August 2021 Archives

Got a little bit of work done and got the next two days labors sized-up. Planning on taking a few needed metal tools down so I can be more creative down there. Been having some fun with a surveyor on the island.  Will write more when I get it resolved.

Major day tomorrow and feeling very sleepy so that is it for the evening...

Cute idea well done - here is the channel:

Two elements in the deep-state duking it out? This from Conservative Treehouse:

U.S. Intel Hits Biden Again, Leak Transcript and Recording of Call With President Ghani – Biden: “there is a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture”
Team-One (State Dept, CIA, Intel Community) continue to pummel Team-Two (Biden, WH, Pentagon, NSC) with leaks to media.

After Joe Biden delivered his speech to the nation claiming no-one saw the collapse of the Afghan government coming, the intel group leak the transcript and recording of a July 23rd phone call between Biden and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani showing everything Biden said today was a lie.

So, it looks like his big speech today was just more lies and gaslighting. Not unexpected.
250+ comments at the site - some good ones.

The Levees held - flooding was just from rainfall.

Bad news?  The electricity is going to be out for several more weeks. And, they have some really hot weather moving in.

Stories are starting to trickle in - lots of emergency responders out there, lots of traffic on ham radio bands. The Cajun Navy is stepping up to the plate again. Big difference between city dwellers and country folk. I was born and raised in a city and you will never get me back in one for more than a visit. They make me itch.

Peter at Bayou Renaissance Man links to two posts that plausibly describe what happened over there and why. These pieces fit together a little too well for my liking and heads need to roll if this scenario is what played out.

Infighting in the Deep State? Backstabbing in Washington? Say it ain't so!!!
The Intrepid Reporter offers a speculative blog post that I think gets very near the knuckle about what's happening in Washington D.C. right now. He can't offer proof, of course, but what I'm hearing from my sources (which are not the same as his, not at all) suggests he's more accurate than not on many of the details:    Deep State War?

And then, there is this:

BTW, note that conflict between cliques in the corridors of power is far from confined to geopolitical affairs.  Charles Hugh Smith points out that it's as much economic as political - but, of course, in our society those two factors are almost indistinguishable, because our politics is dependent on shaping our economic reality.  That isn't working very well any more . . . just like our geopolitics.

Take the time to read both of these - well worth your time and they explain what is happening. Some serious times. Some heads need to roll. We need accountability and not petty games.

I especially like this comment:

Hopefully we see some politicos having heart attacks, maybe a few car accidents. If a member of the JCoS get thwacked in a "hunting accident". Shit like that, just watch. Langley is Minas Morgul to DC's Barad-dur. Still evil fucks, but in this case I would cheer them on.

And for those muggles among us:  Minas Morgul and Barad-dûr

Going straight to the farm.  Got a large dumpster being delivered tomorrow so need to make sure there is space for it. Up for two days - heading back late Wednesday or sometime Thursday. Driving through Bellingham on the way home for some shopping. Stopping by the local farmer's market before hitting the road.

Looks like rain today - was sunny for a little bit this morning but clouded back over. Forecast up there is for rain showers but sunny tomorrow and Thursday. Good weather for some tractor driving and loading trash. There is a saying that you never see a motorcycle parked outside a therapists office.  Same thing can be said for driving a tractor - always puts a big smile on my face.

Bringing the Chromebook so spew will continue - got to see what Joe and his handlers are up to. Barry was right.

Listening to it.  He is passing the buck and seriously dissing the Afghani people.
They are going to be pissed at him (if they were not already).
Big measure of Blame Trump as well.

His mental imparement is letting his core being shine through - pure distilled evil.   I used to feel sorry for him.  Now, I hate him.  White hot. He is throwing these people under the bus so he does not have to take the blame for his fuck-up.

Biden's plan worked - as intended.  Really.  They simply do not want you to know their intent.
From FOX News:

Pentagon acknowledges Americans 'stranded' in Afghanistan despite Jen Psaki claiming term was 'irresponsible'
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby acknowledged Tuesday that Americans were "stranded" in Afghanistan, despite the earlier stance by White House press secretary Jen Psaki that use of the term to describe those unable to escape the Taliban-controlled country was "irresponsible."

And meanwhile - from The Daily Caller:

Biden Admin Told Refugee Organizations To Prepare For Arrival Of Up To 50,000 Afghans Without Visas
The Biden administration told refugee organizations to prepare for the arrival of up to 50,000 Afghans without visas, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

Nine State Department-contracted nonprofits that resettle refugees in the U.S. are trying to recruit more staff and volunteers to help process arriving Afghans, according to the WSJ. Some of the organizations said they haven’t been told how many refugees to expect or when they might arrive.

Anyone want to hazard guess how many of these refugees are unaccompanied men in the age range of 18 through 30.  Come to America, live on the dole (taxpayer dollars) and wait until their sleeper cell is activated by an email. We are importing and supporting the very soldiers who are at war with us. China wants us to do this so they do not have to fire a shot.

These people are screwing around with their little kiddie word games and they have zero clue what they are doing. From Politico:

AOC, Tlaib, Pressley call on Biden to dump Powell as Fed chair
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley on Monday called for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to be replaced, stepping up the pressure on President Joe Biden as he draws closer to a decision on the government’s most important economic post.

And what they want (raising their little fists into the air and waving them about)

They acknowledged that the Fed under Powell “has made positive changes” by steering the central bank toward a greater emphasis on reaching full employment. But they said they want to see someone at the helm who is more aggressive on financial regulation and climate change.

Climate change? The FED? These idiots have no clue what they are messing with.
It is all word games with them with no thought given to any consequences of their actions.

Yep - Joe Biden ended the Afghanistan war.  Whooppeeeeeee...
From the London Daily Mail:

Jubilant Taliban hold mock FUNERALS for American, British and NATO forces as thousands take to streets to celebrate 'victory' after last US soldier left Afghanistan

• • Taliban 'victory' parades took place in Afghanistan today after the last US troops left the country overnight
  • Coffins draped in the UK, US, French and NATO flags were paraded through the streets by the Islamists
  • Thousands of people waving Taliban flags turned out to watch, after fireworks were let off in Kabul overnight
  • Meanwhile Taliban leaders paraded at Kabul airport alongside troops decked out head to toe in western gear
  • Hundreds of American and British citizens were left behind during the evacuation along with thousands of Afghans who had been promised sanctuary for helping western forces, who now fear for their lives

The Taliban held mock funerals for American troops and NATO allies on Tuesday as thousands turned out on the streets of major cities to celebrate the end of the 20-year US military intervention in Afghanistan.

Coffins draped with the US, UK and French flags as well as NATO's insignia were paraded through the streets of Khost by crowds waving the Taliban's flag, hours after the final US plane departed.

The taunting ceremony followed the deaths of 13 US troops in an ISIS-K suicide bombing on August 26 at the Kabul airport.

In Kandahar - a traditional Taliban stronghold - thousands also turned out waving white Taliban flags to celebrate what the group is referring to as its 'independence day', hours after the final American troops boarded an evacuation flight out of the country.

But meanwhile...

More than 123,000 people were evacuated from Kabul in a massive but chaotic airlift by the United States and its allies over the past two weeks, but tens of thousands who helped Western nations during the war were left behind.

A contingent of Americans, estimated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as fewer than 200, and possibly closer to 100, wanted to leave but were unable to get on the last flights.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab put the number of UK nationals in Afghanistan in the low hundreds, following the evacuation of some 5,000.

Those left behind?  Take the numbers and multiply them by ten at least.  Colossal fuckup by the Biden administration. Presdient Trump's plan was simple but Joe fucked it up. Some horrific stories come out. The man being hung by a Blackhawk helicopter.  The military dogs left behind in crates.

Drag my eyeballs through a video or two and that is it for me.  Lights out.

Took a nice hot shower, two aspirin and feeling downright sleepy.

60°F out but it feels ten degrees cooler than that.  Probably an artifact of the massage but still - got the space heater cranked in the office.  Going to fire up the HVAC when I get back from the farm - getting to be that time of year. Both pups are curled up in front of the heater - they are feeling it too.

Been watching the local airplanes via their ADS-B flight transponders. Did a $20 receiver, a home-made antenna (designs available all over the place) and a spare RaspberryPi computer and that was it.  Loaded the software from FlightAware and joined their network. I also joined ADSBExchange as FlightAware filters out all non-civilian or non-commercial flight information and I have a Naval Air Base just across the bay.  C'mon man...

Anyway, got this in my inbox:

We would like to be the first to tell you about a recent event – Collins Aerospace has announced its intent to acquire FlightAware.

Let’s talk about what that means for FlightAware's ADS-B network.

Most importantly, Collins recognizes the importance of the ADS-B ground station network and is committed to maintaining and expanding it. This acquisition opens up resources to deliver new hardware innovations, better open-source software solutions, and a variety of web and mobile improvements to benefit the flight tracking community.

Well crap.  They could be Geek Gods and just leave FlightAware alone.  They might even fund it some more and improve it. Unfortunately, what happens all too often is that this will be "played with", it will never really fit into the Corporate Culture and in 2-3 years, it will become abandonware. Cue up a generation or two of new operating systems (Windows 11 for example) and the software will no longer run. Grrrrr...

But then again, I am still really pissed off at how EMagic's SoundDiver was handled.  It was available for Windows and MAC and then in 2002, Apple bought them out. Dropped support for the Windows version, fiddled with it for a year or two and then abandoned it. It was a library program for musical instruments that had amazing support for a huge range of synthesizers and effects processors.  It would allow you to manage audio samples, MIDI sequences, MIDI configurations, basically control your whole setup from one very nicely laid out window. Double Grrrrr....
Corporate idiots - buy the stuff but they do not use it so they do not know what they have.

Had a good massage. Worked me over like I was a slab of meat.

Having some split-pea soup with toast for dinner and some herbal tea - take a nice hot shower before I go to sleep.  I will feel this tomorrow but I do not care.  Really excellent therapist.

From the National Institutes of Health, May 1st, 2012:

Ivermectin is a specific inhibitor of importin α/β-mediated nuclear import able to inhibit replication of HIV-1 and dengue virus
The movement of proteins between the cytoplasm and nucleus mediated by the importin superfamily of proteins is essential to many cellular processes, including differentiation and development, and is critical to disease states such as viral disease and oncogenesis. We recently developed a high-throughput screen to identify specific and general inhibitors of protein nuclear import, from which ivermectin was identified as a potential inhibitor of importin α/β-mediated transport. In the present study, we characterized in detail the nuclear transport inhibitory properties of ivermectin, demonstrating that it is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of importin α/β nuclear import, with no effect on a range of other nuclear import pathways, including that mediated by importin β1 alone. Importantly, we establish for the first time that ivermectin has potent antiviral activity towards both HIV-1 and dengue virus, both of which are strongly reliant on importin α/β nuclear import, with respect to the HIV-1 integrase and NS5 (non-structural protein 5) polymerase proteins respectively. Ivermectin would appear to be an invaluable tool for the study of protein nuclear import, as well as the basis for future development of antiviral agents.

In other words, yes.  Ivermectin is a cheap and non-toxic medicine that has known anti-viral properties.

Thirty-two seconds - he introduces "his boy"

Another blast from the past - this time,   April 14th, 2014 - Taxicab Depressions:

The Pig Trap
I had a very memorable and thought-provoking passenger a while back that I never wrote about because while I found him fascinating, he seemed a little too political for what was always intended to be a fun blog to read and some cheap therapy for your humble driver and writer. But in light of all the scandals that have erupted lately and the EpicClusterSharknadoFuck that is ObamaCare, I have been thinking about a few things he said to me, so I’m going to commit them to paper (or pixels), if only for my own reading. So if you just want to read about moron drunks and belligerent whores, skip this post…

But if you are interested in catching up on current events that just might personally affect you soon, please read on…

It was June of 2012, when I got a call to pick up a gentleman at a resort hotel at around 4 AM going to the airport. I was a little surprised to see “Mr. Wheeler” waiting for me in front of the lobby, five minutes early, standing by his suitcase. Generally, people keep me waiting on these calls, still half asleep, late coming down, trying to get checked out, dicking around with their luggage and what not. He was in his late 50’s or early 60’s, fit, wearing a navy blazer and was obviously a business traveller, but he also had a certain posture and demeanor that made me think he was ex-military. We load up his luggage and hit the road, and I am chatting with him as we are heading to the airport. I ask what kind of work he does, and he says he is in “executive security”. I said, “Oooh, that sounds interesting… you mean like bodyguard work?”

He says, “Something like that… executive protection, security systems, personnel screening, entry/egress control, things like that. It sounds much more interesting than it really is… I spend a lot of time shuffling paper around and reading emails.”

Go and read.  It will take you twenty minutes and this will stay with you for a long long time.  If people could see it then, they are certainly seeing it now.  Mr. Wheeler's list of 100 is still about the same number.  It is only 100 people who are fscking up our Nation.  Get rid of them and we can start rebuilding. And, do not fall into the pig trap.

That was then, this is now.  Interesting story from NPR about Big Bad Pharma unleashing a bad vaccine on an unsuspecting public. May 3rd, 2019 - just a few years ago:

Rush To Produce, Sell Vaccine Put Kids In Philippines At Risk
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just approved one of the most sought after vaccines in recent decades. It's the world's first vaccine to prevent dengue fever — a disease so painful that its nickname is "breakbone fever."

The vaccine, called Dengvaxia, is aimed at helping children in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories where dengue is a problem.

But this vaccine has a dark — and deadly — history. One that has led to criminal charges in the Philippines, sparked national panic and fueled a massive measles outbreak that has already killed more than 355 people.

The jab:

The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur spent 20 years — and about $2 billion — to develop Dengvaxia. The company tested it in several large trials with more than 30,000 kids globally and published the results in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

But halfway around the world from the Philippines, in a Washington, D.C., suburb, one scientist was worried about the new vaccine.

"When I read the New England Journal article, I almost fell out of my chair," says Dr. Scott Halstead, who has studied dengue for more than 50 years with the U.S. military. When Halstead looked at the vaccine's safety data in the clinical trial, he knew right away there was a problem.

For some children, the vaccine didn't seem to work. In fact, Halstead says, it appeared to be harmful. When those kids caught dengue after being vaccinated, the vaccine appeared to worsen the disease in some instances. Specifically, for children who had never been exposed to dengue, the vaccine seemed to increase the risk of a deadly complication called plasma leakage syndrome, in which blood vessels start to leak the yellow fluid of the blood.

And the World Health Organization steps into it:

Despite these concerns, in July 2016, the World Health Organization went ahead and recommended the vaccine for all children ages 9 to 16.

And:

WHO's recommendation came three months after the Philippines launched its mass vaccination campaign in April 2016.

A year and half later, that campaign came to a screeching halt.

Of course, now?  Big Pharma has learned to give money to the Democrats so they are now the good guys.
The narrative is not the truth.  The truth is not the narrative.

Puttered around home for a while, laundry and cleaning. The dogs are eyeing me and telepathically sending "WALK" into my brainpan. The caffeine level in my blood is below optimal spec so will remedy that in a bit.  Scheduled for another massage later this afternoon - every other week is just about right.  Be nice and limber for working at the farm Tuesday through Thursday. Take care of that, visit the library and bank and then come back home to see what kind of fresh hell I can get myself into around here.

Quite windy last night and small craft warnings are still out.  Cool and cloudy but no precip. Lots of aircraft from the Naval Air Station - fun to watch all the unidentified airplanes on the ADS-B reciever.

Thanks to all of you people who voted for Joe. From the London Daily Mail:

Al Qaeda IS already back in Afghanistan: Bin Laden security chief and arms supplier Amin ul-Haq RETURNS to his hometown after 20 years, just hours before final US troops leave

• • A video surfaced Monday of Amin ul-Haq returning to his home province
  • He led security for Osama bin Laden in Tora Bora, Al Qaeda's cave complex, and escaped with him when US military forces attacked the terrorist hotbed
  • The new video shows people crowding ul-Haq's car to welcome him back
  • He returned in the final hours of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan
  • His warm reception signals the Taliban's unwillingness to adhere to its promise that it would not foster terrorism, made under the peace agreement with Trump
  • Joe Biden said ten days ago that Al Qaeda wouldn't have a significant presence

A close aide of Osama bin Laden has returned to his home in Afghanistan after 20 years of US occupation just hours until American forces finish their evacuation from the war-torn country by President Joe Biden's deadline, a video purports to show.

Amin ul-Haq, a top Al Qaeda arms supplier, returned to his hometown in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on Monday just over two weeks after the Taliban completed its lightening fast offensive to take over nearly all of the country.

Ul-Haq headed bin Laden's security when he was occupying the Tora Bora cave complex.

Barkey said it best when he talked about "Joe's ability to fuck things up"

But hey, we have no more mean tweets from That Orange Man. The world is good now?  OK?

Good catch - found at Ann Barnhardt's site:
Quite a few good ones there this morning...

Getting close to the wire - there is no word as to what time the request was filed, only that it was filed yesterday as Ida was making landfall.  Louisiana Governor finally asks for Major Disaster Declaration. From the Office of the Governor:

Governor Edwards Requests Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Ida
Gov. John Bel Edwards has requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration due to the severe impact from Hurricane Ida, which slammed into the coast of Louisiana on Sunday in Port Fourchon as a Category 4 storm with 155 mile per hour winds.  Within a few hours of making landfall, and with the storm still impacting Louisiana, thousands of people were already without power. Surge and damaging winds are impacting areas along the coast and will continue to impact areas further inland through Monday.

Compare to Mississippi which had their Declaration signed and in place two days ago - well before landfall.

For an evil empire, they do have some good ideas.  From Zero Hedge:

Video Game Stocks Slide As Beijing Imposes 3-Hours-Per-Week Playtime-Quota
Four weeks after Chinese regulators first denounced video games as "spiritual opium" and identified "video game addiction" as a widespread phenomenon distracting young people from their responsibilities, authorities on Monday announced they would restrict the hours during which Chinese minors are allowed to play. From here on out, gaming during the week will be banned. On Friday evenings, as well as during holidays and Saturdays and Sundays, gamers will only be allowed to play during a single hour between 2000 to 2100 local time.

Already, Monday’s new rules are impacting shares of China's online gaming companies. Shares of a swath of companies, including Tencent, NetEase, Bilibili, Kingsoft Cloud, Huya and Sohu.com, tumbled during Asian trading.

And the devil is in the details:

What's more alarming than the restrictions themselves is how Beijing intends to enforce them, with facial recognition technology and requirements for gamers to use verified accounts.

Like Obi-Wan said: "I felt a great disturbance in the Force...as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

Looks like Entergy has 857,702 customers without power this morning.  Now, the work begins.

Looks like the Chinese Communist Party are rewriting history again. From The Epoch Times:

Prominent Chinese Scholar Describes the Taliban as Afghanistan’s ‘People’s Liberation Army’
A professor with close ties to the Chinese regime has recently drawn controversy after describing the Taliban as Afghanistan’s own “People’s Liberation Army” (PLA), the official name of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) military forces.

In a video on Aug. 3, Wang Yiwei, an international relations professor at Beijing’s Renmin University of China, calls for people to cast off negative perceptions they may have about the militant group. Wang is also a special fellow at the Center for Contemporary World Studies, a think tank run by a high-ranking Party body, the International Department of the CCP’s Central Committee.

The Taliban “has been demonized by the United States, but is China’s good buddy,” Wang wrote in a social media post attaching the video.

The Taliban are being rehabilitated.  They are useful to China as China wants Afghanistans mineral resources and a little more Lebensraum. They would not be taking over, after all, we just declared the Taliban to be fellow travelers. This is coming from the University so it has to be correct.  After all, these are highly credentialed people. The best and brightest.

I do not like to see China expand like this but I can not think of a more deserving people.  The Taliban will not know what hit them. Going from ruling the nation to being under the boot-heel in 3... 2... 1...

The mention of 25Hz pumps in the last post caught my eye.  The national grid runs on 60Hz (60 Cycles per Second).  25 Hertz (abbrv. Hz) (named after Physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz) was pioneered in some of the first commercial power generation operations starting with Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse's Niagara Falls station in 1895. This lower frequency is better for torque but much less efficient for transformers.  They require larger cores and are more expensive to make.  25Hz is not good for lighting either as it will cause flicker.

Several frequencies were tried and the overall compromise was made for 60Hz and also for 50Hz for those people wanting to avoid paying the Tesla/Westinghouse patent royalties (Europe and Japan chiefly).
A good history here: History Of Power Frequency

25Hz is still used on some railroads on the East Coast: Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system and more here: NHRHTA New Haven RR Forum but these applications are for ancient and legacy equipment.

I am wondering just how old the pumps in New Orleans are...  On one hand, if it ain't broke and things were definitely built to a higher standard back then.  On the other hand, what is the up-time?  The reliability? Can these pumps handle overloads?  How well do they integrate into the present monitoring and control system for the City?

They should just raze the town and rebuild 100 miles upriver. This is from the New Orleans Sewage and Water Board:

Although we have lost all Entergy power, our teams are working quickly and decisively to make up for this with our self-generated power sources, including Turbines 4, 5, and 6 and EMD, as well as backup generators located at our drainage pumping stations. The Entergy loss of power is a significant loss of power for our 60 hz pumps and the 25 hz pumps we power through the frequency changers, but we are using our self-generated sources of power to drain stormwater and pump drinking water into the city.

This power loss also impacts our sewer pumping stations. Currently there is no backup power to operate any of those that were impacted. We are assessing how many of the 84 stations are impacted but the number may be very significant. We have worked to obtain backup power for some of these stations & we will mobilize those units when it is safe to traverse the city. In order to prevent sewage backups, we have asked residents to limit water usage at home, thus decreasing the amount of wastewater we must remove. This is a rapidly-developing situation. We will keep you updated as circumstances develop.

Got water? Good.  No sewerage? Not so good. A major part of the city is below sea level (see my line about relocating the city 100 miles upriver) so this is going to be a problem.

To all those bench-warmers in DC - this is infrastructure.  This is what needs to be addressed and not some feel-good social service. Here is a map of downtown New Orleans. Where it is red, there is no electricity:

That is what 831,659 customers without electricity looks like. We will know more tomorrow.

The Cats Meow webcam is down for the count.  It still streams little bits but nothing live.  There was a part of the web page that showed some weather stats.  It now reads:

Entergy now has 641,650 customers without power. There are eight other large (20k+ customers) energy utilities that serve LA - total outages are around 764,000 for the whole state. Mississippi is fairing a lot better with only about 16k outages at this time. Texas is 3k for the whole state.

A.F.D.B. time? You decide.  The names are there and it all seems to check out. A few headlines:

• The secretive consulting firm that’s become Biden’s Cabinet in waiting
• MEET THE CONSULTING FIRM THAT’S STAFFING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
• ‘Legalized Corruption’: 15 Biden Administration Advisers Worked at Consulting Firm WestExec
• Biden Transition Fails To Disclose Tony Blinken’s Involvement In Lucrative Consulting And Private Equity Firms
• 23 High-Ranking Officials in Biden Administration All Came from the Same Shadowy Firm
• Biden-Linked Firm WestExec Scrubs China Work From Website

It's not a conspiracy if it is true.  WestExec was founded in 2017 - Sec. State Blinken is a co-founder and principal. 
Even Jen Psaki is an employee.
Want another term for "conspiracy theory"?  Well, how about this: "spoiler alert"

The webcam from New Orleans is "unavailable" - I get little jerks of motion but nothing reliable and no time-stamp on the new footage. Buffering from earlier footage? I tried to check the New Orleans  traffic cams but everyone I looked at is" "Image currently unavailable"

Entergy is now at 572,974 customers out.

Writer Arthur C. Clarke interviewed by AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph):

Someone wised up and figured that not showing at all would be bad optics.
From Don Surber:

Biden finally goes to Dover
UPDATE: On Sunday, two days after the bodies arrived, the White House said Biden finally visited Dover.
Good.

THE ORIGINAL POST: A nation horrified by its first surrender in its nearly 250-year history was further humiliated when Biden refused to go to Dover Air Force Base to pay his respects to the 11 Marines, a Navy corpsman, and an Army staff sergeant, who arrived by casket.

That is not how American presidents do things.

A bunch of very caustic comments - well worth reading.

Shows the falacy of their thinking - from My Pensieve

Finishing lunch and heading North - need some things at Home Depot, Costco and the food coop.

New Orleans webcam: Cats Meow

Saw one person walking - hope they have a place to hole up. Entergy is now at 324,433 customers without power.

Taking it easy today - no plans except for nice long dog walk and reading for a bit over a good coffee. Current book is Michael Pollan's latest - an examination of opium, caffeine and mescaline and their places in society.  Always a good writer.

Planning to visit the storage unit and do some organization there.  Got it pretty well set up so when I come back from the farm on Thursday, I'll drop 90% of my load there instead of my living room. Nice to have the house not so cluttered. Maybe even set up for a dump run Monday if I get motivated...

Back in a couple of hours or so.  Or not. Or whatever.  Nice day - clouds burning off. Got some light precip forecast for this evening and tomorrow morning - see what happens. Next week looks gorgeous. Lousiana's primary electrical utility Entergy is showing 93,682 customers without electricity. Just beginning...

Webcam from The Cat's Meow - landfall is during daylight so should be some interesting watching. Live audio too - turn on the speaker icon to listen.

Calm before the storm for now...

From 90 Miles:

Just one big happy family...

They are missing the point here - from The Daily Wire:

CDC Now Targeting ‘Gun Violence’, Restarts Research Program On ‘Epidemic’ Of Firearm Deaths
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has branched out from issuing COVID-19 recommendations and its director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, now says that the health services agency will be restarting its dormant “gun violence” research program in order to address the “epidemic” of firearm deaths and injuries.

Walensky made the announcement in a sit-down interview with CNN where she noted that, for the first time in “decades,” the CDC will weigh in on the issue of gun control.

“Something has to be done about this,” Walensky told CNN. “Now is the time — it’s pedal to the metal time.”

People who murder another person in cold blood are mentally ill. Textbook definition.  Same for people who take a gun and randomly fire it off into a crowd of people.

Something that Ms. Walensky is not "getting" is that there are more legal privately-owned guns in the USA than their are citizens.  If Guns were the problem, we would all know it. Untreated mental health is the problem.  This is firmly in the CDC's wheelhouse and yet she is not addressing this, she is pointing directly at guns. The guns are only the tool.

It is interesting in that the Democrats own this problem too.  We used to house people in asylums but "activists" decided that this went against the "rights" of the mentally ill so many of the asylums were closed down. The problem began under President Kennedy's watch with the Community Mental Health Act of 1963. A bit more here and here. Time to reverse this bad policy.

Again, this is something that the Democrats did because it "sounded" good - not that it "did" good. These programs did not have the intended outcome.  They made life much worse for the mentally ill so the Democrats doubled-down and increased funding and made things even worse instead of disbanding their efforts and trying something different.

See how they do this time.  From FOX News:

Eye of hurricane will reach southeastern Louisiana in 'next four hours'
The eye of an "extremely dangerous" Hurricane Ida will reach the coast of Louisiana "within the next few hours" as the Category 4 storm moves inland.

"Hurricane-force winds" and a "catastrophic storm surge" is reaching the southwestern part of the state, according to a 10 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center.

Something to remember was that Hurricane Katrina was "only" a Cat 3 storm when it made landfall. Ida is maintaining a Cat 4 strength.

Still no Declaration of Emergency from Louisiana.  Mississippi got theirs in well before the event.

Let us hope that Louisiana gets with the program soonest.  From FEMA:

Now the Federal Government can transport people, aid, troops, supplies, etc... into Mississippi. Each State in this Republic is a sovereign entity and the Federal Government can not come in without permission. This is in several parts of the Constitution.  The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution makes it even clearer.
Governor Blanco really blew it with Katrina. She waited for three days before asking.

This program "sounds" good.  I do not think that it will "do" good and am willing to bet that there is no accountability built in to the system. Fraudsters are salivating and lining up at the front door for their handout(s).
From the CBS Sacramento, CA affiliate:

California Looking To Pay Drug Addicts To Stay Sober
Frustrated by out-of-control increases in drug overdose deaths, California’s leaders are trying something radical: They want the state to be the first to pay people to stay sober.

And the program:

It works like this: People earn small incentives or payments for every negative drug test over a period of time. Most people who complete the treatment without any positive tests can earn a few hundred dollars. They usually get the money on a gift card.

Love it - small payments.  All you have to do is jin up a couple thousand "clients" and you have a nice steady source of cash.  And if course, the program's director is not going to call foul.  If there was rampant fraud discovered, the program might be shut down and that would take away the director's rice bowl.  Can't have that.

Our tax dollars at work.  Another brilliant plan under Newsome - no wonder they want him gone.

Doing something that "sounds" good is a very liberal thing to do.  There is little or no thought put into the program, all that is needed is for it to sound good.  After the fact, there is no accountability. People do not do the basic research to see if this new program is actually doing what it intended to do.  More often than not, it is not addressing the problem and additionally, adding some new layer of confusion and harm.

The liberal reaction when this is brought to light is to expand the offending program.  They could not have made a mistake - after all, they are the brightest and the best.  It must be that the program was just not given enough money or resources. They need to take the failing program and make it bigger so that it can do even more fail.

Cameras rolling? Check. Sharing the stage with the Israeli Prime Minister? Check. Aaaand it's naptime.
From Legal Insurrection:

Biden Appears To Doze Off During Meeting With Israeli PM
President Trump once dubbed then-candidate Joe Biden “Sleepy Joe,” and it seems that Biden is working hard to live down to that well-earned nickname.

In fact, it appears that Biden is quite literally sleeping during an on-camera White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

You have to feel for Bennett. The poor man is so sincere and trying so hard to communicate . . . with a snoozing, twitching Biden.

As it dawns on him that Biden is asleep—and to his credit—Bennett turns to address his comments to the press. Perhaps he is trying to limit the embarrassment and humiliation of doddering and clearly unfit Sleepy Joe, hoping that the cameras will switch to focus to his comments rather than focus on the snoozing leader of the free world?

Video at the site.  Joe is out like a light.

From Atomic Fungus - a daily read for me:

So the rumor mill is saying that China invades Taiwan on September 25. If that actually happens, the current chip shortage is going to look like days of plenty. Most of the world's really advanced semiconductors are made in Taiwan.

On the other hand, I'm not sure I see that. The United States is not the only country in the world, and even if we're frotting our own buttocks with Afghanistan and the other nonsense, I'm still thinking that the other major powers would not look kindly on China taking Taiwan by force. The real question then becomes, how many of them did China buy off? If China walks in and takes Taiwan, and there's a lot of Sturm und Drang but no real action, then we know that the answer to that question is, "Essentially everyone."

But how true is that? I mean, other than China, who really benefits from Taiwan being absorbed by communist China?

I don't think anyone does. All those countries that rely on the free flow of semiconductors from Taiwan, they then either have to fall in line with China's demands, or they get nothing. Unless they set up their own semiconductor fabs (and it takes half a decade to set one up!) their industry chokes. And China's not going to be evenhanded about it; once they have that leverage, they will use it.

Long-term, that's bad for China, though. Two reasons.

First: China can't innovate its way out of a paper bag. Right now Chinese semiconductor manufacturers lag state-of-the-art so badly that they can only make chips which our guys were producing twenty years ago. That's fine if you're making low-power stuff; FFS we still use the 555 timer and the 741 op amp, and those were invented at the dawn of the integrated circuit. But it's craptastic for building high-powered computers.

So what's going to happen with a Chinese Taiwan? Well, there'll be a hiccough in the world's progression along the Moore Curve, as fabs are built in other countries, but as soon as those fabs are reliably turning out high-zoot stuff and researching higher-zoot stuff, Chinese Taiwan will be left in the dust, the same way mainland China's semiconductor industry was. It takes a decade or two, but all else being equal, China eventually finds itself making 555s and 741s again, while other countries make the Ryzens and the Cores. But there won't be time for that to happen. Why?

Second: if China chokes the US economy, they're the ones who will have trouble breathing first. There don't seem to be very many people in high positions who understand that; they think that China can do its own thing regardless of what happens to America. That might work, to a point; I'm betting that the head commie's plans to eat the rich are meant to hide the fact that everyone in China is going to suffer a rather steep pay cut when they start trying to bring America to heel. But if the American economic engine falters? China starves. I don't think they can import enough food from everywhere else to make up for what America produces.

Having taken Taiwan, China then sits on top of an extremely valuable strategic asset--but you can't eat microchips, and the value of that asset degrades over time. They haven't bought themselves permanent hegemony so much as they've managed to seize control of a depreciating asset, one that will give them power for a while. And if they wield that power to force the United States to knuckle under to them, they kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, while simultaneously cutting off their own food supply.

Depending on how it's handled, I suppose it is just possible for China to keep getting its food from America while otherwise ruining our economy. I know that the shitheads currently running the federal government would not see any problem with feeding China even as they denied us the semiconductors needed by our industry. I could see China making the shipment of chips contingent on the continued movement of food into their country. But that's a very, very tricky line to walk, because if they make a mistake, the US economy flops and the movement of food ceases, and then the commisars have 1.4 billion starving peasants on their asses.

Communists are always confident that they're smart and able enough to manage anything, no matter how precarious; and they're always wrong.

As the sign says:  "Change my mind"

Our cultural elite think that they are so smart, so credentialed.  They are the right people to lead the world.
Unfortunately for them, they live in a very small bubble and are actually clueless.
The bubble will be popping in 3... 2... 1...      Already started in fact.

From TYWKIWDBI

More at the site.  Now you know.

16th Aniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Henri turned out to be a nothingburger but Ida is packing some serious heat.
From FOX News:

Ida prompts New Orleans evacuations; expected to strengthen to Category 4 hurricane

Almost all gulf oil production "shut in" as Hurricane Ida makes its way to New Orleans
Oil and gas wells at the bottom of the ocean have been "shut in" and half of all offshore oil and gas production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico have been evacuated as Hurricane Ida makes its way toward Louisiana.

"This involves closing the sub-surface safety valves located below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas," the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said in a statement. "Shutting in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons."

Half of all offshore oil and gas production platforms, 279 of 560, were evacuated as of Saturday.

And:

Louisiana Governor warns residents to spend the next 24 hours preparing ahead of Hurricane Ida
Louisiana Gov. Jon Bel Edwards told the public to evacuate if they need to and spend the next 24 hours preparing before Hurricane Ida makes landfall Sunday, which will mark exactly 16 years since Hurricane Katrina hit the state.

"I know that tomorrow, for many people, is a very difficult anniversary. It is the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I'm also aware that it is very painful to think about another powerful storm like Hurricane Ida making landfall on that anniversary," Gov. Bel Edwards said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.

Several other stories at the site. FEMA is gearing up but can not really move in until the Governor declares a State of Emergency and requests aid.  This is what caused all the problems with Katrina as the governor then froze and did not issue the SOE until three days later.

Great new song from Eric Clapton:

Nice to see someone in the entertainment industry not afraid to speak out.

Store again today. Back in a few...

Copied in full from Don Surber this morning - speaks volumes:

ITEM 3: We Love Trump reported, "Under Joe Biden, there doesn’t appear to be respect for our fallen heroes.

"The caskets of the fallen Marines have arrived from Afghanistan.

"But no one from the Biden administration bothered to show up and greet them.

"Biden himself wasn’t there.

"He didn’t even send someone in his place."

Well, he would have to travel all the way to Delaware to pay his respects.

President Trump always either visited Dover Air Force Base or sent a delegate.

Epic rant from Kurt Schlichter writing at Town Hall:

Resign
Rip those stars off your pathetic nostalgia costumes and resign. Quit. Tell that crusty Pinocchio in the White House and the faculty lounge Geppettos tugging his strings that you will have no more to do with his human centipede of failure in Kabul.

It’s not hard – your stars are right there, generals, right on the shoulders of those new uniforms you decided to adopt with the express purpose of evoking World War II and the memory of victory over a modern, peer-competitor military. Maybe, you thought, wearing winner’s gear would ease the pain of getting creamed by a bunch of Seventh Century throwbacks.

Yeah, we know your boss is a senile old fool with delusions of competence. His failure will be addressed at the ballot box. But your failure, generals and admirals, is something only you can address, at least until President DeSantis comes and separates the wheat from the chaff in the Pentagon.

And he is just starting to warm up. Epic read and 100% correct on all counts.

Talk about tyranny. I thought that Australia had a lot more freedom loving people. The death count from COVID is interesting. Total population (July 2021 estimate) of 25,809,973. Total deaths from COVID of 993.  That is 0.00384%

Imagine a crowd of 100,000 people representing the entire population of Australia. Out of that huge crowd, you would have almost four fatalities from COVID. A pittance. A flyspeck.

The total population of Sydney (their largest city) is just under 5,000,000. For comparison, the total population of Seattle is 776,000.  The average number of COVID deaths in Sydney will be around 192 people. For the entire epidemic.  To compare, the overall murder/homicide rate in Australia is 0.89%. This is 231 times higher than mortality from COVID.

Looking forward to a major change in government in Australia just as much as I am looking forward to it here.

Excerpted from Borepatch who links to two other posts:

The managerial class increasingly appears as a sort of funhouse mirror inversion of the doomed russian nobility of the late tsarist era; they no longer know how to run a country and only seem to parasitize on the body politic while giving almost nothing of value in return. In tsarist Russia, the nobility proved increasingly incapable of winning Russia’s wars or running its ministries, making their legitimating narratives proclaiming them to possess some natural-born right and capacity for rulership increasingly impossible to believe in. In modern America, it is the meritocrats who now openly lack any merit or ability to rule, quickly undermining the ability of the average person to believe in the very foundational claims behind the managerial order. And by what right does the collective of non-divine kings rule? To borrow from Schmitt: by the same right as the collective of stupid and ignorant technocrats. In other words, by virtue of simply not having been replaced yet. Nothing more.

I find it very likely that most future historians will put the date of the real beginning of the collapse of the current political and geopolitical order right here, right now, at the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Word...

I figure on my having another 20-30 years on this planet so it will be nice to have the pendulum swing back and to get some adults in the room finally.  Been a bit rocky.  Reagan and Trump were highlights but we have not been on a sound footing as a Nation since Coolidge.

Turned into a nice day and was looking for something to do in the yard.  Started in on a small Himalayan Blackberry thicket.  Do not want it to get established which is what it was very much trying to do. Healthy plant - lots of nice long sharp thorns. Got my thumb and middle finger but good...

Baked potato - big lunch so (relatively) light dinner.

Was putting out fresh hummingbird feeders and saw two otters playing off the shorline.  Think it is the same pair.  See them every other week or so. Sweet critters - very playful.

Camera shy - went to get it and they were gone when I came back.

Strange story at DIY Photography:

UNIVERSAL’S REACH EXTENDS BEYOND EARTH – CLAIMS COPYRIGHT OWNERSHIP OF THE MOON
If you share a video on social media and it contains someone else’s copyrighted work, you’re bound to get a claim from the content owner. But what happens when you get it for your own work? This weird thing happened to filmmaker Philip Bloom when he shared his video of the full moon. It got removed because, apparently, videos of the moon were copyrighted to Universal Music Group. Wait, what?

Philip shot truly gorgeous footage of the sunset moon in Skiathos, Greece on 22 August. He used a Sony Alpha 1 with a Sony 100-400mm GM and a 2x teleconverter. He was excited to share it with his friends and followers, so he posted it on Facebook. However, he got this notice: “Your video is blocked and can’t be viewed in 249 locations.” the reason for this was that the video “matches 30 seconds of video owned by UMG.” So instead of deserved positive feedback, Philip was slammed with a copyright infringement from UMG.

Much more at the link.  Universal Music Group was using AI to scan new submissions to YouTube and their algorithm flagged Mr. Bloom's image. AI has its uses but is it really ready for primetime yet?

The big one is today - heading out to run a few errands and stop by there for a while.  The season is winding down so only a few more of these left...

Working on a couple of projects here.

From Knuckledraggin

Going to hit Louisana on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Cone chart from the National Hurricane Center:

From Al Jazeera:

Is Afghanistan-made methamphetamine about to flood Europe?
Afghanistan is already the world’s largest supplier of opium. But opium, which is used to make heroin, is not the only illegal drug that the war-torn nation is producing.

Over the past four years, Afghans have also been getting better at making methamphetamine, known colloquially as speed, crystal or meth.

In some parts of Afghanistan, methamphetamine output already appears to be outpacing that of opium. But, researchers have argued, not enough attention has been paid to the burgeoning illegal drug trade.

Now, with the US withdrawal, some European Union authorities worry that illegal Afghan methamphetamine might pose an increasing danger to Europe.

“The German federal police is intensively monitoring the situation,” a spokesperson from the authority told Al Jazeera, “because methamphetamine has been produced in large quantities in Afghanistan for several years now, and because of the danger that it could also reach the German or European market via traditional heroin smuggling routes.”

Makes a lot of sense - Afghanistan shares a border with China. China sells the precursors to the Taliban, they manufacture the drugs and arrange for shipping through the established network of "refugees" already in place. They make money and Western Civilization takes a big hit.

Only good news I can think about is that the people who will fall into addiction are those people who do not contribute to society. Quick and easy way to clear out the deadwood before we start to rebuild.

Running a little bit late - Coffee place #1 is open today so heading there after a quick dog walk.

Overcast but no rainfall yet - it's in the forecast but...

From Breitbart:

Newsom Warns Ahead of Recall: California Could Become Florida, GOP Hopes So
As the recall election approaches, Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom is on defense, claiming that if he is booted from office, the state under Republican leadership would go the way of Florida under popular GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.

At the same time, conservatives who hope to replace Newsom, including radio talk show host Larry Elder, are holding up states like Florida as a role model for the far-left-wing Golden State.

It's the whole Bug v/s Feature discussion. Florida is doing really well these days. Even with COVID once you start reading the real numbers and not the ones cooked up by the mainstream media.

No rain here yet but it's coming.  Saw this out of the window:

Be sure to note the faint ghost of the second rainbow to the left.  More visible in real life.  Wish I had a polarizing filter for the phone camera - make it pop...

Love it here. Love the farm too - deciding where to live is taking a big part of my thoughts these days.

This is either an epic-level troll (and I am amazed that Mr. Stein was able to keep a straight face) -OR- there are really people like that out there. Hard to tell:

Bought an eBike two years ago and it is a lot of fun to ride but I feel unsafe on it.  Planning to sell it next spring.
And yeah - same for regular bicycles.  Rode them a lot in Seattle but never comfortable.
This report makes a lot of sense - from United Press International:

Bike riding causes 4 in 5 sports-linked spinal injuries in U.S.
Football and other contact sports get a lot of attention for their injury hazards. But for most adults, bike riding is the biggest back-breaker, a new study suggests.

Of more than 12,000 sports-related spinal injuries among U.S. adults, researchers found that a full 81% were due to bicycling mishaps.

The injuries mostly included vertebral fractures, often in the neck but also in the middle and lower back. Some cyclists sustained potentially paralyzing trauma to the spinal cord as well.

After biking, the study found, skiing and snowboarding were the most common culprits, accounting for 12% of spinal injuries. Contact sports, meanwhile, were behind at 3%.

And the numbers:

The findings -- published online this week in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine -- come from a nationwide database tracking Americans hospitalized for traumatic injuries.

Blake Hauser and her colleagues at Harvard Medical School in Boston focused on more than 80,000 cases of sports-related injury. Of those, just over 12,000 involved trauma to the spine.

12,000 is a good sample size. Helmets help but there is a lot of exposed flesh outside of the brain bucket. At least with a motorcycle, you are wearing balistic fabric or thick leather.

20 minutes late.  Spoke for about 10 minutes. His words were muscular but his voice was weak and trembling.

He said: "We will hunt you down and make you pay" but nothing about how to do it. Where to start.

"We inherited a situation". Of course. Not his monkeys, not his circus.

He then called on some reporters:
"The first person I was instructed to call on was Kelly O'Donnell of NBC."

Mark Twain said it perfectly:

Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.

When we see some effective action, then I will believe his intent.

Also of interest - he speaks for about three or four seconds - a few words - and pauses and then speaks another couple of words. He is not formulating his own thoughts.  He is either being prompted via an earpiece or he is reading a screen. The pauses (and their reason) are obvious once you are aware that they are there.

When I do it, I call it Bugging.  I am writing bugs and the occasional line of clean code sneaks in:

The headline is all that you need:

Reports of Multiple Additional Explosions Near Kabul Airport

He is supposed to "address the Nation" today at 5:00 PM D.C. time.

See what he says this time - talk about fustercluck.

With things falling to shit, Nancy Pelosi is diverting attention.  From FOX News:

Pelosi's first tweets after Kabul bombings about Women's Equality Day
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fired off a series of tweets Thursday reminding everyone it’s Women’s Equality Day – her first posts on the platform after explosions outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, left four U.S. Marines dead.

"Today, and every day, let us summon the suffragists’ spirit of hope and strive to lift up the voices of women across the nation – because we know this truth: when women succeed, America succeeds," Pelosi, D-Calif., tweeted about noon Thursday.

"Despite progress, women across the nation still face barriers to full equality: from shameful pay disparities to the unfair economic impacts of the pandemic to the brazen assault on the right to vote. At this moment, Democrats are committed to Building Back Better with Women."

How about she cuts back on the hard liquor and gets back to doing her job representing the people of California.
She would be irrelavent if she did not have so much political power.

From Wired:

The FTC Votes Unanimously to Enforce Right to Repair
During an open commission meeting Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously to enforce laws around the Right to Repair, thereby ensuring that US consumers will be able to repair their own electronic and automotive devices.

The FTC’s endorsement of the rules is not a surprise outcome; the issue of Right to Repair has been a remarkably bipartisan one, and the FTC itself issued a lengthy report in May that blasted manufacturers for restricting repairs. But the 5 to 0 vote signals the commission’s commitment to enforce both federal antitrust laws and a key law around consumer warranties—the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act — when it comes to personal device repairs.

Big fan of this - you pay money for it.  You own it.  You have the right to modify or repair it.

As for the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act?

The FTC is also encouraging the public to report warranty abuse—as defined by the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act of 1975, which prohibits manufacturers from telling consumers that a warranty is voided if the product has been altered or tampered with by someone other than the original manufacturer.

You read that correctly. Those "Warranty void if tampered with" stickers on a product are illegal in the USA and has been for 45+ years. Manufacturers rely on people not knowing this.  I did not know about this until now.

Now if we can just find out who is running the current-day Phoebus cartel for home appliences, things will be a lot better. Phoebus cartel?

The Phoebus cartel was a cartel of, among others, Osram, Philips, and General Electric from December 23, 1924 until 1939 that existed to control the manufacture and sale of light bulbs.

The cartel is an important step in the history of the global economy because it engaged in large-scale planned obsolescence. It reduced competition in the light bulb industry for almost twenty years, and has been accused of preventing technological advances that would have produced longer-lasting light bulbs. Phoebus was a Swiss corporation named "Phoebus S.A. Compagnie Industrielle pour le Développement de l'Éclairage".

In other words, light bulbs "should" last about 2,000 hours.  No less and certainly no more. Cuts down on sales 'ya know...

Modern appliances are expected to last about ten years. No less and certainly no more.  Ask to have one repaired (I did recently) and receive a sales pitch that there are other elements that will fail and best to just replace the whole thing for only $8,000.  This for a heat pump that was only eight years old.  That unit replaced a heat pump that was over 30 years old. Go figure.

Overcast.  Rained a little bit last night but no accumulation. Some in the forecast.

Heading out to a dog park - usually a lot of people there on the weekends but should be nice and quiet this morning.  I usually run them on a nearby piece of farmland that is fallow this year. One more day of coffee at #2 place.  Taking it back to my #1 place and sit outside and read for a while.  Need to check something at the bank this morning. Working at home today.

More later...

Another example of historical fact being downright pesky.  From the London Daily Mail:

What about the time I rescued YOU? Erik Prince reminds Joe Biden of when he saved him from the Taliban as White House criticizes the Blackwater chief for charging $6,500 for seat on Afghanistan evacuation flight

• • Erik Prince, 52, spoke to Tucker Carlson on Wednesday for his Fox Nation show
  • It was unclear when the interview was recorded but Carlson did not reference the $6,500 evacuation flights from Afghanistan that Prince is reportedly staging
  • Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, on Wednesday said that Prince - an ex-Navy SEAL - was seeking to profit from 'pain and agony'
  • Prince told Carlson how, in 2008, Biden's helicopter in Afghanistan made an emergency landing in the snow and his contractors rescued him
  • A blog detailing the account features contradictory claims of who was actually responsible for rescuing Biden, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel
  • U.S. military were present along with Blackwater contractors, it appears from the comments - although both sides dispute the other's role in the rescue

The founder of controversial private military contractor Blackwater, who sparked a furious reaction on Wednesday with his $6,500 evacuation flights from Kabul, has told how his men helped to rescue Joe Biden from Afghanistan in 2008 when his helicopter made an emergency landing.

Dramatis personae:

Biden was the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time of the February 2008 rescue, and was plucked to safety alongside John Kerry, then a senator for Massachusetts; and Chuck Hagel, then a senator for Nebraska, from the country.

And the incident:

'They were on a congressional visit to Afghanistan in the winter and the U.S. Army helicopter got lost in a snowstorm and sat down in Taliban territory on the side of a mountain,' Prince told Carlson.

'U.S. military launched a ground convoy to get them and they got lost.

'And the Blackwater guys launched and we did not get lost and we rescued them from Taliban territory. That was the winter of '08.'

Carlson asked: 'Are they grateful?'

Prince replied: 'You would think so, but no. I didn't get a Christmas card - I have yet to. In their office they thanked the U.S. military.

'It was veteran contractors, doing their job, once again.'

Not familiar with what Mr. Hagel has done but Biden and Kerry could have enjoyed a Pinochet express and the world would be much better off for it.

Riiiigggghhhht... A construction project gone awry - San Francisco's Millennium Tower

From the S.F. NBC affiliate:

Here is Joe's:

Bet that Joe's handlers did not see that coming - from FOX News:

Explosion outside Kabul airport wounds at least 3 US Marines; Pentagon confirms second blast
A suicide bomb attack outside the Abbey Gate at Kabul's airport in Afghanistan Thursday injured at least three U.S. Marines, U.S. officials told Fox News, as the Pentagon confirmed a second blast at a nearby hotel where Americans had previously sheltered.

A U.S. official said that the terror attack set off a firefight at Abbey Gate, where last night there were 5,000 Afghans and potentially some Americans seeking access to the airport to flee.

The Pentagon confirmed the initial explosion as well as a second explosion at the Baron Hotel, where Americans have gathered in the past for rescue and evacuation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday had said that up to 1,500 Americans may still be in the country.

Amateur hour - the professionals are still planning and waiting for the optimal time.

The Maricopa County, Georga election audit results are due to be released soon.  I wonder if this whole thing has been planned as a distraction.  To do a fuckup on this level is one thing.  To actually cheat and steal an election is another - they need a distraction. One is very bad optics.  The other is solid jail time.

More sorting.  Heading up North next week for a few days so getting ready for another couple van-loads of crap.

Looks like the Kabul airport is being overrun - State Department is telling people not to go there and to leave if you are there.  Dept. of Defense tweeted a photo of a Galaxy C-17 loading up with people.  Only problem is that they didn't notice the UAE flag on the tail. Not our plane.

Rain in the forecast for tonight - see what happens. Clouds are moving in and the wind has been casting around - out of the Northwest right now.

They sing.  They dance. They act.  They must know so much about other things like economics, world politics, foreign relations, environmental sciences, mathematics, science, technology, cuisine, healthy living. They are gods - we must aspire to be like them.

Curious pair of videos from Red State - first is the "official" White House release and the second is one shot by someone who was there at the time.

White House Cuts Audio as Joe Biden Jokes About Stranded Americans
Joe Biden’s inability to control his faculties has become more and more obvious over the last seven-plus months of his presidency. In what is almost certainly a symptom of his declining mental state, the president has had numerous angry outbursts and tone-deaf moments since taking office. Today was the scene of another awkward interaction that crossed the line into being outright offensive.

While talking about cybersecurity — because there’s apparently nothing more important going on — NBC News’ Peter Alexander asked Biden about what would happen if Americans still remain in Afghanistan after the 8/31 deadline.

That’s when the White House cut the audio feed to obscure his answer.

Luckily, there was a radio pooler in attendance who was recording and we now know what the president said. Per Alexander and multiple other people in the room, Biden actually made a joke about the Americans left stranded in the collapsed, war-torn nation, cracking a smile as he did so.

You can see why they cut the audio.

No shit - the guy is a walking disaster and his handlers are not any better.

Now if this was President Trump...  But I digress...  If this were President Trump, we would not be having this crisis and we would have already been withdrawn from Afghanistan - his plan was to be out by May 2021, remember?

Now more than ever - from My Pensieve:

HobbyKing sells radio controlled model aircraft, drones, cars, etc... They screwed up, they were warned, they ignored the warnings and are now paying a price. From the Amateur Radio Relay League:

FCC Fines HobbyKing Nearly $3 Million for Marketing Unauthorized Drone Transmitters
The FCC has issued a Forfeiture Order (FO) calling for HobbyKing to pay a fine of $2,861,128 for marketing drone transmitters that do not comply with FCC rules. An FCC Enforcement Bureau investigation stemmed in part from a 2017 ARRL complaint that HobbyKing was selling drone transmitters that operated on amateur and non-amateur frequencies, in some instances marketing them as amateur radio equipment. The fine affirms the monetary penalty sought in a June 2018 FCC Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL). The FCC said its investigation found that dozens of devices marketed by the company transmitted in unauthorized radio frequency bands and, in some cases, operated at excessive power levels. “Such unlawful transmissions could interfere with key government and public safety services, like aviation systems,” the FCC said. “We have fully considered HobbyKing’s response to the NAL, which does not contest any facts and includes only a variety of legal arguments, none of which we find persuasive,” the FCC said in the FO. “We therefore adopt the $2,861,128 forfeiture penalty proposed in the NAL.”

A matter of radio interference.
The HobbyKing transmitters were operating on frequencies used by other services.
What other services you might ask?

Aeronautical Navigation, GPS satellites, GLONASS navigation satellites, ATC-S navigation transmitters and Air Traffic Control.

I do not think that you would want to interfere with these services.  The idea that someone would design, build and market a device (actually, over 70 different devices) that would interfere with these services is unreal.  Downright stupid. They were notified of this.  They stonewalled.  They kept selling devices (and bringing new models to market) that interfered with these services. Transmitting with higher power than allowed is icing on the cake.  A "hobby" device like this is allowed one watt.  They were using up to three watts.

This is a Hong Kong company - wonder if the jamming (and excessive power) is intentional.  Something built in that can be turned on remotely. China is not our friend.

The full FCC Ruling is here: FORFEITURE ORDER

Another point of proof from The Epoch Times:

Samples From Early Wuhan COVID Patients Had Genetically Modified Henipah, One of Two Types of Viruses Sent From Canadian Lab
Samples from early Wuhan COVID-19 patients show the presence of genetically modified Henipah virus, an American scientist has found.

Henipah was one of the two types of viruses sent to China by Chinese-born scientists from a Canadian laboratory at the centre of a controversy over the firing of the scientists and collaboration with Chinese military researchers. It is not clear whether the virus found in the Chinese samples is related to the virus samples sent by the Canadian lab, which were shipped in late March 2019.

The finding was confirmed for The Epoch Times by another qualified scientist.

A lot more at the site.  Not quite a smoking gun but it sure points to one. I really hope that there is a full debrief once this blows over. The elite's scientists really screwed the pooch on this one. Who the hell in their right minds develops crap like this anyway.

And I am leaving for now.

Dog walk, wait in line for my coffee, work.  My #2 coffee place has fantastic coffee but they also do some food and pasteries.  Waiting in line can take 10 minutes at times. Quite the backup of cars. Damn fine cup of coffee though. Nice people too.

Back in the usual couple hours - yet another fun day on the island...

The Australian government has been even more draconian than the US and We The People are not standing for it.  Massive truckers strike is planned. Civic protests.  Interesting times.
From Mike at Cold Fury - just go and read and watch the video:

Shut ’em down
Looking for a way to bring a nation to its knees, force an economy to a dead halt, even topple a tyrannical government using one of the most effective, nonviolent, and quickest means there is? A truckers’ strike is your huckleberry.

Mike also links to this report from Hal Turner:

Australia To Be SHUT DOWN by Truckers on Aug. 31 to "Throw off the Government"
Citizens in Australia are now openly talking about OVERTHROWING THEIR GOVERNMENT and are openly coordinating a first-strike: A nationwide trucking shut down beginning August 31. NOTHING will be transported anywhere until the government comes back under citizen control.

Things are turning very ugly in Australia (and in New Zealand) as government public servants "order" the taxpayers who pay their salaries, to remain locked in homes, NOT TO TALK TO EACH OTHER, and a slew of other ridiculous "rules" under the guise of a Flu-like illness they call COVID-19.

Civilization (public opinion) is like a pendulum - it swings in one direction and then it swings back again.  Looks like some petty government a**holes are going to be discovering this for the first time. Good.

#1 coffee place is closed so hanging out here at home. Dog walk and coffee to go at #2 place (drive-through only) in a while. Thrift store this morning. Bringing some stuff in to donate - computer bits and some clothing and housewares. Been spending the last couple of days there labeling all the wall warts and putting them into bins for easy access.  We do sell a good number of them and it is good to have them segregated out by voltage, current and power connector.

Nothing much happening out there that I can see. Fix some breakfast and get on with my day... Travelling to the farm next week for a few days.

By Rivers:

This just in from Jeff Dunham:

Certainly a looney-tunes sort of week out there so far. Videos and then to sleep.

My local coffee house has been having staffing problems - a couple key people quit recently so they are cutting their hours back to 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  No skin off my nose as I am usually there from about 9:00 to Noon anyway. Their being closed all day from today through Friday surprised me though. Had to do Plan B for coffee and then drove back and sat outside and read for a little bit.  Had to stop at the bank and two books were waiting for me at the library - one stop shopping.

Stopped by the farmer's market there this afternoon - picked up the usual groceries but also got some extra 'maters and some fava beans for seeds for next year's garden.

Volunteering at the thrift store tomorrow - got two cartons of things to bring in.

Brutal advertisement from Save America PAC

First up? Noooooooooooo... This is just too damned early:

I went to Boston University a few years ago (1971-73) and for a while, lived in a commercial warehouse. Cheap rent and it was right on the waterfront - one of the ship canals. A business on the ground floor sold displays to retail stores.  Needless to say, the sales for a specific season actually happened six months or so before. It was always fun to be walking home from a nearby tavern and seeing an animated Santa and elves in the window being very jolly in the middle of July.

The supply chain is wonky these days so they are probably getting the stuff in from China when they can. Makes sense to get it out on the shelves and selling instead of spending money to warehouse until closer to December. Still...  Waaaaay too early.

And, it looks like the Tri Tip prices are heading up again.  Here is a photo from August 17th (last Tuesday) It is "normally" at 9.99/pound - looks like the price went up a dollar.

And here we are today - one dollar higher:

Different SKU numbers as one is the whole roast and the other is the trimmed strips.  Both have the same retail price.

Same thing happened in May and June here, here and here - it went up from 9.99 to 12.99.

See if the same thing happens again. Curious.

J. P. Sears does us a favor and translates for Joe Biden in his ABC interview:

From Daily Timewaster:

From Rolling Stone magazine:

Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones’ Drummer and Inimitable Backbone, Dead at 80
Charles Robert “Charlie” Watts, the Rolling Stones’ drummer and the band’s irreplaceable heartbeat, has died at age 80. No cause of death was given.

Watts’ publicist confirmed his death in a statement. “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts,” it read. “He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier [Tuesday] surrounded by his family.” The statement referred to Watts as “one of the greatest drummers of his generation” and closed by requesting that “the privacy of his family, band members, and close friends is respected at this difficult time.”

Watts’ death comes several weeks after it was announced that the drummer would not be able to perform on the Rolling Stones’ No Filter Tour of U.S. stadiums. “Charlie has had a procedure which was completely successful, but his doctors this week concluded that he now needs proper rest and recuperation,” a rep for the band said in a statement at the time. “With rehearsals starting in a couple of weeks, it’s very disappointing to say the least, but it’s also fair to say no one saw this coming.”

80 is too young. Sad - the band is a cultural icon and Watts had quite the career with other musical endeavors.

From President Trump:

Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America - August 24th, 2021
Biden surrendered Afghanistan to terrorists and left thousands of Americans for dead by pulling out the Military before our citizens. Now we are learning that out of the 26,000 people who have been evacuated, only 4,000 are Americans. You can be sure the Taliban, who are now in complete control, didn’t allow the best and brightest to board these evacuation flights. Instead, we can only imagine how many thousands of terrorists have been airlifted out of Afghanistan and into neighborhoods around the world. What a terrible failure. NO VETTING. How many terrorists will Joe Biden bring to America? We don’t know! 

How many are already here - waiting quietly, living off our tax dollars, using our services, waiting for the signal from Iran.

Planning a run to Costco today as well as working in the garage.

Had a bit of an embarrassment yesterday.  The shelf with the welding equipment is in front of the electrical panel for the house.  To meet code, it is 36" in front of the panel. For now, I run the power cord from the welders to an outlet on the wall to one side of the panel.  Makes for a bit of an obstruction. Had the brilliant thought over coffee yesterday to run a length of conduit up and over the ceiling and then mount some outlets on the shelf (this is a big industrial shelf unit - very sturdy). Was thinking about how brilliant an idea that was until I came home, opened the garage door and remembered that the door slides up between the ceiling and the shelf unit. Kind of in the way.  I have this stuff set up near the garage door to keep fumes to a minimum.

Back to plan "A"

From Associated Press:

UN nuclear watchdog: Iran producing more uranium metal
Iran continues to produce uranium metal, which can be used in the production of a nuclear bomb, the United Nation’s atomic watchdog confirmed Tuesday, in a move that further complicates the possibility of reviving a landmark 2015 deal with world powers on the Iranian nuclear program.

In a report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna to member nations, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that his inspectors had confirmed on Saturday that Iran had now produced 200 grams of uranium metal enriched up to 20%.

Correction - Iran is showing them that they produced 200 grams. Multiply that number by 20 or 30 and you probably have the real number.  Only takes about 17Kg to make a primitive canon-type fission bomb.  Knock that down to about 13Kg if you want to try for an implosion device.

Just what the world needs...

A certain government agency (FBI) needs to be cleaned out from top to bottom.  They were never free from taint - check out J. Edgar Hoover's life story to get a hint. From 90 Miles:

FBI Informant Ran 'Neo-Nazi Terrorist Group' Atomwaffen Division, Got 'Paid Handsomely' to Radicalize Troubled Youth
FBI informant Joshua Caleb Sutter was "paid handsomely" by the feds to lead the "neo-nazi terrorist group" known as Atomwaffen Division, according to newly released court documents.

Atomwaffen Division under Sutter's leadership became a Satanic death cult that targeted troubled youth for radicalization so the feds could set them up to advance their false narrative that "white extremists" are America's greatest terror threat.

Needless to say, there are lots of links, screen-caps, other corrborating sources.

I am not surprised.  Our Government has been run as a private cabal for way too long - 70 years or so.

Another day of doing as little as possible.  Actually, been getting quite a lot done in the last few days but nothing scheduled.  All ad hoc.

Cloudless skies, lots of sunshine and the forecast is for a nice warm fall day. More redoing the welding area in the garage. After dog walk and coffee of course. Maybe do some yard work too - the rains of winter are coming and need to get more work done on the drainage. Fix some breakfast first.

Already surfed a bit and it is just more of the same shite.

Source document here:  Pfizer Inc;  Attention: Ms. Elisa Harkins
Letter with today's date on it:

Page 12

Closing paragraph and signature block, last page, Page 13:

This is being misrepresented.  The FDA did not approve the Pfizer vaccine, all that they did was to extend the Emergency Use Authorization until the cows come home. Tip of the hat to Busted Knuckles for catching this.

Quite the story from Los Angeles station KTLA:

300 recall ballots, drugs, multiple driver’s licenses found in vehicle of passed out felon: Torrance police
Torrance police are investigating the discovery of hundreds of recall election ballots in a vehicle where a felon was found passed out with drugs, a loaded firearm and multiple driver’s licenses one week ago, authorities said Monday.

Approximately 300 ballots were recovered from the vehicle, which was parked in the lot of a 7-Eleven convenience store on the night of Aug. 16, according to the Torrance Police Department.

Officers also discovered a loaded firearm, methamphetamine, thousands of pieces of mail, a scale, and multiple California drivers licenses and credit cards that were in other people’s names, a police news release stated. Xanax pills were also located on the unidentified male subject, who authorities described as a felon.

He was arrested on suspicion of a number of offenses, including weapons violations, narcotics and forgery violations.

Sure - the election process is legal and secure.  Nothing to worry about.

From only one week ago - missed it then but well worth reading now. New York Post:

China ready to deepen ‘friendly and cooperative’ Afghanistan relations
China said Monday that Beijing is ready to deepen “friendly and cooperative” relations with Afghanistan a day after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying did not answer explicitly when asked whether Beijing will recognize the Taliban as the legitimate rulers but said that China would respect the choice of the Afghan people.

More at the site.  They share a common albeit short (47 mile long) border. Afghanistan has some mineral resources. From the CIA World Factbook:

natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

Add to that REE (rare earth elements) gold and silver. I bet that China is salivating at the chance to get their hands on our ordnance too.  A real fustercluck.

Over 400 pounds of stuff - told 'ya that the van was full...

Very satisfying to huck it over the edge. Got a bunch of stuff lined up to donate to the thrift store and to list on Craigslist.

About ready to head back up for another load of possessions.

Been doing big breakfasts and lunches and light dinners - going to thaw out some shrimpies for dinner tonight. Gorgeous day - set up a table outside and have dinner out there.

Temps holding in the high 60's and sunshine.  Light breezes.

Re-jiggering the layout in the garage a bit - optimizing work areas specifically the welding area. Tunes playing loud, garage door open, dogs frolicking in the yard. Came in to get a Diet Pepsi - Coke is still too white for me.

Dump run in an hour or two - van getting pretty full...

From Breitbart:

Nancy Pelosi Pushes $5 Trillion Spending Spree Under Cover of Afghan Chaos
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) said Monday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is using the cover of the chaos in Afghanistan to prioritize a $5 trillion spending spree.

“Nothing to see here, just Nancy Pelosi calling the US House back in to discuss $5 TRILLION in partisan spending—but no hearings scheduled on the ongoing situation in Afghanistan,” Pfluger tweeted.

“Washington’s priorities are backwards,” he added.

At the beginning of his term, Obama's Consigliere was Rahm Emanuel who is famous for this quote:
In this case, it was Barkey's economic collapse.

You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.
--Rahm Emanuel

Pelosi lives by this - anything to advance the Mad Queen's power.

Couple things caught my eye this morning.

Slept in again - a solid nine hours.  Mask mandate begins today so wearing my welding goggles out for coffee. Dog walk, coffee, dump run and laundry.  That is my day.

More spew later...

That is Doctor Jill Biden to you peons.  From the London Daily Mail:
Just the headline and bullet points are enough:

White House calls Fox News 'disgusting' and demands an apology for segment saying Jill Biden 'failed the country' by letting her 'mentally frail' husband Joe run for president
Jill Biden's press secretary Michael La Rosa demanded Fox News apologize

• • He was reacting to a Sunday segment on Fox & Friends in which co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy seemed to partially blame the first lady for Afghanistan
  • Campos-Duffy suggested the first lady would have stopped Biden from running for president if she 'loved' him and said Biden is 'mentally frail'
  • Campos-Duffy said she was making the comments as a fellow 'political spouse'
  • Her husband Sean Duffy served in the House of Representatives until 2019
  • Criticism of Fox News poured in on Twitter over Camps-Duffy's comments

This is elder abuse plain and simple...

Yes massa, no massa, Ise be right on it massa. Disgusting.  From Sky News:

Taliban warns there will be 'consequences' if Biden delays withdrawal of US troops
The deadline for troops to withdraw from Afghanistan is just days away and the desperate evacuation of people is running out of time.

The Taliban has met with Sky News in Doha to discuss what happens next - and issued a stark warning about the withdrawal of troops from the country.

Taliban spokesperson Dr Suhail Shaheen said: "It's a red line. President Biden announced that on 31 August they would withdraw all their military forces. So if they extend it that means they are extending occupation while there is no need for that."

He added: "If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations - the answer is no. Or there would be consequences.

They were singing quite a different song under President Trump. President Trump was also leaving Afghanistan but it was with assurances to the Taliban that if they reverted to terrorism, they would be pounded into dust. Joe Biden gave away everything to them and then started asking for stuff.

From Kim DuToit:

China is the real player behind the curtain here - this meme sums it up 100%

My amazement is not that these people can be bought.  It is for how cheaply they sell out.

What is H.R.4980 you might ask?  Good question.  Here is the website:

H.R.4980 - To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that any individual traveling on a flight that departs from or arrives to an airport inside the United States or a territory of the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and for other purposes.

This bill is "still in the process of being introduced" (ie: still being larded with pork) but you gotta love those four words at the end.  We are going to do this for that, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Here is where it all started to fall apart - New York Times, April 13, 2021:

Biden to Withdraw All Combat Troops From Afghanistan by Sept. 11
After years of arguing against an extended military presence in Afghanistan, President Biden is doing things his way, with the deadline for withdrawal set for the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
President Biden will withdraw American combat troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, declaring an end to the nation’s longest war and overruling warnings from his military advisers that the departure could prompt a resurgence of the same terrorist threats that sent hundreds of thousands of troops into combat over the past 20 years.

In rejecting the Pentagon’s push to remain until Afghan security forces can assert themselves against the Taliban, Mr. Biden forcibly stamped his views on a policy he has long debated but never controlled. Now, after years of arguing against an extended American military presence in Afghanistan, the president is doing things his way, with the deadline set for the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

A senior Biden administration official said the president had come to believe that a “conditions-based approach” would mean that American troops would never leave the country. The announcement is expected on Wednesday.

Amazing how quickly things can fall to shit - just four months and ten days from a celebratory proclamation in the Times to a Nation overthrown by terrorists.

Did fsck-all today.  A bit of shopping and running errands but that is it.  Stuck my head into the garage, looked at the pile of stuff to go into the van and then to the dump but turned out the lights and went and made some dinner. Ditto for the hamper of laundry that is accumulating.

Watch some videos tonight, sleep in tomorrow and take care of those two tasks then. Dump runs are always fun.

Downright cooler - got the heater on again tonight.  Might even turn on the HVAC.  Build a fire?  So many options...

Starting Monday, masks are mandatory when indoors.  I have some welding goggles that I will wear for coffee tomorrow.
Minus the fireproof blue fabric hood of course.

See how that goes.  Nice in that you can wear a hard hat when welding.

I also have a fabric mask that has: "My Governor is an Idiot" printed on it. That has gotten a lot of thumbs up.

They make plug-in adapters for many popular battery tool batteries.  Use your rechargeable tool batteries to power other things. I could really see adding some of these to my ham radio Go-Kit.

They do not seem to carry any of the Harbor Freight batteries which is a shame as these are relatively cheap and decently made.  I have Makita tools and they only carry adapters for the 12-volt series, not the more modern 18-volt.

You will probably need to change the voltage to fit your needs but boost or buck converters are cheap and fairly reliable.

Again, Terrafirma Technology

The current administration's handling of Afghanistan keeps getting more and more surreal. Now, the French and the English are sending in special forces to get people outta there and we are hampering them. Getting fragmentary stories from various sources - I'll post links when I get something concrete (checking London Daily Mail).

Did a bit of shopping up North - Costco and Walmart. Shortages are starting to manifest:

Walmart bottled water:

And Costco paper towels and toilet paper - limit of one per customer:

All Joe's fault - not him personally but his handlers. They are so far out of touch it is criminal.  Zero accountability.
The next person running for office needs to introduce the concept of accountability and why it is a good thing.
We The People will go nutz...

Dogs are restless and eyeing me - I have the temerity to disturb their routine. They should have had a nice long dog walk by now. How dare I.

Follow that up with some coffee and sit and read for a while - back in a few hours.

Last night's rain never materialized - the 68% chance is now 16% for light sprinkles. Solid high cloud cover, temps are in the low 60's and rising. Baro is back up again so just another fall day in the Pacific Northwest. Working in the garage and the yard when I get back.  Got the van loaded up for a dump run - get some more crap in there today and visit the dump tomorrow.

1:19 of pure comedy gold. He delivers the goods:

They are doing the journalism that the American Mainstream Media are being told to ignore:

• Britain loses patience with Sleepy Joe: Tony Blair brands Biden an 'imbecile' over 'tragic, dangerous and unnecessary' decision to quit Afghanistan amid claims Boris remarked 'we would be better off with Trump'
• Joe Biden's aides were 'too afraid' to quiz him and his national security adviser Jake Sullivan over key decisions made in run-up to US withdrawal from Afghanistan
• Military planes evacuating Afghans drop flares and make 'diving combat landings' amid fears of ISIS missile attacks as TWENTY die including girl, two, at Kabul airport in stampede to escape Taliban before US lifeline ends
• Biden will meet with G7 leaders on Tuesday to discuss intergovernmental cooperation with Afghanistan evacuations as well as providing ‘humanitarian assistance for Afghan refugees’

I am interested in that last one.  Wonder if the other leaders will be civil or if they will give Joe the ass-chewing he so rightly deserves.  He made a mess of the area for everyone, not just the Afghanis and the Americans.

President Trump's plan was so much better - get the people out first and then the military and leave nothing behind.  Not abandon the largest air base (Baghram) on July 2nd - literally walk out of there and turn out the lights and then, try to slip out of the country a month later.  Hope nobody notices.

You can bet that Chinese "advisors" are in there now gathering up samples of our advanced ordnance to take home and copy.

Highly credentialed. Right schools. Totally clueless and ineffectual at his post.
From Breitbart:

Antony Blinken Admits Diplomats Sent Cable Warning of Potential Swift Taliban Takeover … He Ignored It
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted reading an internal cable from about two dozen diplomats warning of the potential swift Taliban takeover of Afghanistan as U.S. troops were pulling out in mid-July, about a month before the jihadi group forced the collapse of the country’s government and military Sunday.

The group of U.S. diplomats reportedly sent the confidential cable, signed on July 13, through a so-called dissent channel and offered recommendations on ways to deal with the situation and accelerate an evacuation.

CNN learned from two unnamed State Department officials that “the diplomats decided to send the dissent memo because they felt previous warnings and recommendations they had made were being ignored and labeled alarmist.”

Blinken admitted reading the internal cable cautioning Kabul could fall when he and Gen. Mike Milley, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, were briefing lawmakers Friday about the post-Taliban takeover chaos engulfing the country.

More at the site. 740+ comments that are worth a look too. He didn't want to disobey his Chinese masters.

A day of blissful sloth tomorrow - no sign of rain yet but the forecast bumped it up to 68% chance after midnight. See what happens.

See what the video fairies have for me tonight...

Leave you with this - compare and contrast:

Seamless - 100 CGI artists selected from a challenge and here is the result.
Click the full-screen button of course.  Gorgeous work:

Well attended despite persistent rainfall:

The video had some shots of the overflow crowd too - no idea as to venue size but easily 40K people there.

Groundswell - the present administration overstepped and things are lining up against them.

The whole thing is a carefully staged plan. Each step needs to be completed before they can move on with the next one. They can not deal with defiance and refusal. Compliance has to be mandatory otherwise their whole house of cards falls down.  We are wise to remember this:

Forecast calls for light rain later tonight but it feels incipient.  The air feels gravid, temp has risen six degrees in the last hour and the baro is drifting downwards. Got a Small Craft Advisory from late tonight through Sunday morning. Bunch of lightning up North and in Idaho/Montana.

I am also looking at the power grid for the East Coast - it will be interesting to see how fast the various states recover from Henri.

Heating up the last of the spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight - picked up some fresh noodles at the coop the other day.  Yum!  Got the fixings to make Beef Stew for tomorrow or Monday.  I use V8 Juice instead of water - a lot more flaverful. Saves me from having to do the whole Miripoix reduction. Not the same but a quick and easy 80% fake.

Watch President Trump's Alabama rally during dinner - he is always a fantastic speaker.

What the other is doing - from the Conservative Treehouse:

Pentagon Unaware of State Department Security Alert Telling Americans Not To Come to Kabul Airport
In keeping with the FUBAR dynamic… a deeper, perhaps more concerning, picture is emerging.  The Pentagon held a press briefing today with Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby and Maj. General Hank Taylor.  After initial comments, the first question was about the State Department telling Americans not to attempt to come to the airport.  Kirby and Taylor did not know about it.

Defense Department Spokesperson John Kirby was put in a very uncomfortable position of answering questions about a State Department alert he was not knowledgeable about.

Video at the site.  These are supposed to be our top people. Not just a State Department alert, this was a Security Alert published on the website for the Afghanistan Embassy this morning. For them to not know about this speaks volumes about the dysfunction in our Nation's government. Sundance looks a bit deeper and outlines the various powers jockying for position here:

As such, the picture starts to gain clarity…. The State Dept is turning against the White House to protect itself.

Now, here is where you need to overlay the narrative engineers. Remember, the State Dept public relations outlet is CNN. The CIA use The Washington Post. The FBI use Politico and the New York Times. I have repeatedly outlined this synergy because it is times like this when that understanding brings clarity to the picture.

At the same time, the Dept of State (DoS) is undermining the Pentagon. CNN is turning against the White House. Can you see the ideological framework now? DoS and CNN have a common purpose and agenda.

Around the world, various governments know that CNN and CNNi are essentially U.S. State Media. That is why our adversaries talk about CNN as propaganda for U.S. strategic interests. If you have followed this for years, you have many reference points.

Because CNN is the narrative engineering outlet for the State Dept, CNN is also aligned in favor of their sister institution, the CIA. Together, the three institutions operate globally with a synergy and collaborative message.

Within this Deep State internecine battle, and with CNN and DoS turning against Joe Biden, that means the CIA now aligns against the White House. [Tripwire Alert: look for the Washington Post to start undermining Joe Biden/White House]. Keep in mind, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki used to be the spokesperson for the State Department. Have you seen Psaki recently? There you go….

More at the site - everyone is operating in CYA mode.  Interesting times.  President Trump's first term of office brought these machinations out into the public view for most people for the first time. Now, even though the office of President is held by someone friendly to the deep-state, things are beginning to further unravel and we see the cracks starting to develop. Gonna be a fun ride if we survive as a nation.  I have hope that we are approaching the Spiritual Faith, Courage and Liberty portions of the Tytler Cycle. Lord knows we certainly have the other portions in abundance.

Nothing catches my eye.  The usual epic level of fuckery is happening around the world but nothing stands out.

East coast is gearing up for Henri. Afghanistan is melting down. Biden's legacy is toast. Harris is bailing. Haiti is corrupt as ever. The Supremes ruled against border sanity.

Cold outside - 58°  Got a small heater on in the office - heading out to check the mail and get some groceries and then work in the garage this afternoon. 

Putting up some plywood paneling (insulation first) and doing a french cleat system for storage. No word on the etymology of "french cleat" - did it come from France or is it an eponymous term like French Drain (invented by Henry Flagg French). The word Cleat is of middle-english origin.

They are not stupid and they have studied our culture very well. London Daily Mail:

Taliban soldiers wearing U.S.-made gear mock iconic World War II image of Marines raising flag on Iwo Jima in 1945 and release propaganda footage showing them armed with American weapons while on patrol in Afghanistan

• • The Taliban's Badri 313 Battalion released a collection of propaganda footage this past week
  • Among the collection was the recreation of the famed 1945 World War II picture of soldiers raising the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima
  • In the Taliban version, a group of soldiers is seen hoisting the Taliban flag in a similar fashion while sporting U.S. weapons and gear
  • The Badri 313 is a special unit of Taliban fighters that dress like U.S. soldiers by wearing camouflage, combat boots and body armor
  • Analysts expect the unit to continue to grow in the next few months

A group of Taliban fighters released a collection of propaganda footage, including a photo where they mocked the famed World War II picture of soldiers raising the American flag on Iwo Jima.

In the original 1945 photograph, a group of six Marines are depicted hosting the flag on Mount Suribachi.

The Taliban's Badri 313 Battalion recreated the image this week.

In their version, a group of soldiers is seen hoisting the Taliban flag in a similar fashion while sporting U.S. weapons and gear that was likely stolen from allied militaries during patrols of Kabul.

That is a big fucking finger in the eye of everyone who has served in the military. That these goblins think that they defeated us.  We were betrayed by the current administration's incompetence and stupidity.

Their desire to be the opposite of President Trump prevented them from even considering that his plan for withdrawal was a well-ordered and logical plan. Their random pull-out caused this catastrophe. They own this disaster.

From My Pensieve

It is all falling apart. 269 days. They told us that they had the best and the brightest.

They really believed that they had the best and the brightest - they were all telling themselves this.

Amazing what a little Dunning-Kruger can do when combined with some Confirmation Bias

Some raving cases of cognitive dissonance in DC right about now.

I bet that there are a lot of therapists in DC who wished they could get a book deal...

Three items caught my eye - they tell the whole story:

• • Joe Biden to Resume Vacation in Delaware with Americans Still Stranded in Afghanistan
  • Memo From June Shows Biden Promised G7 Leaders U.S. Security in Kabul, Afghanistan After Withdrawal

And then this notice from the US Embassy:

Security Alert – Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan (August 21, 2021)
Event: Because of potential security threats outside the gates at the Kabul airport, we are advising U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a U.S. government representative to do so.

U.S. citizens requesting assistance in departing the country who have not yet to completed the Repatriation Assistance Request for each traveler in their group should do so as soon as possible. Spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens in Afghanistan who are awaiting immigrant visas should also complete this form if they wish to depart. Do not call the U.S. Embassy in Kabul for details or updates about the flight. This form is the only way to communicate interest in flight options.

In other words, your only lifeline is through a website being run by a 3rd party - this company: ServiceNow  Don't believe me?  Click the URL above and see for yourself. No telephone.  Don't even think about visiting. Stay the fsck away. Just fill out the form on that website and we will take care of you and your family. Sure. Honestly. To the best of our ability.

And we are only in the middle of it. Going to take a couple of years to recover if we do.
Future Americans will be scratching their heads going WTF? Seriously?

Baby steps but amazing - from OpenAI

Definitely be playing with this over winter. Their YouTube Channel.
More information and how to sign up to use it: OpenAI Codex

Fun meme - image from Team America:

Durka durka...

Unreal - here is a screen-cap as this is going to get memory-holed real soon now:

From the article at the Los Angeles Times:

Column: Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy. You’ve been warned
Larry Elder smiled the smug smile of a Black conservative who could very well be liberal California’s next governor.

The whole column is an object lesson in bias - promoting one narrative while ignoring the underlying questions.
A bit more:

I won’t lie. Few things infuriate me more than watching a Black person use willful blindness and cherry-picked facts to make overly simplistic arguments that whitewash the complex problems that come along with being Black in America.

And throughout his career — as a radio host, as a talking head for Fox News and now as a gubernatorial candidate — Elder has made a point of doing just that, usually with a lot of taunting and toddler-like name-calling of his ideological enemies in the process.

I'll just leave it here.  The writer is engaging in the logical fallacy (and here) known as argumentum ad hominem - in other words, the author has zero argument to rebut Elder's stated position so they seek instead to make fun of him.  To Niggerize him to borrow a term from Dr. Cornel West. To lessen his stature.  To make him seem to be an intellectual light-weight.

Little does the author realize that this is clear to see and their actions only serve to undermine their own credibility. Kudos to the Los Angeles Times for so openly presenting itself as a purveyor of hype and hearsay and the author as nothing more than a partisan hack.

People liked the free government shit but they are tired of all the other stuff that comes with it.  The pendulum is swinging back.  People are craving good leadership, not top-down control. Big difference.

Lived in Boston and New England from 1969 through 1982 and enjoyed several hurricanes and a bunch of tropical storms (Doria, Ginny, Doria, Carrie, Belle and Gloria) - this is nothing new for the area. There was a 30 year hiatus but Hurricane Henri is on track to provide some fun and games.

From National Public Radio:

New England Is Facing Its 1st Direct Hurricane Landfall In 30 Years
The National Hurricane Center has issued a rare hurricane watch for parts of New England, warning that Tropical Storm Henri will likely develop into a hurricane before making landfall on the northeastern U.S. coast this weekend.

"If Henri strikes southeast New England as a hurricane this weekend, it will be the first direct hurricane landfall since Bob in 1991," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesman Chris Vaccaro told NPR.

Henri's maximum sustained winds grew to 70 mph on Friday, making it "almost a hurricane," the NHC said in its 2 p.m. ET update. Hurricanes have sustained winds of at least 74 mph.

The hurricane watch was issued early Friday, covering a large portion of Long Island and areas from New Haven, Conn., to Sagamore Beach, Mass., the National Hurricane Center said. Resort islands such as Block Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are also in the watch zone.

Watch them blame this on "climate change" in 3... 2... 1...

"To the free man, the country is the collection of individuals who compose it, not something over and above them. He is proud of a common heritage and loyal to common traditions. But he regards government as a means, an instrumentality, neither a grantor of favors and gifts, nor a master or god to be blindly worshipped and served."
--Milton Friedman (1912-2006) American economist

Promoted way beyond his capabilities.  He is not nuanced.  He is just stupid.
From 90 Miles:

I have always said that the difference between  a conspiracy theory and the truth is about four to six months.

Just heard that another term for "conspiracy theory" is this: "spoiler alert"

Sadly so true...

Pushing that Big Lie - a quote:

“I have seen no question of our credibility from our allies around the world. I have spoken with our NATO allies, we’ve spoken with our NATO allies through our secretary of state (points to Blinken). Our National Security Advisor (points to Sullivan) has been in contact with his counterparts throughout the world and our allies; as has my […] secretary of defense (points to Austin), the fact of the matter is I have not seen that. As a matter of fact the exact opposite I have gotten”

Opposite of the reality. Bizarro world come to life. Steven Green fact checks the presentation:

Fact-Checking Biden's Address: Lies, Damned Lies, and the White House Teleprompter
I’m relying on the White House release of Presidentish Joe Biden’s remarks.

Shall we get right to it?

CLAIM: “My national security team and I have been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Afghanistan and moving quickly to execute the plans we had put in place to respond to every constituency, including — and contingency — including the rapid collapse we’re seeing now.”

REALITY: Biden Scrapped Trump’s Afghanistan Rescue Plan. “Raheem Kassam revealed on Wednesday that under President Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo’s State Department had ordered the creation of a ‘Contingency and Crisis Response’ office whose job would be avoiding ‘a future Benghazi-style situation for Americans overseas.’ But while Biden lied to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday that ‘We planned for every contingency,’ behind the scenes, Biden’s State Department had already ‘revoked the funding and the approval’ for Trump’s response team, according to Kassam.”

I’d also add that had Biden planned for every contingency, things would look several hells of a lot different in Kabul right now.

Ten more CLAIM / REALITY checkups at the site.  For such a short "speech", it was full of so many lies.

Take everything you know, reverse it and you know that the riots would be starting right now.
From NBC News:

Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt exonerated in internal probe
The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt outside a door of the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot has been formally exonerated after an internal investigation, according to a department memo obtained by NBC News.

The officer, whose name has not been released, opened fire on Babbitt as she and a mob of other Trump supporters tried to forcefully enter the Capitol.

Video of the shooting showed Babbitt in front of a crowd of rioters trying to get through a door leading to where members of Congress were being evacuated on the House side of the building.

The Justice Department announced in April that no charges were being brought against the officer. The exoneration by the Capitol Police wraps up the last remaining investigation into the incident.

A memo from the commander of the Capitol Police’s Office of Personal Responsibility says “no further action will be taken in this matter” after the officer was exonerated for use of force.

The Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A lawyer for Babbitt's family declined to comment.

We know who he is - Lieutenant Michael Leroy Byrd. Bird is black. Babbitt was white and unarmed. There are several videos of the entire shooting and none of them show her acting with any agression or hostility.  None of them show any officer - let alone Bird - asking her to do anything. If the scenario were reversed, several cities would be in flames.

If her murder had a just cause and if there were extenuating circumstances for Officer Bird to have done what he did, then why did the Washington D.C. Chief Medical Examiner have her body cremated just two days after her murder. This stinks. The whole administration stinks.

Yet another quiet weekend news cycle.

Cool and cloudy - heading out for a nice long dog walk and then the usual Friday routine. Coffee, read and voulunteer at the thrift store.  Bringing a couple cartons of clothing and some shop stuff. Back here around 2:00 PM

From FOX News:

Afghanistan withdrawal: Biden continues bunker strategy after widely panned ABC interview
In what appears to be a continuation of his campaign bunker strategy, and following his widely panned interview with ABC News on the stunning fall of Afghanistan, President Biden's schedule Thursday contained no planned public remarks or press briefings.

The president took all public remarks, press briefings and press conferences off his schedule as he and his administration deal with the blowback from their botched troop withdrawal that saw Kabul fall into the hands of the Taliban.

Biden’s now-clear press schedule also comes after his much-criticized ABC News interview on Wednesday night, when the president claimed there was no better way to get out of Afghanistan. Other than the ABC News interview, Biden has not taken any questions from the press this week.

Hiding in the basement? Only eight months into this administration and things are fucked up.
President Obama's words ring true...

UPDATE: Turns out he is addressing the nation today at 1:00 PM ET

Overheard in some basement at some TLA agency in DC.

Everyone is dumping on the Big Guy.  Incriminating details are coming out as to just how tender the situation was. The border is in crisis. People are learning the truth about COVID. Inflation is worse than we think. Time to distract people.

I know, let's activate a couple of our mentally ill people - say, New York City and Washington D.C..  We haven't done a bomb for a long time - let's do one each.  And, push the narrative that these are right-wing extremests.  That should take some of the heat off for a while.

Remember this?  Not bad as advertising goes - hits the heart.  Glad she did not win - really glad:

Segue to today:

Big tip 'o the tuque to Small Dead Animals.

There is a lot more going in than just time in the Camp David photos that the White House released last weekend - in the span of 36 minutes, Joe changed into a different shirt and trousers and his bald-spot is a lot smaller than it is in recent live appearences. Kyle Becker reads us chapter and verse:

New Evidence of Something REALLY Wrong with Biden’s Camp David Photos — Not Just the Clocks
There is something amiss with the Camp David photos recently posted by the White House — and it’s not just the clocks.

The White House on Sunday morning posted a photo of Joe Biden at Camp David, where he was vacationing when the news hit that Afghanistan was falling into the hands of the Taliban.

More at the site - 8X10 color glossies with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back. These were stock photos trotted out as Joe was unable to be photographed at that time.

Shit meet fan.

From the UK Telegraph:

Parliament holds Joe Biden in contempt over Afghanistan
Joe Biden's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal was condemned as "catastrophic" and "shameful" on Wednesday as the Houses of Parliament delivered an unprecedented rebuke to a US president.

MPs and peers from across the political spectrum, including Boris Johnson, put some blame for the Taliban's takeover and the chaos that followed on Britain's closest ally.

Mr Biden was accused of "throwing us and everybody else to the fire" by pulling out US troops, and was called "dishonourable" for criticising Afghan forces for not having the will to fight.

Former defence chiefs who led British troops in the Middle East were among those to speak out, while there were warnings that the West's withdrawal would embolden Russia and China.

The interventions mark a deterioration in UK-US relations almost exactly 20 years after Britain joined America in invading Afghanistan to root out terrorism after the September 11 attacks.

But it was not just Mr Biden who faced criticism, with Mr Johnson and his ministers told they had overseen the worst disaster in British foreign policy for 65 years.

The Prime Minister was accused of not doing enough to rally allies to support Afghanistan as the US departure became apparent, including by his predecessor, Theresa May.

Boris Johnson is not a serious man and he has no sense of history.  If he had, he would not be a socialist...

Great compilation of articles at Legal Insurrection:

South Korea’s Ruling Party Wants Faster Transfer of Military Control from U.S.
The debacle of the Afghanistan Abandonment is rippling throughout American foreign relations.

In the wake of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, the head of South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party is now asking to gain operational control of its military, the leader of the country’s ruling Democratic Party.

“The Afghanistan crisis should be used as an opportunity to further nurture the will and ability of a strong independent defense by recovering wartime OPCON,” Rep. Song Young-gil wrote in a Wednesday Facebook post.

In wartime, combined U.S. and South Korean forces would be led by the head of United States Forces Korea, currently Gen. Paul LaCamera. The administration of South Korean President Moon Jae-in has looked to accelerate the process of gaining full control over its military.

“We need not only the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance, but also an attitude of self-defense that our country will protect itself,” Song wrote. The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.

They understand that Joe can fuck things up on their border as well.  A bit more - this link to Reuters:

Afghanistan shows need for U.S. to give S.Korea control of troops, lawmaker says
The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan underscores the need for South Korea to quickly secure wartime operational control of its troops from the United States, a leader of the ruling Democratic Party said on Wednesday.

The defeat of the Afghan government after the withdrawal of U.S. forces has sparked debate over the strength of American commitments in places such as Taiwan and South Korea.

Since the 1950-1953 Korean War, the American military has retained authority to control hundreds of thousands of South Korean forces alongside the roughly 28,500 U.S. troops in the country if another war breaks out.

And finally, what prompted South Korea's urgency - from United Press International:

South Korean ambassador to Afghanistan discloses details of harrowing evacuation
The South Korean ambassador to Afghanistan, who stayed behind to assist with the evacuation of the last remaining Korean citizen in the southwest Asian nation, recalled a harrowing escape from the capital as the Taliban swept into Kabul.

Ambassador Choi Tae-ho said in an interview with South Korean news service News 1 on Wednesday that the embassy staff and a South Korean civilian left Afghanistan as the sound of nearby gunshots grew in frequency and evacuation helicopters whirred overhead.

"It was a situation comparable to wars depicted in the movies," Choi said.

And the South Korean government?

South Korea's foreign ministry issued an emergency evacuation order requiring all Korean nationals to leave by Sunday. Choi confirmed the embassy destroyed all sensitive documents on site before staff left the country.

They did better than our government did. Destroyed all sensitive documents and got the nationals as well as Embassy staff the hell outta there.

A lot of rogue nations are going to take advantage of the fact that the United States of America is at a very weak point in its history.  Shit is going to happen. Sleeper cells waking up in the USA, China moving on Taiwan, Russia on Eastern Europe. I can see Fat-boy Kim thinking that he had a chance with the other half of his despot kingdom. Going to be a real shit-show for five years or so.

The one thing that I am interested in seeing is if China moves into Afghanistan.  Lots of rare earth minerals there as well as lithium and gold and they do share a border.  Considering China's treatment of #1) non CCP "troublemakers" and #2) muslims in general, the Taliban may find themselves wishing they had stuck with the devil they knew.

The Atlantic is a very left-wing media outlet.  For them to pile on Biden means that he is being thrown under the bus.
A bit of a long excerpt but well worth reading:

Biden’s Long Trail of Betrayals
“I’m getting sick and tired of hearing about morality, our moral obligation,” Joe Biden said in 1975. “There’s a point where you are incapable of meeting moral obligations that exist worldwide.” At the time, he was arguing against U.S. aid to Cambodia. But he could just as easily have said the same about his decision this year to end the American presence in Afghanistan, a catastrophic mistake that has led to a Taliban takeover, undermined our national interest, and morally stained Biden’s presidency.

It is the latest blunder in a foreign-policy record filled with them.

• • In 1975, Biden opposed giving aid to the South Vietnamese government during its war against the North, ensuring the victory of a brutal regime and causing a mass exodus of refugees.
  • In 1991, Biden opposed the Gulf War, one of the most successful military campaigns in American history. Not only did he later regret his congressional vote, but in 1998, he criticized George H. W. Bush for not deposing Saddam Hussein, calling that decision a “fundamental mistake.”
  • In 2003, Biden supported the Iraq War—another congressional vote he later regretted.
  • In 2007, he opposed President George W. Bush’s new counterinsurgency strategy and surge in troops in Iraq, calling it a “tragic mistake.” In fact, the surge led to stunning progress, including dramatic drops in civilian deaths and sectarian violence.
  • In December 2011, President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden withdrew America’s much-scaled-down troop presence in Iraq; the former had declared Iraq to be “sovereign, stable, and self-reliant,” and the latter had predicted that Iraq “could be one of the great achievements of this administration.” Their decision sent Iraq spiraling into sectarian violence and civil war, allowing Iran to expand its influence and opening the way for the rise of the jihadist group ISIS.
  • According to Obama’s memoir A Promised Land, Biden had advised the former president to take more time before launching the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
  • Ten years ago, Biden said in an interview that “the Taliban per se is not our enemy.” He added, “If, in fact, the Taliban is able to collapse the existing government, which is cooperating with us in keeping the bad guys from being able to do damage to us, then that becomes a problem for us.” Indeed.

In his 2014 memoir, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, Robert Gates, who served as the secretary of defense under George W. Bush and Obama, said that Biden “has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”

He was a well-known face and was tractable. The uni-party thought they had it all figured out. The deep-state fucked up though.

More examples and information at the site - again, well worth your time to read.

Waste Oxygen, occupy some prime real-estate in Manhattan and little else.
From Town Hall:

Is the US Ambassador to the UN Serious About This Statement to Taliban?
Even a casual observer of the United Nations knows the international body is a joke. So U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield boasting about her sternly-worded letter to the Taliban—yes, Islamic jihadists—can’t possibly come as a surprise, can it?

Speaking to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday, Thomas-Greenfield said the Taliban is being closely watched.

"We are hearing from people in Afghanistan that they are getting threats from the Taliban, and we have expressed in no uncertain terms here at the United Nations through a very strongly worded press statement from the Security Council that we expect the Taliban to respect human rights, including the rights of women and girls," she said.

Strongly worded?  Are you shitting me?  Seriously - how do these Eloi sleep at night. They have to have some germ of realization of how idiotic their actions are.  Ineffectual, flaccid, impotent, clueless...  I could keep going for some time.

If I were King, I would move the UN to some worker's paradise like Zimbabwe or Venezuela and turn the Manhattan address into a Trump Tower.  The liberals would love that.

He reiterated his plan this afternoon - his website:

Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America
First you bring out all of the American citizens. Then you bring out ALL equipment. Then you bomb the bases into smithereens—AND THEN YOU BRING OUT THE MILITARY. You don’t do it in reverse order like Biden and our woke Generals did.

No chaos, no death—they wouldn’t even know we left!

What he said.

From Deutsche Welle (German World):

German president laments 'human tragedy' in Afghanistan
Germany's president on Tuesday said the images from Kabul airport, with civilians clamoring to escape the Taliban takeover, were a source of shame for Germany and its NATO allies.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose role as head of state is largely ceremonial, said Germany owed a debt to those now at risk from the hard-line fundamentalists' return to power.

"The images of desperation at Kabul airport are shameful for the political West," Steinmeier said. 

"We are experiencing a human tragedy for which we share responsibility," Steinmeier said.

Berlin should "do everything it can to bring our people, and all Afghans who stood for years by their side, to safety," said Steinmeier, who previously served as foreign minister.

Germany, he said, must help those in Afghanistan who are at risk, including "many courageous women."

Yeah - everyone looked to us as the leader and we let everyone down.  The Afghans, NATO, the World.
Biden and company own this.

Found over at Chris Lynch's

"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer.
Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our responsibility for the future."
-- John F. Kennedy

The last Democrat politician with leadership abilities.  No wonder they had him murdered - he made the rest of them look like craven, corrupt idiots.

The incoming administration cancelled everything that President Trump did - one example:

An interesting couple of minutes:

And in reality, nothing makes as much sense as this explanation.

Many thanks to Conservative Treehouse for the link to this video and this video is just the starting point. A very interesting, scary and deep rabbit hole. To say the least.  Much more at the site.

Makes me wonder WTF is happening behind the scenes - is she jockeying for POTUS?

Anyone remember Benghazi?

Some soup and a slice or two of toast and that is dinner.  The "funny" burrito at 1:30 filled me up nicely.

Front yard is looking a lot better - it needs four or five more days to get to where I want it. Planning to get rid of a bunch of the grass this winter and plant veggies next spring.

There are some drainage issues so I need to excavate and rehabilitate some existing French Drains. Been studying these and have a good idea of what I want to do.  Interestingly enough, French Drains are named after Henry Flagg French - lived from 1813 to 1885 and it sounds as though he had an interesting life. Mr. French was an agriculturist (gentleman farmer), inventor, lawyer, judge, postmaster, assistant district attorney, and assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury.

See what happened in the rest of the world in my absence...

From The National Pulse:

Top Anti-Audit Democrats Took China Trips Sponsored By Communist Influence Group
‘NewDEAL Leaders’ – a network of progressive state and local officials including those suppressing audits of the 2020 election – has collaborated extensively with a Chinese Communist Party-backed influence group seeking to “neutralize opposition” to the regime, The National Pulse can reveal.

Alumni of the program also include Joe Biden’s Secretary of Transportation Pete   Buttigieg and failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Among the current chairs of the coalition, which “identifies, cultivates, and provides policy support to a network of 175 rising state and local Democrats,” is Delaware Senator Chris Coons, dubbed the “Biden Whisperer” and a “power player” among the president’s inner circle by Politico.

NewDEAL’s leaders include several high-profile Democratic leaders involved in the suppression of 2020 election audits such as Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes. All three officials spoke at the group’s 2021 Annual Leaders Conference.

A bit more - the China connection:

CUSEF is a key component of the Chinese Communist Party’s “United Front,” an effort that seeks to “co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party” and “influence foreign governments to take actions or adopt positions supportive of Beijing’s preferred policies,” according to the U.S. government.

Much more at the site including this photo from 2016 - the Chinese involvment has been going on for a while:

Time to get them out of our politics and get our elected officals running honest again.  No junkets. No handouts. No gimmies. Go to Washington, do your fscking job and go back home. End of story.

From his website - first:

This plane should have been full of Americans. America First! 

And then, this observation:

What took place yesterday in Afghanistan made our withdrawal from Vietnam look like child’s play. Perhaps in World history, there has never been a withdrawal operation that has been handled so disastrously. A President who has been illegitimately elected has brought great shame, in many ways, to our Country!

Truth. Plain and simple. What is surprising is that people expected better.

No matter how much I wish it to be...  Sitting here surfing is not conducive to a neat yard. Time to get my butt in gear now that there is some nice weather.  72°F outside now - sunny, cloudless and still air.  Perfect for spraying acid on the horsetails and doing some serious remedial pruning.

Nothing much happening with the airplanes from the Naval Air Base - got a lot of civilian traffic in the skies right now (58) but only one military craft that shows up on MLAT.  I hear it's jets - very distinctive sound. The sound of FREEDOM!!!

Time to get some PPE on and get into it...

Autophagy is the 50¢ word for an organism that digests itself. Destructive behavior but it happens.
Case in point: Current Affairs magazine and website - from Vice:

Socialist Publication Current Affairs Fires Staff for Doing Socialism
Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief of the socialist magazine Current Affairs, has fired most of its staff for trying to start a worker co-op, workers wrote in a letter posted on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

"We, the former full and part-time staff, write to you with deep sadness and disappointment about the recent events that have occurred at Current Affairs," a letter signed by five fired staffers said.

"On August 8th, editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson (author of Why You Should Be a Socialist) unilaterally fired most of the workforce to avoid an organizational restructuring that would limit his personal power. Yes, we were fired by the editor-in-chief of a socialist magazine for trying to start a worker co-op."

One of the fired editors, Cate Root, posted on Twitter about the firings. "It was a profound pleasure to help writers bring the best version of their work to the public. It brought me so much joy and meaning, and I will miss it terribly," she wrote.

Heh - congitive dissonance.  You can write about something and promote it but try to implement it here and you are gone. After all, we are the elite.  We know how you little people should live - we know this better than you could ever hope to.  We are here to "nudge" you into a proper life.  Got to love liberal hypocrisy.

Vice President - she avoided the border and now, she is avoiding Afghanistan - from MSN/FOX News:

Kamala Harris plans Vietnam visit – just as Afghanistan draws comparisons to fall of Saigon
The timing probably couldn’t be worse for the Biden administration. On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to embark on a trip across the Pacific that will include a stop in Vietnam.

The trip – which will be Harris’ second overseas venture since taking office – comes as the current crisis in Afghanistan has drawn many comparisons to the end of U.S. involvement in Vietnam in the 1970s.

The Big Guy? From Gateway Pundit:

Joe Biden Finally Returns to White House from Vacation as Afghanistan Implodes — Looks Exhausted, Bent Over and Unbalanced
Joe Biden went on vacation a week ago as the Taliban swept into Kabul and trapped over 10,000 Americans and THOUSANDS of Western workers from leaving the city.

The Taliban has checkpoints throughout the city and is preventing civilians from gathering outside the Kabul Airport.

On Tuesday night Joe Biden finally returned to the White House. He looked exhausted, hunched over and shuffled through the grass as he made his way to the White House.
It was obviously past his bedtime.

Video at the site - this was at night but it looks like Biden had a person on each side of him supporting him as he walked from the helicopter. VP Harris should be staying in DC studying what is happening so she can deal with it as Joe is obviously checking out. At the least, they need better advisers - not Yes Men.

Stopped by the local grocery store after work - check the mail and picked up a burrito for lunch.

The poor deli clerk had never made a burrito before and this was someone close to my age.  They tried all kinds of ways to wrap it as though they were wrapping a parcel.  Folding the corners in - wound up tearing the tortilla and they went to get another one. I had them mash everything together and am eating it with a knife and fork. Waaay too many onions - they gave me a very small amount and I asked for a bit more - two handfuls later...

No sense of taste or proportion.

Volunteering, dog walk and coffee first.

Some headlines:

• • ‘Kinder, gentler Taliban’ start new image by executing a woman in street for not wearing burqa
  • Kabul evacuation flights take off EMPTY as Taliban close off airport and make it impossible for Western ex-pats to get through - while fighters REFUSE to let Afghans through meaning hundreds are being left behind every day
  • Taliban Opens Fire On Crowd After They Wave Afghanistan Flag, Fatalities Reported
  • Biden is relying on the TALIBAN to help evacuate up to 40K Americans trapped in Afghanistan: US citizens in the war-torn nation are told to 'shelter in place' until it's safe
  • Trump describes the warning he had given the Taliban when he was President

This last link is important.  President Trump had said:

"If anything bad happens to Americans or anybody else we will hit you w/ a force that no country has ever been hit w/ before. A force so great you won't even believe it. And your village, and we know where it is, and I named it, will be the first one."

What is crucial to remember is that President Trump's warning was backed up by the might of troops and ordnance at Baghram Air Base. Biden abandoned Baghram at the beginning of July - 45 days ago.  They cut the electricity and melted away leaving behind all the military hardware. There went our power in Afghanistan, there went any moderation on the actions of the Taliban, there went any fear of retribution.  Baghram was also home to a prison holding 5,000 terrorists.  They were released.

Biden, Harris, Pelosi and Schumer own this. The Democrats own this.
It is time to take our Nation back if we still can.

They keep getting better and better - some amazing stuff:

From the Naval Air Base.  Usually, they have their civilian tracking beacons running (ADS-B or variant) but tonight? They have their cloaking devices turned on. Not a pip on the screen.

Ahhhh - zoomed back and found one about 200 miles away over the Olympic Penninsula:

The icons are color-coded for altitude and this one is black. Not a valid code for any altitude.  The information is coming in through computational MLAT so not a direct beacon. This is not the aircraft I am hearing though - those puppies are right overhead and maintaining radio silence. An interesting hobby - a lot of fun for $40 worth of parts and an older Raspberry Pi.

Already shop at Home Depot over Lowe's for a number of reasons (except for electrical switches and receptacles - Eaton/Arrow-Hart has better build-quality than Leviton). From that bastion of bias-free reporting The Huffington Post:

Home Depot Discriminated Against Worker For Black Lives Matter Support, NLRB Alleges
An official with the National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against Home Depot alleging that the retailer discriminated against a Minneapolis employee for their Black Lives Matter activism at work.

The filing from an NLRB regional director claims the company used its uniform policy to “selectively and disparately” punish workers who had the initials “BLM” on their Home Depot aprons.

One worker was allegedly told to choose between wearing the slogan and having a job at the store. That worker was suspended and then terminated, according to the complaint.

The complaint also alleges that management threatened workers with “unspecified consequences” over their Black Lives Matter activism during an online work meeting in February.

Black Lives Matter has absolutely nothing to do with poverty, living conditions or the plight of the urban black individual.  It is a Marxist grift by a few people who have made a lot of money off their supposed activist charity. Almost none of the donated money gets handed to the local communities, it all goes into a slush-fund for progressive and Marxist organizations. No money is used to actually help the urban black person. And don't forget about those luxury houses the founders own too - must be nice...

More:

Under the National Labor Relations Act, workers have a right to join together to try to improve their working conditions under what’s known as “protected concerted activity.” The NLRB regional director who issued the complaint, Jennifer Hadsall, made clear in a statement that the law covers workers trying to address racial harassment in the workplace.

I bet that this will get shot down in court - this has nothing to do with working conditions.  The employee was trying to bring social activism into the work place.  Supporting this grift has nothing to do with helping someone choose a 2X6 for their carport. The perpetrators of BLM are the racists here.  They are racist bigots. They clutch their pearls and shriek and demand that we give them money. The sad thing is that many people do thinking that these bigots will go away.  They never go away, they just keep demanding more and more and more.

They need to be laughed at.  Mocked. Made fun of. Ridiculed. Compared to Dr. Martin Luther King and found severely wanting. We can see the content of their character.

Shop at Home Depot.  Spend money there. Lowes gives a lot of money to Democrat political campaigns.

From the London Daily Mail:

'F*** that. Nixon and Kissinger got away with it in Vietnam': What Biden told Obama's special representative for Afghanistan he thought of America's obligations to the Afghan people

• • A diary entry from Richard Holbrooke suggests that Biden was intent on pulling out of Afghanistan in 2010
  • Biden compared pulling out of Afghanistan with the US exit of Vietnam in 1973
  • The then-vice president reportedly said: 'F*** that...We did it in Vietnam, Nixon and Kissinger got away with it'
  • Biden on Monday defended his decision to bring home U.S. troops despite scenes of chaos
  • Evacuation flights resumed overnight in Kabul with military planes evacuating several hundred
  • US troops at Kabul airport are now in direct contact with Taliban militants surrounding the perimeter
  • Taliban claims that it will allow safe passage for civilians seeking to reach the airport

The rapid US withdrawal from Afghanistan that has left the gate open for the Taliban to surge to power may come as a surprise to some, but President Joe Biden has been in favor of pulling out for years.

In 2010, Biden reportedly told Richard Holbrooke, then Obama's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, that the US had to leave Afghanistan regardless of the cost for the Afghan people.

According to Holbrooke, when Biden was asked about America's obligation to maintain their presence in Afghanistan to protect vulnerable civilians, he scornfully replied by referencing the US exit from southeast Asia in 1973.

'F*** that, we don't have to worry about that. We did it in Vietnam, Nixon and Kissinger got away with it.'

Once a jackass, always a jackass. Stupidity this bad should hurt. Hunter is certainly carrying on the family tradition.

Funny thing about Governor Andrew Cuomo - from Hot Air:

Hmmm: Where's Cuomo's resignation letter?
Exactly one week ago, Andrew Cuomo gave New Yorkers his two-week notice of resigning his office. Since then, wheels have been turning in Albany for the transition. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul has prepared not just assume office but also to run again next year for a full term, while playing coy on a Cuomo pardon. The state assembly buried its impeachment report, only to agree to exhume it a few days later.

There’s only one catch — has Cuomo actually resigned? No one has seen a letter, and the state requires notice in writing of a resignation. And for the moment Cuomo and his remaining team are mum on when — or whether — it will come:

The article has an update:

Update: Cuomo may not have had a chance to send in his resignation letter, but he’s been proactive on ensuring his pension kicks in right away. He might not have a long time to enjoy them, however, no matter how good his health remains:

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo filed for retirement benefits on Tuesday, following his decision to resign last week amid a sexual-harassment scandal.

Officially filing for retirement sets Cuomo up to receive a monthly pension payment from the state after more than a decade in public office. The three-term Democrat could be eligible to receive at least $50,000 a year in pension benefits from the state, according to the Empire Center, an Albany watchdog group. The payment could potentially be revoked if he is convicted of a felony, the group said.

That would be schadenfreude for 'ya. What real-world skills does he have?
Title? The brothers Gibb of course.

From the Spokane. WA's The Spokesman Review:

‘A self-inflicted wound’: Former ambassador to Afghanistan, Spokane Valley native Ryan Crocker says Taliban rout was avoidable
With Taliban forces rapidly seizing territory across Afghanistan and Americans rushing to evacuate the besieged capital, a decorated former diplomat who twice headed the U.S. embassy in Kabul said the United States could have avoided this disastrous coda to its longest war.

Spokane Valley native Ryan Crocker arrived in the Afghan capital to reopen the shuttered embassy in January 2002, weeks after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime, and returned to serve as ambassador from 2011 to 2012. In an interview with The Spokesman-Review on Friday, Crocker said while the pace of the insurgents’ advance has surprised him, the Biden administration should have seen it coming.

“I think the direction was predictable; the trajectory was not,” he said. “What President Biden has done is to embrace the Afghan policy of President Trump, and this is the outcome.”

After Trump signed off on a withdrawal agreement with the Taliban in February 2020 that excluded the Afghan government, on April 13 Biden announced his administration would withdraw U.S. troops from the Central Asian country by Sept. 11. That symbolic date falls exactly two decades after al-Qaida attacked the United States from its base in Afghanistan, where the Taliban gave the terrorist group safe haven.

During a four-decade career in the Foreign Service that earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, Crocker served as U.S. ambassador to six countries, most recently when President Barack Obama called him out of retirement in 2011 to serve as America’s top diplomat in Kabul.

The guy knows what he is talking about and he says that Joe fucked things up.  Just like Obama said he would.

From The Investigative Project on Terrorism:

Jihadists Rejoice Over Taliban's Afghanistan Victory
As the world fears a human rights crisis in Afghanistan, Islamists are celebrating and congratulating the return to power of a group that ruthlessly enforces Islamic law.

The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas was among the first to congratulate "the Muslim Afghani people for the demise of the American occupation from its soil. We congratulate Taliban and its courageous leadership for this victory which culminates to its long Jihad for 20 years ... We stress that the freedom from the occupation of America and its allies proves that the resistance of people and on top of the Jihad of our Palestinian people ends with victory and liberation."

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh telephoned Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Monday evening to personally congratulate him.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group also issued a congratulatory statement praising, "the dear Afghan people for liberating Afghan lands from the American and Western occupation. The Afghani Muslim people presented and staged the greatest jihadist glory against all invaders throughout their honorable history."

Egyptian born Islamic Group (Al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya) leader Assem Abdul Majeed hailed "The Conquest of Kabul: Praise be to God who honored the Mujahedeen (jihadists), [who] defeated the infidels and Today, every believer rejoices And every hypocrite and atheist get angry."

Much more at the site - I did not count but it looks like about 25-30 different groups chimed in out there. All chanting Death to America. If we get any more of Biden and the WOKE people's congenital stupidity, they may well get their wish.

All that the Democrats were worried about were the optics.  Boy Howdy, are they getting exactly what they were worried about. A worse bunch of fools can not be found.

Great name for him.  He sounded big during yesterday's speech - the buck stops here - but he ran away without taking any questions and is now back at Camp David getting seconds on his pudding. Jen Psaki surfaced today and offers very little real information.  From Breitbart:

Jen Psaki Not Sure When Hidin’ Biden Will Return to the White House
White House aides on Tuesday said they did not know when President Joe Biden would return to Washington, DC, after the president left Monday to resume his August vacation at Camp David.

“The president will return to the White House. I don’t have an exact time for you,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said to reporters during the daily briefing.

Psaki said Biden would do an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos while at Camp David, which would be aired on Wednesday.

She said Biden would likely address the situation in Afghanistan in the upcoming days as well as deliver an update about the coronavirus pandemic. But she said it was unclear when he would return to the White House.

Asleep at the wheel - this is what happens when you become corrupt and full of your own self-importance.  When you spend your time in a bubble. When you fail to see reality.

A good day was had by both man and dog.

Surf for a bit and heat up some spaghetti sauce - finally found some fresh noodles at the store. Salad first.

Dog walk, coffee and then up to Bellingham for some retail therapy (hardware store and commercial electric supply place). The small farmer's market is this afternoon so heading down for that.

I had committed to doing an event for the arts group this fall.  The Board of Directors met yesterday and decided to table it for this year so I am off the hook for 15 months or so. I will still organize and run it - I collected all the notes, documents and after-action reports from the first event and have them here. One less thing to deal with as I get my business off the ground.

Back later this afternoon.

From The Washington Post:

Biden administration freezes billions of dollars in Afghan reserves, depriving Taliban of cash
The Biden administration on Sunday froze Afghan government reserves held in U.S. bank accounts, blocking the Taliban from accessing billions of dollars held in U.S. institutions, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The decision was made by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and officials in Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the people said. The State Department was also involved in discussions this weekend, with officials in the White House monitoring the developments. An administration official said in a statement, “Any Central Bank assets the Afghan government have in the United States will not be made available to the Taliban.” The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss government policy not yet made public.

That will help pull their claws.  Still. One thing right and 999 things botched is not a good record...

From China's State News outlet: Global Times:

PLA holds joint live-fire assault drills near Taiwan island
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday launched joint live-fire assault drills in multiple locations near the island of Taiwan in response to recent collusion and provocations by the US and Taiwan secessionists.

The PLA Eastern Theater Command on Tuesday dispatched warships, anti-submarine warfare aircraft and fighter jets in surrounding maritime and aerial areas near the southwest and southeast of the island of Taiwan for military exercises including joint live-fire assaults, and also for testing the command troops' integrated joint operation capabilities, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson of the command, announced on the same day.

Recently, the US and Taiwan authorities have been frequently colluding and making provocations, sending wrong signals that severely violates China's sovereignty and seriously damage peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits. They have become the biggest source of security risk in the region, Shi said.

The exercises are a necessary action taken based on the current security situation in the Taiwan Straits and the need to safeguard national sovereignty, and are a solemn response to the foreign interferences and the provocations by "Taiwan independence" forces, the spokesperson said.

Excuuuse me but: secessionists - anything but. Taiwan is an independent Nation formed by the mainland Chinese nationals fleeing the Communist takeover. The island was known as Formosa. China wants to take over Taiwan as their technology is much better than the home-grown mainland. Chip foundries, heavy machining, across the board, their manufacturing is higher quality.

While the rest of the world is distracted with America's fumbling about, they are gearing up to invade.  Russia into the Ukraine next and I bet that North Korea has some plans as well. This would never be happening on President Trump's watch.

The Taliban and ISIS are not some brave freedom fighters - they are common criminals.
This video is from two years ago but nothing has changed - from The Mob Reporter:

From the description:

Mafia buys world record drug stash from ISIS
It’s a world record seizure of amphetamine — 84 million pills worth more than a one billion dollars, apparently bought by the Mafia and made by ISIS. The Mob Reporter here with news of a stunning find in Italy. 

Thugs and criminals - tyranny by any other name.  Just tarted up and given justification with the words of some long-dead "prophet" with a penchant for eight year old little girls (his wife). Christianity used to have its dark side but we went through a reformation.  Time for Islam to do the same.

Wind is picking up again - rain in the forecast. Cool night - temps in the high 50's - got the space heater kicked on in the bedroom to take the chill off.  Time to unpack the electric blanket.

Had a couple of very productive days doing fsck-all. Doing what caught my eye at the moment - nothing scheduled.  Did do some paperwork that was needed but that was it. Slept in. Got one more day of sloth and then it is back to the grindstone.

A bunch of aircraft are flying out of the naval air base here - something must be happening somewhere...

Someone needs to get slapped upside the face.  Good and hard. 
Wake them up from their WOKE-ness.   From National File:

Biden Regime Official Asks Taliban To Form ‘Inclusive And Representative’ Government With ‘Full Participation Of Women’
Biden regime State Department spokesperson Ned Price called upon the Taliban to make sure their new government in Afghanistan is “inclusive” and “representative,” and includes the “full and meaningful participation of women.” The Taliban has not issued an official response yet, though it remains unlikely that Afghanistan will black BIPOc indigenous plus-size trans women in leadership for the time being.

“Additionally, the U.N. Security Council issued a joint press statement earlier today calling for a new government that is united, inclusive, and representative, including with the full and meaningful participation of women,” Price declared. “The Council spoke with one voice to underscore that Afghanistan must abide by its international obligations, including to international humanitarian law, and ensure the safety and security of all Afghans and international citizens.”

Talk about having a good laugh at the weakness and stupidity of the American people.  The Taliban are probably rolling in the aisles at this idiot.  Hey Abdul - did you see this stupid kaffir?

Tucker Carlson delivers the goods:

From America's Newspaper of Record:

'Rumors That The Taliban Have Taken Over Are Unfounded,' Says Jen Psaki Wearing Hijab
Many are expressing concerns over how far the Taliban has managed to advance after Press Secretary Jen Psaki gave her latest press conference while wearing an Islamic Hijab.

"No, there is nothing to worry about, Alhamdulillah, Allah be praised," said Psaki. "The Taliban poses no danger to the U.S. and they definitely have not advanced as far as Washington, D.C. Everything is fine here."

When asked about her new modest religious veil, she responded, "What do you mean? I always wear these! It's sunny out and it keeps the sun off my head. Nothing to worry about!" She then circled back to face Mecca and bowed her head to the ground.

The White House also confirmed that the crowd of military-aged males with AK47s playing soccer on the White House lawn was just a fun little bit of performance art and nothing to be concerned over.

In other news, D.C. has confirmed that call to prayer will be at 3pm this afternoon and that everyone needs to be on time.

From the SanDiego FOX News affiliate:

CBP: Otay Mesa sees biggest drug-smuggling seizure along southwest border to date
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced that officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility discovered 2.8 tons of methamphetamine and fentanyl powder hidden in a shipment of household articles — calling it the largest methamphetamine drug-smuggling seizure along the southwest border to date.

According to a CBP announcement Tuesday, the find occurred last Thursday.

And the haul:

The CBP said a canine team confirmed the presence of narcotics concealed inside boxes loaded in the truck. Officers removed 5,528 pounds of mmethamphetamineand 127 pounds of fentanyl powder in 414 packages, the CBP said.

Fentanyl is hideously potent - two miligrams - two thousandths of a gram is considered a toxic dose.  For reference, one dime weighs about 2.25 grams - this is a small weight. This shipment had enough to murder 28,800,000 US Citizens if evenly distributed.

It is not just illegal immigrants coming across - the cartels are ramping up their merchandise as well.

Great move by our Customs and Border Protection people. Sending them heartfelt thanks and prayers.

More pudding?  He flew to Washington, gave a ten minute speech and then he is back to vacationland.

Must be nice...

Biden killed domestic oil production.  Under Trump, we exported oil.
From CNBC, August 11th, 2021:

White House calls on OPEC to boost oil production as gasoline prices rise
The White House is calling on OPEC and its oil-producing allies to boost production in an effort to combat climbing gasoline prices, amid concerns that rising inflation could derail the economic recovery from Covid.

And their answer would be NO. From Alarabiya News:

OPEC+ sees no need to meet US call to boost output, sources say
OPEC and its allies, including Russia, believe oil markets do not need more oil than they plan to release in the coming months, despite US pressure to add supplies to check an oil price rise, four sources told Reuters.

The price of international benchmark Brent crude has risen 35 percent this year towards $70 a barrel, driven by economic recovery from the pandemic and supply restraint by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners in the alliance known as OPEC+.

Look for higher gasoline prices.  Heating oil. All energy.  Time to seriously tighten belts - going to get a lot worse until it gets better.

From Reuters:

Taliban in Afghan capital Kabul start collecting weapons from civilians
Taliban fighters in the Afghan capital, Kabul, started collecting weapons from civilians on Monday because people no longer need them for personal protection, a Taliban official said.

"We understand people kept weapons for personal safety. They can now feel safe. We are not here to harm innocent civilians," the official told Reuters.

I am reminded of this quote from Mohandas K. Gandhi:

Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look back upon the Act depriving the whole nation of arms as the blackest.

Tyrants always want to disarm the people under their control.  It makes them easier to manage.  More tractable.
Less "uppity". Case in point?  Our Congress.

Quite the draw there Big Guy:

Two articles - well worth your time:

Are We in a Revolution and Don’t Even Know It?

The U.S. Government Lied For Two Decades About Afghanistan

Backpedaling and spin. Blaming Trump. Blame everyone but themselves.

He said that the Afghan military "collapsed without trying to fight"
Talk about a big fucking slap in the face to our allies.
This is going to come back and bite us big-time.

They own this.

Washington falls to Americans - Biden, Harris, Pelosi, Schumer flee to China

'Shop from Day by Day

As the whole thing unravels:

• • As Western Embassies Retreat from Afghanistan, Russia and China Remain
  • U.S. Government: ‘Thousands’ of Americans Stranded in Afghanistan
  • Who Benefits From the Taliban Takeover? The Same Country That Has Paid Millions to the Bidens.
  • Afghans Fall from Plane Fleeing Kabul Airport — Crowds at Airport Worse than Withdrawal from Vietnam
  • Seven dead in Kabul airport chaos: Evacuation flights halted after US soldiers shoot dead two armed Afghans while three are run over by taxiing jets and more plunge to their deaths from fuselage - as UN say Taliban have started 'targeted killings'
  • “The Economy Will Implode” – Chi-Coms Threaten Taiwan Following Collapse of Afghanistan
  • Top Biden official admits fall of Afghanistan 'unfolded at unexpected speed'
  • U.S. Suspends Evacuation Flights From Kabul as Airport Descends Into Chaos
  • Biden Photo at Camp David Raises Red Flags as Questions Swirl About President’s Whereabouts

That last link?  Looks like someone else noticed the wrong time on the London and Moscow clocks.

Don Surber has an excellent compare/contrast with other Presidents in history:

DC knew Biden would botch Afghanistan
All of Washington wanted to get rid of the president. On this Republican and Democrat leaders agreed. They whipped up a fake scandal, greased the skids for an impeachment, and got the press to convince the public the president must be replaced.

His replacement was a reliably lame congressional lifer.

I could be talking about Nixon/Ford or Trump/Biden.
It is the same deal.

And, from Bayou Renaissance Man:

Not a good time for America. Saw it coming from several miles off too...

Curious - from FOX News:

Jen Psaki 'out of the office' as Biden remains silent on Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is taking a break from her duties at the same time as controversy surrounds the silence of President Joe Biden, who is on vacation while the Taliban quickly seizes control of Afghanistan.

Fox News sent questions to Psaki's White House email address Sunday morning and received an auto-reply. Hours later, on Sunday evening, Fox News attempted once again to reach the White House spokeswoman. The same auto-reply, stating that the voice of the White House would not be available for the next week, was sent.

Also of interest is the photo circulating with Biden by himself at Camp David.  The clocks are wrong:

Moscow, Russia is UTC+3.  London, England is by default UTC.  After all, UTC is the "modern" term for Greenwich Mean Time.  There is, therefore, a three hour difference between the two cities. 

HOWEVER...

The United Kingdom runs on Daylight Savings Time from March 28th through October 31st.  During these times, London, England is UTC+1 and there is a two-hour difference between the two cities. At the time this photo was taken, the London clock should have read 17:29

At one time, Moscow did use DST but they stopped and the last year it was observed was 2010.

Either this is a photo from March 28th or earlier or else, the clocks are wrong.

Here is a thumbnail of the whole photo to refresh your memory:

Calling "it" a day. Got a lot done at the Institute for the Study of Adanced Puttering.

Turned into a nice one too - cool - clouds cleared up around 2:00 PM.  Got a front moving in from the North:  clouds, 10-15mph wind with gusts and rain is in the forecast for tomorrow but betting it will be here tonight. Warmed up to the low 70's but back down to 67° now.

Truffle took herself for a nice long walk - she knew when she came back that she should not have done it.  Very sheepish expression on her face. She will be two in December so the puppy in her comes out to play from time to time.

Another day for a light dinner - had a full breakfast and lunch so not hungry. Did a quick bowl of ramen.

Just these few lines from this ABC News report tell us all we need to know:

On ABC's "This Week," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that relocating the embassy to the airport was "to ensure they can operate safely and securely," but still maintain a core diplomatic presence there.

The U.S. flag at the embassy was taken down Sunday, according to a U.S. official.

Biden may try to blame President Trump but Trump had a plan that was working (hint - do not yield Baghram Air Base) and Biden came in and changed everything up.  This is firmly on his shoulders.  He has been in office for eight months - time to take ownership for his administration.

From My Pensieve:

From the US Embassy in Kabul:

Security Alert – U. S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan
Location: Kabul
Event: The security situation in Kabul is changing quickly including at the airport. There are reports of the airport taking fire; therefore we are instructing U.S. citizens to shelter in place.

U.S. citizens wanting assistance in departing the country should register for any option that might be identified to return to the United States, and must complete this Repatriation Assistance Request for each traveler in their group. Spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens in Afghanistan who are awaiting immigrant visas should also complete this form if they wish to depart. Please do so as soon as possible. You must complete this form even if you’ve previously submitted your information to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Do not call the U.S. Embassy in Kabul for details or updates about the flight. This form is the only way to communicate interest in flight options.

So yeah - that is assuming that people living in the city have electricity and broadband. They need to bring in all of the C-5's, C-17's and C-141's they can shake loose and get those people airlifted the Hell out of there. This is not the time to be sheltering in place.  This is the time to be getting your asses out of there.

I took a screen-cap of this page as it is not going to be up much longer.

Tropical Depression Grace - from the National Hurricane Center:

2:00 AM Tuesday their time. News coming out of Haiti is bad but not as many fatalities (about 1,000) as the one in 2010 - hit a less-populated part of the island.

There is enough incompetence going around for two people to each enjoy a full portion. From Politico:

Harris says she had key role in Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal decision
Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed Sunday that she was the last person in the room before President Joe Biden made the decision to pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan.

In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” Harris was asked about being the last person in the room regarding major decisions, something that Biden has said is important to him in his working relationship with the vice president. Harris confirmed that was the case regarding the move to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11.

Heh - she does not comprehend just how bad this is for the United States, for the rest of the World and for the Democrat party.  If she did, she would be backpedaling and distancing herself as quickly as her two round heels could move.  "I told Joe that this was a bad idea"

I would love to be a fly on the wall when the import and the consequences dawn on her.

UPDATE: Thinking about this for a little bit and almost wonder if they are setting her up to take a fall.  Joe is not able to complete his term - he is getting worse and worse. Harris is unacceptable to the deep-state.  They want someone who is tractable and not that bright.  Harris is neither - she is a loose canon and a real dummy. Classical Dunning-Kruger. At least with Joe, you can bribe him with pudding and dope him up with the wonder drugs.

Only problem is that gives us Nancy "Box Wine" Pelosi as #3.
And, she really really really wants to be the Queen. Mad Queen
Disagree with Her Highness?  Off with their heads!

Silly little children:

Crap like this would be hilarious if these kiddies were not so indocrinated into the deep-state goals. Useful idiots.

"My farm" is a property owner - a Kulak.  They will need to be re-educated and will spend their next ten years mining coal or some such productive labor. Must feed the State.  We all serve the State. We are the State.

From The British Newspaper Archive:

Introducing Free to View Pages on the British Newspaper Archive
Following the extension of our successful partnership with the British Library, we are delighted to announce that millions of pages will be made free to view on the British Newspaper Archive, with one million of these free to view pages made available today.

Working together over the past decade to provide the largest online collection of British newspapers, the British Newspaper Archive now hosts over 44 million pages in total, with a remit that extends beyond Britain and Ireland to cover, for example, Jamaica, India and New Zealand. Alongside regional weekly newspapers, and national dailies, sit specialist sporting, religious, political, cinema and fashion titles, all bringing history to life and telling stories from the past, which otherwise might have been lost forever.

You do need to register to view the pages but there is no charge for this.  They also have a subscription service - one year is £6.67 /mo which pencils out to about $10/month.  Not bad at all...

From Behind The Black:

Today’s blacklisted Americans: Farm banned from farmers market because owners are Christian
They’re coming for you next: A Michigan farmer was banned from a local farmers market by the city government of East Lansing because the owners, Steve and Bridget Tennes, are Christian and had publicly stated their opposition to homosexual marriage.

The ban against their business, Country Mill Farms, was begun in 2016. Though a court quickly ruled that it was unconstitutional, the city renewed the ban in 2018 and has maintained it since, claiming the court’s ruling only applied to the 2017 season.

The logic of the East Lansing government is actually quite blatant: It believes it has the right to dictate what others can or cannot say in public, the first amendment be damned.

This is Michigan after all but still, I am surprised that the other farmers did not go on strike in protest.  Shut that stupidity down. There should be some solidarity - are the other farmers scared?

They could do a decent protest by having some flyers printed up outlining the problem, who in the East Lansing government made that decision, when they are up for election, etc...  They would then, during peak sales, sound an air horn.  The entire market shuts down for 15 minutes - no sales.  All they do is hand out the flyers and talk to people.  Fifteen minutes later, the air horn sounds again and shopping resumes.  That would garner a lot of attention and bring attention on the ninnies who promoted this stupidity.  Believe me, the ninnies do not want that kind of attention.

Nice cool day - the hot weather was forecast to break today and it did.  64°F outside - cloudy but no real smoke that I can see.

Had a good sleep - ready to work at home today after the usual morning routine.

From 90 Miles:

A few headlines and then a letter from someone who knows what is happening:

• • Taliban storms Kabul, demands unconditional surrender of government; US scrambles to pull out embassy workers
  • Taliban demands control of Afghanistan as president flees
  • Barack Obama reportedly said: 'Don't underestimate Joe's ability to (expletive) things up'
  • Former CIA Officer: "The Most Infamous & Devastating Press Conference Ever Held By An American President"
  • CNN’s Tapper on Afghanistan: ‘Shocking that President Biden Could Have Been So Wrong’
  • Taliban on brink of seizing Kabul: Afghan leader flees as invading war chiefs head to presidential palace to demand 'transfer of power' after militants take Bagram air base and free 5,000 loyal prisoners

And then, this letter from Kenneth R. Timmerman writing at The New York Post:
Mr. Timmerman is the best-selling author of “ISIS Begins: A Novel of the Iraq War.” He lectured on Iran at the Pentagon’s Joint Counter-Intelligence Training Academy from 2010-2016.

President Biden will own the fall of Kabul — when the real killing begins
For decades, Joe Biden has touted himself as a foreign policy genius. As a United States senator, he never had to make a decision or bear responsibility for running off at the mouth. As vice-president, he was given backwaters such as Ukraine that he reportedly turned into a family piggy bank.

But now he is president. He owns the utter disaster that Afghanistan has become; and the sudden about-face of the Pentagon to send 3,000 fully-armed combat troops back into the fray shows that even the woke military bosses Biden installed can wake up and smell the coffee.

Would Donald Trump have done this differently?

Answer?  Hell Yes - read on:

As Trump recounted three weeks ago at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Phoenix, he bombed the Taliban to the negotiating table.

After warning Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada that he would “come back and hit you harder than any country has ever been hit” if he welched on the deal, Trump made good on his threat and launched punishing airstrikes the first time the Taliban violated the agreement.

Since then, not a single U.S. soldier has died in combat in Afghanistan.

Trump also maintained U.S. fighter jets and armed drones at Bagram airbase and used them to keep the Taliban in check. Biden ordered the midnight evacuation of the airbase on July 5 without even notifying the Afghan military. Not surprisingly, within hours the Taliban had looted the base and today our remaining troops have no U.S. air cover.

President Trump was not known for his polite tweets but he got things done and was a strong leader at a time when a strong leader was (and still is) needed. This tragedy is owned by the present administration.  Joe Biden and his cronies own this.

Now, if Joe would only come back from his nice long vacation at Camp David and face the music.

From the UK Defence Journal:

B-52 bombers head to Afghanistan
American B-52H bombers are understood to be conducting an attack on the largest Afghan air force base in order to destroy the aircraft based there.

The aircraft are reportedly heading towards toward Mazar-e-Sharif.

“It is highly possible that they bomb the second largest air base of Afghanistan National Air Force now in hands of Taliban. They don’t want A-29B & AC-208B attack aircraft remain in hands of Taliban.”

Going to Hell over there.  Going to Hell everywhere - here included.

Can we get some adults please?

Nothing about this on CNN for some strange reason - leave it to the Brits to do the journalism that Americans will not do.  From the London Daily Mail:

Taliban invade the palatial home of top Afghan warlord and US ally General Dostum - amid claims fighters have reached the outskirts of Kabul which will fall in HOURS while Brits and Americans evacuate

• • Insurgents tightened grip on Afghanistan by capturing Mazar-e-Sharif - a heavily defended city in the north
  • Fighters were then filmed raiding the luxurious home of infamous warlord Army Marshal Rashid Dostum
  • In a statement last night, US President Joe Biden blamed Donald Trump and the Afghan army for the carnage
  • He said he 'will not pass this war onto a fifth president' and criticsed the Afghan Army for failing to fight

Taliban fighters have invaded the palatial home of top Afghan warlord and US ally and videoed themselves lounging on his gold furniture and inspecting his golden tea set - as their advance closes on capital Kabul amid a scramble to get Westerners out.

General Rashid Dostum's home is in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif which fell to the Taliban yesterday and now there are claims that the advancing fighters have reached the outskirts of Kabul.

Dostum was a key US ally during the 20 year campaign against the Taliban and famously fought with the Special Forces 'horse soldiers' shortly after 9/11.

Before 9/11 he was an infamous warlord who was known for crushing prisoners alive beneath the wheels of a tank and in recent years he was a senior figure in the Afghan National Army. He is believed to have escaped.

After the fall of Mazar-e-Sharif there are unverified claims of fighting on the outskirts of Kabul, and the Taliban is certainly nearing artillery range of the capital - with some predicting it could fall within hours.

Much much more at the site - quite a long article. Photos and videos of their spoils as well as some videos of Taliban pilots flying our Blackhawk Helicopters. Refugees flooding the borders. The whole place is going to hell and this is all Biden's fault. President Trump had a good schedule ready to roll and then Biden's handlers decided to impliment their own plan. Maybe President Trump's plan would have failed but we will never know.  Biden and his handlers? They own this.

Had a big lunch so just a protein bar for dinner plus an apple sliced up with fresh-ground peanut butter.

Do a bit of a surf and then see what is on the Tube of You. Sleeping in tomorrow.

Got some writing to do in the next few days.  A big project for the arts group in mid-November so planning needs to start now.  I volunteered to run it for the next two years (a moment of weakness about a year ago).  Getting the budget together plus planning how to promote it when we could be locked down on the whim of our capricious, rudderless governor. Numbers and hard data be damned. We had the first of these events two years ago and I have all of that person's notes as well as all of the after-action notes on what to do next time.  Should be pretty easy once I get a couple people delegated.

Planning a trip to the farm this week too.  Need to take care of a few things before winter settles in and it is not that far away up there...

Now more than ever.  From Russia Today:

After 20 years & billions of dollars, the American defeat in Afghanistan is worse than the Soviet failure...how has this happened?
As the last men of the dwindling American garrison in Afghanistan pack their bags, there is an echo of the Soviet Union's own withdrawal from the country, more than 30 years ago. But, in truth, Washington's defeat is far greater.

In December 1979, Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan to support the unpopular government of the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). They soon found themselves bogged down in a bloody war against the mujahideen guerillas.

Nine years later, the Soviets decided that there had been enough bloodshed and, in May 1988, they began their exit. The final contingent of Soviet troops drove back across the bridge to the USSR in February the following year.

And today?

After the last Soviet troops crossed over the Friendship Bridge linking Afghanistan and Soviet Uzbekistan, the mujahideen launched a major offensive, confident that they would be able to defeat the government forces in short order. Their offensive collapsed completely. The Afghan army stood its ground and not a single major population center fell into the hands of their opponents. It was not until two years later, when the post-Soviet Russian government of Boris Yeltsin cut off funding to the Afghans that the PDPA regime finally fell.

The contrast with what has happened this past week could not be clearer. Even after the Soviets had left, the troops they had trained and equipped fought hard and successfully. Today, the troops that America and its allies trained and equipped at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars have scattered to the four winds with only the slightest effort at resistance.

But, to be fair, the problem lies not in army exercises or crates of machine guns. The current batch of Afghans have had plenty of both. They outnumber the Taliban and are better supplied. The problem is one of morale: simply put, not many of them are willing to die for their government.

The issue is simple.  The 10th century sons of pigs and monkeys saw that Russia was a strong nation and would do whatever was needed and screw the court of public opinion.  No bowing to the media or activists there.

The goblins today see (and rightly so) that America is flacid and weak and will not do anything without running it through multiple focus groups and diversity consultants.

Of course those poor people in Afghanistan who worked with us for 20 years are scared shitless.  They are melting into the pavement hoping that no documentation at the embassy will show their complicity. When they are found, they know that their family will be murdered in front of them and then they will be tortured to death.

Joe Biden and his handlers OWN THIS and the voters need to be reminded of this every time there is an election. Sure, you get free shit from the government when you vote Democrat but the world falls apart on their watch. Always has. Always will. It's something built-in to socialism. Read your history and weep.

We need to get some adults back in the room again...

Smoke starting to dissipate too - relief. Low-level air is clean and clear - Whidbey Island is fully visible across the bay and the sun is shining through - albeit a bit salmon colored.  Nice and calm air - might finally get to spraying some of the weeds.  Horsetail - I use dilute muriatic acid to kill them.  Works great.

Working at home today and for the next couple of days.  Yard is calling me.

No real news coming out of Haiti.  The national Amateur Radio organization sent out an email asking hams to stay off certain frequencies to allow unhindered communications. Many times, ham radio is the only way to get through when cell phone or emergency services radio will not.  Cell towers - the whole cell network - is fragile.  Good for about three days with no external power and then they go down. Will know more later today - still to early to report.

Domestic terrorism.  As Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria, the head of Stalin’s secret police once said:

Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime

From our own Department of Homeland Security (August 13th, 2021):

Summary of Terrorism Threat to the U.S. Homeland
The Secretary of Homeland Security has issued a new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin regarding the current heightened threat environment across the United States. The Homeland continues to face a diverse and challenging threat environment leading up to and following the 20th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks as well religious holidays we assess could serve as a catalyst for acts of targeted violence. These threats include those posed by domestic terrorists, individuals and groups engaged in grievance-based violence, and those inspired or motivated by foreign terrorists and other malign foreign influences. These actors are increasingly exploiting online forums to influence and spread violent extremist narratives and promote violent activity. Such threats are also exacerbated by impacts of the ongoing global pandemic, including grievances over public health safety measures and perceived government restrictions.

OK - got it.  20th Aniversary of 9/11, there will most likely be some copycat idiots out there.
But, the devil is in the details and here is their first detail:

• • Through the remainder of 2021, racially- or ethnically-motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) and anti-government/anti-authority violent extremists will remain a national threat priority for the United States. These extremists may seek to exploit the emergence of COVID-19 variants by viewing the potential re-establishment of public health restrictions across the United States as a rationale to conduct attacks.  Pandemic-related stressors have contributed to increased societal strains and tensions, driving several plots by domestic violent extremists, and they may contribute to more violence this year.

The remaining seven details in the list deal with forces from outside our Nation.  The first detail is the only one to specifically reference COVID and perps inside our Nation.

Makes me wonder what they are expecting to happen and if this will ultimately turn out to be a false flag - similar to the 1/6 Capitol Building "riot".  That has false flag written all over it.

The people of France are standing up to the COVID theater - interesting (but not surprising) that the French mainstream media are downplaying the protests.

Here is one video from their mainstream media:

And here is an independent view - same protest, same location, same city (Nantes):

Quite the different perspective.

We The People are not stupid. We may not be epidemiologists but we can certainly read the same papers our elected leaders are reading and form our own conclusions. And, guess what?  Our elected leaders are not epidemiologists either. Their comprehension of the problem is based solely on who they pick as an advisor and believe me, they pick poorly.

About 5:30 AM their time - from USGS:

M 7.2 - 12 km NE of Saint-Louis du Sud, Haiti

Only 10km (6 miles) deep so this will be a major one.

No tsunami threat reported.

The 2010 quake in Haiti was where these people got their start: Team Rubicon
Still doing incredible work - my favorite charity organization.

A downright Dystopian development. Two days ago, I posted this:

You do have to plan for every eventuality but...
This is a bit draconian. From the Centers for Disease Control:

Interim Operational Considerations for Implementing the Shielding Approach to Prevent COVID-19 Infections in Humanitarian Settings
This document presents considerations from the perspective of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) for implementing the shielding approach in humanitarian settings as outlined in guidance documents focused on camps, displaced populations and low-resource settings.

Camps? Displaced populations?
I chalked that up to extreme planning - something you have to do if you want to cover EVERY possible scenario.
But this morning, I see that the Army National Guard is specifically recruiting people to man these camps.
From National File:

Army National Guard Recruits For ‘Internment’ And ‘Resettlement’ Specialist, Military Documents Lay Out Procedure For ‘Civilian Internees’
The Army National Guard is actively recruiting for a job position called “Internment/Resettlement Specialist.” People as young as seventeen years old are eligible for the gig, which includes “Search/Restraint” as “Some of the Skills You’ll Learn,” according to an Army National Guard job posting with a job location listed as Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, military documents show that the military can detain civilians here in America, including U.S. citizens. A leaked U.S. Headquarters of the Army document entitled “INTERNMENT AND RESETTLEMENT OPERATIONS” describes an official category of detained person called “civilian internee.” A Department of Defense Directive published below discussed “civilian internees” and made it clear that military detainees can be U.S. citizens.

The job posting is here: 31E Internment/Resettlement Specialist

Duties include: 

Job Duties
• Supervision of confinement and detention operations
• External security of facilities
• Providing counseling/guidance to individual prisoners within a rehabilitative program
• Maintaining records of prisoners/internees and their programs

Ho Li Crap - when will people wake up to this...

Saigon, South Vietnam. 365,000 Vietnamese civilian fatalities, 58,000+ American military fatalities and 153,000+ American military wounded and for what?  We abandoned that Nation and it was overrun by the communists. Here are the last of the American Embassy staff fleeing on April 29th, 1975:

The same scenario is starting to play out right now in Afghanistan.  From Yahoo News/USA Today:

US Embassy in Kabul directs staff to destroy sensitive documents as many diplomats prepare for evacuation
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul has directed its staff to destroy sensitive documents as well as other material that could be used as propaganda, according to CNN and other media outlets.

The missive comes amid a Taliban onslaught that threatened to topple the government. It also comes one day after the Pentagon announced it is sending 3,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan to evacuate some U.S. embassy personnel from Kabul, leaving only "a core diplomatic presence" in the country.

"Let me be very clear about this: The embassy remains open and we plan to continue our diplomatic work in Afghanistan," Ned Price, the State Department's chief spokesman, said Thursday.

The memo to U.S. Embassy staff urged diplomats to destroy computers and other sensitive documents before they leave, as well as items featuring the American flag, embassy logos and other articles that "could be misused in propaganda efforts," according to CNN.

A State Department spokesperson said the notice was part of its "standard operating procedure" for embassy drawdowns.

Biden owns this.

The Democrats own this.

The deep-state owns this.

They are incompetent. They have zero leadership abilities.

Was running low on clean socks this morning so did laundry.

Browsing the auction listings, I found a solution:    GALIVA - 2511 70TH AVENUE EAST, SUITE D, FIFE, WA

Let's see now - fresh pair every morning.  365 per year.  Figure I have another 30+ years on this planet - that would be 10,950 pairs used leaving 189,050 to donate to the thrift store. And I would not have to wash socks ever again.

Hmmm...

Heh - how far he has fallen.  Schadenfreude at its finest.  From Deadline:

Fox News Wins Dismissal Of Michael Avenatti’s Defamation Claim
A federal judge has tossed attorney Michael Avenatti’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News over its coverage of his 2018 arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.

Avenatti, whose representation of Stormy Daniels made him a ubiquitous media presence as a pugnacious foe of President Donald Trump, was recently sentenced to 30 months in prison on charges that he plotted to extort Nike in a separate case. A trial was started last month on charges that he embezzled funds from clients, which he has denied.

In his opinion (read it here), U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote that in 2018, “Fox News covered his arrest. He sued, claiming that its reporting defamed him. But most of its statements were substantially true. And Avenatti does not plausibly plead that Fox or its employees knew that the statements were false or recklessly disregarded that possibility. He also fails to allege any recoverable damages.”

Judge Bibas is the real deal - honest and about as sharp as they come.  He was appointed to the 3rd Circuit in December 2017 which makes him a Trump appointee but he ruled against the election challenge in Pennsylvania. I love the line:

He sued, claiming that its reporting defamed him. But most of its statements were substantially true.

Hard to argue with truth.

Avenatti needs to learn to quit while he is ahead.  Harsh couple of lessons in the last year.

Out of socks - need to do laundry, pay some bills and do some other work around the house.  Enough surfing.
Peach season is here - had a luscious Red Haven for desert just now. Local corn is due in a week or so.

The air is worse than yesterday - low level smoke.  Sunlight is not as salmon-colored as it was yesterday but Whidbey Island is obscured in haze. Noticeable odor. Starting to cool down finally, got to 92°F - now 88°F

From Knuckledraggin'

They did not want photos posted on the internet - asked people to delete them.
Singer Erykah Badu did not get the message - hilarity ensues. London Daily Mail:

Erykah Badu apologizes to the Obamas for being THAT 'terrible guest' who sparked backlash by sharing mask-less party snaps of Barack at Martha's Vineyard 60th birthday bash

• • Hundreds of guests attended Barack Obama's 60th birthday celebration last Saturday
  • Pictures from the event, including footage posted by Erykah Badu
  • Following backlash online, the On & On star issued an apology to Barack and Michelle, 57, and removed her posts
  • 'Mr. And Mrs. Obama, Please forgive me 4 being the 'terrible guest' at such a sacred event for your family,' the 50-year-old Grammy winner tweeted
  • She has since removed the pictures from her social media account of the luau-themed party, that had been scaled back from 500 to 200 guests

Singer Erykah Badu has apologized to the Obamas for being a 'terrible guest' after sharing unauthorized photos from Barack's 60th birthday bash held at Martha's Vineyard.

The On & On star posted social media snaps of a mask-free Barack and Michelle, 57, dancing around hundreds of guests - that the former President will have no doubt wanted to have been kept private.

'Mr. And Mrs. Obama, Please forgive me 4 being the 'terrible guest' at such a sacred event for your family,' the 50-year-old Grammy winner tweeted on Thursday.

The footage sparked intense backlash online.

Some photos and video at the article, lots more online - the internet never forgets.

As for this being a super-spreader event?  Daily Mail again: 

At least 63 people on Martha's Vineyard have tested positive for Covid-19 since Barack Obama's maskless 60th birthday bash - the most cases on the island since April

• • A total of 63 people on Martha's Vineyard have tested positive for Covid-19 since former President Barack Obama's 60th birthday on Saturday
  • The spike in cases is more than any week since April on Martha's Vineyard
  • Health officials note it's still too early to know whether the hundreds of guests and workers at the maskless parties have contributed to the surge in cases
  • 'At this time we're not aware of any cases connected to the Obama party,' a Tisbury health agent and boards of health spokesperson told DailyMail.com
  • 'It's a little too early and the only way we're going to know is through comprehensive contact tracing,' they added
  • Hundreds of people attended the party, flying in from around the country and congregating under tents where partiers danced, ate and drank the night away

Some 200 workers at the venue plus a lot of (maskless) people ate at local restaurants and stayed at local hotels. Practice what you preach.

Things need urgent attention but Joe takes the weekend off.  From the New York Post:

Critics slam Biden’s long-weekend silence as Afghanistan falls to Taliban
Republican leaders are slamming President Biden for taking a long weekend out of the public eye as major cities fall to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Biden on Thursday sent 3,000 US troops to Kabul to evacuate embassy workers as the Taliban seized Herat and Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second- and third-largest cities — but he hasn’t commented publicly on the crisis since Tuesday.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Friday that Biden “must immediately focus all efforts on making sure there is a plan to safely extract all American service members and civilians still remaining in Afghanistan.”

“He also owes the American public an answer on what he plans to do to make sure the region doesn’t turn into a breeding ground for more violent extremism that will lead to large-scale global attacks of terrorism,” McCarthy said.

So far in over their heads.  They are running on ideology and not facts.

But it's OK - Joe likes it there:

White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended Biden’s weekend plans on Wednesday, telling reporters he enjoys the “beautiful scenery there.”

“He likes Camp David. It’s a place to be outside, spend time with family, and certainly has beautiful, beautiful scenery there,” she said.

Plus they have pudding on Thursday.  President G.W. Bush was excoriated in the media for spending so much time at his ranch in Crawford, TX. No mention that his ranch was a fully functional remote White House with communications.  He met world leaders there. Biden's big decisions are what to have for desert on those days they do not have pudding.

It has long been suspected that Senator Ilhan Omar married her brother to circumvent immigration statues.
Now, it seems that there is proof - from the London Daily Mail:

Is this the proof that Ilhan Omar married her own brother to bypass US immigration rules? Conservative group's DNA test from 'congresswoman's cigarette butt' purports to show 99.99% match to her second husband Ahmed Elmi

• • A supposed DNA match between Rep. Ilhan Omar and her second husband Ahmed Elmi allegedly proves that the two are siblings
  • It has long been rumored that Omar and Elmi are siblings, but because of a lack of paperwork in war-torn Somalia, positive proof has never been uncovered
  • The match says that Omar's DNA was taken from a cigarette butt, while Elmi's DNA purportedly came from a drinking straw
  • Although Omar is not known to be a smoker, a grainy photo appears to show her smoking outside of her Washington, DC home
  • Republican strategist Anton Lazzaro posted the results hours before he was arrested and charged with trafficking underage girls for sex
  • Omar’s spokesperson is already discrediting the report due to Lazzaro’s involvement
  • A shadowy Republican group is behind the surreptitious sleuthing and claims this finally proves the two are siblings

Persistent claims that leftist congresswoman Ilhan Omar married her own brother to get around US immigration laws may be legitimized by what appears to be a conclusive DNA test.

The results of the test assert that there is a 99.999998% chance that Omar and her second husband Ahmed Elmi are siblings.

The report, drawn up by Endeavor DNA Laboratories does not name either Omar or Elmi, instead referring to them as 'Sibling 1' and 'Sibling 2.' DailyMail.com understands that Omar is Sibling 1.

It says that Sibling 1's sample was garnered from a cigarette butt and Sibling 2's from a drinking straw.

Quite the interesting story - much more at the site.

Volunteer at the store. Going to be hot today so pups are staying home - short beach walk this morning.

Got to get my coffee first...

Working at home today - some phone calls, some paperwork and maybe some wiring (music room and upstairs loft)

Great editorial from last night - New York Post:

This Afghan rout is entirely on Joe Biden
It doesn’t get more idiotic: “The Taliban also has to make an assessment about what they want their role to be in the international community,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said with a straight face Wednesday.

Oh, and the State Department has sent diplomats to “press the Taliban to stop their military offensive and to negotiate a political settlement, which is the only path to stability and development in Afghanistan.” They’re also begging to have the US Embassy in Kabul left alone, warning that future US aid is at risk — and so effectively promising that we’ll actually subsidize these barbarians.

Hello? The Taliban have never given a damn about world opinion or “stability and development.” They were a global pariah when they ruled Afghanistan in the ’90s, ignoring the handwringing as they crushed the country’s women, destroyed those 1,500-year-old Buddha statues and hosted the al Qaeda plotters of 9/11.

Much more at the site - well worth reading to know who we are dealing with.

And of course, the question is WHY?  Money. New York Post again:

Taliban’s advance in Afghanistan could fuel surge in global drug trade
The Taliban’s aggressive expansion across Afghanistan following the US withdrawal from the country could fuel a surge in the export of heroin and other drugs — including methamphetamine — as the radical Islamic militants seize critical international trade routes.

Opium poppies, which grow wildly in the Afghan countryside, are the country’s biggest cash crop, with an export value of somewhere between $1.5 billion and $3 billion per year, according to a report from the US Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

While the Taliban have decried the use and production of opium, most of the poppy-growing farmland over the past couple of decades has been under Taliban control, and the crop “continues to represent the most significant source of income for the Taliban,” according to a recent UNODC report.

Now, as US forces withdraw and the Taliban quickly capture major cities that provide access to critical international trade routes, the Taliban could massively expand the production and export of heroin and other drugs, wrote Jonathan Goodhand, a professor in conflict and development studies at the SOAS University of London.

And who owns this?  Biden owns this.  Schumer owns this. Pelosi owns this.  How much money are they getting from the South American cartels to keep the border open. And now this.

From the original RAW file. I zoomed waaay in and applied some mild sharpening:

Pretty damned amazing for 4,000 feet away. Nikon makes really nice glass.  Always has.

(I know that the other brands are also good - they have their various strengths and weaknesses, Nikon included.
I started on Nikon when I was in my teens and once you start with a system, the impetus is to keep going)

This is why the trip to Bellingham this afternoon.

This lens was manufactured around 1975 so that makes it 45-46 years old.  They only made 200 of them and the last one came off the line in September 1977. This one was #36 so it was in the initial batch. This was the last of the original (classical) 600mm designs but it was the first to incorporate Nikon's new Enhanced Dispersion glass (noted as ED). After this, they went to a design using a relay lens - this shortened the overall length but introduced more elements into the optical path. There is a trade-off between compact size and optical quality.

It is in pristine quality - the people at the camera store and I were both thinking that it had seen almost no field use.  The focusing mechanism is silky smooth, no grit. The glass is flawless - no scratches or mold.

Most of what I do are either critter or landscapes.  I also do technical photography and love closeups but landscapes are my favorite medium.  I have been wanting a really long lens for many many years and this puppy finally came to live with me.

Alright you are saying - photos or it didn't happen:

The top unit is the optics.  The bottom unit is the focusing tube, iris, camera mount and there is a cute little sliding drawer that can hold an internal filter.

Big hunk 'o glass...

Off the deck with a Nifty 50 - shooting at F8/1200 at ISO640 - lots of smoke in the air so crappy day to try to show any sort of image quality...

Same camera, same location, same crappy air but shot with the 600 - again, F8/1200 at ISO640    Talk about: "Reach out and touch someone"  The boat is roughly 4,000 feet distant.  To be able to resolve the bow line is amazing. Especially since I cut the resolution of this photo down to 640 pixels wide so it would not hog the bandwidth.  There is a lot more detail on the original RAW file.

And finally - the whole package:

Needless to say, I will be building a rigid case for it.  Big enough so that I can carry it fully assembled.  I also need to re-jigger how it mounts to the tripod.  The camera makes it a bit back-heavy.  Figure something out. A fun project.

This part of the world is smack on several major bird migratory paths as well as home to resident populations of interesting critters. Looking forward to some fun times ahead...

His words:

‘Screw your freedom’

“You’re a schmuck for not wearing a mask. You are supposed to protect your fellow Americans around you.”

His deeds:

Like I have said before, I will believe that there is a crisis when those people who are telling me that there is a crisis start acting like there is a crisis.  Until then? Hasta la vista, Baby...

That would be the Centers for Disease Democrat Control:
From Gary Varvel by way of Mostly Cajun:

From local weather guru Cliff Mass:

A Smoke Storm is About to Hit Washington State
Western Washington has escaped serious wildfire smoke at the surface, but that is about to change tonight and tomorrow.

A serious smoke storm will invade western and eastern Washington, and those that are vulnerable should prepare.

Cliff has a lot of details for the weather nuts out there (me) as well as this video - I am doing a very similar thing here for dust and pollen:

Their video shows them using a drill and some metal hardware angle brackets... I just use wide blue painters tape to stick it to the fan. These fans are usually 20" square so make sure to buy 20X20 furnace filters.  Works great and much cheaper than those purpose-built appliances you can buy for $80 on up.
No, I do not need WiFi for my air cleaner, I can walk over and turn it on/off myself...

Wisconsin and Illinois got hammered by some storms two days ago.
The two states had combined power outages of about 320,000 customers.

Today? Michigan's turn - two utilities: DTE Energy with 561,021 customers out and Consumer's Energy with 198,657 customers out.  The lightning has moved South and spread out in a long line from the midwest through Pennsylvania.  Pittsburgh is getting quite the show.  I grew up there and really miss these storms - I love thunder and lightning.

Again, those folks would love a real infrastructure bill right now. One that actually does what it says on the box.
Instead, we are getting 5+ billion dollars of pork.

Just as an aid for visualisation, if you had one billion dollars and spent one dollar every second 24/7, it would take you 31 years to spend everything. One billion dollars is a lot of money.

President Trump had a very solid roadmap for disengaging from the Middle East.
It seems our cultural elites do not want to do this - they like war. It makes their bagmen rich.
Some headlines:

• NYT: Biden admin asks Taliban to spare the embassy when they sack Kabul; UPDATE: Kandahar, Herat, Ghazni fall?
• U.S. Will Send 3,000 Extra Troops To Afghanistan Amid Drawdown From Kabul Embassy
• Pentagon sends 3,000 troops BACK to Afghanistan to evacuate Americans and won't say whether US will stay past August 31: State Dept announces Kabul embassy drawdown as Taliban captures 12 cities
• Pentagon sending thousands of troops to Kabul to help evacuate U.S. Embassy

That first link is priceless - Oh Pretty Please.  Please spare our little embassy when you sack Kabul.

The embassy would be the first place I would go - get the names of all of the people still in Afghanistan who helped us.  The tribal leaders who wanted a life of freedom.  The translators, the whistleblowers.  All of those people will be cruelly murdered in front of their family.  If their family is not murdered in front of them first. Taliban is the perfect definition of evil.

And of course, this just turned up:

• China Seeks ‘Bigger Role’ in Afghanistan as Taliban Gains Ground

Actually, given their treatment of their native Muslim population, I would say: "let them have it" - keep them otherwise occupied for the next 20-50 years until they have enough and call it quits.

The people running this administration are incompetent.
I would not trust Pelosi or Schumer to run an ice cream cart let alone a Nation.

They were holding this over him - New York Post:

Biden DOJ drops civil rights probe of Gov. Cuomo over nursing homes and COVID-19
The Department of Justice has decided not to investigate whether the civil rights of residents in New York’s government-run nursing homes were violated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s controversial admission policy related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter Friday, the DOJ’s Office of Legislative Affairs told US Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), ranking member of that House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, that New York was off the hook in connection with potential violations of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act.

The Gov was going down one way or the other.
Being known as a sex-pest is better than being known as a granny-killer...

And points North to pick up a lens.  Stopping at a few other places too.

High haze but it is letting a lot of sunlight through.  Warm and muggy - mid 80's by the water, 90's inland. 55%RH

Slept like a log - nine hours. Feeling great but a little sore in the muscles. To be expected with the work she did on them yesterday.

Got a reply back on the lens I was looking at - price is right so driving to Bellingham today to get it.  Something I had been looking for for more than twenty years so very happy.

Salmon colored skies this morning - wildfire smoke.  Burning off now - heading out for dog-walk, coffee.  Drop them back in the garage and head North. Supposed to get fairly hot.

My surprised face again - from the London Daily Mail:

Biden asks Saudi Arabia and OPEC to produce MORE oil as inflation sends gas prices soaring - after HE shut down America's Keystone pipeline

• • Prices at the pump are about $1 higher, 42%, than they were one year ago
  • OPEC+ cut production by 10 million barrels per day at the height of the pandemic, and has only slowly started to increase production again
  • 'This is simply not enough,' National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said
  • Republicans have blamed Biden’s shift toward green energy, which includes nixing the Keystone pipeline permit and pausing new federal oil and gas leases

The Biden administration is sounding the alarm about fast-rising energy prices and demanding that Saudi Arabia and OPEC produce more oil - after the president paused all federal oil and gas leases.

Prices at the pump are on average about $1.00 higher, 42%, than they were one year ago.

'Higher gasoline costs, if left unchecked, risk harming the ongoing global recovery,' National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement Wednesday.

He called on the world's largest oil producers, including OPEC nations and Saudi Arabia, to up their production.

Heh - they own this.  Lock stock and barrel.  The Democrats shut down the pipeline on day one and now they are having to deal with the unforeseen (yeah riigghhhttt) consequences.  Why did they shut down the pipeline?  Because their bagmen make so much money shipping the oil by railroad.  Warren Buffet and others. Rail is a lot more expensive for shipping so the energy prices necessarily skyrocket.

The Democrats understanding of capitalism and basic economics is about at a 6-year old level.
Fits their personalities.

Maybe watch a video or three but that is it.  Downright sleepy and mellow.

This is a bit draconian. From the Centers for Disease Control:

Interim Operational Considerations for Implementing the Shielding Approach to Prevent COVID-19 Infections in Humanitarian Settings
This document presents considerations from the perspective of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) for implementing the shielding approach in humanitarian settings as outlined in guidance documents focused on camps, displaced populations and low-resource settings.  This approach has never been documented and has raised questions and concerns among humanitarian partners who support response activities in these settings. The purpose of this document is to highlight potential implementation challenges of the shielding approach from CDC’s perspective and guide thinking around implementation in the absence of empirical data. Considerations are based on current evidence known about the transmission and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may need to be revised as more information becomes available. Please check the CDC website periodically for updates.

What is the Shielding Approach?
The shielding approach aims to reduce the number of severe COVID-19 cases by limiting contact between individuals at higher risk of developing severe disease (“high-risk”) and the general population (“low-risk”). High-risk individuals would be temporarily relocated to safe or “green zones” established at the household, neighborhood, camp/sector or community level depending on the context and setting. They would have minimal contact with family members and other low-risk residents.

Internment Camps?  For something a little worse than a common cold or flu?

She really worked me over but good this time. Sleeping in tomorrow - probably out for ten hours at least.

Doing a small bowl of miso soup for dinner and surfing.

Could be worse - from Knuckledraggin'

The Brits are doing the journalism that we are failing to do. From the London Daily Mail:

'The Russians have videos of me doing crazy f***ing sex!' Hunter Biden is seen in unearthed footage telling a prostitute that Russian drug dealers stole ANOTHER of his laptops for blackmail while he was close to overdosing in a Vegas hotel room

• • Hunter Biden claims Russian drug dealers stole another one of his laptops for blackmail while he was drugged out in a Vegas hotel room in 2018
  • Video obtained by DailyMail.com shows Hunter with a naked hooker in 2019 after filming a sex tape and explaining how he believed his laptop was stolen
  • Hunter left the camera rolling as he recounted a Las Vegas bender in which he spent '18 days going round from penthouse suite to penthouse suite'
  • The incident would mean Hunter lost a total of three computers, each likely to hold sensitive information on President Joe Biden
  • The laptops contain embarrassing pictures, videos and communications of the president's son
  • 'They have videos of me doing this,' he said, referring to the filmed sex he just finished. 'They have videos of me doing crazy f***ing sex f***ing, you know'
  • Hunter's claims also raise the possibility that he was targeted as a vulnerable conduit to Joe Biden as part of a foreign intelligence operation

Hunter Biden claimed Russians stole another one of his laptops for blackmail while he was close to overdosing in a Las Vegas hotel room, DailyMail.com can reveal.

The alleged incident would mean Hunter lost a total of three computers - the first abandoned at a Delaware computer store and the second seized by federal agents - each likely to hold sensitive information on President Joe Biden and the embarrassing pictures, videos and communications of his son.

The third laptop still appears to be missing – and was taken by Russian drug dealers after they partied with Hunter in Vegas, he told a prostitute in a conversation caught on camera.

After filming himself having sex with the woman using his laptop in January 2019, Hunter left the camera rolling as he recounted a Vegas bender in which he spent '18 days going round from penthouse suite to penthouse suite,' sometimes costing $10,000 a night.

And of course, these Russians have absolutely zero influence in Washington, D.C. - our sitting *Resident is operating in the best interests of this Nation. The more we learn, the more staggering it gets. This level of corruption puts everything else to shame.

Heh - from Terrierman's Daily Dose:

Long day today - out for a quick dog walk and then leaving them at home while I get coffee and do my Wednesday volunteer.

Massage scheduled for later this afternoon - been doing one every two weeks and it has been making a big difference.  Might drop it down to 1/3 or maybe once/month for maintenance.  Really good therapist - works me over like a meat grinder.

Just go to this link and see the same number crop up everywhere:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=233+new+coronavirus+cases&t=opera&ia=web

It is almost as though they are pushing false data - figuring that we would not notice.

About that eviction moratorium? About the fifth amendment - the part that reads:

...nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation

From the Los Angeles station KTLA:

Landlord sues L.A. for $100M, alleging eviction moratorium caused ‘astronomical’ losses
One of the region’s most prolific apartment builders has sued the city of Los Angeles over its COVID-19 eviction moratorium, saying his companies have experienced “astronomical” financial losses and are legally entitled to compensation from the city.

GHP Management Corp., which is owned by real estate developer Geoffrey Palmer, said in its lawsuit that 12 buildings that it manages have experienced more than $20 million in lost rental income as a result of the measure. GHP, which filed the lawsuit along with several other Palmer companies, expects that number to triple by the time the provisions of the moratorium have expired.

The city enacted its temporary eviction limits in March 2020, just as COVID-19 was triggering the shutdown of businesses and throwing people out of work, barring building owners from forcing out tenants who could show their inability to pay was caused by the pandemic.

Palmer’s companies allege that the moratorium — first put in place by Mayor Eric Garcetti as an emergency order, then approved as an ordinance by the City Council — violated the “takings clause” established in the 5th Amendment, which says private property shall not be taken for public use without “just compensation.”

He makes a very good point - 15 days to flatten the curve indeed... 
What part of temporary do you fail to understand?

Tip of the hat to Don Surber for the link.

Sailor's delight - sure proving that today. Really pretty sunset and forecast to be a good (if warm) day tomorrow.

Very happy with the camera in the new phone. Much better image quality.  Putter around a little more - got the nectar out to the hummingbirds.  Got doors and windows open airing out the house. Time to close up and see what is on YouTube.

Been listening to parts of the Mike Lindell symposium.  The guy is not very articulate but he knows what he is talking about and he has a lot of seemingly solid evidence that the election was rigged.  I saw in the news that Dominion Voting Systems is launching another tranche of lawsuits against various media outlets and a few people.  I smell desperation on their locomotive breath.  They are opening themselves up to discovery.  Are they sure that they want to do this?

Long day tomorrow so signing off for now...

Was looking at the lightning map for this area.  I also like to zoom back out and see the rest of the planet.
Lots of t-storm activity in the midwest tonight:

Out of curiosity, I checked the power outage websites for Wisconsin (154,285 customers without power) and Illinois (179,850 customers without power).

IL - looks like Chicago is mostly dark. Stretches out to the West too.
WI - Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay - show major outages too.

From NBC News:

Nearly 200,000 Without Power as Severe Storms Pound Chicago Area, ComEd Says
Nearly 200,000 ComEd customers are without power as bands of severe thunderstorms pound northern Illinois with ferocious winds in excess of 60 miles per hour in some locations.

According to the latest data from the utility, 194,467 customers are without power due to the fast-moving storms, which are speeding through the area Tuesday evening.

Bet those folks would love a real infrastructure bill right now. One that actually does what it says on the box.

Of course, cue the Climate Change braying ninnies in 3... 2... 1...

The IPCC releases its reports every five years or so. They are always breathtaking, hair-on-fire, OMFG we gonna die.

The previous reports are never looked at as they contain inconvenient truths - they are always wrong.

Most of the people living here are relatively well educated and have time to read.
I received a notice from the Preston/Child email list that their new novel is to be released in one week: Tuesday, August 17th.  "Great!" I think to myself and hie myself over to the local public library website.
Only to find that I am #35 in line:

Gaaaaghhh...  I will have to wait?

Spoiled my appetite for anything more substantial. The salted caramel ice cream was sooooo good. Small creamery on yet another island in Puget Sound.

Picked up some salad fixin's at the market - sat and read for a little bit too.

Volunteering tomorrow morning, got a massage scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

Out for a bit - back shortly.  A good day for some ice cream too.  I deserve a treat today...

Looks like the people of California have had enough unicorn farts and snowflakes.  From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Shock poll shows Gavin Newsom losing recall vote by double digits
Just prior to the start of the first televised debate in the Gavin Newsom recall election Wednesday evening, a shock poll showed the governor losing the first question ("Should Gavin Newsom be recalled?") by double digits.

The poll came from Survey USA and the San Diego Union Tribune, and was conducted among 1,100 Californians from Aug. 2 to Aug. 4. It found that 51% of respondents were in favor of recalling Newsom, while only 40% wanted to keep him in power. The previous Survey USA/San Diego Union Tribune poll from May found 36% in favor of the recall with 47% opposed.

Unlike a recent UC Berkeley/Los Angeles Time poll that was weighted by whether the respondent was likely to vote in the Sept. 14 recall election, the Survey USA carried no such weight, which is even more alarming for the governor. The Berkeley/Los Angeles Time poll found double-digit opposition to the recall, but a dead heat when weighted by likelihood to vote. Polls have consistently shown a large enthusiasm gap, strongly suggesting Republicans are more likely to turn out.

Good - California swings between conservative and liberal - things get better economically under the conservatives so the liberals push for more social services - more free government shit - and they drive the state into debt for a while.  Then, the people get fed up and vote in a conservative to get their house in order.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

Larry Elder would be good for California - a couple terms with him and then follow with another conservative.  Get Critical Theory and Marxism discredited and out of the school systems and California can go back to being the shining star of the Western states. Holding the tech companies liable for their censorship and making sure they pay their fair share of taxes to the state will fund any social services they could dream of.

Waiting for an email before heading to Bellingham - might postpone the trip to Thursday.

Loading the van for a dump run - probably do that this afternoon.

Going to get a bit warm - from Cliff Mass: Major Heat Wave Coming This Week

I use them - they are really comfortable. Here is another use:

Serves him right for all the people in the nursing homes who died from his policies.
He is not that far away from being their age.

From The Jerusalem Post:

Pfizer CEO's Israel visit canceled because he is not fully vaccinated
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has canceled his expected visit to Israel after it turned out he has not been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, N12 reported Friday.

His excuse:

Bourla said in December that he has not yet received the vaccine yet because he does not want to "cut in line," and would wait until his age group is next in line for getting vaccinated. As such, he has received the first dose, but not the second one yet. 

Yeah - his company makes the stuff.

The House passed the "Infrastructure" bill. From FOX News:

Senate approves bipartisan $1T infrastructure plan in win for Biden
The Senate on Tuesday passed a major $1 trillion infrastructure spending bill in a significant show of bipartisan force that marked a big step forward for President Biden's domestic agenda.

The vote was 69-30, with 19 Republicans – including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – joining all Democrats to approve major investments to the nation's roads, bridges, railways and more. To mark the achievement, Vice President Kamala Harris came to the Capitol to preside over the Senate and announced the successful vote.

"Big news, folks," Biden tweeted immediately after the victory. "The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal has officially passed the Senate. I hope Congress will send it to my desk as soon as possible so we can continue our work of building back better."

Who pays for this? Us.  Who benefits? Fringe groups, activists.
The actual infrastructure gets about 6% of the total bill expenditures - the rest is pork.

Let us hope that the Senate shows some backbone.

And, in the same vein - President Trump weighs in - Daily Caller:

‘Most Overrated Man In Politics’ — Trump Rips McConnell For Allowing Infrastructure Bill To Pass
Former President Donald Trump ripped Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday before the Senate is set to vote on infrastructure legislation, calling him “the most overrated man in politics.”

Trump released a statement from the Save America PAC before the vote, saying McConnell should have never allowed the bipartisan infrastructure bill to pass the Senate and warning of the $3.5 trillion budget resolution Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer released Monday. The budget resolution focuses on addressing climate change, health care, immigration and more.

“Nobody will ever understand why Mitch McConnell allowed this non-infrastructure bill to be passed. He has given up all of his leverage for the big whopper of a bill that will follow. I have quietly said for years that Mitch McConnell is the most overrated man in politics—now I don’t have to be quiet anymore,” Trump said in the statement.

“He is working so hard to give Biden a victory, now they’ll go for the big one, including the biggest tax increases in the history of our Country,” Trump added.

McConnell is a flaccid old-school politician who has not changed with the times.  He has been in office for 20 years too long.  Term limits are needed.  Really needed. All of our problems in DC have been in office for more than 12 years. 12 years is enough.

Good riddance to bad trash. Don Surber has the big picture:

Cuomo resignation also wipes out his brother and 2 LGBTQ+ leaders
9 months after the media awarded him an Emmy for his covid briefings, Democrat Andy Cuomo announced today he will resign in two weeks as governor of New York because he sexually harassed 11 women. Democrat Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will take over. She will be the first woman governor of New York, blah, blah, blah.

His implosion not only brings the Progressive Prince of Sexual Harassment down, but knocks off a couple of snooty LGBTQ+ advocates. Also, CNN is moving to can his brother.

While Cuomo was signing anti-harassment bills into law, he was grabbing boobs and making lewd comments to women who were his daughter's age.
And there to help him were an LGBTQ+ Crew.

Much more at the site - the whole house of cards is collapsing and they are in damage-control mode. Could not be happening to a nicer bunch of people.  Don closes with these wonderful lines:

Goodbye and good riddance to the whole lot of them.

Does anybody have any dirt on Hochul?

Given that she is a Democrat, they probably do have dirt on her. The question is when will they use it.

Amazing how fast things like this can move - it was just a bit more than 30 days ago when it started.

Of course, it really started March 12th with this:

Heading out - going to be a warm day today so getting the dogs a good runaround, getting me some coffee, bring them back home to the garage and I drive to Bellingham.  Looking at an old Nikon lens - 600mm F5.6.  A bit of an extreme telephoto but been looking for one for a long long time and a local camera store has one in at a very decent price. Over 40 years old but glass doesn't age - see what the condition is and take it from there.

Back late this afternoon - supposed to get quite warm in the next few days.

COVID is not the only game in town - not by a long long shot. From the London Daily Mail:

Ebola-like Marburg virus is found in West Africa for the first time: Patient in Guinea is killed by disease that causes 88% of sufferers to bleed to death
An Ebola-like virus has been found in West Africa for the first time with a patient in Guinea dying from the extremely fatal disease.

Health authorities in Guinea have confirmed one death from the Marburg virus, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever which causes suffers to bleed to death, the World Health Organization said on Monday.

The death marks the first time that the deadly disease has been identified in West Africa. There have been 12 major Marburg outbreaks since the virus was first discovered in the German town of the same name in 1967, mostly in southern and eastern Africa. Simultaneous outbreaks also occurred in Frankfurt and Belgrade, Serbia.

Just wonderful.  Bet you did not know that there was an "Ebola-like" outbreak in Marburg, Germany. Did you know about the 1989 outbreak in Reston, Virginia?  We really dodged a bullet with that one.

Compared to these, COVID is a walk in the park.

Found this one of an old tobacco advertising poster.  Saw it at a local auction two years ago - for some reason I did not post it then. Here it is in all of its historical glory:

I do have to say - everyone looks pretty content with the world. The people, the critters - all looking very mellow and enjoying the moment.

I'm sure any number of people will have a field day with this (and with me for posting it).  3... 2... 1...   

Was working in the garage triaging some things to go to the thrift store and I heard some agitated talking and saw a couple cars stopped on the road.

The driver of one of the cars was suffering an epileptic attack. Classical grand mal. Car almost went off the road. He is fine now - two aid cars came and checked him out. He is being driven by his friend to a nearby hospital for evaluation.  I helped to direct traffic and chatted with a couple neighbors. That would be scary to have - I could not imagine driving if I had that although I knew two people in Seattle with epilepsy and they said that most times, they can get a 10-15 minute warning if they pay attention. An odd scent or a visual shift.

Back to my usual chaos...

A great start - fantastic advertisement:

Spot on. The elite are not aware of how tone-deaf they are.  They are very much in the minority.
It is time to remind them of that fact.

His campaign website: Teddy Daniels for Congress

Prince Andrew specifically - from the London Daily Mail:

Prince Andrew is SUED by Virginia Roberts in lawsuit claiming he sexually abused her at Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan mansion and other locations when she was under 18

• • Roberts on Monday filed a civil suit in New York seeking 'substantial' damages
  • Lawyer said bombshell lawsuit 'based on her being lent out to Prince Andrew'
  • She claims she was sexually abused in London, Manhattan and the Caribbean
  • The incidents all allegedly took place in 2001, when she was 17 years old
  • Prince Andrew has always vehemently denied sexual contact with Roberts

This is being filed under the New York Child Victims Act.  That window closes soon so they are filing the case now.

From The New York Post:

Gov. Cuomo making last-ditch attempt to avoid impeachment
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tried to cut a deal with the state Legislature — offering to drop his bid for a fourth-term in exchange for not getting impeached, The Post has learned.

But no one seems to be buying what the 63-year-old governor is selling.

The three-term Democrat made the dubious offer before Attorney General Letitia James’ damning report on his conduct was released last Tuesday, according to a top party official.

“It was something that was floated to me by the folks in the Cuomo camp as a possible option before the attorney general’s report came out,” NYS Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs told The Post, adding, “I never saw it as a viable option.”

Wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round. This most recent greasespot is the mortal remains of one Andrew Mark Cuomo who got a little too popular and a little to high-up in the Democrat party.  The deep-state did not like this and so down he goes. Got to leave that spot open for a trusted member of the Nomenklatura.

Six minutes, twenty-nine seconds of video gold - from someone who knows what they are talking about:

From RUMBLE

Dr Dan Stock Specialist in Immunology & Inflammation says CDC & NIH is ignoring Science
This is Dr. Dan Stock addressing the Mt. Vernon School Board in Indiana over the futility of mask mandates and Covid-19 protocols in most schools.

References:
https://hancockcountypatriots.blogspot.com/2021/08/dr-dan-stocks-presentation-to-mt-vernon.html

Source Videos:
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1272909066477287
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUjkSaedN4g

The "References:" link has 22 links to resource materials from a wide spectrum of sources: New England Journal of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, Switzerland's MDPI Institute, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

You know - all of those radical fringe anti-vaxxers. All hearsay. Not a speck of science in the lot...

It also has the transcript of Dr. Stock's presentation.

Nice and cool - sunny with minimal high clouds but temps in the low 70's.  Supposed to get a lot hotter soon though. Summer is not done with us yet.

From Knuckledraggin'

From NBC News:

18 percent of migrant families leaving Border Patrol custody tested positive for Covid, document says
More than 18 percent of migrant families and 20 percent of unaccompanied minors who recently crossed the U.S. border tested positive for Covid on leaving Border Patrol custody over the past two to three weeks, according to a document prepared this week for a Thursday briefing with President Joe Biden.

And, from the department of: "No Shit Sherlock"

The high rates have triggered emergency meetings between the White House, HHS and DHS this week, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions.

I got a solution for you - shut the border down. Stop moving these people all across the USA. Send a message that the USA is no longer open for illegal immigration.

From InfoWars:

State Department Denies Kerry Took Private Jet to Obama Party Despite Photos Showing Him Exiting It
Claims that White House Climate Envoy John Kerry arrived at Barack Obama’s birthday bash via a private jet have been denied by the State Department, despite a photo being published showing Kerry exiting the plane.

“Secretary Kerry lives on Martha’s Vineyard, he did not travel there for a party. He took a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, he did not fly (commercial or private.),” said a spokesperson in an email.

However, the Daily Mail published a photo of Kerry disembarking from a private jet alongside the caption, “Presidential envoy for climate John Kerry took a private jet to the island of Martha’s Vineyard.”

All of our government agencies are corrupt at the highest levels.  I normally do not quote from "fringe" sites like InfoWars but they are very accurate in their reporting.  Dare I say mainstream.  They are doing the job that "professional" journalists are no longer doing and have not done for the last 20-30 years at the least.

From My Pensieve:

Sleeping in tomorrow too - get it while you can.

Up to Bellingham for a few things Tuesday. Volunteering Wed, Fri, Sat mornings and that is my week.

Need to have some work done on the van plus do some phone calls for the farm and pay some bills. Quarterlies are due for the blacksmithing business but that is easy - just had a few transactions. Fill the hummingbird feeders and clean house some more.  Probably do the dump run Tuesday morning between coffee and Bellingham.

Clean the kitchen, load the dishwasher. Make some more nectar for the hummingbird feeders (starting to see a lot more now that spring is past). Take some stuff out to the van for the trash/recycling run. Put a third and final coat of paint on the metal parts of the desk and that is it for tonight.

My favorite coffee place will be closed tomorrow - deep cleaning the floors.  Getting a coffee to go and sit outside on their patio. Some habits are ingrained. Need to stop at the library tomorrow - it is next door so that will be my excuse. Waiting for it to open at 10:00 AM. Yeah, that's the ticket.  Maybe I should buy a couple extra lattes and sell them to people who didn't read the signs.

We do not know how it works. How can we be expected to start now?
From One American News Network:

Federal Judge Orders PG&E To Explain Role In Dixie, Fly Fires
Officials have started to point their fingers at Pacific Gas and Electric after the company admitted its equipment may have sparked the Golden State’s Dixie Fire. On Saturday, a federal judge in California ordered PG&E to explain its role in starting the Dixie Fire as well as a smaller blaze, the Fly Fire, which later merged with it.

PG&E was also ordered to provide details on equipment used in the area where the fire first began. In a report to the California Public Utilities Commission, PG&E said a worker was inspecting a blown fuse when they came across “challenging terrain” and a bridge closure.

Once the work was able to get to the scene, a small fire was already burning at the base of a tree that had fallen onto one of the company’s powerlines.

And, of course, the 2,700+ page Biden infrastructure bill will make sure that this never ever happens again.
Just vote for it - we will find out what's in it later...

Some going ons in Italy - CBS News:

Italy requires vaccination proof for bars and restaurants
Italy launched strict new COVID restrictions on Friday, requiring proof of vaccination for anyone who wants to go inside a bar, restaurant, or tourist site. The so-called "Green Pass" is an attempt to fight the surge in coronavirus cases.

the New York Times:

Italians (Mostly) Embrace a ‘Green Pass’ to Prove Vaccination on Its First Day
On Friday, the first day that Italians needed to present a nationwide health passport for access to indoor dining, museums, gyms, theaters and a wide range of social activities, Margherita Catenuto, 18, from Sicily, proudly showed a bar code at the Capitoline Museum in Rome certifying that she was vaccinated.

“It’s like showing you have a conscience,” said Ms. Catenuto as she walked in. “You do it for yourself, and you do it for others. It’s very sensible.”

Similar measures to stem the coronavirus pandemic have prompted large protests in France and bitterly split Americans between cities that will require vaccine passes, like New York, and entire parts of the country that consider even masks an affront to their rights. But Italians have mostly greeted their new Green Pass with widespread acceptance and, after some compromises, near political consensus.

AND... Not mentioned in either "report" are stories like these:

From Reddit:

Italy: Vaccinated Burn Their Vaccine Passports (Green Pass) In Solidarity With Unvaccinated

I can not embed the video but there are people tossing cards into a small fire.  A good crowd there - maybe 1,000 - 1,500 people.

The Paris protests were quite the crowd too - the citoyens are getting fed up with all this BS.

Dried linguini cooked properly is a lot better than fresh ramen noodles for the foundation of a pasta dish.
That is all...

Waiting for the primer to dry - looking pretty good.

Picked up some Red Haven peaches from the farm stand on my way back home.  One of them was perfectly ripe and is now in my belly. I do love this time of year.

Back out to figure out what I need to pick up in Bellingham when I am up there this Tuesday.  Hardware on the desk is metric and I want to get some screws to add some cable management hardware I already have (also IKEA). Wish another of the peaches was ripe - that first one was delicious...  Tomorrow... Patience grashopper...

Also gathering things for a dump run.

No sign of the mysterious boaters from last night - had the thought earlier today that maybe they were poaching other people's crab pots.  There is a good bit of that going on and their behaviour (out so late with no lights showing on the boat) was definitely not normal.  Might get a telephoto out for tonight - never know...

The desk had a little rust and was a bit beat up but everything was there and it was solid as the day it was put together.  Fifty bucks? SOLD!

Taking it apart anyway to move up the stairs so going to hit it with a flap-disk, give it a rattle-can coat of rust bonder/primer and some matte black paint. Put it back together tomorrow or Tuesday. It will be nice to have one central place for all of my radio equipment.

Store was out of fresh pasta again so making some dried linguini for dinner.  Picked up some frozen shrimpies at Costco so having a few of them now for an appetizer. Quick surf and then to work.

Rained a lot last night - over 1/4"  Sounded wonderful.

Heading out for dog walk, coffee, read for a bit and then drive over to the other island for a Craigslist deal.

Back much later today - long drive.

Also, this story from the San Francisco CBS affiliate:

New ‘Delta Plus’ COVID Variant Detected In San Francisco Bay Area: ‘It’s At Least As Bad’ As Original
As the Delta variant of the coronavirus fuels an ongoing COVID wave, Bay Area health experts are keeping a close eye on yet another variant: Delta Plus.

“We believe that it’s at least as bad as Delta,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California San Francisco.

They are going to keep jerking our chain as long as they can get away with it.

Time to sit down and just say NO to all this foolishness.
Yes, it is out there but it is about as bad as the common cold.

About four times more people die each year from Tuberculosis.

Noodles were "different" - ramen noodles are not a good substitute for fresh pasta.  I am wondering if the acidity of the sauce caused the texture change. Ramen noodles are cooked in more basic (pH) water than "normal" pasta. Sauce was its usual goodness - got that recipe dialed in pretty well.  Lots of onion and garlic. Love those alliums.

Been a long couple of days - sleeping in tomorrow, leisurely coffee and then a drive over to Whidbey Island to pick up a desk.  Going to use it for my ham radio equipment.  It is a design sold by IKEA for a few years - it really works for uses like this and they are hard to find. Fellow ham radio op is only asking $50 for it.

Windy and cold out.  There are some (2-3) people on a small boat out there - been keeping an eye on them.  No lights and it is getting dark.  Crab season but still... Choppy waves and their boat is only 14 foot or so.

Time to see what the YouTube fairies have brought for me tonight.

It's variants all the way down:

A variant on the Turtle story as recounted by Stephen Hawking.
Turtle?  YBYSAIA

From America's Newspaper of Record:

Obama's Party Ruined As Mansion Sinks Into Sea Thanks To Climate Change
Well, this is tragic news: Barack Obama's long-awaited birthday bash has been ruined by climate change as his mansion sank into the sea thanks to global warming.

As guests participated in the activities, from fun games like "Pin the Drone on the Middle Eastern Country" to a rousing session of Settlers of Yemen, the sound of crashing water caused everyone to run outside. "Oh no!" shouted Hillary Clinton. "We've gotta cheese it—it's climate change!"

"How dare you!" shouted Greta Thunberg, lecturing the wave on how it's just supposed to consume evil white men.

"Aw, man!" said a disappointed Obama as he swam away. "I was looking forward to that Predator drone-shaped cake—it looked delicious!"

"I knew I shouldn't have invested in a $12 million-dollar mansion when I've warned people over and over again that it would be underwater in just a few years."

Many guests were soaked or swept away into the sea, though John Kerry and Al Gore called their pilots and got picked up in their private jets.

At publishing time, Obama had purchased yet another multi-million-dollar mansion on the new Atlantic coast in eastern Kansas.

Barkey knew the dangers but he bought the mansion anyway.  What a mensch - didn't want it to fall into anyone else's hands. Anyone who did not know the dangers.

This is going to get me flagged but my first thought when I heard about the party was: "target rich environment".

His 60th.  It was supposed to be scaled way back after public COVID concerns but I guess not.

Nancy Pelosi flew there in her private jet - she was not on the list of invites.

Tons of people.  No masks.

Coming home from work and some errands (long day today - busy) and it was cold and raining. Thinking that a nice big bowl of pasta would be great for dinner. Get to the store and all of their fresh pasta was sold out 😢 Bought a package of fresh ramen noodles. Same thing but they are cooked at a different pH (more basic).  See how it goes - same taste, different texture.

Quick surf first.

Dog walk and coffee - with last night's rain, it is overcast and cool.  Perfect for a nice run for them.

Another longish day today, drive over to the next island tomorrow for a Craigslist deal and then things should settle out a little bit.

Slept perfectly.  Up and ready to fix some breakfast and get on with my day. Rained a bit less than a quarter inch last night - sounded really wonderful on the roof.

See what is happening out in the big wide world...

“The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from the oligarchies of the past in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just around the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.”
– George Orwell’s 1984

Unpaid indeed...

Good - this government needs to release the data.  It has been twenty years - those complicit in the cover-up should have moved on by now so nobody will be hurt (much).  We need to get to the truth. From NBC News:

9/11 families to President Biden: Don't come to our memorial events
Nearly 1,800 Americans directly affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are opposing President Joe Biden’s participation in any memorial events this year unless he upholds his pledge to declassify U.S. government evidence that they believe may show a link between Saudi Arabian leaders and the attacks.

The victims’ family members, first responders and survivors will release a statement Friday calling on Biden to skip 20th-anniversary events in New York and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon unless he releases the documents, which they believe implicate Saudi officials in supporting the acts of terrorism. The group says that as a candidate Biden pledged to be more transparent and release as much information as possible but that his administration has since then ignored their letters and requests.

A bit more - from this document: Members of the 9/11 community have prepared the following statement

“Since the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission in 2004 much investigative evidence has been uncovered implicating Saudi government officials in supporting the attacks,” the statement says. “Through multiple administrations, the Department of Justice and the FBI have actively sought to keep this information secret and prevent the American people from learning the full truth about the 9/11 attacks.”

We are letting the Saudi's dictate the terms of the discussion.
We are doing this with the Chinese Communist Government over the origin and name of the Wuhan Flu.
Time for our government to grow a fscking pair and stand up to the bullies - puch them back.

They certainly were talking about another lockdown.  Funny thing - We The People replied and said: "Hell No!"
From The Epoch Times:

White House Press Secretary: ‘We’re Not Going to Lock Down Our Economy or Our Schools’
The U.S. economy isn’t going to be locked down, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.

“This is not March 2020 or even January 2021. We’re not going to lock down our economy or our schools because our country’s in a much stronger place than when we took office,” Psaki told reporters in Washington.

She credited President Joe Biden’s “leadership in vaccinating American people and getting economic relief to those who need it.”

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have increased across the country in recent weeks, a rise officials have attributed to the Delta variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19.

While some teachers unions have recently called for all-virtual classes to be held at the beginning of the upcoming school year, and a number of states and counties have re-imposed mask mandates and put into place vaccine verification requirements, the United States isn’t poised to go into the lockdown it did last year, Psaki said.

“We are not going back. We are not turning back the clock,” she said.

Now if we can just get the WA State governor to wake up and smell the cappuccino.
The store was "asking" everyone to mask up today - I will quit before I am forced to wear one again.
We did it, it did nothing. Now we have to do it again?
From My Pensieve - many more images at the site:

Check the mail, visit the storage unit, go for a nice long dog walk.  Farmer's market is today so swing by there.

Gathering stuff for a dump run.

Didn't sleep well last night.  I segment sleep - wake up after 4-5 hours and go back to sleep for another 3-4.  Sometimes I am up for 20 minutes or so.  Last night, I could not get back to sleep for two hours.  Make sure to get an early bedtime tonight - busy tomorrow.

Serif just updated my main photo and desktop software. Downloading that and will check it out tonight and tomorrow. Really happy with the software - done a couple jobs to print and the printer had zero issues with the files. Nice alternative to the Adobe ecosystem.  I can afford the Adobe software with zero problem.  I like to own my software.  I do not like the idea of renting it.

Formulated at the Nuremberg (Germany) trials after the end of World War Two when the National Socialists were rounded up and brought to justice. There is a specific section dedicated to experimental medicine carried out on Human Beings. Forcing people to take an experimental vaccine when the manufacturer is exempt from the consequences falls under this code. More here.

The consequences could be wonderful - I would like to see this level of justice brought back.  To encourage the others...

Should be there at 9:30 to open. Yikes.

Minimal dog walk this morning - getting the coffee to go. Needed the sleep - nine hours.

About four to six months these days - even CNN wakes up:

Exclusive: Intel agencies scour reams of genetic data from Wuhan lab in Covid origins hunt
US intelligence agencies are digging through a treasure trove of genetic data that could be key to uncovering the origins of the coronavirus -- as soon as they can decipher it.

This giant catalog of information contains genetic blueprints drawn from virus samples studied at the lab in Wuhan, China which some officials believe may have been the source of the Covid-19 outbreak, multiple people familiar with the matter tell CNN.

It's unclear exactly how or when US intelligence agencies gained access to the information, but the machines involved in creating and processing this kind of genetic data from viruses are typically connected to external cloud-based servers -- leaving open the possibility they were hacked, sources said.

It originated in the lab in Wuhan. Maybe if we are lucky, CNN will start reporting on the fact that Dr. Fauci was funding the lab to do Gain of Function research. We know all of this now through his released emails - we can read it for ourselves.  Will CNN do its job and report to the rest of the world?

Strange times we are living in...

- I have enough leftovers for another couple days of tacos for dinner.  Yummm... I am heading up North on Sunday for a Craigslist deal - will stop at Costco (need dog food anyway) and pick up some packaged pineapple spears - grill those and have with the tacos.  Extra Yummm...

Doing more sorting.  Long day tomorrow so calling it a bit of an early evening.

Supposed to get some weather but all of the excitement is East of here - rain, lightning, winds.  Here? Another day in paradise. It will be nice to get the desk Sunday and get my radio equipment set up in one spot.  Been using my hand-held units but miss the long-range DXing.  That is fun.

Load the dishwasher and settle in for the evening.

Who has the power here.  From My Pensieve:

Back home now - got some smoked pulled pork thawing out for tacos. Good day for tacos.  Of course, any day is a good day for tacos.

The thrift store had a glut of light fixtures in the last two months - people looking to "refresh" their houses for spring and deciding to update their fixtures.  We would take in 10-15 every weekend and sell maybe one or two every other week if that.  Had over 100 fixtures.

Habitat for Humanity runs a large building materials store 30 miles away. They sent a truck to us and were happy to take our surplus.  They also took a bunch of excess hardware and a big pile of loudspeakers that had been accumulating. Win/win...

Been back for an hour - working in the garage this weekend as well as cleaning house.  Sorting through all the wonderful possessions crap I brought down from the farm on Tuesday. Dump run, thrift store, Craigslist and eBay - keeping just a fraction of the stuff.

Time for dinner and then back to work...

The Conservative Treehouse reminds us of Richard Trumka's rise to power:

Richard Trumka, Dead
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka rose to power in combination with President Obama. Trumka became president of the AFL-CIO at the same time President Obama took office in January 2009.

The Chicago machine organized a pact between the revolutionary communists (RevCom) and labor unions in 2007; specifically to assist the installation of Obama in the 2008 presidential election. The AFL-CIO (Nicholas), SEIU (Andy Stern), UFCW, UAW and AFSCME labor unions all agreed to assemble their foot-soldiers in common cause. That union army defeated Hillary Clinton in a brutal 2008 presidential primary. The communists won. The rest is history.

It was around the time of Richard Trumka’s 60th birthday celebration when the deal was signed.  The Communists would get President Obama, in return the labor unions would get the massive pension liability of union member healthcare removed from their books.  This is the origin of ObamaCare; by any means necessary.

Yep - Obamacare was never about better care for the American Citizens. Wait.  You actually believed that story?

The Atlantic used to be a good magazine (founded 1857 in Boston). They hired people who could write and they did a nice job of long-form journalism. Really exploring a story - getting into the background and the details.

It came up for sale and Laurene Powell Jobs (Apple Steve Jobs' widow) bought it and is using it for her mouthpiece. Needless to say, it has been losing readership and personnel over the last two years. It may even be reaching insolvency.

President Trump made this remark today:

It’s good to see that the Atlantic Magazine is losing large numbers of readers and a fortune of money. Only a widow of Steve Jobs and her boyfriend, I am sure Steve is thrilled, would keep it going. People think it will close soon, but who knows. It is amazing what’s happening to the discredited media like CNN, MSDNC, New York Times, and Washington Post. Their businesses have dropped off a cliff, which is actually a very good thing for the American people, because they are Fake News (likewise the networks, ABC, NBC, CBS). 

The fun part?  He IS right.

Finished off a load of laundry and took care of some bills.  Heading out - meeting someone at noon.

Cancelling my 4:00 PM meeting as the noon event will probably run a bit long. Usual Friday and Saturday fun at the store and got a Craigslist deal Sunday.  A nice older IKEA desk (the JERKER) which will be perfect for my ham radio setup.

Going to be sunny and warm today so heading out for a dog walk and coffee, drop them back at home and then head to my nooner.

One of my favorite tech blogs posted this today:

Prayers heading out.  His is a daily read for me.

Some people refuse to learn their history - they do not think it is relevant to their lives:

And now, Congress is doing the same thing with the 1/6 "insurrection"
From Representative Paul Gosar's twitter account:

The level of suppression is amazing. These are people that we elected to represent our interests and they are not doing their job. They are trying to take over our government.

Show trial?  From InfoGalactic:

A show trial is a public trial in which the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal to present the accusation and the verdict to the public as an impressive example and as a warning to other would-be dissidents or transgressors. Show trials tend to be retributive rather than correctional justice and also conducted for propagandistic purposes. The term was first recorded in the 1930s.

The Communists did not invent the show trial but they certainly perfected it.

Biden "won" Wisconsin by about 20,000 votes - 1,630,866 to 1,610,184
Wisconsin just purged 205,000 ineligible voters from its rolls.
From Newsmax:

Wisconsin Election Officials Cancel 205K Voter Registrations
Wisconsin elections officials said Wednesday that they have removed more than 205,000 voters from the rolls as part of routine work to keep the state's registration lists up to date.

Purging voters from the rolls has been a point of major contention in the perennial swing state. Conservatives filed a lawsuit in 2019 demanding that the Wisconsin Elections Commission remove voters from the rolls if they didn't respond to mailings within 30 days. The lawsuit ultimately failed and Democrat Joe Biden went on to beat Donald Trump by about 20,000 votes.

Cleaning up after themselves.  Closing the barn door after the horses escaped.

About 50 people showed up.  Nice to get the group back together again as well as to welcome new members.

A good time was had by all. The venue was nice too - an art gallery and a ten-acre sculpture garden. Good people.

Busy day tomorrow - got stuff happening all day. Time for a couple of videos and I am outta here...

Found this on the web:

1. Download Arch Linux
2. Read Wiki
3. Cursing
4. Format SSD
5. Go to step #2 x 42 times
6. Success
7. Let everyone know aka “btw, i use arch”
8. Switch to Gentoo
9. Try LFS
10. At some point, declare systemd is evil
11. Switch to FreeBSD
12. Share Linux memes and often insult other oses on social media
13. Suddenly declare love for OpenBSD
14. Get a job in IT to pay bills
15. Start using RHEL/Docker/K8S for the job
16. Often think that you could avoid all pain by using RHEL from day #1 @ step #1
17. The end.

From Military.com:

Celebrate the U.S. Coast Guard
Each August 4 the U.S. Coast Guard celebrates its birthday.

The Coast Guard is one of America's five armed forces and traces its founding to Aug. 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized the construction of 10 vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws, prevent smuggling, and protect the collection of federal revenue. Responsibilities added over the years included humanitarian duties such as aiding mariners in distress.

And many many more.

Senator Rand Paul delivers the goods - from FOX News:

Sen. Rand Paul: Mask mandates and lockdowns from petty tyrants? No, not again. Choose freedom
Resist.

They can’t arrest us all. They can’t keep all your kids home from school. They can’t keep every government building closed – although I’ve got a long list of ones they should.

We don’t have to accept the mandates, lockdowns, and harmful policies of the petty tyrants and feckless bureaucrats. We can simply say no, not again.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi — you will not arrest or stop me or anyone on my staff from doing our jobs. We have all either had COVID, had the vaccine, or been offered the vaccine. We will make our own health choices. We will not show you a passport, we will not wear a mask, we will not be forced into random screening and testing so you can continue your drunk with power rein over the Capitol.

President Biden — we will not accept your agencies’ mandates or your reported moves toward a lockdown. No one should follow the CDC’s anti-science mask mandates. And if you want to shutdown federal agencies again — some of which aren’t even back to work fully — I will stop every bill coming through the Senate with an amendment to cut their funding if they don’t come to work.

No more.

More at the site. Over 1,100 comments to this so he has definitely hit a nerve.  Good.

A new television show with Mike Rowe?  Ratings will be through the roof. From FOX Business:

Fox Business Network announces new primetime lineup focused on success stories across key American industries
Fox Business Network will debut a new primetime programming slate, "FBN Prime," that will celebrate American industry and ingenuity when it premieres on September 20, the network announced on Wednesday.

"We are thrilled to introduce a new engaging and inspirational primetime lineup focused on success stories across key American industries to our loyal viewers," FBN president Lauren Petterson said.

The long-form series lineup will feature a variety of Fox News Media stars, including Stuart Varney, Cheryl Casone, John Rich and Kacie McDonnell, along with TV veteran Mike Rowe, a longtime advocate for the nation’s unsung heroes. 

"How America Works" is a new hour-long series narrated by Rowe that will showcase the Americans that work nonstop to keep our infrastructure in working order. "How America Works with Mike Rowe," will air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. 

Nice that they are giving him the full hour to develop the story. I will be watching it. The other lineup is good too.

I think that they will find that most people are tired of this WOKE bullshit being shoved down their throats 24/7

From 90 Miles:

From America's Newspaper of Record:

Biden Says New Lockdown Will Only Last For One Month Or Until The End Of The U.S., Whichever Comes First
Many Americans are frightened of the Biden administration’s talk about a new lockdown, as they’re still reeling from the economic effects of the previous lockdowns, but President Biden is assuring people that this one will be quite temporary.

“This lockdown will only last one month or until the total collapse of our country,” Biden told the press, “whichever is sooner.”

According to Biden, this new lockdown could last up to thirty days but most likely would end even sooner than that when, due to further economic and political pressures, the federal government completely collapses and the country is taken over by QAnon warlords. In that situation, the lockdown would also not be enforced and would be officially over.

“For this lockdown, I’m just asking you to hold out a little longer,” Biden said, “just until I’ve completely lost all my power and anarchists storm the White House and imprison me in the White House kitchen walk-in refrigerator. Or for one month. But no longer than that.”

Though the lockdown will be over in one month or at the destruction of the United States of America, many think it will still be wise to socially distance by locking oneself in a bomb shelter after that.

We can wait (checking ammo stores).

Don Surber sums it up:  Cuomo's sin is being an outsider

To whit:

Cuomo's problem is not sexual harassment. His problem is Democrats see him as a threat if he chooses to run for president.

Democrats in Washington want no part of playing second fiddle to an outsider. They had their fill of outsiders as presidents with Bill Clinton. Democrat senators want the White House all to themselves. In the 6 presidential elections since Clinton, Democrats have nominated a senator or former senator for president and vice president each time.

Governors need not apply.

Congressional Democrats can control a Biden or an Obama.

Cuomo would be a wildcard.

And there 'ya go...

Nothing catches my eye this morning.

More spew this afternoon. Got a picnic this evening - the arts group has its general meetings on the first Wednesday of each month.  Today will be outside at a large gallery and sculpture garden on the island.

No precip last night. Humidity is still really high (89% and holding) so the possibility is there but the barometric pressure has gone up and the sun is starting to burn through the clouds so looks like another glorious summer day.

Lightning is still happening but it is centered on the border between Washington, Idaho and Canada.

Really humid though - will be interested to see what we get for precip.

Video time - long day tomorrow.

Sobering article in the Santa Monica Observer:

California Women's Prison Passes Out Condoms to Inmate Population As Arrival Of "Transwomen" Causes Explosion Of Risky Sex
This is every bit as bad as it sounds and looks. Men are now in the women's prison's for the first time. And the worst parts of nature are taking their course...

These trans-women have been at CIW for about 2 weeks. Already, what supporters said would never happen has happened almost immediately. The transwomen have begun using their PENISES to have sex with multiple women. One has even received oral copulation on the recreation field outside in the open.

It's been announced that prison officials are making available CONDOMS to the entire population. To be specific, 3 condoms per person will be allowed to have on person. The California men's prisons have been doing this practice for decades. However, the female prisoners have never had any reason to have condoms. Until now.

More at the site. Especially this little item:

3 of the 4 transwomen subjects of this story are HIV positive, according to an officer at CIW. Thus, CDCR's rush to get out the condoms to the population and avoid liability. Too late. The condoms were not yet available when the sex began even though CDCR knew these 3 transwomen had HIV, and it was possible to spread through sexual intercourse. Most of the population does not know this as it is protected by Federal HIPPA legislation.

The author knows whereof she speaks - she has been a resident of the California Prison system for 16 years. Her posts are worth reading if you want to see how a clueless administration mismanages everything it touches. No accountability so no impetus for improvement. More of Amber's story here: Amber Jackson’s story

What do the landlords do?  They are still beholden to pay their mortgage, insurance, taxes, etc...
From My Pensieve:

That is, after all, the first in this list of the ten goals:

1. Abolition of private property in land and application of all rents of land to public purpose

Go and read the remaining nine - we are getting a lot closer than is comfortable.

The sky is turning dark.  Looks and feels gravid.  Feel the pressure drop. Clouds moving in from the South.

We can use it and it will be nice to clean the air.

From the History Channel:

Nautilus submarine travels under North Pole
On August 3, 1958, the U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. The world’s first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus dived at Point Barrow, Alaska, and traveled nearly 1,000 miles under the Arctic ice cap to reach the top of the world. It then steamed on to Iceland, pioneering a new and shorter route from the Pacific to the Atlantic and Europe.

The USS Nautilus was constructed under the direction of U.S. Navy Captain Hyman G. Rickover, a brilliant Russian-born engineer who joined the U.S. atomic program in 1946. In 1947, he was put in charge of the navy’s nuclear-propulsion program and began work on an atomic submarine. Regarded as a fanatic by his detractors, Rickover succeeded in developing and delivering the world’s first nuclear submarine years ahead of schedule. In 1952, the Nautilus’ keel was laid by President Harry S. Truman, and on January 21, 1954, first lady Mamie Eisenhower broke a bottle of champagne across its bow as it was launched into the Thames River at Groton, Connecticut. Commissioned on September 30, 1954, it first ran under nuclear power on the morning of January 17, 1955.

Rickover was one of those people who show up every so often to show the rest of us how it is really done.
Absolute genius - in the same league as Tesla, Feynman, Einstein, DaVinci, Newton, Bach...

Falling on my head like a memory

Looks like measurable precip tonight.  Lots of lightning to the East of here.

All the chatter about him being tossed under the bus.
Not a peep about what he was trying to do that precipitated their dropping this bomb on him.

They had to have had the goods on him for a long time.  They have the goods on everyone which is why so many supposed conservatives roll over and play dead when something critical needs to be pushed through (Senator from Kentucky?  Looking right at you.)(Justice Roberts? Looking at you too.)

Again, why now? What was the good Governor looking to do that precipitated this.

From the New York Post:

Titanic museum visitors hospitalized in Tennessee after iceberg wall collapses
Three visitors to the world’s largest Titanic museum in Tennessee have been hospitalized after an iceberg wall collapsed, the owners said.

“Tonight, an accident occurred at our Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge,” wrote Mary Kellogg Joslyn and her husband John about their museum about 30 miles outside Knoxville.

“Our iceberg wall collapsed and injured 3 guests who were taken to the hospital. At this time, we do not know the extent of their injuries,” the owners wrote late Monday.

The museum looks interesting - they are claiming to have 400 artifacts from the ship. The museum's founder dove on the ship a few years after Bob Ballard first located it.

Turning of the seasons. Beginning of the harvest season.  Lughnasadh

I love Summer but I love Fall more. Winter is a time for introspection and working inside on small projects.

He showed people for who they were at heart:

He was getting too powerful - needed to be taken out.  Hence the following headlines:

• CUOMO: I’m INNOCENT. My victims are WRONG, they don’t UNDERSTAND. Here’s some pictures of me KISSING!
• Investigators Say CNN’s Chris Cuomo Helped Draft Statement to Dismiss Brother’s Accusers
• Bombshell Report: Cuomo Executive Chamber ‘Normalized’ Behavior, ‘Contributed’ to Allowing Harassment to Occur
• Stefanik Calls for Cuomo's Arrest After Damning Sexual Harassment Report
• Flashback: Democrats Used to LOVE Andrew Cuomo
• Biden Says Cuomo ‘Should Resign’ After Bombshell Report Showed He Sexually Harassed Women
• The Left Finds Itself in a Tizzy After NY AG Finds Cuomo Sexually Harassed Many Women

Let me be the first to say that Governor Andrew Cuomo did not kill himself.

Brought down some music stuff and a lot of old clothing. Bring the clothing to the thrift store and put up some Criagslist adverts for the synthesizers. Clean out some of the stuff I no longer use. Feels really good.

Quick surf, unpack a few things and head out to the local farmer's market, mailbox and grocery store.

Nothing online that I can see - some fun memes but not set up on the laptop to deal with images.

Coffee, read for a little bit and then load up the van. Back on the island later this afternoon.

Nuttin.  Time to watch some videos and call it a night.

From Conservative Treehouse:

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Responds To Arizona Senate Subpoena – Go Spit, “It’s Time to Move On”
Last week, the Arizona State Senate sent a subpoena to Maricopa County election officials asking for information and voting material the county previously refused to turn over [See Here].

Today, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors responded to the legislative subpoena:

Facsimile of the letter is at the site - really worth going and reading if only to see how eloquently they were able to say: "Go piss up a rope". They know that they are facing jail time when their malfeasance is proven - defiant to the end.  When you have nothing - push the Big Lie.

300+ comments at the site.  Some fun reading...

Down for the day - had a very nice burger at Hal's Drive In. A very classic American Drive-In - worth checking out if you are ever in Sedro-Wooley.

Pleasantly stuffed.  Surf for a bit and then an early bedtime.  A lot hotter here than by the water - dogs were panting as they were running around.  Got the air conditioning running so nice and comfortable.

Heading directly to the farm. Bite to eat on the road. Working there tomorrow and back home via Bellingham.

Bringing the laptop.

An inconvenient truth - from Newsweek/MSN:

Hate Crimes Documented by Police Disproportionately List Black People as Attackers: Report
Released Wednesday, the report is a comprehensive national review of hate crime laws that shows where laws variate. It also cited widespread flaws in data collection and reporting. Though the majority of hate crimes in the U.S. are committed by white people, motivated by racial or ethnic bias, the crimes disproportionately reported Black Americans as the attackers.

In at least 13 states, Black Americans were listed by law enforcement as the perpetrators in hate crimes at a rate roughly 1.6 to 3.6 times greater than the size of the state's Black population, the report said.

"These repeated disparities ... show that — despite the fact that people of color are far more likely to be the victims of hate violence — the instances of hate violence that are actually documented by police ... are disproportionately those alleged to have been committed by Black people," it read.

Same thing for gun violence - black on black. The USA has a high number of murders by firearm but drop out Chicago, St. Louis, Baltimore and a few other Democrat shithole cities and the number drops way down. We are not a violent nation, some of our cities are.

From My Pensieve:

Of course, they yanked it when someone pointed out how tone-deaf it was but the internet is forever.

Psychologists call this "Projection" and this is an epic example.

Duuhhhh - they are breaking the law in the first place.  Why should they start being law abiding citizens now?
From The Federalist:

Shocker: Nearly 90 Percent Of Illegal Immigrants Let In By Biden Have Refused To Report To ICE As Required
Nearly 90 percent of the 50,000 migrants released by the Biden administration have not yet reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement within the required 60-day window.

While at least 27,000 of the illegal aliens still have time within their allotted 60 days to report to ICE, Axios reported that at least 16,000 of those whose window of time has expired have disregarded the honor system and “not showed up.”

“That’s 2.4 no-shows for every one that has checked in,” the report states.

Disaster. Biden's legacy.

UPDATE at the bottom...

A bit of schadenfreude for this morning:

• Trans Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard Flops At Olympics Women’s Competition

Heh - Gavin was a so-so lifter.  He decided to identify as a woman.  He failed there too.

• Get Woke, Go Broke: Arrogant, Unpatriotic US Women’s Soccer Team Knocked Out of Olympic Gold Contention by Canada

Why is it always the marginals who try and pull this WOKE shit.  Kaepernick is a mediocre football player whose only claim to fame is that he took a knee. The hammer thrower. The race car driver. The list goes on.

UPDATE: Had an interesting thought over coffee this morning.  What if Hubbard lost on purpose. This allows the tranny movement to say that there is a level playing field.  That gender doesn't mean anything. That it is totally OK for trannies to participate in events as they do not carry an inherent advantage from their birth.

Taking care of stuff on the island for a few hours and then heading to the farm late afternoon. Working Tuesday and then driving through Bellingham on my way back home - a possible camera lens and some items being held for me at Hardware Sales.

Usual morning routine first though - I got my priorities.

Busy but fun and productive. Picnic on Wednesday evening with the arts group.

First actual F2F meeting since the whole Chinese flu scamdemic.

Videos.  Zzzzzs. Get up and do it again.

Attributed to Mark Twain but not an actual quote. I like his actual aphorism better:

History never repeats itself, but the Kaleidoscopic combinations of the pictured present
often seem to be constructed out of the broken fragments of antique legends.

From The Gilded Age: A Tale of To-Day (Page 430)

Case in point - Mao's communist government.  This image is a mashup of the original and the current.

Provincial Party Secretary Wang Yilun, being criticized by Red Guards from the University of Industry and
forced to bear a placard with the accusation “counterrevolutionary revisionist element,”
Harbin, China, August 23, 1966

If the current crop of commies get their wishes, that will be Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer wearing the sign and being shouted at.  Right alongside of them will be all of the the Gender Studies professors as well as Zuck and that twitter guy.  The leadership of Antifa will be taken out and shot (too dangerous now that their usefulness has passed) and BLM?  Screw them - they are gone into an unmarked grave. Their 15 minutes are well passed. All the LGBQ activists?  Bullets are expensive - live burial in an unmarked pit for them.

People today are playing.  Unfortunately, they are playing with fire and they do not realize that the fire burns those it loves.  It burns them the worst. Beyond recovery, beyond redemption.

Today? They are beaming.  Go here and work your way up to the top - start at 06/09/2021:

Here is the full text of what is being rammed through Congress:

H. R. 3684  To authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, and for other purposes.

All 2701 pages of pork, glorious pork. Read the Table of Contents and it looks pretty good:

TITLE I—FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAYS
TITLE II—TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE AND INNOVATION
TITLE III—RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY, AND EDUCATION

But dig into the details?  I spot-checked through a couple random locations and there was nothing that I saw to improve or remediate existing infrastructure.  It is all pork to be delivered to the bag-men who fund these Senator's lifestyles.  Pay to play.

America has sunk deep into the waters of corruption and self-interest.  Term limits need to be instituted.
Get the incumbents out and start over. Clean slate.

From the MIT Technology Review:

Hundreds of AI tools have been built to catch covid. None of them helped.
When covid-19 struck Europe in March 2020, hospitals were plunged into a health crisis that was still badly understood. “Doctors really didn’t have a clue how to manage these patients,” says Laure Wynants, an epidemiologist at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, who studies predictive tools.

But there was data coming out of China, which had a four-month head start in the race to beat the pandemic. If machine-learning algorithms could be trained on that data to help doctors understand what they were seeing and make decisions, it just might save lives. “I thought, ‘If there’s any time that AI could prove its usefulness, it’s now,’” says Wynants. “I had my hopes up.”

It never happened—but not for lack of effort. Research teams around the world stepped up to help. The AI community, in particular, rushed to develop software that many believed would allow hospitals to diagnose or triage patients faster, bringing much-needed support to the front lines—in theory.

In the end, many hundreds of predictive tools were developed. None of them made a real difference, and some were potentially harmful.

More at the site.  The article does not mention this but I am betting two things:

#1) - the failure was much worse than they are letting on and
#2) - the reason was GIGO - they were not getting honest input data

The "science" floating around was and still is corrupted by the political narrative. There are no clear numbers to be found without a lot of digging and reading between the lines.

Took four months longer than anticipated.  From American Shipper:

Ever Given containers finally being offloaded at Port of Rotterdam
Despite the early-morning hour, 5:15 a.m. Thursday in the Netherlands, the Ever Given “arrived amid great interest,” according to a Port of Rotterdam statement. 

Normally a container ship’s arrival in port does not warrant a press release. But the case of the Ever Given, which will be forever infamous for getting stuck in the Suez Canal, is anything but normal and prompted Port of Rotterdam officials to post a brief statement and two photos of the Ever Given’s arrival Thursday.  

The statement said the berthing of the Ever Given in Rotterdam went according to plan — well, a revised plan. The Evergreen Marine-operated container ship had been due in Rotterdam some four months earlier. The vessel was waylaid, of course, when it was lodged between the banks of the Suez Canal for six days in March.  

The Port of Rotterdam said containers will be offloaded at its ECT Delta terminal. Boxes bound for Hamburg, Germany, will be loaded onto the Ever Utile over the weekend to finally continue their journey. 

Like they say: Better late than never but better never late. Wonder what the total overall cost will be.