To the French, I’m glad you’re not speaking German. You’re welcome.
Bullet Points:
** U.S. ports are urgently requesting a delay to newly proposed tariffs—reaching as high as 100%—on Chinese-made ship-to-shore cranes and other cargo handling equipment. These tariffs, building on existing 25% duties from the Biden era, would hit port operators who placed crane orders long before the tariffs were announced, boosting costs amid scant global alternatives. With over 70% of the world’s cranes produced in China—led by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries, which dominates nearly 80% of the U.S. market—ports argue that pivoting away could take up to a decade and cost millions of dollars. Stakeholders are appealing for exemptions on pre‑2025 crane orders and a three-year delay on new levies to allow time for domestic or allied manufacturing to scale up. Even if American steel were mandated, the critical expertise in crane design, engineering, and assembly remains primarily overseas, especially in China, which dominates this industry.
** OSINTdefender (@sentdefender): U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said during an interview today with CBS News that people should “stay tuned” for tomorrow’s (Monday’s – today’s) announcement from President Trump regarding Russia, with him adding, “The game, regarding Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, is about to change. I expect, in the coming days, you will see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend itself. I expect that, in the coming days, President Trump will have access to tariffs and sanctions that he has never had before. I expect, in the coming days, more support from Europe regarding the efforts to help Ukraine. Putin made a miscalculation here. For six months, President Trump tried to entice Putin to the table. The attacks have gone up, not down. One of the biggest miscalculations Putin has made is to play Trump.”
** The struggle is real.
** Congratulations to Gavin Fien (nephew) (shortstop), who was picked #12 in the first round of the MLB draft yesterday (Texas Rangers) with a $4.8 million signing bonus! He already had a scholarship to the University of Texas and will now defer it to pursue a career in professional baseball. His brother, Dylan (catcher), was picked by the Oakland Athletics last year and plays on their A-Minor League Team. My grandson is on a similar trajectory – we’ll see if he makes it in two years.
** The promises never seem to match up with deliverables, then and now.
** Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MI) may not be the dumbest woman in Michigan, but she better hope that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer doesn’t die.
** Do you have to leave Texas? What does the doctor say?
** ICE has solved LA’s traffic problems at rush hour, taking thousands of cars off the roads. Wow, Trump is solving climate change, too.
** “Pharmaceutical ads could be banned from television. CNN says it could cripple them.” I think that it would have the same impact on Fox. Maybe somebody who reads the news could be paid less than $45 million per year? Sean Hannity’s annual salary at Fox News is estimated to be around $45 million, according to Forbes. In 2018, Forbes estimated his annual income at $36 million, according to Wikipedia.I don’t hate Hannity. I feel that being a news entertainer is worth less than $45 million/year. Maybe not. He and the rest of the new celebrities at Fox are substantially paid by Big Pharma. Is that a good thing?
** VDH discusses Mexico, Canada, and trade.
** Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge is gone. Burned to the ground. It was destroyed by a wildfire yesterday.
** “If the consulting business were a stock, I’d be shorting it right now.” Peter Thiel’s verdict captures the moment. Bloated firms, bad advice, and billions in revenue—consulting’s old model is collapsing.
Flying Camper
The Wilson Global Explorer is an American-built amphibious aircraft from the early 1990s, which has been utilized to assist in the exploration of remote areas. (a live-aboard)
Development
The high-wing, twin-engine Global Explorer was designed and constructed in Idaho by Dean W. Wilson at the request of explorer Hubert de Chevigny. The aircraft first flew in April 1991. A second aircraft was later built.
The Global Explorer boasts an intense fuselage design, featuring numerous glazed areas, as well as accommodations at the rear for sleeping, a galley, a head, and other purposes. For added strength, the high-set wings are each supported by brace structures from the side fuselage and from the lower sponsons. The nose gear retracts forward of the hull and acts as a bumper for water operations.[2] The mainwheels can be removed and the fixed side sponsons assist flotation and manoeuvering on water. Various Lycoming engines, ranging from 200 hp to 300 hp, have been fitted, depending on the expected altitude to be reached during planned operations.
I find the idea appealing. You fly over a remote lake that you know must be teeming with brook trout, so you set it down and wet the line. If you like the spot, go ashore, build a hooch over time that you can fly into if you need a little more elbow room than might be available on the aircraft.
Clawing Back the Cash
Senator Bernie Sanders (Communist-VT) is waving the authoritarian-alarm flag again, this time because House Republicans want to claw back the two-year advance appropriation—roughly $1.1 billion—for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). On X, Sanders thundered that yanking taxpayer cash from Big Bird is tantamount to “another step toward authoritarianism,” as though the First Amendment contains a secret Sesame Street clause that reads: “Congress shall make no law…unless Elmo needs a bailout.”
As is often the case, the Senator is confused.
Let’s review what the Constitution says. “Freedom of the press” means the government may not stop anyone from printing, filming, podcasting, live-blogging, or interpretive-dance-reporting whatever they like. It does not mean every American family must chip in so that Ken Burns can afford more and more twelve-minute slow-zooms over a sepia photo of a guy with an epic Civil War mustache.
If paying journalists out of the federal purse were a prerequisite for liberty, then Norway—where the state directly subsidizes newspapers—would be the freest nation on Earth, and The New York Times would be a federal contractor.
Nor is CPB a shoestring mom-and-pop outfit being mugged in a dark alley. Even after years of streaming-era cord-cutting, Congress still guaranteed it at least $535 million for FY 2026—money CPB proudly touts as a “firewall” that shields it from political meddling. When your protective moat is half a billion dollars wide, it’s hard to play the damsel in distress.
Sanders also overlooks an inconvenient fact: reporters already possess the same speech rights he enjoys when he livestreams a filibuster or pens a fund-raising email. The First Amendment doesn’t hand out golden press passes that confer special immunities; it merely forbids Congress from muzzling anyone. If a TikTok influencer can critique the government without subsidy, PBS can too.
Freedom of the press protects printing presses, not printing invoices to the Treasury. PBS can still air documentaries on Icelandic volcanoes; NPR could still produce driveway-moment think-pieces; Big Bird could still lecture toddlers about recycling, just funded by viewers “like you,” corporate underwriters, and the occasional tote-bag donor rather than compulsory taxation. So why brand a budget cut as nascent tyranny?
Because “authoritarianism” polls better than “my favorite programs might have to hold a pledge drive.” But let’s be honest: in a media landscape where anyone with Wi-Fi and a cat can launch a news channel, government-funded broadcasting is less a bulwark against dictatorship than an expensive nostalgia project.
EV Subsidies are a Bad Idea
In a rebuttal to energy policy expert Jason Bordoff’s call for reducing U.S. oil demand through EV subsidies and efficiency mandates to achieve energy security, Tilak Doshi argues that such an approach is economically flawed and geopolitically naive.
Instead, emphasizing domestic oil production—enabled by innovations like fracking—drives prosperity, jobs, and global influence, while avoiding new dependencies on China-dominated EV supply chains.
Doshi champions market freedom over central planning, highlighting how Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda restores U.S. strength by prioritizing abundance and innovation over enforced scarcity.
Compare your Life to that of a King (in history)
The Edward I Room at Chillingham Castle in Northumberland, England, is named after King Edward I, who reportedly stayed there in 1298 during his campaign against the Scots. This room is steeped in centuries of history and is one of the most historically significant chambers in the castle. The castle itself, dating back to the 12th century, served as a strategic stronghold near the volatile Anglo-Scottish border. The Edward I Room has retained much of its medieval character, with a grand four-poster bed, thick stone walls, and a massive fireplace. It has hosted royalty, noble families, and warriors through centuries of conflict and change. The room is said to be haunted, with numerous reports of ghostly sightings and strange occurrences, adding to its mysterious allure. Original features, such as tapestries, ancient wood paneling, and antique furnishings, preserve the ambiance of a bygone era. The room has witnessed everything from royal strategy meetings to the quiet presence of monks and soldiers. Today, it draws visitors who are fascinated by both its royal connections and its supernatural reputation. The Edward I Room stands as a powerful reminder of Chillingham Castle’s rich and turbulent medieval history.
When you think about it, the food we eat, the medical care we enjoy, the dentistry that we use to keep our teeth intact, the energy we burn to keep ourselves warm and cool, our access to information, fresh water, transportation and the thin verneer of civilization that keeps us far safer than even a king. Cell service internationally means that you can reach anyone on the planet with the touch of a button. Soon, Starlink will enable every cell phone to function as a satellite phone, increasing interconnectivity. An
The global top 1% income threshold is estimated to be approximately $60,000 per year, particularly if one has no dependents. To be in the top 1% globally, you need a net worth of $1.1 million.
I took my Ducati Diavel (The She Devil) out for a spin today, and when I ride the wind, I concentrate on the road, and I also have time to think and observe. The absolute wealth that surrounds us in the USA (and it’s true of the developed world) means that even the poorest among us enjoy a lifestyle that kings would have envied. Living in 2025 means that I can be connected to the planet (or not) in the middle of the Coconino National Forest, enjoying a lifestyle that sci-fi authors in the 1950s could barely imagine. Humility is called for.
If you’re travelin’ to the north country fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
For she once was a true love of mine
~Bob Dylan
***
Identify the Aircraft
1
It performed well, but its guns caused engine flameouts due to gas ingestion. Engineers solved this problem by relocating the air intakes to the nose and placing the guns under the fuselage. Production began in 1955, but only five units were built before the program was cancelled in 1956.
2
3
Parting Shot
End
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Ilyushin Il-40 Brawny
2. Sukhoi Su-47 Firkin
3. SAAB 21R
Yes.
France owes a lot of debt to USA, Britain, Canada, Australia etc.
My grandfather and all his brothers enlisted in WW1 with only one not being badly wounded. Similar in WW2.
Several relatives enlisted at 14 and 15.
Can’t imagine many people doing the same now.
The US didn’t enter WW1 on behalf of the France. The UK had been manipulating us in that direction, with Wilson’s compliance, for years. I believe the explorers who found the Lusitania wreckage were warned of the ammunition aboard, just like the Imperial German government had said.
True.
.
The British entered the Great War (the “War to End All Wars”) piecemeal, unprepared, with battalions wandering around looking for the Germans and the Belgians trying to maintain neutrality in the face of invasion. The Schlieffen Plan was devised to avoid a protracted two-front war, which Germany feared due to its central geographical position, and it worked well on paper; however, it proved to be a disaster. The French would have folded if not for the insertion of British troops. The British, French, and German egos would not allow them to comprehend that the age of cavalry charges ended with the introduction of magazine-fed rifles, machine guns, and modern (then) artillery. The Australians were gullible enough to land at Galipoli (and then be abandoned by the British, who feared German torpedoes). Then there were the Bolsheviks vs the Czar. What an absolute goat circus. Everyone intriguing with everyone else and America standing on the sidelines for most of it, making money and tooling-up.
.
I had family who fought a with the American Expeditionary Force at the Marne and didn’t do well. I had British relatives who fought at the Somme. In total, British forces suffered over 420,000 casualties, including deaths, during the entire battle which accomplished zip. I also had German relatives who fought at the Somme which accomplished zip. Glorious trench warfare, over the top into the wire and all that.
And basically wiped out a generation of men from Britain, France, Germany, and ANZAC.
They’re still feeling the depletion from the gene pools in all those countries.
RMS Lusitania was a British armed merchant cruiser. She had guns mounted forward disguised as part of the superstructure. Her cargo included tons of war material. Of course, the main news at the time didn’t mention any of this at all even though the Germans posted a portion of the cargo manifest for public view before she sailed.
*Before WW II got hot, the British put hard hat divers on Lusitania to remove the guns, silver and other items deemed by the Admiralty important enough to be recovered. Originally, the thought was to use the guns in new ships, however, the guns were incompatible with British ships of war and were placed as shore defense batteries.
Lusitania was sunk because she slowed down right in the middle of a U-Boat shooting range. Hmmm. Funny that.
–
Definitely seems to be a setup by the Brits to change US policy.
–
As to Germany, they took out ads in the days before she sailed from the US, saying that the ship was violating maritime laws and carrying weapons and war materials. They had people on the docks telling the sailors and passengers that this ship was carrying and was going to be targeted.
–
And Ballard and his crew found full boxes of .303 ammo, ingots of brass and copper, barrels of powder.
–
Now let’s look at the Zimmerman telegraph. Betcha it doesn’t pass the smell test today, barely passed it back then.
The Zimmermann Telegram was a coded message sent by Germany’s Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador in Mexico in January 1917. It proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico…conveneniently intercepted. Was it legitimate? I think that it may have been, but the interception was – timely. Zimmermann was a bit of a turd and the Germans did want the US to be distracted south rather than continuing to send food and military supplies to the Allies in support of the war effort. It reminds me too much of the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, a sham that drew the USA more fully into the Vietnam War. When I walk along The Wall in DC with all those names on it, I grow both sad and angry. Then there was the Weapons of Mass Destruction hoax that drew us into the Second Gulf War. The patterns recur with distressing regularity.
The burning of the lodge at the Grand Canyon is the result of a horrible choice. The park service policy is to let the fires burn, to the detriment of everyone. Makes me sick that these people who make this policy pay no price for their idiocy. Here, In Lassen, the famous fire lookout that Ed Abbey worked at for a few seasons also burnt down in a fire a few years ago, although it too could have been protected and preserved, as a result of this same policy of “let it burn.” The people who live on this side of the park were really worried that fire would go through the park and down the west slope and burn everyone out. Fortunately, the state CalFire people kept that from happening, but there was no guarantee that they would be able to do that. Now they’re letting more wonderful places burn. Thanks. Appreciate your service.
CW, the Forest Service is logging the Coconino National Forest (AZ) near where I live, extensively clearing and thinning the ponderosa pines and removing the logs and slash. We who live there are happy to see it happening, even though they’re being aggressive. It should make fires spread more slowly and be easier to fight, which is a good thing. I took about 500 trees off my property to accomplish the same end around the hovel where I live. I left plenty of trees and the elk and deer are still there as are occasional mountain sheep, wolves, bobcats, pumas, etc. So they’re not evil and incompetent everywhere.
Need to open up the forest like you did, we did the same. Healthier forest and undergrowth is nice grass for grazing. I call it “getting more air under the trees to make it more [mountain] park like.” The USFS went enviro moons ago, embracing the opposite of what the American Indian knew; burn Summer pastures and clear the areas of standing dead (widow makers) and ground fuels…better grass the following year and what modern non-biologists call ‘a healthy forest’.
Lived in Chico for 30+ years until wife and I escaped to Texas in 2015. Got my B.S. in Rangeland Management at CSUC (See-Suk) in 1981. We took class field trips across the valley to the Mendocino National Forest to walk the ground and observe the results of their control burn program using the Heli-torch. IIRC, burn program was axed years ago and the funds diverted somewhere else.
Chinesium Crane Operations: Not a good commentary on USA’s industrial business. Then again – love him or no, considering his latest (potentially a diversionary tactic deal between him and PDJT) – Musk’s Space-X engineers did manage to “catch” the Heavy Booster with a couple of “chopsticks”…seems we do have the tech to avoid dealing with China on such things…assuming we can get people into STEM instead of the other fluff being offered for $100K at Universities.
***
Sanders is an idiot grifter. Nuf said about that bum…except that for the people who keep electing him are even stupider.
***
Pharm Ads…about time. Now let’s followup with loy-yers, used to be they were disallowed from advertising on the tele…but…’lobbyists’.
***
Grand Canyon Lodge travesty…Thanks a lot Forest-no-Service. You’da thought they’d get after it in short order, but have decided letting things go from 10 acres to 1000 acres helps them do their “clearing” job. No respect.
***
Fit for a King: After visiting Denmark – which I liked a lot, especially at a 6.5-1 exchange rate at the time, reminded me of where I grew up in Bucks County, PA, only surrounded by water)… and touring Kronborg Castle, I’ll take my place any day and twice on Sundays. Then again I don’t have to fend off those drunken crazy Swedes [Danish snark], only the occasional bear waltzing by at 3AM looking for full bird feeders to pilfer.
The US will need a decade to get moving again, and President Trump won’t be in office for more than four years. There will be incremental success before then, but reversing the curse won’t be instant or pain-free. The drug cartels (different than Big Pharma but only by degree) need to be curtailed through the reduction of use. If the US stops buying, they’ll stop selling. I am not holding my breath for that to happen.
I went on my first drug patrol in 1978 on a Coast Guard HU-16E out of CGAS San Francisco, as we were taxing out the pilot said “we are going out to do our part in keeping drug prices up on the street”. 47 years later I can say he was not wrong.
No, he wasn’t wrong. I recall multi-ton seizures of narcotics in Los Angeles and the price remained steady. Part of that came from the cartel setting the price (which is their function within the drug world) and part of it coming from the supply and demand aspect of commerce.
I don’t care if major media outlets go out of business due to the lack of ads for medications. They’re hyping medications that can lead to death, take advantage of the ignorance of most people, and hurt the reputations of good doctors. Smiling faces don’t console those with liver damage, irreversible side-effects, and possibly death. If Shawn Hannity, or any other smiling face, can’t make it without pharmaceutical advertising, then they need to learn to code.
I’m sure that parasites like Hannity could make it on 10% of his current salary without going on food stamps.
As Savage calls him, “The Drywaller”. Hannity was fresh in the beginning but (at least on air, might be a good person outside the office) has fallen into the hubris trap. But seriously, that kind of dough…for what? A trained monkey could the job.
Massive ego.
How’d ya like to see Rachel Maddow asking the eternal question: Do you want fries with that?
Enjoyed the video snippet from Landman. The reality injection for the kid is epic, but leaves out an interesting note. There was a study of the Permian basin that supplies oil out of Texas and New Mexico that says to consider it an essentially infinite supply. Obviously the planet isn’t infinite, so it can’t be truly evidence but there’s plenty of evidence that the idea of “fossil fuels” isn’t reality. Things like abandoned oil fields refilling from below are well known.
X2
X3…Sheridan encapsulated the fallacy of wind[less] power generation in 3 minutes while presenting the typical Liberal/Left/Subsidized talking points…which Tommy destroys in the most effective manner.
The second most common liquid on Earth is oil. And it can form in less than two years in rock formations that are ‘oil-bearing.’ Most of the ‘facts’ about oil deposits are based on pumping and drilling technology that was just slightly more advanced than the first drilling and pumping systems used in Pennsylvania. Definitely not based on much more modern tech. Lefties still think of oil drilling as, well, those photos from the early Pennsylvania days, oil flowing on the ground, gushers and all that. Modern methods and equipment are far more efficient.
TV advertisement. The principal reason I haven’t owned a television for many years. I understand technology exists to filter ads, but that would mean reading instructions. Not worth the effort, to me.
———-
Port cranes. What happens if we live with what we have?
Live with what we have? Good question!
We don’t have enough. The idea of President Trump promoting the creation of more port facilities, drydocks, etc. requires more cranes.
Port cranes.
every time someone brings up the Chinese hold on a particular market, I keep remembering what we as a nation got together and accomp;lished ’41-’45.
I know I continue to repeat myself, but if we (our state-run institutions) began to emphasize/teach kindergarteners subjects other than “How many genders can Jane believe she can become/have,” we might actually have a chance to remain the top nation
or How do we (the (grand)/parents) effect the necessary change in primary education?
or WIll The Donald see, understand, and make the necessary changes in primary education through the Dept/Sec of Ed while he has the chance to do so?
We need to start making steel again.
Happening in Pittsburgh already (well, soon to restart). Need to check on Bethlehem Steel (PA) see if that resurrects.
Still being made in Pueblo, CO – much smaller scale then before.
CF&I?
Paul M CF&I was sold to another company. I don’t know much about them. I think they concentrate on rails and various concrete reinforcements (re-bar).
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district since 2019.
We have our hands full with Rashida Tlaib.
WAIT! WHAT? I thought for sure she was one of yours.
How times have surely changed with the French marching there with German weapons. I never thought that adoption would ever happen.
X2!
Wonder how many times those rifles have been dropped…..
Congrats to your nephew! That is outstanding!
+2
Yes, we need seaplanes. Good call. And parades.
The absolute wealth that surrounds us in the USA (and it’s true of the developed world) means that even the poorest among us enjoy a lifestyle that kings would have envied. Living in 2025 means that I can be connected to the planet (or not) in the middle of the Coconino National Forest, enjoying a lifestyle that sci-fi authors in the 1950s could barely imagine. Humility is called for.
.
Not even in their wildest dreams. We all carry around Vannevar Bush’s “Codex” and Spock’s Tri-Corder all in one unit.
X2