Haluški

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the Neighborhood:

3/20-Equinox! 3 Mr. Redbirds at the Diner:

It only took a week after arriving back from their Winter vacation for the Red-winged black birds to find the Diner:

Mamachuck! Rather early for her return in comparison to past years. I reckon she was checking out the apartments before bringing her younguns from their nest by Carrier Creek to their Spring/Summer quarters where they will grow up and move out on their own.

Big Woody has become a regular at the Diner:

Nutkin and a Big Tail in close proximity:

Buddy enjoying some wane sunshine on the garage porch:

We still haven't figured out what is going on with The Black Kitty: it is usually seen in the afternoon, going West to East across the Back 40 heading to Benny's Diner. Is it living in the apartments or is it let out when Mum gets home and goes on patrol? If that is the case, what? Mum isn't providing dinner? Tis a mystery. One day a week ago I was working in my office when I heard a distant call from Bud. It repeated and then it sunk in: he was growling. I went first to the portal and look out at the scene of the earlier battle. No one there. I pivoted and saw him crouched by the slider. TBK was outside on the deck and they were practically nose to nose. When I walked up, TBK skedaddled. Gawd.

#cutebuddypics

Sir Buddylicious, proud victor after kicking the stuffing out of his hapless Nip toy:

On the couch, receiving premium scritches from his Mum and Dad:

Fun vids:

Recent intense solar flares hit Earth causing electro-magnetic shifts inside the planet which trigger a number of volcanoes to erupt:

A sharp rise in meteorites sightings is due to Earth going thru the debris field from the rare interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS:

One of my favs as a kid on Saturday morning-Heckle and Jeckle-the talking magpies. One has a posh English accent, the other, a New Yorkish accent. From 1950, raising havoc in Egypt:

Unusual experimental band from Quebec, Canada: Angine de Poitrine (French for "angina pectoris"):

Snow geese rest stop in Havana, IL:

A pair of lovely and clever animated shorts:

Male River Chub fish who builds nest for his sweetie:

Painting by Finnish Symbolist Hugo Simberg (1873-1917):

"The Wounded Angel" 1903,voted Finland's "national painting" in a public vote organized by the Ateneum Museum in 2006.

Some context-from Wiki:

The procession passes through a recognisable landscape, that of Elaintarha, Helsinki, with Töölönlahti Bay in the background. The same road still skirts Töölönlahti Bay. In Hugo Simberg's time, the park was a popular spot for leisure-time activities among the working classes. At the time, many charity institutions were located in Eläintarha park; in The Wounded Angel, the healthy boys are carrying the injured girl towards the Blind Girls' School and the Home for Cripples. She clutches a bunch of snowdrops, symbolic of healing and rebirth.

Simberg himself declined to offer any interpretation, suggesting that the viewer draw their own conclusions. However, Simberg had been suffering from menigitis, and the painting was a source of strength during his recovery.

Our bi-polar days:

The Be Good Tanyas' cover of Townes Van Zandt 1968 classic Waitin' Around To Die:

Sometimes I don't know where this dirty road is taking meSometimes I don't even know the reason whyBut I guess I'll keep a-gamblin', lots of booze and lots of ramblin'But it's easier than just a-waitin' around to die

Oh one time, friends, I had a ma, even had a paWell, he beat her with a belt once 'cause she criedShe told him to take care of me, headed down to TennesseeWell, it's easier than just a-waitin' around to die

I came age and I found a girl in a Tuscaloosa barOh, she cleaned me out and hit it on the slyWell, I tried to kill the pain, I bought some wine and hopped a trainSeemed easier than just a-waitin' around to die

Had a friend, said he knew where some easy money wasWe robbed a man, and brother did we flyBut the posse caught up with me and drug me back to MuskogeeAnd it's two long years a-waitin' around to die

Oh, but now I'm out of prisonI got me a friend at lastHe don't drink or steal or cheat or lieOh, his name's codeineHe's the nicest thing I've seenWell, together we're gonna wait around and dieYeah, together we're gonna wait around and die

Willie Nelson covering Irving Berlin's 1926 song Blue Skies:

Blue skies smilin' at me

Nothin' but blue skies do I seeBluebirds singin' a songNothin' but blue skies from now on

I never saw the sun shinin' so brightNever saw things goin' so rightNoticing the days hurrying byWhen you're in love, my how they fly by

Blue days, all of them goneNothin' but blue skies from now on

Blue skies smilin' at meNothin' but blue skies do I seeBlue days all of them goneNothin' but blue skies from now on

Blue skies smilin' at meNothing but blue skies, do I seeBlue days all of them goneNothin' but blue skies from now on

FUBARland:

Iran

Bad things happen when you have no understanding of the people you are attacking or listen to your military experts who can advise. The Iranians historically have shown that they are willing to suffer tremendous damage to their infrastructure, to its people including war casualties in order to achieve their ultimate goal.

Case in point: in 1980, shortly after the Revolution, Iraq decided to attack Iran resulting in a brutal, bloody 8 year war where a total of 500,000 people died. It ended in a stalemate although Iran survived due to strong defensive and offensive measures. This isn't their first rodeo and it's clear that the war will be over when they say it will.

Even if the Roach manages to live into retirement, I don't think he will survive Iranian retribution for the deaths of its leaders and civilians during his war. That part of the world is well-known for its thirst for revenge. My guess is that it would be a drone attack while he is golfing or snoozing on the veranda in Mar-a-Lago. Operators can be miles away-not some kid on a rooftop with a rifle or a knucklehead hiding in the hedges with a gun. They will get him, one way or another, and I would not be surprised if Roach's children and son-in-law are eventually taken out as well.

Friday, March 20, 2026

HAPPY EQUINOX!

"The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate East Yorkshire" 2011 David Hockney

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the Neighborhood:

3/13-Morning deer: we haven't seen them in a while. Today, it looks like the Mom with triplets with Ms. Independent joining them in the field behind Benny's:

Later, snow flurries:

Young Nutkin with its back to the wind:

3/14-Spring reunion at The Diner, which was hopping with business as folks were fueling up before the windstorm really wound-up. M/M Redbird, Juncos, M/M Purple Finches and Lil' Woody all stopped by. Mom Nutkin at the Bird Bath:

Hanging out with The Gnomes and the Daylily sprouts:

Big Blue has returned! We didn't see him during the coldest and snowiest part of the season.

I heard him call and I went out on the deck and tossed some peanuts for him. He was appreciative, flying back and forth rapidly as to not miss out. He was lucky, the squirrelies were elsewhere.

What we missed out on: Vid showing conditions in Marquette, MI during blizzard:

When I was out marketing, the #1 topic of small talk was "thank goodness we don't have 3-4 feet of snow!"

Crazy vid from Oshkosh, WI-you think you have problems?:

3/15-today was Squirrelly reunion day at the Diner with LG, a Big Tail, a Short Tail, the Nutkin family and a chipper attending. Later, the Avians returned with Big Woody, Big Blue and Mr. Redbird and Senor Junco stopping by:

3/16-Crazy weather day. There had been more rain overnight but the morning was sunny:

Big Woody was at the Diner:

The temps began to drop and the afternoon was marked with periods of snow showers, then sun, repeat.

The snow was graupel or ice pellets:

Swirling winds made pattern on back deck:

Robins were in the Back 40, hoping to find some food under the leaves in the wet areas:

Their plight reminded C of a 16th Century English nursery rhyme The North Wind Doth Blow:

The North wind doth blow,
And we shall have snow,
And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?
He'll sit in a barn, and keep himself warm,
And hide his head under his wing, poor thing!

3/17-Happy St. Patrick's Day. The low last night was 17° yikes!

Hodgepodge for $800:

The term for when you walk into a room and forget why you are there: "event boundary".

I saw a casino ad that boasted "it's relaxing!" I dunno, I've never considered losing money a relaxing activity.

George Washington died with around 600 million dollars in today's money of net worth. Most of it was the result of massive land holdings.

November, 2025-St. Charles County, Missouri Circuit Judge Matthew E.P. Thornhill agreed to resign following a disciplinary investigation for wearing an Elvis Presley wig and aviator sunglasses on the bench, playing Elvis music in court, and making inappropriate personal remarks. He was disciplined for failing to maintain courtroom decorum.

A single sperm cell contains 37.5 gigabytes worth of information.

It is estimated that New York City is home to around 800 languages, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.

George Steinmetz

Shabani, a western lowland silverback gorilla residing at the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Japan, is widely considered the most handsome gorilla.

He became an internet sensation with many young female human proclaiming having a crush on him. This became a problem for the zoo with legions of females visiting and yelling his name reminding many of the reaction to the Beatles. The zoo had to put up signs asking visitors to stop yelling at him, explaining that it "made him feel uncomfortable".

Now, just how did the zookeepers figure this out? By observation or did Shabani confess this over some beers with his keepers?

The origin of Mt. Dew:

Ad from the 60's

Creators: In the 1940's, brothers Barney and Ally Hartman developed the formula for their own use, struggling to find a good mixer for whiskey in Tennessee.
Original Concept: It was a lemon-lime soda, similar to 7Up, meant to pair with liquor, not a caffeinated energy drink.
The Name:
"Mountain Dew" was old Irish and Scottish slang for high-quality moonshine or whiskey.

Marketing: Early bottles featured "Willy the Hillbilly" with the slogan "It'll tickle yore innards".

Rebranding: In the 1960s, the Tip Corporation acquired the brand, shifting the recipe toward the orange-flavored, bright yellow-green soda sold today.

Ownership: Pepsi-Cola acquired the company in 1964, after which it was sold nationwide.

As someone who is childless, I had never heard of a Body Composition Chamber aka Pea Pod:

An infant is placed in the chamber to accurately measure body fat percentage and fat-free mass using air displacement technology. This safe, non-invasive assessment tracks nutritional status, growth, and risks of metabolic diseases. The procedure is fast (90 seconds), safe, and non-invasive, taking place soon after birth. It was developed in the early 2000s.

Yikes! Round-Up Candy cigarettes!

Primarily popular from the 1920s to 1990s, they consist of chalky sugar sticks and were known for having retro-style packaging that mimics real cigarette packs. I do not remember this brand but I do remember candy cigs.

Our Buddy meme, ripping off Wood TV's weather slogan in GR:

FUBARland:

Fun vid from the Canadian Resistance Army: Not Your 51st State!

It has been revealed that in February, military analysts warned the regime about the consequences of bombing Iran and killing its leaders: they will blockade the Strait of Hormuz and have the world by the short-hairs over the exportation of oil.

See what happens when you have a regime that ignores scientific, historical, ethical and moral facts as well as the rules the rest of us follow?

"Ayup" sez Scruffy the janitor from Futurama.

"The Ballad of Stephen Miller"

"On the Road to Tehran"

A Country lament: "He Lied to Us"

Yeah, folks from Appalachia, who have known what it's like to be screwed by rich, powerful men, must be feeling poorly to have it happen to them again.

MAGA core values: WWF 80's star "Ravishing" Rick Rude's schtick had a made-up feud with fellow combatant Jake "The Snake" Roberts. He dissed Robert's wife Cheryl in the ring and had her image airbrushed on his crotch: