Monday Afternoon Links

by | Jan 13, 2025 | Daily Links | 72 comments

Release the badgers!

I had an odd dream – people were releasing badgers into our office building. But they were not rampaging or attacking stuff or people – they were being ushered by building security to the cafeteria. I need to stop huffing paint before bedtime.

With that bit of weirdness in mind, let us go see how the world looks.

  • Huh. Beats me.
  • Some people just need kickin’ in the ribs.
  • Note the subtlety in this UPI article. The plaintiff’s argue Constitutionality, the defense argues how wonderful Obamacare is.
  • New stuff this year in the ol’ CH.

Music. I need Technoviking.

Comment section is open and yours.

About The Author

Swiss Servator

Swiss Servator

Currently serving at the pleasure of a Swiss multinational. Previously a Soldier, rugby player, lawyer, bouncer, bartender, substitute teacher, risk manager, and cubicle mushroom. Will work for raclette.

72 Comments

  1. SDF-7

    Release the badgers!

    Just not at Honey Harvest — then you’d have honey badgers

    • Tundra

      Holy shit. That came out in 2011.

    • Pope Jimbo

      At the HH, Fourscore gave us a lesson in how honey is made. Learned a lot from him.

      For example, Fourscore told us that the drones that stay home are actually allergic to pollen. If they run into one of the worker bees that were out diddling flowers and were covered in pollen the drones will have an allergic reaction and get hives.

  2. SDF-7

    Huh. Beats me.

    If true — I wouldn’t be all that surprised. Even in our relatively low-fire-risk part of the state, I mentally curse my neighbors when they light them off (which they do often). Always imagine one coming down in the dry back yard and burning up the house then the neighborhood.

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      Wouldn’t surprise me. The Oakland Hills fire in 1991 started when a fire that had been “put out” reignited due to high winds a couple days later. Maybe the fire departments need to park trucks near recent fires when high winds are forecast.

      • Tundra

        Lawsuits against the power company already dropped.

      • Spudalicious

        Many departments do fire watch for x amount of hours. We did 24 hours. Oakland did not.

      • Tundra

        Drones would have been helpful, huh?

  3. The Late P Brooks

    Some people just need kickinā€™ in the ribs.

    What the fuck ever.

    • Sean

      For going around a parked car?

      I’m baffled. Perplexed even.

  4. SDF-7

    Some people just need kickinā€™ in the ribs.

    Wasn’t clear from the article but sounds like the same sort of asshole who’ll drive in the emergency lane or the center turn lane to pass stopped traffic.

    Because they’re just that damned important.

    It prompts mental daydreams of the car being armed with phaser banks (so it is odd and relatively untraceable when you disintegrate the asshole’s tires…)

    • Jarflax

      ‘He just tried to cut off a little old lady and her adult son… while she was out of her car looking for her son when he wandered off.

      Journalismese confuses me, how do you cut someone off when they are out of their car looking for someone? This sounds more like someone pulled around a parked and empty car sitting in the road. I gather from the rest of the article that all parties were waiting in line and this guy cut in front of the elderly woman, but if she was away from her car I am not sure I agree that he was obliged to wait for her to return before moving forward.

    • Fourscore

      I hate it when I’m doing 60 and the guy/person behind me absolutely is on my bumper. He has no idea that I’m an erratic driver, prone to making errors in judgement. Following closely on crooked or hilly roads, just waiting, waiting to show me a thing or two about his driving skills.

      • SarumanTheGreat

        I do not tailgate, if someone tailgates me, I get over, and I see someone driving erratically I either stay away or pass as fast as I can. Life is to short to experience adrenaline rushes not of my own making.

        Now if I had a set of rusty ‘roo bars installed . . .

  5. The Other Kevin

    “the defense argues how wonderful Obamacare is.”

    That’s sound reasoning according to a non-zero number of SC justices.

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      At least 3 of them.

  6. SDF-7

    Note the subtlety in this UPI article. The plaintiffā€™s argue Constitutionality, the defense argues how wonderful Obamacare is.

    Thanks again, Chief Justice Penaltax! From the Court juris prudence that gave us the open question of if the Feds can force you to buy brocolli (hell, probably force feed it to you) that opened the door to vax mandates…

    grumble bitch not-the-role-of-the-Feds-at-all complain…

    • juris imprudent

      I am deciding this case on a point that neither party raised. Sure, just an umpire that wrote an entirely new rule into the game in order to render a decision.

  7. SDF-7

    Music. I need Technoviking.

    Why do I suddenly feel like an extra at the filming of Run, Lola Run?

  8. DEG

    The conservative businesses bringing the case cite religious objections to being made to purchase health insurance that includes coverage for “abortifacient contraception,” PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to prevent HIV transmission and screenings and behavioral counseling for sexually transmitted disease and drug use, stating they believe these interventions “encourage homosexual behavior, intravenous drug use, and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman.”

    They contend the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — a panel that determines what kinds of preventative coverage are mandatory under the ACA — is unconstitutional because its members are not elected or appointed by Congress and thus should be eliminated.

    No quotes from the filings on the Constitutional arguments. Should I get my bias detector checked?

    • R.J.

      ā€œā€¦ its members are not elected or appointed by Congress and thus should be eliminated.ā€

      Agree, at all levels of government.

      • Fourscore

        “U.S. Preventive Services Task Force”

        Condom Distribution Point, kind of like Hunter’s go to guy for self medications

  9. Shpip

    The Biden administration describes the USPSTF as a 16-member independent group of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine that works to improve the health of all Americans “by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services such as screenings, counseling services, or preventive medications.”

    Making coverage for these things mandatory produces good results in some cases. So give us a little results-based jurisprudence.

    /prog lawyers, probably

    • Suthenboy

      “It’s for your own good.”

      Yeah? Fuck off.

    • Jarflax

      It makes no sense whatsoever for insurance to cover preventative care, and the market distortions that have brought us to a point where this is not a concept being suggested by idiots, but instead is legally mandated are hard to believe. Insurance is a hedge against risk. You pay a smaller amount in advance (premiums) to a company in exchange for their agreement to pay much larger amounts in cases that are unlikely to strike any particular individual but certain to strike some number of people. The entire system is based on, and necessarily requires that, more money in premiums be collected than claims paid. It is by definition more expensive to insure against risks than to pay them as they arise in toto, therefore the idea of insurance covering preventative measures is idiotic.

      • juris imprudent

        “I like free shit” /average voter

      • Suthenboy

        The point of socialism it to steer as much of the economy into government control as possible. The bigger the cash flow through govt the bigger the skim. I remember some years ago someone ran the numbers and found that for every dollar that went into welfare programs 7 cents made it to the purported beneficiaries…that the bureaucracy soaked up the other 93 cents.

      • Urthona

        Itā€™s fine for insurance to voluntarily cover preventative care as they long done so to mitigate their own risk.

        Making them cover preventative care by fiat is the bad idea.

    • SDF-7

      That seems like it should be against a Geneva convention.

    • DEG

      Side benefit: new production GP-11 in the USA.

      šŸ™‚

    • R.J.

      Holy unelected bureaucrats, Batman!

    • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

      That seems to be a Mater of Horn.

  10. Suthenboy

    They shoot off fireworks in Southern California? I dont know what to say.

    Asshole in traffic. It’s Southern California.

    Where is my Obamacare repeal? I dont give a shit if it takes until the end of time I am never going to let it go. If I had my way every govt agent and officeholder that supported that commie shit in any way would be horsewhipped until the hide was hanging off of their backs.

    Switzerland: Not my business. I am not qualified to have an opinion.

    • juris imprudent

      Bernie Sanders would support repealing Obamacare, and replacing it with Medicaid for All – be careful what you ask for.

      • Suthenboy

        We need to overturn Wickard/Filburn. That alone would probably kill Obamacare and fix a lot of unconstitutional ills. I still want my repeal just to make a point.

      • R C Dean

        Almost the entirety of the Regulatory State is based on the Commerce Clause. EPA, disparate impact, you name it. Getting rid of Wickard would cut the Constitutional foundation out from under 80% of the agencies.

        If that matters.

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      “I am not qualified to have an opinion.” That doesn’t stop most people.

      • R C Dean

        I told someone at lunch today ā€œMaking a major decision based on partial information? Count me in! Hell, I made a career out of it.ā€

  11. The Late P Brooks

    a panel that determines what kinds of preventative coverage are mandatory under the ACA

    Anything not prohibited is mandatory.

  12. Suthenboy

    I remember when Technoviking got doxxed. He was very embarrassed. The sober him didnt like the stoned him.

  13. The Late P Brooks

    Last call?

    The Porsche 911 just had its best sales year in the U.S. Ever.

    Porsche moved 14,128 examples of its rear-engine sports car in 2024, a new high watermark for the legend thatā€™s been around since 1964. That number is up by 20.8 percent over 2023, which was already a very good year by 911 standards. Great work, Porsche buyers.

    Itā€™s not just the 911 that had a banner year for Porsche here in the U.S., as the 718 model line had its best year since the German automaker combined the Boxster and Cayman under the same line. The 5,698 sales were the best since 2016, which is quite the feat considering both the 718 Boxster and Cayman are still chugging along in the same generation as was introduced for the 2017 model year. Of course, some of the excitement for Porscheā€™s mid-engine sports cars could be because Porsche is planning for the next generation to be electric. Lately, thereā€™s been a bit of wavering on that decision from Stuttgart, though, so things arenā€™t quite as concrete as they once seemed.

    Those numbers are lower than I would have expected, especially the 718s.

    How many of those cars will never be driven, to enhance their “investment” value?

    • Tundra

      If Porsche decides to skip the electric nonsense it will go down in history as one of the better marketing schemes.

      My buddy had a Cayman. I think I like them better than the 911.

    • The Other Kevin

      I can vouch for your whereabouts on Saturday and Sunday.

    • juris imprudent

      Maybe he should offer his security detail to whatever city employees ask for it – you know, just for a few days, to prove he has no fear.

  14. The Other Kevin

    My son in law is back in San Diego today. The Nimitz is somewhere on this live feed. If you scroll back you can see the ship pull in earlier this morning, it’s quite a sight. This time there is radio chatter, it identifies as “warship six eight” and you can hear them mentioning pilots and supplies.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edz0ux7JClE

    • Tundra

      That’s wild. How long is he back for?

      • The Other Kevin

        He’s not back home, he’s back picking up planes for a 2-month underway. After that is his first real deployment, sounds like 6-7 months. I’m sure they’ll put out some kind of press release, they normally do when they swap carrier groups, and this is the ship’s final deployment after 50 years of service.

      • Tundra

        Ah, gotcha.

        I see that they are still building new ones. Named after Clinton and W.

  15. Aloysious

    I love the Technoviking.

    The man has moves.

  16. The Late P Brooks

    <em.I think I like them better than the 911.

    Mid-engine, FTW!

    I did some work on a friend’s Boxster and “test drove” it. It felt awfully heavy, compared to my 914, but it was fun. You could probablt take 500 lbs off it if you threw away the top and all the motors.

    • Tundra

      They are all heavy now. Even the Cayman is over 3,000 lbs.

  17. Mojeaux

    And so.

    Bro2 and I have been conversing normally with regard to Mom and her care. I was honestly surprised he showed up since I’m here. There has been no snark or passive-aggressive comments.

    Bro1 and I have been conversing normally, but he’s the mediator and trying to keep us all together as best we can be when they know my soul is evil.

    My day started off with waking up in my own bed and going directly into funeral planning.

    Then I get to the hospital and notice her fluids lookā€¦healthy. And there’s lots of it. WTF we need a creatinine because that doesn’t look like it came from failing kidneys.

    We ask for a creatinine. The vampire who was just here just successfully stuck a woman who can’t be stuck, so now we wait to see if a whole 2 dialysis sessions kicked her kidneys back online.

    Next up: rehab.

    • The Other Kevin

      That is a roller coaster ride. And not the fun kind. You are in my prayers.

      • Mojeaux

        Yes. Today (well, the last 10 days) has been a mindfuck.

    • Jarflax

      That sounds hopeful!

    • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

      šŸ¤ž

    • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

      Here’s hoping Moj.

    • rhywun

      šŸ¤˜šŸ»šŸ‘

    • Mojeaux

      Okay, well (didn’t want to shit up Suthen’s post).

      We got her lab numbers back. Her kidney function is borderline. Meaning, it’s not quite bad enough to kill her, but nowhere near good enough for her to be able to get out of bed. She can go on like this indefinitely.

      So we are in a catch-22 situation.

      Skilled nursing is in her future, but for how long?

      Bros1&2 went over to her house to basically gently plant the seed in her sisters’ minds that the house will have to be sold. Aunt SC will balk because she doesn’t do much of anything if it doesn’t benefit her first.

  18. R C Dean

    ā€œSome people just need kickinā€™ in the ribs.ā€

    Could he look any more California?

    • Suthenboy

      I was thinking the same thing.

    • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

      Yeah, but he might be feeling Minnesota.

  19. The Late P Brooks

    But Trump hates teh geyz

    American disco group the Village People made a name for themselves in the late-70s for their chant-along dance-pop hits and their colorful on-stage personas. Their best known hit, ā€œY.M.C.A.,ā€ is widely considered a gay anthem — and became a staple of Trumpā€™s rallies in the last election, along with their hit ā€œMacho Man.ā€

    The American disco group is set to perform at one of Trumpā€™s inaugural balls and a rally heā€™s holding in Washington the day before heā€™s sworn in.

    ā€œWe know this wonā€™t make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,ā€ the band said in a post on its Facebook page Monday. ā€œOur song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost. Therefore, we believe itā€™s now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump.ā€

    Will they be packed into a windowless van and shipped off to the camps afterward?

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      Yes, by the Dems.

    • rhywun

      MAGA People! *faints*

      This is stunninger and braver than anything any of Joe’s sycophants did over the last four years.

  20. Suthenboy

    Re my question in Animal’s previous article: I imagine after going to said fantasy world I would come home thinking of some kind of colonizing expedition. Think of the possibilities, the resources, the adventure! Dead tired from my trip I would shower, build a fire and make a cup of hot chocolate. I would plop on the couch and turn on the news to see what everyone has been up to while I was gone. I would watch for five minutes and think “What was I thinking? Bring these fucking morons and their savagery there? Hell no. “

    • Suthenboy

      As I was typing that I overheard the news. Apparently Hamas has agreed to some kind of deal.
      My deal for Hamas: “If you promise to say hello to Hitler for me I will kill you quickly.”

  21. rhywun

    New stuff this year in the olā€™ CH.

    Another “burka ban”. You’d think there’d be some self-reflection on why so many Eurostaaten feel they need such a thing. (And I’m not talking about immigration.)

    boost renewable energy

    Oh, I get it now. They’re out of their fucking minds.

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