9/11. It was the only time in my life I saw newspapers publish extra editions.

For those too young, extra edition as in “extra, extra, read all about it,” when a news story is so big that the newspapers publish a whole nother edition later in the day.

A group of people related by blood and/or marriage.

More broadly, any group of related things depending on the context.

It could be anything, as long as your recipient has the cipher for your code. If they don’t, then you better hope they’re really good decrypters.

If you get the chance, I highly recommend it.

I have been pleasantly surprised by judges these past few weeks, especially conservative ones, so I’m cautiously optimistic.

Here in Chicago we enjoy a thin crust with Italian beef and hot giardiniera.

Soup!

Get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, that’s a few meals right there. Throw the bones into a pot with a few aromatics, simmer for a couple hours, now you have homemade chicken stock which is a good base for just about any soup.

The growing power of the executive branch has been a concern since WWII or longer. Hopefully this administration will be a kick in the pants to rectify that problem.

Summer. The best activities: dining on patios and drinking in beer gardens, camping and hiking, going for long walks, and lots more. Long days. Heat doesn’t bother me, and if it ever does I have A/C.

Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie

What you need is willpower. No way around it. Your options are:

Drink soda sweetened with sugar

Drink soda sweetened with artificial sweeteners

Drink unsweetened soda

I would just stay on the seltzer until you’re used to it. I can’t even drink sugary soda anymore, maybe as a treat once in a while, but never a whole can or bottle at once. You’ll get there too.

Data’s poem was written by real people trying to sound like a machine.

ChatGPT’s poems are written by a machine trying to sound like real people.

While I think “Ode to Spot” is actually a good poem, it’s kind of a valid point to make since the TNG writers were purposely trying to make a bad one.

If I had this land, I’d grow food.

That’s still selling your labor though.

Star Trek economy.

An idealized form of capitalism where there is no wealth inequality, no exploitation of labor, and everyone’s basic needs are provided for.

Who decides what’s on the test?

What’s the alternative then?

Start homesteading. When you provide everything for yourself, you won’t have to sell your labor to anyone.

Tuna melt and fries.

My homemade tuna salad is tuna, soy sauce, mayo, celery, and onion. Copycat Jimmy John’s recipe. Bread is homemade, King Arthur classic sandwich loaf recipe. And the finest Wisconsin American cheese that money can buy at Woodman’s.

Frozen fries because I’m lazy today.

Pumpkin Spice Latte