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As someone who works in local government (City Attorney/County Counsel-type) I would say try and learn everything you can, listen to what other residents tell you, and try and figure out how things really work. There are a lot of smart, capable people at the local government level who really care about making sure the trash gets picked up, water comes out of the tap, and that the buses run on time.

Photographer Sally Mann warns of 'new era of culture wars' after art seizure. I have always had mixed feelings about Sally Mann, and by "mixed" I mean "I recognize she's making art, but I'd prefer not to see it." With that said, she's long been the target of puritanical forces (the same ones keeping the Epstein list hidden, for some odd reason.)

I have owned my Chemex a long while. The quality of the filters finally has me considering other options...they just don't drain like they did years ago and I'm tired of messing with it. I'm considering a couple of drip machines. We have relatively low counters in our old house so a Technivorm, as an example, isn't a good option. Looking at the Wilfa Performance and the Ration Six Series 2. Any thoughts or recommendations before I jump in? Thanks... HS

Thanks guys. Dunno what I can do but in these days even a smallest things are really valuable. Not only in Turkey, shit is going south globally.

Another Happy Belated, Wayne. Wishing you a speedy recovery, And avoidance of repeats!

Happy belated, Wayne!

We are watching this also. Good stuff, and it has a way of bringing up a lot of feels for the viewer (good and not so pleasant) IMO. HS

Ex.

I did some test prints of Stax jacks with different pin-hole diameters. As you can see, they are obviously 3D-printed, but the material is rated to withstand up to 195 °C. So far I’ve been using them for about 2 years without any issues.

Grados for in piano experience?

Congrats! Keep us up to date. Yesterday we retreated to the safety of the past-ish to hang with the happy weirdos. Left before cottagecore/mushroomcore took over.

^^ Volume helps a little bit, but it does not make up for distance. And I already listen to things loud. Anyway... Spring Session M. by Missing Persons (1982) https://album.link/dsbkwqmwbkf0c Example: Go Bozzio or go home...

^ Agreed about the mics being too far back. Its enough to make me pass on it.

Molly Tuttle w/ Ketch Secor from old crow medicine show as a guest Cecilia Castleman and Joshua Ray Walker opened https://archive.org/details/cc10250928 https://archive.org/details/jrw20250928 https://archive.org/details/mt20250928

^^ :{ no vid for me.. Chopin: Mazurkas, Vol. 1 by Ingrid Fliter (2025) https://album.link/mcwwxmh8wsm0b Example: The Mazurka's are not my fav for Chopin, but I had not seen a Linn recording in so long, I had to listen. Very enjoyable. Well recorded, but the perspective is a little far back for me (especially compared to the Osokins recording above). For piano only, I like to be a little closer.

Happy birthday! Hoping for a fast recovery so you're able to scurry down chimneys this year.

Happy Birthday and sorry to hear about the back! Heal up!

Black Rabbit (Netflix) I'm finding it enjoyable and trying not to binge it too fast...

Happy birthday and I hope the recovery goes smooth. Careful on those stairs!

Happy Birthday, and I hope you're "back" in action soon.

Holy shiznit, Wayne I am so sorry to read about this. Hopefully those nurse spent a little "extra time" on your birthday 😉. Wishing you a speedy recovery, buddy.

Happy Birthday!

It was, yes!! My brother organized a small flashmob visit to my room that included some of my favorite humans including Bill Arkins who is almost 96 years old, a retired pharmacist who said he still has ways to smuggle dope if I need anything good. Also mentioned that my house is still standing and that he hasn't stolen anything yet. He rides by every day like clockwork on his 1960s style Schwinn bike with coaster brakes that looks practically new still. Best bang for the buck ever. Bill's son-in-law Don, one of my high school classmates, walked in behind him and said, "Oops, wrong room. I thought this was a removal call. I get a lot of those here..." He's a funeral director, so naturally followed that up with "We appreciate your business but we're willing to wait..." for probably the 10,000th time with his typical stoic delivery. There was cake... it was an Office Space sort of birthday celebration but in a good way.

I hope that despite the ailments it was a good birthday.

Good one, Brent!! Seems I forget to post in here my news update... let me do a cut and paste... Broke my back a couple of weeks ago, but other than that I'm doing well. Gotta laugh sometimes!! On September 15th at 3:30am, I was at home at the house in Illinois (my parents house which I bought from my siblings after mom died in 2020) where I usually spend my summer months. Lost my footing going down the stairs to the kitchen and broke my back pretty badly. Ended up at St. Francis in Peoria until they transferred me out yesterday to a bounce back place in Peru, IL just 7 minutes from the house in Oglesby. Thankfully (miracle, I think) there is no nerve damage to the spinal cord or anything it controls so everything is still working right. They decided that (just barely) I could avoid surgery so no hardware being put into my back. They made a custom fit TLSO back brace, like a 2 piece turtle shell. Been using it with better and better results since Sunday. Lots of pain but meds are controlling it pretty well. Need to be on my back most of the time for the next 2-3 months but the bones should fuse back together in time and I'll be as good as new. I feel lucky. It's not fun but there is a good path forward and God is watching over me. Kind of tricky doing a lot of things and odd to have to rely on nurses to wipe me up but whatever. It's not their first time! At least I can get up out of bed and sit in a recliner and go for walks with the back brace on, even use the toilet so no bed pans. But can't wipe! Maybe I'll need a garden hose when I get home for the shower!! The L1 (highest up lumbar) and the T12 (lowest down in the mid back part of my spine) both were snapped straight through, including the diec between them. It's a 3 column fracture which is the worst kind possible since all 3 layers of bone broke through so there isn't any one layer of bone still in place to provide stability. Thus its considered an unstable fracture (back won't support itself again until they fuse back together in time). But the good news is there was no horizontal shifting so my spine is still straight and that makes it possible (with my high tolerance for pain) to allow the brace to be an option to avoid surgery and locking 6 vertebrae together with pins and screws for the rest of my life. That would be VERY expensive and risk infection, but mainly I'd be less flexible once healed since the hardware for that kind of surgery is not designed to come out. So it's the right approach we're taking, just kind of a PITA in the short term. But I've got my laptop, phone, and TV. Really just need people to help me get into and out of the turtle shell. After that I can get to my feet and so long as the meds are doing their thing, I can do pretty much anything for myself. When I get home there may be some new challenges but life is never without them. I'm good and getting better already.