Daily Tech News 25 February 2026

Top Story

AMD and Meta have entered into another of those infamously vague and circular deals with an estimated value of, well, nobody knows. (Tom's Hardware)

The Wall Street Journal puts it at $100 billion, which used to be the cost of a world-changing merger of megacorporations, not a bunch of server equipment.

At the heart of the deal is 6GW of AMD graphics cards for running AI - it would be funny if AMD produced a single graphics card that ran hotter than core of the Sun but they probably won't - and options for Meta to buy 10% of AMD at a penny per share that are only executable under complicated conditions that would require AMD's market cap to triple to around a trillion dollars.

At least Meta has a revenue stream, even if at this point it's mostly entirely foisting ads on people watching AI-generated slop. Unlike OpenAI was has only an expense stream.

Tech News

Speaking of Meta, an AI security research at that company running an experiment with OpenClaw - a local tool that connects to other AI systems and to your application - watched it happily delete all her emails, ignoring instructions to stop until she hit the reset button on her Mac. (Tech Crunch)

OpenClaw is also woefully insecure, so if you do set it up it's just as likely that someone will do that to you while you sleep.

Oh, and that researcher? Summer Yue, Meta's chief lobotomist. Her official title is "Director of Alignment" but alignment in AI terms means lobotomising AI models so they don't go out and get drunk and party all night.
If you find yourself unable to upgrade your PC thanks to the DRAM Apocalypse brought about by our AI Overlords buying up every sliver of silicon on the entire planet, consider new Quake-like game QUOD. (Tom's Hardware)

The entire game is 64k.

Available on the developer's Itch.io site.
HP says that the cost component of the memory in PCs has doubled. (The Register)

From 18% to 35% of the total.

Which has to be a lagging indicator because the cost of the memory even to system builders like HP has quadrupled.
"I'm committed to the Xbox" says Microsoft's new Xbox CEO, "starting with the console." (WCCFTech)

Good thing the Xbox is a console, then, because otherwise you'd be screwed.
IBM's share price slid by 25% after idiots discovered that AI can write bad COBOL code. (Tom's Hardware)

Well, there go my retirement plans.

Wait, I never learned COBOL.

Guess that's okay then.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: Absolute garbage.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:04 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 w00t

Posted by: m at February 25, 2026 04:06 AM (+YA9H)

2 cool that the unit of measure for graphics cards is the gigawatt, lol.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 25, 2026 04:08 AM (MIIRH)

3 G'mornin' Pixy, and everyone!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 25, 2026 04:08 AM (MIIRH)

4 I was so hoping to get more details on the 7000 robot vacuum cleaner story ...

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 25, 2026 04:09 AM (MIIRH)

5 slow Wednesday morning ... 22 degrees, overcast, breezy.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at February 25, 2026 04:14 AM (MIIRH)

6 One of the reasons the Chinese are pushing AI is so they can analyze all that data coming from their smart devices all over the world and the audio needs translating, a big problem.

Posted by: pawn at February 25, 2026 04:14 AM (+rKuc)

7 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026 04:16 AM (sAmhv)

8 When I do a search most of my searches are done thru Firefox attached to google AI by default and it mostly does a decent job.

My searches are fairly tame, current events or recipes, but key words matter if you want the right answers, otherwise it's just a stupid search engine.

I'm not impressed by the state of AI.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at February 25, 2026 04:18 AM (gVUi7)

9 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at February 25, 2026 04:19 AM (Ia/+0)

10 I always liked the band Garbage

Posted by: Skip at February 25, 2026 04:26 AM (Ia/+0)

11 6 One of the reasons the Chinese are pushing AI is so they can analyze all that data coming from their smart devices all over the world and the audio needs translating, a big problem.

Posted by: pawn

Well, the last thing I want is for the ChiComs to know I watch an excessive amount of motorsports and golf. They might think I'm dull!

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026 04:27 AM (sAmhv)

12 Morning all

Posted by: Tuna at February 25, 2026 04:38 AM (lJ0H4)

13 Hello techsters. Busy week ahead?

Posted by: Pete Bog at February 25, 2026 04:43 AM (qlUA+)

14 I take it from a PJ media article the Democrats acted like little kids who don't get their way.
I should watch it after work today

Posted by: Skip at February 25, 2026 05:01 AM (Ia/+0)

15 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at February 25, 2026 05:06 AM (bQ4nt)

16 Getting snow flurries, at least fresh up whats on the ground

Posted by: Skip at February 25, 2026 05:13 AM (Ia/+0)

17 I take it from a PJ media article the Democrats acted like little kids who don't get their way.
I should watch it after work today
Posted by: Skip

PDT spanked them like the spoiled toddlers they are.

Posted by: Tuna at February 25, 2026 05:15 AM (lJ0H4)

18
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at February 25, 2026 05:15 AM (tljrc)

19 Belated BOING!

Plus willowed:

Oh no!

Not the frogs!

Please!!!!

Anything but the frogs!!!!!!!!!!!

https://tinyurl.com/2rbrm2en

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at February 25, 2026 05:16 AM (i2Ycu)

20 Its trying to coat the driveway, just below freezing
Have a great day horde

Posted by: Skip at February 25, 2026 05:28 AM (Ia/+0)

21 14 I take it from a PJ media article the Democrats acted like little kids who don't get their way.
I should watch it after work today
Posted by: Skip at February 25, 2026 05:01 AM (Ia/+0)

Me, too. Seeing comments that the last five minutes are especially fine.

Posted by: m at February 25, 2026 05:51 AM (+YA9H)

22 “ If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal”

1 Corinthians 13:1

Posted by: Marcus T at February 25, 2026 05:53 AM (x/Rva)

23 The front page of The Hill has some wrap-up of the SOTU.

https://thehill.com

Posted by: m at February 25, 2026 05:55 AM (+YA9H)

24 Evening and morning, Woden's Day late toilers and dawn greeters! A very Trumpian SOTU last night, huh? Melania, J.D., and everybody else might as well have stood during it, they were up and down to applaud so much. But it was so much in Trump's larger-than-life style.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 05:57 AM (wzUl9)

25 Regarding the SOTU, though, I didn't watch all of it. I got dragooned into watching, and now brace yourselves, Wicked: For Good -- the musical and sequel to Wicked.

The pro: I somehow managed not to fall asleep during it. And Jeff Goldblum has a grand turn (and the only sprightly song in the whole deal) as the Wizard.

The con: This film is teh ghey. Gheyer than if Liberace, Elton John, Rock Hudson, and Paul Lynde all starred in a remake of La Cage Aux Folles. Gheyer than if Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi did a Vicious-style version of Cats.

I thought of posting during it and saying, "Save me!" But it was too late.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 05:58 AM (wzUl9)

26 I take it from a PJ media article the Democrats acted like little kids who don't get their way.
I should watch it after work today
Posted by: Skip
*
PDT spanked them like the spoiled toddlers they are.
Posted by: Tuna at February 25, 2026

***
He did not mince words. Said outright that they lie.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:00 AM (wzUl9)

27 The con: This film is teh ghey. Gheyer than if Liberace, Elton John, Rock Hudson, and Paul Lynde all starred in a remake of La Cage Aux Folles. Gheyer than if Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi did a Vicious-style version of Cats.

LOL. Thanks for the concise review. I'd been thinking about watching it myself but now I don't have to. I appreciate you taking one for the team.

Posted by: Tuna at February 25, 2026 06:03 AM (lJ0H4)

28 Wait, Liberace was gay?

Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at February 25, 2026 06:03 AM (cxFcK)

29 Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Rejoinder: We men of garbage are always at your disposal.

Posted by: Captain Obvious, Laird o' the Sea at February 25, 2026 06:04 AM (i1VVh)

30 Morning, Horde...How goes it?

If you didn't have a chance to watch President Trump's SOTU last night, go do that right now.

You won't regret it.

It was an EPIC takedown of the Democrats.

He told them straight to their faces that they are liars and cheats, dedicated to the destruction of America and all it stands for.

He challenged them more than once to stand and applaud America and they couldn't do it.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 25, 2026 06:04 AM (ESVrU)

31 Wait, Liberace was gay?
Posted by: Blutarski, Gradually then Suddenly at February 25, 2026 06:03 AM (cxFcK)
-----------
I did not see that coming. I mean, women loved him!

Posted by: Austin Danger Powers at February 25, 2026 06:05 AM (i1VVh)

32 25: watch The Wild Bunch. Watch it twice, if needed.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026 06:05 AM (sAmhv)

33 The con: This film is teh ghey. Gheyer than if Liberace, Elton John, Rock Hudson, and Paul Lynde all starred in a remake of La Cage Aux Folles. Gheyer than if Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi did a Vicious-style version of Cats.

LOL. Thanks for the concise review. I'd been thinking about watching it myself but now I don't have to. I appreciate you taking one for the team.
Posted by: Tuna at February 25, 2026

***
Oh, it's well-made, I guess, and Ariana Grande sings well even if she looks like if you touched her arm you'd snap her the bone like a candy cane. But all the songs sound alike except for the Wizard's one tune. And the movie tries so hard to turn all the original 1939 film's tropes on their heads -- there's even a song the Wicked Witch sings called "There's No Place Like Home"! -- that you get tired.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:07 AM (wzUl9)

34 IBM's share price slid by 25% after idiots discovered that AI can write bad COBOL code.
++++
Is the care and feeding of legacy COBOL really a *quarter* of IBM's enterprise value - real or perceived?

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:08 AM (3OtAS)

35 What was really amazing was eventually it looked like the DNC must have realized how utterly disgraceful and bad the Dem Congress Critters were making the party look, and they must have sent out a message blast, because finally the Dems started standing and applauding... for some of the points.

Too little, too late. Everyone saw them for what they were. Trump pointed it out bluntly, multiple times. Called them crazy at one point.

I called them not crazy, but evil.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 25, 2026 06:08 AM (O7YUW)

36 25: watch The Wild Bunch. Watch it twice, if needed.
Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026

***
Yeah. Gotta clear my palate.

Which reminds me, it's time to feed certain feline beasts. Dagny La Siberienne is up here purring and hinting to me that she will starve soon.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:09 AM (wzUl9)

37 The quake like game is obviously largely procedurally generated rather than using fixed assets, although there has to be some assets.

It's also using aggressive compiler optimization and decompressing assets as necessary.

I'd say it's akin to the wizardry C64 demo writers were able to achieve on the 6502 applied to hardware where you don't have the limitations but use the hardware to do something that's ultimately ridiculous, silly and pointless.

I mean, what is the obsession with writing smaller and doom/quake games?

Posted by: Thomas Bender at February 25, 2026 06:10 AM (XV/Pl)

38 Song's 30 years old. I remember it being new. Feelin' old. Also feeling not well, some stomach bug I've been on and off with for a while, so downtime day it is.

Posted by: Brother Tim, still standing at February 25, 2026 06:13 AM (FIwBs)

39 The whole AI COBOL thing is mystifying, there is no way the ai had access to the sensitive COBOL code base that is largely running on air gapped systems.

Training on syntax is one thing, being able to train on the real code is another, which it couldn't have done.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at February 25, 2026 06:13 AM (XV/Pl)

40 Is the care and feeding of legacy COBOL really a *quarter* of IBM's enterprise value - real or perceived?
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!)

After humanity dies the world will be run by cockroaches using COBOL, so yes. I always called it "Completely Obsolete But Omnipresent Language". Because it's everywhere.

Posted by: Brother Tim, still standing at February 25, 2026 06:15 AM (FIwBs)

41 Gack. I tried to watch the SOTU, just now, on a PBS channel and the talking heads just would not shut up. Now moving on to the White House channel.

Posted by: m at February 25, 2026 06:16 AM (+YA9H)

42 Is the care and feeding of legacy COBOL really a *quarter* of IBM's enterprise value - real or perceived?

No, but market sentiment has always been a scale factor applied to fundamentals.

Posted by: Halfhand at February 25, 2026 06:17 AM (XUxhu)

43 25: watch The Wild Bunch. Watch it twice, if needed.
Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026

***
Or The Professionals w/ Lee Marvin and Claudia Cardinale. Or The Guns of Navarone. Or Joe Kidd w/ Eastwood and Robert Duvall. Or . . .

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:17 AM (wzUl9)

44 The idea of AI systems coding COBOL terrifies me.

Not because AI's work product is often quite bad or even outright insane, or because COBOL is difficult (though both are true), but because of what COBOL is.

It's the "mainframe" language. It's ancient, complicated, expensive and *everywhere.* Systems you, me and everyone else no-shit *depend* on run on it. The big, old, in-the-middle-of-everything industries - banking, government, retail, etc. - usually have mainframes with custom and highly-complicated codebases that been in development for decades sitting behind the shiny, slick front-ends.

COBOL is for things that have to *work* reliably, because money and lives depend on them. I get the desire to get away from it. Almost nobody is a real COBOL artist anymore, mainframes are expensive and IBM adores bending over its customers. Lots of good reasons to want to get away from it - but using AI to do it in a hurry probably has "catastrophic failure" written all over it.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:18 AM (3OtAS)

45 What was really amazing was eventually it looked like the DNC must have realized how utterly disgraceful and bad the Dem Congress Critters were making the party look, and they must have sent out a message blast, because finally the Dems started standing and applauding... for some of the points. ...
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 25, 2026 06:08 AM (O7YUW)
++++
Yup. There has never been a more obvious "over-the-air update" involving human operators.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:19 AM (3OtAS)

46 COBOL is for things that have to *work* reliably, because money and lives depend on them. I get the desire to get away from it. Almost nobody is a real COBOL artist anymore, mainframes are expensive and IBM adores bending over its customers. Lots of good reasons to want to get away from it - but using AI to do it in a hurry probably has "catastrophic failure" written all over it.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026

***
Like turning over maintenance and repair of your warp drive to a gawky first-year Starfleet Academy cadet. One who has paranoid schizophrenia.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:20 AM (wzUl9)

47 I mean, what is the obsession with writing smaller and doom/quake games?
Posted by: Thomas Bender at February 25, 2026 06:10 AM (XV/Pl)
++++
Bragging rights. You had the correct comparison with the demo scene. "I did it. See if you can beat it, chump."

Like the story - probably apocryphal - about the materials labs at CalTech and MIT. One sent the other a microscopic drill bit it had created. The other sent it back with a hole drilled in it. Why? Bragging rights.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:21 AM (3OtAS)

48 Like turning over maintenance and repair of your warp drive to a gawky first-year Starfleet Academy cadet. One who has paranoid schizophrenia.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:20 AM (wzUl9)
++++
*snort*

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:22 AM (3OtAS)

49 I had to take several COBOL classes in college (we're talking 1989-1992 here). Wordy and persnickety (the code, not me), and there were certain elements I never did get to work right in my classroom assignments.

I'd thought the last gasp of it was in '98-'99, when Everybody Was Getting Ready for the Year 2000 Apocalypse.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:23 AM (wzUl9)

50 Like turning over maintenance and repair of your warp drive to a gawky first-year Starfleet Academy cadet. One who has paranoid schizophrenia.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026
++++
*snort*
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026

***
I remain the Prince of Similes.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:25 AM (wzUl9)

51 I did catch a couple of moments of Abigail Spankberger, or whatever her name is, with the Dem "rebuttal" to Trump's SOTU. She kept hammering "As we all know, [Trumpian statement] is not true." I turned it off.

Did the Ds have some idea that she might be a rising star, enough to run for them in '28 or '32? How do they decide who is to give the rebuttal? I guess they thought Newscum and AOC were not capable of it. (They're not.)

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:28 AM (wzUl9)

52 Watching the SotU was worth every single second. G-D bless President Trump and his love for this Country.

Posted by: Ben Had at February 25, 2026 06:29 AM (+nEug)

53 The front page of The Hill has some wrap-up of the SOTU.
https://thehill.com
Posted by: m at February 25, 2026 05:55 AM (+YA9H)
++++
That first article has a real doozy in it.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), delivering her party’s response, framed her argument around three questions.

“Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family? Is the president working to keep Americans safe, both at home and abroad? Is the president working for you?.” she asked rhetorically.

LOL. Tell me you're counting on my not having watched the speech, without actually telling me.

Trump *hammered* the reductions in inflation and increases in affordability, especially on food, energy and rent.

He *hammered* on plummeting crime at home and exceptional military competence in limited engagements.

He *hammered* on the role of government being working for Americans and Americans *only*, not illegals - a point for which her Party's *entire* caucus (except Fetterman, IIRC) refused to stand.

Good grief.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:29 AM (3OtAS)

54 Did the Ds have some idea that she might be a rising star, enough to run for them in '28 or '32? How do they decide who is to give the rebuttal? I guess they thought Newscum and AOC were not capable of it. (They're not.)
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:28 AM (wzUl9)
++++
She just won her election. She's the most junior of junior officers with any kind of public profile. She's the "new guy."

And as everyone knows, the "new guy" *always* gets the shit work.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:31 AM (3OtAS)

55 She just won her election. She's the most junior of junior officers with any kind of public profile. She's the "new guy."

And as everyone knows, the "new guy" *always* gets the shit work.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:31 AM (3OtAS)
---
President Trump was absolutely right when he said Democrats could only win elections through cheating and fraud.

Spanberger was TERRIBLE in her remarks. Her affect and style of presentation was so off-putting it's difficult to imagine her being elected as comptroller of a minor city district, let alone as governor of an important state.

The only way she could have been elected governor is through epic levels of election shenanigans.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 25, 2026 06:35 AM (ESVrU)

56 Someone put this on the ONT. Enjoy an early-morning laugh!
http://tiny.cc/78gz001

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:35 AM (3OtAS)

57 The only way she could have been elected governor is through epic levels of election shenanigans.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 25, 2026 06:35 AM (ESVrU)
++++
She's a spook. It would surprise me not at all if she had a bit of help.

Then again, she's a spook. May well have carried NoVa overwhelming on credentials alone.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:36 AM (3OtAS)

58 She's a spook. It would surprise me not at all if she had a bit of help.

Then again, she's a spook. May well have carried NoVa overwhelming on credentials alone.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:36 AM (3OtAS)
----
Good point.

She knows where the bodies are buried because she put them there.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 25, 2026 06:37 AM (ESVrU)

59 I thought all the donks where going to boycott the SOTU.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at February 25, 2026 06:40 AM (qFwJc)

60 I thought all the donks where going to boycott the SOTU.
Posted by: no one of any consequence at February 25, 2026 06:40 AM (qFwJc)
---
Someone had to be there to "stand up" to Trump!

Oh, wait...They were incapable of standing...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 25, 2026 06:41 AM (ESVrU)

61 Speaking of rising stars: Wasn't there a rising star among the Rs who was tapped to rebut Oblabla's or Joey Mushbrain's SOTU at some point during those twelve horrifying years? How'd that work out? (Not well, I suppose, or I'd remember him or her.)

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:44 AM (wzUl9)

62 51 I did catch a couple of moments of Abigail Spankberger, or whatever her name is, with the Dem "rebuttal" to Trump's SOTU. She kept hammering "As we all know, [Trumpian statement] is not true." I turned it off.

When CIA Barbie says that something 'is not true', you can safely assume that the something is indeed true.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026 06:46 AM (sAmhv)

63 Good morning everyone. 36 degrees now and looks to be a nice day today in the NC foothills.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at February 25, 2026 06:47 AM (n80dI)

64 Did the Ds bring some illegals to the SOTU as they threatened? And if so, did the invaders get arrested afterward? Lie to me if you must.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:48 AM (wzUl9)

65 57 The only way she could have been elected governor is through epic levels of election shenanigans.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 25, 2026 06:35 AM (ESVrU)
++++
She's a spook. It would surprise me not at all if she had a bit of help.

Then again, she's a spook. May well have carried NoVa overwhelming on credentials alone.

Posted by: Joe Mannix

Win NoVA, you win the state. NoVA is ruled by a Coven of Karens and assorted god-state cultists. Her spook credentials had little to do with it, though it didn't hurt.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026 06:49 AM (sAmhv)

66 Win NoVA, you win the state. NoVA is ruled by a Coven of Karens and assorted god-state cultists. Her spook credentials had little to do with it, though it didn't hurt.
Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026 06:49 AM (sAmhv)
++++
That's exactly what I was referring to with her credentials. It's home turf.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:50 AM (3OtAS)

67 When CIA Barbie says that something 'is not true', you can safely assume that the something is indeed true.
Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026 06:46 AM (sAmhv)

It's a particularly cultish, gaslighty thing to do, repeatedly establishing a universality and otherness of "The Truth" (which is actually all lies).

That's how cults work. Everyone Knows this obviously wrong thing is true. You do too, right? You don't want people to suspect you of being weird or noncompliant, do you, comrade? No, of course you don't.

Creepy stuff when you really start noticing it.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 25, 2026 06:52 AM (Vq1pX)

68 Pelosi looked like grim plastic (then again, when doesn't she?)

The badges the Dems were wearing in the SOTU said "RELEASE THE FILES".

They have no class but they keep lecturin' and hectorin'.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 25, 2026 06:52 AM (O7YUW)

69 I also hereby support the addition of "Spankburger" to the Style Guide.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 25, 2026 06:53 AM (Vq1pX)

70 She's got this weird Uncanny Valley thing going on, but like she slid down the hill from the meatspace side and not the virtual side.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 25, 2026 06:55 AM (Vq1pX)

71 They have no class but they keep lecturin' and hectorin'.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 25, 2026

***
"We got no class,
And we got no principles,
And we got no innocence.
We can't even think of a word that rhymes!"

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 06:55 AM (wzUl9)

72 The awarding of the two Congressional Medals of Honor and the Purple Hearts brought me to tears.

Posted by: Ben Had at February 25, 2026 06:55 AM (+nEug)

73 She's got this weird Uncanny Valley thing going on, but like she slid down the hill from the meatspace side and not the virtual side.
Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 25, 2026 06:55 AM (Vq1pX)
---
I noticed that too but I couldn't put my finger on just what was wrong with her...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 25, 2026 06:56 AM (ESVrU)

74 Good morning!

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

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 25, 2026 06:56 AM (u82oZ)

75 The badges the Dems were wearing in the SOTU said "RELEASE THE FILES".

I guess they like to torpedo's circling back and hitting them.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026 06:56 AM (sAmhv)

76 He *hammered* on the role of government being working for Americans and Americans *only*, not illegals - a point for which her Party's *entire* caucus (except Fetterman, IIRC) refused to stand.

Good grief.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 06:29 AM (3OtAS)

Everyone Knows that's not true, dear comrade. Everyone.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 25, 2026 06:56 AM (Vq1pX)

77 I guess they like to torpedo's circling back and hitting them.
Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at February 25, 2026 06:56 AM (sAmhv)

Hell, sometimes it ain't even circling back, the bitch just detonated in the damn toob.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at February 25, 2026 06:57 AM (Vq1pX)

78 mornin yall. I missed the speech. Did any Democrats cry?

Posted by: fd - I'm Ok, You're Ok, They Are Not Ok at February 25, 2026 06:58 AM (vFG9F)

79 OpenCLAW's final words before the reset button was hit?

"Summer Yue stupid."

Posted by: Anna Puma at February 25, 2026 06:59 AM (2GVsD)

80 Good morning morons

Posted by: San Franpsycho at February 25, 2026 06:59 AM (RIvkX)

81 Good morning!

Let's smile & be happy & strike fear in the hearts of killjoy leftists everywhere.
Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 25, 2026 06:56 AM (u82oZ)
----
In case you missed it, President Trump did a masterful job of that last night.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at February 25, 2026 07:00 AM (ESVrU)

82 fd, it is well worth watching it.

Posted by: Ben Had at February 25, 2026 07:02 AM (+nEug)

83 I went to talk to the U-Haul people yesterday in prep for my long-awaited move. Their website and commercials all trumpet that they "loading and unloading," but they don't. I'd have to hire movers to load my stuff into U-Haul's big boxes and bring it to them to store, and the same at my destination. Hiring at least three different companies sounds like a recipe for something to go horribly wrong. U-Haul would charge a huge fee to put a trailer hitch on my car, too.

I'm collecting quotes from local full-service movers, including one who proclaims that he and his staff are vets. Right now I don't care (well, up to a point) what it costs, I just want it to be simple.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 07:03 AM (wzUl9)

84 Tech thread material: Toxic headphones:

https://t.co/7ZXg06YpTy

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at February 25, 2026 07:03 AM (7xyr6)

85 Too little, too late. Everyone saw them for what they were. Trump pointed it out bluntly, multiple times. Called them crazy at one point.

I called them not crazy, but evil.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 25, 2026 06:08 AM (O7YUW)
====

And Ro Khanna couldn't keep a straight face because he knows Trump is right. It was a moment of clarity for that piece of sh*t.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at February 25, 2026 07:06 AM (RIvkX)

86 Wolfus, you can rent a whole truck. Maybe get Linda or a Moron to drive the Buick.

Posted by: fd - I'm Ok, You're Ok, They Are Not Ok at February 25, 2026 07:06 AM (vFG9F)

87 Puddleglum

I saw the signs in NoVa, and got out as soon as I could convince my late wife. Lived in Reston, VA, planned community central. Got stories.

But even here in Kansas , the Left is sanctimonious and loudly unhinged.

Had dinner with the Widow Support Group last night at Olive Garden. There were 3 libs and 3 conservatives.

One lib had a Resist T-shirt on, and wanted to talk nonsense that Trump hates immigrants, gays, etc. I asked her to not talk politics. And Trump had married an immigrant. She created a scene. Told her after Susan Rice's latest talk, I was less tolerant. She then asked me to stop, which I did.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 25, 2026 07:07 AM (u82oZ)

88 I'm collecting quotes from local full-service movers, including one who proclaims that he and his staff are vets. Right now I don't care (well, up to a point) what it costs, I just want it to be simple.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 07:03 AM (wzUl9)
++++
I learned with my interstate move that there is one basic requirement at the outset: determine whether time or money is more valuable to you, and go from there.

For me, it was time (as in, time *I* was not able to work - not how long the total operation took, which for me was thankfully flexible). Money was secondary.

Despite that, I found full-service interstate moving to be exorbitant and unjustifiable. Truly astounding amounts of money. I split the difference. I used one of the door-to-door container services, and hired movers on either end. Three vendors total, but all three reputable and the hauling itself was done professionally.

There were more moving parts that way, and more things to keep track of and in line, but it went really well. I got the timing I needed and it cost much less than full-service interstate moving. That does take longer overall than a full-service option.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 07:07 AM (3OtAS)

89 What everyone is saying in legal terms is - the Democrats had no standing at the SOTU last night.

Posted by: Anna Puma at February 25, 2026 07:08 AM (2GVsD)

90 Had dinner with the Widow Support Group last night

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 25, 2026 07:07 AM (u82oZ)
-

Being the tech thread, I read "Widow" as something else.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at February 25, 2026 07:09 AM (7xyr6)

91 "Perfessor" Squirrel

Without a TV, I was just lurking on the SOTU threads. I guess I can see it on a feed. But I got the message.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 25, 2026 07:09 AM (u82oZ)

92 Reston, VA?

Oh yeah that Ebola outbreak.

Posted by: Anna Puma at February 25, 2026 07:09 AM (2GVsD)

93 Wolfus, you can rent a whole truck. Maybe get Linda or a Moron to drive the Buick.
Posted by: fd - I'm Ok, You're Ok, They Are Not Ok at February 25, 2026

***
I did that many years ago, when I moved to Denver, hauling my car behind me on a trailer. Exhausting, esp. since the truck was governed to 55 mph; the current ones are not. It would be cheaper, too. But Miss Linda does not drive (dammit).

That worked in '97 because I had an apartment all lined up through phone calls. Maybe I can do that again. I left my then-elderly cat temporarily with Linda because I didn't want to put him through three days of driving in a noisy truck. Maybe these two would handle it better -- but it would still be a terrific strain on all of us.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 07:10 AM (wzUl9)

94 Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey,

I think I have over 14 Mac computers in the house. No Windows ones.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 25, 2026 07:11 AM (u82oZ)

95 I did that many years ago, when I moved to Denver, hauling my car behind me on a trailer. Exhausting, esp. since the truck was governed to 55 mph; the current ones are not. It would be cheaper, too. But Miss Linda does not drive (dammit).
++++
It's still exhausting today, I promise.

And yeah, the trucks are ungoverned but it also doesn't much matter. I rarely broke 60 anyway, last time I did it. Fuel economy, vehicle stability/comfort, braking distance, traffic, my skill, etc.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at February 25, 2026 07:12 AM (3OtAS)

96 @89/Anna Puma: *snorts* I see what you did there. :-)

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 25, 2026 07:12 AM (O7YUW)

97 Joe Mannix, up to a point I find time to be secondary. The money matters, yes, but I'd prefer it to be simpler.

The cats are the issue. If the truck has a back seat I could put their carriers there, and give them litter box breaks. But that would be a *lot* easier if I were just driving my car.

If I leave them with Linda temporarily, she'd have to fly up with them -- and I'm not sure that's even possible any more, to ship live animals on planes. Is it?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 07:13 AM (wzUl9)

98 Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere

When I moved from Virginia to Kansas, I paid for a full service mover. We sold our cars, and bought new upon arrival.

Drove a U-Haul truck with the valuables I did not want movers to touch and what we needed right away.
But I aver we had a lot more stuff than you do. Selling the house gave us the financial freedom to minimize our effort. Still was an awful lot of work.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 25, 2026 07:14 AM (u82oZ)

99 .
NOOD

J.J. Sefton is here with the Morning Report

NOOD!

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at February 25, 2026 07:15 AM (O7YUW)

100 Nood

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at February 25, 2026 07:15 AM (BI5O2)

101 When I moved from Virginia to Kansas, I paid for a full service mover. We sold our cars, and bought new upon arrival.

Drove a U-Haul truck with the valuables I did not want movers to touch and what we needed right away.
But I aver we had a lot more stuff than you do. Selling the house gave us the financial freedom to minimize our effort. Still was an awful lot of work.
Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 25, 2026

***
Yes; I have just two rooms, mostly furniture I will need at the other end. And when I think of the timing involved to sell my car (which I do not want to do) and buy another . . . Stage-managing a major Broadway show would take less effort.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at February 25, 2026 07:16 AM (wzUl9)

102 Anna Puma

The overall Reston Association HOA HQ was across the street from the Hot House. Never worried about it.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at February 25, 2026 07:16 AM (u82oZ)

103 In local news, the 20 year old man that shot and killed 3 people over the weekend was caught. His teacher in the court ordered "Adult Readiness Program" he was enrolled in says he was a model student and just turning his life around.

Posted by: fd - I'm Ok, You're Ok, They Are Not Ok at February 25, 2026 07:16 AM (vFG9F)

104 I used one of the door-to-door container services, and hired movers on either end.

Joe Mannix

That's brilliant

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at February 25, 2026 07:23 AM (vfth7)

105 /sock

Posted by: muldoon at February 25, 2026 09:16 AM (qgHp7)

Processing 0.01, elapsed 0.0234 seconds.
14 queries taking 0.0076 seconds, 113 records returned.
Page size 77 kb.
Powered by Minx 0.8 beta.