WTF-Beta

@Steve-Miller said in Two weeks ago...:

That storm is supposed to hit here about 10 PM.

I wondered if it was going to hit you guys.

Don't go fishing today. From the NWS:

URGENT - MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Cleveland OH

925 AM EST Sun Nov 9 2025

LEZ142-143-092230-

/O.CON.KCLE.SC.Y.0063.000000T0000Z-251110T0000Z/

Maumee Bay to Reno Beach OH-Reno Beach to The Islands OH-

925 AM EST Sun Nov 9 2025

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS

EVENING...

• WHAT...North winds 20 to 25 knots and waves 2 to 4 feet.

• WHERE...The nearshore waters of Lake Erie from Maumee Bay to

The Islands OH.

• WHEN...Until 7 PM EST this evening.

• IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller

vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.

&&

$$

For more information from the National Weather Service visit

http://www.weather.gov/cle

@AndyD said in Two weeks ago...:

That last photo is worthy of publication. Contrasting trees, beautiful.

Thanks!

First snow, 21 Nov 2024:

Girl Scout food drive cut short. In @kluurs neck of the woods.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/11/08/oak-park-parents-ice-girl-scouts-food-drive

...I was picking poblano and jalapeno peppers...

This morning we woke up to this:

Lake snow. Possible thunder snow tonight with accumulation of 3 to 7 inches. The leaves are still on the trees, so it's the worst time for heavy snow. The weight can break the branches.

No, not a typo.

'Nestflix': Peregrine falcon livestream has Australians glued to their screens

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yp6m8y764o

Says it all.

edit: And no, it's not AI.

https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-37928024

@AndyD said in About that White House ballroom and the East Wing:

some things are unnecessary

Including the gold monstrosity over the doorway....

On a semi-related note...

It’s the Maine one, not the main one — a 208-year-old, Maine-based publication that farmers, gardeners and others have relied on for planting guidance and weather predictions will publish for the final time.

The Farmers’ Almanac, not to be confused with its older, longtime competitor, The Old Farmer’s Almanac in neighboring New Hampshire, said Thursday that its 2026 edition will be its last. The almanac cited the growing financial challenges of producing and distributing the book in today’s “chaotic media environment.” Access to the online version will cease next month.

The Farmers’ Almanac was first printed in 1818 and the Old Farmer’s Almanac started in 1792, and it’s believed to be the oldest continually published periodical in North America. Both almanacs used secret formulas based on sunspots, planetary positions and lunar cycles to generate long-range weather forecasts.

“It is with a heavy heart,” Editor Sandi Duncan said in a statement, “that we share the end of what has not only been an annual tradition in millions of homes and hearths for hundreds of years, but also a way of life, an inspiration for many who realize the wisdom of generations past is the key to the generations of the future.”

https://apnews.com/article/farmers-almanac-ceases-publication-f298627037891ce28da55a55e1bb3626

Foreigners seeking visas to live in the U.S. might be rejected if they have certain medical conditions, including diabetes or obesity, under a Thursday directive from the Trump administration.

The guidance, issued in a cable the State Department sent to embassy and consular officials and examined by KFF Health News, directs visa officers to deem applicants ineligible to enter the U.S. for several new reasons, including age or the likelihood they might rely on public benefits. The guidance says that such people could become a "public charge" -- a potential drain on U.S. resources -- because of their health issues or age.

While assessing the health of potential immigrants has been part of the visa application process for years, including screening for communicable diseases like tuberculosis and obtaining vaccine history, experts said the new guidelines greatly expand the list of medical conditions to be considered and give visa officers more power to make decisions about immigration based on an applicant's health status.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/immigrants-health-conditions-denied-visas-new-trump-administration/story?id=127294699

Habsburg family unveils secret royal jewel stash in Canada

Descendants of Austria's last emperor have said they will display to the public a hoard of imperial jewels hidden in Canada since World War II. The trove includes a famous diamond feared lost forever.

https://www.dw.com/en/habsburg-family-unveils-secret-royal-jewel-stash-in-canada/a-74649051

And she's the next governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia!

https://apnews.com/article/virginia-first-female-governor-earlesears-spanberger-01f9854a94fdab6e5719096664ee9be1

Scientists from the University of Nottingham, along with international researchers, have developed what they describe as a huge breakthrough, creating a protein-based gel that can not only strengthen existing enamel but actually rebuild it. When applied to teeth, much like common fluoride treatment in the dentist's chair, it forms a thin layer that seeps into the bone to patch up any holes or cracks. But then it also forms a type of scaffolding that attracts those other ions, which promotes further mineral "growth" through a process known as epitaxial mineralization. The new mineral deposits fuse with existing tissue to form what is essentially new enamel.

"Dental enamel has a unique structure, which gives enamel its remarkable properties that protect our teeth throughout life against physical, chemical, and thermal insults," said lead author Dr. Abshar Hasan, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Nottingham. "When our material is applied to demineralized or eroded enamel, or exposed dentine, the material promotes the growth of crystals in an integrated and organized manner, recovering the architecture of our natural healthy enamel."

https://newatlas.com/medical/protein-gel-rebuilds-tooth-enamel/

I figured you’d get a charge out of that video.

Yea, I pretty much came to the same conclusion after looking at the chargers.

I ordered a package of new batteries.

For the court geeks. More deets.

https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/11/court-appears-dubious-of-trumps-tariffs/

"Sandwich Guy" found not guilty.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/dc-sandwich-guy-verdict-rcna242142

I have a digital instant read thermometer that I bought on Amazon a while back (thanks for the recommendation, @Steve-Miller ! Works great.). The display started reading all LLLLs, though if I opened and closed the probe I could get a reading. Still it needs I new batt so I took the little cover off to check what kind of battery was in there and I saw a 2032H. Apparently the H means it is rechargeable (had to look that up) and also explains why there is the image of a little garbage can with an X through it. Who knew?

I started checking out coin battery chargers and ran across this YT video. Apparently this guy knows all about recharging coin batteries...

edit: Here's the guy who demonstrates why that's not a good idea...

Seems like a decent strategy. Please keep us updated!

Not a Halloween phenomenon. It’s a new scam.

Americans who use tap-to-pay lose thousands due to a new scam

If you use contactless payment on your phone, the Better Business Bureau has a new warning about a scam that could cost you thousands.

“Ghost tapping is a scam that targets tap-to-pay cards and mobile wallets. Tap-to-pay works through Near Field Communication (NFC), which allows devices to exchange data at very close range.”

https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/americans-who-use-tap-to-pay-lose-thousands-due-to-a-new-scam

A federal judge in Chicago on Thursday issued a sweeping injunction that puts more permanent restrictions on the use of force by immigration agents during “Operation Midway Blitz,” saying top government officials lied in their testimony about threats that protesters posed and that their unlawful behavior on the streets “shows no signs of stopping.”

“I find the government’s evidence to be simply not credible,” U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said in an oral ruling from the bench, describing a litany of incidents over the past month and a half where citizens were tear-gassed “indiscriminately,” beaten and tackled by agents and struck in the face with pepper spray balls.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/06/operation-midway-blitz-injunction/

Just in case he forgets where/what it is.

A new sign was spotted adorning the White House this week, prompting backlash from lawmakers who have noted that Donald Trump is quite literally gilding the White House during a government shutdown.

Trump has been remaking the White House in his own image with the recent dramatic demolition of the East Wing and active construction of a new ballroom, doing so with plenty of gold. Written in cursive gold script, a sign identifying the Oval Office is now affixed beside the office’s door.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/05/trump-oval-office-sign