Nobody told the IDF…
I was supposed to have a day off, and go with a crew to the Guiness brewery in Chicago for shenanigans. That’s no malarkey, bud! But, as usual, work interfered. But it is leaving me some time to monitor the situation. In other words, watch news updates about the Iranian regime getting it ass handed to it, and the DSA types complaining. Bah.
Even the EU has seen the writing on the wall. Well, in their own squishy manner.
So let us do some links then, hmmm?
- Maybe he was casting out a demon? Or, he is an ill-tempered lout and needs to go
- Poor Pakistan, caught between Afghanistan and Iran. On second thought, screw ’em.
- They were only able to identify it by the red jacket.
- The Swiss are Confederate sympathizers! (Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis is an ass, by the way).
Music. Better have some time for that one.
Comments are yours.
Random question. Is the Harrier jet still around?
The Pepsi Co one?
Yes.
One of my core memories was when I was younger we visited PNAS to go see my dad’s cousin’s gravesite at its cemetery (he was a fighter pilot and died in a training exercise). That cemetery was surrounded by a huge hedge. At least 8’ tall or better.
Out of nowhere we could hear the roaring of jet engines, and when we looked, it was a pair of Harrier jets taking off. Badassery to the max.
A pair flew low overhead when I was at the beach in Morehead City this summer, presumably out of Ozy’s old stomping grounds at Cherry Point.
Shpip needs to show up and make a joke about a hairer jet.
I have it on good authority that these guys shot down the F15s, not Kuwaiti air defenses.
https://funker530.com/video/taliban-release-masterclass-in-air-defense-for-iran
I just researched that. Using our own gear. I suppose that proves it works.
Anyway, cool video of one of the F-15e pilots (female) encountering a local after ejecting.
“They hate us” may be an oversimplification.
https://x.com/i/status/2028511302683861388
Kuwaitis I met all seemed cool. Not as weird as the Saudis. (Except for the idiot I almost killed in Kuwait City who mag-dumped an AK in the air next to my truck to celebrate our convoy passing through)
Honestly, I confess to chuckling to myself reading that because Europe feels at all relevant here. I don’t think Israel cares, I’m almost entirely certain the OMB administration and its supporters here don’t, and it doesn’t really matter what Iran thinks at the moment from what I can tell.
But send that strongly worded letter after you discuss it in a committee there, EU.
This was exactly my thought.
She looks so desperate to be relevant to anyone, when the truth is that nothing Europe does makes a single iota of difference.
I bet Trump chuckled when he read that too.
Apparently the Europeans like the strong horse too.
Queen Ursula is hoping to get a little alone time with Donnie and Hegseth.
Considering the general low T environment of Europe, it wouldn’t surprise me.
But it is leaving me some time to monitor the situation.
I am pursuing a path of resolute ignorance.
Funny to see the Aardvark in the opening photo. I did EMP testing on the F/B-111; free-field, skin excitation, and direct-drive.
My favorite part is UvdL pretending that Europe has some sort of influence as to how any of this goes.
The fuck is Europe gonna do? They have no influence.
Or what? The fuck is Europe gonna do if they keep yeeting missiles all over the joint?
They’re feckless. Only thing they can do is beg the US.
That’s kinda the hilarious part. Gotta say: The US has been far too good for them for far too long, but WTF to (their) People think about this shit? About being neutered, militarily useless fucks in their own continent?
How fucking *embarrassing* is it for them to rely on their Team America for fucking *everything?* Folk got used to that boil during the Cold War, I reckon, and got so used to it they don’t even contemplate the possibility of growing a pair?
Especially with 12k arrests in England this year over fucking social media posts, uh… the whole fucking country seems to be very happy to be colonized by ‘Arabs’ they happily invited in. It’s remarkably pathetic. Yeeesh.
They’ll be perfectly happy with it until the bill comes due. As long as they have their “free” “healthcare” they’ll continue to spiral down the bowl. By the time they’ve lost it all, it’ll be too late. And they’ll become increasingly like Canada, where their “free” “healthcare” sucks donkey balls, but as long as it exists on paper, they’ll cheer it as an unmitigated good.
In the 80s when I lived in Germany I used to marvel at how clean everything was there and how nice the roads were and so forth. Also in France and Spain. Especially compared to how dirty and dumpy everything was where I grew up. There are some cultural reasons for some of that but the “Team America” aspect never occurred to me at the time.
Iran attacked the territory of a EU member. What do we do?
Call the US. Tell them to stop the attacks but be gentle.
“We support freedom for the Iranian people but we cannot condone violence.” — Euroweenie
Too bad the Poles don’t have an aircraft carrier in theater.
Any Polish submarines …
Or he was trying to accelerate a bequeathal to the church…
That and it would keep insisting people respond with “Aye Aye, Cap’n!”
It got in the habit during crunch time…
Thanks SDF. I saw one a very long time ago at an air show. Very impressive.
Today in rhetorical prestidigitation
In “The Diversity Principle: The Story of a Transformative Idea,” David B. Oppenheimer, a clinical professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley, challenges Roberts’s view by tracing claims over the last two centuries that diverse groups outperform homogeneous ones in “solving problems, making discoveries, teaching and learning from each other and improving democratic discourse.”
There’s some carefully worded mumbo jumbo for you.
I don’t doubt that’s true. But of course they’re being dishonest about why people oppose DEI.
Except, I believe the vast majorities of great discoveries and inventions were driven by a single megalomaniac or a small team of like-minded individuals.
S Korea is 94.7% Korean. Those fucking bigots! And a big part of ‘the’ reason why they grew so quickly after the Japanese got kicked out in 1945. All sorts of shit is goofy in SoKo, but having a universal culture has been shockingly productive for them.
The North was ‘richer’ than the South until ~1979. The latter really is a remarkable country. (No, I have not seen KPop Demon Hunters, tho my bro’s family has.) Behind the scenes? K-Pop is predictably, fucked. Contract slavery, kinda, with *very, very* eager slaves.
(I’ll free them from the casting couch with my own…? But it really is fucked up. Profoundly.)
Define “diverse”, “outperform”, “solve”, “discover”, “teach”, “learn”, and “improve”.
This.
Depends on the definition of diverse. Diverse expertise and experience, sure, I can see it. Diverse skin tones and genitalia just for the sake of diverse skin tones and genitalia, I doubt.
Oppenheimer acknowledges, however, that “not every study supports the proposition that diversity produces value.” A 2024 study, for example, argues that better financial performance leads to greater diversity, not the other way around.
Inverted cause and effect? The egghead consensus is immune to such things.
My child, who is perfectly capable of boiling pasta himself, asked me to do it for him. This is very weird. He’s schlupping around the house all bummed and quiet. This is not him. He just says he tired, but damn. I’m starting to give him the side-eye.
Sounds like depression setting in…
I think so. Keep an eye on it.
Yes, it does.
Well, he clarified that it’s because he doesn’t do it right and I do. Too al dente or too gluteny. Also, I put enough salt in the water to rival the Great Salt Lake.
This ad popped in my feed.
I am assuming this is a complete scam? Looks like butane to me, despite claims to the contrary.
https://youtube.com/shorts/8WoI0ZtWkkg
Looks like it uses an electrical zapper to light a pressurized cylinder of butane or some other accelerant. Definitely not just plasma.
Save your money and buy one of Elon Musk’s Boring Company flamethrowers on eBay.
“We are not celebrating a military confrontation, but a part of Swiss history,”
Squishy Euroweenie. You are celebrating the beat down of Charles the Bold. You should smack open a pinata of him filled with cheese or something. Be a man!
There are times when saying nothing is the wisest choice
Gavin Newsom sharpened his criticism on Monday of Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran, arguing the president is pursuing a costly and open-ended war with little regard for American casualties or rising energy prices.
“Look at your cost at the pump the last few days: That was an act of the Trump administration,” the California governor told reporters during an unrelated event, accusing the president of spending more time “talking about his ballroom” than laying out an endgame or addressing the deaths of service members.
If there is anybody less in a position to bitch about gasoline prices, I don’t know who it might be.
Maybe he could suspend his gas tax for the duration.
Now you’re just being ridiculous.
Or, you know, get rid of the special gas mix mandate and just use regular gas.
Laughs in CARB.
The governor for the state immediately north could be in contention, but yeah. That’s some serious tonedeafness.
“My policies have driven gas up astronomically throughout my long tenure, but just look at the last few cents in the last few days!”
This guy has a way outsized view of himself. He’s like the UvdL of America.
At least Oregon has good roads to show for it. California doesn’t even have that.
ODOT and WADOT Re dead broke.
From a representative of the party of “your electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”
The balls on this dude are tiny, but he still wheels a wheelbarrow around to make it seem like he creates testosterone.
These are not the straws you’re looking for.
I *LOVE* his 960 SAT ‘admission.’ Dad is overly occupied with his 980, which he uses to clarify, justify, his ignorance. He is constantly ‘yelled’ by Mom and her 1410 for bringing up such stupid bullshit. It’s the rare opportunity for me to poke fun at both of ’em. “Dad’s smarter than Newsom! And he’s in charge of ~40 million people! See why shit’s so fucked up?!”
(I got a 1360. Colin, in the 1200s. We’re almost equal in intelligence; he’s just far far FAR more focused w it.)
I only got a 1350.
I still don’t know how I got accepted to college. Especially when my application essay was handwritten in my illegible scrawl and had a footprint on it.
I got a 1400 in 2002. I was aiming higher, but it was good enough to get me a free ride at Bovine University, AKA WVU.
WVU Mountaineer shoots in air to signal football victory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdbygujTkp8
College Mascot Kills Bear With School’s Musket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uu-8_s-n4M
I was born in West Virginia. I resemble that accomplishment.
Well Trump did start rambling, inappropriately I thought, about the ballroom and the drapes, when he was speaking to honor Medal of Honor winners and discuss our brave military men and women. Sort of like hearing the CEO talk about the 5′ putt he missed before he’s about to tell you the company is filing for Ch.11 and a bunch of you are going to report to HR for your walking papers.
Predicted repost: *Eeek. Apologies: I feel remarkably unwell. Not brain damage related, tho my usual tremors are in effect. Without supervision, I’ve gone back into old habits, slow-motion suicide, primarily out of boring, dreadful depression.
I’m still persistently chipper, at least outwardly, but there’s nothing resembling happiness in *my* life. Other happy people are in there, so I’ve got that, I s’pose. I feel my presence among them is a stiff, heavy weight on them. I do have a long-ish psych session on Thurs to vent. Fucking dreadful idea for them to even think of prescribing bullshit, tho I’d really like my methamphetamine salts again.
Should get back to looking for work, but my current gig is exhausting and gotta juggle having time for myself, which I obviously shouldn’t have any of. (I’m remarkably bad for myself.) Writing for fun is another idea, which certainly is a positive, but doing that rather than something actively productive will *also* further depress me.
Promise I’ll look for productive work options after I walk (15yo) puppy. Staying stuck is another dreadful idea. Gotta walk away from today with *something* accomplished. Work w Dragon Lady returns in 22hrs, tho she did legit compliment me Sat.
Biggest issue: I still don’t know anyone IRL in America outside of ‘work’ and family. WTF do people do in modern times, I presume app-wise, to meet and find folk? Dating apps would be nice, cuz I haven’t been laid in 3yrs, but I also know I’m not a ‘finished’ product yet, and other than my somewhat-intelligence and experiences, I have nothing to offer anyone. I’m obviously into politics, thought, baseball, and I was a drummer in several bands, so I’ve got those?
(Big Thought: I’d really really like to write a Tight Five and do Open Mic Nights for stand-up.)
Um. I’ll stop now cuz I’m not trying to dampen everything, but, uh. Hrm. This likely will be re-posted to evening eyes for inspiration. I turn 39 in two months and I live in a tiny room in my parents’ house in Affluent Land. I don’t ‘belong’ here. Onward and upward, per usual, but in fairness, my brain has a rocky mountain to climb.
Y’all are by far the closest thing to ‘friends’ and ‘people I know’ in America. Thanks for giving me a moment, here.
————
Neph’s idea about joining a bowling, etc league is a really good idea. I’m kinda a social nightmare, but so is everyone else, yeah? Bowling really isn’t a bad idea, cuz I’m ambidextrous and honestly don’t know which hand to use. Pool isn’t a bad idea, either. I’m not great but I’m not an embarrassment and is something I’ve routinely had fun with in the past.
The crazy expenses in Carmel+ are hard for me to navigate. Went bowling with the Boys a few weeks ago and an hour was $60. Damn.
I like Neph’s idea too. I would also recommend contacting a roller derby league. They are always looking for volunteers as NSO’s (non-skating officials). These are jobs like running the scoreboard, timing penalties, etc. If you learn a few positions you could volunteer for other leagues. They let you in the games for free and often feed you. I went about 5 years never having to pay for admission. There are at least 3 teams I know of in the area, 2 women’s and 1 men’s.
The slow dying-off of social clubs, fraternal organizations, and the like has not been good for America’s mental wellness.
…
I would suggest taking up a shooting sport, except that you mentioned navigating crazy expenses. So that might not be the greatest idea…
That’s a *fantastic* idea. You’re a phenomenal person for advice in Indiana. Girls and sports? (Hrm!) Grew up as a competing gymnast and baseball player, went into powerlifting and then into hockey. (First goal? Championship Game, won 4-3.)
Those teams, in *my* area in Indy/Carmel? I just found this recent article in Carmel’s Current about Fishers’ program for kids. Looks interesting, though I’m not shopping for kids.
https://youarecurrent.com/2026/01/26/on-a-roll-subhead-junior-roller-derby-league-serves-fishers-indy-and-beyond/
Have you tried microdosing psylocibins?
THAT is something I’ve long thought about and have wanted to. I used to have a mushroom dude, but no longer, methinks. Any other options or pathways would be greatly appreciated, if you have some.
I’ve committed myself to *not* (full) tripping because I’ve learned to never do it when you’re not in a positive place, state, manner.
I absolutely adore the mental places a full trip can take you, though I did get shingles after a serious, serious(!) LSD trip on MLK Day (weekend) in 2006 at IU. That was fucking Beatles shit. Damn. Loved all of it, but the microdosing, I have researched and really think it would be a profound help in my day to day.
Authorities in Texas said a deputy was called out to wrangle a kangaroo seen hopping loose while wearing a red jacket.
This sounds more like a Florida Man story than a Texas Man story.
History of the Ford Mustang. About 20 minutes long.
AFY! YCSOMDALOMB!
Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!
Mein Bleistift ist rot.
That’s all I remember from 3 years of high school German.
Ouch! You should probably get that looked at.
Мой карандаш длинный и жёлтый.
All Fucked Yellow! Ye Cannot See Over Meta-Daleks And Loud Obnoxious Mechanoid Bombs!
I passed the other 2 CDL tests today. Unfortunately, the local vocational school is closed for spring break, so I won’t be able to get on the waiting list til next week. Even so, I’m glad I’m a few steps closer to being a trucker.