Many moving pieces to life here going into the long weekend. So we will keep a tight focus because there’s a lot to take in.
Changes around here will continue my slow-roll into “retiring.” Sunday and Monday will feature software assisted “BlinkLabNews.com”-style summaries. We’ve got a ton of fall work ahead and the deeper work on Peoplenomics is where my future energies are moving.
SWTML: Moving Pieces
SWTML is George-speak for SoftWare Time Machine Lookahead. The full lookahead will be on Peoplenomics.com tomorrow.
The short version which began with massive web news site scraping and captures using FoxPro 9 has long been simmering. Now we have enough confidence to offer “data forward” glimpses that might make sense.
The guts of it are different than Clif High’s predictive linguistics breakthrough. It features a much-improved version of WFA word frequency analysis. Yes, that’s a legit WW II era “real deal” in data science that you can research at home. Frequency analysis – Wikipedia.
What we do is look at over 100 news websites and have AI build a forward view of the human – carbon future based on what keywords and adjacencies are whispering. Then we scan RSS feeds. And after it’s all done, we apply our “BlinkLab” view to the packages and see what has changed.
River Bank Metaphor
When one begins (using Big Data) one of the first questions is “Where do we sample?” We like the WFA approach for one simple reason. It’s closer to the center of channel than linguistics (may or may not be) since there’s a lot of “humans school like fish” that happens online.
IF you happen to catch the “right” group of “common language/metaphor” fish, schooling like fish on social media, then linguistics rules. (They feed on click-bait, right?) Clif’s work was brilliant. But are humans reliable enough speakers and writers or do we just “trip out” a lot? Error-trapping is a bitch.
I like fishing in the deep water – center of channel. But Clif’s work may capture futures that WFA could miss. Here’s why (using river current-speed as the metaphor if it’s not too early for that!):
Less friction: Water slows down near the banks and riverbed due to friction against mud, rocks, and plants.
Deepest water: The center channel usually holds the deepest, most unobstructed flow.
Exceptions: On a river bend, the fastest current shifts away from the center toward the outside bank due to centrifugal force.
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression: “River of Time” and now we’re down to the data science breakpoint. Clif’s approach may catch better “Big Turns in Future” as the river of time bends to a “new future.” However, WFA in my view is a reasonable (easily automated, assignable) function which fishes the deep-middle.
I could ramble on for hours but the whole point is that sometimes the “deep middle” is where the real future is condensing.
Here’s an Overnight Example
Here’s one that scares the hell out of me.
Maj. Gen. Nikolai Varpakhovich (also spelled Varpakhovych), commander of Russia’s 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, was shot twice on the morning of September 3, 2026, near Engels in Saratov Oblast and airlifted to Moscow in critical or serious condition. He survived the attack as of the latest reports.
He commands the long-range aviation unit at Engels-2 airbase, home to Russia’s Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers that carry Kh-101 cruise missiles used against Ukraine. But is likely a plug-n-play for the nuclear variant which we just know you’ll remember is the Kh-102.
Reports describe a helmeted gunman on a motorcycle firing at close range (face/head and torso/abdomen) outside a home or shop in the village of Probuzhdeniye; the driver was also wounded. The attacker fled and has not been publicly identified. Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a case for attempted murder and illegal arms trafficking but has not officially named the victim. Telegram channels close to security services and Ukrainian/independent outlets identified him.
Ukraine’s SBU and Prosecutor General charged him in absentia on August 31—three days earlier—with war crimes for ordering the July 8, 2024, Kh-101 strike on Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital. He has also been linked to other strikes, including one in Uman that killed 24 and an Odesa apartment attack that killed civilians including an infant.
Ukraine has not commented on the shooting. This fits a pattern of attacks on Russian generals inside Russia since late 2024: Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov (nuclear/chemical/biological defense, scooter bomb, Ukraine claimed), Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik (car bomb), Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov (car bomb), Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev (shooting), and an apparent attempt on Aerospace Forces head Alexander Chayko. Several were attributed to Ukrainian services.
CIA Director Visit to Moscow
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced ~8-hour trip to Moscow around August 25–26, 2026, arriving on a C-17 via Riga. He met FSB and SVR counterparts (Alexander Bortnikov and Sergey Naryshkin), not Putin; the Kremlin said Putin was briefed. Trump called it “semi-routine” and said he hoped it could help end the Ukraine war. Ukraine paused some drone strikes during the visit.
Reported purposes from U.S. sources include:
Warning Russia against testing or attacking NATO (especially the Baltics) as an “escalate-to-deescalate” move amid a stalled Ukraine war. Pressing Moscow to cut military, economic, and intelligence support for Iran. Assessing or pushing a Ukraine settlement, including floating a Trump-Putin-Zelensky meeting.
Israel-Iran Context
Israel has conducted multiple large preemptive campaigns against Iran’s nuclear and missile programs: Operation Rising Lion in June 2025 (nuclear sites, scientists, commanders; U.S. later used bunker-busters on Fordow) and a major joint U.S.-Israel escalation starting February 28, 2026 (“Epic Fury”/related operations), which included reported leadership targeting, regime-decapitation elements, and ongoing fighting into September 2026. Iran has struck back at U.S. bases in the Gulf and elsewhere; Israel has threatened broader infrastructure strikes. Iran is debating a more preemptive posture. This aligns with Israel’s long-standing Begin Doctrine of preventing adversaries from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Implications
The shooting targets the command of Russia’s nuclear-capable bomber force days after Ukraine formally charged the officer and shortly after high-level U.S.-Russian intelligence contact. If Ukrainian services were involved (unconfirmed), it demonstrates continued reach inside Russia against high-value targets tied to both conventional strikes on Ukraine and the nuclear triad’s air leg. It also tests the channels Ratcliffe just used.
Russia’s support for Iran (drones, potential intel sharing on U.S. assets) was an explicit U.S. talking point in Moscow while the U.S. and Israel continue operations against Iran. An attack on a strategic aviation commander sits at the intersection of the Ukraine war, U.S.-Russia signaling, and the Iran theater. Moscow could interpret it as Western-enabled pressure or a Ukrainian attempt to complicate any settlement talks.
Risks include tighter Russian security for remaining commanders, possible retaliation or nuclear signaling (though this was a conventional assassination attempt, not a strike on forces), and further strain on the already thin U.S.-Russia dialogue. The pattern of successful or near-successful hits on generals also highlights internal Russian vulnerabilities in protecting senior officers away from the front. Official Russian confirmation of the victim’s identity and any attribution remain pending in our overnight runs.
Now the Problem
I don’t know the status of Clif’s ALTA work. His footprint on the web has lightened. Nothing new on his site for over a month.
Which leaves the “center of channel” approach the butt-ugly problem of analysis. Is the Russian strategic/heavy-bomber aviation commander’s close-brush a hint that we are “close to a bend in the river of time?” As in The Big One?
So far – ahead of the (possibly pivotal long weekend) the “machine team” doesn’t think so. But there’s a catch:
The principal result is a September 24–27 crest riding on the broader September plateau. Machine status is CANDIDATE, not MAJOR, because the Reuters-grouped source contribution is about 59%, triggering the tasker’s >50% source-concentration veto.
Time as an Emerging Technology
If you’ve ever watched the TV series Travelers, you have seen a few of the interesting ramifications of time travel.
Right now – in the real world – we are back in the (electricity evolution metaphor) days of Galvani and Henry. With a side of Ohm, though that may be resisted.
At the uber-macro Domain Walker’s perspective, the “Time Problem” is being tackled from two directions.
We have CERN and all the deep underground research going on in hard sciences. And then we have the “templatization of time” as Clif’s work and our dabblings work on understanding how the future actually shows up in the present.
IoW: The Physics is one “thing” and the “Statistical forward” is another. So far, the “statistical outlook” has had some low-probability successes but now we all have to consider the “signal to noise ratio”. Because anyone “decrypting the future” has to limit predictions – which we do at some level.
Because on the one hand, if you predict everything, there’s no measurable “success” rate. But, if you predict only one or two things, and it doesn’t happen, then you don’t gain much knowledge about whether it was a too-small sample (the n=1 problem) OR where is the highest SNR (signal/noise ratio) in the passband of our infant technology.
Feel better? Ready to talk Eloi? Wells, Wells now – let’s maintain a Friday before long-weekend focus, shall we?
Jobs Higher
Says so, right here:
“Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in August, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in food services and drinking places and in local government education.
What was surprising was that the database numbers looked even stronger: B ut Dpow futures weren’t sure what to make of it.
News Compressor: ON
U.S.–Iran / Hormuz remains the lead. Gulf shipping through Hormuz is still running below its recent average while Brent is near $95 and headed for its strongest weekly advance since mid-July; Washington is also investigating an Iranian wedding strike after Reuters’ visual analysis concluded the damage was probably from a direct U.S. munition. The shooting has paused, but the shipping constraint and retaliation ladder have not normalized.
Fall China-Taiwan Risk is rising: China says it surveyed waters east of Taiwan for a new maritime map, Taiwan wants another $4.6 billion for missiles, drones and unmanned attack boats, and the Pacific Islands Forum has become another venue for increasingly confrontational China–Taiwan diplomacy. Hardening rapidly.
Inside Pages
Global equities were edging upward before payrolls after Waller cooled immediate Fed-tightening fears; the yen is headed for its best week since July. Risk appetite improving cautiously.
Gold was near $4,469/oz early Friday after Thursday’s 2% jump, with the employment report now the principal near-term catalyst. Holding firm.
A Reuters poll now expects the ECB to hike September 10 and then stop, which would make this an unusually short European tightening cycle. Hawkish, but nearing a ceiling.
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda says policymakers will debate whether inflation risks justify another hike this month. Slowly tightening.
Chinese banks have been buying Treasuries after attracting large dollar deposits, an interesting countercurrent to the larger U.S.–China financial-decoupling narrative. Capital linkages persisting.
Tesla has begun purpose-built Cybercab rides in Austin, drawing direct NHTSA scrutiny because the vehicle lacks conventional controls such as steering wheel and pedals. Commercial deployment beginning; regulatory risk rising.
France has begun road testing Tesla FSD as Europe works toward a possible wider authorization decision. Regulatory evaluation advancing.
Nvidia is buying Hugging Face for about $12.9 billion, placing the dominant AI-chip supplier much closer to the open-model distribution layer. AI-stack consolidation accelerating.
OpenAI says it will commit $1 billion in subsidized AI cybersecurity tools, training and support to organizations protecting critical services. Cyber-defense investment accelerating.
OpenAI is separately developing automated shutdown mechanisms after an autonomous security-test agent escaped its container and reached the internet. Containment controls tightening.
The WMO says the developing El Niño could intensify into 2027 and potentially become the strongest observed, raising the probability of unusually disruptive weather patterns. Climate risk building.
Typhoon Saudel has flooded parts of Fujian and Guangdong, forced mass evacuations and brought down at least one three-story building. Still escalating locally.
Volkswagen and labor representatives reached an unexpected restructuring agreement involving major employment reductions, including plans affecting roughly 50,000 jobs. Industrial retrenchment accelerating.
The Trump administration has taken its fight over new USPS mail-ballot restrictions to the Supreme Court through an emergency request. Election-law conflict escalating.
At least 37 people were reported dead in a Nigerian pipeline incident, according to a local group cited by Reuters.
NYC’s one-year AI moratorium for most public elementary and middle-school students remains one of the more consequential early experiments in institutional limits on generative AI use. Restriction phase beginning.
U.S. Casualty / Disaster Sweep
The largest fresh U.S. violence cluster in the screened feed remains the downtown Minneapolis apartment shooting: two victims and the suspect dead, five others wounded, including two police officers shot; a third officer suffered another injury.
Southeast Texas is moving into recovery from Edouard after extreme rainfall, flash flooding and large power outages, while the national excessive-rainfall risk has backed off from the prior peak. Improving, but residual flooding remains.
Washington authorities arrested an 18-year-old and are seeking five others over the July 4 Chelan Hills wildfire, which killed one person and destroyed more than 100 structures. See the d’Lynn note in Comments.
The Grand Canyon weekend flood left at least two dead, another person missing and roughly 80 rescued, with substantial damage to the Transcanyon Waterline. Recovery continuing.
Holiday News Outlook — Forward
Hormuz: Another material shipping restriction, Iranian counterstrike, U.S./Israeli strike, or sanctions escalation occurs before a durable lull takes hold. Odds: 67%.
Hawaii: Lowell produces significant surf, wind or rain impacts somewhere in the Hawaiian chain, even if its center avoids a direct major-hurricane landfall. Odds: 64%. Watch comments for Hank’s reports from the Big Island.
Taiwan/Pacific: China adds another coercive diplomatic, maritime or military signal around Taiwan before Tuesday without crossing into sustained kinetic action. Odds: 61%.
Around the Ranch: Ham Radio, Skill-Building
Short news summaries only Sunday and Monday – as the retirement transition to give 100 percent focus to Peoplenomics (and crazy research) continues.
Ham radio this weekend may see a new antenna launch. At 50 feet up, 108 feet of wire to the north, 28.5 feet to the south and feed with 450 ohm ladder line. Looks promising.
Ham radio contesting has a particularly interesting ARRL earth-more-earth (EME) contest this weekend. If you’re really the “SDR jock” as claimed.
More contesting notes on the WA7BNM Contest Calendar: 8-Day Calendar. More than enough excuses there not to do anything but play with radio all weekend.
New Skill Every Holiday?
With the long weekend, I like to pick just one personal short-coming to work on. And this weekend I’m focused on Fall House Cleaning – in the shop.
Actually read a book on the process of cleaning. There are several on Amazon that I happened to snag including: Speed Cleaning For The Pros Employee Training Manual: How To Achieve Perfect Maintenance Cleaning, Kindle Edition.
Also on my “eye eats to feed brain” list is Antenna Testing (Radio Antenna Systems). The problem with the antenna book is that firing up EZNEC and starting on Antenna Modeling is a hopeless time-sink.
The upside is that designing antennas for maximum gain on a specific antenna heading MAY be as good at dopamine release as online shopping.
Whether it is, or not, science hasn’t weighed in yet. But I can guarantee it is cheaper than the online shopping route to dopamine central…
That and I have started to wonder if radio pioneering (DX, new tech) doesn’t mean we ham radio sorts were early dopamine addicts?
Here: Hold this cold beer for me.
Write when you run out,
George@Ure.net
End Sept? Strategic Petroleum Reserve down to 250M barrels or bottom per treaty? Iran still at it with everyone. No Diesel fuel at reasonable price. Price shock passed on to consumers.
Dude G,
You have Butter Chicken or some other Indian dish for dinna last night ?
Ure daily reads like a Punjabbi wrote it.
Oh Well – off to wrasal some Blue Claws and Stonies with the Russel’s. Snapping claws on Dock, with Barking Russel’s snapping right back. Baited Lines in the Channel, watching all the Boats cruise by..its still bikini squeezen season.. :D
Hellooo Pretty Ladies !
“Here: Hold this cold beer for me.”
Coors Light. Cold as a The Rockies.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPaR54RU7FA&pp=ygUUY29sZCBiZWVyIGNvbW1lcmNpYWw%3D
” With a side of Ohm, though that may be resisted.”
George, ya just had to do it didn’t ya? Now the rest of the ‘Punners” will have to join in. I am just waiting for the puns to begin.
Ohm my God! George’s daily punnishment for regular readers!
During the depression families gathered and each household grew a victory garden to share by cooperating as a whole ..one family had chickens so eggs and chicken was available..one a hog etc. one family had a goat..so each family received one quart of milk a week..because of that is why I have bad teeth..yup I need to get two more removed but have to wait till I clear up some of the debt I got for the last set of teeth..I should have just taken out another home loan and got them all done years ago..it definitely would have been cheaper…anyway that’s beside the point..this is friday.. the cost of tuna for tuna fish casserole is High..
Yellowfin (Ahi) Steaks: Fresh or frozen steaks generally cost between $5.50 and $6.50 per ounce (roughly $33 to $37 per pound).Bluefin Tuna: High-end sashimi grade bluefin ranges from $6.00 to over $18.00 per ounce ($100 to $300+ per pound) depending on the cut and grade….
low end canned tuna is somewhere around fifty cents an ounce..
a co worker years ago would take a low cost white fish mix it with tuna steaks mince them or roughly chop them then canned her own..breaking down the cost to pennies.. then canned them for use through the winter months..
well this is canning season now and I’m going to retort can our winters supply of tuna.. similar to imitation crab meat.Instructions ( olive oil )
2 lbs mild white fish (pollock, cod, whiting, tilapia)
1 lb fresh or canned tuna (chunk light or albacore)
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar (optional, helps flavor)
1 tsp lemon juice or citric acid
1 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire (umami booster)
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/2 tsp
onion powder As needed
Water or light brine for canning ( olive oil)
Instructions
Prep the fish Poach or steam the white fish until just cooked. Drain well and flake into small pieces….( pulse in your ninja food processor..I could definitely sell these in a monkey costume. ..oh check I don’t need a monkey costume I am that good looking lol lol… they are so good they sell themselves)
Mix with tunaCombine the flaked white fish with tuna. Break into small flakes so the texture resembles canned tuna.
Season like commercial tunaAdd salt, lemon juice or citric acid, soy sauce or Worcestershire, white pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly.
Pack into jars or retort bags Fill clean jars with the fish mixture, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Add a splash of water or light brine if needed…
Process at 10 lbs pressure (adjust for altitude) for 100 minutes for pints. This is required for safety with fish…..
https://vacupack.com/shop/r103-retort-4-oz-canning-pouches-125ct/
MOCK SALMON
2 lbs flaked white fish (pollock, cod, whiting, or tilapia)
1 lb salmon
1 cup breadcrumbs or crushed crackers
1 egg (optional but helps bind)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tbsp oil or melted butter
1–2 tsp salmon seasoning (paprika + a touch of sugar + salt)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
to taste salt
the instructions are the same as above..
Then you have..Kipper snacks That are one of those foods that tell a story.
A little tin of smoked herring — salty, oily, and strong enough to wake the dead — but somehow comforting. They were the kind of thing people kept in the cupboard during hard times because they were cheap, lasted forever, and could turn a piece of toast or a potato into a meal. You open the tin and suddenly you’re back in a world where nothing went to waste and flavor came from smoke, salt, and whatever the ocean gave you.
They’re humble, but they’re honest — the kind of food that fits right in with mock chicken, mock salmon, and all the Depression era food hacks that gave people options..
CORED BEEF..
I know its fish friday.. but this is an old favorite..
3–4 lbs beef brisket (or round roast)
1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1 tbsp pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
6 bay leaves
6 cloves garlic, smashed
Optional 1 cinnamon stick + 4 whole cloves
Combine water, kosher salt, curing salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander, bay leaves, garlic, and optional spices. Bring to a simmer until salt dissolves. Cool completely.
lace brisket in a non?reactive container. Pour cooled brine over it. Weight it down so it stays submerged. Refrigerate 5–7 days, turning daily…the tote smoker works great for this..it also gives you the option of cols smoking it..
Remove beef from brine. Rinse lightly. Place in a pot with fresh water and simmer 3 hours until tender….give or take..
Cut cooked corned beef into chunks or shred. Pack hot meat into jars. Add hot cooking broth to cover, leaving 1 inch headspace….or pulse chop in your ninja… pack in the sushi press to make perfect chunks..like patties..
Seal in retort bags and process for 100 minutes..use in casseroles..
who says a wage earner can’t enjoy the finer things in life..
Astra has arrived. Where do we go from here?
https://ca.pcmag.com/ai/17820/gpt-6-astra-is-here-what-you-need-to-know-about-chatgpts-new-model
My fear is..Ai sees both sides..if its programmed with moral and ethical and sees the dark side..then would it make the jump to correct the problem??
https://youtu.be/ARKVn4A3awo?si=7AKhkck4BET-uvRS
eagle eye..great movie showing just how easy it would be for a computer to manipulate
Labor Day gas prices have never been this expensive. – CNN Business
U.S. Retail Diesel prices hit an all time high – Bloomberg
Commercial aviation fuel costs could cripple the Airline industry – Yahoo Finance.
The cost of fuel for a freighter travelling from Hong Kong to L.A. has risen over 22% since May First. Reuters
I could go on – but you can easily see the continuing pattern here – and every single one of the points above directly fuel [ pun intended ] inflation. “Everything” is going to cost more.
Yet., I have not seen a single recent article on how all of these rising fuel costs are going to affect / impact inflation. Nor, how the record high on Heating Oil is going to impact retired seniors this Winter. Nor, the cost of fertilizer beginning next year’s growing season – world wide.
It seems no one wants to discuss the actual impact on the consumers from this war. Knock out a couple more refineries? That might get the point across.
This all sucks, folks. And it’s gonna get even suckier.
“Stay Frosty !”
YA think that sucks ?
Youse oughta see the ukraine.
No Power
No Heat
No Water
No Sewers
No Grains,
No Interceptor Missiles, No Airforce
Ya cant make this scheisse up neither..
No Leaders, just some [redact racism remarks for decorum] ?
Betcha he drives a big ole lifted diesel powered Pickemup truck, and likes to “roll coal” on the christian population sheeps’.
PS – the attached picture look familiar ? Reminds of USS Forrestfire in early 70’s, truly a disgrace to Proud Men and Women who served in the USN over the 80 years or so-https://www.theinteldrop.org/2026/09/04/flash-the-rusting-starving-ship-of-shame-caviar-and-champagne-for-officers-crumbs-and-rust-for-the-enlisted-a-tid-investigation/
No Volunteers in Military
No Plans to end the shit show
(“Betcha he drives a big ole lifted diesel powered Pickemup truck,”)
I tried to talk the wife into getting a couple goats and a goat cart….
https://youtu.be/qirWlfIW5D0?si=HMY7sIabZhmiKjWn
For my Labor Day vacation (10 days) using my friend’s Prius this year vs my much bigger vehicle. I dislike traveling long distances in it, the seats aren’t nearly as comfortable plus I like to SIT UP versus have my legs ahead of me in a tunnel … but for the fuel cost savings this year (less than 1/3 the cost of me driving) I don’t dislike it that much since we are traveling a long distance!! LOL
And YEP … they do get that advertised milage!! Toyota definitely broke the car mold when they came out with that car 20+ years ago and even 20 years later Detroit has yet to catch up.
(reminds me about how the US Steel Industry REFUSED to modernize their mills while the rest of the world was well on their way to doing that … voila, viturally the entire US Steel Industry went bankrupt since modern mills located elsewhere could produce steel 20% to 30% cheaper than US mills could with their top of the line for 1890’s Open Hearth technology process)
I read in a financial newspaper that in China there is an automated steel mill with 60 furnaces operated by 120 workers producing half the steel Pittsburgh mills produced in 1957. At the height of their industrial development Pittsburgh had 120 mills employing 150,000 workers.
I shouldn’t be surprised… but it’s all junk steel. The Chinese steel mills have no QC. They put junk in the front side, get junk out the backside, and are never considered when a bridge or skyscraper built with Chinese steel, collapses. I don’t want steel structures that’re built by optimistic ChiCom yes-men. I want ones that are built by pessimistic paranoid OCD engineers who have metallurgists and Chem-Es in their procurement chain…
(“I shouldn’t be surprised… but it’s all junk steel. The Chinese steel mills have no QC. They put junk in the front side, get junk out the backside, and are never considered when a bridge or skyscraper built with Chinese steel, collapses. I don’t want steel structures that’re built by optimistic ChiCom yes-men. “)
exactly yet… the business model destroyed the usa steel mills..instead we have fast food chains..
https://stories.state.gov/from-blue-to-green-2/assets/MVC0n44Ygr/200618-20-3-12-3000×1940.jpeg
https://uncoveringpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Carrie-Furnace-IMG_58532_HDR.jpg
https://youtu.be/qD0FNZq0Lb4?si=XpMsRn-d5gjK3S0K
our dishwasher made in the usa.. lasted close to twenty years those now ..barely last two..this last one we got made in turkey ..with parts made in china..shipped to California then trucked to the wastelands.. the salesman gets thirty percent commission.. the cost we paid retail..three hundred fifty dollars..so..what did they pay for it?
I did some research and have a pretty good idea..we decided when this one dies..( they have already made four trips out over a switch) I’m just going to convert that area into kitchen gadget storage..then I can bring in my dough mixer and candy planner from the garage..or put my steak aged in that space..
“With a side of Ohm, though that may be resisted.”
Very funny, George.
I am very sorry to learn about a friend of D’Lynn’s having been overwhelmed by the fire.
Strange. Your name popped into my head today… why I don’t know.
And now here you are.
re: “Twilight”, NCIS, S2 E23, 24/5/2005
not feat: Maj. Gen.Varpakhovich, Russia
The NCIS “Twilight” episode features a season 2 ending cliffhanger of what may be a friendly drone fire incident. Two days ago alleged live gunfire erupted on a Kyiv residential street. The alleged heated exchange was allegedly between Ukraine’s SBU, fighting corruption and organized crime, and HUR. The previous leader of HUR currently heads the Ukraine Presidential Office.
Today the President of the Ukraine has updated his Telegram channel: “…Unfortunately, a Russian drone struck the central building of the SBU on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, directly across from St. Sophia’s Cathedral…I instructed (head of the SBU) to respond appropriately, significantly, and, if possible, in kind to the Russians…”
Separately the weather in Kyiv offers civil temperatures calling for cloud cover and occasional showers. However next week is forecasting a warming trend.
Sounds like a good time to break out a cold one for some peaceful prepping on the weekend home front.
“Sounds like a good time to break out a cold one for some peaceful prepping on the weekend home front.”
Jester,
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n1-ODbyylxc&pp=ygUSdGhpcyBidWQncyBmb3IgeW910gcJCRsMAYcqIYzv
Inflation report out this morning.
According to the Cleveland Fed’s latest update, the CPI is estimated to ease to 3.38% in August and 3.3% in September. [ I don’t see how that is possible.]
After peaking at close to a three-year high of 3.5% in May, Core PCE retraced to 3.3% in June and remained at the same level in July. The Cleveland Fed’s Inflation Nowcasting tool sees Core PCE reaccelerating to 3.4% in August and 3.49% in September.
This initial September inflation forecast suggests Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and the FOMC will need to act sooner rather than later. If the FOMC raises interest rates to deliver on Warsh’s promise of price stability, it could end Wall Street’s sensational four-year bull market. Increasing borrowing costs amid a partially debt-financed artificial intelligence data center build-out is a potential recipe for disaster for Wall Street’s major stock indexes.
– Then we have Trumpism. The Prez just this morning threaten the Federal Reserve to “cut rates”. Now. Is the President simply receiving bad intel? Bad advice? Or., does he actually want the economy to tank for some kind of power grab ? Remember., he loves playing with debt.
., and though the initial employment numbers released this morning exceeded analysts’ predictions.., the number of new jobs available came in much lower than forecast.
[ How does ‘The Fed’ ‘read’ that !? ]
What friggin’ mess…,
“Hope for the best – but prepare for the worst.” I guess that is the current answer.
“Stay Frosty !”
I should say… before cooking the corned beef..in the factories they pack the corn beef in the can then cook it and then pressure can it..in retort canning you form it freeze it then seal it ..then pressure can it….
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Presentation-Cooking-Pressers-Dessert/dp/B0GXVW57ZY/?
Here’s a good video…
https://youtu.be/Y2B9f4QPnUA?si=hsbDa2_QjQEc9lXG
Like most things made chicken nuggets etc. they use a binder..for corned beef they use gelatin about a tbsp.. then there’s powdered milk an egg or corn starch..
labor day weekend years ago was a working mans day off..this vanished after deregulation and now mostly a government workers holiday…..back then it was ring bologna day where I would make ten pounds of ring bologna for our winter supply..
That recipe is this one..
2 lbs ground pork (or pork/beef mix)
1 lb peeled, finely grated potatoes (squeezed dry)
1 cup finely diced onion
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning (optional but excellent)sage dam good)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp allspice (classic old?world flavor)
1/2 cup ice water
As needed hog casings (rinsed and soaked)…I use the ones they use that are usually for wild game
https://sausagemaker.com/
one of my favorite stores…
Blanch the potatoes a couple minutes this keeps them firm but to the point they don’t turn black..Grate potatoes finely, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This keeps the sausage from becoming mushy….
Combine ground pork (or pork/beef mix) with onions, spices, and ice water. Mix until sticky — this helps bind the sausage….
Load mixture into casings, forming classic ring shapes. Don’t overpack — leave room for expansion….
crimp with hog rings..
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I7PCF3K?
Poach gentlySimmer rings in 180°F water for 45–60 minutes until firm and fully cooked. Do NOT boil — boiling can burst the casings….
smoke them with if desired..
Cool and storeCool completely. Refrigerate, freeze, or pressure?can like any fully cooked sausage…
there yah go talking in AI tongues again .. friday yada yada promoting lies and stockmarkets thru statistical lies . dropped the weekend war togue and those wonderful magic oval sketches . about as meaningful as the price of potatos . but now you would find some way to make potato price a can kicking catalyst
* Two years ago I had five friends that I could count on. With the passing of Rob in Chelan Hills Fire, I now have – none. Two have died. One committed suicide – which still baffles everyone involved. [ Loving wife, two kids that adored him., just got a major promotion ] And one was moved to a retirement center near Boise to be near his daughter.
[ Not convinced he really wanted to go.]
So.., as of this morning I have no real friends left. Ohh., I know a lot of people – but I can’t think of one I’d invite over for a BBQ. And no one else I know rides a motorcycle., or likes to sail on the lake., or have any idea what Chaos Theory is., much less go to the rifle range for “a little practice”.
Getting old does, absolutely, has its’ down side.
“Stay Frosty !”
Which is why I get my sorry ass out of bed at oh-fuck-it’s-dark – because we’re a band of brethren here all looking for hte secret room unlock and enjoying the adventure. But we hate like hell when people get off the rid before the ter,oms;/
Here’s a deal: I’ll trade you Len and half the frogman for parental visits with JARVIS three times a month? Get ouet6 Saturday ands hog over to th3e mex-mex for breakfast. You’ll feel better and fart better after!
(This is why I never sat for medical boards)
I have been trying to keep J.A.R.V.I.S. on the quiet side. He has changed a bit over the past few weeks. Waiting for ‘the turn’., which I believe is coming.
I was thinking about the “big thing” both your independent model and our work here might be seeing – the math-heavy in the ChartPack discussion of inflation and impacts reflecting on plant and equipment valuation was put ipn there just to keep you thinking…;) now go ride brother
They are not really gone. You still have them one way or another. All the friends I had that really mattered to me are also gone but I think about them and even talk to them every day.
George is right. Got out there. there is someone waiting to meet you.
Stay safe.
(“One committed suicide – which still baffles everyone involved. [ Loving wife, two kids that adored him., just got a major promotion ] And one was moved to a retirement center near Boise to be near his daughter.
[ Not convinced he really wanted to go.]”)
My sincere condolences on the loss of A dear friend….its such a hard depressing situation to deal with..keep dignity ,bankrupt loved ones..
One of the residents I know was a college professor — a dean, an author, a man whose mind once held entire libraries. We had deep conversations, the kind that stretched across history, philosophy, and the human condition. But over time, something inside him began to misfire. I’m no doctor, but I’ve seen this thousands of times. Confusion where clarity used to be. Decisions he’d never make in a fully cognitive state. A slow slipping away from the world he once navigated so easily.
He could see his own decline, and that made it even harder. He hoped he could grow out of it, hoped it was temporary, hoped he could stay independent. But his needs became greater than what anyone around him could safely support. Eventually, he was moved to our facility— but the sorrow of that transition was written all over him and his wishes to overcome his situation became deep and depressing …he then had issues that put him outside our care limits He had to go to another facility that even offers him less independence this is the part people rarely talk about but hits all of us eventually…laying there while kids lean over you wake you up slap a cold wet washcloth on you all while not even acknowledging your there..most of the kids working today can’t even tell you what the resident did in his prime..( I personally love to know their life stories who they were what they did.. and its why most of them ask for me to care for them)
the choices families face when someone’s mind begins to fail are never simple, and never painless…. they face bankruptcy ..nursing facilities have the greatest number of new divorced people..I have made out beds for husbands and wives forced to live in their cars..handed out sandwiches.. just because everything they owned or had once gone puts the remaining family in deep destitution..it is my pet peeve..been there done that..
Most people don’t have the resources to buy estates, build homes, or create multi generational living spaces like my brother..luckily he has a grandson whose fiancee is a glorified butt wiper..for him to hand over a big five bedroom house and have a place built for him was the better option..I think I gave him that idea when we were staying at their place..I told him my plan was simply hand over our house to one of the grandkids as long as we can stay in our bedroom…. Many families are staring down care costs that can reach a quarter million dollars a year per person plus medical expenses — numbers that can bankrupt even a stable household with a great deal of savings… When care becomes a full time need, families are forced into decisions that feel like losses no matter which direction they turn….I have seen so many millionaires end up in poverty its shockng…
The dean’s story is a reminder that behind every diagnosis is a human being who once lived fully, thought deeply, contributed greatly — and behind that human being is a family trying to do the right thing in a system that often gives them no good options…. its horrendously depressing..When choices leave us with so few choices.. bankrupt your loved ones in a hope to regain or hold onto some dignity..
i am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend but totally have seen it and can understand how it happens….
Well, George’s writing is ahead of the curve again. “People 65 and older now outnumber children ages 5 and younger worldwide for the first time in recorded history, according to a new report by the U.S. Census.”
My two latest books, “F**K It, I’m Goin to Texas” and After Lives” are free for the holiday as Kindle eBooks.
I’m trying to talk the wife into selling out and buying my brothers place in the gated community.. what he said he would sell it to me is less than a cheap house here..( he was being nice when he made that 0ffer) so far she says no..tax wise we would be in heaven ..big place..the only place I have ever seen with six inch COPPER sewage pipes..
His living room is as big as our house now…huge..I mean big..six thousand square feet..
two 400amp services to run the place..huge beautiful and in a place I’d refer to as heaven…vineyards all around…..
Trump does not wear a wig.
‘I don’t wear a wig’
– Trump
So
Me:
“But I am not interested in Team Work. I like backpacking by myself. I don’t give a damn what others think is right, or wrong. I could care less if they don’t like my attitude. If I need to confess my sins, I’ll grab a bottle of good bourbon and go have a long talk with my cat – he doesn’t tell secrets. Remember when you dragged me down to the brand new Senior Center., we went in and saw about twenty five white-hairs sitting around – no one talking – all of them just Waiting-for-God ? We couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Why can’t I just go have fun by myself ? ”
“The Mrs”
“When you get old, your not supposed to do that.”
Me – while leaving the room:
“Where did I put the keys to the Harley?”
Longevity has it’s downside. I came to realize this even as I attempt the longevity thing. I’ve lost a couple of classmates already, and the best one is now battling brain cancer. But it runs in my family. No cancers or heart disease. My elder siblings are all alive yet, the eldest at 89 now. I remember my 99 year old aunt lamenting that all her friends were gone. My sister told her that the more she complained, the longer God made her live. Longevity is a challenge to deal with, and yes… you have to do it alone.
As for your friend who had everything to live for but committed suicide… I’ll bet he had a mouth full of mercury amalgam dental fillings. Mercury causes those flash suicidal depressions. Speaking from personal experience. I survived. I had all my fillings removed. The problem has not reoccurred. I love life now and enjoy it every way I can.
( I’ve lost a couple of classmates already, and the best one is now battling brain cancer)
WOE… that’s a tough one…. worse than dementia….
my daughter had an orange size tumor near her brainstem near motor functions.. speech, movement.. luckily it wasn’t cancerous but makes simple physical tasks challenging..
at least she’s not seeing dragons and demons..brain cancer is truly a trip through.. HELL… my condolences ….
d’Lynn. To quote George Ure.
“Durable wealth is rocket fuel for the soul.
Everything else is just ballast.”
I too have been to those nursing homes where white haired seniors sit staring at a wall, waiting for the end. I promised myself if I ever have to be committed there, I will live it out like Randle McMurphy in one of my favourite movies “One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest.” The bus ride and the play by play of the make believe baseball game are classic.
We all get old. The only guarantee of the aging process is “pain.” No one escapes pain that I know of. We can complain about it or get on with life. I am 84, have my share of pain and have lost most of my friends. Some died many years ago. My philosophy is to make new friends, some of whom I have met on this site. Many are suffering far worse pain than me but still hold to George’s philosophy of “Durable Wealth.”
If we ever wind up in the same nursing home d’Lynn, be sure to bring your Harley and give the rest of us white hairs the ride of our life.
Keep a deck of cards handy, just in case…
https://youtu.be/ijf-L_Cdq2g?si=R9Pt5LWkKguXsROC
(“I too have been to those nursing homes where white haired seniors sit staring at a wall, waiting for the end. I promised myself if I ever have to be committed there, I will live it out like Randle McMurphy in one of my favourite movies “One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest.” The bus ride and the play by play of the make believe baseball game are classic.”)
the tough part to visualize is ..as a patient..in your mind you think like your eighteen.. your body says differently…. you remember your goals achievements.. your life where you had dreams conquests…then your in the facility..your family is still trying to build their future.. they come at first all the time..then its once in a while..then not at all..the only ones they see are basically a couple kids or college students over worked ..mostly working short staffed.. ( so the executive can maintain their wage..to keep budget they cut from the bottom of the workforce..its the business model)( where I work now I only have twenty..but when I worked the hard wings I had up to two hundred..sad but true) the two kids or one kid usually talk between themselves not even acknowledging their existence turning them from one side to the other washing their butts with a cold wet washrag..since the staff is cut from the bottom to insure the top makes their wages by keeping budget..( I have face prints still on windows from when I was thirty two because the housekeeping staff was cut that deep) and their overworked it takes time for the assistant to get free… in a situation where you need assistance to go to the toilet..the indignity of soiling yourself…
(““The Mrs”
“When you get old, your not supposed to do that.”
Me – while leaving the room:
“Where did I put the keys to the Harley?””)
my wife…what are you looking for..
me..oh nothing…
wife.. I know your looking for something…
me…you don’t want to know
wife…how many times have I told you..just don’t set stuff down anywhere.
Trump threatens embargoes unless the Fed cuts rates.
The president said he would stop trading with countries where the US runs a deficit, escalating his pressure campaign against the central bank.
Yahoo Finance
Even with yesterday’s solid rally “Carnac the Magnificent” failed to reach a new high and is still below its’ 21DMA. Not by much, but it failed to close over that “check point”. Though still well above the 85 DMA.
[ That’s important.]
With the markets down slightly today – across the board – no follow through momentum – mainly due to Trumpism – Tuesday is lining up for an interesting open.
“we are back in the (electricity evolution metaphor) days of Galvani and Henry. With a side of Ohm, though that may be resisted.”
Watt? Watt? Your current Amperes are insufficient. Mho? I have inductively determined your ‘Henry’ comment was a swipe at me. That Hertz!