Daily Tech News 18 February 2026

Top Story

Had an instructive argument with Grok today.

Someone asked if a video was AI, and Grok said it indeed appeared to be fake. It was overlaid on a web page from The Hill and the article had no reference to the person in the video and indeed no video.

Except the video was right there.

Yet Grok swore blind that it didn't exist.

Why?

Because the video is copy protected and can only be viewed in a browser. Grok literally could not see it. And the reason the copy on Twitter was overlaid on a static web page is that the person who posted it took a screen recording to capture the video.
Meanwhile the third derivative of memory prices appears to be leveling off. (Tom's Hardware)

Actually, more than that: In Germany prices have declined. Slightly. From five times what they were just months ago to, in some cases, as little as four times.

So there's that.

Tech News

In a blind test, audiophiles couldn't distinguish between signals sent through copper wires, a banana, or wet mud. (Tom's Hardware)

Though to be fair one of the tracks was Nirvana and the wet mud improved the fidelity.
Apple plans to release an AI pendant because they're not tired of losing money. (WCCFTech)

They do have plenty of money to lose, but still... Why?
There's a precise technical term for the trend of AI to turn everything into slop: Semantic ablation. (The Register)

For all its impressive tricks, AI is a feed-forward pattern matching network.

Which is also how the human brain works when you're not paying attention. So it's not useless, particularly when you shove the sum total of human knowledge into it except for copy-protected videos.

But since engineers have shoved the sum total of human knowledge into it, they had to smooth out the bumps to make it fit. It always tends toward the middle, by design. The aim is to be acceptable, rather than great, and never to offend anybody, which is a perfect fit for corporate customers.
Discord announced mandatory age checks, pushed by fascist dictatorships like Britain. It did this while promising that ID documents would be secure and would be deleted after they were verified... Immediately after it suffered a major data breach where it admitted to 70,000 such documents being stolen and the hackers claimed many more.

The users revolted and fled, many of them to rival TeamSpeak. (PCGamer)

TeamSpeak has now run out of servers.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: I'm Uranus.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:02 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Morning all

Posted by: Tuna at February 18, 2026 04:02 AM (lJ0H4)

2 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at February 18, 2026 04:04 AM (Ia/+0)

3 BOING!

Mid-exercise. Maybe l8r.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at February 18, 2026 04:06 AM (7xyr6)

4 G'mornin' everyone!

Glory! 43 degrees and raining!

Woohoo!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 04:06 AM (Cjt/F)

5 This video is new to me

Posted by: Skip at February 18, 2026 04:08 AM (Ia/+0)

6
Is that an Apple AI pendant that I spy between your pendulous breasts or are you happy to see me?

-- "Still More Failed Pickup Lines That'll Get You Slapped Across the Face, Volume 3"

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at February 18, 2026 04:12 AM (xG4kz)

7 mere lol, even roflmao, cannot express my feelings about the audiophile test results!

for years I have contemplated the insanely inflated claims (and even more insanely inflated prices!) of the dealers in "high end" "audiophile" copper wires.

I knew it was all nonsense (virtually all copper wire is OFHC, f'rinstance), yet ... the madness went on, and on ...

at last, a trace of old school Real Science !

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 04:16 AM (Cjt/F)

8
But since engineers have shoved the sum total of human knowledge into it, they had to smooth out the bumps to make it fit. It always tends toward the middle, by design. The aim is to be acceptable, rather than great, and never to offend anybody, which is a perfect fit for corporate customers.

"The (entirely predictable) average score for every survey question rated on a scale from 1 to 5 is 3"

-- Layton's Law of Surveys

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at February 18, 2026 04:17 AM (xG4kz)

9
"Maybe 3.4"

-- Layton's Law of Surveys, Adjusted for Surveys' Results

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at February 18, 2026 04:19 AM (xG4kz)

10
"You'll be hearing from our attorneys."

-- Surveys Rated on a Scale From 1 to 5 - R - Us

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at February 18, 2026 04:21 AM (xG4kz)

11 over at Bugscuffle Gazette, a modest proposal:

https://is.gd/imQDFl

which will not be implemented

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 04:23 AM (Cjt/F)

12
"One ought not apply the statistical mean to discrete and non-continuous data!"

-- statistics' pedants

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at February 18, 2026 04:24 AM (xG4kz)

13 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 18, 2026 04:33 AM (sAmhv)

14
Tine to catch ninety or so winks ...

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at February 18, 2026 04:40 AM (xG4kz)

15 Isn't there some other law of surveys that they're almost entirely bimodal? You can even use that to check the validity of a survey, because if it looks like there is in fact a single mode around the mid-point/average, instead of two "hot spots" at the top and bottom, the responses are probably inorganic?

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 18, 2026 04:40 AM (06Hmj)

16
Actually, more than that: In Germany prices have declined. Slightly. From five times what they were just months ago to, in some cases, as little as four times.

So there's that.

Steve at Hardware Unboxed tested some 'KingBank' branded DDR5 RAM (CL 40) that was ultimately made by CXMT out of China.

On a 9800X3D system the results were negligible for most games competing against faster RAM from Crucial and Kingston.

The prices, in Australia at least, were slightly cheaper but he says not to expect it to stay that way now that everybody is looking to get Chinese RAM for that very reason.

https://youtu.be/slWZgehFgQA

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 04:45 AM (6ydKt)

17 w00t

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 04:47 AM (+YA9H)

18 The third derivative of position w.r.t. time is called Jerk.

Position. Velocity. Acceleration....

Jerk.

I love The Science.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 18, 2026 04:48 AM (06Hmj)

19 I'm sure somewhere there's A Guy who swears that OFHC copper sounds overproduced, and only uses high oxygen copper for that warm, authentic, vintage sound.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 18, 2026 04:52 AM (06Hmj)

20 >>>Except the video was right there.

Whoa. The article wasn't right there at that The Hill link, for me, though its URL was in the browser bar and so I got it here:

https://archive.is/TM0JR

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 04:53 AM (+YA9H)

21 Somebody at Apple was a big fan of the Hugh O'Brian and Burgess Meredith series 'Search' as a child.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068131/

The field operatives wore pendants that were tiny cameras and microphones sending back to a think tank lead by Meredith to give real-time advice to the operative on very esoteric areas of expertise. Very ahead of its time in 1972.

Posted by: Epobirs at February 18, 2026 04:57 AM (/0z9K)

22 Birdbath status?

Posted by: Just Wondering at February 18, 2026 05:02 AM (2Ez/1)

23 I gotta give the theme song writers for the old Western TV show "Colt 45" credit.

Anybody that can use the words "Colt Single Action Army revolver" in a song and make it work has my respect.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 05:02 AM (6ydKt)

24 G'morning, all!

49.6 degrees out, and seems to be well within the comfort range of the morning walk.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2026 05:05 AM (iMotb)

25 G'morning Horde. Operating on far too little sleep because I was trying to get things done before bed.

Gonna need a significant mid-day nap to catch up and reset.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 05:11 AM (O7YUW)

26
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at February 18, 2026 05:12 AM (tljrc)

27 Somewhere around freezing point and foggy from snow pack
Have a great day horde

Posted by: Skip at February 18, 2026 05:14 AM (Ia/+0)

28 Shocking Blue - Never Marry a Railroad Man

Much marijuana was smoked, is my guess.

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 05:15 AM (+YA9H)

29 So in an interesting twist for our sleep little town....

Last month there was a shocking fatal shooting of an 18 year old employee at a Sonics in our community at around 8:30 in the morning. We actually were caught up in the police response for it, as there was a lockdown of two nearby schools and a major thoroughfare where the Sonics was located.

Anyhow, just yesterday they announced the arrest of the suspect.

Intercepted at the Bali airport as he stepped off the plane on a temporary passport from the US.

Whatever was going on it involved the FBI, State Department, Interpol and who knows who else.

And the victim?

He was the targeted victim, and had been shot previously at another restaurant in another nearby small town much earlier. Somebody wanted this kid dead, and had the know-how to involve international travel as well.

https://tinyurl.com/35sssd9h

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2026 05:15 AM (iMotb)

30 Yeah, after a review, I got some info wrong.

Steve at HUB tested against G.Skill RAM (CL26), and the CXMT sticks were CL36, the Kingston was CL40.

Not that it matters but I like to be precise if possible.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 05:15 AM (6ydKt)

31
Never marry a railroad man
He loves you every now and then
His heart is at his mule train

Well, then.

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 05:16 AM (+YA9H)

32 Yeah, it was Kingbank being tested against Kingston, so I was confused for a bit as well.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at February 18, 2026 05:17 AM (BLOW1)

33 Shocking Blue - Never Marry a Railroad Man (1970)

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 05:18 AM (+YA9H)

34 Evening and morning to all the Woden's Day toilers and just plain early risers! Ash Wednesday, innit? I for one welcome a change back to "normal"* from "parade" and "parade" and "too many people galloping through the streets."

Is this Shocking Blue the same group known for the tune "Venus"? I'd never heard anything else by them.

* Whatever "normal" is around here, I suppose.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 18, 2026 05:19 AM (wzUl9)

35 He was the targeted victim, and had been shot previously at another restaurant in another nearby small town much earlier. Somebody wanted this kid dead, and had the know-how to involve international travel as well.

https://tinyurl.com/35sssd9h

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2026 05:15 AM (iMotb)

I'm going to take a completely wild guess and say "Drug Dealers".

I know, I know, hard to believe, but it's all I got.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 05:19 AM (6ydKt)

36 Anyway, I be up, I be sippin' coffee, I got cats. 'Bout the usual. Howzabout you?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 18, 2026 05:20 AM (wzUl9)

37 And in another twist of 'things you learn as you go'....

Living within 690 feet of a major cellular tower just might cause your high-dollar digital/communicating heat pump system to transmit corrupted data along it's wires between units and the thermostat.

Let's see if the shielded twisted pairs being installed tomorrow resolve the issue of random brain-farts within the system.

And if the 5G coax filter arriving today helps to resolve the pixilation that crops up occasionally on the TV. From the same said tower.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2026 05:21 AM (iMotb)

38 I gotta give the theme song writers for the old Western TV show "Colt 45" credit.

Anybody that can use the words "Colt Single Action Army revolver" in a song and make it work has my respect.
Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026

***
Capped off by a couple of gunshots. Those were the days, huh?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 18, 2026 05:22 AM (wzUl9)

39 For a time, anything labeled Western Electric, the really vintage stuff from the 20s and 30s, got good prices from collectors. Even the solder.

Sometime in the 1990s maybe a couple guys from Japan rented a van in the US, and armed with phonebooks made a roadtrip around the country hitting all the longtime Radio and TV repair shops still in business and cleaned out as many of the desirable audio vacuum tubes, which can garner a stupid money. There was one in my hometown up until the 2000s and he still had quite a bit of swag, though none of the old school audio output tubes.

Posted by: Common Tater at February 18, 2026 05:23 AM (J48Co)

40 32 Yeah, it was Kingbank being tested against Kingston, so I was confused for a bit as well.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at February 18, 2026 05:17 AM (BLOW1)

I looked it up on Amazon here.

2x8 - 16GB kit, 6000MT/s CL36 is going for $265.99
The heat shield is different than what Steve used, but it's got the same specs.

All of their other DDR5 is out of stock, not a 32GB kit in sight.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 05:25 AM (6ydKt)

41 " I'm going to take a completely wild guess and say "Drug Dealers".

I know, I know, hard to believe, but it's all I got."

Local news just did a major update to the story on that shooting less than an hour ago.

https://tinyurl.com/7xcbe9vj

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2026 05:25 AM (iMotb)

42 That was not Jasmine Ratchett on that video. That was Jasmine, the lawyer, Coherent on that video.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at February 18, 2026 05:27 AM (MPaMF)

43 Time for the morning walk.
BBIAB

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2026 05:31 AM (iMotb)

44 I need to work out myself. It's 64 F., a bit of wind. Good conditions.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 18, 2026 05:34 AM (wzUl9)

45 URL was in the browser bar and so I got it here:

https://archive.is/TM0JR
Posted by: m
--

Won't open.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at February 18, 2026 05:37 AM (MPaMF)

46 >>> the wet mud improved the fidelity

That could be lyrics.

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 05:37 AM (+YA9H)

47 Capped off by a couple of gunshots. Those were the days, huh?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 18, 2026 05:22 AM (wzUl9)

Wayde Preston was pretty good in it.

He's in one of my favorite Maverick episodes; "The Saga of Waco Williams" where he plays Waco, who pretty much defeating the town boss (played by the ubiquitous R.G. Armstrong), while killing his son, and in the end impresses the man so much he encourages Waco to marry his daughter (played by a very young and attractive Louise Fletcher) because "I've never seen a man I thought was good enough for my daughter until you".

I'm pretty sure Wayde got the part in Colt 45 because of that one episode, as it's a highly-rated (8.8 on imdb) and the audience at the time loved it.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 05:38 AM (6ydKt)

48 Shia Laboeuf, yes, him, the infamous one, was arrested here Tuesday morning about 12:45 on two counts of simple battery.

He was released on his own recognizance.

So his annoying qualities have taken a new turn.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 18, 2026 05:38 AM (wzUl9)

49 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at February 18, 2026 05:41 AM (bQ4nt)

50 L

Posted by: olddog in mo at February 18, 2026 05:42 AM (bQ4nt)

51

Local news just did a major update to the story on that shooting less than an hour ago.

https://tinyurl.com/7xcbe9vj

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at February 18, 2026 05:25 AM (iMotb)

Police emphasized that Baker, despite being linked to prior incidents, was a hard-working young man.

“He was working two jobs, trying to make a living. That’s honorable,” Wright said. “This was a tragic situation, and our main focus is bringing closure to the family and the community.”

At another shooting at a Marcos, house was burgalrized, then shot & killed at the Sonic.

He was working, no doubt, but I see a kid dealing on the side, something went down and drugs or money went missing, they're looking for his money or drugs in the house, and then shot him for not paying up.

I could be wrong, but that fits the facts.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 05:45 AM (6ydKt)

52 This is cute:

Kevin Dalton@TheKevinDalton . Feb 17

A day after celebrating the high-speed rail that is decades behind schedule and a hundred billion taxpayer dollars over budget with Gavin Newsom, the CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority was arrested for domestic violence.

This may have flown under the radar because this was the same day a large section of the high-speed rail caught fire.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at February 18, 2026 05:48 AM (MPaMF)

53 I'm pretty sure Wayde got the part in Colt 45 because of that one episode, as it's a highly-rated (8.8 on imdb) and the audience at the time loved it.
Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026

***
I think I saw it a couple of years back. Heroes & Icons used to have their "Good Guys at Sunrise" block starting at four am, Colt .45 and Maverick included with Cheyenne, Wanted Dead or Alive, Have Gun -- Will Travel, Rawhide, and High Chaparral.

Hartland had their "Gunfighters" series of standing TV Western character figurines, and Preston's Colt character was one of them, along with Paladin, Bret Maverick, Bat Masterson, and others. Looking on eBay, I see there were Johnny Yuma of The Rebel and Lucas McCain of The Rifleman. I never saw or had those!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 18, 2026 05:49 AM (wzUl9)

54 @45/Braenyard: "Won't open."

Works here, and I suspect I know what's wrong on your end because I've run into this before.

It's a bun-fight between Cloudflare and archive.is.

If you have DoH (DNS over HTTPS) turned on in your browser, it will probably use Cloudflare's DNS (1.1.1.1) to resolve your DNS queries. If so, archive.is gets an improper IP address when trying to resolve the address through Cloudflare.

a) Turn off DoH in your browser
b) Pick a different DNS provider to do DoH in your browser (Try Google's dns server at 8.8.8.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 05:51 AM (O7YUW)

55 Last line: Try Google's DNS server at 8.8.8.8

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 05:51 AM (O7YUW)

56 None can compare with Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, and his mighty dog King!

Posted by: Common Tater at February 18, 2026 05:52 AM (MJ1/T)

57 Good morning!

Let's smile & be happy & strike fear in the hearts of killjoy leftists everywhere.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 05:52 AM (u82oZ)

58 @Pixy: I really wish I could turn off the auto-translation of certain characters from the smilies.mee.nu site.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 05:52 AM (O7YUW)

59 @NaCly Dog: G'morning. We're expecting inclement weather later today. Earlier forecast would have had the crapfest arriving starting at about midnight, and it was almost a guaranteed snow day. Now they have it arriving "mid afternoon" so we won't get cancelled, but we will end up driving in worsening conditions starting right about when our afternoon routes begin.

This is going to be "fun".

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 05:54 AM (O7YUW)

60 Gotta go feed the furry thugs. G & R, good luck with your snow on your route!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 18, 2026 05:55 AM (wzUl9)

61 48 Shia Laboeuf, yes, him,
---

Sounds like a girls name.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at February 18, 2026 05:56 AM (MPaMF)

62 54 @45/Braenyard: "Won't open."

Works here, and I suspect I know what's wrong on your end because I've run into this before.

It's a bun-fight between Cloudflare and archive.is.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 05:51 AM (O7YUW)

Thanks, G&R.

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 05:59 AM (+YA9H)

63 I made Jambalaya for 'dinner'. I'll be eating it the next 4 nights. I always cook enough so the only thing I need to to is reheat and eat. 12 hour shifts, I don't have the time to cook. Eat, sleep, commute, work, that's it. It smells really good. Used Andouille sausage and shrimp, added the usual for this kind of feast; celery, onion, bell pepper, tomato's, mushrooms, okra. Added red beans and rice. I've made Jambalaya before and it's fairly simple. Listening to a CD box set of various songs based in New Orleans, so jazz, zydeco, R&B, soul, ect. And that is about as Mardi Gras as I get. Don't expect much more from a Pennsyltuckian expat living in Babylon DC.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 18, 2026 05:59 AM (sAmhv)

64 Further on the archive.is and Cloudflare bun-fight (if you really want to dig into the "why" of it):

https://tinyurl.com/2a5exstp

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 05:59 AM (O7YUW)

65 @60/Wolfus:

The furry thugs will love you again, at least until bellies are empty again in 5...4...3...2... ;-)

And thank you!

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 06:00 AM (O7YUW)

66 58 @Pixy: I really wish I could turn off the auto-translation of certain characters from the smilies.mee.nu site.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 05:52 AM (O7YUW)

Into each life, some smilies must fall?

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:01 AM (+YA9H)

67 52 This is cute:

Kevin Dalton@TheKevinDalton . Feb 17

A day after celebrating the high-speed rail that is decades behind schedule and a hundred billion taxpayer dollars over budget with Gavin Newsom, the CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority was arrested for domestic violence.

This may have flown under the radar because this was the same day a large section of the high-speed rail caught fire.

Posted by: Braenyard

His leadership style is Hindenburg crashing into the Titanic after it hit an iceberg full of burning clowns.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 18, 2026 06:02 AM (sAmhv)

68 @66/m: "Into each life, some smilies must fall?"

Apparently, yes!

And now, an appropriate music track from Fallout 3:
https://youtu.be/bEJOSvsfYNA

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 06:03 AM (O7YUW)

69 Hartland had their "Gunfighters" series of standing TV Western character figurines, and Preston's Colt character was one of them, along with Paladin, Bret Maverick, Bat Masterson, and others. Looking on eBay, I see there were Johnny Yuma of The Rebel and Lucas McCain of The Rifleman. I never saw or had those!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 18, 2026 05:49 AM (wzUl9)

They show only series on this WEST streaming channel through Dish.

Have Gun Will Travel is on it but they play it at like 2 in the morning, followed up by The Californians at 3 (not impressed by that one), thenColt .45 at 4, and The Texan (with Rory Calhoun) at 5.

I'd like to see more of Paladin as it's one of the shows I have seen very little of and I like Richard Boone's work, but I'm not getting up at 2 a.m. to do it.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 06:04 AM (6ydKt)

70 @67/Puddleglum: "His leadership style is Hindenburg crashing into the Titanic after it hit an iceberg full of burning clowns."

*snorts*

Tangentially reminded me of this scene:
https://youtu.be/zLf6pp5Tvk8

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 06:06 AM (O7YUW)

71 weird how after so many years I knew the last octet was an 8;
how many times have we seen that happen?

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 06:06 AM (Cjt/F)

72 more than I'm doing, here in Wisconsin! way more! Bravo!

laissez le bon temps rouleau, Puddleglum!

(no, not snark or /s, really admire the effort, specially what with the 12 hours and all)

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 06:12 AM (Cjt/F)

73 Grumpy and Recalcitrant

Be safe out there. I am absolutely confident you will be a good role model for the other drivers.

One of my memories of driving was a late early release. The roads were covered in rain that froze to a glaze of ice. Took me an additional hour. And I called in a personal favor to get the roads I needed to travel salted.

I paused before going down a hill with a deep gully on either side of the road at the bottom. The salt truck was on the way, fifteen minutes out.
The bus was very quiet as I went down in 1st gear with the foot very lightly on the brake. Made it, but it could have gone so wrong.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 06:16 AM (u82oZ)

74 Result for https://archive.is/
TM0JR/A with DNSSEC validation and without DNSSEC detail:

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at February 18, 2026 06:17 AM (MPaMF)

75 On AOC blathering away in Munich:

Stephen L. Miller retweeted
Jay Caruso
@JayCaruso
23h
She's one of 435 members of Congress. She doesn't serve on the Foreign Relations Committee, the Intelligence Committee, or the Armed Services Committee. She's on Energy, Health, and Oversight. What possible purpose did she have?

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:19 AM (+YA9H)

76 Lots of good Epoch Times articles on China.

Who knew, besides us, that massive surveillance, totally corrupt officials, over-control, Communism, and decreasing standards of living would be the New China.
A large part of the entire population is "lying flat", and disengages from society.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 06:19 AM (u82oZ)

77 "What possible purpose did she have?"

self promotion? plus propaganda, lies for the party line of course.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 06:23 AM (Cjt/F)

78
Stephen L. Miller retweeted
Dominic Pino
@DominicJPino
13h
Mayor Mamdani's budget for New York City, population 8.5 million, is $127 billion.

Governor DeSantis's budget for the state of Florida, population 23 million, is $117 billion.

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:24 AM (+YA9H)

79 @74/Braenyard: Yeah, but the IP address returned might not be accurate or valid. It's a really STUPID bun-fight.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 06:27 AM (O7YUW)

80
@nypost
14h
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declared that property taxes will require a 9.5% hike across NYC to make up for Gov. Kathy Hochul's refusal to hike taxes on NY's wealthy.

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:27 AM (+YA9H)

81 A large part of the entire population is "lying flat", and disengages from society.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 06:19 AM (u82oZ)

It's been going on for a few years now.

Mostly young men who graduated in a tough job market and said "Screw the rat race, I'm out."

It's got the CCP worried so much they've banned the Chinese word for "lie flat" off the internet.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 06:27 AM (6ydKt)

82 ... and, I can't vouch for this, but, in the @nypost comments:

AJ 🇺🇸
@AjApplegoose
14h
But he's freezing rents..how does that work?

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:30 AM (+YA9H)

83 Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declared that property taxes will require a 99.5% hike across NYC to make up for the loss of revenue from the mass exodus of leftist cockroaches.

Posted by: Headlines we expect to see at February 18, 2026 06:33 AM (vFG9F)

84 “ Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”

Isaiah 26:4

Posted by: Marcus T at February 18, 2026 06:33 AM (rsGFG)

85 int this chia la boof numbnuts the same one who got into a pissing match with 4chan years ago?

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 06:34 AM (Cjt/F)

86 Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYC is going to be running into some "bad luck" soon.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 18, 2026 06:34 AM (sAmhv)

87 Wikipedia:

Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band formed in The Hague in 1967. ... The band had a string of hit songs during the counterculture movement of the 1960s and early 1970s, including "Send Me a Postcard" and "Venus" ....

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:36 AM (+YA9H)

88 Morning Horde. Thx Pixy
Like watching Mamdani. Either we raise taxes on the wealthy or property taxes increase. Not a single thought of possibly, maybe or even faking at attempted government cuts . He's a good commie

Posted by: Smell the Glove at February 18, 2026 06:36 AM (Kc+Vz)

89 84 “ Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”

Isaiah 26:4
Posted by: Marcus T at February 18, 2026 06:33 AM (rsGFG)

Thank you, Marcus T.

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:37 AM (+YA9H)

90 @73/NaCly Dog: Thanks for the words of encouragement.

"I paused before going down a hill with a deep gully on either side of the road at the bottom. The salt truck was on the way, fifteen minutes out.
The bus was very quiet as I went down in 1st gear with the foot very lightly on the brake. Made it, but it could have gone so wrong. "

Ooof. I've found in situations like that you're pretty much on your own. Dispatch isn't there and can't see or feel the conditions. I'm waiting for the day I advise them of terrible road conditions and ask what they advise, to which the response is likely: "Proceed carefully if you feel you can do so" (which puts it back on me) and I then hit them with the phrase that should make Legal's sphincter pucker: "Can you send that advise to me in an email?"

And if the kids are voluntarily being that quiet, they instinctively know they're all in a dangerous situation. Glad it went well for you. Good call on first gear and a feather touch on the brake.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 06:38 AM (O7YUW)

91 >>>Disclaimer: I'm Uranus.

She's got it
Yeah, baby, she's got it
Well, I'm your Venus

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:39 AM (+YA9H)

92 Well, if enough people leave NYC we could always turn it into a high-security, walled-off, open-air prison.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 06:39 AM (6ydKt)

93 Tune into another amazing episode of " Life with Mamdani "

Posted by: Ben Had at February 18, 2026 06:40 AM (+nEug)

94 Amen m. May the Lords blessing be upon all here today.

Posted by: Marcus T at February 18, 2026 06:40 AM (rsGFG)

95 92 Well, if enough people leave NYC
Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 06:39 AM (6ydKt)

... and go where?!

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:41 AM (+YA9H)

96 85 int this chia la boof numbnuts the same one who got into a pissing match with 4chan years ago?

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 06:34 AM (Cjt/F)

It wasn't so much a pissing match as a through beat-down, and emasculation of Shia by a bunch of weaponized autists who tracked his "We Will Not Be Divided" flag across the country to eventually steal it off of his own flagpole.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 06:42 AM (6ydKt)

97 @88

>> He's a good commie

As has been noted, numerous times, at a minimum
, 30 pct of every local, state and federal budget is straight up, fraud waste and corruption, if he cut the budget, he’d be cutting out the hearts of his cronies, he’s not going to do that.

As a once great mayor opined, the people have chosen, now they must suffer.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at February 18, 2026 06:42 AM (XV/Pl)

98 95 92 Well, if enough people leave NYC
Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 06:39 AM (6ydKt)

... and go where?!

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:41 AM (+YA9H)

My preference would be California or Northern Virginia.

If I could put a force-field around the entire southeast to keep them out, I would.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at February 18, 2026 06:43 AM (6ydKt)

99 @85/sock_rat_eez: "int this chia la boof numbnuts the same one who got into a pissing match with 4chan years ago?"

Indeed - 8 years ago, wow time flies:
https://youtu.be/n-ABXvbMSc4

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 06:43 AM (O7YUW)

100 100

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:43 AM (+YA9H)

101 NYC needs to quit nibbling around the edges. The Dutch have decided to tax unrealized stock and bond gains at 36%.

Posted by: Common Tater at February 18, 2026 06:44 AM (MJ1/T)

102
Elon Musk
@elonmusk
14h
I agree with the teachings of Jesus

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:45 AM (+YA9H)

103 Waiting for the last episode where we are standing on the dock waving bye as they ship for home.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at February 18, 2026 06:45 AM (MPaMF)

104 Thanks, SpeakingOf, that's what I thought. LOL!

and yes, it was as you describe ... he started a pissing match and got a beatdown right back. gooder and harderer.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 06:45 AM (Cjt/F)

105 The elonmusk quote originated here, an account about which I know nothing:

@creation247
Feb 17
Someone needs to evangelize Elon Musk
Who will lead him to Christ?

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:50 AM (+YA9H)

106 sock_rat_eez

The 4Chan effort was great. Using contrails, air traffic monitors, and personal info. Very impressive effort.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 06:52 AM (u82oZ)

107 The lions share of the NYC budget goes to pay teachers, around 43 billion for 75k teachers, by contrast Florida has 175k teachers and spends 12 billion,

Posted by: Thomas Bender at February 18, 2026 06:53 AM (XV/Pl)

108 @100/m: Score!

Okay, work beckons. I gotta go whoosh.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 18, 2026 06:54 AM (O7YUW)

109 that it was, indeed!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 06:54 AM (Cjt/F)

110 Is there a possible mechanism to remove an entire administration in NYC. I do not foresee the country accepting another bailout for preventable collapse.

Cutting fraud and spending are reforms that could be done. But without reforms, a bloody uprising can happen. The smart people will be gone before that happens.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 06:55 AM (u82oZ)

111 Thomas Bender, the difference being hazard pay?

Posted by: Ben Had at February 18, 2026 06:55 AM (+nEug)

112 Teachers.

Replace with AI.

Learning can occur, rather than bady-sitting indoctrination. Teachers made thier own replacement a goal for national survival.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 06:56 AM (u82oZ)

113 The quote is on elon's X feed:

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
14h
Replying to @creation247
I agree with the teachings of Jesus

10,665 comments

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:57 AM (+YA9H)

114 Grumpy and Recalcitrant

May every light turn green.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 06:57 AM (u82oZ)

115 wow, NaCly, there's a concept; they might actually be taught fewer lies that way!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 18, 2026 06:59 AM (Cjt/F)

116 The Dutch have decided to tax unrealized stock and bond gains at 36%

Let the capital market exodus commence!

Posted by: Halfhand at February 18, 2026 07:02 AM (yeZcQ)

117 Getting a good laugh about the CBS/Colbert dust up . The Dems carried to blame Trump for invoking the Fairness rule to keep the Dem Talerico episode off air. Turns out the FCC had nothing to do with keeping the episode off air it was CBS not wanting to get involved in a Dem primary fight between Crockett and Talarico. Over at Twitchy Crockett vid shows her saying it wasn't the Feds and being pissed at the Dems. Get the Dems fighting each other

Posted by: Smell the Glove at February 18, 2026 07:02 AM (Kc+Vz)

118 Computer taught children will be disciplined, how?
Attach a remote taser to their butt and zap them when they act out?

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at February 18, 2026 07:02 AM (MPaMF)

119 Braenyard, shock collars!

Posted by: Ben Had at February 18, 2026 07:04 AM (+nEug)

120 Over at Twitchy Crockett vid shows her saying it wasn't the Feds and being pissed at the Dems. Get the Dems fighting each other
Posted by: Smell the Glove
--------

Notice that was Lawyer Crockett Esq. speaking not
Jasmine the ghetto hag.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at February 18, 2026 07:06 AM (MPaMF)

121 sock_rat_eez

Education is a cloistered mess. I would not be allowed to teach a classroom, because, while a published scientist, I do not believe in Global Warming, DIE, or Gender confusion nonsense.

The atomic weight of the most common isotope of carbon is the same to any competent observer. Even a left-handed, goth, Lithuanian, lesbian scientist and I can agree on that.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 07:06 AM (u82oZ)

122 Practically every video you see of this song on the web is a lip sync

here it is live

https://youtu.be/qWb8_DH8U6o

Posted by: Don Black at February 18, 2026 07:07 AM (ZxPkt)

123 {{{Ben Had}}}
🎼 ♭ 5/4 ♫♫ ♫♫ Good evening! ♬♬ ♩ ♪

May Rancher Bob's success continue. I take it that you are assisting in training his new horse?

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 07:07 AM (u82oZ)

124 NaCly, dearest. It is going to be a fun year.

Posted by: Ben Had at February 18, 2026 07:09 AM (+nEug)

125 Here's a quick tech query:

If I use Google Wallet on my Android for tickets, will Google and/or the company that scans the ticket bar code get my 'phone number? (the company that sold me the tickets got my email to send the tickets; now I have to click on a link to download them to the Wallet, which I have never used)

Posted by: Brunnhilde at February 18, 2026 07:12 AM (3AwA+)

126 Brunnhilde

The phone companies sell your phone number to Google.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 07:14 AM (u82oZ)

127 Shoot, looks like we'll miss this year's TX MoMe (we're gonna be on a tour of The Holy Land).

BTW, I noticed in the left sidebar on the home page under "Moron Meet-Ups" this year's dates are preceded by "Texas MoMe 2025:" in bold letters -- so maybe someone (a COB or Ace) can update that to read "2026?"

Cheers!

Posted by: ShainS -- Algorithmic Racist, Semantic Ablationist, and Systematic Lobotomist at February 18, 2026 07:15 AM (5FL4d)

128 Good morning to everyone. Looks like another spring like day in the foothills of NC. Wishing you all a great day ahead.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at February 18, 2026 07:17 AM (edDB+)

129 Shocking Blue needs a good sound man.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at February 18, 2026 07:17 AM (MPaMF)

130 Have a great day, everyone.

May no YOLO Darwin Award candidate approach your vehicle, unless you are driving a M1127 Stryker. Then, Game On!

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 18, 2026 07:23 AM (u82oZ)

131 Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declared that property taxes will require a 99.5% hike across NYC to make up for the loss of revenue from the mass exodus of leftist cockroaches.

--

You've got to be kidding! Part of me wants to laugh hysterically at the idiots that voted for him. The other half of me is terrified they'll just move away and come to my state.

Posted by: Lady in Black at February 18, 2026 07:23 AM (qBdHI)

132 131 Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declared that property taxes will require a 99.5% hike across NYC to make up for the loss of revenue from the mass exodus of leftist cockroaches.

--

You've got to be kidding! Part of me wants to laugh hysterically at the idiots that voted for him. The other half of me is terrified they'll just move away and come to my state.
Posted by: Lady in Black at February 18, 2026 07:23 AM (qBdHI)

99.5% --> 9.5%

80
@nypost
14h
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declared that property taxes will require a 9.5% hike across NYC to make up for Gov. Kathy Hochul's refusal to hike taxes on NY's wealthy.
Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 06:27 AM (+YA9H)

Posted by: m at February 18, 2026 07:27 AM (+YA9H)

133 FIRST!!!!!

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at February 18, 2026 07:27 AM (PpBto)

134 Early work morning for me.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at February 18, 2026 07:27 AM (PpBto)

135 Looking forward to the ONT, since it's Yoko's birthday today.

Posted by: Wally at February 18, 2026 07:28 AM (QKo4r)

136 >Early work morning for me.

Posted by: Sponge
----

I don't understand those words in that order

Posted by: Don Black at February 18, 2026 07:28 AM (ZxPkt)

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