Daily News Stuff 6 April 2026

Top Story

Samsung has raised its contract memory prices by another 30%. (Notebook Check)

That's after doubling their prices in the first quarter, and whatever they did in the previous quarter.

Best time to buy 128GB of RAM was a year ago. Which I did.

Second best time was New Year's Eve during a short-lived sale of Corsair modules on Amazon. Which I also did.

So I'm set for now.
Ubuntu has quietly increased the memory requirements for the upcoming 26.04 release. (OMGUbuntu)

To be fair, they increased the requirement from 4GB for 18.04 to 6GB. And that's for a full client install with the Gnome UI; you can install a server with a quarter of that.

Tech News

Apple continues to roll out device-level age verification. (9to5Mac)

First Britain, now Singapore and South Korea. Though they do use the age of your Apple / iTunes account to calculate that, and mine is at least 14 years old, and you have to be 13 to have an Apple account, making me 27.

Good to know.

Also, this is only if you want to download "mature content" through Apple services, and why the hell would anyone do that?
Apple has just approved drivers to let users attach external GPUs to Macs. (Tom's Hardware)

Given that there are now zero Macs that support internal GPUs, this is kind of a big deal.

Because the alternative would be to just install the driver without Apple's approval.
Microsoft hasn't had a coherent GUI strategy since Petzold. (Jeffrey Snover)

Charles Petzold wrote the seminal book Programming Windows.

In 1988.
The XFX Swift Radeon RX 9060 XT OC Gaming Edition is $460 on Amazon. (WCCFTech)

That's a 16GB model, so the MSRP is $350. Given the clusterfrog of current hardware prices, that might not seem too bad.

But in Australia right now, you can pick up that exact model on Amazon for the equivalent of $310 before tax. I have to pay that tax (10% GST), but you don't.

Not sure if you can order from Amazon Australia in the US, or if it just laughs in your face and redirects you.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: Yes, that's precisely what it's about.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Morning all

Posted by: Tuna at April 06, 2026 04:04 AM (lJ0H4)

2 😻

Posted by: clarence at April 06, 2026 04:07 AM (7fNaw)

3 Morning!

Posted by: Pixy Misa at April 06, 2026 04:07 AM (BLOW1)

4 w00t

Posted by: m at April 06, 2026 04:08 AM (fNISR)

5 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at April 06, 2026 04:09 AM (sAmhv)

6 Guten morgen, horde.

Posted by: clarence at April 06, 2026 04:09 AM (7fNaw)

7 1 Morning all
Posted by: Tuna at April 06, 2026 04:04 AM (lJ0H4)

It's Tuna-time!

Posted by: m at April 06, 2026 04:12 AM (fNISR)

8 Artemis II Orion Integrity is 32,600 or so miles from the moon.

Posted by: m at April 06, 2026 04:16 AM (fNISR)

9 The Masters is on this week!

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at April 06, 2026 04:23 AM (sAmhv)

10 NASA’s Artemis II Daily News Conference (April 5, 2026) (1 hour)

https://tinyurl.com/4smetay8

Posted by: m at April 06, 2026 04:31 AM (fNISR)

11 Flying the airlines this morning.

CID-DFW-BOI.

5:05 AM departure.

Paranoia about oversleeping gets me up an hour ealier than planned, at 1AM.

To my surprise, gas stations around these parts are actually closed at 2AM.

TSA doesn't open for 'business' till 0400.

Oh well, ahead of schedule, way better than the alternative.

Have a Blessed Day, everybody!

Posted by: Jimmy Doolittle at April 06, 2026 04:34 AM (Ww5zr)

12 11 Oh well, ahead of schedule, way better than the alternative.

Have a Blessed Day, everybody!
Posted by: Jimmy Doolittle at April 06, 2026 04:34 AM (Ww5zr)

WAAAY better!

Posted by: m at April 06, 2026 04:36 AM (fNISR)

13 covfefe

Posted by: m at April 06, 2026 04:53 AM (fNISR)

14 Man writes on God's forgiveness and Exodus 32:15-24 in this Christian devotional from ""Our Daily Bread":

https://tinyurl.com/4e8bkdsv

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 06, 2026 04:59 AM (rZCVI)

15 Dolly Parton sings an Easter hymn, "He's alive":

https://tinyurl.com/yu9xusmh

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 06, 2026 05:01 AM (rZCVI)

16 And in yesterday's "God incident " when I ask God to show me something of His grace and glory and goodness, I saw a white tree that looked just like a heart shape and it had beautiful white flowers. Also there was a lady talking to one of the workers at the look convenience store and was telling her she was praying for her ( The worker has cancer) . She mentioned that she would ask her family to pray because they are pastors. We had a nice conversation about that.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 06, 2026 05:08 AM (rZCVI)

17 I am thankful to the Lord that dear spouse is off today so we can take a nice walk together.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 06, 2026 05:09 AM (rZCVI)

18 I miss 3D buttons. The flat look is aesthetically sleek, but I think it's a worse UI from an intuitive cognitive-functional perspective. So why is that one sketchy fad the one that stuck around, and never got renounced by the next batch of developers?

Posted by: SciVo at April 06, 2026 05:11 AM (Sy6m/)

19 G'Day everyone
Forgot to put on alarm because Friday

Posted by: Skip at April 06, 2026 05:11 AM (Ia/+0)

20 >>Microsoft hasn't had a coherent GUI strategy since Petzold.

Buy a Mac, install Parallels, install Win 11, install your Windows apps, enter coherence mode, hit command space bar and type in the name of any app or file you want to interact with in Widows, done.

You never have to interact wiith windows shitty gui ever again.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 06, 2026 05:12 AM (XV/Pl)

21
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at April 06, 2026 05:21 AM (tljrc)

22
Good morning, Hordians.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 05:35 AM (tgvbd)

23 Good morning, everyone! It was a wonderful Easter despite having to take my dog to the vet's the day before. Had a meal at the mother-in-law's house and chatted with my mom when I got home.

And now I'm back at work. At least I have coffee.

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 05:38 AM (NR6c1)

24 And another bit from "The Joy of Full Surrender" by Jean Pierre de Caussade, the 17th and 18th century Jesuit, from the Paraclete Press:

Onward, my soul, through weariness, sickness, times of dryness, flares of temper, weaknesses of mind, the snares of the devil and of other people, through suspicions, jealousies, evil imaginations,and prejudices ! Let us soar like the eagle above all these clouds with eyes on the sun and on its rays of light , which represent our obligations. Doubtless we may feel these trials. It is not for us to be insensitive to them, but let us remember our life is not a life of feeling. Let us live on the higher regions of the soul where God and his will form an eternity, where there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 06, 2026 05:39 AM (Nx5jP)

25 I was just through the Dallas area last week (all business, no time for fun). Security at PHL took all of ten minutes. DFW took literally less than a minute. They were just opening up when i got there, and only a handful of people ahead of me.

I was expecting a debacle, but it wasn't bad at all.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 06, 2026 05:41 AM (Ot/FD)

26 Happy-ish Monday morning ...

Posted by: Adriane the Type, Think Twice, Hit Refresh Button Critic . . . at April 06, 2026 05:45 AM (3ZUWJ)

27 Evening and morning, satellites of the vast AoSHQ Empire!

Monday. Okay. It's Monday. But:

"Compared to being on the wrong side of the ground, even a bad Monday is pretty small kumquats, nicht wahr?"

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 06, 2026 05:45 AM (wzUl9)

28 And Good Night to the insomniacs ...

Posted by: Adriane the Type, Think Twice, Hit Refresh Button Critic . . . at April 06, 2026 05:46 AM (3ZUWJ)

29 Anyway! It's raining lightly here, which I did not expect when I went to bed last night. On the good side? It's 63 instead of the 73 it's been recently. The temps will go back up shortly, of course, but it's a nice change.

What's up with you this Monday?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 06, 2026 05:48 AM (wzUl9)

30 Rabbis daughter from The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews ( She lives in Israel) writes on "Blessings from the heart" and Leviticus 9:22:

https://tinyurl.com/3j592fcd

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 06, 2026 05:51 AM (7RYym)

31 BOING!

Whoa! Monkees vid woke up some dormant neurons.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at April 06, 2026 05:52 AM (5UTWB)

32 “ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. “

John 10;14-15

Posted by: Marcus T at April 06, 2026 05:57 AM (E24OL)

33 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at April 06, 2026 05:58 AM (bQ4nt)

34 People dismissed the Monkees out of hand in 1966, I guess. But their comic routines set to music have since been compared to the work of the Marx Brothers, and hailed as proto-music videos. Without knowing it they were prefiguring MTV 14-15 years early. They may well have been copying Groucho, Harpo, et al. -- nothing wrong with that -- but they did some pioneering as well.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 06, 2026 05:59 AM (wzUl9)

35 Birdbath status?

Posted by: Just Wondering at April 06, 2026 06:01 AM (2Ez/1)

36 The "Ace" Channel (American Classic Entertainment) was showing an episode of the 1950s Mike Hammer w/ Darren McGavin. The problem with the channel so far is that they clip off the credits at the end. They don't even run them at high speed in that tiny little window over the last scene, which is infuriating enough, but just chop straight from one show to the next, or to an infomercial.

Movies! is far better in the way it treats the material, and it's closed-captioned as well.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 06, 2026 06:04 AM (wzUl9)

37 Thanks Pixy, love the Monkees

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 06:06 AM (kGX7z)

38 Still here and coffee isn't getting me motivated

Posted by: Skip at April 06, 2026 06:06 AM (Ia/+0)

39
Maybe they're false-flag rage-bait bot posts, but I've seen some X-ish memes asking whether losing a lot of equipment to rescue a pilot was really a great success.

During the battle of Crete in 1941, British Army commanders were concerned about losses of ships involved in the evacuation of troops. Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, the Royal Navy commander replied, "It takes the Navy three years to build a ship. It will take three hundred years to build a new tradition. The evacuation will continue."

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 06:06 AM (tgvbd)

40 I have no nostalgia for the Monkeys, yet certainly watched them as a kid

Posted by: Skip at April 06, 2026 06:07 AM (Ia/+0)

41 Was hit by a tough cold yesterday. Hope today is an improvement!

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 06:08 AM (kGX7z)

42 Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Rejoinder: I'll meet you at the station.

Posted by: Captain Obvious, Laird o' the Sea at April 06, 2026 06:09 AM (GDFK9)

43 but I've seen some X-ish memes asking whether losing a lot of equipment to rescue a pilot was really a great success.

Best response I saw on Twitter was from Stocking Mill Coffee:

"Wait until all the Europeans who are incredulouspoasting about the material we’re willing to lose to save a single American learn how many European lives we’re willing to lose to save a single American"

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 06:10 AM (NR6c1)

44
Microsoft hasn't had a coherent GUI strategy since Petzold. (Jeffrey Snover)

Sure they have!

Create a shitty interface experience for users by introducing intrusive apps that insist upon themselves (e.g. Clippy) or "upgrade" the users' browser experience by "re-imagining" their web browser (and insisting, as often as possible, that it be used).

Having been rebuffed in such subtle approaches, bundle all the ca-ca ware into an O/S upgrade and insist that the user smear that feces all over the user experience. And if the user refuses to "complete the install", as they term it, come back on a regular basis to remind them to do so.

It all comes vack to MSFT's credo: "You're just a user (rhymes with loser) who cannot be allowed to say 'no'"

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 06:11 AM (xG4kz)

45 "Wait until all the Europeans who are incredulouspoasting about the material we’re willing to lose to save a single American learn how many European lives we’re willing to lose to save a single American"
Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 06:10 AM (NR6c1)
-----------------
Brilliant.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 06:13 AM (kGX7z)

46 Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 06:08 AM (kGX7z)

May the Lord give you healing soon.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 06, 2026 06:14 AM (ix8EF)

47
I've seen some X-ish memes asking whether losing a lot of equipment to rescue a pilot was really a great success

We recover our own who are defending our freedoms. You abandon your own, in your own countries, to foreign invaders who are quite clear that they intend to quash such freedoms.

Now, go get your shinebox, Euroweenies.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 06:15 AM (xG4kz)

48 Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 06:06 AM (tgvbd)

Thanks; That's a nice account.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 06, 2026 06:15 AM (ix8EF)

49 35 Birdbath status?
Posted by: Just Wondering

Birdbath opened for The Monkees once. Never got big. America wasn't ready for a jazz band that used kazoos.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at April 06, 2026 06:15 AM (sAmhv)

50 The rescue made my Easter a brighter, happier day. What a great thing to see that man come home safely. Thanks to all the Iranians who blocked roads to prevent the mullahs from capturing him.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 06:16 AM (kGX7z)

51 Clear, very little wind but cool out
Have a great day horde

Posted by: Skip at April 06, 2026 06:18 AM (Ia/+0)

52
I'm 29 enough to remember when all the "experts" and "public intellectuals" said that the Soviet Union wasn't going anywhere and we just had to learn how to accommodate ourselves to live with them. Stupid ol' Ronald Reagan didn't agree with that and 10 years later the Soviets were out of business.

Now we have recently had "experts" and "public intellectuals" saying that Iran is a regional power and they're just too big to do anything about and we just have to learn how to accommodate ourselves to live with that. Stupid ol' Donald Trump didn't agree with that and the mullahs are being shown the door.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 06:25 AM (tgvbd)

53
Birdbath status?
Posted by: Just Wondering

The birdbath here at Casa de KvC is in the midst of hosting an el swanko birdbath with scented petals that dropped from our Flowering Magnolia scattered upon its waters. That'll last for another week.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 06:26 AM (xG4kz)

54 Very satisfying series win over the Cubbies yesterday for your Cleveland First Peoples. Don't tell grammie, she needs to hear only good things in her recovery

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 06:28 AM (+PwsD)

55 The Pittsburgh Pirates have won 5 straight and swept the Orioles this weekend.

I will NOT buy those WS tickets but they do look pretty good right now.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at April 06, 2026 06:30 AM (sAmhv)

56 What's up with you this Monday?
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

Spouse and I are going to get a coffee and see if they have any flowers blooming in the gardens of the local institution of higher learning. Later today we will go see "A Great Awakening". a "Sight and Sound" movie ( They usually do shows based on Biblical stories) about the friendship of George Whitefield, the 18th century English evangelist and Benjamin Franklin.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 06, 2026 06:33 AM (rZCVI)

57 Morning, 'rons and 'ronettes. 36 degrees here at Stately Poppins Manor, with a high of about 48 predicted.

I'm up to do some work on my new book. After that is a trip north to NH to a place called Squamscot Beverages, where they make their own tonic* (including sarsparilla). Sadly, the couple that own the business are selling it, so this may be my last batch.

*you call it soda or pop. I call it tonic.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at April 06, 2026 06:33 AM (ufSfZ)

58
Cleveland First Peoples

Hah!

Pittsburgh Seagoing Persons of Plunder is next.

Sure, the hometown fans' cheers will have to be revamped, but it'll be worth all the goodwill that will spring up in this country's nests of pirates, like Minneapolis and Los Angeles.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 06:34 AM (xG4kz)

59 MacBook Sky update. Runs very smoothly and its nice to be able to have it sit on my lap and not feel like its burning a hole through me. My other laptops run pretty hot and I usually have them sit on top of something (book or magazine). I don't have to do that with this MacBook. I have an adapter coming in today via Amazon so I can attach some of my external HDs to it. I do like that it's very light. 2-3 pounds.

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

60 A note to all Horde writers: Writers' Digest magazine is holding a self-published author contest, with a grand prize of $10K and a chance to pitch to NY agents. The deadline is May 1 and the entry fee $125.

I'll have complete details on the Sunday Book Thread, but anyone interested can probably get the 411 with a quick search/

Hope you all have a lovely day.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at April 06, 2026 06:36 AM (ufSfZ)

61
Thanks to my work this weekend, I have now qualified for the Most Useless Credential in the World. I took the course, passed the test and did the trials to become an AKC Certified Steward for conformation shows. Which is something I've been doing for 30+ years but now I get a shiny badge and a decoder ring to acknowledge it.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 06:36 AM (tgvbd)

62
Hope you all have a lovely day.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at April 06, 2026 06:36 AM (ufSfZ)

Hey, MP4! I saw you got a plug from Sarah Hoyt at Insty. Well done, well done, sir!

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 06:37 AM (tgvbd)

63 I've been doing for 30+ years but now I get a shiny badge and a decoder ring to acknowledge it.
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 06:36 AM (tgvbd)
-----------
Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.

Posted by: Captain Obvious, Laird o' the Sea at April 06, 2026 06:38 AM (GDFK9)

64
I took the course, passed the test and did the trials to become an AKC Certified Steward for conformation shows. Which is something I've been doing for 30+ years but now I get a shiny badge and a decoder ring to acknowledge it.
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh

Congrats and all that, but you ought to insisted upon a dental plan sweetener to go along with such a high honor.

And that decoder is rigged. Every message decodes to "Buy more doggie treats".

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 06:41 AM (xG4kz)

65 G'mornin' everyone!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at April 06, 2026 06:43 AM (MIIRH)

66 I'm 29 enough to remember when all the "experts" and "public intellectuals" said that the Soviet Union wasn't going anywhere and we just had to learn how to accommodate ourselves to live with them.

I also remember the crying when the Berlin Wall came down. It was wonderful.

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 06:44 AM (NR6c1)

67
I'll tell you why I really, really loathe the whole daylight savings time hogwash. It's because this household's Portuguese Water Dog refuses to acknowledge that anything has changed.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 06:46 AM (xG4kz)

68 Good morning all.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at April 06, 2026 06:46 AM (S+2Xo)

69 Good morning morons

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 06, 2026 06:47 AM (RIvkX)

70 A note to all Horde writers: Writers' Digest magazine is holding a self-published author contest, with a grand prize of $10K and a chance to pitch to NY agents. The deadline is May 1 and the entry fee $125.

I'll have complete details on the Sunday Book Thread, but anyone interested can probably get the 411 with a quick search/

Hope you all have a lovely day.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at April 06, 2026

***
My best choice for that hasn't been self-published yet. They also have an Annual Writing Competition for short stories -- Early Bird deadline 5/4, regular deadline 6/1 -- but the word limit is 4000, and my best stories come in around 5000. I'll have to see if I have a really good one that is close to 4k.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 06, 2026 06:51 AM (wzUl9)

71
I'll tell you why I really, really loathe the whole daylight savings time hogwash. It's because this household's Portuguese Water Dog refuses to acknowledge that anything has changed.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 06:46 AM (xG4kz)

The switch back from Daylight to Standard is the worst. Diana lets me know in no uncertain terms that her dinner is an hour late and she is wasting away as an emaciated wreck even though she has a full bucket of kibble available.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 06:53 AM (tgvbd)

72 71, that seems to be a universal feature in the canine world

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at April 06, 2026 07:00 AM (MIIRH)

73 Eh, dogs get fed at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. during DST, 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. during CST.

Speaking of which, time to feed the dogs.

Posted by: one hour sober at April 06, 2026 07:01 AM (Y1sOo)

74 mornin yall. I see that Trump wants to get us out of the North Antarctic Treaty Organization. Good. We don't need those damn penguins anyway.

Posted by: fd at April 06, 2026 07:01 AM (vFG9F)

75 A note to all Horde writers: Writers' Digest magazine is holding a self-published author contest, with a grand prize of $10K and a chance to pitch to NY agents. The deadline is May 1 and the entry fee $125.

Guess I won't be entering. You have to send a physical printed book and mine's nowhere near being published.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at April 06, 2026 07:01 AM (1Ff7Z)

76 A note to all Horde writers: Writers' Digest magazine is holding a self-published author contest, with a grand prize of $10K and a chance to pitch to NY agents. The deadline is May 1 and the entry fee $125.
*
Guess I won't be entering. You have to send a physical printed book and mine's nowhere near being published.
Posted by: OrangeEnt at April 06, 2026

***
The implication, too (though I need to reread the rules), is that the work has to have been offered for sale as well.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 06, 2026 07:04 AM (wzUl9)

77 Yonder Horde.

The weekly chore of cutting grass has commenced. Saturday I regraded the driveway after the winter took its toll on it. That'll have to come off before any mowing. Looks a bit frosty out there right now...

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 06, 2026 07:05 AM (AkEZC)

78
A note to all Horde writers: Writers' Digest magazine is holding a self-published author contest, with a grand prize of $10K and a chance to pitch to NY agents. The deadline is May 1 and the entry fee $125.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

*crosses out irritably*

"Call me Ishmael."

*tears up paper angrily*

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

*stalks from room in a rage*

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 07:06 AM (tgvbd)

79 Time I shaved and showered, I guess. Later!

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

80 The Dodgers are in the news, telling an 81 year old season ticket holder they refuse to give him paper tickets, only digital versions. He does not have a smartphone so he cannot use the tickets he owns.

What BS.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 07:07 AM (adwAx)

81 He does not have a smartphone so he cannot use the tickets he owns.

"If you do something that causes your boss to talk to reporters or the PR Department to miss your nap, you are going to have a Very Bad Day."

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:08 AM (NR6c1)

82 I hate how everyone assumes you have a smartphone nowadays. You don't get texts? How do you find the way out of the cave you live in?

Posted by: fd at April 06, 2026 07:08 AM (vFG9F)

83 Time I shaved and showered, I guess. Later!
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 06, 2026 07:06 AM (wzUl9)
-------
Fancy! I bet you wear pants too!

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 07:08 AM (adwAx)

84 heh. Miss their nap. Darn my lack of editing.

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:09 AM (NR6c1)

85 I hate how everyone assumes you have a smartphone nowadays.

My mom has been dealing with the VA and Kaiser and she keeps having to explain that she doesn't have a smartphone.

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:09 AM (NR6c1)

86 The implication, too (though I need to reread the rules), is that the work has to have been offered for sale as well.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 06, 2026 07:04 AM (wzUl9)

That I don't know. I did notice their page was filled with women writers and males who looked less than manly. Don't know as they'd like what I write anyway.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at April 06, 2026 07:11 AM (1Ff7Z)

87 We are going to send you an email with a code to enter when we send you a text so you can log in to our web site but first you have to find all the traffic lights in these pictures.

Posted by: Customer Service at April 06, 2026 07:11 AM (vFG9F)

88
The Dodgers are in the news, telling an 81 year old season ticket holder they refuse to give him paper tickets, only digital versions. He does not have a smartphone so he cannot use the tickets he owns.

What BS.
Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 07:07 AM (adwAx)

"Look, we can't accommodate every loser who's not tech savvy. Get with the 21st Century you old coot." - Dodgers ticket office

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 06, 2026 07:12 AM (tgvbd)

89 In local news, one fellow was so excited about Easter he got drunk and crashed into a church.

Posted by: fd at April 06, 2026 07:16 AM (vFG9F)

90 Meanwhile, NASA is celebrating sending four people up to view the backside of the moon. It looks a lot lime the front, I'll bet.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 07:18 AM (adwAx)

91 "Meanwhile, NASA is celebrating sending four people up to view the backside of the moon. "

Moon mooned?

Posted by: fd at April 06, 2026 07:19 AM (vFG9F)

92 CBD would tell is that if David Hockney were to paint the moon, he would certainly use the backside view, his favorite in all things.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 07:22 AM (adwAx)

93 I did notice their page was filled with women writers and males who looked less than manly. Don't know as they'd like what I write anyway.
Posted by: OrangeEnt at April 06, 2026 07:11 AM (1Ff7Z)

I have no expectation of winning the grand prize or even one of the $1000 consolation prizes. And probably not even an honorable mention. But I might as well try.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at April 06, 2026 07:23 AM (ufSfZ)

94 89 In local news, one fellow was so excited about Easter he got drunk and crashed into a church.
Posted by: fd

You take the sacramental wine during the service!

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:23 AM (NR6c1)

95 Good morning . Getting ready to start my dental implant in a couple of hours. The initial part. Probably not as much fun as it sounds.

Posted by: tubal at April 06, 2026 07:25 AM (pDt9x)

96 Probably not as much fun as it sounds.

Good luck.

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:27 AM (NR6c1)

97 96 Probably not as much fun as it sounds.

Good luck.
Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:27 AM (NR6c1)

Thanks. If it goes well I may do a couple more.

Posted by: tubal at April 06, 2026 07:28 AM (pDt9x)

98 I have no expectation of winning the grand prize or even one of the $1000 consolation prizes. And probably not even an honorable mention. But I might as well try.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at April 06, 2026 07:23 AM (ufSfZ)

Of course! You've published, and they want a hard copy. All my stuff is unpublished electrons on a page, unwanted by anyone so far.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at April 06, 2026 07:28 AM (1Ff7Z)

99 Checking Amazon Australia for that XFX Swift RX 9060 XT card... Sort price low to high ... and it's gone. "No featured offers available"

Figures.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at April 06, 2026 07:28 AM (O7YUW)

100 100

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at April 06, 2026 07:29 AM (O7YUW)

101 Because after missing the card, I was claiming the 100. Hmph.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at April 06, 2026 07:29 AM (O7YUW)

102 One of the weirder things about the Cold War was the concept of “stability”, the idea of “assured destruction”, that since both Soviets and Americans could destroy each other completely, nobody would actually start a nuclear war.

It got more complicated from there. Missile defense was regarded as “destabilizing”, because the thinking went the ability to shoot down incoming missiles meant the possibility of a first strike was possible.

And the same “experts” who publicly denounced missile defense, were making bank as defense contractor consultants - developing missile defense.

Posted by: Common Tater at April 06, 2026 07:30 AM (dBJdm)

103 Because after missing the card, I was claiming the 100. Hmph.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at April 06, 2026 07:29 AM (O7YUW)

Many happy returns of the day! Wow, one hundred!

Posted by: OrangeEnt at April 06, 2026 07:31 AM (1Ff7Z)

104 Sure they have!

Create a shitty interface experience for users by introducing intrusive apps that insist upon themselves (e.g. Clippy) or "upgrade" the users' browser experience by "re-imagining" their web browser (and insisting, as often as possible, that it be used).

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 06:11 AM (xG4kz)

Do not forget forcing users to be tracked with an online account just to use their computer, hiding previously known work paths beneath layers on enshittified app store experience, which exists seemingly only for the purpose of having an app store, and forced updates that have worked to brick legion PCs for which the best advice is to format and reinstall, after three fucking decades.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 06, 2026 07:32 AM (dK+Kv)

105 Thanks. If it goes well I may do a couple more.
Posted by: tubal

Normally not my idea of a fun time but who am I to question?

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:32 AM (NR6c1)

106 Normally not my idea of a fun time but who am I to question?
Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:32 AM (NR6c1)

Better to eat with teeth than gums.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at April 06, 2026 07:34 AM (1Ff7Z)

107 One thing about TLI - trans lunar injection - you’ve committed yourself, as far as I know they can’t really turn around and go home. You’re gonna end up one of about 3 ways - either a permanent orbiting satellite around the Sun, or maybe crash into the Moon, or a return trajectory back to Earth. Hopefully the big brains didn’t drop a decimal in their cipherin’. Double check your work carefully

Posted by: Common Tater at April 06, 2026 07:35 AM (dBJdm)

108 One of the weirder things about the Cold War was the concept of “stability”, the idea of “assured destruction”, that since both Soviets and Americans could destroy each other completely, nobody would actually start a nuclear war.

It got more complicated from there. Missile defense was regarded as “destabilizing”, because the thinking went the ability to shoot down incoming missiles meant the possibility of a first strike was possible.

And the same “experts” who publicly denounced missile defense, were making bank as defense contractor consultants - developing missile defense.
Posted by: Common Tater at April 06, 2026 07:30 AM (dBJdm)
====

Were you in my Peace Science freshman seminar? Cuz it sounds like you were.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 06, 2026 07:35 AM (RIvkX)

109 Better to eat with teeth than gums.
Posted by: OrangeEnt

Fair point. I had to go to a surgeon for an extraction a while back and this was the second one he had to do for me.

"OK, I have some questions for you. Were you in a fight?"
"No."
"In a car accident or something like that?"
"Nope."
"By any chance, did you have orthodontic work done?"
"Headgear, neck gear and braces."
"That's what I'm seeing then."

(Called mom later to happily say that I had something new to blame her and dad for.)

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:36 AM (NR6c1)

110 Best time to buy 128GB of RAM was a year ago. Which I did.

So my pack of crappy Corsair 32gb with the stupid LED lights was worth it? ( why does RAM need LED lights, Dah Fuq? )

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 06, 2026 07:36 AM (diia5)

111 My most embarrassing PC purchase was a Sony brand PC in 98. But, at least I've never bought an Apple brand of anything, so I feel ok about it.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 06, 2026 07:38 AM (diia5)

112
Meanwhile, NASA is celebrating sending four people up to view the backside of the moon. It looks a lot lime the front, I'll bet.
Posted by: Huck Follywood

Space leerers. Or space creeps. Whichever one floats your boat.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 07:39 AM (xG4kz)

113 >>Microsoft hasn't had a coherent GUI strategy since Petzold.

Buy a Mac, install Parallels, install Win 11, install your Windows apps, enter coherence mode, hit command space bar and type in the name of any app or file you want to interact with in Widows, done.

You never have to interact wiith windows shitty gui ever again.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 06, 2026 05:12 AM (XV/Pl)

That seems like a lot of work to install a crappy OS on overpriced HW.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 06, 2026 07:41 AM (dK+Kv)

114 “Strange Stability” by Ben Wilson, a book I’m reading about Cold War strategy.

You can see the beginnings of missile defense going back to the 1950s, later iterations - Zeus, I think, didn’t get deployed. And SDI during the Reagan era. Derided as “Star Wars”. All the usual suspects didn’t like missile defense, strangely enough.

But all that R&D paid off, we’re seeing those investments paying dividends now - with Iranian missiles being launched all over the place.

Posted by: Common Tater at April 06, 2026 07:42 AM (dBJdm)

115 Fair point. I had to go to a surgeon for an extraction a while back and this was the second one he had to do for me.

Posted by: NR Pax at April 06, 2026 07:36 AM (NR6c1)

Had a bridge, came unglued. Dentist said they wouldn't reglue it because the molar anchor tooth was cracked. Said I should get three implants. Yeah, no. Can't afford it. Maybe I can replace the molar with an implant then reattach the bridge?

Posted by: OrangeEnt at April 06, 2026 07:42 AM (1Ff7Z)

116 @44/Krebs v Carnot: { It all comes vack to MSFT's credo: "You're just a user (rhymes with loser) who cannot be allowed to say 'no'" }

(L)user:

a) Will generate inane questions to support staff in rapid fire succession wasting everyone's time for as long as the support department allows it. (Management will eventually have to step in and put a stop to this - the "fire the customer that makes you unprofitable" principle.)
b) Has the IQ of a mushroom.
c) Can not, or will not learn.
d) Never reads the manual, especially if directed to.
e) Should be informed to box up and return their computer for a refund, as they're too stupid to own or operate one.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at April 06, 2026 07:43 AM (O7YUW)

117 @113

>> That seems like a lot of work to install a crappy OS on overpriced HW.

It’s not a lot of work and the hardware is actually underpriced for the performance and duty cycle you will get from your purchase, versus a typical wintel system.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 06, 2026 07:43 AM (Rfr7K)

118 The moonie astronauts are using an iPhone 17 to take their photos. I hope NASA had a good marketing agent, because Apple would pay a boatload for this publicity.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at April 06, 2026 07:44 AM (V6x/S)

119 Good morning!

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

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 06, 2026 07:47 AM (u82oZ)

120 Always sound advice, NaCly!

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 06, 2026 07:50 AM (bFu5X)

121 Happy Bridge and Power Plant Day!

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 06, 2026 07:50 AM (RIvkX)

122 Happy Bridge and Power Plant Day!
Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 06, 2026 07:50 AM

So close to Pride Month?

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 06, 2026 07:53 AM (bFu5X)

123 Installing windows on a Mac is as simple as two clicks.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 06, 2026 07:53 AM (F9+dU)

124 It’s not a lot of work and the hardware is actually underpriced for the performance and duty cycle you will get from your purchase, versus a typical wintel system.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 06, 2026 07:43 AM (Rfr7K)

Yeah, it's overpriced for equivalent-spec systems, not just typical wintel, for which it is way overpriced. It's MS's fault for pushing Windows on under-spec hardware, just to claim the typical wintel system footprint. But that's an apple-oranges comparison.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 06, 2026 07:53 AM (dK+Kv)

125 San Franpsycho

The IRCG want to rule over a burnt-out anthill. As long as they rule.

End them!

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 06, 2026 07:54 AM (u82oZ)

126
An observation on the instructive videos culture, based upon having experienced three such creations dealing with the disgrace that was Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor.

Find a point about your subject. Drone on about it for a minute or so. Use fragments. Of sentences. That was just a preamble. Now, drag back that point and give it a real thorough beating. Hey, look! Different pictures for this go around! Spoiled? Yes, he was. Here's a dozen folks who said that very thing. Here's what they said. Here's how miffed he was that they said it. Oh, boy! More new pictures! Was he a devotee of Hitler? Maaaaaaaybe... Okay, he was. What about "her"? How was it that she ensnared him? Was his posting to The Bahamas during WWII punishment for him? It sure was for "her"! More new pictures! How come a life of hanging with and courting all the swells did not satisfy? Don't know -- bye!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 07:55 AM (xG4kz)

127 The moonie astronauts are using an iPhone 17 to take their photos. I hope NASA had a good marketing agent, because Apple would pay a boatload for this publicity.
Posted by: Huck Follywood

Apple has its own hedge fund just to stash its revenue. They don't need advertising.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 06, 2026 07:55 AM (diia5)

128 Where’s JJ?

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at April 06, 2026 07:55 AM (xT8gx)

129 Installing windows on a Mac is as simple as two clicks.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 06, 2026 07:53 AM (F9+dU)

You forgot the clicks where you have to go buy parallels and go buy windows.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 06, 2026 07:56 AM (dK+Kv)

130 LinusVanPelt

He's on his way back. After spreading false rumors on where the WSO was. Borrowed ace's time machine, he did.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 06, 2026 07:58 AM (u82oZ)

131
How come we never have a Happy Rockefeller Day?

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 07:58 AM (xG4kz)

132 You forgot the clicks where you have to go buy parallels and go buy windows.
Posted by: Comrade Flounder,

And the $2100 of hardware just to prance around to demonstrate you hate the meany, meany, oh so beany PC.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 06, 2026 07:59 AM (diia5)

133 Krebs v Carnot:

Happy Rockefeller Day?

Happy ending was fatal?

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 06, 2026 08:00 AM (u82oZ)

134 Has anybody seen the bridge?

Posted by: Supreme Leader Of The Day at April 06, 2026 08:01 AM (vFG9F)

135 Has anybody seen the bridge?
Posted by: Supreme Leader Of The Day at April 06, 2026 08:01 AM (vFG9F)

It's in my dresser drawer, just in case I can use it again.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at April 06, 2026 08:02 AM (1Ff7Z)

136 Supreme Leader Of The Day

For you, we have a bespoke Rainbow Bridge.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 06, 2026 08:02 AM (u82oZ)

137 @124

>> Yeah, it's overpriced for equivalent-spec systems, not just typical wintel, for which it is way overpriced.

Its not overpriced in the least bit, with the entire package and longevity you will get out of a system, its underpriced.

You will get at a minimum 7 years of use from your system, average duty cycle of a wintel system is 3-5 years.

Dude, I’ve been working in Video, film post and broadcast systems integration for over 35 years, I’ve seen a thing or two over that time.

And the one thing I’ve seen is that on a whole, Apple products have superior build quality and provide a longer service life than comparable wintel products.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 06, 2026 08:03 AM (dDGCn)

138
Happy Rockefeller Day

For the young'uns, that was a play on the name of

Margaretta Large "Happy" Rockefeller (née Fitler, formerly Murphy; June 9, 1926 – May 19, 2015) was a philanthropist who, as the wife of the 41st vice president of the United States, Nelson Rockefeller, served as second lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 08:03 AM (xG4kz)

139 And the $2100 of hardware just to prance around to demonstrate you hate the meany, meany, oh so beany PC.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 06, 2026 07:59 AM (diia5)

That was the initial point that was attempted to be rebutted by the duty cycle argument compared to low spec typical winter. I get it. You like your purchase.

To each his own. This is still America.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 06, 2026 08:03 AM (dK+Kv)

140 North American Treaty Organization should be the names as we pay for it.

Posted by: r hennigantx at April 06, 2026 08:04 AM (/+uur)

141 Morning all.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 06, 2026 08:04 AM (U7QMZ)

142 Morn' all... NO JJ ?

Posted by: It's me donna at April 06, 2026 08:04 AM (FtULh)

143 I get it. You like your purchase.

To each his own. This is still America.
Posted by: Comrade Flounder

Purchase? Purchase? No, friend, I build them.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 06, 2026 08:05 AM (diia5)

144 Age verification stuff is scary. It is being pushed at state level and fed gov currently. Anonymity will be illegal and discourse will be driven underground, the leviathan has learned from COVID times.

And, as far as upgrades go, used GPU's from "reputable" sellers is a good place to look. Same with CPU's and motherboards. We are stuck with these high costs for a while, 4k/60-ish with high-ish settings is achievable still with DDR4 and a 6800XT paired with a decent 8 care CPU. All can be found.

Posted by: GigantorX at April 06, 2026 08:05 AM (F2sSv)

145 No love for me today?

Posted by: Megan Marshack at April 06, 2026 08:06 AM (oftw2)

146 "The Bridges at Toko Ri". "The Bridge on the River Kwai". "The Smoking Pile of Rubble That used to be a Bridge in Iran".

Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at April 06, 2026 08:06 AM (gm9Sb)

147 Margaretta Large "Happy" Rockefeller (née Fitler, formerly Murphy; June 9, 1926 – May 19, 2015) was a philanthropist who, as the wife of the 41st vice president of the United States, Nelson Rockefeller, served as second lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 08:03 AM (xG4kz)

At 1 time the governors of NY and AR were both Rockefellers.
Nelson and Winthrop

Posted by: r hennigantx at April 06, 2026 08:07 AM (/+uur)

148 >>>You will get at a minimum 7 years of use from your system, average duty cycle of a wintel system is 3-5 years.

Again, apples-oranges. My last system spanned Vista-Win 10, about ten years. It's currently a backup NAS, in its 17th (?) year.

My current Linux-Win 11 VM will likely last the same, unless I decide to run LLMs local.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 06, 2026 08:08 AM (dK+Kv)

149 Posted by: Megan Marshack at April 06, 2026 08:06 AM (oftw2)
=====

Haven't heard that name in a while.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 06, 2026 08:09 AM (RIvkX)

150 r hennigantx

Gone, like tears in the rain.

Anything left to the Texas Bush dynasty of error?

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 06, 2026 08:09 AM (u82oZ)

151 It’s becoming more and more clear that Plan A in Iran, which was to pummel them into a negotiated surrender, was a pipe dream, and Plan B, which is to destroy all economic assets until the entire system collapses is now in play.

And like likely Plan B was the only real plan all along.

Posted by: Tom Servo at April 06, 2026 08:09 AM (UA2di)

152 Purchase? Purchase? No, friend, I build them.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 06, 2026 08:05 AM (diia5)

Same. That was directed to Bender's post-mac rationalization.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 06, 2026 08:10 AM (dK+Kv)

153 Do we know JJ is ok?

Posted by: Skip at April 06, 2026 08:11 AM (ZztOS)

154 Hmmm. I hope JJ is alright.

CBC led off 8am with Artemis.

CNN - Iran says no to temporary truce - that wasn't exactly on the table anyways and good luck with that

FoxNwws - Airman and Iran

MS Now - SNL jokes and Iran. People are disagreeing with President Trump!!! Also, good luck with that.

Posted by: Stateless - He ain't heavy, he's my dog. Old, but full of life. at April 06, 2026 08:11 AM (Sco7b)

155
At 1 time the governors of NY and AR were both Rockefellers.
Nelson and Winthrop
Posted by: r hennigantx

So it was they who cleared the way for Shrillary to reverse colonialize New York?

Deep, deep flow the waters of conspiracy!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 06, 2026 08:11 AM (xG4kz)

156 Anything left to the Texas Bush dynasty of error?
Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 06, 2026 08:09 AM (u82oZ)]

Getting rid of John Wayne McCroryn is the wooden stake

Posted by: r hennigantx at April 06, 2026 08:11 AM (/+uur)

157 And now, from 1973, another episode of Adam 12. .38s, Ithaca shotguns, real fast Plymouths and nobody scared to use them.

Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at April 06, 2026 08:12 AM (gm9Sb)

158 Posted by: Megan Marshack at April 06, 2026 08:06 AM (oftw2)
=====

Haven't heard that name in a while.
Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 06, 2026 08:09 AM (RIvkX)

Didn't she die recently?

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at April 06, 2026 08:12 AM (ufSfZ)

159 Destroying the economic assets of the regime will hasten any negotiation. The money they have parked everywhere needs to be seized.

Posted by: Ben Had at April 06, 2026 08:12 AM (+nEug)

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