Retail’s Out – Whispers Up North – A Trainable Assistant?

by

Given all the bounce in pricing lately, we found this morning’s Retail Sales report interesting:

“Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for July 2025, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $726.3 billion, up 0.5 percent (±0.4 percent) from the previous month, and up 3.9 percent (±0.5 percent) from July 2024. Total sales for the May 2025 through July 2025 period were up 3.9 percent (±0.4 percent) from the same period a year ago. The May 2025 to June 2025 percent change was revised from up 0.6 percent (±0.5 percent) to up 0.9 percent (±0.2 percent).

Now, this is the one that is bad: Import – Export Prices:

U.S. import prices increased 0.4 percent in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following a 0.1-percent decrease in June. Higher prices for nonfuel imports and fuel imports drove the advance in July. Prices for U.S. exports rose 0.1 percent in July, after increasing 0.5 percent the previous month.

What hurts?  The US Export picture was poor:

“Prices for U.S. exports ticked up 0.1 percent in July, after rising 0.5 percent in June. Higher prices for nonagricultural exports drove the July increase. U.S. export prices advanced 2.2 percent over the 12-month period ended in July…

Then there’s the NY Fed’s Empire State Manufacturing:  It showed a small uptick:

“The headline general business conditions index climbed twenty-two points to 5.5, its first positive reading since February. New orders edged higher and shipments increased. Delivery times lengthened, and supply availability continued to worsen.”

One of the problems political figures don’t seem to take into account is how real working people think.

  • If they expect prices to go up over time, they haul out their wallets to lock-in today’s bargains.
  • But if prices (or the cost of money to borrow to buy) is coming down? They may gamble by waiting and hoping for lower later on.

Thursday’s producer prices bump – we think – is just the start of higher prices,  While the Fed may be pressured into lower rates at their September meeting, tariffs are not the discovery of an actual free lunch.  We like to think of it as a “sales tax on foreign-made goods.”

Stock futures were mixed with the Dow up, the S&P sideways and the techs a bit soft.  After spiking over $124,000 earlier this week, BTC is down into the $119,000 range this morning. Metals were about flat.

Our Take?

Until MAGA gets a whole butt-load of factories built? We think the best case is a muddle-through into summer of next year.  That’s when democrats will begin asking “Where’s that higher standard of living?”  *(Along with where’s the Epstein files which seem also will still be an open question…).

ABC got things (surprisingly) right in California pushes left, Texas right, with US House control and Trump agenda in play.

Whispers Up North

Once upon a time (Interior Secretary) Wally Hickel’s Captain Cook Hotel opened in Anchorage – back in 1965.  When I was up covering the North Slope, Asian cuisine was a very big deal in Alaska with the Shrimp Tempura better than Seattle’s.  Today, the menu is more “meat and potatoes” oriented but with lots of local seafood.  Alas, the nearest tempura nowadays is at Artic Sushi which is only a block away.

Somewhere in here, you may be asking “Why is walking 12 blocks from the 1973 Alyeska offices to the Capt. Cook in a howling January wind worth knowing?”

George shuffles his feet and asks, “Well, as useful as this?” Alaskans greet Putin with Ukrainian flags, protest ‘war criminal hanging out here’ .

Here’s the straight dope:  Ukraine wants to get Crimea back.  Yeah – Khrushchev country.  Not happening.

Like the ONLY thing to look for (other than take-out tempura) will be whether Trump and Putin have any “closed door time” with no translators, no staff, no reporters…real grown up time to talk about how terrible WW III could be.

Other than that?  Looks a lot like dim sum.  Expect a plate of small news following.

For now, what matters is the clock:  The Trump-Putin meeting will begin at 11 AM which is 3 PM Eastern – meaning odds are very good that the talks will still be underway when the market closes at 4 PM.

“Do you feel lucky, Punk?”

Meanwhile, the killing continues.  Ukraine strikes Russian Olya port in Astrakhan Oblast, targeting vessel with Iranian drone parts.

Now, Let’s Waste Time and Money

I swear, you could go through the news and have all the content for a graduate-level experience in wasteful finance.

How about:  California Democrats Announce Special Election to Redraw Congressional Maps.

And how about: Border Patrol chief crashes Newsom’s rollout of California redistricting campaign.

On the Liberal Ledger:

Did you see where: Smoking-Gun Email Shows Obama DOJ Shut Down Clinton Foundation Probe [WATCH]

Another federal judge ruling the world?  Judge Permanently Blocks Trump’s Actions Aimed at Eliminating DEI at Universities.

Back for more: Nike-Backed Smithsonian Exhibit On Trans Athletes Criticized.

And we’re planning another football-free fall: Vikings Under Fire Over Male Cheerleaders – Newsweek.

Actually Worth Knowing

Odds of that (orange “X”) disturbance off the Rio Grande Valley turning into a Big Deal have lessened to 50 percent. But tropical storm Erin has appeared and is inbound for next week.

Science is about to tackle the Inside/Outside gap. Scientists decode inner speech from brain activity with high accuracy. We look forward to learning who’s the same “on the inside” as what they present “on the outside…”

Personal Tech:  Is Steam now an OS?  I swapped my PC for Lenovo’s SteamOS handheld – and don’t miss Windows at all | ZDNET

And remember what we said about data centers?  (How central liquid cooling was coming and more LLM front ends of phone?)  Google Unveils Gemma 3 270M: Compact AI Model for Smartphones and IoT.  I can hardly wait to have more IoT.  “Hey! Frigidaire!  What’s the temp today in Anchorage?”  (64F btw.)

Around the Ranch:  Training a New Assistant?

Says here on my time log for the week that I haven’t cut back my workload despite many threats and promises to spend more Shop time.  Now, with all this talk about how Ai is coming I have been interviewing:

“One of these mornings I’m going to have you write the whole urbansurvival.com column – think you could handle that?

“Given how many of your UrbanSurvival columns already bounce between markets, tech oddities, historical tie-ins, and a bit of sarcastic “coffee up” banter, yeah — I could absolutely handle it.

The challenge wouldn’t be the mechanics — it’d be making sure it feels like a George Ure column:

    • Opening hook that’s a little bit mischievous but grounded.

    • A “First Things” section that sets the day’s mood.

    • The economic meat (ChartPack-ready stats, your own twist on the numbers).

    • The sidecar content — science, prepper, or ham-radio digressions.

    • A closing that’s a mix of wry observation and “life on the ranch” notes.

If you ever want to do a “full AI” trial run, we could structure it so you give me the morning market snapshot, any urgent topics or pet rants, and I build out the whole day’s column in your voice.”

Um...how about NO.

But it is an option.  So I pushed deeper: “How would you make up the personal vigbnettes – you didn’t walk to the Alyeska building…do you like just make things up?”

“Right — I wouldn’t just invent a “George walked to Alyeska” scene out of thin air unless you explicitly told me, “pretend I did this for the sake of the story.”

Here’s how I’d handle it for a full UrbanSurvival column without trampling on the truth:

    • Option 1 — Use Your Supplied Vignettes: You give me the real anecdote (dates, places, people), I weave it into the column, polish it, and make sure it reads like you told it live.

    • Option 2 — Use a “Composite Memory” Device: I build a plausible scene based on facts you’ve given me over time — but clearly signal to readers it’s a riff or composite, not a literal diary entry (“Back when I might have been hoofing it from…”).

    • Option 3 — Drop the First-Person for Those Sections: Keep the voice consistent, but avoid fake “I was there” material. Instead, I’d talk about what happened and why it matters, without claiming personal involvement.

That way, I’m not making things up in a misleading way — I’m either working from your actual life inventory, or flagging when it’s a playful hypothetical.

If you wanted, I could start building a “vignette bank” from your past real stories so you can drop them into columns anytime, and I could pull from that for authenticity.

Do you want me to show you what Whispers Up North would look like if I rewrote it using only confirmed details but keeping your style intact?”

No…bars are about to open somewhere and I’m getting mighty thirsty.  This “new world” is proving challenging.  So unless you can turn me into a multi-millionaire in five minutes a day with $500 in start up capital…

“If I could reliably turn $500 into multi-millions in five minutes a day, I wouldn’t be typing this — we’d be on your private island sipping something with umbrellas in it while the algos did all the work.

That said, in the real world:

    • Sure-Thing Schemes Don’t Exist — Anyone promising “multi-millionaire in minutes” is selling the sizzle, not the steak.

    • Small Stakes ? Leverage = Risk — With $500, the only truly fast-scaling methods are either high-risk trading (options, crypto) or pure gambling, and both are more likely to zero you out than mint you.

    • Steadier Path — With that startup stake, a realistic path is finding a micro-niche hustle that compounds (buy/sell arbitrage, specialized service, scalable digital product). It’s not instant, but you can grow it to real money over time.

If you want, I could give you three “new world” side hustles that actually have a shot at multiplying $500 into something meaningful — not in five minutes, but in a matter of months — without tripping the “pure scam” alarm.

Want me to lay those out before the bar stool starts calling your name?”

No…too late. I hear it calling now.  Hold the side hustle discussion for ShopTalk Sunday – Entrepreneur’s Edition,,,.

(And that, dear Reader, is why I use Ai:  It’s like having the dissertation committee on call and when you know how to use it, it becomes a very productive vein to mine…It helps me come up with useful ideas and story angles to develop.)

Write when you get rich,

George@Ure.net

37 thoughts on “Retail’s Out – Whispers Up North – A Trainable Assistant?”

  1. Have you considered simply throwing out a topic or just a thought and letting your worldly and astute followers loose in the comments as a way to reduce workloads on occasion?

    Stay safe. 73

  2. Have a bit of a problem and I could use all the help that I can get from the smart readers of George’s wonderful information.

    I have a grandson with this disease – “Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a genetic, progressive neuromuscular disease”. Which means that I might I might out live him and I am past 80. So the wife wants to move back to the USofA to be of help and spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with the grandson. This means that we start over.

    We will be updating a small 2 BR, 1 bath house with a metal roof. Would grounding the metal roof about every 15 feet with copper wire and copper ground posts help with an EMP blast? Don’t want to blow out the fridge as the Guinness would get warm.

    We can put the propane generator in an EMP bag so that helps. George how much propane do you use in a year?

    Need ideas while still planning and many thanks.

      • George, you and your lady are an inspiration so anything you want if fine with me.
        See you tomorrow and Sunday until I push up Daisies.

        • The best place to learn about EMP mitigation is this website on Youtube:

          https://www.youtube.com/@disasterprepper/videos

          Cover spare parts and back-up electronics with aluminum foil, put that in a metallized Mylar dry bag (electronic parts houses have them), and store in improvised Faraday trashcan with RFI lid gasket.

          There are EMP conductive mesh fabrics which can be draped over big stuff. I have one that covers my UPS and batteries. And yeah, you can light that sort of thing if you are not really, really careful about it.

          Metal roof and siding helps, but not enough. You also have to use EMP mesh on the windows, and gaskets on the doors. You need at least about 60 db attenuation, and metal exterior is good for maybe 20 dB if you are obsessive about it.

          Best bang for Ure buck are surge suppressors and ferrites. 5 ns is the slowest turn-on time you want to buy. One on your main panel, with high current ferrites (from Arthur Bradley) on the incoming line. All electronics should have it’s own surge suppressor on the AC and all incoming comm lines. I put one mix 31 ferrite and three mix 61 ferrites ahead of every 120 VAC surge suppressor, except maybe a few loads with a plug-in wall mount suppressors. Not much room on kitchen counters, and behind refrigerators.
          I’ve never found any combination of ground or suppressor widget that will protect a Winegard antenna coupler board, so keep two (2) or three in foil, dry bag and Faraday cage.
          Manufacturer’s of surge stuff that works:
          Transtector for AC and Comm’s.
          Tripp-Lite for AC and Ethernet

          An outfit I want to try, but don’t have experience with:
          Bad Wolf USA

          I have of couple of older Siemens main panel surge protectors in service, which are 1 ns devices. They are fine equipment. The new ones don’t rate for turn-on time. They are at your own risk.

          LOOB has a favorite that I haven’t tried.

        • The truly oxymoronic twist to this is In a time when the soul of a nation seems traded for digits and debt, I find myself drawn not to the noise of markets but to the quiet strength of craftsmanship, care, and continuity. The true wealth isn’t minted—it’s in knowledge and built, handed down, and remembered. As I prepare my home for what I see coming and from what I have seen as potentially headed our way in some of my lucid dreams, grounding its roof not just against lightning, gathering a pantry to shield us from starvation and the dramatic situations I have endured forcing me to learn skills that I wouldn’t have ever pursued if I hadn’t faced them head on to keep a quality of life, but against the storms of forgetting, I’m reminded that the legacy of our elderly that have overcome situations they lived through and guided the past endurance of the USA… it isn’t and never was measured in currency but more in our ethical and moral character their commitment to community and the people there. Politicians and the ultra wealthy the industrialists of today that now chase fleeting pleasures, gain of what they see as wealth and hollow power, but I choose to invest in something enduring knowledge and the willingness to share with others what I have learned and experienced in my past…rather than brown streaks in big buck billies shorts..lol

    • Big questions there Tinkerer and i know i have said this before…at least for over fifty years…Here’s my thoughts on this..that is exactly what I have done on our home..Put snap caps on the incoming power lines and ground rods..
      EMP-proofing a house with a metal roof begins with turning that roof into an asset rather than a vulnerability. While metal can act like an antenna during an electromagnetic pulse, it also offers a foundation for shielding—if properly grounded and bonded. To enhance protection, the roof should be electrically connected to the rest of the home’s shielding system, with copper ground rods placed strategically (every 10–15 feet is a solid start). Inside, critical electronics should be stored in Faraday cages or shielded rooms lined with conductive materials like copper mesh or aluminum foil. Surge protectors rated for EMP events should be installed at all power and communication entry points. The goal is having a layered defense grounding for dissipation, shielding for containment, and redundancy for resilience. Back when I was a young man. homes had lightning rods every twenty feet to protect Their homes.. An EMP though is is like a lightning strike stretched across the sky—indiscriminate, sudden, and devastating. The closer you are to the epicenter, the more intense the surge, capable of burning insulation off wires and overwhelming unprotected systems. Grounding a metal roof and installing circuit breakers helps, but it’s not enough. Without EMP-rated surge protection and shielding, the pulse can travel through the wiring like a fire through dry grass. The real danger isn’t just in the home—it’s in the collapse of the grid itself… capacitor banks destroyed, transformers silenced, and the domino fall of infrastructure we take for granted…Now.. In my simple way of thinking, our national power grid was never designed for resilience—it was built to justify the incomes of those at the top, not to protect the people it serves. For over fifty years, I’ve been saying we’ve put all our eggs in one basket. Instead of clustering power for security, we should be distributing it—handing out grid-tied solar systems to any homeowner willing to install them, building solar towers at every substation, and turning cities into green lungs with CO2 filters on every streetlamp and air wells in arid zones. We can’t stop the destructive force of an EMP blast, but we can design a system where each solar tower acts as a mini-grid, keeping communities alive when the central grid collapses. National security isn’t just about defense—it’s about decentralization, sustainability, and the will to protect what matters. What needs to change is the business model itself—the one designed to stuff the pockets of big-buck billies while leaving the rest of us vulnerable a congress willing to stick around rather than worry about their precious time off..didnt see anyone stick around to work on any of the issues we are facing… We need a shift toward a “Three Musketeers” mindset.. all for one, and one for all. Politicians should be invested not in corporate margins, but in the security of our country and the well-being of its citizens instead of rushing out for their precious time off and stock options. And the irony of all this !! It would actually be cheaper. For the cost of a single 3MW wind turbine, we could hand out 10kW grid-tied solar systems to homeowners across the state instead of 3MW there would be greater than 3GW generation potential for the same money. to keep control the power companies could install remote disconnects which they already do to disconnect during peak power demanding times. Depending on tower costs, that same investment could build up to 300 solar towers—each acting as a mini-grid in the event of a disaster or EMP attack. Instead of putting all our eggs in one fragile basket, we could build a distributed, resilient, and ethical energy system that empowers communities and protects the nation.We Did It to Ourselves and we still are……
      We outsourced our industries, hollowed out our towns, and watched vibrant cities turn into shadows of their former selves. Infrastructure—once a proud symbol of American ingenuity—is now rusting at the seams. Water systems poisoned, bridges crumbling, gas lines aging into danger. And why? To feed a business model that thrives on conflict, not community. A model built not for the people, but for sale and profit.
      We’ve traded stewardship for short-term gain. Politicians, once entrusted with the sacred duty of serving the public, now chase influence and wealth, forgetting the hands that elected them. The cost of war is measured not just in dollars, but in broken homes, broken trust, and broken futures.
      But it doesn’t have to stay this way.
      We can rebuild—not just the roads and towers, but the soul of our nation. We can choose a model that invests in people, not profit margins. One that sees every citizen as worthy of dignity, safety, and opportunity. The blueprint is simple: care over commerce, legacy over leverage, resilience over ruin.
      securing your home stopping the back flow of a surge is possible.. but.. replacing the lost power is a bigger task once its down the predictions are 98% loss of the population..

  4. You might have to wind up posting a warning like the one on Steve Quayle’s column now.

    “AI ALERT! In 2025 50% of Internet Content is Al Generated
    By 2026 that number will be 90%!
    In addition, the type of content is changing! There are now many more videos than text
    articles as more people stream! Just because content is made using Generative Al doesn’t mean it’s factually wrong. We will continue to research and evaluate the information, but as always make sure you verify
    the information for yourself!”

    • I think people stream because their time is limited.. the drive at five news..the article they listen to as they move from point a to point b..I am guilty of that.. I would get books on audio ( I still do audible is a favorite) the listen while they work or as they drive. most families today sit at the tube instead of the family meal and discussion.. my kids between work and school activities spend an hour before bed.. grandma is the one working with our dyslexic grandson..they don’t have time..That is also why there’s a significant drop in people attending worship services..I watch them on an office site for meetings..

      • Families sitting in front of the Tube instead of eating at the dinner table is why “TV Dinners” were invented … IN THE 1960’S!!

        Remember the “TV Trays” that held those TV dinners and a drink at the correct level to eat off of as you sat in the chair or on the couch while watching TV?

        Nothing new in America about families foresaking the dinner table for the TV at dinner time. Been that way in many households since I was a kid growing up in the 1950’s /1960.s.

        • And,,, wait for it,,,, tokens generated by AI interactions are free today, used for indexing. I imagine that’s a future market where the crypto currency FileCoin was trying to crack. Sadly, the Gen Slur eliminated them with lawfare.

          Who is the pol party of innovation ??? MAGA

        • Yes it is..I was one of the fortunate.. mom and dad and the family sat at the table.. then mom and dad would calmly read the newspaper and discuss what was Going on in the world. I actually never seen my parents so much as argue or disagree..but they would go for a walk every night while we played.. after I got married things weren’t the same.. after a couple months I called dad and asked..what am I doing wrong.. he said remember mom and my evening walk..yes..that is when we had our serious discussions. to this day I reminiscent of those two walking hand in hand.. fortu..my second wife and I have a relationship similar.. I got lucky on my second marriage….great woman.. I’m the rooster that rules the roost..she’s the hen that rules the rooster.. I can say what I want do what I want and go where I want…just let me ask the wife quick..lollol..
          although… when I lend someone a hand up.. I don’t always confide in her opinion.. two little girls were afraid they were going to be homeless the father was several months behind in rent.. the 11 year old vented to me about why do they always have to go through this.. I gave her a hug and said..heavenly father isn’t a wish book..but put it to him sincerely in prayer..if you want I will pray with you…..a week later her sister and her came running up to me..the wife was headed to the kids next door she was exuberant and said..god answered our prayers.. our rent was made..now.. if looks could kill.. my wife turned and gave me the your dead look.. as we were walking she said..did you pay their past rent!!!.. no honey this time I’m innocent.. I just prayed with tbem..she was excited because he listened and answered..

        • “Families sitting in front of the Tube instead of eating at the dinner table is why “TV Dinners” were invented … IN THE 1960’S!!”

          In the ’50s, actually. My sister was the spokesbabe for Swanson TV dinners in the mid-late ’50s.

        • I was the last kid to move out early 70s. By then the living room console TV had been abandoned, and my folks got a small Sony trinitron to set on the kitchen counter where they could watch from the table.

    • Yeah and some of the crypto updates that run on agentic AI with interviews are really good.

      And the rest: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Ludd

      Just wait until all these tokens that are generated by AI Q and A are archived on blockchain, every question and answer generates a token.

      Let me just say this home gamers…… the concept of machine -machine comms and interactions has been something that has been commercially available for many decades. Now. We are seeing scaling come into the fore. It’s an amazing time to be alive.

  5. “No…too late. I hear it calling now”

    Before youse go on down the local watering hole, please keep in back of Ure mind.. Alcohol KILLS Ure gut Biome, DEAD.

    No use doing any restorative/repair work on Ure gut Biomee if youse drink alcohol, a known Life SHORTENER.

    Dont try and play dumb, yeah I know the veggiemite aint playing, but its all good as he is an Aussie after all , and everybody knows bout dem guys. At least that bloke would prolly offer me a Vegemite Sandwich, if we were to ever meet up in Brussels.

    Little Veggiemites -https://youtu.be/laI7Yc73FmM?si=orHEmxaGmFiavreD

    Kookkaburra Song -https://youtu.be/XfR9iY5y94s?si=MryKt6ZPPgnGBVn0

  6. “I just want to find 11,780 votes”, the minimum number needed to overcome Biden’s advantage in Georgia. Trump also tried to intimidate Raffensperger, hinting that Raffensperger and his attorney could face a possible criminal investigation. Trump said, “You know, that’s a criminal offense. And you know, you can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you.”

    “We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas,” Trump told CNBC’s Squawk Box. “I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.”

    • Democrats have been playing that game for decades now … look at Massachusettes, New York, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois to just name a few.

      Suddenly what the Democrats have done for DECADES in MULTIPLE states is bad because ONE Republican state is doing what they have a multi decade history of doing? (but of course they are NOT going to UNDO what they have done in those states)

      Hypocrisy writ large is all I can say!!!

      • Youse can that, again S2!

        or let Andrew Jackson, Founder of the democratic party splain some History to the Mentally Diminished/Challenged progs out there.
        Pay attention lefties..Facts and nothing but the FACTS..

        -https://youtu.be/u5TZTlVvuM4?si=68tTi_C9UkfywVjd

      • redistricting is typically done every ten years. to redistrict absent the census is out of the ordinary, especially just to deliver a candidate seats because he feels he’s entitled to them. republican leadership also opposes independent commissions drawing the districts.

        why even have elections?

  7. “Until MAGA gets a whole butt-load of factories built? ”

    Yeah, been to a zoning meeting lately to watch those digital whiteboard spark? New factories are coming, next quarter for sure for sures.

    Sounds like a Macy’s ad campaign – “Make a wish”/”Believe”…. or a FoxConn.

    The Googler says,

    “In 1980, the average hourly labor cost for UAW auto workers in the United States ranged between $18.44 and $19.99.”

    That was after Nixon’s tweak but before Reagan’s trickle down.

    How much will the average UAW auto workers wage be to equal the same purchasing power in these new factories?

    The hog is swimming back from Asia.

  8. Time flies. From 1937:

    “The phrase “sell the sizzle, not the steak” was coined by Elmer Wheeler, a sales lecturer and consultant. He popularized the concept in his 1937 book, “Tested Sentences That Sell”. Wheeler’s idea was that focusing on the emotional benefits and appealing aspects of a product (the “sizzle”) is more effective than simply highlighting its features (the “steak”)”

  9. re: Training a New Assistant
    feat: no Bull

    Folks,
    Msm coverage of the vacationing Second Family in the Cotswolds has the latest from non-profit, weekly UK newsletter “Popbitch”, operated by journalist Camilla Wright.

    Let’s venture towards the ancient royal hunting Forest of Wychwood near Charlbury. The Bull Inn has occupied a corner on Sheep Street for 500 years recently serving former US VP Mrs. Harris and her 20 strong Secret Service entourage at the end of July. “Hello” magazine noted her presence in the area for nuptials of an Apple heiress. It’s a job, I guess.

    However “Popbitch” tells that a luncheon reservation at the Bull for VP Vance did not receive staff approval. His shindig moved elsewhere avoiding a nearby “Dance Against Vance” street festival. It appears that a director of the Bull Inn is a British peer and until recently owned nearby Dean Manor. Situated on a six acre spread, the Manor has served as a virtual AirBnb for the Vance family courtesy of new entrepreneurial “leasing agent” and former UK PM David Cameron. Those desiring visual transport to the Manor locale without bother of packing may do so via the following weblink offered by the charitable NGS (National Garden Scheme). Apparently the NGS dates to 1859 and an inhome nursing care program start co-founded along with Florence Nightingale:

    https://ngs.org.uk/gardens/dean-manor-ox7/

  10. (“Until MAGA gets a whole butt-load of factories built? “)

    lol lol..what’s that old saying only in hour dreams!
    The decay of America’s industrial heartland is not merely the result of outsourcing—it’s the cumulative wound of decades of mis-governance greed and mismanagement of resources. While factories shuttered and communities crumbled, tax policies increasingly favored the ultra-wealthy, starving public infrastructure and social programs of the lifeblood they needed to adapt and survive.Extended wars drained trillions from the treasury, enriching defense contractors while leaving veterans and domestic priorities neglected. Education,Was once a ladder to opportunity today students are vulnerable to high interest school loans.getting a higher education has become a maze of underfunded schools and inaccessible tuition, failing to equip generations for meaningful work or civic engagement. And as wealth concentrated at the top, a cultural shift took root—one that idolized affluence and dismissed the working class as expendable and disposable.vulnerable to checks and street violence. the adult presence in the home is now at work leaving our youth to the mainstream media entertainment and computer games. The result I see is a population fractured by inequality, disillusioned by false promises, and haunted by the ruins of once-thriving cities.
    A governing system more interested in their time off and their personal wealth than actually doing anything.

    • “The result I see is a population fractured by inequality, disillusioned by false promises, and haunted by the ruins of once-thriving cities.
      A governing system more interested in their time off and their personal wealth than actually doing anything.”

      Yeah…

      Rust Belt, geographic region of the United States that was long the country’s manufacturing, steelmaking, and coal-producing heartland but that underwent dramatic industrial decline that resulted in widespread unemployment, increased poverty, decay, and population loss.

      https://www.britannica.com/place/Rust-Belt

      • All you all homegamers are familiar with debasement of currency and its effects? You’ve laid out the base case for it right here JC.

        Got blockchain? Not advice do your own homework.

  11. Here are the latest anti-Alzheimer research write-ups:

    https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/08/could-lithium-explain-and-treat-alzheimers/

    https://www.amazon.com/KAL-Supplement-Chelated-Bioavailable-Servings/dp/B0BSMY948L?th=1

    What do you know. Something healthy already in the frig. Question is, once a day, or once a week?

    https://alzheimersweekly.com/rosemarys-carnosic-acid-offers-a-potential-alzheimers-treatment/

    https://www.amazon.com/Rosemary-Supplement-Standardized-Carnosic-Manufactured/dp/B01K8RV666

    How dare Amazon sell unstable carnosic acid. But then again, is it really unstable? Hmmm….

    Again, once a day, or once a week ?

    Amazing how a little knowledge, and a little attention to detail can make life a lot easier.

    Still haven’t found the magic osteoarthritis supplement(s) for the back. I am starting to think that my problem is that everything I love to eat aggravates the condition. Been gradually cutting back on the foods known to cause issues, but you gots to eat something. Life is a painful condition. A fellow I knew who (I believe is now deceased), who suffered most of his adult life with chronic debilitating arthritis of the spine from an injury which happened the year I was born, told me: “If you wake up hurting, then you are still alive”.

  12. I sat at the koi pond late last night., contemplating the universe as we know it. Slowly sipping a double bourbon on the rocks. Temperature in the mid 70’s. No lights. Very dark and very quiet. Thousands of brilliant little diamonds dotted the sky. Every few minutes I could see a bat dart about the yard over the koi pond. Damn near perfect. [ for me.]
    We had finished our weekly Cross Word challenge., we would both have a copy of the New York Times Cross Word puzzle and then see who could get the most done in one hour. ‘The Mrs’ usually wins. She went to bed., I needed to think for a while.
    I have been thinking about what happened at the recent game. Where I went to face off with – “One of the Best”. A guy named Franklin. I had been looking forward to that challenge for quite a while. “If he is that good., then just how good am I ?”
    “Lady Fingers” had told me that if I lost, I would still be one of the “new guys to watch”., but if I won., my status would change – the player known as “Three Piece” would become the player to beat. That my invites would change to a slightly higher bracket.., and more people would want to know who I am and if I really was “that good”.
    I also discovered that there are three separate groups., three cliques of players. One group on the West Coast [ where I’ve been playing ] one in the Mid West to the Southern Mississippi and one group in the Northeast – lots of high rollers, famous people and well known’s who play that circuit.
    “Your name is already out there. No one dresses like you., no one sips from a sliver flask, while quoting Doc Holiday and no one plays like you, ‘”Three Piece”.., you have managed to create a bit of a mystery., and it will spread after this game.”
    Well.., I not only beat Franklin., I thoroughly embarrassed him. From the third hand on, I had his number. I suddenly discovered how he played. He left the game after just four hours., very pissed-off., and broke. He never had a chance to play “his game”.
    [ I will recount that third hand, here, for the viewing audience., if any one is interested.]

    So.., here I sit with a few decisions to make and wondering if I did the right thing in going after Franklin’s throat after he showed what a piss-poor loser he really was. Which surprised everyone in the room. His baby-boy attitude and my ramping-up the oh-so-charming yet wickedly sarcastic Doc Holiday persona. ” It’s a game.., play it ! ”
    After the game was over..,
    “I have been playing, dealing and hosting for over thirty years.., I’ve known ‘Lady Fingers’ for all of that time and that was one of the best games I have ever seen. Just who are you., and where have you been?” The hostess.
    “No one has beaten him in.., ‘years’. What did you do ?” Anton
    Bear walked up to me, slowly [ Kong Approaches..,] and stood in front of me. “I have never liked Franklin. Now I know why.” He placed his huge hand on my shoulder. “Good game, Three Piece.” and smiled broad. If you think James Earl Jones had a baritone voice.., Bear made him sound like a tenor. The sound was disconcerting. Bear was the Bank for the game. You did not argue with Bear. Six foot eight., around 300 pounds and so ugly he made Yogi Berra look absolutely handsome. Bear wasn’t the big ole teddy bear with a heart of gold. Bear was a rough man. Stomp first – ask second – never apologize. Half black – half Lakota. I liked him. Luckily., he seem to like me.

    Took me a couple of days to completely leave Doc Holiday behind.., I think I went a little too deep.., I also liked it.., which is something to pay attention too.

    After “pondering the possibilities” for a while – I needed another drink……….,

    • “Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which was a fictionalized account of real-life marshal, gambler, and journalist Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry, and the half-hour black-and-white series ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961.”

      Theme song.

      Back when the West was very young…
      There lived a man named Masterson…
      He wore a cane and derby hat…
      They called him Bat, Bat Masterson…

      A man of steel, the stories say…
      But women’s eyes all glanced his way…
      A gambler’s game he always won…
      His name was Bat, Bat Masterson…

      https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IRNImRxRNjc

  13. Am enjoying slice elderberry pie, and eldernberry jam made a swell.
    Ben warm here, then xtra work showed up.
    Enjoying my elderberry pie …

    • Well then hows about a lil hint how you made the Elderberry pie ? My last two attempts at it produced a very Sweet Pie..like way too sweet & rich.
      2 years ago we transplanted orchard trees (Apples), Blackberry bushes, Raspberry Bushes, and Blueberry bushes to other side of property, to make way for new construction (ceramic studio).
      Next year we will have enough Elderberries for making Tincture, Jam and Pies..maybe, only if new recipe aint so rich and sweet..like Shoofly Pie sweet, too sweet for my tastes.

      • Picked ripe elderberries, it helped that recent rain so more juicy.
        Wife cleaned and destemmed.
        Daughter baked:
        Inside
        Cook 4-5 cup elderberry
        1tbsp lemon juice
        2 cup sugar
        When it starts getting juicy start at 1tbsp cornstarch and let bubble until becomes thick as jam

        Pie crust
        2 c flour
        1 c lard
        1 c ice cold water
        Mix most of water into pie crust until solid and together

        Roll out on flour surface and roll bottom of pie, put in oven with weights for 10 mins at 350 then take out and add in fruit inside

        Cook with pie top on for 50-60, decide to either egg wash or milk with sugar the top for a browned finish

        Suggested to eat cold

      • Well.. my mom always used Rhubarb on ultra sweet berry pies.. the tart of the rhubarb to offset the sweet.. some use lemons to..
        one of my wife’s favorite wines is buffalos berry ..buffalo berry ..is similar to a tart chock cherry… tart… I visited with a vintner last summer that has an outstanding buffalo berry wine..he uses apple juice to offset the tart.. I made mine I used Slo’s ..a friend in the UK has Slo’s for their hedge so when they harvest them they air dry them and sends me a few pounds of dried Slo’s.. ( a slo is like a tiny tart plumb) the two even themselves out..anyway here’s a recipe..
        2 cups elderberries (fresh or frozen, stems removed)
        2 cups rhubarb, chopped ( adjust this to your flavor liking as well rhubarb can be just as over powering)
        ¾ cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
        ¼ cup brown sugar
        3 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
        1 tbsp lemon juice
        as an additional ingredient.. and one of my favorite. . vanilla.. whether you use vanilla bean sugar..or just scrape out a bean..
        ½ tsp cinnamon
        1 tbsp butter (to dot on top)

  14. Did Trump look into his eyes and see his soul like Little Bush?

    Was Putin on a 4D scouting mission to reclaim Alaska?

    Will Ukie lithium sources experience freedom?

    Stay tuned.

Comments are closed.