Yes, this a real poster from the 10-28 rally in Atlanta....

 You had ONE job....

 Read this.

Whiskey smoker

 

A good friend sent me this 'thing' as a gift. He faithfully supports my bad habits with all his heart, good man that he is.

Whiskey smoker-- cocktail smoker-- whatev.  It puts smoke on the water.

I've never really tried smoking a glass of whiskey.  I get the Drama and Gravitas and all that, but I'm more down to earth than that. Just give me decent whiskey in a fairly clean glass and I'll call it good.

Things like this are luxury to me. Like having a fancy cigar lighter, or a clean truck. Putting on the Ritz, as it were.

Let's break it down in images and video....

Nicely packaged.  The USB-c chargeable unit fits snugly, 
along with the wood chips and cute cocaine spoon.

Good selection of various wood chips. Enough to experiment a bit.
Oak with Scotch and Apple with Cognac?

To use, charge the widget.  Then give the bottom a light twist and 
the unit will split in two. The tiny burner screen will drop into
your hand, and should have a non-flammable thingy under it. 
Check to be sure, and then put the thingy and the screen
back in the hole.  Spoon on some wood chips of choice. Put the base back on.
TaBoom!  Ready to use!

And-- a video of the smoker in use.

My thoughts on this gadget.   Pretty darn cool. We immediately smoked a few glasses of the good stuff for ourselves, and even Herself who disdains smoked anything thought it was good.  So far we've tried oak with Basil Haydon Bourbon, but tonight might be an apple over Scotch kind of night.  Either way, It's just a push of a button away.

Something that occurs.  Who says it's just for whiskey and cocktails?  Why can't it do wings in a mason jar?  Oh yeah-- we will be 'sperimentin for sure.

Note:  This one on Amazon 'looks' like mine, except the name on the box. Reasonable price and good ratings too.

Dearest Grok: How much does government add to the average cost of a new home?

About $131,734, or 26.4% of the average new single-family home price. 

(<https://www.nahb.org/news-and-economics/press-releases/2026/06/regulatory-costs-jump-40-in-five-years-add-131734-to-new-home-prices>)

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 2026 study (based on surveys of builders and developers, applied to the January 2026 average new-home sales price of $499,500 from U.S. Census data), government regulations at the federal, state, and local levels account for this amount. This is up more than 40% from the 2021 estimate of about $93,870 and roughly double the 2011 figure of $65,224.[](<https://www.nahb.org/news-and-economics/press-releases/2026/06/regulatory-costs-jump-40-in-five-years-add-131734-to-new-home-prices>)

### Breakdown

- **Land development phase**: ~$46,795 (9.4% of the home price). This includes zoning approval costs, hard compliance costs (fees and required studies), land dedicated to government/public use or left unbuilt, design standards (e.g., setbacks) beyond ordinary requirements, labor rules, and delays.

- **Construction phase** (after the finished lot is purchased): ~$84,939 (17.0% of the home price). This includes permit/inspection/hook-up fees, architectural design standards beyond ordinary, OSHA and other labor compliance, pure costs of regulatory delays, and especially changes to building codes.[]

### Largest individual categories (approximate averages across all homes)

- Changes to building codes over the past 10 years: $40,288 (8.1%) — the single biggest item.

- Fees paid by the builder after lot purchase (permits, inspections, hook-ups, etc.): $20,154 (4.0%).

- Architectural design standards beyond the ordinary (construction): $16,117 (3.2%).

- Land dedicated to government or left unbuilt: $13,593 (2.7%).

- Compliance hard costs/fees and studies (development): $10,755 (2.2%).

- Design/land standards beyond ordinary (development): $10,583 (2.1%).

- Zoning approval costs: $7,007 (1.4%).

- Smaller amounts for OSHA/labor rules and pure delay costs.[]

These are national averages derived from builder/developer surveys. Actual amounts vary significantly by location—higher in high-regulation, high-growth, or coastal areas (especially due to impact fees, stricter codes, and zoning) and lower in less-regulated regions. The figures capture direct and indirect costs passed through to buyers (including financing costs from delays) but do not fully include broader effects like zoning-driven land scarcity, material tariffs, or occupational licensing limits on labor supply, which some analyses suggest make the total regulatory impact even larger.[]

NAHB notes that not all regulation is unnecessary (e.g., basic safety codes provide value), but the cumulative burden—particularly rising code changes and fees—has grown faster than incomes and contributes to housing affordability challenges.

Things and stuff, staying busy with the little stuff that needs doing.

 

Sweet onions were on sale at the grocery store, so here are five pounds of onions in the dehydrator.

When done drying there, I will toast them in the oven till starting to brown a little, and then a spin in the processor till they are dehydrated onion chunks.

We now have two shelves full of dried goodness in marked mason jars.  Many many lots of herbs, dried legumes and several kinds of rice. Dried onion, tomato powder and bits, zucchini, mirepoix, and peppers. Two different kinds of oatmeal.  Dried cranberries and blueberries, and working on candied orange and lemon.

This and a full pantry means we are ready for kicked up meals all Winter :-)

Here we have a family pack of chicken breasts vacuum packed and soon joining the others in the freezer.  

Packed with kosher salt, fresh black pepper, and half a fresh lemon in each package.

Sous Vide at 140 degrees for 2-3 hours in the Instant Pot, and we get the moistest and most flavorful BSBs we've ever eaten.  No mess, no fuss, and no rush to meet a dinner deadline.

How does three gallons of Cranberry juice concentrate for less than $10 sound?

Half gallon mason jars. One 12 ounce (76 cents) bag of whole cranberries in each.  Add 1/2 cup sugar if desired. Fill with boiling water.  Put the lid on, grab with a wash cloth, and hand-tumble till the sugar is dissolved.  Top off the hot water as needed.

Put it away for a few months (Christmas!) and it's done.  Really strong pure cranberry juice.  We cut it 50/50 with water, but vodka is certainly a good choice :-)

Speaking of stocking the pantry....

Painful day. Cleaning out a pantry.  Anything I canned that's more than a year or so gone, or it's obvious no one wants... in the bin. Also any out-of-date anything else that needs to go,

Yes, I tossed the jars as well.  Look, I have a goodly supply and they are cheap and plentiful. In addition I am lazy, or perhaps at my physical limits and must choose the battles carefully.

Now to wash the roughly 4 dishwasher loads of canning jars I still have, and pack them to stay clean instead of tossing them on a shelf. 

From now on I'll only can what we use on a regular basis, what I personally want, or anything intended as gifts.

Why focus on the pantry all of a sudden?  It needs done regularly, but besides that-- every story I  read lately about the Tribe sharing their post-election plans reminds me we may need it sooner rather than later.

Department of War Fortress initiative.

How long is your home and family good for if it goes pear shaped?

Here, I think 60 days or so before meds are a concern.  Other than that, 3 to 6 months before it gets tetchy.  Once I drop, make that a week or two.  Not much chance of the horse learning to sing.

I'm not supposed to take Ibuprofen too often....

 

Two cords of mostly Oak.  Roughly 3.5 tons, racked, stacked, and packed.  I'll probably add another cord in a week or two.  I mean, it took me more than a month to move and stack this much.

Three cords of seasoned split oak delivered = $675.

ONE tank of heating oil at $6.00 a gallon = $1300, and we'd burn three tanks in a winter.

Flying cars?

I think people are quite tunnel vision on 'Flying Car'. Allow me to explain what I thought when I saw it.

Remove the driveline. Batteries, motors, wheels, suspension, steering... every last component. Beef up the body and wrap it around the bottom. Enough to survive ballistic impacts. 

Expand the hyper-compressed air storage a LOT. Double the # of attitude and propulsion nozzles. 

Add in a few manipulator arms and a vacuum welding arm. Add hard points to attach cargo and components. Install a smart computer to aid the pilot. 

What do we have? The construction sled that will power all near-earth engineering projects for decades to come.

RAH would have approved.

Just a growl at the universe. Nothing to see here.

You know what would be cool?  If things that were worked perfectly and without any problem at all were left the fuck alone.

Amazon, for the second time, has buggered my insulin prescription. Just like a few months ago, they randomly changed how many days the scrip is written for.  Their default is 31 days, which insurance will not cover, even though the script is written for 96 days, which insurance will cover.  I've BTDT with them before, and it took hours on the phone over several weeks and involving my Doc to get it fixed.  So naturally, Amazon did it again.

I guess I will try Walmart pharmacy, IF my doctor will re-issue the prescription as requested.  My doc is good... really good.  The office staff?  Not so much.  With them I have to speak slowly and use small, friendly, words.  Talk to Amazon?   Lol... that's funny.

My other choices are CVS, universally despised around here, and Weis Market, which has the distinct honor of being the only pharmacy at which I had to double check every prescription for accuracy.  Yes, they seem to put random meds in random bottles.

I guess it boils down to this.  A people-caused problem once in a while can just be dealt with.  *Daily* people-caused problems and disappointments are wearing, to the point of exhaustion.  I think I need a few days of 'Shut it all down and stare at the fire pit' with a glass in my hand.

Minor peevishness

One little modern bit of FU that goes virtually unnoticed.  Reviews and surveys, as in requests for them.

"Your opinion is very important to us!": Which is why we want you to take time from your limited lifespan and give us what we want, and in return we will give you absolutely nothing. Also, don't bother responding to this e-mail. You aren't worth our time to read responses.

Hi ARTHUR WELLING,

Thank you for choosing Pizza Hut® .Your feedback is important and we welcome you to share it in a brief survey – it shouldn't take more than 2 minutes. How are you finding the product? We hope you are enjoying your recent purchase of Galaxy S26 Ultra. Tell us how you like it, and your feedback can help fellow shoppers decide whether it’s right for them. We appreciate your feedback.

 

 The Rules

1: "Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have."

2: "Never go outside the expertise of your people."

3: "Whenever possible go outside the expertise of the enemy."

4: "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules."

5: "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon."

6: "A good tactic is one your people enjoy."

7: "A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag."

8: "Keep the pressure on."

9: "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself."

10: "The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition."

11: "If you push a negative hard and deep enough it will break through into its counter-side"

12: "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative."

13: "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."

Memory is on my mind today. An odd creature it is.

How does a memory become graded as important enough to remember easily? I recall the registration plate on my first car, but not the teacher who turned me into a lifetime reader. I easily know the address of the farm I mostly grew up on, but the address of where I lived before my home today evades me. I recall the pin number of my first debit card (MAC), but not the password I created yesterday.

Curious.

My 5 year old S-21 Ultra was failing in weird ways, so-- a new Samsung S26 Ultra, which doesn't fail at anything.

New phone, new amazing camera, new software.

Spooky here was shot at 12mp in portrait mode.  The camera will also shoot at 50mp and 200mp.  

This image had a vacuum cleaner in the background. Of course it's easy to see where it was.. If you are looking for it. The new software is cool.

1000 words

 

John Cleese explains the basis of the tribe.

 THIS

The next Sous Vide adventure..

 

London broil roasts, each around two pounds. Just right for our meals

Vacuum packed with kosher salt, fresh black pepper, rosemary from the garden, and butter.  I'll do these at 135 degrees for 24 hours and then a very fast sear for a crust.  Should be ultra tender but still sliceable.  In at 4pm today and ready for dinner tomorrow. 

Damnit, just go vote.

A few sincere words on the upcoming election.  

<begin opinion>

Polls?  F**K the polls!  Polls are agenda driven political bullshit.  Everyone knows that and everyone loves a poll that agrees with their own notions; Knowing it's pure bovine exhaust.

When is the last time any polling agency scored better than a coin toss on final results?  Yeah, I know, right?  That's because they are about prodding opinion, not predicting outcomes.

F**K the polls.  Ignore them and do what you think is right.

Follow the herd and do what they tell you?  F**K the herd.  Animals run in herds.  Be a human, not an animal.  Think for yourself.  The wolves hate it when the sheep start thinking for themselves.  Good-- make them grind their teeth to dust.

Ignore the bullshit and just go vote. If for no reason other than half those a**holes hope you don't.

<end opinion>

Back in the saddle.

 Vacation while retired becomes 'New shit, Different day'.  I am officially relaxed.  I think.

Out of Office

We will be busy out and around for a while, so no posting.

Ya'll play nice, and be good.  If you can't be good, then don't get caught.

Is the United States infrastructure under attack?

 is what I asked several AI's.

The answer?

*********************************

Yes, U.S. critical infrastructure is currently under **active and escalating cyberattack** from state-sponsored actors, primarily **Iran**, **China**, and **Russia**. Recent incidents include a widespread wave of attacks in **July 2026** targeting **more than 30 water treatment plants** across **12 states**, which disrupted services and forced some facilities to switch to manual operations. Federal agencies, including the **FBI** and **CISA**, have confirmed these attacks and are investigating links to **Iranian-backed groups** who are also targeting energy and telecommunications sectors.

Beyond immediate disruptions, **Chinese state-sponsored actors** like **Volt Typhoon** have been conducting long-term, stealthy intrusions into critical systems for years, aiming to **pre-position for future sabotage** during potential conflicts. Intelligence officials warn that these actors have already gained footholds in communications, energy, and water networks to enable widespread service degradation if tensions escalate. While the recent water system attacks caused limited public safety impacts, the broader threat environment remains severe, with the energy sector alone facing an average of **1,160 attack attempts per week** per organization in 2024.

***************************

Try asking for yourself.  Makes for an interesting read. It prompted me to once again evaluate our home situation in terms of the common attack, cyber.  Given the nature of pretty much all infrastructure control, the extremely low cost and footprint of such attacks, and above all the efficiency of the US government to counter such attacks....  Rut Ro Reorge.

Electricity has to be number one for us.  We can live without it here at Castle Numbskull, but most people can't and our support systems certainly cannot.  The only response that makes sense for us is to 'power proof' our lives even more.

Food is neck and neck with electricity.  We can stock up as well as anyone can, but over time that will get thin.  I must think on that, and do so more rapidly.

Water.  With power, good stuff.  Without power, we have it but it'll be work.

Heat. Covered for some time. With a short notice I could have us set for the whole winter. 

Defense of house and home.  As good as our dysfunctional mess is going to get.  Not great, but it's not nothing.

Meds.  We are a reliant family regarding meds. All of us have some issue or another that is going to get hurtful if we lack meds long term.  We do the best we can, but more than a few months disruption is going to be problematic. 

Thoughts move on to secondary areas, and then tertiary.  All in all I think we would be fine for a few months of disruption.  As it stands today, anyway.

Between bugs, mold, and virus the garden is done for the year.  Coming into September is a factor as well.

I still count it a good year.  We ate well all Summer, and have at least a years worth of sauce and dried herbs put away.  Hell, just today we finished the last tomato sauce from last year!

I pulled the stakes and trellis, setting them aside for next season.  Then I put the Toyota in 4x4 and played 'marching back and forth' till it was all crunched up. 

Then I called the good people at Freedom Firewood, and just like that our first cord appeared.  The next two cords are already arranged and paid for.  Seems a WAY better deal than $5.69 a gallon heating oil.

Cigar Bid....

 

This AJ Fuentes perfecto has been in my humidor since I got them less than a month ago.  It's carefully kept between 65% and 70% humidity, so this dried out condition didn't happen there.  The shipping took only a day or two from CI and they stayed cellophane wrapped in the box the whole time.

I'm beginning to wonder if CI and CB cigars are more reasonably priced because they've had unhappy childhoods from which there is no return.

Lazy breakfast

One click and the entire post vanished.  Okay.. that's done for today.  If anyone wants the biscuit recipe pop a message.

As noted yesterday.... now with more updateness.

 

Yesterday Walmart flubbed our food order.  I ordered 4 pounds of sliced lunchmeat, and they delivered well in excess of 30 pounds.  Over $300 in rare roast beef, good ham, good salami...

Of course I called the store, who knew all about it.  They told the Tie Guys it was wrong, and were instructed to shut up and fill  the order.

Then I called Walmart.com and spoke with Fromfarfaraway man, who I sort of understood.  While speaking to him about the upcoming charge, and knowing the deli-sliced meat could not be returned, I was in another window ordering a vacuum sealer on Amazon.  It's something I've been mulling for a year or two, but just couldn't justify the expense.  Well, a huge pile of lunch meat on our counter kicked me past that decision point.

(Fromfarfaraway guy said we would not be charged for their mistake.  I think.  I'm still waiting for their charge to clear before I'll be settled).

(UPDATE; The charge posted, and Fromfarfaraway man really did fix the ticket.  Color me pleased).

Roughly 1/3rd of the pile went to nice-neighbor-lady who has a family to feed. I enjoyed doing that.  The rest, I spent 30 minutes this morning separating it into typical use amounts and vacuum sealing them for the freezer. I think a years supply, roughly.

I related all that to explain this; This Nesco vacuum sealer is really cool.  I wish I'd bit this bullet a few years ago.  I can see this thing saving us significant bucks.  Buying family packs of.. well.. everything. Entire pork loins, whole briskets, fruit by the bushel, you name it.  It also opens up the world of sou vide, and vacuum marinating.  Damn.

In honor of the useful new widget I baked two quiches this morning (Ham and cheese, naturally).  One for dinner tonight, and the other to try the vacuum sealer on.

Now there is an entire delicious homemade quiche in the freezer, needing only thaw and heat to be a family meal.  Like I said.. cool.

Huh.... well.....

 Um... yeah... so.....

I ordered a Walmart delivery.  We needed a couple odd things and it was just cheaper and easier to let them hoof it over to the house.  As long as I had that coming, I tossed some lunch meat on the order so the fam can do sandwich night.  A small amount of four kinds of meat, and some sliced pepper jack.    Why?  Because smoked turkey sandwich, that's why.

Walmart must have hiccupped something fierce in the deli this morning. Instead of a half pound of lean roast beef at $16.87 a pound, they sent SIXTEEN pounds of rare roast beef.  Another TWELVE pounds of honey ham, THREE pounds of salami, and the one pound of smoked turkey I actually ordered.  Altogether about 30 pounds of lunchmeat.

Yes, I called the store.  "Oh, are you  the guy who ordered sixteen pounds of roast beef?"  to which I replied "No, I'm the guy who ordered 1/2 a pound of roast beef but got sent SIXTEEN pounds of roast beef".   A chuckle, followed by "We knew that was wrong and we told the office people but they said just do it".

I ended up on the phone with Wallmart.com, trying to decipher what Fromfarfaraway man was saying.  I'm 80% sure he said just keep it and we never be charged because we never did wrong.... or something like that.  He seemed shocked when I said we'd give it to all the neighbors and say it's a gift from Walmart.  

Well, one neighbor, and she has hubby, kids, and grandad to feed so that's a good place to drop half the pile.  The rest?  I just ordered a vacuum sealer and it will be here by tonight.  I have wanted one a long time for freezing stuff, and $300 of lunch meat is a great excuse.

So, there I wuz...

Odd how memories surface for no apparent reason.

Maybe 30 years ago, I was shooting on a private range in Southern Chester county.  I was alone but for two guys who came in and set up a few spots down the bench from me.  They uncased an M-1 and spent some time fiddling with it.

I heard Bang Bang PING! and the clip landed on the ground behind us.

They proceeded to spend 20 minutes trying to load the rifle again, without any luck.  I walked over and picked up the clip, offering it to them. "You might want this back".

They yelled at me.  Said it wasn't their's and mind my own business. Huh.

I walked away and tossed the clip into my bag.  No good deed goes unpunished, right?

Like winning the lottery....

 

Stopped in the grocery store in person and found some Not-Chicken on 50% off yellow tag.  These days it's a bit like winning the lottery.

Two out of every three days....

 

The very last meme post here...