I’m not surprised that Schiff-head was a regular with Epstein. Not the least bit surprised.
Never forget that Fauxi paid the communist Chinese millions of dollars to make COVID19, helped them cover up the outbreak for 3 months until it became impossible hide, then orchestrated a conspiracy to deny that it originated in the Wuhan bio-weapons lab.
I am beginning to think that those who say Epstein was an IC asset, set up by them in the first place, in order to generate kompromat on various figures so they could use that to run ops, are probably closer to the truth than I first believed.
No, they had no reason to do anything of the sort. Epstein was exposed, was of no further use, and was a substantial risk. ‘Suicide’ was the next logical step.
It depends on how much private kompromat he had squirreled away outside of his head.
That could be a reason why stuff has not come out – whoever is holding the really good info is still getting “I am still alive, so not yet” messages and thus holding their release.
“Geoffrey”, sitting on a tropical beach sipping an umbrella drink, laughing at all the memes, and at his watchers’ continuing efforts to trick him into to telling them where the good stuff really is…
Eh, I’m more the conspiracy theorist that says it was an opportunist thing. They found him doing that then they bankrolled him to get the kompromat. Because Commies don’t often create, but they almost always steal.
I remember when a large percentage of the homeless were housed in insane asylums, and a larger percentage were called homesteaders instead of homeless. Of course that was before the government confiscated 40% of the open land for tourists.
I am soooo happy that GS cookies would turn my guts into [redacted], so there’s one source of overindulgence that’s off the menu. [Starts looking for other overindulgences…]
Depends on the troop. Seriously a problem. Girl Scouts pretty much has taken out the “out”doors part of scout as a requirement. In a lot of ways getting to the Gold Award is easier than the Eagle Award trail in Scouting (formally BSA). But actually earning the Eagle Award itself is easier.
How, since both require Leadership. Easy. Both require a group to be lead. Gold Award requires a group leadership effort, which implies that 2 or more reach the point at the same time. Given attrition rates that is difficult to achieve, in addition we’ve all been part of a group where everyone was equal leader. (Works out well? Right?) Eagle requires one person to lead. (Note, haven’t been personally part of GSA since 1972. Sister took her older two girls and their friends through GSA, but not through Gold Award; this was ’90s – ’00s). They got Stymied. Knew a couple of all GSA/Venture crews that stated same frustrations. Were not earning the GSA Gold Award, but were earning Venturing Gold Awards; ’10s.)
Back to GSA taking the outdoors out of the requirements. One of the reasons why a lot of GSA troops were co-joining Venturing, as either all girl crews or even partnered with scouting troops for co-ed crews. Opened up the Scouting high adventure camps to those crews/GSA troops. Note, the new Scouting girl troops, are NOT co-ed. All that change does is allow girls to also earn Eagle. Girls are not “taking over troops”. That takes nothing away from the boys. (I really despise the news headlines on this. Every single one getting it wrong. I’m not in the news research business. Not even in Scouting, anymore. If I can get it right …)
FYI B. Durbin could provide more. She has a daughter and a son in the program.
And my own observations point to part of the barrier for Girl Scout troops to get into the oudoors. Namely, Scouting America (dba due to Congressional charter as BSA) has what are called “chartering organizations.” That’s some form of nonprofit that sponsors the troop, like Rotary Clubs, Lions, Elks, or American Legions. (Our local historical society sponsored a troop at one point.) Churches used to sponsor troops, but that’s fallen away as more troops become multi-faith.
Girl Scouts don’t have sponsoring organizations, which has a huge effect on things like contracts (you can’t sign a contract with an individual troop, for legal purposes; in Scouting America, the chartering organization signs contracts if necessary.) This also means they have no one to BUY OR STORE GEAR. Which, if you’re starting up a troop with Brownies, means you don’t have tents or outdoor kitchen supplies or anything that you don’t already have on hand. Cost barrier #1. Then, if you do acquire gear, you have to store it. Barrier #2.
And let’s not get into the fact that because you’re starting up a troop from nothing, you have no experienced folk on hand to teach you how to camp. Yes, they have trainings, but a workshop and a weekend won’t give confidence to people who have never been outdoors before and who are pretty sure they’re going to screw up. Scouting America has that overlap of trained people training newbies, so the newbies can assist before they have to take it on.
So while you do, indeed, have outdoorsy Girl Scout troops, it’s partly a matter of luck and finding the people who are confident enough to take them outside, and who have the gear to support it.
When the first troop folded (size), and we went looking for another troop. The scoutmaster and son knew each other (2001 National Jamboree contingent, son was youngest scout to go. Scoutmaster was one of the 4 scouters.) When we provided the resource/experience summary, I swear the scoutmaster wept. The troops first week long backpacking trip was that next summer … Went from two to four adults experienced backpackers. Grew the number of adults from there … As well as the scouts themselves.
One daughter, *two* sons. Daughter is in the middle.
There are two types of troops currently in Scouting. There are the gender-separate troops and there are the “linked” troops. The former are completely separate, as you might expect, and the latter share a chartering organization and possibly meeting spaces, but run parallel programs. There are some experimental troops piloting co-ed, which will still have gender-separate patrols. Whether or not they allow co-ed troops (which is probable, given that most of the world runs Scouting that way without issue), they will still have troops that are single gender if they choose to be.
I prefer to have my kids in the separate troops because they really do plan different things at that age. There are some crossover things—we ran a 20-mile hike yesterday for scouts who needed it and allowed people from both troops to participate*—but those aren’t things planned by the troop. (An event that includes more than one troop is considered a district event and requires a lot more paperwork. However, if two troops camp in adjoining campsites, planned individually, there’s nothing that says they can’t do some things together like share a campfire.)
*So… if the boys had been on their own, and the merit badge counselor wasn’t working off a back injury, it would have been completed much sooner. As it was, they did allow the boys to finish up first, and they were almost an hour earlier than the girls and the adults with them. Radios and phone tracking were involved, so everybody was monitored.
I will note that my daughter was definitely in the best shape of the three, since the other two don’t have to bike to school or have much in the way of P.E. But they all finished and the blisters are minimal. I’m sore, but glad we had a plan to have adults tap out halfway, since my hiking boots are older than I remembered and they have definitely given up the wonderful support they used to have.
Lot of GSA and BSA troops partnering before the more recent change, even before 1999 starting of Venturing. Heck I went on a snow camp out as GSA with BSA when I was 12, 1968, because of partnering. Just neither could be a family thing.
Would not surprise me if troops can be co-ed eventually. Does not surprise me that troops of each sex are partnering too. Main thing is to keep the patrols separate. The big resource limitation is *adults.
Even with number of adults son’s troop had who could camp (if not backpack), week long outings were a challenge. Too many cannot take a week of work off unless it is without pay, and too many aren’t allowed to do that.
“hiking boots are older”
–
Been there.
Most of our equipment is older than our son. Will admit we are guilty of spending money to replace heavier ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s equipment … Although surprisingly both our external frame backpacks are lighter than any current backpacks with support (ultralight versions exempted). Probably should have replaced my sleeping bag with a woman style version for the vertically challenged. As it was I just tucked the extra length under me for extra padding.
(*) Overheard a lot of “my spouse thinks the Hilton is roughing it!” Not always the spouse = wife either (most, but not all). In our case the problem was hubby could not easily get summer weekdays off, even without pay (he could ask for it, but could be approved, then denied last minute). Too many other adults could get weekdays off but without pay. Can only do that so much. I at least could use vacation days, or at worse make up work days (salary).
Oh by the way. I am not, and have not been, in proper “physical” shape to do the scouting I did for the sake of the boys. Not, at least, since our son was born. Not a chance. Could pass the required seasonal physical. But that is about it. I did the camp outs, hiking, backpacking, summer camps, anyway. No way could I have done Philmont, and with the changes to National Jamboree with the venue change, not that either (would not be allowed to).
One of the adults with my daughter’s troop is literally disabled. She has still come to summer camp; as long as she can take the slow route and not have to cope with hills she’s fine.
We saw one troop at camporee where one adult was using a teardrop camper instead of a tent. Light enough to be wheeled to the campsite by the troop. Adult could get around, but medically could not sleep on the ground in a tent, even if had the padding in the teardrop. Wouldn’t work for backpacking, or even some of the campsites at some of the full time camp campsites (Baker has two or 3, including the handicap site). Bit difficult for troop to win the “no trace” category (that went to the troop whose campsite we couldn’t find).
“she can take the slow route and not have to cope with hills”
I can resemble that. Most hikes. Every backpack (unless *handled specifically to prevent it) I was at the back. I’ve got one speed that allows me to go all day. That speed is not fast. Unit would get spread out on the trails. Rule was those in the lead had to stop at every creek crossing and any trail junctures, no matter how obvious which way to go, until everyone caught up. I rarely rested at those stops. Did make new scouts or newer adults to complain when it was pointed out they were still in front of me.
(*) Pre-trips, usually adult only (sometimes a child would come) meant I got put in front to set the pace.
Re new taxes: that’s why politicians keep bringing up the VAT (“value added tax”). Not just because it’s an additional tax, but because it’s carefully designed to be maximally sneaky, so they can keep jacking it up without the people realizing what’s happening. That’s why it was established in Europe in the 1970s and persists to this day.
Re UK and the 1st and 2nd Amendments: not only that, but the UK has no Constitution whatsoever, and as a result no limit on the government other than tradition and self-restraint. But the same is true in different ways in other countries. I like to mention my country of origin (Holland). It has something that pretends to be a Constitution, but in its own Article 120 it says that it is unenforceable. I kid you not — look it up. Oh yes, it also says that people have the right to free speech “subject to everyone’s responsibility under the law”. That sounds suspiciously like “void where prohibited” and indeed politicians have often said that freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can offend other people. So what’s left is freedom to say approved things.
Back during the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, some of the locals were spotted with signs saying they wanted the 2nd Amendment too.
heh, yeah, the greek constitution is very similar. lots of high-sounding clauses like ‘people have a right to free speech’ then followed up with a ‘as regulated by law’ like the fine print in the sales contract from a sleazy used car dealer. it’s all just window dressing that boils down to ‘whoever is in control of government can do whatever he pleases’ .
the concept of an explicitly limited government with enumerated powers was one of the greatest advancements made with the US constitution.
It included things for the commons. The rights of widows are not limited to noblewomen, there are explicit references to the rights of freemen, and some are granted to all men.
I think there was rare exception a few years ago, when the tax on telephone calls was done away with. The taxation was made, I’m told, to pay for the Spanish-American War. Then again, there are Federal taxes on my cell phone bill. (shrug).
The war lasted 6 months. The tax lasted 116 years.
In other news, the British Commons recently finished paying off the loans taken out to buy slaves from their upper-class owners back in 1824. At least when Lincoln freed the slaves he didn’t make us pay the Confederates for their ‘property’.
Every country in the world except the United States of America and Haiti recompensed slaveowners at the end of slavery. Haiti paid an indemnity to France. As for the US, it could point to the laws and customs of war — but on the whole, money would have been better.
The ACW was fought over issues of federalism and power. That it was about slavery was because that was the flashpoint. There probably would have been something else without that.
IIRC, Haiti still owes France reparations, which is one of the reasons it has never managed to drag itself out of property.
Since Haiti gained independence in 1804, that means there have been several different governments that have laid claim to the debt, none of them voiding it. After all, why would they?
A key point usually missed is the emancipation proclamation didn’t free all the slaves, just the ones in the states that were in revolt. And technically, the 13th amendment violated the 5th amendment rights of slave holders. Good intentions, bad law.
After three months with no cat in this house, we went and adopted a cat. I’m having to get used to how agile and athletic a cat can be when not elderly and frail.
I was warned that Jase was “a jumper.” I saw him leap from one row of cages to the other. He still came home. Guess what? No more assuming things on shelves/dressers/counters are safe from feline attentions.
Can’t say I wasn’t warned. (He just knocked over the icons on top of the piano, after kicking my music off the bench.)
I am taking care of a friend’s house and cat. Come in and no sign of her. Bend over the kitchen island counter to start filling out my daily checklist and she is rubbing my elbow. Approach and leap to the counter unseen and unheard. Disconcerting.
One of our late kitties (passed at around 21) couldn’t sit or lie down easily the last few years with her arthritis (more of a controlled fall), but never had difficulty jumping up on to counters or deck railings.
Nastycat has the springs for legs. Sproing! No trouble reaching the top of the bookshelf, fridge, or my shoulder when he wants to. I’ve seen him drop off the roof of the garage with nary a limp, too. Sometimes he gets up on my shoulder, front paws on my head, and checks the light fixture in the kitchen for bugs to swat at. Hasn’t needed a bath these past two weeks yet, but the weather is warming so I’m expecting it soon.
Doofus, the orange fuzzmonster, is not much of a leaper. When he does jump you can hear the “thump!” when he lands. He can get to the countertop to take a sniff at the chicken pot (even when it’s clean and empty), almost like a hint to make moar chicken for the OrangeCatNeedsCHIKN! He’s a hefty chunk of cat- not really fat, but more just built heavy. Not as big as Othercat, though.
Othercat’s a monster. Must be some main coon in his ancestry, he’s about twenty some pounds of lazy but feisty, playful hunter and wooer of the lady cat across the way. He’s got a lot of mass to move, but once he gets it moving he can go. I think he slows down so Doofus can stay caught up when they play.
Neighborcat’s the fast one. Long and lean, speedier than a jackrabbit (at least until it gets up to speed), masterful hunter and tracker. Don’t know much about his jump height. He probably doesn’t use it because he doesn’t need to. Short pounces, fast paws, thick neck that can snap a rodent spine in a single shake. He’s gearing up for spring hunting season, practically vibrating in eagerness to get his killin’ spree on.
Lawyer: Objection on that last one: assumes facts not in evidence. It would only take 5 minutes to write 5 bullet points about what they’ve accomplished last week… if they actually accomplished anything, otherwise it would take a lot longer to figure out how to write BS that would pass muster.
Judge: Objection overruled. Making the viewer realize this is the whole point of the meme.
Current boss inherited a daily z-fest hour morning meeting to review tasks. ( former MFARCF … departed) In exchange for a bullet point email, dropped to monday/Thursday 30 min to ensure we were not missing something important for lack of support. Then Friday scheduled an all day 9 hour meeting (!) that no one is to attend. It is so we all can tell the business our Fridays are already booked solid by the boss, sorry, so choose another day. Thus we get stuff done by Friday and go home on time.
Our previous CIO tried to declare “no meeting Fridays” except for absolutely essential ones. At first it worked. Then the business realized the tech area’s calendars were freer on Friday and loaded them up with BS meetings. And about half the managers just completely ignored him and he never tried to actually enforce it on them. Less than a year later he was gone. And now we have managers in my area who just love to schedule meetings on Friday afternoons. Indian management style at its finest.
Years ago, one of my project managers would have a 2h+ “Bladder Buster” where he droned on about higher project workings that we had no involvement or interest in (he loved to hear himself talk, and his mouth was full of tongue). I always wanted to bring a large coffee cup and a hospital urinal bottle and put them on the table in front of me.
Once we had the Kanban task list added to the ticketing system, we ditched the emails and boss just looks at the queues and maybe shuffles the order if something gets urgent-ized.
So oh boo hoo the DOGE meanies want to see what is going on. I could respond in 5 minutes with the essentials, a link to the ticket/Kanban combined view queue, and a screenshot of it if in case they lacked access.
5 minutes, tops.
sheeeeeeesh….
If they can’t even handle a little BS bump-frisk like that 5 bullet point thing, they are likely not only “doing nothing” but “net negative” drags on the 2-3% who actually are working.
I could respond in 5 minutes with the essentials, a link to the ticket/Kanban combined view queue, and a screenshot of it if in case they lacked access.
They probably could too…. if that technology was actually in general use within the government. Trust me, it is not.
Even where the civilian contractors are using it internally, it isn’t the standard for the actual government workers.
Also, someone was saying “fill in 5 minutes of bafflegab”. The problem is those responses become actual Official Government Documents, and if some AI / 25 year old decides you’ve lied on that Official Government Document, you too can ger a close up view of “the process as the punishment”, like any number of Donald Trump’s subordinates / supporters / etc. did.
Behold the natural outcome of a weaponized legal system.
My Wednesday/Thursday last week would drop to one thing I accomplished, but that one thing was a doozy. “Remove lens flares from 144 images.”
We’re not talking a little circle off to the side, oh no. We’re talking multiple overlapping circles of different colors on top of the figures. There is currently no automatic program to fix things like this, and most of the things will make it worse.
So it took two of us and eleven hours of work to get these photos up to publishable state. Most of them we got looking as though nothing had ever happened. A few of the worst ones I’m not entirely happy with, but given their original state (including being washed out to 25% opacity), I’m fine with it.
And it got me some eyestrain by the end too, in spite of glasses specifically designed for computer use…
(I could lay out the step-by-step process I used to fix these stupid suckers, but I already did once in the task…)
My boss well knew when I wasn’t doing anything, because I was in his office asking him to find me something to do. Then there was the end of the year when 2-3 weeks of use it or lose it vacation had accumulated. I could take it where I wanted – usually at my desk at work (Nov-Dec in ND does not lend itself to idyllic idleness). “I’m on vacation Boss. Be nice to me, or I’ll spend it at home”.
I was never so glad to have our old phone system replaced. Boss was forced to as it was obsolete, and it finally broke. We knew who was calling. In addition, voice mail went to email. I got so I ignored certain clients after 4 PM. The kind that “we have a payroll problem”, actually a time reporting problem, “it is due by 4:30 PM, and we’ve been working on it all day!” BS.
Always, and I do mean in 12 years, it was always PIC did not do any work to track down the problem.
Had to have current data to find the problem for them.
Took 48 hours to get the data uploaded, or to be able to VPN in to look at it.
Never hid what I was doing. But it was my last 6 months and my attitude was kind of “What? I’m going to get fired?” Would have missed the year end bonus, but … “Oh well.”
I have one “not quite VIP” that -consistently pings me after hours, or 5 minutes before I am “officially” done, with some new issue or the reply that is two days overdue that prevented me solving his latest query.
Told the boss I am ignoring him at T minus 30 minutes until next day.
“No. Ignore anything that isn’t marked “emergency / system down” if it isn’t a call or an escalated urgent ticket.”
lol. I also started pinging him at o-dark-am when I start. “Get this back to me on an hour or i can’t address until tomorrow.”
he once called me waking me up.
I went back to bed. Woke up at 4am. Solved problem (error between keyboard and seat)
From kindergarten waaaaay back when dinosaurs ran loose in the late 1960s through my high school graduation, every school I attended featured row upon row of portable classrooms.
And, hey, is that an air conditioning unit on that portable? I never once until I hit college had a classroom that had AC. If it was hot we just sweated.
And, yes, I walked to school. It was uphill both ways.
Related story from some random reaction video I saw, of two Korean young ladies watching a US Asian comic do his bits – the guy was doing a bit where his Asian parents told him how hard they had it compared to him, and one girl says “That’s my mother! She said she had to walk over a mountain in winter every day to get to school, carrying her younger brother on her back.” And the other one says “Mine too! Are you sure we’re not unknown sisters?”
Early 1990s, no AC in the high school except for the staff offices and the computer lab, because the computers didn’t like 90+ degree heat. The rest of us opened the windows and perspired in August and September, then steamed in January and February (steam radiators for heat). Because that’s just how it was.
When the School District demanded $$$$ “for AC in the schools, to improve learning outcomes,” and other things, the bond got slapped down hard, and the admins couldn’t understand why? They got schooled.
My schools did not have AC. We reliably got over 100º in the late spring (school went into June) and early fall (after Labor Day start.) School design had little tiny windows high on the wall on the south side, with shade roofs over the hallways, and great big windows on the north looking over the grass in between classroom rows.
I once asked a teacher at my elementary if they could install AC if someone were to donate it. “No,” she said, “the electrical system wouldn’t support it.” I didn’t get AC in more than isolated classrooms until (private) high school.
ALL the schools have AC now in my hometown. Of course, around here they all start in early August, too, to split the semesters evenly over winter break. So they’re in school at the hottest part of the year. (It’s the football players I pity. Those bowls hold in heat like nobody’s business, and fake turf only makes it worse.)
I too am from the time when dinosaurs roamed the school yard and portable trailer classrooms were what were brought in instead of building new schools. Now hubby, just ask our son, was in school during the time before dirt was created (late ’50s) … Pretty sure he had portable classrooms at his school too.
When son was in school the grade school needed more classrooms, but no temp classrooms brought in. This was because the classrooms are in quads, with a common center area in the building, and bathrooms between the center room and each classroom. Solution? Convert the common center area into a classroom. The school district has since added another building. Now too many classrooms, so they have the pre-K and an in school daycare back.
Not sure if I was at a peak, but in both the very heavily kid-populated Detroit suburb and in the other one somewhere back east, no portables. Grades K-2 were in a rather new school, for a rather new set of subdivisions. 3-6 was in an ancient pile; circa late 1800s. No signs of portables even 10-14 years later. OTOH, both schools have been repurposed and either TESL or privatized. (Didn’t hurt that for the second district, a really good Catholic school came in and siphoned off a lot of kids.)
My kids’ high school is finally taking out the portables that were installed 40+ years ago, because they’re putting in new buildings*. The portables have made their way down to the junior high, because they’re more durable than the newer portables, and that school is demolishing their 1950s-era buildings and putting in new ones, with the portables as true temporaries.
*The school district did a very smart thing when they put up a school bond 6-8 years back. “Vote this in and you can look at this very specific list by school to see how the money will be used!” And when the bond passed, each school took the money and visibly used it exactly the way they said they would. I believe another bond just passed this last fall because the local voters are pleased to see money spent reliably and accountably. Who knew?
(And yes, this is California. So there are plenty of bad examples around for contrast.)
Our school district did the same a decade or so ago. Even more impressive is this round (there are at least two grade schools that require rebuilding) they chose to close schools rather than rebuild. Stated the school age population just wasn’t there. Some indication that a second HS was going to be required, but that was staved off by the alternative HS option, and the current HS age population decline. The “other district” has done similar. But they did have to replace the northern most middle school and HS (no choice, no way to absorb the northern population into the other middle and high schools).
The old building or the new multi-story one? I haven’t been in the new one (been open about a year).
I graduated from the old one. Thought is was small compared to the other HS’s, except Willamette.
N. Eugene area has exploded, over the last 60 years. Used to be mostly farms from Irving north, on the west side or River Road. Now it is farms north of West and East Beacon, with a few horse properties NW corner of West Beacon and Prairie Road.
Regarding the “when a world war happens, it always you three” meme, I think Russia needs to be on there. WWII started when Russia and Germany decided to divide up Poland. The start of WWI is murkier, but I think it’s fair to say that Russia’s mobilization against Austria at least played a significant role. I’d say they certainly deserve to be up there more than Britain.
DATELINE 2087: Belgium has seemingly DISAPPEARED with the borders nothing but a mysterious black-ish void as neighboring countries became belligerent. Those those who tried to poke at the void-wall found they lost fingers, hands, arms, or parts of weapons as the void seemed to just EAT such.
Radio hobbyists have said they have found, oddly, a new shortwave station identifying as ‘Belgian Defence News’ with the claimed callsign of FAFO. This is NOT consisten with the assigned ITU prefix for radio station in Belgium. Supposedly one message got through asking about that and the reply was, in Morse, DGAS–NFA.
Dayton has a subreddit, and they’re very proud that they went to a Tesla service center (ie, the mechanic for the dealer) and protested DOGE.
They also claimed that they were “threatened,” because at one point they thought somebody was about to turn in! At a mechanic garage!
Honestly, I thought people around here were smarter than that. Also, it’s very close to where I used to live (it’s where Staples used to be, way down the road from anything), so it’s insulting that they’d waste perfectly good space with their dumb protest. But it’s also unlikely that anybody noticed, except the mechanics, so whatever.
I commented, “Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s,” so I’m probably going to be banned. We’ll see how ban-happy it is, since it’s not a subreddit I ever even noticed.
Well, the newspaper took some pictures. They apparently tried to line the main drag with protesters, but they didn’t have enough protesters to make it look impressive.
There were at least two idiots standing in the road, in order to take pictures. On a road where there routinely are fast cars or big trucks hurrying downhill, heading for the highway. Holy crud, these people are too stupid to live. No wonder they thought a truck was “swerving” and “threatening the protest.” Because somebody was standing in the road!
They are claiming that they had “hundreds” or “200” protesters, but I’m doubting whether they hit 100. 50 or 70, maybe.
Are they trying to chlorinate the gene pool? Because it sounds an awful lot like they’re trying to chlorinate the gene pool. There comes a point in the spectrum of stupid where anyone sane just has to shrug their shoulders and say “self inflicted wounds” to the idiot turned into road pizza.
There are time I wonder how long before someone employs the South African solution to road/vehicle jerks: vehicle-mounted flamers/flamethrowers. Bet those jerk s move outta the way MIGHTY DANG FAST once set aflame good and hard.
Now that’s just mean. I mean, come on. They’re just backward, maleducated, malignant, arrogant, selfish, petty, cruel, dumb, and want to inflict their idiocy upon everyone around them…
Eh, maybe fluorine is good enough, I’m more a “suffer the consequences of your own actions” kind of guy mostly, but perhaps it has its place ya know?
you run a mixture of oxygen and fluorine through a 700-degree-heating block. “Oh, no you don’t,” is the common reaction of most chemists to that proposal,.
That was in describing ClF3, which is only slightly less unstable. Amazingly enough, it apparently has practical applications (as a cleaner in semiconductor equipment.
In that same chapter there is also this wonderful line: “It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water —with which it reacts explosively.”
So, was that school board chick from Huntsville AL? Because she must be new around here, of course, rocket scientists have absolutely no compunction in removing children from failing public schools….
Actually, the parent should say something like, “Sorry, kid. All of you deserve better than this festering pile of elephant droppings. I thank God that I am able to get my young ‘uns out, and I pray that your folks will find a way to rescue you as well.”
It is a consummation devoutly to be wished, that once DOGE and Trump and Congress are finally done doing what they ought to, our taxes ALSO drop by 90%. May they take Milei as an example!
According To Hoyt 
SFBS! and First!
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You beat my post!!!!!! [Crazy Grin]
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Moo II
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C4C
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I’m not surprised that Schiff-head was a regular with Epstein. Not the least bit surprised.
Never forget that Fauxi paid the communist Chinese millions of dollars to make COVID19, helped them cover up the outbreak for 3 months until it became impossible hide, then orchestrated a conspiracy to deny that it originated in the Wuhan bio-weapons lab.
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I am beginning to think that those who say Epstein was an IC asset, set up by them in the first place, in order to generate kompromat on various figures so they could use that to run ops, are probably closer to the truth than I first believed.
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So, the suspect list for Epstein’s ‘suicide’ grows longer…
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If he really is dead, and not living on the beach in Tonga under the assumed name Geoffrey Einzeppstein.
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No, they had no reason to do anything of the sort. Epstein was exposed, was of no further use, and was a substantial risk. ‘Suicide’ was the next logical step.
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It depends on how much private kompromat he had squirreled away outside of his head.
That could be a reason why stuff has not come out – whoever is holding the really good info is still getting “I am still alive, so not yet” messages and thus holding their release.
“Geoffrey”, sitting on a tropical beach sipping an umbrella drink, laughing at all the memes, and at his watchers’ continuing efforts to trick him into to telling them where the good stuff really is…
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…laughing because he set it up so he doesn’t know…
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Eh, I’m more the conspiracy theorist that says it was an opportunist thing. They found him doing that then they bankrolled him to get the kompromat. Because Commies don’t often create, but they almost always steal.
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^^^THAT^^^
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Apparently there are questions about the unlikely string of events that “built” his fortune and introduced him to high society.
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They compromised Epstein, or Epstein compromised them?
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As often stated on this blog: “Embrace the AND!“
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I remember when a large percentage of the homeless were housed in insane asylums, and a larger percentage were called homesteaders instead of homeless. Of course that was before the government confiscated 40% of the open land for tourists.
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The Reader stole the Girl Scout cookie meme. He knows several folks for whom it is true.
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My wife ran into a dealer last night. She forgot to ask the price before placing her order.
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I am soooo happy that GS cookies would turn my guts into [redacted], so there’s one source of overindulgence that’s off the menu. [Starts looking for other overindulgences…]
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My youngest niece is pretty active in dealing such things. So far I’ve resisted… so far.
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Do the Girl ‘Scouts’ do any actual, you know, scouting stuff anymore?
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Depends on the troop. Seriously a problem. Girl Scouts pretty much has taken out the “out”doors part of scout as a requirement. In a lot of ways getting to the Gold Award is easier than the Eagle Award trail in Scouting (formally BSA). But actually earning the Eagle Award itself is easier.
How, since both require Leadership. Easy. Both require a group to be lead. Gold Award requires a group leadership effort, which implies that 2 or more reach the point at the same time. Given attrition rates that is difficult to achieve, in addition we’ve all been part of a group where everyone was equal leader. (Works out well? Right?) Eagle requires one person to lead. (Note, haven’t been personally part of GSA since 1972. Sister took her older two girls and their friends through GSA, but not through Gold Award; this was ’90s – ’00s). They got Stymied. Knew a couple of all GSA/Venture crews that stated same frustrations. Were not earning the GSA Gold Award, but were earning Venturing Gold Awards; ’10s.)
Back to GSA taking the outdoors out of the requirements. One of the reasons why a lot of GSA troops were co-joining Venturing, as either all girl crews or even partnered with scouting troops for co-ed crews. Opened up the Scouting high adventure camps to those crews/GSA troops. Note, the new Scouting girl troops, are NOT co-ed. All that change does is allow girls to also earn Eagle. Girls are not “taking over troops”. That takes nothing away from the boys. (I really despise the news headlines on this. Every single one getting it wrong. I’m not in the news research business. Not even in Scouting, anymore. If I can get it right …)
FYI B. Durbin could provide more. She has a daughter and a son in the program.
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Yep!
And my own observations point to part of the barrier for Girl Scout troops to get into the oudoors. Namely, Scouting America (dba due to Congressional charter as BSA) has what are called “chartering organizations.” That’s some form of nonprofit that sponsors the troop, like Rotary Clubs, Lions, Elks, or American Legions. (Our local historical society sponsored a troop at one point.) Churches used to sponsor troops, but that’s fallen away as more troops become multi-faith.
Girl Scouts don’t have sponsoring organizations, which has a huge effect on things like contracts (you can’t sign a contract with an individual troop, for legal purposes; in Scouting America, the chartering organization signs contracts if necessary.) This also means they have no one to BUY OR STORE GEAR. Which, if you’re starting up a troop with Brownies, means you don’t have tents or outdoor kitchen supplies or anything that you don’t already have on hand. Cost barrier #1. Then, if you do acquire gear, you have to store it. Barrier #2.
And let’s not get into the fact that because you’re starting up a troop from nothing, you have no experienced folk on hand to teach you how to camp. Yes, they have trainings, but a workshop and a weekend won’t give confidence to people who have never been outdoors before and who are pretty sure they’re going to screw up. Scouting America has that overlap of trained people training newbies, so the newbies can assist before they have to take it on.
So while you do, indeed, have outdoorsy Girl Scout troops, it’s partly a matter of luck and finding the people who are confident enough to take them outside, and who have the gear to support it.
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When the first troop folded (size), and we went looking for another troop. The scoutmaster and son knew each other (2001 National Jamboree contingent, son was youngest scout to go. Scoutmaster was one of the 4 scouters.) When we provided the resource/experience summary, I swear the scoutmaster wept. The troops first week long backpacking trip was that next summer … Went from two to four adults experienced backpackers. Grew the number of adults from there … As well as the scouts themselves.
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One daughter, *two* sons. Daughter is in the middle.
There are two types of troops currently in Scouting. There are the gender-separate troops and there are the “linked” troops. The former are completely separate, as you might expect, and the latter share a chartering organization and possibly meeting spaces, but run parallel programs. There are some experimental troops piloting co-ed, which will still have gender-separate patrols. Whether or not they allow co-ed troops (which is probable, given that most of the world runs Scouting that way without issue), they will still have troops that are single gender if they choose to be.
I prefer to have my kids in the separate troops because they really do plan different things at that age. There are some crossover things—we ran a 20-mile hike yesterday for scouts who needed it and allowed people from both troops to participate*—but those aren’t things planned by the troop. (An event that includes more than one troop is considered a district event and requires a lot more paperwork. However, if two troops camp in adjoining campsites, planned individually, there’s nothing that says they can’t do some things together like share a campfire.)
*So… if the boys had been on their own, and the merit badge counselor wasn’t working off a back injury, it would have been completed much sooner. As it was, they did allow the boys to finish up first, and they were almost an hour earlier than the girls and the adults with them. Radios and phone tracking were involved, so everybody was monitored.
I will note that my daughter was definitely in the best shape of the three, since the other two don’t have to bike to school or have much in the way of P.E. But they all finished and the blisters are minimal. I’m sore, but glad we had a plan to have adults tap out halfway, since my hiking boots are older than I remembered and they have definitely given up the wonderful support they used to have.
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Lot of GSA and BSA troops partnering before the more recent change, even before 1999 starting of Venturing. Heck I went on a snow camp out as GSA with BSA when I was 12, 1968, because of partnering. Just neither could be a family thing.
Would not surprise me if troops can be co-ed eventually. Does not surprise me that troops of each sex are partnering too. Main thing is to keep the patrols separate. The big resource limitation is *adults.
Even with number of adults son’s troop had who could camp (if not backpack), week long outings were a challenge. Too many cannot take a week of work off unless it is without pay, and too many aren’t allowed to do that.
–
Been there.
Most of our equipment is older than our son. Will admit we are guilty of spending money to replace heavier ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s equipment … Although surprisingly both our external frame backpacks are lighter than any current backpacks with support (ultralight versions exempted). Probably should have replaced my sleeping bag with a woman style version for the vertically challenged. As it was I just tucked the extra length under me for extra padding.
(*) Overheard a lot of “my spouse thinks the Hilton is roughing it!” Not always the spouse = wife either (most, but not all). In our case the problem was hubby could not easily get summer weekdays off, even without pay (he could ask for it, but could be approved, then denied last minute). Too many other adults could get weekdays off but without pay. Can only do that so much. I at least could use vacation days, or at worse make up work days (salary).
Oh by the way. I am not, and have not been, in proper “physical” shape to do the scouting I did for the sake of the boys. Not, at least, since our son was born. Not a chance. Could pass the required seasonal physical. But that is about it. I did the camp outs, hiking, backpacking, summer camps, anyway. No way could I have done Philmont, and with the changes to National Jamboree with the venue change, not that either (would not be allowed to).
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One of the adults with my daughter’s troop is literally disabled. She has still come to summer camp; as long as she can take the slow route and not have to cope with hills she’s fine.
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We saw one troop at camporee where one adult was using a teardrop camper instead of a tent. Light enough to be wheeled to the campsite by the troop. Adult could get around, but medically could not sleep on the ground in a tent, even if had the padding in the teardrop. Wouldn’t work for backpacking, or even some of the campsites at some of the full time camp campsites (Baker has two or 3, including the handicap site). Bit difficult for troop to win the “no trace” category (that went to the troop whose campsite we couldn’t find).
“she can take the slow route and not have to cope with hills”
I can resemble that. Most hikes. Every backpack (unless *handled specifically to prevent it) I was at the back. I’ve got one speed that allows me to go all day. That speed is not fast. Unit would get spread out on the trails. Rule was those in the lead had to stop at every creek crossing and any trail junctures, no matter how obvious which way to go, until everyone caught up. I rarely rested at those stops. Did make new scouts or newer adults to complain when it was pointed out they were still in front of me.
(*) Pre-trips, usually adult only (sometimes a child would come) meant I got put in front to set the pace.
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Re new taxes: that’s why politicians keep bringing up the VAT (“value added tax”). Not just because it’s an additional tax, but because it’s carefully designed to be maximally sneaky, so they can keep jacking it up without the people realizing what’s happening. That’s why it was established in Europe in the 1970s and persists to this day.
Re UK and the 1st and 2nd Amendments: not only that, but the UK has no Constitution whatsoever, and as a result no limit on the government other than tradition and self-restraint. But the same is true in different ways in other countries. I like to mention my country of origin (Holland). It has something that pretends to be a Constitution, but in its own Article 120 it says that it is unenforceable. I kid you not — look it up. Oh yes, it also says that people have the right to free speech “subject to everyone’s responsibility under the law”. That sounds suspiciously like “void where prohibited” and indeed politicians have often said that freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can offend other people. So what’s left is freedom to say approved things.
Back during the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, some of the locals were spotted with signs saying they wanted the 2nd Amendment too.
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heh, yeah, the greek constitution is very similar. lots of high-sounding clauses like ‘people have a right to free speech’ then followed up with a ‘as regulated by law’ like the fine print in the sales contract from a sleazy used car dealer. it’s all just window dressing that boils down to ‘whoever is in control of government can do whatever he pleases’ .
the concept of an explicitly limited government with enumerated powers was one of the greatest advancements made with the US constitution.
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Well, if you ask them, they will tell you they have a Constitution, it’s just unwritten…
So yeah, they don’t really have one.
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It’s not worth the paper it’s written on…
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Did they rescind the Magna Carta? That was about as close to a constitution as they got.
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Nowadays? The British constitution would be
“Caliphate for Dummies”
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Not really. What it did is spell out the rights of the barons v. the king. It didn’t care about ordinary subjects.
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As limited as it was, it was a good start.
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It included things for the commons. The rights of widows are not limited to noblewomen, there are explicit references to the rights of freemen, and some are granted to all men.
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I still say we should welcome those HK bros with open arms. That’s the kind of spirit that America needs. Pro 2A, pro freedom, anticommie.
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I think there was rare exception a few years ago, when the tax on telephone calls was done away with. The taxation was made, I’m told, to pay for the Spanish-American War. Then again, there are Federal taxes on my cell phone bill. (shrug).
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The war lasted 6 months. The tax lasted 116 years.
In other news, the British Commons recently finished paying off the loans taken out to buy slaves from their upper-class owners back in 1824. At least when Lincoln freed the slaves he didn’t make us pay the Confederates for their ‘property’.
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I don’t think anyone would argue there was a payment for ending that evil; it just wasn’t strictly in coin.
And that’s all I’ll say on that.
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Wasn’t there a payment to the slave states that stayed loyal? I seem to recall that there was.
Not that there were many.
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Every country in the world except the United States of America and Haiti recompensed slaveowners at the end of slavery. Haiti paid an indemnity to France. As for the US, it could point to the laws and customs of war — but on the whole, money would have been better.
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Most Southern slaveowners would have refused to sell. If it was made a ‘mandatory buyback’ we’d have wound up in the same war anyway.
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The ACW was fought over issues of federalism and power. That it was about slavery was because that was the flashpoint. There probably would have been something else without that.
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Cease fire, folks. You know the preference of our hostess is to avoid rehashing that mess.
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Seconded. This Southron man doesn’t want to rehash it. Let it be.
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IIRC, Haiti still owes France reparations, which is one of the reasons it has never managed to drag itself out of property.
Since Haiti gained independence in 1804, that means there have been several different governments that have laid claim to the debt, none of them voiding it. After all, why would they?
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A key point usually missed is the emancipation proclamation didn’t free all the slaves, just the ones in the states that were in revolt. And technically, the 13th amendment violated the 5th amendment rights of slave holders. Good intentions, bad law.
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An amendment can’t violate another amendment, or the Constitution itself. It amends it.
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c4c
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Flyby c4memes, and signs of life!Homework is a slog, but at least I’ve been getting it done.*Whoosh!*
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Waves.
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Gotta feel sorry for the Ukrainian ambassador after yesterday’s fiasco.
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Yeah, when I saw the video it was, “Holy Cr@pola! She knows they just took a railroad tie, sideways, up the rear exit.”
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They were lucky it wasn’t Elon’s new chainsaw.
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I love the cat memes.
After three months with no cat in this house, we went and adopted a cat. I’m having to get used to how agile and athletic a cat can be when not elderly and frail.
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I was warned that Jase was “a jumper.” I saw him leap from one row of cages to the other. He still came home. Guess what? No more assuming things on shelves/dressers/counters are safe from feline attentions.
Can’t say I wasn’t warned. (He just knocked over the icons on top of the piano, after kicking my music off the bench.)
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My dear departed buddy Khan could leap to the top of the fridge. Had to see it to believe it.
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So does Indy.
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I am taking care of a friend’s house and cat. Come in and no sign of her. Bend over the kitchen island counter to start filling out my daily checklist and she is rubbing my elbow. Approach and leap to the counter unseen and unheard. Disconcerting.
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One of our late kitties (passed at around 21) couldn’t sit or lie down easily the last few years with her arthritis (more of a controlled fall), but never had difficulty jumping up on to counters or deck railings.
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Nastycat has the springs for legs. Sproing! No trouble reaching the top of the bookshelf, fridge, or my shoulder when he wants to. I’ve seen him drop off the roof of the garage with nary a limp, too. Sometimes he gets up on my shoulder, front paws on my head, and checks the light fixture in the kitchen for bugs to swat at. Hasn’t needed a bath these past two weeks yet, but the weather is warming so I’m expecting it soon.
Doofus, the orange fuzzmonster, is not much of a leaper. When he does jump you can hear the “thump!” when he lands. He can get to the countertop to take a sniff at the chicken pot (even when it’s clean and empty), almost like a hint to make moar chicken for the OrangeCatNeedsCHIKN! He’s a hefty chunk of cat- not really fat, but more just built heavy. Not as big as Othercat, though.
Othercat’s a monster. Must be some main coon in his ancestry, he’s about twenty some pounds of lazy but feisty, playful hunter and wooer of the lady cat across the way. He’s got a lot of mass to move, but once he gets it moving he can go. I think he slows down so Doofus can stay caught up when they play.
Neighborcat’s the fast one. Long and lean, speedier than a jackrabbit (at least until it gets up to speed), masterful hunter and tracker. Don’t know much about his jump height. He probably doesn’t use it because he doesn’t need to. Short pounces, fast paws, thick neck that can snap a rodent spine in a single shake. He’s gearing up for spring hunting season, practically vibrating in eagerness to get his killin’ spree on.
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Lawyer: Objection on that last one: assumes facts not in evidence. It would only take 5 minutes to write 5 bullet points about what they’ve accomplished last week… if they actually accomplished anything, otherwise it would take a lot longer to figure out how to write BS that would pass muster.
Judge: Objection overruled. Making the viewer realize this is the whole point of the meme.
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I don’t know what we’re paying for if our federal functionaries can’t even come up with 5 BS bafflegab bullet points for their work week.
I thought that was an essential skill that everyone learned in the kind of colleges that these people went to.
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Current boss inherited a daily z-fest hour morning meeting to review tasks. ( former MFARCF … departed) In exchange for a bullet point email, dropped to monday/Thursday 30 min to ensure we were not missing something important for lack of support. Then Friday scheduled an all day 9 hour meeting (!) that no one is to attend. It is so we all can tell the business our Fridays are already booked solid by the boss, sorry, so choose another day. Thus we get stuff done by Friday and go home on time.
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Our previous CIO tried to declare “no meeting Fridays” except for absolutely essential ones. At first it worked. Then the business realized the tech area’s calendars were freer on Friday and loaded them up with BS meetings. And about half the managers just completely ignored him and he never tried to actually enforce it on them. Less than a year later he was gone. And now we have managers in my area who just love to schedule meetings on Friday afternoons. Indian management style at its finest.
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Years ago, one of my project managers would have a 2h+ “Bladder Buster” where he droned on about higher project workings that we had no involvement or interest in (he loved to hear himself talk, and his mouth was full of tongue). I always wanted to bring a large coffee cup and a hospital urinal bottle and put them on the table in front of me.
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Once we had the Kanban task list added to the ticketing system, we ditched the emails and boss just looks at the queues and maybe shuffles the order if something gets urgent-ized.
So oh boo hoo the DOGE meanies want to see what is going on. I could respond in 5 minutes with the essentials, a link to the ticket/Kanban combined view queue, and a screenshot of it if in case they lacked access.
5 minutes, tops.
sheeeeeeesh….
If they can’t even handle a little BS bump-frisk like that 5 bullet point thing, they are likely not only “doing nothing” but “net negative” drags on the 2-3% who actually are working.
Well … bye!
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They probably could too…. if that technology was actually in general use within the government. Trust me, it is not.
Even where the civilian contractors are using it internally, it isn’t the standard for the actual government workers.
Also, someone was saying “fill in 5 minutes of bafflegab”. The problem is those responses become actual Official Government Documents, and if some AI / 25 year old decides you’ve lied on that Official Government Document, you too can ger a close up view of “the process as the punishment”, like any number of Donald Trump’s subordinates / supporters / etc. did.
Behold the natural outcome of a weaponized legal system.
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bunkum.
I can still summarize five basic items for a week prior to both systems just from my own ” keep the juggling on track ” notes.
and there are magic wordings for such docs that are quite defensible.
ten minutes tops.
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My Wednesday/Thursday last week would drop to one thing I accomplished, but that one thing was a doozy. “Remove lens flares from 144 images.”
We’re not talking a little circle off to the side, oh no. We’re talking multiple overlapping circles of different colors on top of the figures. There is currently no automatic program to fix things like this, and most of the things will make it worse.
So it took two of us and eleven hours of work to get these photos up to publishable state. Most of them we got looking as though nothing had ever happened. A few of the worst ones I’m not entirely happy with, but given their original state (including being washed out to 25% opacity), I’m fine with it.
And it got me some eyestrain by the end too, in spite of glasses specifically designed for computer use…
(I could lay out the step-by-step process I used to fix these stupid suckers, but I already did once in the task…)
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My boss well knew when I wasn’t doing anything, because I was in his office asking him to find me something to do. Then there was the end of the year when 2-3 weeks of use it or lose it vacation had accumulated. I could take it where I wanted – usually at my desk at work (Nov-Dec in ND does not lend itself to idyllic idleness). “I’m on vacation Boss. Be nice to me, or I’ll spend it at home”.
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I love this one. In fact, it might be covetousness (may God guard me from it!) that I now want to shoehorn it into a story somewhere.
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Great stuff! Needed the humor.
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I was never so glad to have our old phone system replaced. Boss was forced to as it was obsolete, and it finally broke. We knew who was calling. In addition, voice mail went to email. I got so I ignored certain clients after 4 PM. The kind that “we have a payroll problem”, actually a time reporting problem, “it is due by 4:30 PM, and we’ve been working on it all day!” BS.
Never hid what I was doing. But it was my last 6 months and my attitude was kind of “What? I’m going to get fired?” Would have missed the year end bonus, but … “Oh well.”
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I have one “not quite VIP” that -consistently pings me after hours, or 5 minutes before I am “officially” done, with some new issue or the reply that is two days overdue that prevented me solving his latest query.
Told the boss I am ignoring him at T minus 30 minutes until next day.
“No. Ignore anything that isn’t marked “emergency / system down” if it isn’t a call or an escalated urgent ticket.”
lol. I also started pinging him at o-dark-am when I start. “Get this back to me on an hour or i can’t address until tomorrow.”
he once called me waking me up.
I went back to bed. Woke up at 4am. Solved problem (error between keyboard and seat)
Called him at 5am
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Another excellent selection!
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From kindergarten waaaaay back when dinosaurs ran loose in the late 1960s through my high school graduation, every school I attended featured row upon row of portable classrooms.
Not a 80s and 90s thing there hoss.
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And, hey, is that an air conditioning unit on that portable? I never once until I hit college had a classroom that had AC. If it was hot we just sweated.
And, yes, I walked to school. It was uphill both ways.
Related story from some random reaction video I saw, of two Korean young ladies watching a US Asian comic do his bits – the guy was doing a bit where his Asian parents told him how hard they had it compared to him, and one girl says “That’s my mother! She said she had to walk over a mountain in winter every day to get to school, carrying her younger brother on her back.” And the other one says “Mine too! Are you sure we’re not unknown sisters?”
So it’s universal.
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Early 1990s, no AC in the high school except for the staff offices and the computer lab, because the computers didn’t like 90+ degree heat. The rest of us opened the windows and perspired in August and September, then steamed in January and February (steam radiators for heat). Because that’s just how it was.
When the School District demanded $$$$ “for AC in the schools, to improve learning outcomes,” and other things, the bond got slapped down hard, and the admins couldn’t understand why? They got schooled.
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My schools did not have AC. We reliably got over 100º in the late spring (school went into June) and early fall (after Labor Day start.) School design had little tiny windows high on the wall on the south side, with shade roofs over the hallways, and great big windows on the north looking over the grass in between classroom rows.
I once asked a teacher at my elementary if they could install AC if someone were to donate it. “No,” she said, “the electrical system wouldn’t support it.” I didn’t get AC in more than isolated classrooms until (private) high school.
ALL the schools have AC now in my hometown. Of course, around here they all start in early August, too, to split the semesters evenly over winter break. So they’re in school at the hottest part of the year. (It’s the football players I pity. Those bowls hold in heat like nobody’s business, and fake turf only makes it worse.)
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I too am from the time when dinosaurs roamed the school yard and portable trailer classrooms were what were brought in instead of building new schools. Now hubby, just ask our son, was in school during the time before dirt was created (late ’50s) … Pretty sure he had portable classrooms at his school too.
When son was in school the grade school needed more classrooms, but no temp classrooms brought in. This was because the classrooms are in quads, with a common center area in the building, and bathrooms between the center room and each classroom. Solution? Convert the common center area into a classroom. The school district has since added another building. Now too many classrooms, so they have the pre-K and an in school daycare back.
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Not sure if I was at a peak, but in both the very heavily kid-populated Detroit suburb and in the other one somewhere back east, no portables. Grades K-2 were in a rather new school, for a rather new set of subdivisions. 3-6 was in an ancient pile; circa late 1800s. No signs of portables even 10-14 years later. OTOH, both schools have been repurposed and either TESL or privatized. (Didn’t hurt that for the second district, a really good Catholic school came in and siphoned off a lot of kids.)
A/C? Not until my second dorm in college.
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I was gonna say. When I started school in 1970, I started in a portable classroom.
Which was still there the last time I went by the school.
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My kids’ high school is finally taking out the portables that were installed 40+ years ago, because they’re putting in new buildings*. The portables have made their way down to the junior high, because they’re more durable than the newer portables, and that school is demolishing their 1950s-era buildings and putting in new ones, with the portables as true temporaries.
*The school district did a very smart thing when they put up a school bond 6-8 years back. “Vote this in and you can look at this very specific list by school to see how the money will be used!” And when the bond passed, each school took the money and visibly used it exactly the way they said they would. I believe another bond just passed this last fall because the local voters are pleased to see money spent reliably and accountably. Who knew?
(And yes, this is California. So there are plenty of bad examples around for contrast.)
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Our school district did the same a decade or so ago. Even more impressive is this round (there are at least two grade schools that require rebuilding) they chose to close schools rather than rebuild. Stated the school age population just wasn’t there. Some indication that a second HS was going to be required, but that was staved off by the alternative HS option, and the current HS age population decline. The “other district” has done similar. But they did have to replace the northern most middle school and HS (no choice, no way to absorb the northern population into the other middle and high schools).
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North Eugene High School is freaky big. And a bit weird to walk around in.
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The old building or the new multi-story one? I haven’t been in the new one (been open about a year).
I graduated from the old one. Thought is was small compared to the other HS’s, except Willamette.
N. Eugene area has exploded, over the last 60 years. Used to be mostly farms from Irving north, on the west side or River Road. Now it is farms north of West and East Beacon, with a few horse properties NW corner of West Beacon and Prairie Road.
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The new multi-story one. We got invited to bring a kid to the kid wrestling practice and it was hard to find our way around.
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Regarding the “when a world war happens, it always you three” meme, I think Russia needs to be on there. WWII started when Russia and Germany decided to divide up Poland. The start of WWI is murkier, but I think it’s fair to say that Russia’s mobilization against Austria at least played a significant role. I’d say they certainly deserve to be up there more than Britain.
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Not to mention how Belgium keeps on winding up in the middle of it all…
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This. I am surprised when Russia invaded Ukraine they did not do so through Belgium.
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One wishes that they had… and leveled Brussels in the process…
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They can’t really help it, considering where they’re located…
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Not having defensible borders, and being mostly flat, is a real bummer when you have overly-assertive neighbors on both sides.
I think Belgium and Poland share horror stories over drinks.
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DATELINE 2087: Belgium has seemingly DISAPPEARED with the borders nothing but a mysterious black-ish void as neighboring countries became belligerent. Those those who tried to poke at the void-wall found they lost fingers, hands, arms, or parts of weapons as the void seemed to just EAT such.
Radio hobbyists have said they have found, oddly, a new shortwave station identifying as ‘Belgian Defence News’ with the claimed callsign of FAFO. This is NOT consisten with the assigned ITU prefix for radio station in Belgium. Supposedly one message got through asking about that and the reply was, in Morse, DGAS–NFA.
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Does that mean that putting the EU capital in Brussels is just an elaborate revenge scheme?
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Well, if Germany still HAD a military, I would say more like a message:
“We put you on this map, and we can take you off of it.”
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You are not wrong according to the received official history, but China would like a word with your timeline…
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The Reader notes that was only after Britain and France wouldn’t negotiate with Stalin to form an alliance against Germany.
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So America did. How’d that work out for us? And them?
(We know how it worked out for Stalin and his successors, including the ones in our government).
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Dayton has a subreddit, and they’re very proud that they went to a Tesla service center (ie, the mechanic for the dealer) and protested DOGE.
They also claimed that they were “threatened,” because at one point they thought somebody was about to turn in! At a mechanic garage!
Honestly, I thought people around here were smarter than that. Also, it’s very close to where I used to live (it’s where Staples used to be, way down the road from anything), so it’s insulting that they’d waste perfectly good space with their dumb protest. But it’s also unlikely that anybody noticed, except the mechanics, so whatever.
I commented, “Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s,” so I’m probably going to be banned. We’ll see how ban-happy it is, since it’s not a subreddit I ever even noticed.
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Well, the newspaper took some pictures. They apparently tried to line the main drag with protesters, but they didn’t have enough protesters to make it look impressive.
There were at least two idiots standing in the road, in order to take pictures. On a road where there routinely are fast cars or big trucks hurrying downhill, heading for the highway. Holy crud, these people are too stupid to live. No wonder they thought a truck was “swerving” and “threatening the protest.” Because somebody was standing in the road!
They are claiming that they had “hundreds” or “200” protesters, but I’m doubting whether they hit 100. 50 or 70, maybe.
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Are they trying to chlorinate the gene pool? Because it sounds an awful lot like they’re trying to chlorinate the gene pool. There comes a point in the spectrum of stupid where anyone sane just has to shrug their shoulders and say “self inflicted wounds” to the idiot turned into road pizza.
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There are time I wonder how long before someone employs the South African solution to road/vehicle jerks: vehicle-mounted flamers/flamethrowers. Bet those jerk s move outta the way MIGHTY DANG FAST once set aflame good and hard.
Now, if I were MEAN, I’d ask: GOT FLUORINE?
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Now that’s just mean. I mean, come on. They’re just backward, maleducated, malignant, arrogant, selfish, petty, cruel, dumb, and want to inflict their idiocy upon everyone around them…
Eh, maybe fluorine is good enough, I’m more a “suffer the consequences of your own actions” kind of guy mostly, but perhaps it has its place ya know?
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Eau de Skonk, perhaps?
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FOOF. Just sayin’.
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you run a mixture of oxygen and fluorine through a 700-degree-heating block. “Oh, no you don’t,” is the common reaction of most chemists to that proposal,.
https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-work-dioxygen-difluoride
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I still remember the chapter in Ignition! dealing with that stuff….
“My recommendation for necessary equipment starts with a good pair of running shoes.”
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That was in describing ClF3, which is only slightly less unstable. Amazingly enough, it apparently has practical applications (as a cleaner in semiconductor equipment.
In that same chapter there is also this wonderful line: “It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water —with which it reacts explosively.”
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I don’t even understand the majority of the chemistry, but dang if that guy doesn’t make it entertaining.
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I know enough chemistry to see certain chemical names and endings and start wincing. “It will either gas you, poison you, blow you up, or yes.”
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So, was that school board chick from Huntsville AL? Because she must be new around here, of course, rocket scientists have absolutely no compunction in removing children from failing public schools….
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Actually, the parent should say something like, “Sorry, kid. All of you deserve better than this festering pile of elephant droppings. I thank God that I am able to get my young ‘uns out, and I pray that your folks will find a way to rescue you as well.”
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Dear RFK Jr.
Beer is liquid bread. That is all.
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For whoever needs to see this today. (I did.)
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It is a consummation devoutly to be wished, that once DOGE and Trump and Congress are finally done doing what they ought to, our taxes ALSO drop by 90%. May they take Milei as an example!
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Re that coffee cup and finger signs –
If you use the “V version” you get only half the finger milage
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