreciated.
7/30 - David sent an update on his wife, Susan, who we have been praying for as she is treated for cancer. Susan is still doing well and her numbers are headed in the right direction, but they are still having issues with the side effects of the chemotherapy. It is manageable, but they have to increase the number of office visits for additional treatments. Some days are really good right now, but others are only bearable with the Lord's grace. They are so grateful for the prayers on their behalf.
8/20 Update - Things are not going quite as well now. Please pray, as Susan has picked up a really bad cough. The coughing is so bad that she doesn't want to eat. Please pray that this illness passes quickly.
8/1 - Isophorone Blog requested prayers for his mother. His father passed this past Sunday. His mother had been in the hospital for an entire month previous to that, so they never got to see each other at the end. His mother is out of the hospital, but in declining health.
8/1 - Tonypete asked for prayers for his BIL, who is a developmentally disabled adult and has been living independently (sort of) for decades but the time has come for them to make some changes in his living arrangements and personal finances. This will not go well as he has VERY poor impulse control and anger issues. His dear wife has POA but that is limited in its reach and it is probably time for her to be granted guardianship.
8/15 Update - BIL was released from the hospital, so all is well.
8/7 - neverenoughcaffiene asks for prayers for Lynell, who was recently diagnosed with a rapidly growing brain tumor. Surgery was performed and they were not able to remove all of the cancer. Her prognosis for survival is one year. She is being treated with chemo and radiation. On top of her diagnosis and treatment, she recently broke her ankle. Please pray for Lynell and her husband as they navigate this new reality.
8/8 - Ace-Endorsed Author A. H. Lloyd posted that Mrs. Lloyd will undergo a double mastectomy to remove the breast cancer. She has advanced to Stage 1. Much hinges on the biopsy to determine the specific sub-category of cancer and whether chemo is necessary. Please pray for her in this time of need.
8/8 - Retired Buckeye Cop requested prayers for his nephew, Josh, who is losing his business due to overwhelming debt. Old addictions have returned; he is drinking heavily. He is currently estranged from his family. His mother is Mrs. Cop's kid sister.
8/12 - Joe Kidd asked for prayers for a friend's cousin, who is beginning chemo treatments for stage 3 cancer.
8/14 - Don Black requested prayers for his nephew Stephen, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
8/14 - RandomDave asked for renewed prayers for his job situation. He just found out that the position he was close to getting went to someone else, and doesn't know where to turn. He hates to ask, but is getting desperate. He has a GiveSendGo set up; please contact Annie's Stew for more info. Thanks to those who have already given and thank you for the prayers. They are keeping him from giving up.
8/15 - Donna V contacted Mis. Hum. to let the Horde know the following: "Please let the horde know I am doing fine in hospice." She would appreciate your prayers.
8/15 - Buck requested prayers for his wife. She is diabetic, and had a bad day on 8/14, with weakness, vomiting, irregular pulse, high blood pressure. She has had sepsis 3 times. They went to ER, but they only gave her meds for nausea, and now she's back home. Pray that she recovers quickly. Thanks to all.
8/15 - Intruder Driver asked for prayers for Tonya, who was burned over 90% of her body in a gas explosion in Cabo San Lucas. She is now in a hospital in Mexico City. She has a long road to recovery, if she survives.
For submission guidelines and other relevant info, please contact Annie's Stew, who is managing the prayer list. You can contact her at apaslo at-sign hotmail dot com. If you see a prayer request posted in a thread comment, feel free to copy and paste it and e-mail it to Annie's Stew. She tries to keep up with the requests in the threads, but she's not here all of the time, so she may not see it unless you e-mail it to her. Please note: Prayer requests are generally removed after four weeks or so unless we receive an update.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.
The whole article is about users deliberately jail-breaking Claude Opus 4.6, an older version of that particular LLM, to use it to write porn. And blames Anthropic for it.
Dude trolls a city council meeting about permitting yet another mosque by promising the mosque will destroy the Constitution "All women who are overweight or obese will have to wear burka. 10,000 steps per day, low carb."
Podcast: Will Cuba fall without a fight? More Iran confusion, gun rights for felons isn't a crazy idea, wetbacks are voting! And are data centers of the devil? Nope!
Months ago, I reported that the final Zodiac cypher had been cracked and the name of the killer revealed. And the name of the killer turned out to be someone suspected in the unsolved Black Dahlia murder. The general tone of my mention of this was "serious you guys, this is real."
Well, it's not real. It's total bullshit.
Sorry about that. I did two things: 1, I bought into something, a conspiracy theory really, because it was new and exciting. And 2, I allowed a self-declared "expert" to snow me over with his "expert" claims about solving ciphers, an alleged expertise I could not challenge because I know practically nothing about codebreaking. I remember being similarly swindled by self-declared "experts" babbling about "chromatic aberrations." (Although I didn't really buy into that, but I found it "interesting" and I wasn't strongly skeptical about it. Hey they said they're "experts," they must know that they're talking about, right?)
I screwed up. It won't be the last time, I'm sure.
Podcast: In Wisconsin, the Dems steal an election from themselves, abortion is cheered in Massachusetts, Spain gets what it voted for, the economy is humming, and more!
Selections from H.P. Lovecraft's Brief Tenure as a Whitman's Sampler Copywriter
Chocolate Cherry Cordial
You must not think me mad when I tell you what I found below the thin shell of chocolate used to disguise this bonbon's true face. Yes! Hidden beneath its rich exterior is a hideously moist cherry cordial! What deranged architect could have engineered this non-Euclidean aberration? I dare not speculate.
Caramel Chew
There is a dimension ruled by a blind caramel God-King who sits on a vast, cyclopean milk-chocolate throne while his mindless, gooey followers dance to the piping of crazed flutes. It is said that there are gateways in our world that lead to this caramel hell-planet. The delectable Caramel Chew may be one such portal.
Forgotten 80s Mystery Click I haven't forgotten this one. I play it a couple of times a month. But I bet a lot of you forgot it:
Athletic (boogie down)
Hustle (turn back)
Feel pathetic (sugar town)
No muscle (soul hack)
I'm jumping (you move)
No dancer (beside me)
I'm thumping (you prove)
Don't get no answer
He was their living lawn jockey, period. They won't say that 'cause they're sensitive and down with his struggle and all. He was there to appease and flatter their sense of being uplifters of the oppressed. In truth, he served as their living lawn jockey -- no more, no less, and unworthy of even a second thought on their part. Tokenism, pure and simple.
Podcast: More Iran bluster from Trump? Enough! Deportations hit a record, and that is a good thing for all, Todd Blanche's nomination is out of committee, the DSA is on the march, and more!
The Short Unhappy Life of a Russian Soldier: Why recruits die in 20-30 minutes Interesting video. Some key parts: drones were responsible for 70-80% of all battlefield deaths in mid-2025, and I bet it's higher now. The Russian army is incredibly corrupt. Men get assigned to the most dangerous frontline units, the "Storm" units, unless they pay a superior $2,000 to be assigned to a different unit. Furthermore, there is often no real training for recruits -- commanders pocket the money that would have gone towards fuel and ammo costs incurred during training. Much "training" consists just of taking a single picture of soldiers doing something soldier-y, like fording a river, and publishing that as proof that the training was done. Even when it is done, training is only two weeks long.
