[U: John Talks Of “Today’s Battles”. Hah.] On Second Thought — I will Address John’s Latest Remarks — Re Trans-Communities… And The WNBA.

~ condor ~ 1 Comment

Yes. I know. I did just say — an hour ago, in comments — that I wouldn’t waste the time… to make a graphic for a full post.

But then I made the mistake of going and watching the X-itter feed/interview on hard right tee-vee (narrow cast) of these two… tiny, disingenuous lil’ crisis actors.

And… it is plain as day… that Hinderaker mostly wants to help the hard right sell… hate-laden merch, here.

He doesn’t give a rip about the supposed 15 year old girls.

They claim (on live video) to have endured far worse, on the streaming web, everyday — for their part.

But when a co-owner of the Seatlle Storm franchise of the WNBA tells them they are “insane“… they predictably burst into tears (as teenage girls are wont to do) — and now it is a MAGA Cause Célèbre (we are told).

The franchise is supposedly going to has issued an apology (for any disrespect) on behalf of the co-owner. [How very over-the-top gracious — and unlike the opposition, here.]

Update: After 11 PM Central — Hinderaker has now twice updated his post, throughout the night as though this was some form of national calamity… and still ongoing. It is neither.

John googled someone’s LinkedIn, and based on the fact that this person is a Reiki master, and supports alternative healing, as well as feng shui, John has decided that today “our most important battles” (between the righteous MAGA miscreants, and all others) will come to be “against crazy elitists with money”. This (he has deduced, all by his onesie!) does describe the said co-owner of the Storm franchise. “Gosh, are we ever lucky to have John and his bitter idiots out there fighting for these, the most important shared American values that will ever exist — on our planet!” Irony fully intended. End update.

Here’s my earlier view of John’s endlessly duplicitous whining and shilling — and it is, according to verified studies — about an issue that affects about 0.00004% of the US teenage population:

“…Geez — what a weird world it is… and tonight John has a sad on, because one of the lesbian co-owners of the Seattle WNBA franchise last night took two girls to task for T-shirts, which tried to proclaim that people aren’t allowed to express any other gender than the one that appeared at their birth on their genitalia. All the WNBA majority owner did was forcefully explain to these two morons that perhaps, just perhaps… they were being raised by people who did not understand the 21st-century — or much about our collective and individual pursuit of happiness, here in America — to love whomever you love.

This John tells us — left them in tears. [Ooh. I don’t care.]

Yeah — well that’s gonna’ happen. That’s how free expression works. People are free to express their derision — of your ignorance.

If you go someplace as a business invitee (time, place & manners!) where you don’t know the audience — and you can’t read the room… And you decide to wear a hateful T-shirt…. Sh!t often happens. To you.

Buckle up — and do wear a chin strap, next time — lil’ ladies.

[I cannot bring myself to spend the time it would take to create a post on this with a graphic because it is just that trivial, and it is where John focuses his attention… clearly to avoid thinking about the now widening war of choice in the Persian Gulf….]”

Yep — meanwhile, as to events that actually… matter to the rest of us — John is dead silent, about our brave soldiers dying right now in Iran and elsewhere in the Gulf — due to Tangerine 2.0’s fecklessness.

Most of all, that is what Hinderaker wishes to turn our attention AWAY from.

And toward any potential wedge issue he can invent — to divide Americans.

Damn him.

Out.

October 13, 2026 Is “Final Hearing” Before USDC Judge Alia Moses, In Dusty West Texas — On Razor Wire Barriers, On Rio Grande…

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To be certain, those maimed and killed on the Rio Grande… will receive damages from Texas, for this lawlessness.

It may take another decade — but it will come. [The related federal court mediation continues on a parallel path to this — as well.] Here’s the latest, out of Del Rio:

…Pursuant to the Court’s direction at the Status Conference in this case on July 14, 2026, Plaintiff State of Texas submits the following notice:

Plaintiff intends to offer into evidence at the final hearing of this case, currently set for October 13, 2026, some or all of the evidence and testimony previously presented to the Court at the hearings in this case on November 7, 2023; November 27, 2023; and March 4 and 5, 2024, and in addition may present testimony by the following witnesses:

1. Michael W. Banks

2. (as adverse witness) Defendant Anthony “Scott” Good, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, Del Rio Sector of U. S. Border Patrol.

3. Col. Brian Fletcher….

Now you know. What a vast and ongoing waste — of Texans’ taxpayer funds. The MAGA gubernator down there does not control federal waterways — even if Tangerine 2.0 is doing ZERO, to end the depraved and torturous lawlessness, on those waterways. Abbott cannot hop into the supposed breach to continue his cruel lawlessness. He just… can’t.

नमस्ते

Silly Mirengoff Posits That Tangerine 2.0 Could Offer ANY Cogent Speech — At All…

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The whole thing is sad — and stupid. The sitting preznit thought it acceptable to describe an award winning female journalist’s looks as akin to a fairly famous trans person’s.

I could stop right there. He is a sad, bitter, and increasingly demented 80 year old.

Disgusting.

But Paul hopes to tell us of the speech he “should have” given, at an increasingly meaningless press dinner. [Recall here that Mr. Obama struck the perfect comedic notes, each time he attended. He roasted Trump — by showing a clip of the Disney cartoon, The Lion King. Trump fumed in the audience, on that 2013 night.]

Hey Paul — how about telling him what he “should have” said to Bibi yesterday? At least that might have… mattered beyond the following morning.

But as Paul and I agree — Tangerine 2.0 is incapable of any competent policy / governance any longer. He is effectively run by moronic 29 year olds.

What a crazy world. Bring on the mid-terms. He boasted of buying 250 Cadillacs, for the White House. This while most Americans are struggling to feed their families and keep more than a quarter of a tank of gas in their now run-down autos.

Damn, Paul. Where is your fainting couch, for that?!

New Mechanical Issues — For Privately-Funded Link Spacecraft…

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This is the ambitious private mission to grapple a handle on to the aging Swift space telescope, and power it up, into a new and higher orbit.

As we earlier reported, shortly after lift off, the spacecraft experienced erratic behavior in at least one of its gyro-wheels, causing it to over-rotate, and potentially thus fail to fully charge its solar batteries. The team thought they had solved that issue. However, some version of that issue has returned this past weekend — now more vexing — as two of the three gyro wheels are not operating properly.

As we always say, space is… hard.

Here’s the latest tonight, from the team’s blog — on the NASA website — do keep your fingers crossed:

…Over the weekend, Katalyst’s LINK servicing spacecraft experienced issues with attitude control, causing the spacecraft to spin and resulting in sporadic communications. Preliminary investigation shows that two of LINK’s three reaction wheels currently are not operable, and there is some loss of functionality in its cold gas thruster system. LINK is designed to approach, capture, and boost NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbital altitude.

LINK’s other major subsystems are functioning as expected. The spacecraft remains power positive and in communication with the Katalyst team.

The team is working to stop LINK’s spin over the next few days, using the spacecraft’s electric propulsion thrusters. After reestablishing stable attitude and further investigating spacecraft status, Katalyst plans to update LINK’s guidance, navigation, and control to accommodate the spacecraft’s new configuration. Working closely with NASA teams, they will then evaluate revised plans to approach and capture Swift, depending on safety of the approach and LINK’s health….

We will keep a good thought — and post updates, as, if and/or when the NASA blog publishes additional updates. Yikes. Let’s hope Swift may still be saved from a fiery death, next year.

नमस्ते

[U] Stupid Is… As Stupid Does: Johnson/Hinderaker (Recurrent) Edition

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Updated: 07.29.2026 @ 10 AM — How is it possible that John would declare that the world is burning whenever someone with a Democratic leaning decides to take the Fifth, in front of deceptively partisan MAGA questioning in Congress… a place where no one is required to testify against themselves… but he feels it’s “just a Tuesday” whenever the GOP does the exact same thing. Often though, the GOP has committed felonies when they do so. Whatever John you’re an idiot. We all know it. End update.

So… both Scott Johnson and John Hinderaker are busy chasing their tails (or “tales” — fictional) about a revered scientist who helped this nation and this planet vanquish the worst pandemic we have seen since the Spanish Flu of 1918.

The man has been out of public life for six years now.

And meanwhile, this morning, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have engineered the needless death of tens of thousands in Africa, alone — many more, rest of world — due to untreated Ebola, mpox, Lassa fever, and Marburg.

Here in the US, in addition, over 100 excess deaths in the last two years may be attributed to measles – and most of those will be among children. US children.

That is the legacy that John and Scott should be talking about: and considering indictments against RFK Junior, Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

But instead, they malign real scientists to deflect from what is going on.

Deplorable. Out.

What Doctors Without Borders Is Doing, In DRC — To Try To Plug The Gaping Hole Left By USAID Departure: Bundibugyo / Ebola ’26 Edition

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MSF (or, Doctors Without Borders, in English) is as ever, working feverishly to alleviate the crisis in Ituri Province DRC — where this Bundibugyo species of Ebola is spreading largely unchecked. [My graphic is woefully outdated: now 1,400 or more are dead — many more to come, sadly. But no one really knows the actual numbers, as people were dying for months in the region before the outbreak was officially declared, this Spring.]

This is a remote, mining camp laden province, with lots of transient workers — and a wide-spread fear of Euro/Western interference. And, to top it off, a civil war is raging in the region, with most combatants not wearing regular uniforms. So one may never know who might be a hostile force, passing through. All of that is before Tangerine 2.0/Rump cut off USAID. Damn.

In any event, here’s a bit of that — but it is a daunting effort, to be certain:

…Currently, more than 1,400 Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff are on the ground in DRC, treating patients, setting up Ebola treatment centers and isolation units, and delivering supplies to overwhelmed health facilities.

This outbreak is particularly challenging to control; just over two months in, it’s already the third-largest and fastest-growing Ebola disease outbreak on record. Unlike most previous outbreaks of Ebola disease, this one is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, and there are very few medical tools available to fight it. Further, conflict-related insecurity, airport closures, and flight restrictions are disrupting the flow of staff, diagnostics, referrals, and supply chains.

Major gaps related to diagnosis, surveillance, contact tracing, and community engagement continue to undermine efforts to bring the outbreak under control. And the response is further complicated by the concurrent health needs in DRC, where the coming rainy season will raise the risk of further outbreaks….

Please join me, and donate if you are able:

Doctors Without Borders USA

P.O. Box 5030
Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030

Onward — resolutely just the same.

नमस्ते

Mpox Clade 1b Is Spreading Like Wildfire — In Madagascar Now… Terrible News — Over 3,000 Are Ill.

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The tiny island nation off the African coast faces a very grave public health threat — as Clade 1b is spreading out of control now, in the coastal cities.

We had already mentioned this story earlier his Spring, but without USAID, this has all continued to accelerate — rather than having been quickly arrested. Here’s the latest, from the usual UK outlets:

…More than 3,000 cases of mpox have been recorded in Madagascar after the virus spread from a single port city to some of the country’s busiest coastal hubs.

A total of 3,022 cases and 20 deaths have been recorded as of this week, with cases in Toamasina and Taolagnaro accounting for more than half of all diagnoses.

The outbreak has been linked to Clade 1b mpox, a strain that emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2024, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global public health emergency at the time.

“The main factor driving the continued spread of the disease is human mobility, seeding new outbreaks in areas where the virus has not circulated before,” said Professor Carlos Maluquer de Motes of the University of Surrey….

Now you know — with ice skating ahead this evening, with grand-nieces, before they fly off to Costa Rica — kinda’ like Abrego Garcia. Smile. . . .

नमस्ते

The Roman Space Telescope Is Now Fully Fueled — Launching Late August ‘26.

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We will see history, now in just about a month’s time (right before we go off-grid for a month in France and Italy): the first space telescope named for a NASA (paler) “hidden figures” pioneer will liftoff, on a five to ten year mission — at our second Lagrange point.

Here is a bit of the team’s latest blog update — from the Kennedy Space Center complex:

…Technicians completed fueling NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, bringing it an important step closer to launch. On July 25, the team completed operations that carefully loaded 290 gallons of hydrazine fuel into the observatory at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After launch and separation from the rocket, Roman will use this onboard propellant to perform maneuvers as it travels to Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2, or L2, located about one million miles from Earth. There, about four times the distance to the Moon, it will have an ideal home for astronomy.

Roman will use its propellant to power two types of thrusters that help it stay in its planned orbit around L2 and ensure the solar array panels face the Sun, which is the observatory’s main source of power throughout the mission.

Roman has a five-year primary mission, and potentially enough fuel to support an additional five years for an extended mission….

Yep, onward — with no major damage here — and lil’ ladies visit — before ice skating, tomorrow evening. Smile….

नमस्ते

The KATALYST/Link/BOOST Mission Continues To Pass Its Commissioning Benchmarks — Toward Raising Orbit Of Swift ‘Scope — Soon.

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After solving a gyro-wheel issue which was causing erratic rotational commands, the team has now settled into steady communications, and plenty of solar power — to run the operations — and fire the Xenon engines, when the time comes to go grapple Swift, and fly it into a higher orbit.

So all is progressing well, for this privately-contracted space mission — the first of its kind. While the shuttle program used a Canadarm, in its bay from time to time, to grapple things — this is the first private mission, designed to primarily power an aging ‘scope, to a higher / safer orbit. Do stay tuned — with much drama ahead:

…Teams continue to progress through in-orbit preparations for the robotic servicing spacecraft designed to boost NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher altitude. Katalyst Space’s LINK spacecraft remains healthy and is about halfway through this commissioning process.

LINK launched July 3, completed its initial postlaunch sequence, and began system checkouts. After completing solar array deployment and establishing communications, Katalyst now has commissioned LINK’s power systems and avionics, as well as conducted propulsion system checkouts. This has involved firing the spacecraft’s xenon-fueled thrusters, which will be used to travel to Swift and slowly raise its orbital altitude over the course of several months.

The Katalyst team also quickly addressed early communications and attitude control issues seen during flight operations, including an issue with one of the spacecraft’s three reaction wheels. After identifying the cause, they implemented flight software patches and operational updates that restored reliable communications and stable attitude control….

And so, onward — ever, onward — out into a soaking rain for a bike ride here, now — as the heat and humidity break for the afternoon. Smile….

नमस्ते

Mirengoff Knows His Brand Is… Cooked. Stick A Fork In It. Done.

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This morning, Paul Mirengoff makes it clear that he prefers Rubio over Vance for the next nomination.

Y A W N.

Anything with a pulse might be better than JD “Eat Shit” Vance. He chalks it up to “Trump fatigue.” I’d say these malign chuckle-heads are getting precisely the kind of chaos they voted for. And Vance is (and has always been) a man who tries to reflect the times, rather than find his own grounding. In sum, he’s… more of the same.

He was a Democrat at the end of Obama’s time — claiming to speak for the forgotten common man. Then he became… MAGA.

Good luck with all that, in 2028, Paul — it will (once again) be a blue wave. As it will be in 2026. He writes of Vance thus:

…Pence and Vance are as different as night and day. Pence kept a low profile. Vance does not. Pence was always civil. Vance often is not.

Pence did not tell anyone to “eat shit.” Pence did not berate a foreign leader for not saying “thank you” to Trump often enough.

Pence never suggested that the leaders of Iran might be ready to “turn over a new leaf.” Pence never made bizarre pronouncements the way Vance did in that Joe Rogan interview….

What’s not to like, you MAGA morons?

Yep — Paul knows that the next two national elections will be wipe outs, for the old GOP.

Karma baby.

O U T.