Cool and clear? Finally, we got clear blue sky and moderate temperatures yesterday afternoon. The day had a great start with grey and fog, so I didn’t expect the blue sky evening. Hoping for the same today.
Did some of my stuff yesterday, then picked up the kids. Took D1 and the dog for a walk because it was so nice.
Had a chat during the walk with D1 about her friend. The friend is trying hard to break the cycle of generational poverty and being a hood rat. But she also has no real idea about what the stuff she wants to do will cost, or the time it will take. She wants to homeschool while also being a traveling nurse, for example, while living on a horse farm in Virginia… The poor kid knows there are better lives out there but has no idea what’s really involved. Goals are good. Fantasies are not. D is getting a lesson in real life, because she really wants to help the friend, but her (much more realistic) appraisal is not welcome.
You can’t save the whole world. That’s a tough lesson to learn.
———
Today I have another pickup only down south this time, instead of northeast. I was able to split the days up so I didn’t have to do both in the same day. I also might be able to combine a trip this way. This pickup is mostly stuff for the house.
My pace of acquisition is slowing, for sure, and the stuff I’m buying is more niche or further down the “nice to have” path. Two steel NATO style gas cans are a good buy, and I feel like I can always use another gas can, but do I really NEED another two cans? Well, the steel cans do keep the gas better than the plastic cans that breathe. And the plastic cans will split on the seams eventually. So if I can get them cheap, I will buy gas cans. Same goes for alternative heating, cooling, or cooking methods.
Duplicates, defense in depth alternatives, and unicorns are what I seem to be looking for these days, when it’s not something needed for day to day operations in the house or BOL. I probably need to spend some time editing and culling spoiled or supplanted items too. There is always more to do.
Stacking is the easiest, and sometimes that’s all I can manage. Do something.
nick
An incumbent in a Texas district? Good luck with that.
I had no idea until recently that our current Congresscritter, Michael McCaul, married into ClearChannel money and is one of the wealthiest members of Congress. Most of the district is closer to Houston.
The last redistricting was a crazy compromise in Austin.
Today’s Tyler Durden cowardice reporting on your tax money hard at work in the halls of the National Security Agency.
“Getting my butthole zapped by a laser was . . . shocking”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/sex-castration-butthole-zapping-nsa-cia-confirm-secret-kink-chat-room-after-chris-rufo
@Nick
Your D1’s most important contribution at this point is to be a friend.
The path to “being a traveling nurse, for example, while living on a horse farm in Virginia” is long and there are a lot of decision points along the way that can cause the plan to evolve. My first thoughts, for example, were that VA is very expensive, there are other states with horse farms, and while a visiting nurse can be a well-paid job, large animal vets are in short supply approaching if not already a crisis, so…
But why get out on the thin branches of the decision tree too soon? To get anywhere requires first staying out of trouble, staying away from the losers who have no dreams, learning to build strong friendships and committing to getting an education. High school comes first, and if she doesn’t get through with good grades and a solid foundation, a lot of big branches in the decision tree get sawed right off.
BTW, I know a guy in flyover country that has a horse farm. Second generation. Raises horses for clients that fly in from all over. Works hard, has a level head, good family, and hopefully raising a third generation to take over.
But why get out on the thin branches of the decision tree too soon? To get anywhere requires first staying out of trouble, staying away from the losers who have no dreams, learning to build strong friendships and committing to getting an education. High school comes first, and if she doesn’t get through with good grades and a solid foundation, a lot of big branches in the decision tree get sawed right off.
– this is what I’m going to tell her. Well put.
—————
Coffee is brewing and the females have all been disturbed in their dens. From this point on, I just yell at them from outside. It’s safer that way.
————–
@denis, is that election rule aimed at keeping outsiders out? The equivalent of dismissing write in votes?
n
Reid is out.
Maddow is standing on a pile of kindling and lighting matches.
The worm turns.
Trucks used to be for work and not cod pieces or grocery getters. That was still true in the 90s until RAM redesigned the 1500.
The bench front seats and zero legroom rear seating was about hauling extra people in a pinch but not all the time.
A high school friend bought the first of the redesigned Dodges. HOLY CRAP was that a penis mobile when it came out. That was the ONLY thought any of us had. Now they are everywhere and the very masculine bulky shape is common. Even the new Lexus SUV is very square, bulky, and sharp edged. [and looks good]
I think of the rounded Ford product of the 90s and cringe. They were so soft, and the pastel colors were terrible.
n
Last night, at HEB, we were parked next to a Silverado 1500 so large that I swear I could have put my Solara into the bed if the truck had the standard cab and wasn’t optioned out as a cod piece.
I doubt I could have touched the bottom if I reached over the walls of the bed. I’m 6’1″.
Everything in the Toyota truck pipeline is a Land Cruiser or an FJ. Too bad the turbo-ed 6 engines replacing the V8s were all recalled in the Lexus.
The new FJ is theoretically scheduled for a Fall release, but the new model won’t sell with a turbo-ed 4. Toyota is probably waiting to see how the political winds blow in the US headed into December, when a lot of states have filing deadlines for candidates running in the midterms.
I doubt I could have touched the bottom if I reached over the walls of the bed. I’m 6’1″.
– that’s one of my issues, the fords have very high bed walls too.
n
Aerodynamics. Squeezing out that extra 1-2 MPG is critical so Ford can keep pretending to sell “work“ vehicles in the half ton category.
No one will change their pipeline until after the Midterms, and it will be well into the term of the next President before we see real change in the auto industry.
Oh yeah, if you are going to build a shower, put a freaking door on it. Especially since the side glass is only 2 feet long.
I am a big guy, I get water everywhere. And the breeze from the opening makes me cold in the shower.
Ok, I reconsidered today. The side wall is 2.5 feet. Still WAY too short.
And it needs a freaking door to stop the cold breeze in the winter time.
I doubt I could have touched the bottom if I reached over the walls of the bed. I’m 6’1″.
– that’s one of my issues, the fords have very high bed walls too.
My four inch lift kit makes the bed walls too high to climb over. Even climbing on the rear bumper is diificult and I am 6’1″ with 34 inch inseam.
I didn’t want such a big truck as the Ram 1500 turned out to be, but it was the best value for the money at the time. The high bed and sidewalls take some getting used to.
I am intrigued by the idea of a truck camper, but the 1500 is actually a bit constrained on payload – I am astounded that a cabover slide-in for a 6′ bed weighs in at 2000#, or more. Too much MDF and fiberglass I suppose.
Word from SpaceX on the loss of the Flight 7 Starship.
Somebody effed up the GVT it sounds like. But their FEM model should have caught a 3X discrepancy. Belt & suspenders…
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-wars-kathleen-kennedy-lucasfilm-1235282440/
Probably too late to correct course now.
“Star Wars” is dead.
”Indiana Jones” is beyond dead.
Ironically, “Jaws”, the film “Star Wars” topped at the box office, may see a huge Summer with the 50th anniversary events.
No one will care in two years when “Star Wars” turns 50.
The shark is still working.
Isnt “Jaws” by Spielberg ?
Yes. From the time before Amblin … and Kathleen Kennedy.
Universal made sure not to let The Beard mess with “Jaws” too much for the 30th anniversary.
*****SPOILERS******
I watched a cam copy of Brave New World. OMG, Harrison Ford was so bad in that. He killed Han Solo, Indy, and now Thunderbolt Ross.
BNW is meh. They should have made another season of Falcon & Winter Soldier so they could develop the plot line. The Winter Soldier makes a guest appearance while RUNNING FOR CONGRESS. He is a real Super Soldier, but doesn’t have time to help Amish Cap. Anthony Mackie is a good actor, but Amish Captain America doesn’t work for me. They even talk about why Falcon didn’t take the super serum (what, are there bottles just laying around like The Boys). The fight scenes in the movie indicate he didn’t need it since Amish Cap just gets up and keeps going like Real Cap. Even after getting the shite kicked out of him, stabbed, shot, crushed by Red Hulk, etc.
And don’t get me started on the Falcon Suit (there is a LatinX Falcon sidekick, now. Why not have 100 Falcons?). Who knew it could propel a human at fighter jet speeds, make 10g turns, and nothing happens to the wearer. There is now an integrated helmet, but Amish Cap mostly flys around with his goggles. War Machine crashes to Earth (Civil War) in his full suit and breaks his back in multiple spots. Amish Cap and LatinX Falcon walk away.
“America’s $36 trillion national debt is just the tip of a $100+ trillion iceberg [Podcast]”
https://www.schiffsovereign.com/trends/americas-36-trillion-national-debt-is-just-the-tip-of-a-100-trillion-iceberg-152136/
“Spoiler Alert: Uncle Sam’s net worth is horrifically bad… on the order of MINUS $100 TRILLION.”
“It takes us back to what we wrote yesterday regarding Warren Buffett’s somber admonishment: maintaining a sound currency “requires both wisdom and vigilance,” and based on what we’re seeing right now, that’s far from a forgone conclusion.”
Any bankruptcy court would call for a chapter 7 liquidation.
Zelenskyy crumbles:
Volodymyr Zelensky ‘says yes to rare minerals deal with Donald Trump’ – after Ukrainian president ‘refused to sign $500bn agreement’
Volod should be grateful. tRump could have just said no more support of any kind. Instead he’s trying to get peace. I don’t see the UK and EU grabbing their socks and committing $100’s of billions to Ukraine. I guess they don’t think Putin is going to steamroll Europe.
Sheldon Whitehouse Subject of Scathing Ethics Complaint
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/miacathell/2025/02/25/sheldon-whitehouse-ethics-complaint-fact-n2652791
“advancing ocean sustainability grounded in social justice,” aka a f****** grifter.
Show me the pile of marine debris that we paid $6.7 million to clean up. I wonder if I could get a much bigger pile for the same amount, or an equal pile for much less?
Of how about we just recognize this for the steaming pile that it is?
How about some group do a quick look at all the spouses/families of senators and representatives and compile a list of similar piles? Sheldon Whitehouse wouldn’t be the sharpest blade in a drawer of spoons–someone helped him cook this up.
Tulsi and Mike Flynn both weighed in on the kinky chats during the course of the day.
Yes, it is a national security issue.
No US gender dysphoria program will touch nutcases like that so chances are they are going to go overseas to get what they want.
My wife has several Special Forces type patients at the VA who decided that they wanted to be women and were so hard core about it that they went to Thailand.
In “Emilia Perez”, the drug lord ends up in … Israel … ?
“I want proportions that would give me back pains.”
https://x.com/realchrisrufo/status/1894068284099596334
So they are scrutinizing possible bruising on Trump’s hand, but somehow completely missed slojoe’s dementia…
The truth behind Donald Trump’s mysteriously bruised right hand… and why it won’t go away
n
–astroturf
n
IRS Leaker Didn’t Expose 8,000 Tax Files; It Was 400,000
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2025/02/25/irs-leaker-didnt-expose-80000-tax-files-it-was-400000-n3800180
For starters:
1) 50 times as many should be worth 50 times the sentence: 5 years X 50 = 250 years. Limit it to an additional 50 if he spills hius guts and names everyone else involved.
2) Find everyone in the IRS that knew of the deception and terminate them for cause. Strip them of immunity and let the 400,000 file lawsuits against them.
3) Repeat #2 for everyone in DOJ.
4) Propublica has 400,000 tax returns? Raid them, put everyone in the building in handcuffs, lock down the building and their bank accounts. Put them in jail and deny bail until every file and copy is produced.
FBI Brings the Fire: Now Investigating Alleged Comey ‘Honey Pot’ Operation Against Trump 2016 Campaign
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2025/02/25/fbi-now-investigating-secret-honey-pot-operation-allegedly-launched-by-comey-against-trump-team-n2186008
An off-the-books operation personally directed by the Director? How many felonies is that? Their careers are toast, and their pensions should be. Offer them a deal to avoid prison time if they spill their guts.
Comey. SWAT team arrest at dawn. Perp walk in jammies. If he’s this dirty his financials are 95% likely to be dirty–full proctological forensic accounting investigation.
The desk and chair are at their new home. My dining room is uncluttered for now.
His water is off. The pipe from the well froze a year ago late January. He hasn’t called a plumber. Or asked me fix the problem or call a plumber. I’m not going to volunteer. The toilet bowls are almost dried to not enough water. I have a lot of empty anti-freeze jugs. I figure three jugs per bathroom. Half jug for each of the sink and tub drains and two jugs for the toilet. The kitchen sink will need water, too. I’m going to ignore the washing machine drain.
He has a couple of pretty nice side by sides in the garage. I don’t know if they run, if the keys are in even the ignitions, and it doesn’t matter. The big garage door doesn’t open. The opener is plugged in and has power. I didn’t see a ladder to use to reach the release rope. But I can air the tires when I take water. I suppose I could finish emptying the fridge, that beer isn’t getting any fresher. Might unplug the fridge, too.
Nice weather today. But it’s time. He’s giving me The Look.
His water is off. The pipe from the well froze a year ago late January. He hasn’t called a plumber. Or asked me fix the problem or call a plumber. I’m not going to volunteer. The toilet bowls are almost dried to not enough water. I have a lot of empty anti-freeze jugs. I figure three jugs per bathroom. Half jug for each of the sink and tub drains and two jugs for the toilet. The kitchen sink will need water, too. I’m going to ignore the washing machine drain.
Sounds like a disaster !
An off-the-books operation personally directed by the Director? How many felonies is that? Their careers are toast, and their pensions should be. Offer them a deal to avoid prison time if they spill their guts.
Sounds like the crap that J. Edgar Hoover would pull.
@paul
“ Might unplug the fridge, too”
If you do, put a tray on the middle shelf with a couple pounds of charcoal briquets. Or just put a small unopened bag inside.
“The ending of the great suck of our tax dollars starts now, and we don’t want to hear the whining.”
https://townhall.com/columnists/mattvespa/2025/02/25/dear-federal-workers-we-dont-care-that-your-jobs-are-getting-put-through-the-wood-chipper-n2652736
USAID In Egypt Had Me Detained For Walking In And Asking If It’s Following Trump’s Orders
https://thefederalist.com/2025/02/25/usaid-in-egypt-had-me-detained-for-walking-in-and-asking-if-its-following-trumps-orders/
If you read it, ask yourself a question: How far away from the depiction here was the Biden DOJ and FBI?
Keep water in the toilets. Once the toilet drains dry out and the septic/sewer gases vent into the drywall, that becomes a serious contamination issue which requires remediation down to the studs to avoid the house declared unfit for human habitation and condemned.
NOAA’s Homogenized Temperature Records: A Statistical House of Cards?
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/02/25/noaas-homogenized-temperature-records-a-statistical-house-of-cards/
Don’t need any “concerns”–it’s been known for years that the temperature records have been adjusted in the back room at NOAA. Multiple times. The direction is always the same: to depress past temperatures and exaggerate warming. This has been going on for so long that there is a zero probability that they can explain all the adjustments that have been made.
Each station must have a baseline consisting of the actual temperature and other measurements taken. Otherwise TDAF, and I don’t mean The Data Are Frenched.
Stations were established to record and forecast weather, not climate, and locating them at airports made sense because bad weather does bad things to flying airplanes, and air temperature determines lift and load capacity.
couple pounds of charcoal briquets
– NOT the kind with lighter fluid, use the kind of charcoal that guys use when they make tri-tip…. you do not want the chemicals from the briquets to permeate the plastic either…
n
We saw “Shrek 2” at a special event at Flix Brewhouse tonight.
Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Saunders own that film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Feu7j_SSE
AP: Twenty-One DOGE Staffers Resign Rather Than ‘Dismantle Critical Public Services’
https://twitchy.com/brettt/2025/02/25/twenty-one-federal-staffers-resign-rather-than-help-doge-slash-the-size-of-government-n2408961
The U.S. shortage of tiny violins has spread to the whole world.
Not a one to be found.
His water is off. The pipe from the well froze a year ago late January. He hasn’t called a plumber. Or asked me fix the problem or call a plumber. I’m not going to volunteer. The toilet bowls are almost dried to not enough water. I have a lot of empty anti-freeze jugs. I figure three jugs per bathroom. Half jug for each of the sink and tub drains and two jugs for the toilet. The kitchen sink will need water, too. I’m going to ignore the washing machine drain.
Wait, where is this guy pooping, washing his dishes, and washing his clothes ?
Something really sounds wrong here. Is his mental state ok ?
@lynn, the house is unoccupied, iirc.
n
Gonna be grumpy tomorrow. Nuclear stress test in the morning, so no caffeine or food, and WAY too much water.
Trying to get to bed early…
n
“RFK Jr Fries!”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14435571/Fast-food-giant-makes-major-recipe-change-appease-RFK-JR-change-food-tastes.html
Yum!
That is such an important life lesson. It’s great that the friend wants out of the poverty cycle. It’s sad – and all too typical – that she is unwilling to accept actual, realistic help to do so. Meaning…she is unlikely to escape.
@drwilliams is right, and maybe D1 can take this approach. To get anywhere, you have to take those first steps: stay out of trouble, and get an education. Do that, and you have a chance.
Hmmm…sounds like they aren’t actually too confident that they have found the cause. Guess we’ll see on Friday.
Absolutely. If you have serious kinks, you don’t get a security clearance. For obvious reasons. Cancelling the clearances, and then firing these folks is absolutely correct – and only the first step in some serious, serious housecleaning. Anyone who *knew* about these chatrooms – on official servers – also needs canned. Geez, what a cock-up.