I was reading this aloud to Mr Radley and my flabbers were gasted so badly at Karl Rove swearing off voting Republican that I gabbled for thirty seconds. (Jon Rosenthal is a cutie, and I for one would be proud to do to Australia whatever he's doing to the US!)
You non-Texans have no idea how crazy this is. Texas is in *imminent* danger of electing someone who has competence and experience in his field. How will people be able to call us a bunch of assclowns now? Like Susan Collins, I am Concerned.
Normally Texas Republicans would probably not have had a problem with any of this. Heck, they've practically rebranded themselves as the NuKlan. But with Talarico now leading Paxton and Hinjosa breathing down Abbot's neck in the polls, they can't afford this shit now.
Agree. I also think Cornyn is leading an intra-party battle on behalf of all the Texas Republicans Abbott and the MAGA Republicans purged from the party. The Dallas Morning News has a story out today about intra-party Republican fighting about the RR Commission. Rove isn't the first Republican to endorse Rosenthal.
Right. Totally don't need AI regulation after a week of all the AI makers saying it was getting out of hand (I know it was to duck culpability, but still, obvs we need regulation)
Oklahoma sees fewer teen births, moves out of top 5 worst states
EMMA MURPHY
OKLAHOMA VOICE
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma is no longer ranked in the top five states for teen birth rates for the first time in at least a decade, according to federal health data.
Though it continues to have some of the highest numbers of teen mothers, Oklahoma has cut its teenage birth rate half since 2014, according to the most recent data released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Oklahoma’s teen birth rate has declined nearly every year since 2014, according to the CDC. For teenagers aged 15 to 19, the rate has dropped from 38.5 births per 1,000 teens in 2014 to a rate of 19.6 in 2024.
Nationwide, the teen birth rate was at a record low of 12.6 births per 1,000 teens.
Oklahoma has moved from having the fifth highest teen birth rate into the sixth slot, behind Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Sexual health education, teen clinic services, and expanding school-based education programs have contributed to the decline in the state’s birth rate, according to an analysis by Healthy Teens Oklahoma, a group working to reduce teen pregnancy.
The state’s largest metropolitan areas have also reduced their teen birth rates.
Since 2020, Oklahoma County’s rate dropped from nearly 28 births per 1,000 to 21. Tulsa County’s has reduced from 24.2 to 17.7, according to Healthy Teens Oklahoma.
In the past year, Oklahoma’s state lawmakers have also passed legislation aimed at protecting children.
The Legislature in 2025 passed a bill raising the age of consent from 16 to 18, with a “Romeo and Juliet” provision built in for partners close in age.
This session, lawmakers banned child marriage effective Nov. 1. State law currently allows minors to get married with the consent of a parent or guardian and children 16 or under can be married with authorization by a court.
"Sexual health education"? "Teen clinic services"?
I had no idea any of that was even legal or available in Oklahoma, unless their only brief is to hand the girl and aspirin and tell her to hold it between her knees.
God damn it, on to day three of this very persistent migraine. This is usually the last day. The plan is to sleep as much as possible. Usually, when I wake up, I feel just fine for a couple of hours until I need to sleep again. The nausea is just mild enough to bother me. Thank you Zofran for all you do!
Cryptics have a weird logic. I don't get this one, either, but it's the sort of thing that would make more sense the more you do these kind of puzzles.
It's very much like the trivia night host who expects you to read his mind. Lots of in-jokes and weird conventions. Unless you get it and that's a nice dopamine hit.
Emily Salib, a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley, stopped last Thursday evening at one of the campus’s main lawns to see what had drawn so many people to the area.
She paused to watch when she realized it was a so-called Kirkversary event. The gathering, pegged to the anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s murder, had been inspired by countless internet memes that have circulated online since Mr. Kirk’s death on Sept. 10, 2025.
The event at Berkeley has since drawn the attention of a top State Department official, who warned that international students were putting their visas at risk by celebrating the death of the conservative activist and co-founder of the political organization Turning Point USA.
It is unclear if any of the people who participated in the event, including those who opposed Mr. Kirk’s politics, were foreign students on visas...
Ms. Salib, the Berkeley student, said that although she did not like Mr. Kirk’s politics, she could understand why fans of Mr. Kirk would be put off by the campus event. She said she was horrified by his murder.
“The way our generation is handling the situation, with the light, laughing tone — I definitely see how that would be offensive to those who appreciated and supported Charlie Kirk,” she said.
But deportation threats? “That is pretty terrifying, actually,” Ms. Salib said. “Peaceful protest is at the core of American democracy.”
Not if they're sent by Dump to overthrow our government, then its be nice to them they're very special and loved and they all get pardons and secret payouts because they were little old grammas who just happened to injure cops while leaving their bowel movements on Democrats' desks.
The new FBI recruitment rules have me wondering if Kash got himself blackout drunk recently and woke up the next morning in the back of a van in a farmyard with a tracksuit clad Irishman who recently found his way into the filum business.
Either that or he's just watched The Gentlemen and is empathising with the wrong person again.
She's trash for staying married to someone who a. wants her to covert to catholic, 2. calls Brown Americans, "Aliens" who are trying to replace white Americans, and III. thinks she stole her Yale seat from a white man. You gotta be really disturbed to want to be married to THAT.
Consider that Heidi Cruz is still married to F. Ted. This is why that "women should run the world" thing doesn't hit with me. Plenty of sociopaths of varying degrees in all genders.
rove can fuck off. There is no redemption for pieces of shit like him.
Bo French is what's known as "all hat and no cattle."
I was reading this aloud to Mr Radley and my flabbers were gasted so badly at Karl Rove swearing off voting Republican that I gabbled for thirty seconds. (Jon Rosenthal is a cutie, and I for one would be proud to do to Australia whatever he's doing to the US!)
You non-Texans have no idea how crazy this is. Texas is in *imminent* danger of electing someone who has competence and experience in his field. How will people be able to call us a bunch of assclowns now? Like Susan Collins, I am Concerned.
Normally Texas Republicans would probably not have had a problem with any of this. Heck, they've practically rebranded themselves as the NuKlan. But with Talarico now leading Paxton and Hinjosa breathing down Abbot's neck in the polls, they can't afford this shit now.
Agree. I also think Cornyn is leading an intra-party battle on behalf of all the Texas Republicans Abbott and the MAGA Republicans purged from the party. The Dallas Morning News has a story out today about intra-party Republican fighting about the RR Commission. Rove isn't the first Republican to endorse Rosenthal.
That was his persona online. Now about that Piker guy!
I've seen this movie, also too ... 𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀, 𝗡𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/15/we-dont-need-ai-regulation-leave-safety-to-us-nvidias-jensen-huang-says/
Worked for the auto industry.
And the sausage businesses, eh Upton?
Jurgis is not amused
Right. Totally don't need AI regulation after a week of all the AI makers saying it was getting out of hand (I know it was to duck culpability, but still, obvs we need regulation)
"Oh, nothing. I think I'll just mosey on down to the war room."
- General Turgetsen, DR. STRANGELOVE
Wow! Fireworks in September! 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗫 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁, 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸
Reaching orbit would mark a significant milestone.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/spacex-sets-launch-date-for-first-starship-orbital-flight/
I've seen this movie ... 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀
Adults first demonstrate tool use, then hand over the implements to their infants, who copy the behavior. https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/how-chimps-teach-their-kids-tool-tricks/
Very cool! Social learning is common among animals, but we don't see many animals instruct.
They teach em sign language too, which I find even more interesting
Shop class, 1965
Oklahoma sees fewer teen births, moves out of top 5 worst states
EMMA MURPHY
OKLAHOMA VOICE
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma is no longer ranked in the top five states for teen birth rates for the first time in at least a decade, according to federal health data.
Though it continues to have some of the highest numbers of teen mothers, Oklahoma has cut its teenage birth rate half since 2014, according to the most recent data released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Oklahoma’s teen birth rate has declined nearly every year since 2014, according to the CDC. For teenagers aged 15 to 19, the rate has dropped from 38.5 births per 1,000 teens in 2014 to a rate of 19.6 in 2024.
Nationwide, the teen birth rate was at a record low of 12.6 births per 1,000 teens.
Oklahoma has moved from having the fifth highest teen birth rate into the sixth slot, behind Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Sexual health education, teen clinic services, and expanding school-based education programs have contributed to the decline in the state’s birth rate, according to an analysis by Healthy Teens Oklahoma, a group working to reduce teen pregnancy.
The state’s largest metropolitan areas have also reduced their teen birth rates.
Since 2020, Oklahoma County’s rate dropped from nearly 28 births per 1,000 to 21. Tulsa County’s has reduced from 24.2 to 17.7, according to Healthy Teens Oklahoma.
In the past year, Oklahoma’s state lawmakers have also passed legislation aimed at protecting children.
The Legislature in 2025 passed a bill raising the age of consent from 16 to 18, with a “Romeo and Juliet” provision built in for partners close in age.
This session, lawmakers banned child marriage effective Nov. 1. State law currently allows minors to get married with the consent of a parent or guardian and children 16 or under can be married with authorization by a court.
"Sexual health education"? "Teen clinic services"?
I had no idea any of that was even legal or available in Oklahoma, unless their only brief is to hand the girl and aspirin and tell her to hold it between her knees.
Hmm, seems to be a geographical pattern here...
"Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee"
WOW! Amazing sky on the commute. Low, flat, pink and purple clouds. Nice sun rise.
Still dark here. I can see a few clouds to help with a pretty sunrise.
God damn it, on to day three of this very persistent migraine. This is usually the last day. The plan is to sleep as much as possible. Usually, when I wake up, I feel just fine for a couple of hours until I need to sleep again. The nausea is just mild enough to bother me. Thank you Zofran for all you do!
Those suck may it pass ASAP
Here's a song for you!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy0TtFkgCPQ
Minute Cryptic - 16 September, 2026
"Vanilla? Ugh! Terrible ingredient for one's gag reflex?" (8)
🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣
🏆 0 hints – 2 under the community par (81,813 solvers so far).
https://www.minutecryptic.com/?utm_source=share
I got it at 2 over, but I don't grok it.
Cryptics have a weird logic. I don't get this one, either, but it's the sort of thing that would make more sense the more you do these kind of puzzles.
It's very much like the trivia night host who expects you to read his mind. Lots of in-jokes and weird conventions. Unless you get it and that's a nice dopamine hit.
Very much so. Occasionally I get it sans clues, but that feels weird in its own way.
ETA SPOILER
Start two letters before the question mark for a thing that could be considered a "gag reflex"
Bleah
𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝗸 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺
Emily Salib, a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley, stopped last Thursday evening at one of the campus’s main lawns to see what had drawn so many people to the area.
She paused to watch when she realized it was a so-called Kirkversary event. The gathering, pegged to the anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s murder, had been inspired by countless internet memes that have circulated online since Mr. Kirk’s death on Sept. 10, 2025.
The event at Berkeley has since drawn the attention of a top State Department official, who warned that international students were putting their visas at risk by celebrating the death of the conservative activist and co-founder of the political organization Turning Point USA.
It is unclear if any of the people who participated in the event, including those who opposed Mr. Kirk’s politics, were foreign students on visas...
Ms. Salib, the Berkeley student, said that although she did not like Mr. Kirk’s politics, she could understand why fans of Mr. Kirk would be put off by the campus event. She said she was horrified by his murder.
“The way our generation is handling the situation, with the light, laughing tone — I definitely see how that would be offensive to those who appreciated and supported Charlie Kirk,” she said.
But deportation threats? “That is pretty terrifying, actually,” Ms. Salib said. “Peaceful protest is at the core of American democracy.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/us/berkeley-kirk-assassination-anniversary-event.html?unlocked_article_code=1.BlE.BI19.rTEkeASqB6Ws&smid=url-share
“Peaceful protest is at the core of American democracy.”
Since May 4, 1970
technically speaking, we might owe the fact we are a country to a peaceful protest that got all shot up to hell.
Then there was all that shit with the mines and the unions. Not to mention the entire civil rights movement.
We've a long history of jailing, beating, and or flat out murdering peaceful protesters.
Not if they're sent by Dump to overthrow our government, then its be nice to them they're very special and loved and they all get pardons and secret payouts because they were little old grammas who just happened to injure cops while leaving their bowel movements on Democrats' desks.
In the US, a peaceful protest is one awaiting the arrival of the police.
It's unclear if any of the students were foreign.
Bang up job, NYT
Because free speech isn't free unless you are freedumbing
Free speech absolutist hypocrites say what now?
Now let's party like it's Easter!
Even at Berkeley? Especially there - it's been a prime target of hate for right-wingers for decades.
"Event at Berkeley".
𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘢 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺.
It's early, and I read that wrong.
The new FBI recruitment rules have me wondering if Kash got himself blackout drunk recently and woke up the next morning in the back of a van in a farmyard with a tracksuit clad Irishman who recently found his way into the filum business.
Either that or he's just watched The Gentlemen and is empathising with the wrong person again.
Usha Vance took to Instagram this week sharing a post in honor of National Diaper Need Awareness Week. The jokes write themselves.
She's trash for staying married to someone who a. wants her to covert to catholic, 2. calls Brown Americans, "Aliens" who are trying to replace white Americans, and III. thinks she stole her Yale seat from a white man. You gotta be really disturbed to want to be married to THAT.
"But I'm one of the GOOD ones!"
Consider that Heidi Cruz is still married to F. Ted. This is why that "women should run the world" thing doesn't hit with me. Plenty of sociopaths of varying degrees in all genders.
Heidi Cruz is the primary breadwinner in that marriage, too! But still:
https://substack.com/@dianeslesshostileusername/note/c-333243974
Next she'll take on racist demagogues who lie during political campaigns. Be best, betch!