94 thoughts on “Mad About You”

  1. Morning All!

    when i brought the feeders in last night I didn’t realize a bee was still sitting on one of them. He was buzzing around the skylights all evening till he got tired and went to one of the upper windowsills. This morning he’s back at it again…lol. no way to reach it till it gets really tired and flies progressively lower on the windows.

    buzz buzz buzz

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Good! Back when I was working in the system, there were twice as many as were actually needed IF they would actually WORK!!!! And eliminate the public employees’ union while you’re at it!!!

    Just The News: “The federal government is on pace to eliminate about 300,000 workers this year. Office of Personnel Management director Scott Kupor said 80% of those employees would leave voluntarily and 20% would be fired. Kupor provided the figures to Reuters on Thursday.

    That’s a 12.5% reduction in the federal workforce since January.

    The U.S. government employs about 2.4 million federal workers, excluding the military (about 1.3 million active-duty military personnel) and U.S. Postal Service (about 600,000 employees), according to 2024 Pew Research report. That report noted that the federal government employed 1.87% of the entire civilian workforce. That percentage includes postal employees, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

    President Donald Trump promised Americans a more efficient government when he took office for his second term. At first, his Department of Government Efficiency, with Elon Musk at the helm, led the charge. Musk has since left DOGE and had a public feud with the president.

    When Trump created DOGE, he said it would be the government cost-cutting equivalent of the “Manhattan Project.” Both Trump and Musk promised Americans would get a more efficient government after DOGE addressed government waste, reduced regulations and reduced the federal workforce.

    Musk initially said DOGE would aim to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, but he later cut that in half. At a Cabinet meeting in April, Musk said DOGE was on pace to cut $150 billion from the federal budget.

    Unions have challenged some of the administration’s reductions, which remain pending.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. unions enrich their members some, but their union bosses more. and while unions may be necessary for tradesmen, they are not for PUBLIC SERVICE! collective bargaining is a form of blackmail. pay us more, give us more, or we strike. that might be considered okay in the private sector, but not in the public one.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Just The News: “The U.S. Office of Personnel Management still hasn’t implemented the majority of the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) reforms and faces a “significant risk” of improper payments and fraud. OPM administers the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program, which is the largest employer-sponsored healthcare program in the country, according to GAO.

    In 2024, OPM’s Office of the Inspector General “reported that ineligible family members receiving FEHB payments remains a top management challenge for OPM,” the watchdog said in its latest report on OPM. GAO found that OPM’s “strategies do not address the significant risk of improper payments and potential fraud stemming from ineligible family members” who are already enrolled in the FEHB program.

    “OPM has taken steps to mitigate improper payments, such as issuing guidance for validating certain new enrollments. While beneficial, OPM’s strategies do not address the significant risk of improper payments and potential fraud stemming from ineligible family members that are already enrolled in the FEHB program,” the watchdog also said.

    “To help address this issue, we recommended that OPM implement a monitoring mechanism to remove ineligible family members from the FEHB program,” the GAO added.

    The GAO said that legislation was enacted on July 4, 2025 that directed OPM to implement their recommendation. GAO estimated that OPM could save $1 billion after fully implementing their recommendation, which is a strong monitoring mechanism.

    OPM manages and administers the federal retirement program and the agency has been working on modernizing the process for more than 20 years. GAO said that the federal employee retirement applications process has been “fraught with IT management weaknesses.” Progress has been made in this area but more needs to be done, the agency said.

    “OPM has not yet demonstrated that it has incorporated key aspects of IT project management as part of its modernization effort, as we recommended. Doing so would help ensure that key aspects of the project, such as scope, responsible organizations, costs, schedules, and risks are identified and that progress toward meeting objectives, such as processing timeliness, can be assessed,” the report read.

    GAO called for the OPM director to “establish a timeframe to develop a plan to manage permanent electronic records.” Under the “actions needed” section of its recommendation, GAO said OPM must “provide a plan that includes timeframes for when the agency will be able to capture and maintain permanent electronic records. If these actions are taken, OPM will be better positioned to manage its permanent electronic records.”

    OPM hasn’t fully implemented a GAO recommendation related to software licenses. “To fully implement our recommendation, OPM needs to provide evidence that it has compared its inventory of software licenses with known purchases for its widely used licenses and has a plan to continue this comparison on a regular basis,” GAO’s latest report said.

    “As of February 2025, OPM stated that its efforts to compare the inventory of current software licenses with information on purchased licenses are in progress. Taking action to fully implement our recommendation would help OPM ensure that it is identifying opportunities to reduce costs on duplicative or unnecessary licenses,” GAO added.

    According to the GAO’s latest report, OPM’s “recommendation implementation rate” was 33% as of November 2024.” 

    Liked by 1 person

        1. i understand gov’t workers need to be shielded from purely political firings–or they’d all lose their jobs every 4 years. But there has to be accountability to the taxpayers–it’s their money funding laziness and ineptitude.

          Liked by 1 person

    1. when i saw the above picture, I remembered i forgot to show hubby the Banshee pix from yesterday. He’s heard of them and thinks they’re cool. like a corvette he said…
      I think the trunk would be terrible for loading groceries. he laughed and said –it’s NOT a grocery kind of car…LOL

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Liked by 1 person

  14. I was going to finish spraying my driveway before I realized – not only do I need to return that POS sprayer but also the weed spray – it is for use on lawns, which means it won’t kill grass…..SMH. I should have noticed that but he also should have listened when I told him it was for my driveway…..so I’m making a run to Bomgaars in Creighton, the only place fairly close to me that is open on Sundays before it gets too hot – it’s already 77!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. so zelensky needs babysitters with him at the DC Summit? I would refuse to let them in. who the hell invited them???

    Charlotte99
    August 17, 2025 9:13 am

    These leaders are reported to attend the Zelenskyy meetings in Washington with Trump on the Ukraine war:

    •European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
    •German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
    •Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
    •Finnish President Alexander Stubb
    •French President Emmanuel Macron
    •NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte

    Pres Trump should refuse to see little Z with them
    He should threaten to leave NATO if they want to continue the war

    Let these pu**ies fight
    Europe hasnt fought in a war since WW2

    They cant even police the Muslim invaders in their countries

    Liked by 1 person

      1. No rain here but it is clouding up some – ooops…spoke too soon – of course! I just finished spraying so, of course, it starts raining! SMDH

        I found what I needed at Bomgaars and have been spraying the east driveway. I got it done up to where it joins up with the main driveway but various body parts started hurting so I gave it up. Just in time, too, considering the rain that’s falling now….

        Time to put some food in my tummy – I had a peach before I started the spraying but I need something more substantial. I skipped my Cheerios w/sliced bananas this morning so that will be my lunch now!

        Liked by 1 person

  19. Just The News: “The Homeland Security Department criticized New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul for pardoning an illegal migrant to keep him from being deported. 

    “@GovKathyHochul, your shameful secret is out,” the DHS wrote in a social media post on X. “Rather than putting New Yorkers first, you’re protecting a criminal illegal alien KILLER with a rap sheet including convictions for manslaughter and criminal possession of a firearm.”

    Hochul pardoned an illegal migrant who was convicted of manslaughter as a teenager, according to a report from The New York Times. The individual, Somchith Vatthanavong, 52, was pardoned last month by Hochul. Vatthanavong shot a man during a pool hall confrontation in Brooklyn and argued he did it in self-defense, according to published reports. 

    Supporters of Vatthanavong said Hochul’s pardon would keep him from being deported. 

    “If you are a convicted criminal alien, you should not have the privilege to be in this country,” the DHS post continued. “President Trump and @Sec_Noem will continue fighting to protect every American citizen and remove the worst of the worst from our nation.”

    Liked by 1 person

  29. “It almost seems like a day can’t pass without us hearing of this influencer or that influencer killed doing whatever the fuck it is they do. Myself, I am not influenced (per se) by anyone who would have been called a showoff when we were kids. You can’t make me try any stupid stunt, you can’t change my mind about anything, and to me they seem like they’re all just a bunch of showboats who probably found a stupid way to make whatever living they can, even if it involves wearing really stupid hats and making funny faces.

    Anyway, a popular influencer couple known for sharing off-road travel adventures with their tens of thousands of followers have died in a crash in the Canadian wilderness. Stacey Tourout and Matthew Yeomans, who had amassed a global following via their Toyota World Runners YouTube and social media accounts, were killed in the off-road wreck in British Columbia last Thursday, relatives said.

     Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that that I don’t feel for these people or their families, I just think it happens too often somehow. Hey – life’s short enough. Why take extra risks if you don’t need to. Know what I mean?”

    Liked by 1 person

  30. “The phrase “no matter where you are there you are” is a saying from the movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. It’s comic book philosophy emphasizing that one’s ‘self,, with all its thoughts, feelings, and experiences, is carried wherever one goes. Deep, right? Changing locations doesn’t fundamentally change who a person is, and self-awareness is crucial, regardless of one’s surroundings. Apply that to Trump AND Putin at the summit. Being in Alaska had no bearing on anything accept for the ‘Meet you in the middle’ metaphor.

    Trump and Putin go to Alaska, have a talk to establish criteria, and leave. The press pisses all over Trump immediately after, saying he got his lunch handed to him by Vlad the Impaler. Why is it so difficult for these MSM motherfuckers to ever acknowledge his efforts in the spirit in which they’re intended? All the guy wants is an end to a war…”

    Liked by 1 person

  31. “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” ― Ronald Reagan 

    The shot, fired by a Ukrainian-produced rifle and aided by artificial intelligence and drone guidance, left two Russian soldiers dead in the area of Pokrovsk, Ukraine. The face of war is changing. Read about the shot here.”

    https://nypost.com/2025/08/17/world-news/ukraine-sniper-breaks-world-record-with-13000-foot-kill-shot-against-russian-forces-report/

    Liked by 1 person

  33. NF: Most of my Mom’s paintings followed his style. She only did a few abstract paintings, one of which is my favorite that she called “The Wake.”

    “Money does grow on his “happy little trees”, proving people are just plain idiots. A pair of Bob Ross paintings (that probably took him all of an hour to create) sold for double and triple their estimated selling prices at a recent auction — shattering sales records for the mild-mannered late artist. 

    Two oil-on-canvas works from the “Joy of Painting” star, both depicting serene mountain and lake scenes, raked in some serious green at Bonhams’ American Art Online sale, which ended on Aug. 7.

    “Lake Below Snow-Capped Peaks and Cloudy Sky” fetched $114,800 — double what it was estimated to sell for — and “Lake Below Snow-Covered Mountains and Clear Sky” took in $95,750, triple its anticipated price tag.

    “I can tell you that Bob would have been quite shy to learn that his paintings are now selling at six figures. He was never really that interested in his finished works, Bob was more fascinated with the process of painting and sharing that with other people,” Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., told The Post.”

    Liked by 1 person

  34. “Some may be inaccurate (i.e. Gacy was a building contractor, the clown thing was a side gig)… Anyhow, interesting…

    Here’s another little known fact: Dennis Rader stopped killing at exactly the same time he landed a job as a neighbourhood security officer. he was apparently overbearing, unjust, supercilious and draconian. he once had a lady’s dog put down for being off its leash on her own front lawn. it was theorised that he didn’t need to kill any more because he was basically exorcising his sadistic power-hunger through an alternative, equally satisfying avenue. Here’s a more complete list…”

    https://www.murdermiletours.com/blog/is-my-work-colleague-a-serial-killer

    Liked by 1 person

  37. “Mayor of New Orleans indicted on corruption charges for allegedly hiding romantic involvement with cop assigned to protect her”

    Not The Bee, Harris Rigby, Aug 16, 2025

    Image for article: Mayor of New Orleans indicted on corruption charges for allegedly hiding romantic involvement with cop assigned to protect her

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “Romeo and Juliet, Anthony and Cleopatra, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy all classic love tales. But none can compare to LaToya Cantrell, the formerly married Democrat Mayor of New Orleans, hooking up with the also-married cop who was assigned to protect her.

    From the New York Times:

    Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans was charged on Friday with going to criminal lengths to carry out and cover up a romantic relationship with a city police officer who had been assigned to protect her, prosecutors said.

    The indictment emerged from a lengthy federal investigation into corruption that has cast a shadow over Ms. Cantrell’s second and final term as mayor, which ends in January. She and her former bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, face a combined 18 felony counts, including making false statements, obstruction of justice and conspiracy.

    So, this duo has spent the last 4 years pulling off a conspiracy around this affair where they allegedly lied about their relationship, used tax money to carry on the affair, and used tax money to cover up the affair.

    It’s all in the indictment. NOLA.com has a breakdown of the timeline of events. Officer Vappie was married at the time he was assigned to Mayor Cantrell’s detail, as was Mayor Cantrell. Since the assignment and start of the alleged affair in 2021, Vappie’s wife divorced him (in 2022) when public rumors of the affair began. Cantrell’s husband passed away in 2023.

    But the two continued to carry on as if they were not romantically involved because they were, according to the indictment, in the coverup pretty deep.

    The indictment ‘reflects the prosecution of two public officials alleged to have engaged in a yearslong continuing fraud scheme that used public money for personal ends,’ Michael M. Simpson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, said in a news conference on Friday afternoon.

    ‘They perpetuated that fraud scheme,’ he added, ‘by taking steps to keep individuals silent, to deceive subordinates and to obstruct investigations into their relationship, including one conducted by a federal grand jury’

    If they think they have proof this pair lied to a grand jury then, in my non-professional opinion, it sounds like it’s already over for these two.

    The WhatsApp messages between the two, which came after Vappie Googled “how secure is WhatsApp” seem particularly damning.

    They exchanged thousands of messages on WhatsApp, according to the indictment. They described the affection they had for each other, sent photographs and shared mundane details of their days …

    The two of them traveled to Los Angeles, Orlando and Scotland, among other destinations, all while Mr. Vappie was also technically on duty as Ms. Cantrell’s bodyguard. His travel cost the city more than $70,000 in airfare, meals and salary, prosecutors said.

    During a business trip to San Francisco, Mr. Vappie and Ms. Cantrell decided to stay an extra day to visit wineries in Napa Valley, according to the indictment. Mr. Vappie was paid for working 15 hours, it says, on a day that he was wine tasting.

    There are a million more details to this story, but the long and short of it is that New Orleans is a MESS!

    To hide the relationship, prosecutors said, the pair deleted evidence, lied to F.B.I. agents and gave a grand jury an affidavit signed under oath that included false statements. They are also accused of lying and withholding information from a grand jury.

    Democrats! Get your act together!”

    Liked by 1 person

  38. “Teen lifeguards rescue drowning mom, 7-year-old son from river”

    Harriet Rigby, Aug 16, 2025

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “Three teenage lifeguards, Kaden Ross, his sister Mckenzie, and Lily Ward, were on shift at the Pataskala Municipal pool in Ohio when they heard screams coming from the nearby South Fork Licking River. Without hesitating, the three teens ran towards the screams.

    Eighteen-year-old Kaden Ross was the first to reach the river, jumping a fence and running about 150 yards before he came to a swimming hole and saw the mom. He jumped in and quickly pulled her out of the water.

    Kaden told WBNS,

    When I saved the mom, she then tells me ‘My son is still under there.’

    The other two lifeguards had arrived on the scene, helping the mom, while Kaden and a bystander resumed the search through the incredibly murky water.

    Kaden’s sister, Mckenzie said of the rescue,

    It was heartbreaking, because I had to hold the mom back, because she couldn’t swim. She just wanted to go to her son so badly.

    Kaden and the other man found the boy, but he was unresponsive. The lifeguard began CPR, with fluid coming out of the boy’s mouth. First responders were quickly on the scene to continue the rescue efforts and transport the 7-year-old and his mother to the hospital where they are both expected to make a full recovery.

    The teens say they don’t take any credit for the rescue; they’re just glad they had the right training and were in the right place at the right time to help this mother and son.

    Kaden told reporters,

    That creek goes on forever in those woods. It just happened to be in a spot where it was by a pool, where there were lifeguards that are trained to save people drowning — and we heard the screams. I know God put us there in the right place and the right time.

    Pointing to a tattoo with the reference Joshua 1:9, Kaden went on to say,

    The Lord was with me. He told me not to be afraid and to jump in and be strong.

    The mom and her 7-year-old son are expected to make a full recovery, thanks to the three teenagers, bystanders, and first responders.”

    Liked by 1 person

  39. “Woman loses two rings on NJ beach and both were found and returned by two different strangers”

    Not The Bee, Harriet Rigby, Aug 16, 2025

    Image for article: Woman loses two rings on NJ beach and both were found and returned by two different strangers

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “New Jersey woman Laura Emanuel was enjoying a day at the beach at Cape May when she took off her two rings to apply sunscreen. She didn’t notice that the rings never made it back home until days later.

    Distraught over the loss of both her wedding band and the other ring, Emanuel discovered Ring Finders Cape May. The service was started by local fire department lieutenant Jeffrey Laag, whose metal detectoring hobby has become something of a side gig.

    But even with Laag’s equipment and expertise, he still wasn’t able to find the missing rings. Thankfully, later that same week, Emanuel was informed that a family playing in the sand at the beach found one of the rings and turned it into a hotel lobby, where it was waiting to be picked up.

    Not wanting to be one-upped by some kids making sandcastles, Laag returned to the scene after hearing this news.

    Eventually, he found the missing wedding band as well. Laag picked up the other ring from the hotel and personally drove both rings over an hour to Emanuel’s home.

    Emanuel told ABC7,

    I didn’t believe it. The emotion, and just the happy tears that it had been recovered — by this stranger. He picked up the ring that had been returned, got the wedding band, took both rings and literally brought them to my doorstep like a superhero!

    Laag doesn’t charge for his services, happy to use his metal detecting hobby as a community service of sorts, to reunite people like Laura with their lost treasures. This time he just had a little extra help from some kids playing on the beach too.”

    Liked by 1 person

  43. “Artist’s Studio. I’d make it twice that size, add insulation, a place to sleep/crash right in front of the window, add a door, and allow the window to open.”

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.