Translation: Paid for by the U.S. tax-payer.

regards

Titus

regards

Titus

Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville says that Americans could be flying with pilots

who are part of the furry community, calling that possibility "terrifying".

During a Senate speech he said "many" airline pilots, flight attendants,

and air traffic controllers are furries but he gave no evidence.

Tommy Tuberville is "terrifying".

I wonder who else he thinks shouldn't be pilots?

regards

Titus

regards

Titus

Unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status

represent almost all reported measles cases.

These outcomes are consistent with estimates that two doses of measles vaccine

protects 97% of those vaccinated.

Spot the difference.

regards

Titus

A flour?

A ghostly Jon Anderson sang beautifully in Bath on Thursday.

I was slightly disappointed by the murky sound and some sloppiness from the band

but overall it was enjoyable and it's always good to see Jon.

My fellow concert goers did not share my reservations and seemed very happy.

The ladies in particular were up and dancing at various points.

While in the historic city of  Birmingham, en route to Bath,

 I stumbled upon this little slice of America:

I thought it might amuse my US visitors.

p.s. The Lady Vanishes

When I took the picture I didn't realise there was an issue with it.

I fixed the problem using good old-fashioned graphic art techniques.

Not perfect (I could have spent more time on it)

but it isn't bad and good enough to fool the casual viewer.

Could AI do it better?

Maybe.

Here's the original photograph:

I believe it's known as 'photo-bombing' :) I really didn't see her!

regards

Titus

In cinemas from Judgement Day

regards

Titus

I was disappointed, to say the least, at the far-right Alternative for Germany's

successes in the recent Deutsche elections.

I'm beginning to accept I am on the wrong side of current politics.

Authoritarian rule/control of the media/unjudicial law.

Who exactly will 'breathe a sigh of relief' once that is in place?

But they vote for it.

I really don't get it.

So disheartening,

Völkisch nationalism

regards

Titus

Here's a selection of world prices at the pump.

I thought it interesting to compare on a like-for-like basis

as the litre/gallon difference and the various currencies muddy the waters.

Gasoline prices (US Dollar)

US Gallon - August 31st 2026

        Libya - 0.089

          Iran - 0.108

Venezuela - 0.132

        Egypt - 1.788

      Russia - 3.231

          USA - 4.418

        China - 4.891

     Canada - 5.486

             UK - 8.269

   Germany - 9.654

         Israel - 10.652

Hong Kong - 15.772

On first glance one might feel scathing of complaining Americans

who get their fuel for half the price we do in the UK.

However, when you factor in the approximate average annual mileage:

UK - 7,000/USA - 14000

it is pretty much the same.

I wonder if there is a pattern here?

You can't go far in Hong Kong

and those Libyans probably drive across the desert all day.

It would need further research into average incomes etc. to get a better picture

but the potential variations would probably be impossible to quantify.

(So no point posting this?...Ed.)

regards

Titus

He definitely has an Airplane style drinking problem

as half of the bottle seems to have ended up on his shirt.

Those tattoos tell me all I need to know.

On his chest is the Jerusalem Cross.

Also known as the Crusader's cross, the symbol dates back to the Middle Ages

and the Crusades, originally representing the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

While Hegseth and his supporters defend the image as a traditional

and historic Christian symbol, critics and watchdogs have noted

that medieval Crusader iconography has been co-opted

by modern far-right and Christian nationalist movements.

The Deus vult (Latin for 'God wills it') on his right arm

has been adopted as a slogan by a variety of Christian right-wingers

and Christian nationalists as well as alt-right and white supremacist groups.

When Adolf Hitler staged the Munich Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923,

Houston Stewart Chamberlain wrote an essay for the Völkischer Beobachter

entitled "God Wills It!" calling on all Germans who love Germany to join the putsch.

I'll wager Heggers is just itching for the day when he can finally get that Hakenkreuz tat.

I've noticed how the term 'USA'  is increasingly prefaced by 'former ally'.

regards

Titus 

The USS Abraham Lincoln has spent over 250 consecutive days at sea

and more than 200 straight days without a port call.

The longest deployment for a U.S. aircraft carrier in the modern era

is held by the USS Gerald R. Ford, which completed a 326 day deployment

(nearly 11 months) ending on May 16th 2026.

At least they're well fed:

Those carrots look OK :)

The "item" at the bottom left reminds me of that old film

where Charlie Chapin eats his own shoe.

Maybe it's Dover sole? :)

On his famous voyage in 1492, Christopher Columbus took 36 days

to cross the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands.

Measured from mainland Spain, the total journey took 69 days.

A sailor's life was easier back then.

regards

Titus

regards

Titus

Before the 2016 presidential election Trump faced 34 criminal charges.

He was accused of falsifying business records in the first degree'

The trial began on April 15th 2024.

Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts on May 30th 2024.

He thinks he is smart and the tax-paying US citizens are stupid.

I can see why he might think that way.

The U.S. national debt is about to reach the $40 trillion milestone

and it's likely to hit $50 trillion soon.

Elon Musk is on track to become the world's first trillionaire by 2027.

regards

Titus

Earth experiences two to five solar eclipses every year.

A total eclipse only happens somewhere on the planet

roughly once every 18 months and any single specific spot on the globe

will only see a total eclipse about once every 400 years.

A solar eclipse has never caused a widespread loss of electricity

or a major power outage.

While eclipses temporarily reduce solar panel power output,

grid operators routinely forecast these predictable celestial events

and successfully balance power networks using backup generation,

such as gas or hydroelectric power.

The price of electricity for Wednesday evening rose

to more than £211.40 per megawatt-hour at 7pm, its highest level since June 30th.

Notice how the price increased when there was lots of sunshine

but also increases when there is slightly less?

When will conditions align to trigger a price reduction?

I won't hold my breath.

I suspect this is just a money-making scam. (I think he's on to something...Ed.)

"Don’t use electricity during the solar eclipse" Octopus Energy warns :)

I can't see how a brief drop in sunlight could have any significant effect.

If so we'll be in major trouble by the Winter Solstice.

The BBC are taking a different approach:

"How to watch today's solar eclipse live online from anywhere in the world"

Running a washing machine typically costs between 13p and 30p in electricity

per cycle in the UK. This equals about £43 to £55 a year

for an average household doing around four loads a week.

Your internet uses roughly 150 to 250 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity

per person per year when factoring in data centres,

transmission networks, and local Wi-Fi routers.

At typical UK electricity rates of about 24p to 30p per kWh,

this costs each user roughly £36 to £75 annually in electricity.

I asked AI two questions:

"should i use a washing machine during the eclipse?"

You should avoid using your washing machine today (Wednesday, 12th August 2026)

between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm BST.

"should I use the internet during the eclipse?"

Yes, you can safely use the internet during a solar eclipse

because the phenomenon does not emit any harmful radiation or physical energy

that disrupts Wi-Fi, fibre optic cables, or broadband routing.

The Trump administration has spotted that solar panels don't work at night:

In mid-2026, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum

faced public scrutiny for sharing charts pointing out

that solar power "failed after sunset" or produces zero electricity at night.

(Nothing gets past these eagle-eyed operators)

In conclusion: the eclipse is irrelevant but has become a commercial event

exploited for profit based on a web of BS and self interest.

Best time to buy eclipse-viewing glasses?

   tomorrow.

regards

Titus

I will briefly blot out the sun tomorrow evening.

Don't look directly at the eclipse.

regards

Titus

My Great (x50K) Uncle Thug invented music just over a million years ago.

He would bang on some wood with another piece of wood...rhythmically.

It annoyed the neighbours who would bang on the adjoining cave wall.

So he invented that too.

You can still hear his music coming from VW Golfs.

He never received a penny in royalties.

The family is still embroiled in legal disputes to this day

which have dragged on for just over a million years.

In 1966 time travellers travelled back in time

to film the documentary 'One Million Years B.C.'

They were looking for extras and my Uncle Thug volunteered.

He played a supporting role alongside Raquel Welsh's bra.

The documentary proved, once and for all, that dinosaurs and humans

did, in fact, co-exist (at the same time) but didn't mix socially.

regards

Titus

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

The Sun, Dear Readers, has often been worshipped as a deity.

It certainly has a valid claim on the "Giver of Life" title.

According to Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity,

gravity travels at the speed of light.

If the sun suddenly vanished, Earth would keep orbiting normally

for 8 minutes and 20 seconds before flying off into space.

As light also travels at the speed of itself there would be no warning.

The First Minutes and Hours

The 8-Minute Delay: We would still see the sun shining and feel its pull.

Sudden Darkness: After 8 minutes and 20 seconds, the light would stop completely

and the moon would go dark becoming just a circle where there are no visible stars.

Loss of Orbit: The Earth would fly off in a straight line into space

at about 30k per second and the Moon will come along for the ride.

Days and Weeks

Freezing Surface: Temperatures would drop fast,

falling below freezing globally within a week.

End of Photosynthesis: Plants would stop making food immediately.

Most small plants would die in days.

No Weather: Rain and the water cycle would stop

because there is no heat to evaporate water.

Long-Term Survival

Frozen Wasteland: Within a year, surface temperatures

would drop to around -100°F (-73°C).

Deep Ocean Life: Deep-sea creatures near hydrothermal vents

could survive for a long time using chemical energy instead of sunlight.

Human Shelters: Humans could only survive deep underground

using nuclear or geothermal energy.

(Well that was fun...Ed.)

regards

Titus

Americans wake up...you are being lied to.

Africa does not look like this:

It looks like this::

regards

Titus

Clever Clogs

About 40 years ago I had a workmate who was really smart.

He worked on the latest tech and was clued up on  computer programming etc.

Back then there was no internet access to speak of

and our work involved some maths including quadratic equations,

trigonometry and calculations involving Pi.

If I was ever unsure I could rely on my colleague to verify my workings out.

It turned out we were both keen chess players.

So we began playing at work when we had the time.

Some great games as we were equally matched.

At that time we worked a day/night shift.

There was a gap between shifts and you never actually saw the next person

so it was customary to leave a note for them.

I had seen my co-worker's notes.

He could not spell, had no concept of punctuation

and didn't know the difference between there, their and they're.

I was shocked.

One day I plucked up the courage and asked:

"How can someone as clever as you have such little grasp of written English?"

He replied:

"That's what I think about you when you can't do trigonometry"

Checkmate.

regards

Titus

Reposted from September 2023

I was rummaging through my 'papers'

looking for some obscure document I'd foolishly signed in 1984

when I came across this old flyer from a 1992 gig in Cambridge.

We had shortened the previous Phineas Foam name.

We were just Foam by this point.

Our 'opening act' was the Sweden/France Euros game shown on a big screen

It ended in a 1-1 draw although I didn't watch much

because I was busy making sure all MY stuff was turned up to eleven.

It was a big place and it was rammed with students.

You can imagine what happened at 8pm: (see flyer)

It was a good gig and we went down well as I recall.

Captive audience, mainly there for the cheap beer, I know.

A couple of people said we were the best band they'd ever seen there.

but they were, admittedly, the usual unkempt misfits.

This was the view from the stage:

I like students

...but I couldn't eat a full one.

regards

Titus