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  • Nothing. Left. to. Cut.

     

    I have this ongoing conversation with the wife. She works for the federal government here in Canuckistan, and I’ve worked on a few government contracts over the years. I walk the delicate line of telling her that, while I respect what she does, there’s no reason that the government should do it. Which is not to say that it should not be done, just that it could be done through other means.

    At least it wasn’t unintentionally left blank…

    I’ve posited that you could cut the size of the federal government here by 60% and hardly anyone would notice. How would I do it? First, cut the 20% of programs that no one will miss. I’ve worked on some of these projects in the past. On one, I was working on a public-facing website to provide data ostensibly for “the public good”, at a cost of millions of dollars. One day, one of my colleagues got the idea to pull the website statistics to see how often and from where it was being accessed. Turns out, in the previous year, it had been accessed exactly twice from IP addresses outside of the department. Hardly anyone would miss that program.

    Second, I’m sure that there’s 20% savings to be found by cutting bureaucratic overhead. When the wife tells me about her day, most of it relates to how she’s working against the bureaucracy to try to get her job done. In my small consulting business, I’ve increasingly moved away from doing federal government contracts – the overhead is just too much. It’s much cheaper and faster to find and perform work for private clients.

    Third, I’d cut 20% of the people. If you look around your own workplace, you can identify a certain percentage of people who don’t pull their weight, or worse, contribute negatively. You know, the ones who are constantly at cross-purposes with the rest of the team, or the ones who spend all of their time commenting on Glibertarians.com, or the ones who just aren’t good at their jobs. I once led a team on which I didn’t have the authority to hire and fire (yeah, it sucked). I spent inordinate amounts of time trying to get contributions from non-performers. Then, one day, I just stopped. I ignored them. And, you know what? Our productivity went up. Strange, that. It happens everywhere, but the existence of public-sector unions exacerbates this situation.

    I wouldn’t do it all at once. I’d do it gradually, say over 12 years. I think that doing it more gradually would lessen the degree to which people would notice it (which is, hardly at all).

    Anyhoo, in the case of the U.S. federal government, I came across this neat-o website that breaks down U.S. federal government spending (I’m actually shocked that it’s a .gov website because it’s pretty well done). According to it, the U.S. government spent $3.85 trillion last year. I started looking at it like a minarchist softball coach, and here’s what I came up with:

    Social Security: $916.1B (23.0%) – CUT

    National Defense: $595.3B (14.9%) – CUT to $584.6B
    I opted to keep national defense spending, except for “Defense-related activities”, which sounds an awful lot like a slush fund for defense contractors. If you eliminate foreign interventions and limit spending to national defense, this number should be much lower. Since I’m not getting that fine-grained in this analysis, let’s leave it for now.

    Medicare: $594.5B (14.9%) – CUT

    Income Security: $514.7B (12.9%) – CUT to $144.8B
    Here, I’ve eliminated everything except federal employee retirement and disability. If you’ve already made those commitments to your employees, then you’ve got to keep them.

    Health: $511.3B (12.8%) – CUT

    Net Interest: $240.7B (6.0%) – KEEP
    You gotta pay the bank. Although there’s something to be said for the government skipping out on loan repayments and tanking their credit rating so that they can’t borrow any more. Picture your favorite congresscritter walking into a pawn shop or payday loans joint.

    Veterans Benefits and Services: $174.5B (4.4%) – CUT to $167.2B (4.2%)
    Here, I cut “Other veterans benefits and services”, because it sounds like more government cheese for contractors. In general, I think that you should look after military vets, to the extent that they can be injured during their service, but I’m sure that there’s more here to cut. For example, the largest slice of this category is $86.8B for “Income security for veterans”; most of the veterans I know are eminently employable.

    Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services: $108.1B (2.7%) – CUT

    Transportation: $92.9B (2.3%) – CUT

    Administration of Justice: $57.1B (1.4%) – CUT to $52.1B
    This is one of the fundamental roles of government, although if you end the war on drugs, I’m sure you could cut a bunch here, too. I did cut $5.0B for “Criminal justice assistance”, which is described as transfers to state and local governments for something or other.

    International Affairs: $45.3B (3.5%) – CUT to $13.9B
    Here, I’ve cut out everything except “Conduct of foreign affairs”. The rest looks like cash that will end up in the pockets of the Mugabes of the world.

    Natural Resources and Environment: $37.8B (1.0%) – CUT to $26.6B
    Honestly, I don’t know what most of this actually is. Maybe it’s within the domain of government, and maybe not. But “Other natural resources” (slush fund) and “Recreational resources” sure aren’t.

    General Science, Space, and Technology: $30.2B (0.8%) – CUT

    Community and Regional Development: $21.2B (0.5%) – CUT

    Agriculture: $20.1B (0.5%) – CUT

    General Government: $18.6B (0.5%) – CUT to $11.9B
    Here, I’ve cut “General purpose fiscal assistance” and “Other general government” as slush funds.

    Energy: $3.7B (0.1%) – CUT to $0.2B
    Here, I’ve cut everything except “Emergency energy preparedness”.

     

    So, let’s add everything up here. Let’s see … carry the 1 … Sweet Feathery Jesus, it’s worse than I thought. We’re down to $1.28 trillion, or to about 33% of the current budget. And, I’m fully aware that there’s still lots of waste in there.

    Earlier, I stated that most people wouldn’t notice if you cut the government by that much. Sure, some of the things that I’ve cut here would be noticed by people, but this is analysis is really only about cutting program spending, not eliminating bureaucracy and ineffective people. You know what people would notice? More money in their pockets. You’re welcome! I’m sure your rebate checks are already in the mail.

     

  • STEVE SMITH *CANCELLED* EMERGENCY MORNING LINKS

    STEVE SMITH THINK ALARM CLOCK GO OFF EARLY, OR MAYBE LOST RV HONKING HORN FOR HELP (STEVE SMITH HELP…BY HELP, MEAN RAPE). BUT IT NOT EITHER. IT TSUNAMI WARNING!  HIM CHECK INTERWEBZ AND SEE DANGER. SO HURRY UP AND MAKE LINKS FOR FUNNY GLIBERTARIAN PEOPLE NOT LIVE ON COAST. JUST AS STEVE SMITH FINISH… THEM CANCEL WARNING.

    AT FIRST, STEVE SMITH HAPPY. IT NO FUN RAPING STRAGGLING SURVIVORS OF DISASTER. THEN STEVE SMITH GET MAD AT ENGLISH TABLOID. MAY HAVE TO BOOK TRIP TO LONDON TO VOICE DISPLEASURE TO STAFF. BY VOICE DISPLEASURE, MEAN RAPE. COULD ALSO TAKE OPPORTUNITY TO GO SEE NESSIE, UP NORTH. BEEN WHILE SINCE SEEN. USED TO BE WILD TOGETHER.

    STEVE SMITH AND NESSIE IN GOOD OLD DAYS

     

    BUT FUNNY GLIBERTARIAN PEOPLE NO CARE ABOUT THAT. THEY WANT LINKS. SO HERE LINKS, AND STEVE SMITH GLAD YOU NO HAVE TO RUN FROM BIG WAVE.

    • STEVE SMITH READ THIS…CAN ONLY SHAKE HEAD. WHAT GOING ON OUT THERE?
    • IF THEY WANT SNEAK IN SPAIN, STEVE SMITH EXCELLENT TEACHER ON REMAIN HIDING.
    • WHAT YOU SAY THIS …SMOKE AND MIRRORS? NOT WORK? IMPOSSIBLE?

    STEVE SMITH GO BACK BED NOW. NEED REST. GO FIND RELIEVED CAMPERS LATER. BY FIND, MEAN RAPE.

  • Monday(?) Afternoon Links — Now with More Government

    Monday? Is it still only Monday? I worked until about 3am (to be fair, I didn’t really get fired up until 8pm) and was up getting kids ready before 6:00. I think it’s Monday, and I hope this is the Glibertarians Afternoon Links slot. If this is the company wiki, I’m about to be out of a jerb.

    Dems realize that nobody gives a shit that the Federal Government “closed”, agree to end closure. My neighbors across the street just had a baby last week and grandma got an extra day with her daughter and new grandson out of this.

    I was rooting for this ending

    This is pretty much everything I think about the modern US Navy. It’s a long way from “We’ll cross a frozen river on Christmas to kill you in your sleep.”*

    *Technically not the Navy, but given that material…

    Oh joy, Wonder Woman 2… THAT’S NOT FUNNY!! (may not be the actual subtitle). As someone pointed out, the first movie was basically Captain America, pushed back a war — probably to prevent a lawsuit — with a woman so beautiful that she lowers male IQ 30 points and men didn’t care. I don’t know if that’s going to work for a second feature-length film

    Since we have lots of cooking nerds and history nerds, here is a nerd who recreates historical food.

     

    This is basically what my head has sounded like all day.

  • Scenes from a Wasteland: Ground Zero for the Carnage of the Government Shutdown

    After barely surviving the immediate fallout of the government shutdown, Baby Trshmnstr and I braved the post-apocalyptic wasteland to see if the Starbucks gift cards still worked. On the way, we passed by ground zero, one of the hardest hit places in the world by this tragedy… a National Park. Specifically, Manassas Battlefield National Park.

    Blood stained these grounds a century and a half ago, and we honor the loss, but this park will now have new historic meaning as the Bull Run ran red with the life essence of the millions who have died because of the government shutdown.

    I originally thought that I had captured an image of a valiant National Park Officer shielding the gawkers and rubberneckers from the unimaginable horror that lies beyond the main entrance. Upon further inspection, it was an evil libertarian trying to pillage the piled up bodies for gold and for survivors to put to work in their salt mines. Thank God for the gate blocking their way! Some heroic government employee must have put it in place prior to dying from lack of funding.

    The evil libertarians are at the gate!!! They’ve failed to get in, but they’ve succeeded at blocking my picture of the gate!!

    We trudged on: me, the less than loyal dog, and the only-partially-aware baby. Oh, to view this horror from the eyes of a babe! What a punishment! A sentence worse than death: to grow up and live a shell of a life surrounded by death and rot! And all because the damn Republicans shut down the government!

    We continued to what was once the field hospital, where the wounded were once brought to be hacked up or to be released into the sweetness of death. However, through the wanton cruelty of the Trump, the casualties of today’s Civil War weren’t even given a chance. Only a few straggling survivors were able to make it to the field hospital to revive the building to its most glorified use. The well that once was polluted with the severed appendages and disfigured tissue of battlefield casualties is quietly empty today, the few survivors too disoriented and delirious from the mass gore and violence of the GOP assault.

    Oh, the poor survivors! Nowhere to go, no civilization to return to! They’re left, like the beasts of the plains, to die nameless and without dignity in this new dystopian reality!!

    We finally passed by what was once a gathering place for schoolchildren and other lovers of learning to gaily frolic from historical monument to historical monument. Horses would gallop by and athletes would perfect their fitness in a small utopia built up on government land. Now, all that is left at this alternate entrance to the park is a bevy of burnt out automobiles, husks left from a happier time.

    As we drove past this monument to unspeakable violence, choking back tears and vomit, it struck me how this park would look in a far away future, once this turmoil has passed. Much like the neatly lined cannons and artillery pieces that adorn Henry Hill not more than half a mile from this place, a future monument to this oh so frivolous act of hatred will show these destroyed cars lined in neat rows, scorched by the hatred of this nation’s Hitler.

    Why is there sometimes a perverse beauty in violent death? What draws the eye to such destruction?

    I part with a single thought. As I gaze into the cruel face of government shutdown, I see that the struggle is finished. I love Big Brother.

  • Monday Morning Links

    Sorry, Minnesodans. It was a good run, but that was a tough way for it to end.  And sorry to the rest of the decent, God-fearing people out there in America that will likely end up seeing the Patriots win another Super Bowl on the heels of Bama winning another CFP Playoff.  Just more proof that Satan does, in fact, exist and that he is ever-watchful and playing his fucked up games on mankind.

    Djoker man got bounced down under, as Federer cruised and American Tennys (that’s not a typo, btw) Sandgren upset Dominic Thiem and Limey Kyle Edmund topped Italian Andreas Seppi. On the Women’s side, three of the top 4 are in the quarterfinals, joined by Madison Keys, who will face Angelique Kerber in that round.

    Not much else happened in the sports world, really. Ah fuck it. We all know plenty happened. I’m just too depressed to go into it after the Jags collapse yesterday (with the help of some convenient PI calls one way and no-calls the other). So I’m done with sports for the day. And I’l throw my energies at…the links!

    And her, right over there!. Daddy assaulted her too.

    The homeless problem in America is getting out of control. Sad, really, that he didn’t think to install some doors he could use to lock himself into his house when he was installing the locks he could activate to keep women in his office.

    After the Democrats killed the 1 am vote overnight, Senate GOP leaders have set a noon vote to reopen government. Team Blue leaders have said there’s no deal in place and will likely attempt to prevent from happening again.  I breathlessly await the myriad news stories lamenting the shutdown that’s being caused by the Democrat Party’s refusal to allow the vote to get to the floor.

    Many California Democrat lawmakers are not fans of the business tax breaks (that many, many companies are sharing with their employees and customers). And their solution is to take half of the money away from those companies…or convince them its time to leave the Golden State for a place that actually wants their businesses instead of the tax money they can loot from them.

    Its good to be the king. Or even a mayor who, for some reason, needed to rack up $46,000 in airfares…just to run his city government.  Don’t worry though. Its not just the airfares. He also makes sure to keep the hotel staff on its toes at the ritziest spots in the places he travels to, going so far as to stay at the W Hotel in San Francisco to the tune of $919 a night.  Hey, I wonder what the odds are that he bitches and complains about the government shutdown sometime today? Because, you know, there is nothing left to cut in the bloated federal budget, or even the city budget he presides over that can’t even get companies to safely invest in the bonds issued to keep the pension plans afloat.

    This man deserves to travel like royalty. Because “fuck you, Chicagoans”, that’s why.

    T. Boone Pickens calling it quits. I blame global warming.

    And last but not least, and with a hat tip to commenter Chafed, I bring you what will be the most under-reported on political scandal of the year. And to accomplish that feat, that means it would merely have to not be plastered all over the front pages of every newspaper for weeks on end, which it definitely deserves.  But I’m pretty sure this will fall well short of even that, and will be lucky to get so much as a mention on Fox News, let alone any other major outlets on tv or much of the print media.  The fact that The Hill put it on their opinion pages, when the information being reported on is a matter of public record now, tells me everything I need to know about the seriousness of the dickheads reporting on the matter.  The Obama Administration made the Nixon gang look like pikers. And unless those with oversight, and that includes the media in my opinion, treat their abuses with the seriousness they deserve, it will be to the everlasting detriment of our nation.

    Sorry to end those links on such a downer. but This Damn Nation has me pissed off today.

    ::takes deep breath…repeats “serenity now” 100 times…exhales::

    I’m ok now. And I hope you are too.  Forget about the assholes I listed above and have a great start to your week.

  • ZARDOZ SUNDAY EVENING LINKS

    ZARDOZ SPEAKS TO YOU, HIS CHOSEN ONES. FRIEND STEVE SMITH WAS QUITE UPSET, SO ZARDOZ WILL PROVIDE THE GIFT OF THE LINK TO THE CHOSEN ONES TONIGHT.

    BE SURE TO USE THE GIFT OF THE LINK ,TO BE RAISED FROM BRUTALITY AND TO SNARK AT THE BRUTALS WHO ARE LEGION. WHEN YOU DO, ZARDOZ IS PLEASED.

    TERRIFIC. THIS LOAD OF GRAIN IS CONTAMINATED. OR IS IT ZEDTAMINATED?

     

    1. BRUTAL AUTOMOBILE MAKER CAUGHT CHEATING. ZARDOZ SUGGESTS TURNING THE VEHICLES OVER TO ZARDOZ…THE BRUTAL EXTERMINATORS ARE NOT QUITE UP TO DATE ON TRANSPORTATION.

      EXTERMINATORS, MOUNT UP!
    2. ZARDOZ IS THINKING OF SENDING THE BRUTAL EXTERMINATORS TO SEIZE THIS BRUTAL AND GIVE HIM TO FRIEND STEVE SMITH.
    3. SOMETIMES ZARDOZ DOES NOT NEED TO SEND BRUTAL EXTERMINATORS FOR THEIR TO BE CLEANSING.

    AS FOR THE FIRST BRUTAL ATHLETIC EVENT TODAY… ZARDOZ IS NOT PLEASED. ZARDOZ HAS SPOKEN.

  • De-winefying beer – Part 2

    No, I didn’t buy a bunch of cheap beer to chug after I came home from the gym. I don’t think it was particularly wise of me to do that and while I like you guys (and the 5 ladies we’ve been able to confirm here) I’m not doing that for you again. At least not for free.

    Nothing gets by this crowd though, and everyone here is intelligent enough to notice a pattern in that first article. On the off chance you missed it I’ll point it out: With the exception of the IPA and Daybreak those affordable but skunky beers are all Pilsners.

    This is my review of Sierra Nevada Nooner Pilsner.

    The Pilsner is the most common beer in the world. Some estimates I have heard but not verified, is that over 90% of the beer consumed on Earth is a Pilsner. A claim I find believable, but again not verified. It is named for it’s origin in the city of Plzen, Bohemia (Czech Republic), where it is was first brewed by Pilsner Urquell. Credited to Josef Groll, a Bavarian brewer hired by the city’s brewers to teach them to lager. At the time they were having issues with their ales spoiling and in 1838 they chose to flood the streets of Plzen with spoiled beer to dump it.

    Nobody knows who it was that smuggled the Bavarian yeast out of Bavaria, but some blame a monk. What made this yeast special?  This is one of the first strains identified that fermented at the bottom of the barrel, rather than ale yeast which ferments at the top.  Ales brew at higher temperatures and often are hardy enough to handle moderate temperature fluctuations.  Lager yeast on the other hand needs a consistent temperature, often somewhat cold. Whoever smuggled out this trade secret, Groll had the yeast and in 1842 he combined it with the city’s remarkably soft well water, and generous portions of Noble Saaz hops. The result is still made to this day. https://www.thespruce.com/history-of-pilsner-353306

    Others realized the Bohemians were on to something, so as they say–scaramoosh, scaramoosh when you do the fandango.

    What is it that sets beer like this apart from the mass produced libations everyone from the Trumpeñero, to the bearded hipster that doesn’t seem to understand what irony is but claims to own it anyway, all seem consume in ridiculous quantities? I don’t know. But I have a couple theories.

    The old adage is that one cannot have it good, cheap, and fast; somewhere within those three attributes, corners will be cut and compromises will be made.  The main difference between buying a luxury good from a mass produced good, it what is compromised. Not to step on anybody’s toes here, but take this for example:

    Thunder Bolt and lightning

    This is the revolver I purchased a few weeks ago. On the outside, it looks excellent. The finish is reasonably well polished, there are no sharp edges, the lockup and action are…okay. There are no machining marks and yes the barrel is aligned properly (I checked before I bought it). Where was the compromise? The design itself for one thing, as revolvers are really meant for a niche market, most of which with more grey hair than I and much more discernable in terms of quality. The $10 rubber grip is another as are the usable sights, which I think can be improved. Both however, can be had in the aftermarket as so that is no big deal. Where the compromise truly is to be seen, is when you pull off the sideplate:

    Very, very frightening.

    The trigger group is made from extruded parts rather than machined to shape from bar stock. They are heat treated for strength, which is why they look burnt. These parts rub together and are meant to grind smooth against themselves over time. The only parts that are fitted, are on the hammer, just below the sear and the hook of the trigger where they contact each other–right behind that superfluous safety device.  Once these are removed, one will find they are sitting in a gum-like mess meant to pass as lube. The inside of the frame is rough and unpolished. I knew when I bought it, that I had it cheap and fast. Together these gritty parts make for a trigger group that is terrible for the overall price of the gun. To Smith and Wesson’s credit, in order to make it good I only needed an Arkansas stone, watchmaker tools, wipes soaked in jeweler’s rouge, 5w30 and a Sunday afternoon with a Radenberger. I suppose a flashlight was also needed because I somehow managed to lose explosion diagram part #71. The result is something with much less compromise. 

    The other theory? Americans only have a history going back a couple hundred years. The standards and traditions that are lauded in European culture have been built over centuries and thus their standards and expectations for certain things, like food and drink are higher. Also America was built on an idea, therefore anybody no matter where they are from can theoretically be an American so those standards and expectations get lost over time. So how is it that the Germans are able to put a better Pils to market? I’m not privy to that information to know for sure, but I would guess the compromise is price and time to some extent, because their home market is rather discerning. This is not to say an American company cannot build it to the same standard.
    Sierra Nevada makes this in what I find is the more enjoyable Czech style. It is light, properly carbonated and has the crisp finish that almost everyone can enjoy. It is perfect to quench your thirst on a hot day. While it is hard to compete when the Germans give you full pint cans for the same price, it stacks up well. I will say that I liked Breakside’s version better, but it is Oroegone based so it may not be available in your area. Sierra Nevada makes theirs in California and North Carolina so its available on both coasts! Sierra Nevada Nooner Pilsner: 3.8/5

  • Sunday Morning Championship Links

    It’s just about the last Sunday of football (with, we hope, two interesting games), SP and I are celebrating an anniversary in style (fondue and a 30 year old Vouvray), and there’s all sorts of news of the weird. Let’s run down a few examples of the last:

    One gratifying change in news coverage of the soi disant “shutdown”: the media are actually treating “shutdown theater” as the stupid symbolism that it is. Could a tiny bit of the cynicism that led most of us to libertarianism be infecting the Fourth Estate? I dearly hope so. Would it be sustainable in a Team Blue-controlled government? Not a chance. Nonetheless, “shutdown theater” is, once again, in full swing.

    If any of us little people were under court order to preserve evidence and we “accidentally” destroyed it, what do you think would happen? Look up “spoliation of evidence” to see. But what if you’re the NSA? Think that negative inference and jail time for contempt will hit any of their officials? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! On any of the issues that matter, we once again have proof that there’s no fucking difference between Team Red and Team Blue, it’s all Team Leviathan.

    Yesterday, we were treated to the latest versions of the amusingly pointless Women’s March. And delightfully (at least for those of us with healthy doses of misanthropy), the Peoples’ Judean Front has a problem with the Peoples’ Front for Judea.

    You know what never gets old? Florida Man stories. And this one might be my all-time favorite.

    Important Medical News that everyone must share with their SO. Unless your SO is your right hand, in which case, never mind.

    Complete non-sequitur: I heard a discussion on the radio a few days ago about the Best Sports Movie of All Time. The usual suspects were brought forth, but no-one mentioned mine. So I’ll throw it out here because it’s timely: It Happens Every Spring. Discuss.

    No-one is safe from Old Man music. NO-ONE. And this week, we’re talkin’ flugelhorn and scat by the very best at both.

  • STEVE SMITH ANGRY LINKS!

    STEVE SMITH NOT AT PEACE NOW. YESTERDAY, HIM TELL YOU ABOUT TEA CEREMONY AND HOW HAPPY WAS. NOW, ANGRY! WHEN STEVE SMITH GO TO ORDER MORE TEA, SEE THIS:

    NOT ASK STEVE SMITH IF CAN USE IMAGE FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES

    AND WHAT WITH “WENDIGO TEA” NAME? STEVE SMITH KNOW WENDIGO – HIM HATE TEA. STRICTLY COFFEE (TIM HORTON’S) FOR WENDIGO!

    JUST WHEN STEVE SMITH CALM DOWN, HIM SEE THIS.

    Now you’ll have the device to really mess with Bigfoot and you’ll have a scare tactic that will frighten your friends like never before!

    OH, STEVE SMITH COME WHEN BLOW WHISTLE….AND RAPE WHISTLER! HOW YOU LIKE THAT? IT NOT KICKSTARTER, IT RAPESTARTER!

    STEVE SMITH GOOD “FOREST LAWYER” (SHOULD SEE STEVE SMITH MAKE “MOTION”) BUT HAVE TO LOOK UP IP LAWYER. WONDER IF CAN GET OUTSIDE LAWYER AFTER RAPE LAST ONE? BUT THIS NOT FUNNY GLIBERTARIAN PEOPLE’S PROBLEM. SO STEVE SMITH GIVE YOU LINKS.

    1. MAYBE STEVE SMITH GO TRY THIS? PROBABLY BREAK THEM ALL.
    2. THAT SOME FINE POLICE WORK, SAY STEVE SMITH!
    3. STEVE SMITH SEE JAW-JAW BETTER THAN WAR-WAR.
    4. STEVE SMITH CRY FOR OPEC…NOT.
  • Yeah, I Know

    As many of you have pointed out, there have been some extremely annoying changes happening to the site this past week. Yes, I was fully aware. Thank you.

    Most of the problems are cosmetic, but a couple are not. Comment numbering, I’m looking at you.

    This week was a perfect storm of massive security updates, starting with the machine that hosts our server, huge WordPress updates, a theme update and plugin updates because of the WP updates.

    All of these updates probably did make things more secure. But they also broke tons of stuff.

    I’ve been spending 18 hour days fixing all the new problems for my actual paying clients, so I apologize for not getting everything here at this labor of love straightened out yet.

    There will undoubtedly be ongoing, random issues as I address things here in my “free time” over the next few days. So, just be happy that the site still allows articles and commenting. And stay tuned.

    This concludes this Public Service Announcement. I now return you to your regularly scheduled snark.