The HabitableZone » podrock

Meanwhile, bye bye National Forest Service

podrock — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:13:58 +0000

While we were all wondering if there was going to be a nuclear war (that was fun) Mr. T killed the Forest Service:

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/trump-administration-orders-dismantling-us-forest-service/7716263

https://saveusfs.org/

If I go off on a rant about this, it’ll be on Flame. Because it is all going up in flames. Literally.

EDIT, that first link might be broken…

Eventually, one has to just admit it.

podrock — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:08:22 +0000

Brain Damage.

When my father-in-law went down this path we are all witnessing, I had to convince everyone that this was a fact. They kept trying to either rationalize his actions or try to steer them. Tried to make sense of it all. That he’d get better.

“He’s brain damaged,” I’d say, “The MRI showed it.”

All we can do is keep him happy and not be a danger to himself or others. Take away the keys, put blocks on the windows, slides on the doors he can’t figure out, behind a door with a keypad. Drive him around the neighborhood now and again. Listen to the rambling stories. Put some meds in his apple pie.

It’s time to just admit it.

A Big Beautiful Bunker

podrock — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:11:52 +0000

Who’d have thought?

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/3/30/2375542/-Dumb-and-disturbing-developments-in-Trump-s-ballroom-boondoggle

link

I hate waking up to war

podrock — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 19:04:09 +0000

Couldn’t sleep in the wee hours, nor could Mrs. P. After tossing and turning I decided to just get up, relieve myself, put on the peculator, and check in on the world.

Mistake. I logged on as the news was still fresh.

All I could think is, “We are the baddies. The bullies.”

Don’t get me wrong, I knew it was a coming. How could you not? When the State Department tells its people to get the hell out, and NOW, and the jackass in chief says he’s not going to do it…

Everything he touches dies. And if Congress grows a spine and impeaches, we’ll have mini me.

(deleted: a very long expletive filled rant.)

Why do I do this to myself?

podrock — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:49:11 +0000

Watching the Bondi hearings on Cspan.

My Gawd! If she was asked about where she had breakfast she’d deflect.

https://www.threads.com/@bulwarkonline/post/DUn8rJplJTz

Being a tech bro gets you a commission and a uniform

podrock — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 19:16:50 +0000

Sigh. I never served but I grew up as a military brat. I spent my young life living on military bases, going to the BX, swimming at the officers’ club pool. My father earned his rank through war and peace. This is just wrong.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/27/tech-executives-commissioned-senior-army-officers-wont-recuse-themselves-dod-business-dealings.html

Four big tech executives the Army directly commissioned to be lieutenant colonels, with no military background, will not recuse themselves from business dealings with the Department of Defense — as the Pentagon, particularly the Army, cozies up to Silicon Valley.

Erich von Däniken, 1935 – 2026

podrock — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:05:16 +0000

Yeah, “I read Chariots of the Gods.” I think I was 12, or a bit older. Dad read it first, of course, then I got my dirty little hands on it. Initially my young mind was intrigued by these mysteries and aliens. Hey, I was a kid, starved for information with a susceptible imagination. Over the years, gaining a modicum of maturity, I began to see it as a fantasy, every bit as much as the Science Fiction and Fantasy novels I was consuming. Which then led to an ingrained skepticism of such claims. It has become difficult to keep my mouth shut in polite company when such topics arise, even an instinctive eye roll must be restrained. I credit Däniken with calibrating my bullshit detector, so there’s that.

A eulogy, of sorts, can be read here:

https://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/remembering-erich-von-daniken-1935-2026

An opinion from our neighbors up north, eh…

podrock — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 17:14:46 +0000

Powerless

podrock — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:23:03 +0000

I’m back.

We were without electricity and internet for 54 hour this weekend. Hurricane force winds (110mph) were to blame as was our local utility company.

They settled for $650,000,000 over their role in start the devastating Marshall fire that reduced a thousand home to ashes. So now, if it gets windy, they shut it down. Easy to turn off, difficult to turn on. They say they have to inspect every line before they re-energize.

Now, I have lived with Chinook Winds my whole life. I’ve been through power outages, seen parts of my parent’s house roof ripped off, powerlines in trees arcing. This seemed a bit much. Our local stores and restaurants were impacted on the weekend before Christmas. Thousands had their lives disrupted. I can’t imagine how much from dead refrigerators is going in the bin. Remote workers who could not work.

We are okay because we have lots of back-up batteries. Enough to run the critical loads and keep the phones charged and some lights. Still an interesting experience. I haven’t been without power for this long in a long time.

Reminded me how fortunate I am to have electricity in the first place and empathy to those constantly without.

Cracks propagate

podrock — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 04:54:12 +0000

I read an email dispatch from some major (grifting) Mr. T supporters. B list, really, but still they’ve been beating his drum for a long time, making as much money as they can off the wave.

Their last missive is a complete 180. Epstein, Epstein, Epstein. They are pissed. All their Q-anon theories are upside down. He was a a globalist all along! Or is being coerced. What now? MTG is a political martyr.

Interesting developments. Q’s predicted storm takes down daddy. The rats running down the ropes?