Thursday Afternoon Links

by | Oct 15, 2026 | I Am Lame | 91 comments

Greetings all. I’m off to Tallahassee tomorrow to attend a “celebration of life”. I guess we if you don’t have religious leanings, you can’t call it a memorial service or a wake. Truth be told, I’m not looking forward to this, but it was the husband of one of my wife’s good friends, so we go to support the group. I have concerns that its going to be performative and maudlin, but I’ll hope for the best and not contribute if it starts going downhill.

But enough about me, you want links…

You know all those state colleges that have “IT” or “&M” in their acronyms? They were set up to be something more like this. A school for learning advanced technical skills (engineering, mostly).

If there’s one thing you can trust the lawyer’s guild to do, its defend their territory. I, personally, do not care if a press secretary merely has a JD or passed a bar examiniation. I don’t expect her to be on the bench side of the bar in her professional duties.

I mean… taking her on People’s Court was probably the last straw. Florida Man, you’re a bad dude.

This is why you should get licensed auctioneers like Sloopy to conduct your estate sales… So he can acquire WWII era explosives for himself.

This has been running through my head since things started getting interesting with Britian’s anti-immigrant protests

About The Author

Brett L

Brett L

Brett set out to find America, the real America, the America of strip malls and serial killers, of butthole waxing and kelp smoothies, of cocaine and maggots. He sought it in the most American part of America—Florida: swamp gas and fever dreams, where love arrives on a rickety boat and leaves when it doesn't have the money for its fourth abortion. Oh, where has Brett gone? He’s drinking at the neck of America’s wang, chewing its foreskin and working its shaft. Brett is becoming legend. Brett can never die. Brett can never die. Brett is America, facedown in his own patriotic puke: the red his blood, the white his stomach lining, and the cold, cold blue his gas station slushie, spiked with coconut rum and tetracycline.

91 Comments

  1. Pat

    Truth be told, I’m not looking forward to this, but it was the husband of one of my wife’s good friends, so we go to support the group.

    Condolences. It’s good of you to be there for others, if nothing else.

    • Bobarian LMD

      I’ll hope for the best and not contribute if it starts going downhill.

      This is where I bring my skis and get the avalanche going.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        “… and the agony of defeat.”

  2. Pat

    You know all those state colleges that have “IT” or “&M” in their acronyms? They were set up to be something more like this. A school for learning advanced technical skills (engineering, mostly).

    There’s a case to be made for a university education that exposes the student to the broader liberal arts in order to develop their mind and reasoning, but since that’s not what a university education entails anymore, stand-alone colleges like that should be the rule and big unis should be the exception. There’s no reason whatsoever why business, engineering, and technical colleges should be attached to a university.

    • Pat

      She told The Fix that yearly tuition will cost less than $25,000.

      Oh… Well, that’s not exactly a huge savings over in-state tuition at a public uni, is it? My barebones, and admittedly fairly crappy, online college charged a flat fee per 6 months vs. per credit hour. At the time it was, IIRC, around $2,800 per term, and its now around $3,800 per term, 17 years later. Even if you take 4 full years to graduate, that’d be $30,400 for your entire degree program.

    • kinnath

      I technically have a liberal arts degree (BA with double major in CompSci and Physics).

      And yes, there is value in having the broad education once you get past junior engineer and are expected to lead projects and communicate status (written reports and aural presentation).

      It’s not uncommon for new grad engineers to be nearly incapable of writing a coherent sentence at this point.

      • R C Dean

        +1 doing the needful

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        and here I thought you had BS

  3. Dr. Fronkensteen

    Vermont college aims to keep tuition low with no gym, meal plan, or sports teams

    What about DEI offices and general administrative overhead?

    • creech

      The local HBCU (which was first in the nation) just announced a program (paid by taxpayers as they are part of the state system of higher education) costing $40 million to replace an aging gym. There are something like 900 students and were on the chopping block a few years ago until Gov. Shapiro heeded the “voices of the black community”). [P.S. there’s another Uni in the state system about 5 miles away that could easily absorb all 900 of them.] Propaganda was that the new sports facilities would promote leadership skills and future career success, keep up with the Joneses in their sports division, etc. etc. Like intramural sports doesn’t promote leadership? Does having professional coaches telling you what plays to run, etc., build leadership better than you huddling with your team mates and figuring out what play might work next?

      • Threedoor

        I bet their midnight basketball is off the chain.

      • The Artist Formerly Known as Lackadaisical

        So you think we could just give each student 40k and call it even instead?

  4. slumbrew

    Why would a press secretary need any sort of law degree? Or any degree, really?

    • Pat

      The same clowns trying to make this into an issue also insist Jill Biden be referred to as “Doctor” on account of her Ed.D.

    • Gustave Lytton

      They don’t. It has nothing to do with the actual role, but a gotcha on a Trump aide. She called herself a lawyer while only holding a JD and apparently practicing in China. The bar allegations are she held herself out as a lawyer while a resident of California.

      • RAHeinlein

        Her LinkedIn profile has a title of General Counsel for a position at the non-profit Fix California…these lawsuits are so tiresome.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Dr-Senator El-Sayed reporting for duty! 🫡

  5. slumbrew

    Is that an XM25 strapped to a Boston Robotics Spot on the front image?

    That’d be hilarious / terrifying.

  6. Pat

    I mean… taking her on People’s Court was probably the last straw.

    The murder trial should also take place on People’s Court for the sake of irony.

  7. Pat

    So he can acquire WWII era explosives for himself.

    Better to out with a bang than a whimper.

  8. B.P.

    “Austin’s KLBJ news station identified at least three of the olive-colored grenades as Mk 2 anti-personnel fragmentation grenades, widely used by US forces during the second world war, and known as “pineapple” grenades because of their distinctive shape.”

    The three grenades shown in the photo appear to be Japanese Type 91 grenades, but local TV news stations have never steered me wrong in the past on the subject of weaponry.

      • Threedoor

        Won’t let me look at it.
        What does it say?

      • Gustave Lytton

        DOD medical facilities require 13 and up to consent for parents/sponsors to have access to records and prohibit 17 and younger from creating logins to access records.

      • Threedoor

        Weird.
        But I can see that being a thing as so many in the military are step kids/kids born at the end a a year long deployment…

    • rhywun

      Outrageous. Probably started because abortion and now tranny issues.

  9. UnCivilServant

    I don’t know about where you are, but in my family we still call it a Funeral. Or a Memorial if we’ve already had the Funeral and are just using the excuse of everybody being there to have a family reunion.

    • B.P.

      I think I’ll stipulate that mine be called a “celebration of death”.

      • Pat

        Mine’ll be a “disposition,” I suppose. I wouldn’t want a service or memorial in any event, and there’s only 2 people I can think of who’d have any interest in one after I’m gone, and we’re all likely to be dying right around the same time anyway.

      • B.P.

        I’m good with that music.

      • Threedoor

        An airing of grievances?

      • R C Dean

        I can’t imagine that there would be anyone interested in a memorial gathering of any kind for me when I die. If Mrs. Dean goes first, it will be weeks or months before anyone even finds my body.

      • Fourscore

        We’re not planning on any sort of recognition. I’m guessing the neighbors will have a big celebration though.

        Humm, why would they wait ’til I’m gone?

      • Threedoor

        RC. I try to keep in regular co tact with my mother as that will likely be the case with her. One other neighbors got ahold of me several years ago because he noticed her garbage can had been in the street for two weeks without moving.

        In the case of several of my former buddies I know I’ll be the last to find out when they pass.

    • Fourscore

      Yeah, the celebration here is a picnic, outdoor affair with no formalities. A few pictures of the deceased (I almost wrote diseased). No alcohol.

      Always in the nicer weather. Not a sad affair because often it’s several months after the death. I was at one about 3-4 months ago, saw a number of folks I don’t have a chance to see too often.

      • creech

        Was notified of the death of a cousin (the one I was closest to when we were youths) this morning. Perhaps the service will be an opportunity to see many cousins I haven’t seen in decades.

      • DEG

        Sorry creech.

        Funerals in my family for a while doubled as family reunions. That’s dying out with the older generation.

      • Gender Traitor

        My condolences, creech.

      • Pat

        Condolences.

      • rhywun

        I got drunk AF at the last funeral I attended; well, at the memorial service afterward. The widow of my friend’s dad really appreciated our energy.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        you are lucky someone let you know, creech. i didn’t find out my oldest cousin passed for a couple years

    • The Other Kevin

      Here in the Guns and Bible belt it’s something like this:

      Wake = Standing around a body in a casket for an afternoon. Takes place in a funeral home.
      Funeral = An official church service, usually the day after a Wake. Takes place in a church.
      Service/Memorial = A ceremony that happens instead of a funeral. Takes place in the funeral home at the end of a Wake.
      Celebration of Life = A hippie thing that happens anywhere, any time, with no set rules, usually not in a funeral home and with no body present.

      • Gender Traitor

        In my neck of the woods (not that far from you,) the wake is more often called “visitation” and may be the evening before and/or an hour or two immediately before the funeral. And the funeral can take place in the funeral home – it’s right there in the name. 🙂

      • DEG

        Similar where I grew up in PA except “viewing” instead of “wake”, and the viewing would be the evening before the funeral.

      • Bobarian LMD

        Don’t Wakes absolutely require a significant amount of alcohol?

      • Bobarian LMD

        Adding to my comment based on GT’s comment — Visitations are dry, Wakes are wet.

  10. DEG

    I’m off to Tallahassee tomorrow to attend a “celebration of life”. I guess we if you don’t have religious leanings, you can’t call it a memorial service or a wake. Truth be told, I’m not looking forward to this, but it was the husband of one of my wife’s good friends, so we go to support the group.

    Sorry

    • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

      seconded

  11. DEG

    Delusional

    U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson told New Hampshire Republicans in Portsmouth Wednesday night that Anthony DiLorenzo will win the NH01 race over Democrat Stefany Shaheen, and when he does, watch out.

    “On election night, the polls close on the East Coast first, and then it fans across the country. Everybody’s going to be watching New Hampshire’s First District,” Johnson said. “And when this guy gets elected on election night, Democrats’ heads are going to explode, and I’m going to have a great time.”

    • The Other Kevin

      Maybe on election night we should have a special Zoom where we all stay up late in our jammies with bowls of popcorn watching the results trickle in. Or maybe we should just go to bed early which is way more productive.

      • creech

        Or have an informal bet on the results? I’m predicting the Dems will end up with a 30 seat majority in the House.
        The Senate? I fear it will be 51-49 Democrat.

      • DEG

        I think you’re right on how the election will turn out. And I already lost one election bet with you, and for other reasons I really can’t bet right now.

        As for an election zoom, maybe. If local liberty orgs have a election results watch party, I’ll be joining that. The NHLA had one a few cycles ago which was a good time.

      • The Other Kevin

        That’s a Tuesday night, so I’ll probably stay up to the late hour of 9:30pm occasionally checking X or Fox News. A presidential election is usually worth staying up a little later for.

        I think by that time we’ll have a good idea of what the trend will be.

      • Fourscore

        Mrs F will stay up, meaning asleep on the couch.

        I’ll go to bed, knowing that the BS was BS and nothing will get better, though it may change for the worser

      • creech

        A few of my MAGA friends think I’m nuts to predict a blue wave. To me it feels like a re-run of 2010, except in the other direction. You’ll remember the GOP picked up 63 seats in 2010, with Tea Party anger and Obama’s unpopular programs.
        This year, the leftwing anger seems much greater than the Tea Party anger did, and Trump is more widely hated than Obama was. Plus, one side has learned how to better game election results. Yes, there has been some GOP redistricting since 2010, which may mitigate the disaster; but I still believe a 30 seat majority is possible for the Dems. So invest in popcorn futures.

      • rhywun

        I think it will be a blowout for no reason other than OMB.

        The Dems have absolutely nothing to offer except spite and hatred. I fear where that is going to lead. A couple years of impeachment theater at least, and then when they “win” in 2028 it’s all bets off.

    • Threedoor

      I’ll take four.

      • Nephilium

        They’re an Ohio company.

  12. cyto

    More Cornell 7 info

    Apparently the statute of limitations has passed for suing the guys who are not charged with felony rape. Like, a year ago.

    So they are gonna move to be dismissed from the case.

    But…

    The statute of limitations for charging a misdemeanor is 1 year from the date of the event, which is up on like the 28th of October or so.

    Aaaaand…

    There is an exception to the 1 year statute of limitations for filing a civil case on a misdemeanor…. it resets when charges are filed.

    And now you know when James will be filing, at least on them.

    • RAHeinlein

      Have no fear – the NY State Assembly will surely pass a new law giving a one-month window to file charges going-back 20 years.

    • Grumbletarian

      The statute of limitations for charging a misdemeanor is 1 year from the date of the event, which is up on like the 28th of October or so.

      I thought the party took place in 2024. So almost two years ago. What am I missing?

      • cyto

        Civil suit is 1 year. Criminal is 2 years.

      • cyto

        Which means they cannot be sued. Except if James charges them then magically it becomes 3 years, i guess.

      • Evan from Evansville

        ^^ What Grumble grumbled.

  13. Pat

    Israeli spyware reaching millions of phones worldwide, researchers say

    Oct. 15 (UPI) — An Israeli advertising firm has delivered spyware to millions of phones around the world without users knowing, researchers from the University of Toronto said Thursday.
     
    Discover-Tech, an Israeli ad agency, has allegedly been using a software called Controlium that allows it to infect mobile devices with no-click spyware, meaning users do not need to interact with the advertisements to be hacked.
     
    Citizen Lab, the digital investigations research lab at the University of Toronto, said Controlium allows the Israeli firm to “mass-profile and deanonymize” internet users without their knowledge and extract their data, including their identity and IP address.
     
    “This is the first-ever public confirmation of zero-click mercenary spyware delivered via targeted ads,” Citizen Lab’s report says.

    Israel should really hire a PR team or something.

  14. UnCivilServant

    *headdesk*
    *headdesk*
    *headdesk*

    The advantage of computers is that they do math really really quickly.

    Yet the stupid goddamn AI can’t math for shit. We’re burning all these extra CPU cycles to fail at simple arithmatic.

    • DEG

      Why don’t you want the right people to get paid?

      • UnCivilServant

        Because I want good, correct, consistant results.

      • DEG

        The right people getting paid is consistent. I guess from their perspective it is good and correct. Otherwise they wouldn’t be the right people. QED.

        (This is sarcasm by the way)

      • juris imprudent

        UCS is obviously a white supremacist patriarch.

  15. The Artist Formerly Known as Lackadaisical

    “Discovery of grenades prompted a neighborhood lockdown and a visit from the Austin police department’s bomb squad”

    This seems like the kind of thing you should just keep to yourself and enjoy somewhere out in the woods.

  16. The Artist Formerly Known as Lackadaisical

    For neph if he’s still around, I invented a new mixed drink:

    1 part triple Sec
    1 part cacique
    2 dashes of angostura bitters
    2 parts of Sprite

    It’s sweet and strong, dangerously tasty. My wife who doesn’t like strong drinks found it very nice.

      • rhywun

        That’s what I see in the dictionary too.

        What else is that?

      • UnCivilServant

        It’s a brand of rum.

      • rhywun

        Oh. Gross. I hate rum.

      • juris imprudent

        Good beer and food. No idea when I’ll be here again though.

      • DEG

        Yes. I had lots of great food and beer there. This was a great place.

        You gotta watch out for pickpockets though.

      • rhywun

        In Czechland? That sucks.

      • Evan from Evansville

        I’ve taken a shit in Czech Republic. Not in their new name, but I did then.

        My semester in Germany was in 2008 and I didn’t get a smart phone until 2012 or ’13(?). So, definite missed opportunities, especially in Korea+ (but did come with the benefit of kinda having to do things semi on the fly). I went back to Germany a couple times in the 20-teens, and getting some pictures was one of a few reasons. (I didn’t do a great job back then, but — *shrug* enough. (Dammit.)

  17. cyto

    In the deep south we have a tradition of not leaving the deceased alone… some might call it “sitting up with the dead”

    Jerry Clower left behind this cultural record of the practice for your edification.

    https://youtu.be/kdW6oBPao4Y?

    • Gustave Lytton

      Too local news:

      https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/oregon-silver-rail-elementary-shooting-bend/

      16 school school shot by parent apparently. Carrying, even with a CHL, is a felony on school grounds if the school board decides to include them in the prohibition. Used to be CHLs were exempt and school boards and other local governments were precluded by state law. He is fucked because California on the Deschutes did that of course. Fuck Califuctards, deport them and the rest of the shitbirds that have flooded this state. 2M was enough here.

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