DISCOURAGING: When the relationship fizzled two years later … … 

Monday, April 27, 2026

https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/lifestyle/why-resale-value-of-wedding-or-engagment-rings-is-so-low-expert/

Dumped and down $6,000! Bride-not-to-be stunned to learn just how little her unwanted ring was worth: ‘Jaw hit the floor’
By Marissa Matozzo
Published April 17, 2026, 6:47 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

Breakups are hard — but this price tag might hurt even more.

After splitting from her fiancée, Australian teacher Mia Pimentel figured she could at least cash in on her engagement ring and move on.

Instead, she got a reality check that hit harder than heartbreak.

The couple got engaged in 2021 after five years together, exchanging rings to seal the deal.

But when the relationship fizzled two years later, they each held onto their sparkler — including Pimentel’s 1-carat diamond solitaire, originally worth about US$ 6,500

*** end quote ***

The song said “diamonds are forever” BUT, (and there is always a BIG butt), that does NOT transfer to relationships.

It used to be true when all there was were natural ones; not anymore.  Manufactured diamonds are worth a lot less and indistinguishable from natural by the average Joe or Jane.

Lesson to be learned here is don’t overpay and don’t get hustled.

A ₿itcoin would be much more romantic.  (At least to me!)

— 30 —


GOVEROTRAGEOUS: There are not TWO standards of “justice”

Monday, April 27, 2026

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/soldier-charged-over-maduro-raid-bet-rcna341710?utm_campaign=april24morningnotenonsubs&utm_medium=email&utm_source=iterable&utm_content=morningnote

U.S. soldier involved in Maduro raid charged with betting on the operation
The special forces soldier allegedly made more than $400,000 on Polymarket as a result of the bets, prosecutors say.
April 23, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT / Updated April 24, 2026, 7:05 AM EDT
By , , and

*** begin quote ***

Federal authorities arrested and charged a U.S. special forces soldier who is accused of using classified information about the raid that removed Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro from office to make prediction market bets.

*** and ***

Van Dyke was charged with “unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.”

*** end quote ***

Not trying to excuse bad behavior But I can understand the moral confusion of some poor guy trying to make a buck.

When does this standard apply to Congress?  Seems two faced.

And, FBI Director Kash Patel, as well as Attorney General Todd Blanche, “makes clear no one is above the law” is absolute <synonym for excrement from a male cow>!  Remember the “Epstein files” and then tell me there are not TWO standards of “justice” —  one for the rabble and another for the political class!

Argh!

— 30 —

 

 


AI: CLAUDEAI knows McD’s store numbers … … 

Sunday, April 26, 2026

I went to McD’s for a young boy’s dinner (not for me … … … … this time). 

They shorted us 1 chicken mc nugget.

When we got home, I fired up the web site to complain.

After many many questions, some are dumb, others were repetitive, and some were absurd.

The one that was most frustrating was the question — what it is the restaurant number?

Said it was on the receipt … … nope.

Look it up on the web … … nope.

Can’t submit the form without it!

On the off chance, I asked CLAUDE AI.

It knew it was 25184.

Score on for AI.

Next time, I’ll ask AI to complain for me.

Argh!

— 30 —


HEALTHCARE: IVF technology can cause heart ache if not done accurately

Sunday, April 26, 2026

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/04/florida-couple-identifies-biological-parents-their-non-caucasian/

Florida Couple Identifies Biological Parents of Their ‘Non-Caucasian’ Baby After Horrific IVF Embryo Mix-Up at Closing Clinic
by Cassandra MacDonald Apr. 23, 2026 10:45 am

*** begin quote ***

A Florida couple has confirmed they have identified the biological parents of the baby girl they carried and delivered, who is not genetically related to either of them due to an embryo mix-up at a closing Orlando-area fertility clinic.

*** end quote ***

What a mess.  For the all the adults involved, I feel some sympathy.  For the baby and the “lost embryos”, I don’t now how to express my sadness that they were brought into this mess and will bear the brunt of the problem for there entire life.  

There is a reason that my old “Holy Mother Church” warned against all these forms of “birth control”.  Humanity understands so little about ourselves and “we” have the hubris to mess with the very essence of creation.

As gun-owning pro-life pro-choice little L libertarian, I think this is on of those “problems” where there is NO solution.

To quote “A STRANGE GAME. Only way to win is not to play at all” — the Joshua aka W.O.P.R. from the 1983 film ‘War Games’

“I wish I didn’t know about any of this. I wish I was like everybody else in the world.” — Matthew Broderick character in the 1983 film WarGames:

Seems two lessons that could be learned here.

— 30 —


GOVEROTRAGEOUS: “Health Insurance” has been screwed up since the World War II wage and price controls

Saturday, April 25, 2026

FROM AN EMAIL BY:

Tom Woods (HappyEarner.com) 
<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2026-04-22>>
RE: I have a series of eBooks called “Your Facebook Friends Are Wrong About….”

*** begin quote ***

The first title in my series was Your Facebook Friends Are Wrong About Health Care — appropriate, since everybody knows there’s something wrong with the system, but few understand where the blame really belongs.

The problem is not a lack of government involvement: wherever government involvement is least felt — direct primary care practices, for example, or areas like LASIK or cosmetic surgery — the system works by far the best.

The “insurance” part of the system is particularly screwed up — it came into existence thanks to World War II wage and price controls, and it’s subject to crazy restrictions and mandates.

In our screwed-up society people talk a lot about creating “parallel institutions” — and then they do nothing.

CrowdHealth actually created a parallel institution. It’s an alternative to health insurance, and it operates in parallel to the insane system everyone else is trapped in.

*** end quote ***

I’ve blogged about this before.  I think many times.  It came to the forefront in my “attention space” when I had to get “health insurance” for my minor child.  What a fúçĸĭṅğ disaster!  And, I don’t use that word lightly.

I had two experts, and my insurance carrier that couldn’t make heads or tails out of my problem. 

In trying to solve it, I had the “fun” of calling my insurance carrier and being greeted with a “dead end” message (basically tummy you to buzz off) “call back during normal business hours” on a Tuesday at noon EDST. Argh!

Imagine if your life insurance or car insurance was tied to your employment.

Argh!

I’m writing my representatives to disconnect “insurance” from “employment” by removing the business tax deduction for “insurance” ASAP!

— 30 —


POLITICAL: I had an interesting email thread with my good “old friend” CORRESPONDENT

Friday, April 24, 2026

FROM A LONG EAMIL EXCHANGE WITH MY CORRESPONDENTOLD FRIEND
—  ​edited for spelling, brevity, and format.

REINKE — Fri, Apr 17, 2026 at 2:36 PM:

The clown show continues……..

 “Don’t ascribe to evil what can be attributed to well-intentioned stupidity.” ― James A. Owen, The Shadow Dragons

“Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid.” “Sands of Iwo Jima” (1949), John Wayne’s character, Sergeant Stryker

———- Forwarded message ———

From: John Leake from FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse)
Date: Fri, Apr 17, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Subject: Hegseth “Prayer” a Movie Mafia Hitman’s Monologue

CORRESPONDENT — Fri, Apr 17, 2026 at 9:51 PM 

What should go down in history as our greatest presidency, and you call it a clown show?

REINKE — Apr 17, 2026, at 10:13 PM

Wow, “greatest”? Not IMHO (In My Humble Opinion) by a long shot. DJT47 is a long way from “worst” and “best’. At “best”, DJT47 had a chance to be “transformative”, but blew it big time with terrible picks and betraying the MAGA voters by getting us into Israel’s war and not doing mass deportations of illegals. By doing “stuff” by “executive orders” and not slugging it out with a corrupt and indolent Congress, he has left thr country wide open to return to the errors of the past (Bushes, Obama, and Biden) when the D’s take their turn at the helm. We clearly have different view of the world.

CORRESPONDENT — Fri, Apr 17, 2026 at 10:19 PM:

Apparently we do, I disagree with most of your political opinions these days. Have you been influenced by a Trump hater?

REINKE —  Apr 17, 2026, at 10:29 PM:

I don’t think so. I listen to a lot of little L libertarian podcasts — @ComicDaveSmith, @ThomasEWoods, and such, read a lot of “stuff”. I think that we are really royally screwed and our posterity as well.

I think that I’m seeing just how bad it is very clearly and there’s nothing I can do to “fix” it. Frustrating.

CORRESPONDENT — Apr 17, 2026, 11:08 PM:

I think some of the recent emails to the “usual suspects” are better intended for your blog, where one can choose to read it or not. But when you send an email to that “usual suspects” group they feel an obligation to read it, as it came from “Uncle John” and therefore it carries weight. For example, “the clown show continues” is pure opinion and is not an opinion that is shared by everyone in that group, and could mistakenly be taken for the way things are. Which in my opinion, is clearly not the case.

REINKE — Sat, Apr 18, 2026 2:47 AM:

Ok. Point taken. Thanks.

But the DJT47 as Jesus and Pete Hegseth quoting a movie as scripture is really really “tone deaf” and not “reading the room”.

CORRESPONDENT — Sat, Apr 18, 2026 at 9:40 AM:

I totally agree that the man is an egotistical jerk, no argument with me. A big however though, he is what this country needed, a blast of castor oil! I get it that most “L”s are not hawkish, but I would rather be the hawk then the dove that gets eaten by the hawk! Once Rubio or Vance takes over (prayerfully), they will have a much easier job thanks to the Donald.

REINKE — 1 Sat, Apr 18, 1:10 AM

Please don’t misunderstand me and my fellow little L libertarians. We are not Quakers or pacifists at all costs (1). In a “Red Dawn” scenario, bring it on. You start the fight and we will finish it. We don’t forget that the United States Gooferment is the enemy of the We, the People and is up to its neck in “foreign entanglements”, “regime change”, “nation building”, and murder.

DJT47 may, emphasize MAY, have woken up some of the sleeping “We, The Sheeple”, BUT, (and there is always a BIG butt), he didn’t live up to what he promised (i.e., no new foreign adventures; deport illegals; drain the swamp).

For whatever reason, — I suspect blackmail over Epstein connections — he has taken Israel’s contributions and gotten involved in their regional mess.

In addition to keeping the Ukraine conflict on life support with renounces. Again, I suspect that many things — Biden’s corruption, high level involvement of politicians and bureaucrats in Hunter’s grift, and someone wanting to hide the CIA’s 33 bio labs in Ukraine — have kept enriching the Military Industrial Complex with the complicity of the Congress grifters.

So, don’t be surprised if I suspect that there are ALWAYS ulterior motives, conspiracy theories, crimes, and murder in EVERY SINGLE thing the US Gooferment does.

I , along with all the “beauty queen contestants”, want “world peace”.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NIV).

{Extraneous Deleted}

In doing a final read, I thought I should mention that there is some moral “high ground” for a non-violence position

(Note 1). Bob Murphy https://consultingbyrpm.com/blog/2016/04/a-reader-note-about-pacifist-strategy.html on the @ThomasEWoods podcast makes some excellent points about non-violence like the Quakers’ advocate. It certainly tempers the little L libertarian’s philosophy.

# – # – # – # – #

At the risk of “misinforming” <<is that even a word>> or encouraging / enraging the reader, I thought this was a good example of a discussion between friends on something they disagreed about.  Yet, still remain good friends. 

So can we agree to disagree agreeably?

Why can’t we all?

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NIV).

— 30 —


TECHNOLOGY: U.S. phone numbers are so often formatted in the outdated (123) 555-1234 format

Thursday, April 23, 2026

https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/04/16/how-to-format-10-digit-phone-numbers

How to Format 10-Digit Phone Numbers
By John Gruber

*** begin quote ***

The Associated Press Stylebook, on Threads:

We updated our style for telephone numbers in 2024 to drop parentheses. We now recommend the form: 212-621-1500.

For international numbers use 011 (from the United States), the country code, the city code and the telephone number: 011-44-20-7535-1515.

Use hyphens, not periods. No parentheses. The form for toll-free numbers: 800-111-1000. If extension numbers are needed, use a comma to separate the main number from the extension: 212-621-1500, Ext. 2.

I have long been annoyed that U.S. phone numbers are so often formatted in the outdated (123) 555-1234 format. The use of parentheses for the area code dates back to the old days, when you only needed to dial the area code to call a number outside your own area code. (The same era whence comes the verb dial.) Until 10-digit dialing with mandatory area codes started to become standard in the late 1990s, you only needed to dial seven digits to call a local number.

*** end quote ***

Never realized that this was a problem.  But it is annoying when filling out forms, cut’n’pasting data, and interchanging fields.

I’d agree with the author mostly except of the extensions.  I’d prefer just the comma and number.  I remember using it on autodialers back in the old telephone modem days.

We need open standards that everyone uses!

— 30 —


GUNS: Never tolerate anyone actively rooting for the killing of our grunts

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

FROM THE BOOK OF FACES by a high school chum and fellow vet.

# – # – # – # – #

S Kent Troy
2026-04Apr-17 1006

*** begin quote ***

I was watching a documentary last night on the late Dick Gregory. I’d always admired his biting humor and social commentary though I disagreed with many of his political opinions. I’d actually been at a concert of his in 1967 at a student convention. When it came to racial issues the guy had it down absolutely right. Anyway, they covered his attendance at the Lincoln Memoroial/Pentagon protests against the Viet-nam war. As the cameras panned the crowds from behind the speakers platform, I was stunned again, just as I was back then by the number of VC and NVA flags being waived. In the American left, there is no and was no lack of hatred for the country and rooting for our enemies. One thing to be against the war, quite another to actively root for the enemy killing your neighbors in the jungle OR the deserts.

Still on Facebook’s s**t list for some reason.

# – # – # – # – #

Good Luck getting out of the Book of Faces jail. Been in and out and never ever understood why. 

As a gun-owning pro-life pro-choice little L libertarian vet, I’d never tolerate anyone actively rooting for the killing of our grunts. That’s why Jane Fonda, even today, is still on my <synonym for excrement> list.

I’m anti-war or whatever the Gooferment politicians, bureaucrats, “celebrities”, “influencers”, “commentators”, “journalists”, or Dummheits use as a euphemism for someone shooting at our troops. Unless it’s a “Red Dawn” scenario, we should “stand down”.

The Dead Old White Guys knew that a “standing army” was a recipe for endless wars fought by politicians with no skin in the game and no morality. That’s why they wanted only the States to have an organized militia under the control of the State Governor.

And, the Second Amendment to ensure that everyone could defend themselves against ALL enemies — foreign and domestic. i remember Waco and Ruby Ridge. The armed Gooferment bureaucrats are no friends of liberty.

“Those who do not view armed self defense as a basic human right, ignore the mass graves of those who died on their knees at the hands of tyrants.” –unknown

— 30 —


BITCOIN: “Fox Business” seems to have not noticed who else is seeing “the value of their currency get devalued”

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

https://x.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/2044521149078376730?s=20&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=27161101&utm_content=27161101&utm_source=hs_email

Bitcoin Magazine
@BitcoinMagazine
Apr 15

*** begin quote ***

JUST IN: Fox Business reports that Bitcoin “is a lifeline for many of the Iranian people as they see the value of their currency get devalued.” 🇮🇷

“You can’t freeze somebody’s Bitcoin in the same way you can freeze somebody’s stablecoin”

*** end quote ***

</sarcasm> … IRANIAN …  <sarcasm/>

“Fox Business” seems to have not noticed that “We, The Sheeple” in the good old US of A is getting “the value of their currency get devalued”!

The purchasing power of the U$D … …

*** begin quote ***

AI Overview

The purchasing power of the U.S. dollar (USD) has consistently declined over the long term due to inflation, losing over 90% of its value since 1913. As of early 2026, the consumer dollar’s purchasing power sits near historic lows, measuring approximately 30.3 cents compared to the 1982-1984 base of 100 cents.
Key Aspects of USD Purchasing Power:

Long-Term Decline: The USD has experienced significant devaluation, with 2020 purchasing power equal to only about $1.00 relative to $26.14 in 1913.

Inflation Impact: Purchasing power decreases when inflation rises; it fell about 7.4% between 2021 and 2022 alone.

Current Value: According to, the value of the consumer dollar is at a historic low.

Regional Variation: $100 has different purchasing power across the U.S., generally going further in rural areas and less in large metropolitan areas.

Real vs. Nominal Income: While the dollar has lost value, rising nominal incomes mean consumers may have higher purchasing power in terms of time worked, though they may feel squeezed by rising costs for essentials like housing.

Tools to Measure and Track:

BLS Inflation Calculator: Used to calculate the purchasing power of a dollar over time.
FRED Economic Data: Provides the official Consumer Price Index data for purchasing power.
Purchasing Power Map: Visualizes the real value of $100 by state.

*** end quote ***

… … </sarcasm> … The FED even publishes the “dollar’s demise” … <sarcasm/>

AI can quickly inform with specific citations. 

SO don’t believe me, or the Internet; believe AI!

Argh!

— 30 —


TECHNOLOGY: Roblox introduces age-appropriate access — we nuked it

Monday, April 20, 2026

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/13/roblox-introduces-kids-and-select-accounts-for-age-appropriate-access-to-games-and-chat/

Roblox introduces ‘Kids’ and ‘Select’ accounts for age-appropriate access to games and chat
Aisha Malik
5:15 AM PDT · April 13, 2026

*** begin quote ***

The move comes as Roblox implemented mandatory age checks in January for all users who want to access chats. The same age-check technology will be used to assign users to these new accounts. As part of the changes, users who haven’t completed age checks will only be able to play a selection of games rated for younger audiences.

*** end quote ***

​We “solved” the ROBLOX problem by nuking it. Argh!

I think that we don’t have to wait for app developers to fix their app.  ROBLOX was a “near and present danger”. ROBLOX app developers were too slow to fix it.  So we did.  No need for Gooferment diktats!  Parents just need to take control.

Argh!

— 30 —