Author: Derek
Thanksgiving Humor
Here’s a gem for your consideration. I have a connection for this video as it took place in Idaho.
It’s Hard Saying Goodbye
Monday evening my Uncle Calvin passed away. Fuck cancer. Fuck cancer with a syphilitic donkey cock.
Calvin and I were very different people. He was this gregarious man who was happiest outdoors with his horses. I am an introvert who is quite happy keeping his excursions outside Ward Manor to a minimum. We didn’t see much of each other due to living on other sides of the country. Still, the man put in indelible mark on my life.
The summer before junior year of high school, I was sent to work on Uncle Calvin’s farm. Tending to fields, helping with cattle, learning how to irrigate, and so much more. At the time, I didn’t realize how much growing up I was doing. I wouldn’t really figure that out for years.
I have many happy – or at least funny with the passage of time – memories of Uncle Calvin. I am very glad that The Wife got to spend time with him.
I will miss you Calvin.
Blogus Quietus
I’m getting that drained feeling again. Probably because the last few months have just been a whirlwind – personally, professionally, politically. So, fresh content may be sporadic for a while.
Metal Tuesdays and B-Side Fridays will continue as I cue those up a month at a time. Same with Anime Recommendations. Monday Links? Eh, maybe. Ward Manor happenings? Maybe, if something notable happens that I want to remember.
I’m just looking at the next month or two and realizing that I need to kind of take a step back. I want to focus a bit more on finishing a couple of writing projects. One will definitely get posted here at some point. The other? I’m not sure.
Enjoy your holidays folks! I’m going to enjoy mine at Ward Manor.
The Ward Wagon Has Company
MIL has been tooling around in an eleven-year-old Hyundai that she bought new. Over the last six months or so, she’s been toying with the idea of getting a new vehicle since hers doesn’t have a backup camera or some of the other modern features. Plus, MIL wanted to go from a sedan to a small SUV or crossover. Well, riding around in her friend’s new car seemed to have been what was needed to push MIL over to actually going car shopping.
We really were just going to go to test drive a car. We narrowed down a Nissan Kicks as a likely possibility, and were going to let MIL test drive one to make sure. We really didn’t plan on coming home with a new car. But MIL really liked the Kicks.
I hate car buying, even when I’m not the one buying the car. It takes so damn long. The plus side was that neither the salesperson nor the finance person did any “hard selling”. It still took hours before MIL and The Wife drove the new car off the lot.
Still some admin stuff to finish up in handing down her old car to family, getting plates transferred, and other items. But as of now, the driveway has both the Ward Wagon and new MIL-Mobile.
Monday Links – Clearing the Tab
This is going to be a long one. Build up from last week, and a busy news week over all.
A slew of Reason first.
One good thing about the return of Trump to the White House – Lina Kahn will be removed.
If DOGE wants to successfully cut government spending, it must take on entitlements. Of course, it could also start with energy subsidies. Personally, they should cut all subsidies. Of course this is all predicated on Trump wanting to act financially responsible, which he hasn’t demonstrated any desire.
There are good reasons to oppose Gaetz’s nomination. I’m kinda leaning to the whole admitting to taking drugs and sleeping with underage girls. And the whole being the vanguard of treating Congress as a place to build the brand instead of doing, you know, actual work.
The FDA ordered Costco to recall and destroy 80,000 lbs of butter because the packaging failed to list it was made of dairy. Because rules must be followed – even when they make no fucking sense.
Apple quietly included an inactive phone reboot in the latest iOS update. It looks like if the phone has been locked and inactive for several days, the phone returns to a factory state. Of course, law enforcement is all pissed off because they can’t “get to evidence. “
A first amendment fight where Texas authorities are using whatever laws they can to shut down a citizen journalist.
That concludes the Reason portion of our blogcast. Now on to other news stories.
From Reuters, it seems that Amsterdam had some trouble with antisemitic bands were attacking Israeli soccer fans. This did not come across my normal newsfeeds. I had to go searching for it after a friend on FB posted about an Arab man who escorted a group of Israelis to safety. I’m sorry, but why did I have to go searching for a story about pogroms in Europe?
Also from Reuters, the CFPB wants to put Google under “federal supervision.” Um, what? Oh, you want access to their records? Fuck you. That’s what discovery is for.
From CNBC, FEMA fires employee who told relief workers to skip anyone with a Trump sign in their yard. I’m using CNBC, because honestly, this is the kind of story I would be skeptical about. Any story that fits too neatly into one or the other camp’s narratives, I get sketchy about without confirmation. Also, I’m surprised someone got fired.
From Tech Crunch, Mozilla Foundation lays off almost a third of its workforce and is shuttering its advocacy branch.
I got this one from Military.com just for the headline – Commander of Navy Leadership and Ethics Center Fired over Personal Conduct. This seems so indicative of the current state of military leadership.
Borepatch discusses some recent security issues with using AI in healthcare. Having recently completed my annual required HIPAA training, it astounds me that this wasn’t taken into account when deploying AI tools into the healthcare setting. But as Borepatch routinely reminds us, security isn’t usually among the top considerations when deploying new tech.
From Tynan Motors, a focus group of Hyundai owners told the motor company that they want physical controls back. I don’t mind the touchscreen in the Ward Wagon, but it also has physical knobs/buttons for all the major controls. And I won’t buy another car where that isn’t the case.
A couple of articles by Tam. One on what keeps the 1911 so popular. A second on the “Wheelgun U-Turn.” You really need to read it.
Now for some light items.
Take a look at this Spaceship Size Comparison. It’s floated around the internet for years. A copy of it will soon grace my office walls.
Heard about Ammosquared on the ACP podcast. Interesting way to buy ammo. Will have to investigate further.
Apparently, there is a local company that takes you out on boats and lets you shoot machineguns. That sounds like it needs further investigation.