Ace: aceofspadeshq at gee mail.com
Buck: buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com
CBD: cbd at cutjibnewsletter.com
Doof: doof2112 at proton.me
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
Good morning kids. Hope you all had a pleasant, relaxing weekend as we paused to reflect and remember the horrific attack on America 25 years ago last Friday. In many ways we are still dealing with both the root cause and the political/cultural reverberations of 9/11, as we'll delve into in a moment.
“God was watching over us tonight.” That’s how Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany described surviving a plane crash Saturday night that ended with him swimming out of a sinking aircraft in Lake Wausau. . . An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”
Of course, Madison being one of the evil wellsprings from whence the toxic poison of progressivism emerged and continues to rot away at Wisconsin but the entire nation, as it was an epicenter of the 2020 election theft. Hoping and praying that this incident was perhaps a harbinger of good things and miracles come November for my home state and for the nation as a whole.
Yeah, elections sure do have consequences. Given the moribund state of the Republican Party in New York City, two socialists, Darializa Avila-Chevalier and Claire Valdez, are virtually certain to enter the House of Representatives next January, and they’re already excitedly making plans for the damage they’re going to do to the nation’s largest city, and the nation as a whole, once they get there... Now, why would a couple of socialists, one of whom (Avila-Chevalier) is a convert to Islam, want to deny the city that sustained the largest jihad terror attack in the history of this country funding to protect itself from further such attacks? Avila-Chevalier has so much contempt for the United States that on Dec. 23, 2019, she wrote: “I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.” She followed this message with a happy-face emoji.
Shelly Headen is running for North Carolina House of Representatives District 62. She believes that Trump supporters belong in Dachau’s crematoria, like Jews during WWII. She posed in front of a backdrop of the actual ovens. Shelly was smiling. She has made similar comments that advocate for attacks on U.S. soil and violence against political opponents. She loves her violence. There is a 2024 Guilford County Sheriff’s Office incident report identifying Headen as a suspect in domestic physical assaults. One alleged assault was against her husband. Now she’s apologizing for her social media posts but also says she doesn’t recall making them. It’s a case of I didn’t do it, but I apologize for it. With some of her posts now deleted, we don’t know the full scope of her malice.
Posing in front of Dachau and wishing your political opponents, who are viewed as an existential threat to life, the planet and "democracy" are shoved into the gas chambers. Considering what happened to poor Charlie Kirk, what nearly happened on at least three separate occasions to President Trump and what happened to America's cities in the summer of 2020 and to churches, synagogues, schools and individuals at the hands of anti-semites, transexuals and abortionists for years now, I take these fiends at their word. The dehumanizing verbiage against us makes it that much easier to hurl the molotov cocktails and bricks, pull the triggers and ultimately send us to the ovens as this evil subhuman slag from North Carolina, and far too many like her in and out of office desire.
On these and all the other horrendous news we have, I bid you all t have a good day.
Left-wing politicians mark 25th anniversary by palling around with "truthers," terror apologists, and anti-American cranks WATCH: How Democrats Remember 9/11
CIVIL WAR 2.0, LEFTIST PERSECUTIONS, DEMOCRAT PUTSCH, AMERICAN DISSOLUTION
What tells you everything about today’s Democrat party is that, while she’s cruder than many, her extreme views are entirely in sync with her political peers. Bring back the ovens, says a Democrat candidate
Yeah, elections sure do have consequences. Given the moribund state of the Republican Party in New York City, two socialists, Darializa Avila-Chevalier and Claire Valdez, are virtually certain to enter the House of Representatives next January, and they’re already excitedly making plans for the damage they’re going to do to the nation’s largest city, and the nation as a whole, once they get there. What Happens When We Elect People Who Hate America to Congress? This. . .
Consider the company this claim keeps. Barack Obama forced every American to buy insurance, and fined the ones who couldn't afford it. Joe Biden threatened people with arrest and job loss for going to work or to church during COVID. Somehow Donald Trump remains the fascist. Funny how that works.A little history is in order. There's a little something called Godwin's law that applies here. Everything the Left Doesn't Like Is Hitler
The Department of Homeland Security claims that 70% of illegal aliens have been convicted or charged with a crime (beyond the immigration violation); organizations such as the Cato Institute and Brennan Center, focusing instead on criminal convictions in this country, claim that only about 35% of illegals should count as criminals. Left’s push to delay deporting illegal-migrant criminals imposes huge costs on taxpayers
A fierce power struggle is gripping the top of Iran’s regime, with hardline security figures pushing to escalate the conflict with the United States as questions mount over who is actually wielding authority in the absence of the country’s unseen Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Who Is Running Iran? — Report Exposes Power Struggle at Top of the Regime
ISRAEL vs IRAN & GAZA/HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH . . . AND LEFTISTS. . . The U.N... AND HISTORY
And yet the UK government just sanctioned Israelis for daring to live on their own land of Judea and Samaria, while the American government is still planning to orchestrate a rebuild of Gaza, even though a Palestinian Authority spokesman just confirmed that his government continues pay-for-slay to reward jihadis. And yet Islam is just as much of an existential threat to Britain and America as it is to Israel. We just don’t always remember, because the endless terrorism isn’t as immediately present daily before our eyes. 'Palestinians' Carried Out Over 2,300 Terror Attacks This Year
The power to tax—and endlessly audit and investigate—is the power to destroy. The Internal Revenue Service is well aware of its power and has wielded it to devastating effect, especially against some of the poorest counties in the country To Protect Taxpayers, Lawmakers Must Improve The TAS Act
Roger Kimball: AI is not a departure from mankind’s toiling in the garden of natural knowledge but an extension of that knowledge. The Madness of the Anti-AI Crowd
“This lawsuit is about parents, because it’s parents who should oversee the privacy of their kids, not a big tech company that’s profiting despite public safety.” – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. State AG Sues Netflix for Tracking, Selling Children’s Data.
Congress responded to 9/11 with a domestic architecture of preventive surveillance that is why an AI-powered camera may be on your street. Flock Cameras Are The New Patriot Act
Should we dismantle a super-valuable law enforcement tool just because it’s theoretically possible to abuse it? A Defense Of License Plate Readers
The revelation that the Holdout Juror was a “person of color” has sent the internet and the left as a whole into gyrations usually limited to taser victims. The Lone Juror: Even braver than we thought
A mass movement has created a new class of victims while failing to keep kids safe. The Anti-Bullying Paradox
THE 2020 AND OTHER ELECTION HEISTS & AFTERMATH
Democrats are using every means possible to keep pushing the can down the road to buy time, but there is no time left to return integrity to America’s elections. Why Trump Should Declare An Election Emergency
The case will fuel further concerns about the integrity of California’s ballot-initiative process, particularly if prosecutors establish that real voters’ identities were systematically misused to manufacture petition signatures. It also gives election integrity advocates fresh evidence to argue that weak safeguards in signature-gathering and voter-registration systems can be exploited, increasing pressure for stronger verification requirements. Three Charged for Using Homeless to Forge Voter Signatures in LA.
DEMOCRAT/LEFTIST AND RINO SCANDALS, MESHUGAS, CHUTZPOCRISY, INSANITY
Fox News reported Sunday that “White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed on ‘The Sunday Briefing’ that the Department of Homeland Security is looking into allegations involving Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., but would not disclose details about what he described as an ‘ongoing criminal investigation.’” Wow. The DOJ conducting an “ongoing criminal investigation” of a Democrat. The End Times must indeed be upon us. Could At Least This One Leftist Politician Actually Face Justice?
Author and Atlantic Council Nonresident Senior Fellow Max Brooks said that the Democratic Party’s coalition is built around opposition to President Donald Trump, but “we’ve been bringing in some really toxic people with some really bad ideas,” and there is the huge question of what the party does after Trump leaves. Max Brooks: ‘We’ve Been Bringing In Some Really Toxic People’ with ‘Really Bad Ideas’ Into Dem Coalition
Victor Davis Hanson has a new book out profiling the president, now undeniably a towering figure of history. The Real-Life Epic of Donald Trump
Trump's measures to pressure the Brazilian government must be understood as the unmaking of an injustice perpetrated by the U.S. Left with Biden era taxpayer instruments at its disposal. How the Biden White House Subverted Brazil’s Bolsonaro
A potential ban would be very controversial and widely regarded as highly undemocratic, especially by AfD supporters. The willingness to openly float a ban on a major political party underscores the fragility of Germany’s establishment. This is also likely to push the AfD to pursue the abolition of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany’s increasingly weaponized domestic intelligence agency. “In no other Western democracy are political parties monitored by intelligence agencies… That creates an obvious conflict of interest,” said Hans Georg Maaßen, former BfV president. Top German Politician Floats Banning Populist AfD After Its Election Win.
America’s disorder is visible for all to see, but Russia’s authoritarian system conceals a deeper cognitive fatigue that may leave Putin’s regime far weaker—and more dangerous—than it appears. America And Russia Suffering From Cognitive Fatigue
THE UKRAINIAN "FRONT"
The outlet notes Moscow’s caution to the rest of Europe follows French President Emmanuel Macron who one week ago said 26 countries including the UK had pledged to support sending troops to Ukraine in a peacekeeping mission to provide postwar guarantees. Putin Warns Europe: Send Troops to Ukraine, Get ‘War with Russia’
DEFENSE, MILITARY, SECURITY AFFAIRS
He was accompanied by three family members, and one told police they were vacationing in the United States and flew the drone to capture scenery, the affidavit said. The Federal Aviation Administration has designated a restricted national defense airspace above KSC. All unmanned aircraft are prohibited, except when approved by NASA and the FAA. Chinese man arrested for flying drone over launchpads of Kennedy Space Center
The results prevent the legalization of euthanasia. This represents a major blow to the campaigners who supported the bill. The decision to vote against assisted dying bucks a trend seen across multiple Western countries, with several opting to implement the controversial practice in recent years. Lawmakers Vote Down Euthanasia Bill. (who needs euthanasia when you've got Islam - jjs)
ACTUAL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
FEMINAZISM, TRANSGENDER PSYCHOSIS, HOMOSEXUALIZATION, WAR ON MASCULINITY/NORMALCY
A semi-satirical look at bringing some level of rationality back to the people who, through their votes, dictate America’s destiny. Is It Time To Repeal The 19th Amendment?
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.
Added preliminary support for Modula-2 and Oberon to my Pascal compiler and got started on the first five applications using my new language: An application router, a database manager, a protocol analyser, a monitoring system, and a proxy server with automated TLS (a.k.a SSL a.k.a HTTPS).
The protocol analyser immediately proved its worth. It's intended as a reference implementation of both server and client of every internet protocol known to man, to test new implementations against, calibrated against existing implementations.
It promptly found 58 bugs in my standard library, including one which crashed the built-in web server.
The compiler suite will now support Ruby, Ada, Pascal/Modula-2/Oberon, Basic, Raku a.k.a Perl 6, and a dialect of Smalltalk. None of them conforming precisely to the spec because they all enforce strict type safety and a capability-based security model - Pascal's pointers for example are typed to the object they point to, and pointer arithmetic just doesn't exist.
Howdy Hordelings! Welcome to the Sunday ONT. Appreciate you stopping by. Open thread, as always. Fashion and music, as always. What's on YOUR mind tonight?
Lovely behavior from the people of "tolerance" and "coexist"
It is genuinely terrifying that a MASSIVE group of people in this country believe that the appropriate response to speech they disagree with, is m*rder...
Three more police officers have been arrested after using Automatic License Plate Readers supplied by the surveillance company Flock for non-law enforcement purposes.
In Savannah, Georgia, four police department workers were hauled into custody last Friday, when an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation uncovered they’d been abusing their city’s Flock system to track personal acquaintances and family members, WTOC reported.
Three of them were active police officers, while one of them was employed as a community service specialist. Two more employees had been fired weeks ago for similar offenses, WTOC notes, though they haven’t been arrested, and it’s not clear if an investigation is ongoing.
The incident has become a huge scandal for Savannah over the past few weeks, turning the historic Georgia city into a poster child for police abuse of AI-powered surveillance. Local officials aren’t happy, to put it lightly.
“To be totally honest, I’m disappointed,” Savannah mayor Van Johnson said, calling it a sad and sobering day for the city. “I’m p*ssed off about it.”
An Anderson County deputy has resigned after being brought under investigation for unauthorized use of Flock cameras.
According to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Eric Center accessed the Flock camera system for “a purpose outside of the authorized reasons.”
Deputies said an internal affairs investigation was opened into the matter and, during that investigation, Center resigned from the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said they conferred with the 10th Circuit Solicitor’s Office regarding the case and it was determined that while the conducted violated agency policy, it did not warrant a criminal investigation.
This shit is really snowballing. Ridiculous.
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Hoover Dam is an engineering marvel. Built long before computers and calculators.
Here's a nerdy but interesting (to me, at least) article about the method used for pouring concrete and why it was done that way.
A bucket holding eight cubic yards of concrete swung out over Black Canyon on a cable, dropped into a form, and opened. Seven men went in after it with shovels, rubber boots and pneumatic vibrators, spreading a mix so dry that it would take its initial set inside the bucket if the crane operator was slow. Threaded through the form, waiting, were coils of one-inch steel pipe.
The pipe was there because Bureau of Reclamation engineers had worked out what would happen if the dam were built the obvious way. Their calculation is published in Reclamation’s own account of the construction. A single continuous pour would have got so hot, it says, that the concrete would have taken 125 years to cool to the temperature of the air around it. The resulting stresses would have cracked the dam and crumbled it away. So the dam went up as a stack of separate columns instead, each one chilled from the inside while it set.
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Concrete placement in any one block was limited to five feet in 72 hours. That is a rate rule rather than a volume rule: it caps how fast heat can be added to any one part of the dam. Reclamation puts placement in the dam at roughly 160,000 cubic yards a month. The peak day was 10,462 cubic yards, a figure that includes some concrete placed in the intake towers and the powerplant, and the peak month slightly over 275,000 cubic yards.
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The 125 years is the most quoted figure in this story, and what it measures is narrower than the retellings suggest. It describes cooling to the temperature of the surrounding air. It says nothing about when the chemical reaction inside the cement finishes, and the two are different processes running on different clocks.
It is also a calculation. Nobody poured Hoover Dam in a single lift and watched it cool. Reclamation’s engineers computed what would have happened if anyone had, and then designed the job so that nobody would. Reclamation’s construction answers record the cooling of the dam as completed in March 1935. That is about 21 months after the first concrete went into the dam on 6 June 1933, and two to three months before the last was placed on 29 May 1935. That timing is our arithmetic on Reclamation’s dates.
Kewl? Or nah?
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'Ette Couture (Courtesy of Piper)
It's that time of the week - when we turn the ONT over to our good friend Piper for a bit. Here's this week's fashion pr0n.
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A Clean Line and a Slightly Raised Eyebrow — and the difference a little discipline makes
At the White House Historical Association’s 2026 Presidential Sites Summit, First Lady Melania Trump stepped to the Rose Garden podium in a look that did what her best public dressing always does: it looked simple until you looked twice. The dress was Dior’s mid-length blazer dress in black virgin wool and cotton bouclé. Sleeveless, double-breasted, notch-lapelled, worn without its belt but with the house’s horn buttons.
And then the shoes. Oh my goodness, the shoes. They were Manolo Blahnik’s BB pumps in a black-and-white grid from the 2023 collection. Pointed toe. Stiletto. A grid pump does not need a complicated outfit. It needs a clean line and enough quiet around it.
The Rose Garden outfit was a proportion look. A graphic Manolo finished a black line by arriving last, saying one thing, and stopping.
Elsewhere in First Family Fashion, Donald Trump Jr. and new wife Bettina joined POTUS in western Ireland for the Irish Open. We may still look a little side-eyed at this marriage, but Bettina does seem to understand how to dress for her role a bit better than Kimberly Guilfoyle. That is not gossip. That is wardrobe discussion. A southern lady knows the difference.
Upon disembarking from the plane, Bettina wore a Burberry Classic Trench, I think this is the long Waterloo style. She carried a quilted Bottega Veneta Andiamo Small Intrecciato top-handle bag in black and Chanel calfskin ballet flats in black quilted leather. The sunglasses are Gucci flat-top frames in black. Travel dressing with its manners on.
Bettina was also introduced to Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly. She nailed this fall’s trends with a gorgeous Roland Mouret long-sleeve crepe midi dress in emerald green. The coat is a Scanlan Theodore tailored coat in sand. Bettina remembered that green and camel still do the Lord’s work. The shoes are Manolo Blahnik Maysli suede buckle slingback pumps in emerald green, and the sunglasses are Dior 30Montaigne S8U in black. The bag is the same from above. Matching the green pump to the green dress without turning into a Christmas ornament takes a steady hand. She had one.
And as something really fun, here is a link sent to me by Biden’s Dog for everyone to enjoy.
At 14, Zack MacLeod Pinsent burned his last pair of jeans after finding a box of his great-grandfather’s suits, and he hasn’t worn modern clothes since.
What could have remained a teenage phase became his trade. He taught himself historical tailoring and built a business in… pic.twitter.com/1oD7hY97PA
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 TXMoMe Stuff Edition? Bigly exciting updates below!
With that, step into the dojo and let's get to the gun stuff below, shall we?
What element of fundamentals have you been focusing on?
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TXMoMe
They Mome'n down in Texas!
The time has come to begin the discussion of the upcoming TXMoMe in Corsicana, TX on October 16-17. This is the eleventh annual TXMoMe, or Conservative Burning Man as it's popularly known, and it promises to be a doozy. A double-doozy even. A bigly double-doozy! If you're in either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere of the Planet of the Earth, contact Ben Had for details on attending. The dates and email links for all MoMes are always helpfully included on the blog's main page, left sidebar.
What started years ago as a small get-together and informal plinking session lasting a couple of hours has matured into a full scale jamboree-hootenanny including a program of shooting activities for both handguns and rifles over two days. I have to thank Ben Had, Cow Horse Queen and RancherBob for making this whole thing happen and providing the opportunity for the shooting to comprise such a significant portion of the event.
But wait! There's more! Combine that with world class food and drink, and the even world classier company of your fellow Morons, and you have a weekend that legends are made of. For those not inclined to shoot (?), there are non-stop opportunities to relax in the shade of the carport or under a handy nearby tree with a beverage and visit with your online pals to your hearts content, which is really what the whole damn thing is about in the first place..
Allow me to be serious for a minute. I have said this probably two hundred and eighty-three times now. These gatherings are a really good time, and I know of no one who expresses regret after having attended one. Actually it goes beyond that. It's not just a weekend of laughs, it's an opportunity to connect with lots of like-minded people and create lasting friendships and priceless memories. No kidding. Think that's hyperbole? It snot. Would your ol' pal Weasel lie to you? Well, yes he would, but not about this. TXMoMe veterans will attest to the funness and completely laid-back nature of the event. Don't be a dork, do yourself a favor and get yo' ass to Texas!
TXMoMe veterans: please jump into the comments to encourage the scairdy-cats to join in the fun! What was your first MoMe like? What were you expecting? Were you surprised? Did you have a great time?
If you are attending the TXMoMe this year, and all the cool kids are, please keep an eye on this section for important information and updates in the coming weeks. I also want to reiterate the TXMoMe is not a gun thing with some socializing attached, but rather is a social thing with some shooting attached. If you aren't a shooter, I guarantee you will not feel out of place and will have a great time. No fooling!
Are all y'all getting excited? Weasel are!!
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TXMoMe Schedule & Other Updates - 9/13/26
Updates! We have Updates!
Update 1:
For our amazing volunteers, I sent out an email last week asking whether or not you will be attending this year and when you plan to arrive (day and approximate time). If you haven't received this email, please send me a note at gunthread at protonmail dot com. It is important to have this information for scheduling and to make certain we have the proper coverage making the shooting activities safe and enjoyable for all concerned. Thank you in advance.
Update 2:
Here is an outline of the schedule of events. Times are tentative and subject to modification/change. This schedule will be included in the Gun Thread with any changes incorporated going forward until the event, so please check back weekly.
Friday, 10/16
Rifle Program
8am - 10am: Rifle Clinic (carport)
10am - 11am: Combined Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Friday Arrivals! (carport)
Noon: Light lunch provided (carport)
11am - 4pm: Live fire (rifle range - targets to 1,000 yds)
Handgun Program
10am - 11am: Combined Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Friday Arrivals! (carport)
Noon: Light lunch provided (carport)
1:00pm to 2:00 pm (carport) - Demonstration: Basics of Rifle & Handgun Cleaning and Maintenance - EdL
11am - 4:00pm: Static live fire (pistol range)
Saturday, 10/17
Rifle Program
9am - 10am: Combined Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Saturday arrivals! (carport)
10am - 1pm: Live fire (rifle range)
Handgun Program
9am - 10am: Range and Safety Briefing - Mandatory for Saturday arrivals! (carport)
10am - 1pm: Live fire (pistol range)
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Shooters: Bring your own hearing and eye protection! and if possible please plan on stopping somewhere along your way to Texas and picking up some ammunition if you plan to shoot and aren't bringing your own weapons/ammo. Everyone is very generous with sharing, but please don't rely on the generosity of others to provide everything for you. You can really help out by grabbing a box of 9mm or 5.56mm or whatever you want to shoot.
For a while I have been conducting a Rifle Clinic on Friday morning followed by range time Friday afternoon and then again well into Saturday. Most of you (I think) have endured this presentation before, so if there are other topics you would like to have covered, speak up in the comments and I will try to address your request.
We have also been steadily refining the handgun portion of the program and this year will be focusing on the static pistol range as well as continuing to offer a separate setup for gun-curious beginners desiring one-on-one supervision and instruction. If you are a novice shooter, or even have never been to the range before and think guns are icky, you are welcome to shoot! Just see an RSO and they will set you up with an experienced shooter to help you. We will again conduct a gun cleaning and maintenance clinic Friday which will run concurrently with the live-fire programs.
These times are approximate and programs may change as weather conditions and participation warrant. We anticipate a hard stop on both ranges at 1pm on Saturday to allow everyone to participate in the bigly fun TXMoMe festivities.
Update 3:
You will note there are combined rifle and handgun range safety briefings both days and attendance is mandatory if you want to shoot. We take your safety seriously and ask everyone who wants to shoot plan on attending this important briefing. Again, we are conducting one combined safety brief each day. No exceptions.
Immediately following each day's safety briefing you will be asked to sign a general liability waiver, and only then will you receive a color-coded wrist band. The color is different each day, and it is your ticket onto the range(s) for the day. No wrist band, no shooting that day. Don't want to sign the waiver? No problem, just do not expect to shoot. If you miss the mandatory range safety briefing which is mandatory and must be attended, you are welcome to watch the live fire activities from designated observation areas.
All shooters are asked to check in with an RSO (sporting an Orange Cap of Dorkiness for easy identification) upon your arrival at either of the ranges who will answer questions and direct you to an open firing position. The RSOs wield unspeakable power so it is in your best interest to be nice to them. Want to do things your way? I suggest that your own personal range on your own personal property is a good place for expressing your individuality, not as a guest on the ranch.
IMPORTANT: I would hope this goes without saying, but anyone failing to immediately and politely follow RSO instructions will be removed from the range(s). Period. No exceptions.
I will probably think of more things to yell about in the coming weeks so please stay tuned.
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Who Says We Don't Have Principles?
M1 Garand Principles of Operation
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Model 94 Winchester v 336 Marlin
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Ballistic High-Speed Photography
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Getting Enough Tar and Nicotine?
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Doctor recommended!
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Our Pal Operation Plowshare
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Highway Patrol!
This week's episode: Hot Cargo
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Phantom From Space!
The best Phantoms are from space.
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Cigar of the Week
This week our pal Diogenes scores again with this excellent review of the Oliveros Grand Returno.
I've probably covered this cigar before but this is a good time for a relook.
This is a very nice cigar.
From the Dominican Republic, it hosts an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper using a Nicaragua Habano binder and filler also from Nicaragua. It is a cigar built to sit back and just enjoy it for a bit. In fact, it even looks like the kind of cigar you want to try. The wrapper is golden in color and flawless in appearance. It is firm, well rolled and offers a slight aroma while unlit.
The first third has no introduction time and it sets up a pleasant smoke right from the start. The aroma is an honest tobacco and the taste is equally so plus hints of wheat and nuts. Some say there is a touch of cedar in it but I suspect that is from the humidor I use. I didn't catch it.
Moving into the second third, and for that matter, the rest of the cigar, the tobacco just goes deeper in richness and flavor. The draw is light, the ash is even, and the burn consistent.
The Returno is becoming one of my favorite go-to cigars, and it will be a standard for me on the golf course. Yesterday, right after lighting this one up, I shot a par, birdie, and then an eagle. All this after a particularly bad start so yeah, Returno's for golf!!!
P.S. Note my cool head cover!
Excellent, Diogenes! Thank you!
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Here are some different online cigar vendors. You will find they not only carry different brands and different lines from those brands, but also varying selections of vitolas (sizes/shapes) of given lines. It's good to have options, especially if you're looking for a specific cigar.
A note about sources. The brick & mortar/online divide exists with cigars, as with guns, and most consumer products, with respect to price. As with guns - since both are "persecuted industries", basically - I make a conscious effort to source at least some of my cigars from my local store(s). It's a small thing, but the brick & mortar segment for both guns and tobacco are precious, and worth supporting where you can. And if you're lucky enough to have a good cigar store/lounge available, they're often a good social event with many dangerous people of the sort who own scary gunz, or read smart military blogs like this one. -rhomboid
Anyone have others to include? Perhaps a small local roller who makes a cigar you like? Send me your recommendation and a link to the site!
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?
Whatever you want to call it, it is easy, can feed a large number of people, and best of all can be made in advance! Because I was a bit tired of cooking after Rosh Hashanah dinner, and I knew that I would have to feed a gaggle the next morning.
But what was the impetus for making this particular dish? Well! I had it at a friends' home last month, and it was delicious! Actually, I think hers was better than mine, but in my defense it was my first attempt, so I have an excuse.
My next version will be a bit different...I think I used too much bread and not enough egg, and I laid the sour cream on top a bit too thick. I also might sneak some bacon into the recipe, because...well...BACON!
Social Media is in many ways a tremendously corrosive influence on our culture, in particular its ability to magnify trivial, tiny trends into seemingly massive movements. And don't get me started on its destruction of our attention spans!
One thing I am unsure about though, is the explosion in cooking reels and videos. On one hand, it sure is fun to see other people's culinary creations. On the other hand, a lot of those people are shitty cooks but better videographers, so their crap food looks halfway appetizing.
The younger brat saw a recipe for potatoes on her social media feed, and demanded that we (she) make it for Rosh Hashanah. And I will freely admit that it was good! Not great, and it definitely needs work, but it's a good start.
But they looked spectacular in the video!
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I like Bourbon! And it is a broad category of spirit, so there are styles for pretty much everyone in every price category. But $100 for a bottle is a lot of money, and it had better be something damned special.
This makes me suspicious that it is a marketing ploy rather than an honest attempt at making something special. Why tempt fate with three popular whiskeys in one bottle? That sounds like it could turn out to be a muddy mess without any character.
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And speaking of booze marketing!
Here's a serious question. Why would anyone pay a premium for vodka? Any flavor is distilled out of it by design. That's why you can make it with just about any vegetation that can be fermented. It's essentially an alcoholic additive for juices and liqueurs. It's a commodity.
Grey Goose? It's for suckers and poseurs.
CHANGE MY MIND
-- Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at September 06, 2026 04:36 PM (vRDYl)
I think this is a very good point, and one that we have discussed in the past. I do think that there are minor differences between the various starches that different companies use to make their vodka, and someone with a good palate can probably detect the difference. But I agree that it doesn't translate into quality differences!
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Here's a dish from my youth, and one that I am immensely pleased I no longer have to eat! Classic Stuffed Peppers just doesn't make any sense. The texture of the cooked pepper isn't particularly pleasant when left whole, and it doesn't add anything to the dish other than a sturdy vessel in which to put some boring filling.
Okay, you can show them to CBD but make sure any weapons are out of reach.
-- Posted by: Robert at September 06, 2026 06:02 PM (ERsao)
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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!
Sigh...the great collar stay debacle of 2026 is in full swing.
Years ago, these little bits of plastic were sturdy and made well. And one could even buy stays made from metal! Recently they have become a whisper of their former selves...thin and too flexible to make a collar stand up and say hello!
And those newest ones that came with the UNTUCKIt shirts I bought to see whether they would work well with an IWB holster? The thinnest in the world! It's a wonder they don't crumble and break and fall to pieces.
The Western world has lost sight of the importance of quality collar stays, and that way lies madness!
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s security, territorial integrity, and resources are inviolable. Addressing the 18th BRICS Summit meetings at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Sunday, the foreign minister emphasized that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states will not accept targeting of their territories or vital facilities, under any pretext or justification.
Prince Faisal said that the ongoing escalation in the region is contributing to an expansion of the scope of confrontation and increasing the risks threatening regional and international security and stability. He emphasized that priority must be given to de-escalation and to paving the way for political and diplomatic efforts.
Except...None of that is true. The Saudis have been unwilling to do what is necessary to end the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the petroleum and other commerce that moves through the Gulf of Aden. They have punted again and again, and even in the face of attacks on Saudi Arabia itself has been curiously reticent, no doubt because they want someone else (read: the USA) to deal with the problem.
They have a large active-duty armed forces, modern weaponry, and the backing of the world. Yet they can't manage to tamp down the Houthis?
Why is that?
First...The Saudi armed forces are long on weaponry and short on fighting spirit. Second...Saudi Arabia loves to talk and negotiate and play the typical Arab long game. But the Houthis don't do any of that. Third...The Houthis are supported by Iran, and Saudi Arabia is ambivalent about Iran. Yes, they are afraid of Iran's nuclear and regional ambitions, but direct confrontation is not in their DNA. Fourth...The Houthis are tough fighters who are good at guerilla warfare and are holed up in the mountains. Beating them requires well-trained troops and the political will to complete the job...neither of which is in evidence in KSA.
And now there have been attacks from Iraq (probably on Houthi authority) on the alternative pipelines that bypass the Strait of Hormuz and send oil to the Red Sea. KSA has shut down those pipelines temporarily, but the attack sends a message that Saudi Arabia is no longer fighting on one front.
Years of accommodation to the various Islamist factions, both inside and outside of Saudi Arabia has created a massive network of quasi-government actors that have no fear of KSA, and are willing to act in their own best interests, knowing that Saudi vacillation, negotiation, and ultimately settlement will protect them.
And it couldn't have happened to a worse country. Remember, Saudi Arabia was the source of 15 of the 19 9/11 terrorists, and there is ample evidence of internal involvement.
So...man up Saudi Arabia! It's your problem, and it is my most fervent hope that President Trump tells them to deal with it, because we won't!
Sunday Morning Book Thread 9-13-2026 [Sabrina Chase]
—Open Blogger
Writer getting ideas, 1947, colorized
Welcome to the Book Thread, Guest Poster edition! I will be your host as we explore all sorts of book-related topics. All usual Book Thread rules are incorporated by reference (pets, beverage, clothing covering the lower limbs, etc.) with the special Sabrina Chase exemption for those stylish persons preferring kilts.
As I may have mentioned previously, I am a writer. I thought the esteemed Morons of the Book Thread might be interested in some of the inner workings of the authorial process, so now it is time for some Dark Writer Secrets, or ...
Writers have lots of ideas. Ideas are cheap and plentiful. Ideas that we think we can write a good story about in the time available are...less so. The non-writing public, not seeing the whining and crying and hair-pulling we do at the computer, think it is just sitting back and thinking Big Thinks and fame and fortune arrive by cargo ship.
I have performed as a Tame Writer for high school English classes, and it is all very well to see a real breathing person who has written a book. That gets me polite interest. But what gets them enthused is when I demonstrate, right there in front of them, how to get a story idea.
What I usually do is ask them to give me three nouns. Any nouns. And then I show them the brainstorming process that gets me to a narrative that holds together as a story, including tossing out the first or even second idea, because if it was easy for me to think of then someone has probably already done it and better than I can. No, I want the unusual, oh yeah that's Sabrina for you story!
One I remember went like this:
Nouns: Seahawks, Spongebob Squarepants, and Paris (the kids were giggling with glee when they came up with these too)
What I came up with: The NFL has decreed that all team mascots must be real things, and if they are not the team merchandise will be immediately confiscated resulting in mass nudity in Seattle, because nobody has seen a Seahawk! But to the rescue comes the Cousteau society (based in Paris) seeking a mysterious being named Spongebob Squarepants and very knowledgeable about sea life, who can find an actual Seahawk to prove it is real!
They thought this was hilarious.
That said, I don't usually come up with my book ideas with the three-noun method. It's more of a writing exercise to get the writer out of the depressive fits we are prone to. My method is to create movie scenes in my head while listening to music, and create plots from that.
I will confess my Argonauts of Space series started off as revenge for Pluto getting demoted from planet to planetoid, though. I thought, "what would make them beg to call it a planet again... ooh, I know! It's really an ancient alien spaceship! Hmm. And why is it there? It got left as debris after a war." And it all sort of cascaded from there ... and because I am what is politely called a "discovery writer" (but what writers call "pantser", as in "seat of the pants") by the end of the first book I had space Neanderthals and machine telepaths and the vital importance of corn muffins. I dunno about my mind, I just visit...
Where for me Claude Opus dropped from version 5 down to 4.8 because it hallucinated the term "cyber" when working with a CBOR library - the Concise Binary Object Representation.
Microsoft's Xbox division briefly put its own string of colossal failures on hold to snap him up.
Added an embedded database to my programming language - it's called Nana - today, and a "kitchen sink" option that increases the bundled standard library from 15 packages to 120. Just now merging in nana book - an option that fires up a local website with up to date documentation of the language and libraries, reading directly from docstrings and definitions in the code.
Just waiting for a build to complete, but it looks like the binary with all the new features might be smaller than yesterday's binary because I previously missed a compression option. On Linux and Windows there's no install required - download it, run it, it works. It adds 0.1 to 0.2 seconds to the startup time depending on your CPU, but you can decompress it to get startup down to 1% of that if that's a factor.
Update: So... Stripped and compressed, it comes out to 3.3MB 3.7MB, which is smaller only 100k larger than two days ago. Startup time has increased though to 150ms. Mostly not an issue.
Musical Interlude
Disclaimer: You diddled when you should have daddled.
Saturday Night Club ONT - September 12, 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. Is that a moose out front or are you just happy to see us?
[Mystery Click - please let us know (and drop some SHORTENED links) for your favorites or honorable mentions that weren't included!]
Two older gentlemen, drinking Pina Coladas and enjoying the scene on the beaches of Southern Florida; introduced themselves to each other.
“Hi. I’m Frank and I used to have a million-dollar apparel and textile business in New York. There was a fire that wiped out all my merchandise, and I decided that I was too old to start over, so I took the insurance money and here I am enjoying the beach and Florida weather.”
The other fellow responded, “Hi, I’m Larry and I had a burgeoning lumber business specializing in fine woods for artists and craftsmen, while building materials were my main source of income. My warehouse was on the river, which was an advantage due to barge shipping until a big flood came along and destroyed all my inventory. I chose your solution to take the insurance money and move to Florida.”
Both men were silent for a few minutes while Frank was thinking. Finally, he asked, “Larry, tell me something. How do you start a flood?”
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Two Aussie tourists are doing a bit of hiking through the Scottish highlands when through the mist, they spot a pub. They can't believe their luck and continue on and walk in.
"Two pints of your finest ale barman" says one Aussie and they are both shocked when the pints are poured and the barman says "That'll be two pennies thanks"
The Aussies both look at each other and ask why so cheap?
The barman says "it's our 800th birthday today, here at the Hilltop Pub, so we are charging the same for a pint we did 800 years ago."
The Aussies forgo any thought of more hiking and settle in for the long haul and order two more pints, two pennies. Whilst they are drinking, they can't help but notice a bunch of guys, at the other end of the bar not drinking.
Next time the barman comes to take their order, they point out the other guys and how strange it is that they aren't drinking
And the barman says "oh them, don't worry about them, they're just locals, they're waiting for happy hour".
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Drink of the Night
Jungle Bird (from townandcountrymag.com)
Ingredients
1.5 oz rum (Jamaican or blackstrap)
.75 oz Campari
.5 oz fresh lime juice
.5 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar:water)
1.5 oz pineapple juice
Garnish: pineapple wedge or leaf
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker; add ice and shake until chilled. Strain over ice into tiki or rocks glass. Garnish.
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Club ONT Department of Turtle Studies
This is so odd that it warrants sharing. Over one million views. You're welcome.
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Club ONT Department of (Smaller) Men versus Beast
The quality of the content makes up for the poor quality of the video.
No, we don't know how the YouTube algorithm works either.
Scientists estimate that more than half of global biodiversity exists below the surface. But soil biodiversity is declining around the world, threatening agriculture, food security and the ability of ecosystems to function properly.
To investigate this hidden world, researchers from the University of Zurich (UZH) and Agroscope, the Swiss federal center of excellence for agricultural research, launched the citizen science project Proof by Underpants (Beweisstück Unterhose) in 2021. The project was designed both to raise awareness of soil ecosystems and to generate scientific data.
Following the same standardized method, 1,000 volunteers buried more than 2,000 pairs of cotton underwear and 12,000 tea bags at roughly 1,000 sites across Switzerland. After two months, participants dug them up, photographed them, and sent the material to the laboratory along with soil samples for further study.
The experiment shows that burying cotton underwear can offer a simple but useful way to compare biological activity and fertility in different soils.
The researchers suggest creating an "underwear index" that could make soil processes easier for the public to understand while drawing attention to the importance of protecting healthy soils.
Participants got great rewards for participating, right?
In return for their participation, researchers gave volunteers personalized feedback, including soil analysis results, evaluation tools and advice for managing soil more sustainably.
From 2012 - An interview with Neil Peart on Canadian TV. He was such a fascinating guy. Well read and well traveled. Even if you don't like Rush's music, this is worth checking out.
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Club ONT Jukebox
Start with the morning:
Continue for the day:
Might as well make it a life:
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Top 10ish Comments of the Week
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Club ONT is brought to you by Storytime with George
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Club ONT TVs has all new TVs for this college football season. They are NOT smart TVs. We prefer the good ol' dumb ones!
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 farm tractor theme for this Hobby Thread.
A farm tractor theme? Yep. Let's get tractoring!
[Top photo: John Deere Model 80, Canfield Ohio Fair]
Vintage farm equipment is a huge hobby. Lots of people have a vintage tractor, collect vintage equipment and restore projects. Is it the pull of nostalgia? The pull of machines? The pull of farming and the feeling of being self-sufficient and productive?
Many Fourth of July parades feature tractors. Many county fairs feature antique farm tractors. There are events dedicated exclusively to farm and construction equipment where static displays witness active demonstrations. There is an annual event known as Classic Green dedicated solely to John Deere equipment and memorabilia.
If you grew up on a farm, chances are good that you learned to drive on a tractor before a car. Chances are also good that you remember exactly what kind of tractor (or tractors) your family had.
The sheer quantity of tractor rescue and restoration content on YouTube is a testament to the deep vein of interest. (Bulldozer and other heavy equipment rescue and restoration is similar.) Many videos have the same storyline of "sitting for years, can we get it to run???" Some are more or less polished than others. Some feel like more clickbait/artificial drama than others. (We better understand the incentives and importance of the thumbnails after our recent look into YouTube creator economics.)
Are you wise in the ways of farm tractors? Do you have one (or more)? If not, would you like a tractor in your garage? Have you restored a tractor? Are you inclined towards heavy equipment in general? Are you into tractor pulls?
What's your brand of choice? Farmall/International Harvester? Case? Steiger? Allis-Chalmers? Ford? Oliver? MF? (farmer people know MF is Massey Furguson rather than a common profanity)
If you're inclined towards steam engines, please weigh in as well. Close enough.
Full disclosure: The family of TRex is a John Deere family. We're friendly to other brands (and I'm irritated at the John Deere right to repair nonsense), but decades of family history ran with the Deere. The local John Deere dealer spoke at my uncle's funeral if that tells you anything.
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What are you hobbying?
Tractors may not be your favorite but give it a chance before you judge and bail out. Any adjacent hobbying is in scope, 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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Anyone been to the Keller's Retired Tractor Museum in Wisconsin?
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You had me at "Parade of Power." This was in Du Quoin, Illinois.
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Steel wheels but a heartfelt restoration video with lots of family history mixed in which makes the project more special.
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Bulldozers are fun but they're not tractors. We'll do a separate thread someday for dozers, backhoes, cranes, dump trucks, etc., but this mini-Deere dozer looked too good to pass up. I also liked this one for the "hit it with a power washer and spray paint" backyard rough justice method of cosmetic repair.
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Ever been to a Classic Green Reunion? Check out this walk-around video from the 2025 edition in Wisconsin.
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Blacksmith John Deere did not invent tractors but did invent the steel plow in 1837.
Fast forward to 1974 when Landmark Winery in Sonoma, California was founded by Damaris Deere Ford. John Deere was her great-great-grandfather.
Every so often, you'll see touches in their branding that pay homage to their history:
Photocredit: stayradwineblog.com
Been a while since we've had a bottle of Landmark wine but we enjoyed many bottles in a prior life! Yum!
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Follow-up from last week:
I looked for free pallets on Craigslist and was shocked at the volume of listings. Who knew?
ICYMI, JQ posted a link last week to 34 DIY pallet projects. If any among the Horde embark on pallet hobbying projects, send a photo. Thank you!
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This has nothing to do with tractors, but I don't think I've ever seen a motorized scythe before.
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Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did a painting theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.
Notable comment 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.
You can adopt police dogs that flunked training for being too friendly.
Instead of sending them to shelters, agencies like the TSA, Department of Defense, and various police departments have their own adoption programs, giving these lovable “dropouts” a second chance as family… pic.twitter.com/Wel7Yp9PFf
They left yesterday. None in the garage last night. 8,000miles, bound for southern Africa. I always feel melancholy when they leave. Safe journey, you wee beauties. See you next year. 💙🙏🌍 pic.twitter.com/mhEcyiBO66
I lost my pup Bruno last Tuesday to Lymphoma. It had been in remission but came back over a few days and just overwhelmed him. He's buried down by the woods, where he loved to run. I miss you buddy, and your wagging tail thumping against the cabinets in the shop.
- fd
Oh, no. So sorry that you have lost Bruno. What a wonderful boy.
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This is the good Little Mama who brought her four kittens to our house and demanded that we feed them. She splits her time between our house and some unknown locale. She has been spayed and her boys have all been neutered now.
K.T.
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My kitty boy, Kovu! You can see his spots in real life, but they don’t show up in the pics. He is asleep so his big ears are wilted. pic.twitter.com/DOvRTTqnjt
I have always disfavored the saying “it’s about the journey, not the destination.” I find (usually) writers and artists employ this platitude to excuse a story or piece of work that is not too well thought out.
Our stories need catharsis (so said Aristotle), and if your conclusion is weak, it’s tempting to deflect by offering… “don’t you see, it’s about the journey?”
But certainly there are other aspects of life where the journey is –if not the point— as acceptable as the destination. Do I need to reach the summit of a mountain to enjoy a hike?
Might it be the same with gardening? Do we need the fruit or the flower to experience a sense of satisfaction? Perhaps the process can bring as much joy as the terminus.
I’m not trying to run interference for failure. In fact, last year, I posted on AoS about my ongoing battle with birds, which had, for years, poached my annual blueberry crop. That essay was titled “The Great Blueberry Bush Battle.”
A quick recap: the blueberry bushes at my house have, for the last ten seasons, yielded copious and healthy fruit. The only problem became preventing birds from stealing the berries, which happened until 2025 when I discovered thule netting (Photo 2; date taken 8-2-26) This style of mesh net acts like a Ziploc bag, encasing the bush in a net that no bird can penetrate.
So, after failing for a number of years to defeat avian pests, I found my game changer in 2025, and 2026 has been just as successful.
“The Great Blueberry Bush Battle” has been a fun journey, but it was always the goal to get good fruit. I did that, and boy has the catharsis flowed.
A quick recap: the blueberry bushes at my house (Photo 1; date taken 7-3-25), have, for the last ten seasons, yielded copious and healthy fruit. The only problem became preventing birds from stealing the berries, which happened until 2025 when I discovered thule netting. This style of mesh net acts like a Ziploc bag, encasing the bush in a net that no bird can penetrate.
So, after failing for a number of years to defeat avian pests, I found my game changer in 2025, and 2026 has been just as successful.
“The Great Blueberry Bush Battle” has been a fun journey, but it was always the goal to get good fruit. I did that, and boy has the catharsis flowed.
Unfortunately, the scrum with nature when it comes to my Empire apple trees has mostly gone against me. Unlike blueberries, there seem to be more factors that can affect a good apple crop. Rough winters, spring conditions, disease, and other unknowns that are out of my hands make getting good apples anyone’s guess.
I am certain I could do better if I put in orchard-level effort or used industrial-strength sprays, but that would entail hiring someone and I want this project all to myself. So, despite my instincts not to fall back on “it’s about the journey,” I’ve begun to lean into the phrase.
But should I?
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To help you opine, allow me to provide the history of the trees. The blueberry bushes were planted when I bought and redid this house in 2009-2010.
In the photo, you can see where the blueberry bushes will be planted—just in front of the pylons that will eventually become the porch. If you look to the right of Bobcat machine, you will see a line of trees.
These remained on the property until 2012. After their removal, the apple trees were planted in their stead.
I wish I had done more time lapse photography, but by 2014 the trees were established enough to produce a glorious year of fruit .
As you can see, there was enough fruit to fill shopping bags, and I employed my sons to transport the cargo from field to table in their toy car (Photo 6; date taken 9-20-14). The fruit was not just ornamental that year; it was largely unblemished and certainly edible.
In the succeeding years, there was little bounty. The trees grew and did produce fruit each season, but the apples were always spotted or bruised, and by harvest time the toy car was not needed.
I didn’t do much to tend them until— because of Covid fascists—I had to hang around the house in the summer of 2020. I began to take more interest in my fruit trees at this time, but taking an interest and producing a satisfying result did not go hand in glove.
It had been fairly common for the tree to blossom in May, which always portended fruit, but often, as mentioned, the apples would never survive in any kind of healthy way.
For better results, I consulted landscape architects, my lawn and garden service team, the internet of course, and neighbors who also have fruit trees. Naturally, I received a lot of advice. Neem oil to ward off insects. Other sprays to combat disease. Reflective tape to deter birds. Trimming in winter months only. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to work.
Then, in the summer of 2023, something amazing occurred. I did nothing special to prepare for this year, but the trees produced more fruit than I could imagine. The limbs were so heavy with apples I had to tie up splitting branches. I estimate each tree produced 1,000 apples.
Plenty of them were poached by animals or blemished, but there was so much that even a ten percent haul meant 200 edible apples. The toy car was long gone, but it would not have been able to handle the payload.
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To my consternation, there has been bupkis since 2023. In 2024, the trees didn’t even blossom and not one apple formed. In 2025 and 2026, there were small blossoms, and a few apples began to take shape, but by mid-summer there was nothing at all for the plucking.
Photo 14 is at the top of the post
The trees themselves have continued to grow and always appear healthy, but bearing fruit like those two great years (2014 and 2023) seems an impossibility now.
In the succeeding years, there was little bounty. The trees grew and did produce fruit each season, but the apples were always spotted or bruised, and by harvest time the toy car was not needed.
The trees themselves have continued to grow and always appear healthy, but bearing fruit like those two great years (2014 and 2023) seems an impossibility now.
My own very non-scientific theory is the trees have become too big. They were much larger in 2023 than in 2014, so that may disprove my theory, but it’s hard to gainsay they are probably twice as big as when planted. That is, there is too much wood. The branches shoot to the sky and criss-cross each other at every chance. I have trimmed each year, but they grow back quickly.
But now that this season is effectively over, I’m going to get much more aggressive with trimming and thinning than I have before. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks taking out branches, and the results are much more ‘airy’ trees.
Experts will probably say this is a mistake, that I should wait until winter (if you call Chat GPT an expert), but like the cop who goes on a hunch rather than by the book, I’m not sitting on my hands until next February.
Whatever the result in 2027, perhaps the point of these apple trees is not the fruit they can produce but the stories they engender. The neem oil, the toy car, wobbling precariously on ladders during trims. And on…
Even so, it would be nice to munch on an unblemished, crispy apples that come from my trees. Check in with me the next season, and I’ll tell you where I stand on journeys and destinations.
Thanks, LEX! What a project! You have kept good records, too.
Time for discussion!
Do you grow apples? Do you want to? How about pears?
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Gardens of The Horde
What's going on in your garden or neighborhood?
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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.
Well, it's been quite a week for civilization in the USA. Try scrolling through the posts from the archives here from the past week for a sampling of craziness. Mark Steyn has noticed something, too:
This is my ancient column from that day, composed in the hours that followed, when very little was known. There are passages I would write differently today, and some I would not write at all, but I thought we would re-publish it as is, with the original (Spectator) illustration and headline. It was and is "a war for civilisation", but in ways I did not fully grasp until six months later, standing across the street from a Viennese maternity shop.
So here we are, a generation later, when no jihadist needs to fly planes into western skyscrapers - because, in New York as in London as in other western capitals, we have handed Islam the keys to those skyscrapers. In the excerpts from the flight manifests that appeared over the next few days, I was struck by the name of Christine Hanson of Groton, Massachusetts, a two-year-old girl sitting between her parents on a doomed flight. She was last heard crying in the background during her father's telephone call to her grandparents to report that the stewardess had been stabbed. Christine would be approaching thirty now - and I cannot but feel that the intervening years have dishonoured her memory:
Interesting to read what Steyn wrote 25 years ago. What has changed since then?
I would suggest that we might look back even further than yesterday's 25th anniversary, and think about what we want to teach the kids (a theme here last week). Ayaan Hirsi Ali has written a piece that reminds us that, while the details had not been worked out, there were people who had plans to attack the West long before 9/11.
After 25 years, it is time for the West to face the true cause of 9/11
In April 1996, more than five years before he steered American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower, Mohamed Atta sat in a small Hamburg apartment and wrote his last will and testament. He was 27, an architecture student at the Technical University, the son of a Cairo lawyer, fluent in German, and living comfortably in one of the most affluent societies on earth.
Nothing in his circumstances compelled him to dwell on death. Yet he gave detailed instructions for the handling of his corpse. “I don’t want any women to go to my grave at all during my funeral or on any occasion thereafter,” he wrote. He did not want a pregnant woman, or “a person who is not clean,” to come and say goodbye. The man who washed his body should wear gloves so as not to touch his genitals. He was to be wrapped in three white pieces of unadorned cloth, laid on his right side facing Mecca, and buried “next to good Muslims.” His money was to be divided “according to the Muslim religion as almighty God has asked us to do.”
There is no political program and no mention of foreign policy or economic grievances in the document. There is only a young Muslim man, in a German apartment, arranging to sacrifice his life to Allah in the confidence that Allah will reward his martyrdom in the life to come. The will was witnessed by fellow believers at the al-Quds mosque, where Atta prayed in Arabic, grew his beard, and where, four years later, he would meet the men he would die with.
The document is among the most neglected pieces of evidence from Sept. 11 because it contradicts the explanations of the attack that most Western commentators preferred. Atta was not poor. He was not radicalized by drone strikes that had not yet happened, nor by American support for Israel. He was not in any formal or organizational sense an “Islamist.” Rather, he had an uncompromising and militant commitment to Islam that he was ready to die for.
Yet for 25 years Western elites repeatedly insisted that men like Atta must have been driven by something other than the culture and the faith that provided him with a lens through which his actions seemed both sensible and necessary. After 9/11, intellectuals and policymakers asked “what went wrong?” as though the source of Atta’s animus toward the West was shrouded in some deep mystery. In the Western experience, men had not killed other men over religious questions en masse since the end of the great religious wars of the 17th century. Culture, a term that was once understood to encompass a great many facets of human identity, experience, and belonging—religion included—had also been ruled out. Saying that cultural differences exist and should be respected was a foundation of the multicultural order; the idea that some cultures might lead people to murder each other, for reasons that do not appear in the Western rationalist list of sane causes, struck many Western liberals as too close to racism to bother arguing the point.
Since then, each time the West collided with Islam, much of the Western intellectual class reached for explanations that made sense within its own secular humanist categories: grievance, humiliation, underdevelopment, alienation, foreign policy frustration, or the failure of Western states to properly integrate men like Atta, who were, or must be, inherently no different than immigrants of similar age, class, and educational attainments from Vietnam or Poland, or anyplace else. Since all conflicts are material in origin, it was assumed that they could be settled though material means. . .
Her insights into the thinking of Atta also have relevance to the current Iranian conflict.
*
But since Ayaan brought up settling conflicts through material means, we have other adversaries who are quite obsessed with materialism. Mayor Pete's dad translated the works of Gramsci into English, for example. You might want to share the insights below. I am including links to two versions:
PS: This is not my article, is a simple copy from the x account of Krzysztof Szczawinski ; - @Kristof_Poland (consider giving a follow, he has a lot of good articles about socialism)
I don’t usually do this, but he explained what Gramsci was and his ideas way better than I could (even thought I knew about Gramsci for years).
Antonio Gramsci – The Most Dangerous Intellectual of the Twentieth Century.
Not the most famous. Not the most read. The most dangerous and the most consequential – because he was the one who figured out why the revolution kept failing, and what to do instead. The man who… https://t.co/jvd7MHKRDopic.twitter.com/EB0fbaeyEL
The Classical Saturday Morning Coffee Break & Prayer Revival
—Misanthropic Humanitarian
[I rate the preceding 100% accurate.]
*****
Good morning boys and girls and everything in between. Before we enter the Prayer Revival just a few housekeeping matters to go over. (Rulz for those of you in Sauk City)
1) This is an open thread, feel free to lurk, opine and/or bloviate. Never hurts to pray either.
2) Be kind. Be nice. Unless you're feeling lucky......
3) No. Running with sharp objects is not allowed.
4) Besides not being able to run with sharp objects 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.
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.
8/28 Update – Teresa’s bloodwork is back, and everything looks steady. She has a CT scan on 9/4.
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.
9/4 Update – MrTea has finished his 10 days of radiation. He feels pretty good. He is still taking fenben and ivermectin. He is still shedding pieces of the tumor, which is a good sign. In 2 weeks they will meet with the oncologist again, and hopefully the dna and blood tests will be done and the doctor will have a plan. Many thanks for the prayers.
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.
8/26 Update – Susan’s cough has gotten so bad that they did X-rays on her chest. It might be pneumonia. She is in the hospital. Her sodium and blood pressure are low and she is not eating much now. They are trying to turn this around and ask for everyone’s prayers.
9/2 Update – Susan is back in the ICU. She either has an infection or the cancer has spread to her lungs. Either way, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for Susan and please continue them.
9/3 Update – Thank you to everyone for their thoughts and prayers for Susan. They are expecting her to pass into the hands of the Lord in the next day or so. Please pray for them.
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.
8/22 Update – Mrs. Lloyd is healing ahead of schedule and the surgeon was amazed at her progress. She is still in pain and has limited mobility, but each day she is gaining more freedom of movement. That is the good news; the bad news was the unrealistic expectations set by the medical staff. The surgery was much more significant, and she will also need chemo, contrary to what she was told before.
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.
8/22 Update – Tonya did not survive her burns. Prayers for her and her husband Rusty, who were/are active members of their local church in Mexico.
8/27 – P asks for prayers for the soul of her nephew, C, who committed suicide on 8/17. He was only 32. May he find the peace in the afterlife that he could not find in this life.
8/26 – Teresa in Fort Worth asks for prayers for her BIL, Dick, who was found dead in the alley behind the house in Texas. He had been in declining health and had dementia. They aren’t sure how long he was outside before he passed away. Teresa’s SIL seems to be handling it okay so far. Teresa also asks for prayers for a former neighbor, Melissa, who is hospitalized, recovering from a second stem cell/bone marrow transplant as they attempt to cure her leukemia. She now has blood blisters in her mouth and throat. She had to be intubated before her throat closed completely. This might be her body rejecting the transplant.
8/27 – “…” asked for prayers for healing (and sleep) for Brit Lass. She is having tests, and so far they are good, but she is worried. She has an imaging test coming up and then an appointment with a surgeon.
8/30 – SPinRH_F-16 requested prayers for classmate “D.B.”, who has ALS. Please pray that he remains as comfortable as possible and for support for his family as they see him through this. Thank you in advance for your earnest prayers.
9/2 – Bulg asked for prayers for purpose in his life.
9/4 – bluebell sent an update on grammie winger. Grammie was diagnosed with epilepsy now. And she is back in the hospital. They would love prayers for comfort and peace for her.
9/10 – Annie’s Stew asks for prayers for her husband as he recovers from knee surgery.
9/10 – D asked for prayers for the memory of 9/11. May the Lord comfort people in the grief, and may it bring people closer to God.
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 packages - software modules - themselves were malicious, and the efforts to upload them to RubyGems were malicious. The attribution to OpenAI itself as opposed to OpenAI's users is unproven, but the pattern looks similar to the attack on a German wiki site that has been admitted by the company.
It points out that the design space in question is a nine-dimension hypercube in which JavaScript of all languages is the one that got it right. Yes, there are tradeoffs that led other languages to decide differently, but those decisions are dumb.
Which is of interest to me because I've spent the morning on async-await in my own programming language. Well, that and adding wildcard indexes to my database and doing an end run around multidatabase ORM design.
It's great when you control the compiler and the runtime and the database libraries and the primary database; you can just make decisions that simplify things everywhere and there's nobody to complain. Well, Claude said my proposal would need rewrites of ten existing client libraries, but that's a bit like the creator of the C makefile format protesting that he couldn't change the format because he already had twelve users.
Also, just found that something I'm planning to do tomorrow was a PhD thesis topic as recently as 2018.
You can turn off that annoying thing Claude does when it hallucinates a harmful phrase and downgrades the model in use. Today it dropped from Opus 5 to the older Opus 4.8 in the middle of implementing a wire protocol to MessagePack translation layer, meaning that I need to recheck everything it's done for the past hour. Just go into /config and it's the third option.
Which to be fair I need to do anyway; time for the weekly adversarial testing round.
When I read Sherlock Holmes or history books (usually Jack the Ripper books), they refer to this kind of bus, usually calling it an "omnibus." "Omnibus" meaning in Latin, the internet tells me, "for all," in other words public, not private. The word "bus" is just a clipped version of that.
The term originated in Paris, where it began as "voiture omnibus," or "carriage for all" or "public carriage." They lopped off the "voiture." In London, the term was quickly shorted to the modern word "bus," by the 1830s.
But I swear I see "omnibus" when I read a history or period book in the 1890s.
I couldn't visualize what this "omnibus" looked like. I couldn't figure out if it was short-ish like a Wild West coach or long-ish like a modern bus. So, of course, it's short-ish like a Wild West coach. Duh.
Here's one from 1895, packed top to bottom with advertising.
More details here, including "buses" packed with people and absolutely jammed with luggage.
God, I love watching these people do this. They have to know that the odds are they will be eating pavement or hey. I'm guessing that they're mixing something with that Red Bull so that they don't care or feel the impact. 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/AhrzHhYciS
Of Course: Garbage Tier Network NBC Is Now Doxxing the Lone "Rogue" Holdout in the Lindsay Clancy Case
—Disinformation Expert Ace
The media exists solely for purposes of blackmail and incitement to murder.
Sue O'Connell: COMMENTATOR, not a reporter
@SueOC_NBCBoston
EXCLUSIVE: The holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy trial had a history of domestic violence allegations, the @NBC10Boston
Investigators have learned through court documents and interviews with family members.
Fusilli Spock
@awstar11
It's just a matter of time before this guy is doxed and assaulted, if not murdered. Meanwhile Massachusetts has done nothing to stem the leaks or punish the leakers.
How much do you want to bet the Angry Alpha Karens doxxed his name to NBC?
It could also be the disgusting defense lawyer, who has filed a motion asking the judge to set aside the jury's non-verdict and declare Lindsay Clancy innocent on his own authority. The leak may be part of a public pressure campaign.
AG
@AGHamilton29
I was talking to someone who doesn't follow the news much and she had a convo where 3 mid 30's regular women were telling her about the case and they were all completely convinced that the husband killed the kids despite there being no evidence of that and even Lindsay Clancy's reps aren't claiming that.
It's a serious problem that so much of society now views news as a form of entertainment to the point where reality and facts become optional. They just go with the story they think sounds better to them.
It's why people, for example, listen to Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, and others who are consistently saying things that are provably false and insane. Conspiracies are now the norm and regularly people are consistently buying into them without evidence. It's a serious threat to a functioning society.
Plus: an actual Lindsay Clancy Super-Fan has done what the TikTok brained AWFULs told her was every woman's right to do, and hanged her 11th trimester fetus -- also known as a 2-year-old toddler -- and then declared she was temporarily psychotic and would like her book deal and Oprah appearance now.
An Illinois mother allegedly hanged her 2-year-old son that she described as the "anti-Christ" -- hours after discussing the Lindsay Clancy case with friends, authorities said.
Corie Walsh, 38, is facing first-degree murder charges after one of her neighbors found Walsh's son, Barrett, hanging from the rafters in the family's basement, FOX 32 reported.
Walsh allegedly told investigators she killed her young son because he's the "anti-Christ" and "devil," according to prosecutors.
Little Barrett was found with his feet off the ground, and a ligature around his neck.
...
Walsh was reportedly found lying in a bathtub, fully clothed and drenched in bloody water.
She was hospitalized after police determined she had attempted to self-harm, according to a court proffer viewed by FOX 32. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Three other children were found unharmed inside the home.
...
Prosecutors say that Walsh was infatuated with the Clancy trial, having texted friends about the case at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, just three hours before Barrett was found dead.
...
At the the time of Barrett's tragic death, the jury was still deliberating Clancy's case, a parallel prosecutors have noted to FOX 32.
...
Walsh's husband was out of town at the time of the alleged murder and flew home Tuesday evening.
Killing the kid, attempting a kinda-fake "self-harm," doing it when the husband is away -- she's following the Lindsay Clancy playbook.
And now her lawyer announces she was just "psychotic" so she gets to kill one kid for free. After all, Lindsay Clancy got to kill three. Fair is fair.
Corie Walsh's defense will argue that the Illinois mother was psychotic and that the charges do not amount to first-degree murder after she was accused of killing her 2-year-old son.
"She was psychotic. And this is not a first-degree murder," Andrea Lyon told reporters.
Catholic priest Fr. Dan Reehil denounces the strong support for “demonic killer” Lindsay Clancy:
“If you’re dating a woman right now who is a supporter of this woman who killed her children— cut bait and run for your life.” pic.twitter.com/htkLswQA3a
Podcast: Is the Iran situation reaching a steady state? The UK sides with the enemies of the West, Vance the Squish? France and Germany and their coming elections, Canada trade war is one-sided, and Clancy is evil incarnate!
Dear RNC; Go f*ck yourselves. I have gotten 56 texts in the last two weeks...all offensive and sneaky and all begging for money. At this point I would rather donate to AOC. [CBD]
"The irresponsible reports that have been published stating that Maria Bartiromo was fired or is no longer an employee of Fox are absolutely and unequivocally false," Freedman said Friday. "Make no mistake, we have the receipts and witnesses and they will come out whether through the courthouse or otherwise."
He added: "Those reporting her firing or the incredulous facts supporting that fiction have exhibited a complete and utter reckless disregard for the truth."
from anon2020 So what, she quit?
Megyn Kelly (accursed be her name) used to say all the time that Fox has a top female PR person who is a nasty pitbull and leaks nasty claims about anyone Fox is at war with, including those who have left the network. So I guess maybe she technically resigned? I don't know.
NEW: @FoxNews has obtained Lindsay Clancy defense attorney Kevin Reddington's appeal filing to the MA Supreme Court, which includes Reddington accusing the lone holdout juror of being "biased" against those with "debilitating mental illness", which he says is a protected category.
Holiday Break: I've had a rough couple of weeks -- the shoulder is healing now and I'm finally getting decent sleep -- and I've decided to take a long weekend.
I'm taking Friday off, and then Monday off, too. I have Open Threads for both days and I will post if big news breaks, but if it doesn't -- and it probably won't, news is slow before a holiday weekend -- I'm going to take a four day weekend.
Sh0eOnHead discusses the Psychotic Cult of Lindsay
Real quotes:
"This case has me feeling like I'm on Law & Order with you guys!"
"We literally binge true crime as a hobby, we've been trained for this moment" Worth the watch. If you haven't seen the genuinely upsetting insanity motivating thousands of women, you should watch this just to see how society is crumbling. Ban TikTok, Trump. I don't care if Barron tells you it's popular with the yutes. It is an evil Communist China op and it is driving women insane.
Dolly Parton tells the story of the supposedly real-life Jolene As Andrew Branca says, can we see this Jolene, finally? Who was this hottie that was a genuine sexual threat to Dolly Parton? I think this is Fake News personally. When a magician claims he learned a trick from a Himalayan wise man, I don't believe him either.
Podcast: Dolly Parton...an American classic, Michigan's El Sayed is part of our future destruction, More Global Warming nonsense, mail-in balloting restrictions, Darline Graham? Get rid of family dynasties...and more!
1977 interview shows that Barbara Walters has always been a seaward and Dolly Parton always had "country class" Walters actually asks Dolly Parton if she knows that people think she's a joke. This because Walters can't get over the fact that a show-woman has 1, big breasts, and 2, dresses a bit outrageously because, get this, she's an entertainer. A stage performer. You know, someone people pay money to see live and expect them to put on a show. She never would attack Liberace for wearing glitter-tuxedos. But she's mad that Dolly Parton makes Barbara Walters look bad through association (by being a woman). Babs, you wish people associated the two of you. Believe me, we can tell the difference.
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