Daily Tech News 21 December 2026

Top Story

Indian certificate authority eMudhra - one of the companies authorised to issue the SSL certificates the entire internet depends on - has been thoroughly compromised. (The Register)

And when I say "compromised" I mean in the sense of caught with its pants down performing a dance to honour the Hindu goddess Kali in the middle of the busiest intersection in central Bangalore during Diwali.

And why I mean that is someone figured out one of the keys they use to sign certificates.

The key was 4.

Tech News

Japan, a real country albeit one with strange sandwiches, just launched a catch-and-release expedition to the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos. (Space)

The plan is to return a sample of at least ten grams of Phobosian soil to Earth. The whole moon if they can capture it in the craft's Pokeball, but at least ten grams.
AMD's much improved FSR 4.1 upscaling has now been backported to everything. (Tom's Hardware)

Well, not this laptop, which is two generations too old for that, but dedicated Radeon 6000 family cards, the Xbox, handhelds using the Z2 chips, and Ryzen Max and Ryzen 9 mini-PCs.

Also not officially to the Ryzen 7 mini-PCs, though they will likely work with a bit of hacking; they just might not benefit much from it.
How to convert $1000 worth of laptop RAM to $1000 worth of desktop RAM. (Tom's Hardware)

Like porcupines making love.
A Canadian expert in ransomware negotiations who recently wrote a book recommending you should always talk to the people holding you to ransom was allegedly in cahoots with the ransomers. (Krebs on Security)

And is now in FBI custody.
Sony has updated its classic Walkman music player. (The Register)

The top model costs $5900 and offers 256GB of storage. But that's a luxury item with a price to match; the entry level model with 64GB of storage - still quite a lot for MP3 files - is only $1900.

Wait.

Mythical Interlude

Don't think I ever saw this one.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: Ooh, elephant!

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 w00t

Posted by: m at October 21, 2026 04:01 AM (odBC9)

2 >>>And is now in FBI custody.

A happy ending!

Posted by: m at October 21, 2026 04:02 AM (odBC9)

3 And why I mean that is someone figured out one of the keys they use to sign certificates.

The key was 4.

And that's close to the word for death in Cantonese, which is why they avoid the number 4, which takes us back to Kali, the goddess of death and destruction (AND rebirth)...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at October 21, 2026 04:07 AM (l3cgK)

4 G'Day everyone
Longer commute today

Posted by: Skip at October 21, 2026 04:07 AM (Ia/+0)

5 The plan is to return a sample of at least ten grams of Phobosian soil to Earth. The whole moon if they can capture it in the craft's Pokeball, but at least ten grams.

I chose YOU, Titan! Go fight Phobos!

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at October 21, 2026 04:08 AM (l3cgK)

6 How to convert $1000 worth of laptop RAM to $1000 worth of desktop RAM.

Is this like the joke about how to make a small fortune in farming?

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at October 21, 2026 04:09 AM (l3cgK)

7 A Canadian expert in ransomware negotiations who recently wrote a book recommending you should always talk to the people holding you to ransom was allegedly in cahoots with the ransomers. (Krebs on Security)

And is now in FBI custody.

Ah, he was doing an SPLC...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at October 21, 2026 04:10 AM (l3cgK)

8 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 21, 2026 04:12 AM (sAmhv)

9 The key was 4.

Not much brute at all in that force.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 04:14 AM (6ydKt)

10 The plan is to return a sample of at least ten grams of Phobosian soil to Earth. The whole moon if they can capture it in the craft's Pokeball, but at least ten grams.

Gotta catch 'em all!

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 04:15 AM (6ydKt)

11 My installation of the Brave browser shows no eMudhra certificates installed in either the root store or the ones I've imported.

Whether they've been yanked or were just never there in the first place, I don't know.

4? Motherfucking 4?

Wow, I wonder how long it took to brute-force that one.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at October 21, 2026 04:20 AM (qlLNh)

12 11 My installation of the Brave browser shows no eMudhra certificates installed in either the root store or the ones I've imported.

Whether they've been yanked or were just never there in the first place, I don't know.

4? Motherfucking 4?

Wow, I wonder how long it took to brute-force that one.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at October 21, 2026 04:20 AM (qlLNh)

Depends where they started. LOL

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at October 21, 2026 04:21 AM (l3cgK)

13 The top model costs $5900 and offers 256GB of storage. But that's a luxury item with a price to match; the entry level model with 64GB of storage - still quite a lot for MP3 files - is only $1900.

Wait.

wtf is Sony thinking with this.
You can pay much less, get a phone, text, and apps included, and pay over $1000 less for the same basic experience.

Good God, $1900.
My Sony Walkman's were espensive at the time, for sure.
I had a cassette version that was waterproof and was around $200 if I remember right.
The Sony CD Walkman I got next was cheaper.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 04:23 AM (6ydKt)

14 I have no idea what an SSL certificate is, which is a surprise to nobody here who knows what a non techy person I am ( and you all know that ) but your description of the Indian guy made me laugh. Are there stand up comedy routines for programmers and systems analysts, etc. if so, you should bring your show on that road, Pixy. Actually, I will show it to my husband . He used to be a technical person and he will laugh.

And thanks for the song from "America" I remember hearing them and I like it.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 04:26 AM (JrHfD)

15 “Not a number that starts with 4, or the number 4 followed by a few hundred random digits, just, 4... Another one is 56, and another is 115. I know, because I recovered all of them from their public certificates on my laptop just now, and it took less than a second,” Helme wrote.

Other researchers have found private keys including the numbers 66, 155, 156, 230 and 237.

Those are vastly inadequate keys, because they’re easy to guess, making all certs issued by eMudhra susceptible to brute force attacks.

As Helme put it: “A P-384 private key should be a random 384-bit number, which gives you 2³⁸⁴ possibilities (or roughly 10¹¹⁵, so nobody is ever going to search that.”

lol

These Indians wanted easy to remember numbers for SSL certificates.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 04:30 AM (6ydKt)

16 Best America song is still A Horse With No Name.

I've enjoyed that song since the first time I heard it as a kid.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 04:32 AM (6ydKt)

17 Person writes on Exodus 14:15-30, and "The Riad to Fulfillment" despite roadblocks. Upper Room devotional:

https://tinyurl.com/34fju4a9

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 04:34 AM (JrHfD)

18 The key was 4.

youtu.be/-IOMNUayJjI

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 21, 2026 04:34 AM (sAmhv)

19 >>>The key was 4.

An essential key.

Posted by: m at October 21, 2026 04:37 AM (odBC9)

20 Story behind a great old hymn, "Abide with me and the hymn":

https://tinyurl.com/27fj2ptx

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 04:37 AM (JrHfD)

21 6 How to convert $1000 worth of laptop RAM to $1000 worth of desktop RAM.

Is this like the joke about how to make a small fortune in farming?
Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at October 21, 2026 04:09 AM (l3cgK)

Tell the joke! I don't know that one.

Posted by: m at October 21, 2026 04:37 AM (odBC9)

22 Sorry ; The quotes were just supposed to go around the title, not my additions.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 04:38 AM (JrHfD)

23 Probably they did it on purpose, as a favor for some hackers or secret service.
At the same time, they have semi-plausible denial, so it will be hard to punish them (not sure anyone will try).

Posted by: PG at October 21, 2026 04:38 AM (1Xa6P)

24 "The key was 4."

Compromised during a game of golf?

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 21, 2026 04:40 AM (O7YUW)

25 These Indians wanted easy to remember numbers for SSL certificates.

I would insult their intelligence, but they did it for me.

Posted by: Gmac-WTF did you think was going to happen at October 21, 2026 04:41 AM (Q/FnY)

26 Woman adopts gas station cashiers baby and they become like sisters. Sunny Skyz site :

https://tinyurl.com/2kej3sfr

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 04:41 AM (JrHfD)

27 How do you make a small fortune in farming?

Start with a large one.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at October 21, 2026 04:42 AM (iIyc0)

28 Thankfully, I doubt anybody outside India was getting their certs from these guys.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 04:46 AM (6ydKt)

29 > I have no idea what an SSL certificate is

On a really basic level:

Ever play around with newspaper cryptograms (like the letter 'a' becomes 'q', and the letter 'b' becomes 'k') and so on?

Same idea, except way harder to break than the newspaper ones (well, unless you use '4' as the key).

This keeps your neighbor on the same network from reading the data that flows between you and Amazon (or whatever).

Internet encryption is a special type called "public key" encryption. This uses some special mathematical magic that allows you make to the encryption key public without disclosing the decryption key. Newspaper cryptograms don't have that feature ... if you know that 'a' becomes 'q' when encrypted, you immediately know that 'q' will become 'a' when decrypted.

This has a big advantage. The remote site (say, Amazon) can encrypt special "I am Amazon" messages using the secret key, which anyone on the internet can then decrypt using the public key to verify that this is, in fact, the real Amazon.

Obviously this only works if the secret key remains secret.

(continued)

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at October 21, 2026 04:50 AM (qlLNh)

30 I am so grateful to God for the ladies who come to my Bible study at the senior care center . They are all in their 80's and have walkers or wheelchairs and they all trudge down the hall to a quiet place with a table, God bless them! . They have interesting questions and comments and I enjoy their company. Yesterday we started on "Revelation".

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 04:52 AM (JrHfD)

31 16 Best America song is still A Horse With No Name.

I've enjoyed that song since the first time I heard it as a kid.
Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 04:32 AM (6ydKt)

I like to think that the horse was actually named With No Name, and it's all been a big misunderstanding ever since.

Posted by: SciVo at October 21, 2026 04:54 AM (ke3zm)

32 27 How do you make a small fortune in farming?

Start with a large one.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at October 21, 2026 04:42 AM (iIyc0)

Yup. Late to the answer...was watching the railroad car implode...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at October 21, 2026 04:57 AM (l3cgK)

33 Gonna go to sleep...night.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at October 21, 2026 04:59 AM (l3cgK)

34 What's happened here, though, is even worse than that.

These key pairs are generated by so-called "certificate authorities" ("CAs"), such as this eMudhra outfit. Your browser has a list of CAs that it trusts, and will assume that any certificate signed by that CA is valid (the CA is supposed to take care of ensuring it's the real Amazon before issuing the certificate).

If the CA is compromised Bad Guys can generate fake keys (and thus, fake sites) that pretend to be Amazon, or your bank, or even AoSHQ and any browser that trusts that CA will take it as gospel.

If Amazon is run by idiots who leak their keys, Amazon is compromised. If a CA is run by idiots who leak their keys, *every company that uses that CA* and *every browser that trusts that CA* is compromised.

This is obviously Very Bad.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at October 21, 2026 04:59 AM (qlLNh)

35 And yep, I'm out too.

I'm only up because my glucose alarm said I needed to get up and eat something.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at October 21, 2026 05:02 AM (qlLNh)

36 Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at October 21, 2026 05:02 AM (qlLNh)

Thanks very much, Rodrigo, for taking the time to explain all that to me. I really appreciate that .

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 05:04 AM (JrHfD)

37
Deep thoughts from an American self-imposed ex-pat:
I've never been to Spain, but I kind of like the music.
I really loathe the people though. Am I wrong to feel this?

Start with the word "feel" and work backward from there.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at October 21, 2026 05:07 AM (ixS3i)

38 The remote site (say, Amazon) can encrypt special "I am Amazon" messages using the secret key, which anyone on the internet can then decrypt using the public key to verify that this is, in fact, the real Amazon.

Rodrigo Borgia at October 21, 2026 04:50 AM

I'm going to go ahead and assume you intended the 'prime' pun in Amazon marketing AND asymmetric key generation.

Posted by: Nato at October 21, 2026 05:08 AM (mSbLJ)

39
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at October 21, 2026 05:10 AM (AMvSw)

40
Woman adopts gas station cashiers baby and they become like sisters.

For a moment there -- just at the outset, mind you -- I thought that this might become a "never buy an egg salad sandwich from a gas station food dispensing machine" story.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at October 21, 2026 05:12 AM (ixS3i)

41 I like to think that the horse was actually named With No Name, and it's all been a big misunderstanding ever since.

Posted by: SciVo at October 21, 2026 04:54 AM (ke3zm)

It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert, you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la, la-la-la-la, la-la-la, la, la
La, la, la-la-la-la, la-la-la, la, la

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 05:14 AM (6ydKt)

42
A phobophobosian is a person with an irrational fear of Mars' moob, Phobos.

You heard it here first.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at October 21, 2026 05:15 AM (ixS3i)

43
"moob", heh!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at October 21, 2026 05:16 AM (ixS3i)

44 Have a great day horde

Posted by: Skip at October 21, 2026 05:17 AM (Ia/+0)

45 "How do you make a small fortune in farming?

Start with a large one."

Oh, the Jeremy Clarkson method.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at October 21, 2026 05:19 AM (LOvBA)

46
I've been through the desert on a horse, with no name.

We really need to have a serious national conversation on riding horses anonymously

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at October 21, 2026 05:21 AM (ixS3i)

47 Weinberg's Law:

"If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization."

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 21, 2026 05:21 AM (O7YUW)

48 Morning, Tech Peeps

Posted by: fluffy at October 21, 2026 05:23 AM (V0/Sp)

49 From the comments in article at The Register about eMudhra and the "4" key:

https://xkcd.com/221/

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 21, 2026 05:24 AM (O7YUW)

50 The key was 4.

That’s dumber than the combination to my luggage!

Posted by: President Skroob at October 21, 2026 05:28 AM (NZIuw)

51 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at October 21, 2026 05:34 AM (Hbeqj)

52 David Suchet reads a nice psalm of praise-Psalm 100:

https://tinyurl.com/mvzabdct

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 05:37 AM (JrHfD)

53 "The key was 4"

But everyone knows it's 42

Posted by: Zombie Douglas Adams at October 21, 2026 05:38 AM (y7zkd)

54 Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 05:14 AM (6ydKt)

You can't fool me. You're a former member of the group "America", right ? 😉

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 05:41 AM (JrHfD)

55 You can't fool me. You're a former member of the group "America", right ? 😉

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 05:41 AM (JrHfD)

I wish.
Would've been a lot more fun than working on websites at 5 in the morning.

I'd be living off of royalty checks by now.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 05:46 AM (6ydKt)

56 Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at October 21, 2026 05:21 AM (ixS3i)

lol.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 05:47 AM (JrHfD)

57 They don’t abuse it
Never gonna lose it
I can’t refuse it

Posted by: Thrice Canine Evening at October 21, 2026 05:47 AM (N7Ml+)

58
Good morning, Hordians.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at October 21, 2026 05:49 AM (eRlcH)

59 Ahem. "...you can't remember your name..."

Posted by: no one of any consequence at October 21, 2026 05:49 AM (LOvBA)

60 Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 05:46 AM (6ydKt)

Well, for 5:00 in the morning you're quite a witty person.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 05:49 AM (JrHfD)

61 G'mornin' everyone!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at October 21, 2026 05:56 AM (VyBeY)

62 https://xkcd.com/3290/

That comic is just an example of why xkcd stopped being funny.

They keep letting their 'principles' sneak in.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 05:57 AM (6ydKt)

63 Well, for 5:00 in the morning you're quite a witty person.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 05:49 AM (JrHfD)

It depends on my mood and whether the bills are all paid up this month as to how witty I am in the morning.

Stress ruins my sense of humor even when I try to laugh my way through it.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 05:58 AM (6ydKt)

64 A certain amount of stress is good for motivation.

Too much can be debilitating. I don't recommend it.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at October 21, 2026 06:01 AM (LOvBA)

65 Morning, all. Bracing for a long day at work right now. But I do have coffee so that balances things.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 21, 2026 06:07 AM (svLOV)

66 (non) LOL, gave up xkcd years ago.
used to be funny, sometimes.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at October 21, 2026 06:07 AM (VyBeY)

67 64 A certain amount of stress is good for motivation.

Posted by: no one of any consequence

Oh look; Boot Camp memories coming back to me.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 21, 2026 06:08 AM (svLOV)

68 A farmer won a million dollar lottery.
Newspaper reporter asked him what he would do, now that he was wealthy..
Farmer replied “ I guess I’ll just keep farming until the money runs out”.

Posted by: Fenderbender at October 21, 2026 06:09 AM (1FEc1)

69 64 A certain amount of stress is good for motivation.

Too much can be debilitating. I don't recommend it.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at October 21, 2026 06:01 AM (LOvBA)

Truth.

Some of the worse stress ever was the year after Mom died and Dad was on his way there.

Lost my cool several times due to being so stressed out, and I wasn't even the one who was dying.

Stress to get work done is nothing in comparison.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 06:11 AM (6ydKt)

70 used to be funny, sometimes.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at October 21, 2026 06:07 AM (VyBeY)

The stick figure with the ponytail is cute.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 06:13 AM (6ydKt)

71 @66/sock_rat_eez: "LOL, gave up xkcd years ago.
used to be funny, sometimes."

Same. Used to be a daily read for me. Dropped it off my list when he went all-in on being a member of the Church of Climate Disaster.

I'll occasionally link an old XKCD if it was funny, like I did today, but for the most part that comic is now off my radar.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 21, 2026 06:18 AM (O7YUW)

72 I gave up on xkcd when he put up a strip condemning the CEO of Mozilla for daring to donate to an organization in CA that was against same sex marriage.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 21, 2026 06:24 AM (svLOV)

73 I still laugh when Daniel Boone is on and I hear him talking about his musket.

How "Tit-licker" got said so many times on national TV in the mid-60s is beyond me.

And I'll be damned if I can figure out why he named it that.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 06:24 AM (6ydKt)

74
Same. Used to be a daily read for me. Dropped it off my list when he went all-in on being a member of the Church of Climate Disaster.

Gave up when he approved of cancel culture.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at October 21, 2026 06:25 AM (eRlcH)

75 27 How do you make a small fortune in farming?

Start with a large one.
Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at October 21, 2026 04:42 AM (iIyc0)

Thank you!

Posted by: m at October 21, 2026 06:25 AM (odBC9)

76 72 I gave up on xkcd when he put up a strip condemning the CEO of Mozilla for daring to donate to an organization in CA that was against same sex marriage.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 21, 2026 06:24 AM (svLOV)

Opinion Tyrants.
That worked flawlessly up until about 2016.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 06:27 AM (6ydKt)

77 59 Ahem. "...you can't remember your name..."
Posted by: no one of any consequence at October 21, 2026 05:49 AM (LOvBA)

I wuz gonna say.

Posted by: m at October 21, 2026 06:28 AM (odBC9)

78 Evening and morning, satellites and satraps! Is it really Woden's Day already, and only one more of them to go before October is gone? Really?

Somehow I managed to sleep until five. This despite a black cat kicking me around 3:30 and a dream about visiting friends of friends somewhere in the countryside, and being aware in the dream that I was counting down the hours until I could escape.

Coffee will wash some of this away. Right?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026 06:28 AM (wzUl9)

79 68 A farmer won a million dollar lottery.
Newspaper reporter asked him what he would do, now that he was wealthy..
Farmer replied “ I guess I’ll just keep farming until the money runs out”.
Posted by: Fenderbender at October 21, 2026 06:09 AM (1FEc1)

; )

Posted by: m at October 21, 2026 06:29 AM (odBC9)

80 I still laugh when Daniel Boone is on and I hear him talking about his musket.

How "Tit-licker" got said so many times on national TV in the mid-60s is beyond me.

And I'll be damned if I can figure out why he named it that.
Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026

***
I don't recall that at all. I guess censors are like today's leftists: positive they know it all, and don't.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026 06:30 AM (wzUl9)

81
Evening and morning, satellites and satraps!

"You forgot us!" - Flunkies, outriders, liegemen, squires, mooks, toadies, sycophants

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at October 21, 2026 06:32 AM (eRlcH)

82 I don't recall that at all. I guess censors are like today's leftists: positive they know it all, and don't.

***
Another crazy example: In a Man From U.N.C.L.E. script, a stage direction refers to Illya hiding in the crotch of a tree. The NBC censors objected, even though it was a stage direction, not a line of dialog to be aired, and the crotch was only that of a tree. . . .

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026 06:33 AM (wzUl9)

83 hardly a mid-week goes by without thinking of this P. G. Wodehouse gem:
“A fellow told me one about Wembley yesterday," I said, to help on the cheery flow of conversation. "Stop me if you've heard it before. Chap goes up to deaf chap outside the exhibition and says, "Is this Wembley?" "Hey?" says deaf chap. "Is this Wembley?" says chap. "Hey?" says deaf chap. "Is this Wembley?" says chap. "No, Thursday," says deaf chap. Ha, ha, I mean, what?"
The merry laughter froze on my lips. Sir Roderick sort of just waggled an eyebrow in my direction and I saw that it was back to the basket for Bertram. I never met a man who had such a knack of making a fellow feel like a waste-product.
--Carry On, Jeeves

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at October 21, 2026 06:38 AM (VyBeY)

84 Brane AI:

Daniel Boone's famous rifle, known as "Tick-Licker" (not a musket), was a Pennsylvania Long Rifle (also known as a Kentucky Long Rifle), not a smoothbore musket. Contrary to some myths suggesting a tiny .29 caliber, historical accounts and his grandson Nathan Boone indicate the rifle was a heavy, large-bore weapon, likely .44 to .66 caliber, designed to fire a one-ounce ball.

The nickname "Tick-Licker" referred to Boone's exceptional marksmanship, claiming he could shoot a tick off an animal without harming the beast. The firearm was crafted by his brother Squire Boone, a skilled gunsmith, and featured a long rifled barrel (over 5 feet in length) and a curly maple stock. While often associated with the Kentucky frontier where Boone gained fame, the design originated with German gunmakers in Pennsylvania.

No wonder.
I've been hearing it wrong this entire time.

Maybe hearing what I wanted to hear, or Fess Parker made it sound like Tit instead of Tick.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 06:39 AM (6ydKt)

85 Another crazy example: In a Man From U.N.C.L.E. script, a stage direction refers to Illya hiding in the crotch of a tree. The NBC censors objected, even though it was a stage direction, not a line of dialog to be aired, and the crotch was only that of a tree. . . .

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026 06:33 AM (wzUl9)

These days everything can have a crotch or switch genders on a dime.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 06:41 AM (6ydKt)

86 The band America is just pure 70s. Good stuff

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at October 21, 2026 06:43 AM (PlkPS)

87 Farming ain't cheap.

$25,000 to $100,000 for a new John Deere tractor.
A combine for $400,000.

Seed, labor, diesel, every other cost that I have no clue about.

It's a wonder so many people still choose to do it.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 06:46 AM (6ydKt)

88 Cat is standing up on his hind legs and somehow managed to find a pen. If only he could learn to be a prize winning, wealthy novelist .

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 06:47 AM (JrHfD)

89 Early voting has begun here. I could go take care of that today. I've got US Senator, US Rep, a bunch of judges (all Ds), and a slew of amendments to the state constitution. I'll need to research those.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026 06:47 AM (wzUl9)

90 Not sure if this was posted in later threads here yesterday:

Antifa arsonist arrested for torching Limoges City Hall
https://tinyurl.com/mpcdfnc7

Oh look, he's Antifa. Shocker.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 21, 2026 06:48 AM (O7YUW)

91 Good morning morons

Posted by: San Franpsycho at October 21, 2026 06:50 AM (RIvkX)

92 They don't let us vote on amendments or referendums in this state.

Columbia decides everything and we just pay the taxes.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 06:50 AM (6ydKt)

93 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 21, 2026 06:50 AM (JrHfD)

94 My early voting location, as it has been for some years, is a vintage courthouse near the landing for the ferry that goes across the river to downtown. I recall it being my Election Day voting location when I lived a few blocks away in Nov. 1988. Now my E-Day location is a church about a mile's drive north of me.

I should be able to find a parking spot not far from the courthouse this morning.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026 06:51 AM (wzUl9)

95

*hic*

Posted by: Hillary Clinton at October 21, 2026 06:51 AM (UKrJG)

96 Oh look, he's Antifa. Shocker.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant

"How do you know? Did he have a uniform?! Who is his commanding officer? HMMMMM!?!!!"

-Average leftist answer.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 21, 2026 06:52 AM (svLOV)

97 - Fen

How far did you get yesterday?
And if you're going to be around for a few, I've got a link I need to "shrink" first that might be an eye opener.

Posted by: TeeJ at October 21, 2026 06:52 AM (ix5nG)

98 Gillette has come up with a new shaving product: a razor for men to shave their *body hair*. WTAF?

I do not want to think about this right now. It's time to feed the furry thugs (who do not need to shave, lucky creatures that they are).

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026 06:53 AM (wzUl9)

99 Gillette has come up with a new shaving product: a razor for men to shave their *body hair*. WTAF?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026 06:53 AM (wzUl9)

Yep. Faggot company now.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at October 21, 2026 06:54 AM (1Ff7Z)

100 Those who attacked the building brought mortars, a 200-kilogram battering ram, and waved Palestinian flags. They also flew flags of Antifa and the far-left New Anticapitalist Party. Limoges Mayor Guillaume Guérin said that hundreds of far-left militants had joined the demonstration that was already 5,000 strong and deliberately targeted the structure.

"The ultra-left organized the logistics. They had prepared their attack and knew how to get inside," Guerin said.

They are anarchists and Islamists allied to end the republic.

It's like nobody in France in any authority understands this simple fact.

Even when this spate of riots ends they'll all be back at again in six months or a year when Le Pen (or whoever) is in office.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 21, 2026 06:56 AM (6ydKt)

101
Gillette has come up with a new shaving product: a razor for men to shave their *body hair*. WTAF?

I... the... no. Just, no. That's just gay and lame.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at October 21, 2026 06:56 AM (eRlcH)

102 Gillette has come up with a new shaving product: a razor for men to shave their *body hair*. WTAF?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026
*
Yep. Faggot company now.
Posted by: OrangeEnt at October 21, 2026

***
I stopped knowingly buying any of their stuff years ago. Many of my vintage safety razors are Gillettes, but that does not put any money into their pockets now.

Oh, here's the link to that new MfU Animated adventure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrW1LmZRwHY

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 21, 2026 06:56 AM (wzUl9)

Processing 0.02, elapsed 0.0226 seconds.
15 queries taking 0.0074 seconds, 111 records returned.
Page size 69 kb.
Powered by Minx 0.8 beta.