It’s fundraising week over at my place. If you’d like to help keep a blog afloat, and keep it ad-free, after sixteen bloody years, I have some buttons you can push.
Blog Notes
The hosting company techs are working on our connection problems today, so I anticipate that site access will remain wobbly for a day or two. Know also that content and comments posted during this period may be left behind when work is completed. Check @katewerk on Twitter for updates should we go down for an extended period.
Blog Notes
I’ve tweaked the comments a little — enabled avatars and downgraded the number of links allowed in a comment to a maximum of two before it goes to moderation (which I don’t bother checking, because I don’t have time).
So — if your comment goes to moderation or you think it’s been deleted, reflect on what might have sent it there. 95% of the time, it’s the software: you used a term that the filter doesn’t like, or dropped too many links. It’s annoying, but it’s just how it has to be to prevent filling the place with spam. And if it was a blog author who deleted your comment because you insulted them — try a different approach, Einstein.
On that note, I remind that minority of regulars who insist on engaging in insults and namecalling that you need to stop. Quit pissing on the carpet. Stay on topic. You know who you are.
I’m Going To Miss The Glaciers
Climate Etc.- Glacier saga
The loss of glaciers from Glacier National Park is one of the most visible manifestations of climate change in the U.S. Signs were posted all around the park, proclaiming that the glaciers would be gone by 2020. In 2017, the Park started taking these signs down. What happened, beyond the obvious fact that the glaciers hadn’t disappeared by 2020?
Insert Coin For Dancing Monkey
It’s fundraising week over at my place. If you’d like to help keep a blog afloat, and ad-free, by all means do.
Diversity is our Strength
Canada’s “magic dirt” working about as well as expected.
blogTO- Police respond to 500 people Diwali celebration in Mississauga as ‘street brawl’
Around 10:30 p.m., Peel Police said they had responded to reports a fight involving 400 to 500 people in a parking lot at Malton’s Goreway and Etude Drives, Westwood Mall.
h/t Scott
Blog Notes
As readers have likely surmised from my infrequent postings, I’ve been on an extended road trip over the past two weeks. We (including my friend and wildlife spotter, Karen) returned last night from our annual terrier extravaganza in Pennsylvania, covering over 2,000 miles in about 53 hours in our 2008 E350 Econoline war horse. Say what you like about Fords, but it will be a sad day when we put that beast out to pasture.
My own dogs did very well, with several major wins over their two weekends shown, while the “extended family” of breeders who have incorporated our Minuteman dogs into their own lines did extremely well — including a clean sweep of the top awards at the American National at Montgomery County on Sunday.
Ch.Kaos Black Is King, Best of Breed at the AMSC National was bred in Ontario and owned by Dr.Lisa Sarvas (originally from Biggar, SK). “Nyo” is a grandson of our top sire AmCanCh.Minuteman Up With The Birds.
Below: AmCanCh.Minuteman Lex Luthor, making his first appearance at the “big show” with a win over the top winning males in the USA on the second day of competition (handled by yours truly).
I have one more long weekend trip with family coming up later this month and then my travel season is over, probably until early spring. My deepest thanks to the guest bloggers who kept the place running in my absence. I did check in from time to time, your content was just exceptional as always!
I should be rested and back to regularly scheduled blogging by tomorrow. Until then, I have a lot of gear still waiting to be unloaded.
In Liz we Truss
Things That Go Boom
Grab a beverage.
Moon of Alabama- Whodunnit? – Facts Related to The Sabotage Attack On The Nord Stream Pipelines
Blog Notes
We’re back – for now.
The move to the new server isn’t yet complete, as the techs continue to wrestle with an ornery database. Thus, don’t be surprised if we go offline again as they work their way through the mess.
Blog Notes
Those of you who visit regularly will no doubt have noticed the increasing episodes of downtime when the blog has been unreachable.
The host company is currently working at the long-promised migration to a more robust server. It’s not easy, it’s a large move. So if you encounter difficulty reaching the site over the next day or two, that’s why. If they have problems that result in a prolonged outage, I’ll keep you updated as best I’m able via my Twitter feed, @katewerk.
Thanks to everyone for your patience, I know it’s been frustrating for us all.
And I’ve Even Tidied Up Specially
It’s fundraising week over at my place. If you’d like to help keep a blog afloat, and keep it ad-free, by all means do.
It’s very much appreciated.
Provoking The Panda
Moon of Alabama- Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan
The U.S. is trying to push Taiwan to declare independence and to sucker China into some military reaction. It should take note of the fact that its other attempts to poke China have not ended well for its side.
Reuters- U.S. carrier strike group returns to South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions
“Special”
Diversity Is Our Strength! – Justin Trudeau
Diversity on display in the Toronto area.
Blog Notes
I’m currently in upstate New York, finishing off a dog show circuit that included Westminster Kennel Club. No, I didn’t win, but my dog looked and worked great and we left it all in the ring. I’ll be heading for home on Sunday, all 2,000+ miles of it driving solo. Ugh.
Many thanks to our guest bloggers for keeping things humming. It was a long two years away from my hobby and passion, it feels great to get off the porch and run with the big dogs again.
I spotted this in passing, it’s worth the smile.
Baseball is just the best, example 3,574,196: pic.twitter.com/1wKyKWQNWm
— MLB (@MLB) June 22, 2022
We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ DEF Fluid
What’s everyone seeing out there?
Sensing Online- Get ready for the catastrophic DEF shortage
Unless the nation’s truckers can refill with Diesel Exhaust Fluid, the trucks will stop. Literally. DEF production and imports are about to crater and the country’s largest truck-fueling company, Flying J, has been directed by Union Pacific railroad to decrease its DEF-receiving shipments by 50 percent or be 100 percent embargoed. Unless resolved, this demand may cause countless thousands of 18-wheelers to be force-parked very soon, perhaps starting this month. That would be a very, very terrible event, because according to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the trucking industry transports almost three-quarter of all goods shipped in the country.
There is no wand to be waved to make the DEF shortage simply disappear. But doing nothing is both reprehensible and indefensible.
Instapundit- UPDATE: A Knoxville friend writes:
“Ha, Rural King literally had pallets of 2.5 gallon DEF containers in their stores. $6.99, then $9.99. Now none. Same at Walmart. Tractor Supply etc. All of the newer ag equipment, tractor’s, combines etc require DEF. Talk about food shortages!”
We just need a hack so it’ll run without it. But EPA will probably block this. I liked it better when Atlas Shrugged was just a novel.
It’s too bad nobody warned us about this potential problem.
And Then, Quite Suddenly, They Started Throwing Cash
Oh, and it’s fundraising week over at my place.
If you’d like to help keep a blog afloat, and keep it ad-free, by all means do.
A Simple Formula
Alex Tabarrok- More Guns, Less Burglaries
From a new NBER working paper by Alessandro Acquisti & Catherine Tucker. I’ve also been struck by the fact that compared to other industrialized countries the US has low robbery rates and especially so relative to burglaries.
Blog Notes
We arrived home yesterday afternoon from a trip to Oregon and LA for dog shows. The first photo was taken Sunday at about 3:00pm in Pomona, CA as we prepared to load the truck for home. The second, just under 24 hours later on I-15 north of Great Falls, MT as we headed for the Coutts border crossing.
A big shout out to the guest bloggers for keeping the place humming along so I could get some much needed (though exhausting) time away from politics. I’ll be back into the swing of things by tomorrow.