GitHub - fritzone/cloudy: For the cloudy infrastructure · GitHub

It’s interesting to see development in DOS to support information exchanges with Linux systems. https://github.com/fritzone/cloudy/?fbclid=IwdGRleAUonBxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBWZkaWQWUPW1uGSjsb4nl5JFqLaiqDXUhxoiVXNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR78OGLwM1Q_6HfbzrHE5FLN0ID25i9FaR77y3NezHO4kiF9vBYJbynbCTP9UQ_aem_ZwmqjQCPkzm9nWhB9b5DwQ

3 Simple Woodworking Jigs

https://www.facebook.com/reel/632802449655335

A thin-strip cutting guide.

A Crosscut Sled.

A 45 degree Miter Saw Sled.

Crafting Custom Work Tables For Radial Arm Saws: A Comprehensive Guide | ShunTool

https://shuntool.com/article/how-to-build-work-tables-for-radial-arm-saws

Radial Arm Saw Table Plans: Transforming Your Workspace (Crafting Efficiency)

https://toolsradar.com/radial-arm-saw-table-plans-transforming-your-workspace/

Radial Arm Saw Table Plans – Build Your Ultimate Custom Workstation

https://thejimbosliceworkshop.com/radial-arm-saw-table-plans/

Radial Arm Saw Table Plans: Dimensions, Safety Setup & Steps

https://woodworkingadvisor.com/plans-for-radial-arm-saw-table/

Setting Up a Radial Arm Saw : 13 Steps (with Pictures) - Instructables

https://www.instructables.com/Setting-Up-a-Radial-Arm-Saw/

Creating A Sturdy Fence For Your Radial Arm Saw: A Step-By-Step Guide | ShunTool

https://shuntool.com/article/how-to-make-a-fence-for-a-radial-arm-saw

Radial Arm Saw fence - new design - HomemadeTools.net

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/radial-arm-saw-fence-new-design-39532

Get off the floor or ground without hurting your knees.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2549610968873010

Top 4 DIY Hand Tools to make for woodworking

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BmoJnJ6SY/

#1 a measuring stick you can lock into a specific measurement (Marking Gauge).

#2 Similar to #1, but with support for 45 degree angles, and a removable ruler (Routing Groove Jig).

#3 a sanding block.

#4 an easily centered Dowel Drilling Guide with support for corners or straight stock.

Grok is now in Copilot - xAI models are being added as subprocessors, giving users another choice in Word, Excel, &PowerPoint

https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/microsoft-copilot/grok-is-now-in-microsoft-copilot-but-dont-expect-snark-in-your-spreadsheets

"Microsoft Copilot will soon support Grok models from xAI. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint users in the Microsoft Frontier Program can test Grok models now, with general support expected to roll out in the future."

"Grok models are being added to Microsoft's Online Services Subprocessor list."

" Using Grok as a subprocessor helps Copilot tackle different tasks and provides redundancy that protects against outages or issues with other subprocessors."

"Once an admin enables the integration, you can set Copilot in apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to automatically pick the best model for a task, or manually pick between GPT, Claude, or Grok directly from a drop-down menu in the interface."

Bringing modern USB xHCI support to Windows 98/ME/2K

https://yeokhengmeng.com/2026/08/xhci98-usb-host-driver/

Everything is open-sourced here if you want to jump right in to use it: https://github.com/yeokm1/xhci98.

"The USB host controller on most modern PCs today is based on the Extensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI) USB 3.0 standard. It was first publicly finalised by Intel in 2010 and is now the de facto standard superseding prior USB host standards. Updates to the standard have been provided over the years with the latest now at 1.2c.

Given its relatively recent introduction, only modern operating systems like Windows 8 onwards natively support it. Supporting older machines will require the chipset vendors to provide the driver stack which is the case back to Windows XP. What if we want to go back further?"

"I wanted to see if I could build a native xHCI driver for Windows 98. Especially with AI assistance today, this should be possible right?"

"usbport.sys is a USB 2.0-era design. It has no concept of SuperSpeed and neither does anything above it. Doing USB 3.0 properly would mean replacing the entire host controller driver (HCD) stack on the operating systems and I doubt many machines using those OSes would benefit from that speed anyway.

Fortunately every USB 3.0 connector also carries the USB 2.0 wires and xHCI exposes them as a separate logical port per connector. The driver manages those USB 2.0 ports and leaves the USB 3.0 ports unpowered. A SuperSpeed device upon not detecting any active USB 3.0 lines, then falls back onto the USB 2.0 pins of the same connector and runs at High-Speed. That is why the flash drive above benchmarks at USB 2.0 speed."

 

If I Had to Start Over, I’d Buy This Raspberry Pi – RaspberryTips

Pi Zero 2W - https://raspberrytips.com/buy-this-raspberry-pi/

10 useful Linux commands

https://www.howtogeek.com/these-linux-commands-showed-me-life-is-better-without-windows/

Alpine is a Linux distro that fits in 200MB

Small by modern standards, but still useful. https://www.howtogeek.com/the-smallest-linux-distro-thats-actually-worth-using-in-2026/

8 things you should never do in Proxmox (unless you want your homelab to crash)

It does it’s own file management - don’t try to ‘help’. https://www.howtogeek.com/things-should-never-do-in-proxmox-unless-want-homelab-to-crash/

Stop using the cd command — the Linux zoxide command is faster, smarter, and easier

https://www.howtogeek.com/stop-using-the-cd-command/

GPT-6 Astra - Wikipedia

This release is more powerful than, and perhaps more out of human control than previous AI models. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-6_Astra

Using Tables with Python

Python can read data from tables and can be used to present (output) data in table format.

How to make a Table in Python?  https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/python/how-to-make-a-table-in-python/
"Creating a table in Python involves structuring data into rows and columns for clear representation. Tables can be displayed in various formats, including plain text, grids or structured layouts. Python provides multiple ways to generate tables, depending on the complexity and data size."
"Tabulate module is the most efficient way to create tables. It offers various formatting styles, requires minimal code and automatically aligns data properly. This method is ideal for small to medium datasets where quick visualization is needed"
"Pandas library is a powerful tool for handling large datasets. It provides easy-to-use table structures with built-in functions for filtering, sorting and exporting data. While it adds some overhead, it is the best choice for working with structured data at scale."
"PrettyTable offers an easy way to generate well-formatted tables with a clean, readable structure. It allows for customization, such as column alignment and border styles, making it useful for reports and console applications."
"String formatting manually structures table data without any dependencies. While it gives full control over spacing and alignment, it lacks flexibility and automation, making it inefficient for large or dynamic datasets."

Python can read data from tables and can be used to present (output) data in table format.

Read And Write Tabular Data using Pandas: 

    https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/pandas/read-and-write-tabular-data-using-pandas/
Pandas read_table() function: 

    https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/python/pandas-read_table-function/
Good examples here ...

pandas.read_table  https://pandas.pydata.org/docs/reference/api/pandas.read_table.html
Detailed syntax ...

Python Pandas - read_table() Method:

    https://www.tutorialspoint.com/python_pandas/python_pandas_read_table_method.htm
"The read_table() method in Python's Pandas library is used to read data from a general delimited (including TSVs, CSVs, and other delimited formats) text file into a Pandas DataFrame. It provides flexible options for parsing data from various storage back-ends, including local files, URLs, and cloud storage services. It also supports various delimiters and file formats, making it ideal for handling structured data for analysis tasks."

Pandas read_table — Read general delimited file into DataFrame:
    https://www.askpython.com/python-modules/pandas/pandas-read-table

Parsing Tables From Text Files:
    https://codesignal.com/learn/courses/parsing-table-data/lessons/parsing-tables-from-text-files

Using Python with MS-Word Tables:

    https://python-docx.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user/tables.html
"Word provides sophisticated capabilities to create tables. As usual, this power comes with additional conceptual complexity.
This complexity becomes most apparent when reading tables ..."

Creating Tables With Tabulate:  https://datagy.io/create-table-in-python-tabulate/
"How to Display Data in a Table Format in Python

1. Import the tabulate function from tabulate

   Run the following code from tabulate import tabulate

2. Pass your data (such as a list of lists) into the tabulate function

   Pass a data structure into the function, such as this:
   data = [['A', 'B'], [1, 2], [3, 4]]
result = tabulate(data)

3. Print your resulting table

   To print the data, print out your resulting table using print(result)
   "
   ... and much more ...

Python Tabulate: Creating Beautiful Tables from Your Data:
    https://www.pythoncentral.io/python-tabulate-creating-beautiful-tables-from-your-data/
"Tabulate is a Python library that transforms various data structures into formatted tables. It's designed to be simple, lightweight, and flexible, making it an excellent choice for displaying tabular data in terminals, markdown documents, or other text-based contexts."
"Installation:

# Install tabulate using pip
pip install tabulate
"
"Basic Usage
Let's start with the most basic example:

from tabulate import tabulate # Sample data data = [ ["Alice", 24, "Engineer"], ["Bob", 32, "Doctor"], ["Charlie", 28, "Designer"] ] # Column headers headers = ["Name", "Age", "Profession"] # Generate table print(tabulate(data, headers=headers))

This basic example creates a simple table with three columns and three rows."

"Output:

Name      Age  Profession
------  -----  -----------
Alice      24  Engineer
Bob        32  Doctor
Charlie    28  Designer"

Dyno Testing Cleveland Heads On A 347 Small-Block Ford

If you're building a small block Ford engine, consider using Cleveland style heads on your Windsor block.  In this test, the 'Clevor' made a little more power across the entire RPM range, and the benefit increased as the RPM increased.

https://www.enginelabs.com/engine-tech/dyno-testing-cleveland-heads-on-a-347-small-block-ford-pt-2/

PC BIOS and Hardware Optimization Tips

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DS5hBViNw/

Enable Intel XMP (or AMD EXPO) in BIOS for best memory performance.

Always use matched pairs of RAM sticks.

Install RAM inn the preferred slots first  (check M/B manual).

Install GPU in correct slot - typically the 16-bit slot closest to the processor.

Use best (max) refresh rate for your monitor - easy change, but may reduce screen resolution.

Install games & other software on a fast SSD where possible.

Enable resizable BAR ...

Install fastest (or only) SSD in fastest M.2 slot (check M/B manual).

Leave at least 5% of an SSD's capacity available for system use ...

Provide appropriate cooling to avoid thermal throttling.

Ensure you're using chip-specific / GPU-specific drivers where available.  Update often.

Check BIOS for updates monthly.

Reduce the # of startup & other apps / processes running in background.  This can include RGB software for the M/B or GPU.

Don't disable the Windows Page File ...

ooRexx (Open Object Rexx) REXX interpreter

"Object REXX is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, object-oriented (class-based) programming language. Today it is generally referred to as ooRexx (short for Open Object Rexx), which is the maintained and direct open-source software successor to Object REXX.

It is a follow-on and a significant extension of the Rexx programming language (called here classic Rexx), retaining all the features and syntax while adding full object-oriented programming (OOP) abilities and other new enhancements. Following its classic Rexx influence, ooRexx is designed to be easy to learn, use, and maintain."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_REXX

Open Object Rexx (ooRexx): the home for the products & projects associated with ooRexx:

https://www.oorexx.org/index.rsp

https://www.oorexx.org/downloads.rsp

https://sourceforge.net/projects/oorexx/files/

https://www.oorexx.org/docs/index.rsp

Learning the REXX Language (may very significantly from ooRexx - need to check):

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/3.2.0?topic=guide-learning-rexx-language

Open Object Rexx Tutorial:  https://rexxinfo.org/tutorials/articles/oorexx_tutorial_by_hf.pdf

Haiku (operating system)

^{This OS has been suggested as a good fit for older laptops ...}

Haiku, originally OpenBeOS, is a free and open-source operating system for personal computers. It is a community-driven continuation of BeOS and aims to be binary-compatible with it, but is largely a reimplementation with the exception of certain components like the Deskbar.^[7] The Haiku project began in 2001, supported by the nonprofit Haiku Inc., and the operating system remains in beta.^[8]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku_(operating_system)

https://www.haiku-os.org/

https://www.haiku-os.org/about/

https://www.haiku-os.org/get-haiku/    <<==== Downloads

It looks like this is still an active project as of 2026 for x86 32-bit and 64-bit platforms:

https://github.com/haiku/haiku

DIY Battery Charging Station for Power Tools

A couple of different designs - try ideas from each:

https://www.anikasdiylife.com/diy-battery-charging-station/

This version includes mounting methods for a variety of chargers: 

https://fieldtreasuredesigns.com/diy-battery-charging-station/

Remington Model 1890 - Wikipedia

Originals come in 44.40 only:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_Model_1890

“The Uberti 1890 revolvers are reproductions (but not exact copies) of the famous old Remington revolver, but chambered for more modern smokeless powder cartridges as the .357 Magnum …”

PowerToys Window Hopper: single key jump between browser tabs & more

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/powertoys-window-hopper-is-a-must-have-feature-for-windows-11-especially-if-you-live-within-your-browser

"... Window Hopper - a feature that's basically Alt + Tab but for switching between instances of a specific app.

You can activate Window Hopper by pressing Alt + backtick (that's the ` in the upper-left corner of your keyboard). Holding Alt and pressing backtick again cycles you through any open windows of the same app you're already in."

"Window Hopper works with any app that can have multiple windows open, including File Explorer.

I use separate browser windows for research, writing, Airtable, and Slack. I often have to snap these side-by-side or group them together. But being able to cycle between just the browser windows through a keyboard shortcut changes my workflow."

GitHub (this release): https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/tag/v0.101.2362.0
"PowerToys 0.101 introduces Window Hopper for quickly moving between windows from the same app, a redesigned update experience with Stable and Insider channels, and compact mode for Command Palette."  Explore other features here also.

PowerToys releases: https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases

DIY Thin Ripping Jig For Woodworking

This video presents a pretty simple design that is adaptable to specific saw tables and provides safe support when cutting thin pieces of wood: 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19KqKCzE5Z/

 

Here's a different approach that also looks easy to build and use: 

https://www.woodsmith.com/article/simple-jig-for-thin-strips/ 

 

Amazon has quite a few pre-built jigs also:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=thin%2Bstrip%2Bripping%2Btable%2Bsaw%2Bjig&crid=2OI4XC12ENC72&sprefix=Thin%2Bripping%2Bjig%2Caps%2C227&ref=nb_sb_ss_p13n-expert-pd-ops-ranker_1_16 

Drill Press Angle Jig

This video shows how to build a nice jig to enable drilling angled holes on a drill press: 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Gj1j25fLZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr 

Toyota V8 (1UZ) engine swaps make a lot of sense

From FB (American Cars Talk group):
"The 1UZ-FE's specifications include:

• All-aluminum block with cast-iron cylinder liners — similar to the LS.
• DOHC 32-valve heads — four valves per cylinder
• Six-bolt main bearing caps — the LS uses six bolts on its performance versions; the 1UZ had six bolts standard on every engine Toyota built from 1989 forward.
• Forged steel crankshaft.
• Forged steel connecting rods.
• Weight: 365 pounds complete with accessories — 35 pounds lighter than a dressed LS1 and 150 pounds lighter than a dressed 5.0 Windsor ... A hot rodder pulling a blown 5.0 from a Fox-body Mustang and installing a 1UZ gains 150 pounds of weight reduction from the engine swap alone — before touching the suspension, wheels, or body.
• Toyota designed the 1UZ to run at sustained high RPM in a luxury sedan for 200,000 miles without a rebuild. The result is a bottom end that holds 500 HP on stock internals with boost — supercharged 1UZ builds making 450 to 600 HP on factory crankshafts and rods are common in the drift and drag communities.

The swap ecosystem is growing because the math is irresistible. A used 1UZ from a salvage-yard Lexus LS400 or SC400 costs $300 to $800. Swap adapter plates for Ford and GM bellhousing patterns are available from specialist manufacturers like Collins Adapters and Suprastore.

A CD009 six-speed manual transmission from a Nissan 350Z bolts up with an adapter for $500 to $800 — giving the 1UZ a modern six-speed manual that the original Lexus automatic never offered. 

Rod Millen — the legendary New Zealand rally champion — built a 1932 Ford Roadster with a VVT-i 1UZ V8 that became one of the most famous hot rods at SEMA.

The engine swap community has documented 1UZ installations in Fox-body Mustangs, S13/S14 Nissans, Toyota AE86s, Mazda Miatas, Volvo 240s, BMW E30s, and at least one 1955 Chevrolet pickup.
The engine fits where an LS fits because the 1UZ's external dimensions are nearly identical to a Gen III LS — a coincidence of engineering that makes adapter plates and motor mount fabrication straightforward.

The non-VVT-i version (1989-1997) is the one the swap community prefers — and the reason is the same reason the LBZ Duramax outsells the LMM: simplicity. The pre-1997 1UZ has no variable valve timing, no electronic throttle, and a standalone-friendly ECU that aftermarket companies like Megasquirt and Haltech can replace with a plug-and-play harness. 

The timing belt — not a chain — requires replacement every 90,000 miles, which sounds like a maintenance burden until you consider that the non-interference design means a broken belt doesn't destroy the engine. A broken timing chain on an LS destroys it. The 1UZ's timing belt is a $200 maintenance event every 90,000 miles. The LS's timing chain is a $2,000 catastrophe if it fails.

The engine that Toyota designed offers 90 percent of the LS's performance at 30 percent of the junkyard cost, 85 percent of the weight, and zero percent of the timing chain anxiety."

KE Conversions (conversion parts): https://www.keconversions.com/shop/1uz/39

North West Toys (conversion parts): https://northwesttoysllc.com/products/uz-swap-package

1UZ-FE FAQ ,Swap Guide For The 84-89 4runner and Pickup:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f161/1uz-fe-faq-swap-guide-84-89-4runner-pickup-254638/

1996 Jeep Cherokee with a 1UZ-FE:  https://engineswapdepot.com/?p=9003

Other 1UZ swaps:  https://engineswapdepot.com/?s=1uz

1UZ Engine: The Bulletproof V8 That Lived Through Four Decades:

https://carbuzz.com/1uz-engine-toyota-lexus-v8/

"The UZ engine family consists of three different engines, namely the 1UZ-FE (4.0-liter), 2UZ-FE (4.7-liter), 3UZ-FE (4.3-liter). The 1UZ launched the UZ family in 1989 and was specifically designed for the Lexus LS 400. Toyota's ambition here was to build a V8 that was quieter and lighter than anything BMW or Mercedes-Benz was manufacturing at the time. Of the three, the 1UZ is still the most celebrated of Lexus' UZ V8s."

How to sync Apple Reminders with Microsoft To Do

https://zapier.com/blog/sync-apple-reminders-with-microsoft-to-do-and-zapier/

1. To get started, you're going to need a Microsoft account. If you've ever used Windows, Microsoft Office, or Outlook Online, you already have one, but if not, create an account here. 

2. Log in to Microsoft To Do.

3. Create a task, so you can tell when the syncing is working.

4. With Microsoft To Do working, it's time to sync it with Apple's Reminders. Open System Settings on your Mac or Settings on your iPhone or iPad. 

5. Click on Internet Accounts, then hit the Add Account button.

6. Click the Microsoft Exchange option. 

7. Enter the email address and password for your Microsoft account. It will likely fail to log in and offer more details. Under User Name, put your email address. Under Internal URL and External URL enter outlook.office365.com.
   Note that, if your Microsoft account has two-factor authentication enabled, you're going to need to create an app password, or you won't be able to log in. 

8. Once you log in successfully, you'll be asked which services you want to sync. I recommend only syncing Reminders unless you specifically want the other services to sync.

You should be set now! Open Reminders on your device, and you'll see there's a new Exchange section, and that your tasks show up.

It's not perfect: new lists you add won't have the same name, for example. You can rename them quickly enough, though, after which everything should be working the way you expect. Any tasks you add to these lists will show up in Microsoft To Do, and any tasks you add in Microsoft To Do will show up here.

Note that you will have to repeat this process for all of your devices—adding your Microsoft account on your Mac doesn't add it on your iPhone, for example. Once you've set it up everywhere, however, you're done: everything will now sync without you having to pay attention. 

Suggested Windows 11 apps to improve the user experience

https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/5-more-must-have-windows-11-apps-this-time-from-reddit-and-our-readers

This article suggests 5 apps including:

Blip: at blip.net 
This app allows you to send and receive files across your devices. It's a bit like AirDrop, but it works with Windows, iOS, and Android.

AltTabby 
This app replaces the Alt+Tab experience on Windows 11 with one that is more customizable. You can choose between five different views, and AltTabby can learn your frequently used apps to keep them close by.

• https://www.stardock.com/products/alttabby/?irclickid=y7DwT1Re8xyZRDIXnmSSARknUkr0d2wx3WWnw80&irgwc=1&afsrc=1
• https://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Other-Desktop-Enhancements/AltTabby.shtml

Another app that may be worth trying is:

UpNote is an elegant and powerful note app that works seamlessly across platforms: iOS, Mac and Windows.

Write unlimited notes on iOS, Mac, Android, Windows and Linux

Add attachments, tables, codes and more to your notes

Protect your notes and notebooks with lock

Elegant themes and notebook covers

Export to text, PDF, HTML and Markdown formats

• https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9mv7690m8f5n?hl=en-US&gl=US
• https://getupnote.com/

And a bunch of ToDo apps:

• https://apps.microsoft.com/search?query=todo&hl=en-US&gl=US

The 7 apps I always install first on a Windows 11 PC — and they're all FREE:

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows/the-7-apps-i-always-install-first-on-a-windows-11-pc

12 apps every Windows 11 power user should install on a new PC:

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/12-apps-every-power-user-should-install-on-a-new-pc-running-windows-11

6 apps to fix Windows 11 and replace Microsoft's apps:

https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/ive-covered-hundreds-of-apps-for-windows-central-and-i-personally-recommend-these-6-to-fix-windows-11-and-replace-microsofts-apps

Use Exact Audio Copy (EAC) to rip CDs to a PC. It is a free app that is powerful & does the job right.

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/i-used-to-use-the-stock-windows-11-media-player-to-rip-cds-but-its-such-a-letdown-now-heres-what-i-started-using-instead

EAC: https://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

Tutorial:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSNHflpO0MI

"... if you just want the same thing every time, EAC will run you through a setup wizard when you first use it. From there, you shouldn't need to touch your settings again."

"The only thing I did need to change was the metadata provider. The default option is only free for 10 rips, but you can change it within the app to MusicBrainz (https://musicbrainz.org/), which is completely free."

Perfect CD-ripping to FLAC with Exact Audio Copy (Setup & configuration):

https://flemmingss.com/perfect-cd-ripping-to-flac-with-exact-audio-copy/

"You might be prompted to install .NET Framework 3.5, if so go ahead and install this also."

FluentTaskScheduler - A modern Windows Task Scheduler built by a developer ...

Published March 8, 2026:

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/someone-made-a-modern-version-of-task-scheduler-for-windows-11-and-it-looks-awesome

"FluentTaskScheduler is a free, open-source, non-Microsoft modern wrapper in a self-contained executable that uses the existing Task Scheduler API. Built with WinUI 3 on the Windows App SDK and powered by .NET 8, it preserves the reliability of the underlying system component while delivering a clean Fluent Design interface, improved monitoring tools, and advanced automation controls in a streamlined experience.

This is not a new scheduler engine. It is a better way to use the one Windows 11 already provides."

"One of the standout features is the built-in Script Library. Instead of embedding PowerShell code directly into every task, you can store reusable scripts centrally, reference the same script across multiple tasks, and keep automation login separate from scheduling configuration.This approach reduces duplication, simplifies maintenance, and encourages cleaner automation design.While the Script Library feature alone makes FluentTaskScheduler worth trying, I wasn’t able to figure out how to add new scripts during testing, which makes the tool feel a bit unfinished."

"FluentTaskScheduler integrates tightly with the operating system, meaning that it includes System Tray support, runs on startup, and provides toast notifications for successful or failed tasks.In addition, you can run this experience with the highest privileges, as SYSTEM, or under a specific user, and you can configure task priority from Realtime to Idle."

"This utility (wrapper) is not limited to its graphical interface. It includes CLI support for headless management and scripting.Since the tool is portable, you can use the command-line experience from Command Prompt from the path where the "FluentTaskScheduler.exe" is located."

" The FluentTaskScheduler is available for free as a self-contained executable that you can download directly from this GitHub page published by @TRGamer-tech."

FluentTaskScheduler  ReadMe: https://github.com/TRGamer-tech/FluentTaskScheduler?tab=readme-ov-file

Releases: https://github.com/TRGamer-tech/FluentTaskScheduler/releases

FluentTaskScheduler: The Modern Windows Task Scheduler Alternative for Windows 11:

https://www.tech2geek.net/fluenttaskscheduler-the-modern-windows-task-scheduler-alternative-for-windows-11/

FluentTaskScheduler for Windows:  https://fluenttaskscheduler.en.softonic.com/

"The app targets routine automation such as scheduled reminders, launching maintenance scripts, and starting common executables on a cadence. Its design reduces the steps to create recurring jobs, which helps users replace manual calendar-based reminders or ad-hoc script launches with repeatable schedules. For people who routinely run the same task, this decreases setup friction and centralizes simple automations on the desktop."

FluentTaskScheduler: A Fluent UI Wrapper for Windows Task Scheduler (Portable & Free):

https://windowsforum.com/windows-news.4/fluenttaskscheduler-a-fluent-ui-wrapper-for-windows-task-scheduler-portable-free.409962/

How keyboard switches differ and how they impact user experience

https://www.windowscentral.com/accessories/keyboards/keyboard-switches-explained-what-to-buy

"For professional typists or programmers, Tactile switches are a common ground between linear and clicky. They offer a small, noticeable bump at the actuation point without adding a loud click."

Fwd: BASIC-256 — Free Beginner Programming Language

Review on Wikipedia also …
https://basic256.org/

[Article] Sharing your files between your iPhone ® and Windows PC - Microsoft Q&A

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2338274/article-sharing-your-files-between-your-iphone-and

Microsoft's Intelligent Terminal brings AI agents to the command line without changing the Windows Terminal experience

" Windows 11 has a new command-line terminal with AI agent integration, but don't worry, Microsoft's not adding AI to the Windows Terminal. Instead, the company forked the open-source terminal project and created a new tool known as "Intelligent Terminal.""

" The tool is being advertised as an assistant that you can use to explain errors, build commands, and troubleshoot issues without leaving the terminal to complete the research in other applications, such as the browser."

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/i-tried-microsofts-new-ai-powered-terminal-and-its-surprisingly-different-from-windows-terminal

Linux gets Copilot app, & Microsoft didn't even make it

"Sure, you could use Copilot on the web. Heck, you could even open up Microsoft Edge for Linux and install Copilot as a PWA (Progressive Web App). But where is the fun in that?

Instead, you could install the unofficial Copilot app for Linux built by Hayden Barnes. The app opens the Copilot web app in a dedicated GTK window and keeps your login session safely on disk. It also integrates with the desktop for autostart, system downloads, app launcher execution, and accessing hardware permissions like the microphone.

Barnes shared the project on X alongside a link to the app's GitHub page."

https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/microsoft-copilot/linux-users-finally-get-a-real-copilot-app-and-microsoft-didnt-even-make-it

A practical guide to reducing Windows 11’s visual clutter, etc.

"Windows 11 can feel loud and distracting out of the box — here are the features I disable immediately to make the OS calmer and easier to use."

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-features-i-disable-immediately-for-a-quieter-experience

DIY Spray Can Rack Plans

There are lots of variations possible for storing lubricants, chemicals, and paints that come in spray cans.  These designs look easy to build and their size could easily be adjusted to your needs (NOTE: some wooden panels could be replaced with clear plastic to improve visibility of the products):

https://famousartisan.com/diy-spray-paint-can-rack-plans/

https://www.obsessedwoodworking.com/projects/spray-paint-can-holder-and-wall-storage-rack/ 

https://www.charlestoncrafted.com/diy-spray-paint-storage-rack/ 

https://housefulofhandmade.com/rotating-spray-paint-storage-cabinet-build-plans/ 

Rust Conversion to a Protective Coating

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19DoxrquLZ/

3% Food grade (tannin) tannic acid powder, 10% phosphoric acid (Naval Jelly), mixed with distilled water.

Blue / black - bonded to the steel ...

Inexpensive DIY Metal Forge

A coffee can or similar container is lined with homemade heat-resistant foam ...

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1939076743458702

A complete list of Windows Security settings

Review these tips to ensure your PC is safe:

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows/windows-security-cheat-sheet-family-it

The Most Tuner-Friendly Cars You Can Buy – Road & Track

https://www.roadandtrack.com/rankings/g22514662/best-tuner-cars/

Cheapest Trucks for 2026 - R&T Picks for Affordable Pickups

https://www.roadandtrack.com/rankings/g45106198/cheapest-trucks/

At $26,400, the Slate Pickup Is a Bargain, but These 10 New Cars and SUVs Are Cheaper

https://www.motortrend.com/news/10-cars-and-suvs-cheaper-than-the-slate-pickup

25 Legitimately Fun Used Cars You Can Buy for Less Than $10,000

https://www.roadandtrack.com/rankings/g6684/fun-used-cars-under-10k/

The handheld gaming boom accidentally created the cheapest SSDs on Earth (for now)

These make good (& fast) boot drives, especially for Linux, if the PC supports one or more NVME M.2 drives. https://www.makeuseof.com/the-handheld-console-boom-accidentally-created-the-cheapest-ssds-on-earth/

Free CAD software for Woodworking

Best Free CAD for Woodworking:  https://worldofwoodcraft.com/best-free-cad-for-woodworking/
"Some of the most popular options include SketchUp, Fusion 360, and LibreCAD. "
"... there are certain features that are particularly important for woodworking. For example, you’ll want a program that allows you to create and edit 3D models, as well as one that offers precise measurement tools."

"SketchList 3D: (https://sketchlist.com/) is a 14-day free trial CAD program that is specifically designed for woodworking. It offers a variety of tools and features that are tailored to the needs of woodworking enthusiasts, including the ability to create 3D models and templates. One of its standout features is the ability to generate cut lists and material layouts, which can save you a lot of time and effort."

"SketchUp Free: (Browser-based) is a popular choice for many woodworking enthusiasts. It offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, and it also provides a variety of tools and features to help you create 3D models and templates. One of its standout features is the ability to import and export files in a variety of formats, making it easy to work with other programs."
"Browser-based—no install needed. – 3D Warehouse for free woodworking components (e.g., hinges). – Exports 2D plans for table saw setups."

"FreeCAD: (Windows, macOS, Linux) is a powerful CAD program that is completely free to use. It offers a wide range of features and tools, including the ability to create 3D models and templates, and it also provides a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate."
"... changes to sketches automatically update the entire model—ideal for iterative woodworking like adjusting table saw blade angles for dovetail joint layout."

"LibreCAD: (Windows, macOS, Linux) is another great option for woodworking enthusiasts. It is a free, open-source CAD program that offers a variety of tools and features to help you create 2D and 3D models. One of its standout features is the ability to import and export files in a variety of formats, making it easy to work with other programs. It also provides a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate."

7 Best Free 3D CAD Program for Woodworking Projects:
     https://toolsradar.com/7-best-free-3d-cad-program-for-woodworking-projects/

"Tinkercad: (Browser-based) Beginner-Friendly for Simple Wood Projects -  uses drag-and-drop shapes for basic 3D design, perfect for hobbyists prototyping shelves or boxes without steep learning."

Free CAD software for makers:  https://wayofwood.com/free-cad-software-for-makers/
This list includes suggestions for woodworking, 3D printing, and CNC work ...

7 Best Free CAD Software in 2024 (Beginner-Friendly):
    https://www.3dsourced.com/3d-software/free-cad-software/

Windows 11 Clipboard vs Edge Drop

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/i-love-this-windows-11-clipboard-utility-but-it-needs-a-new-name

"Edge Drop is a clipboard manager that can also be used for some light file management. It stays tucked away on the left side of your screen until you swipe your mouse over it or use a keyboard shortcut (Alt + C).

...  Any item you copy on Windows 11 is added to Edge Drop by default. You can also drag items into Edge Drop."

"The developer of Edge Drop, AdiArtist, shared the app on Reddit.  You can download Edge Drop through the app's website and read more about it on GitHub."

"Windows 11 already has a robust, built-in clipboard history that you can summon with Win + V. It supports pinning items, syncing across devices, and has been an integral part of my workflow for years. Even with Edge Drop installed, I'm not abandoning it.  

Where Windows 11's clipboard is heavily keyboard-driven, Edge Drop is more built for the mouse."

Windows 11 recovery options

"Windows 11 has more recovery tools than ever, but choosing the right one can be confusing. Here's what each feature does and when to use it."

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-has-more-recovery-features-than-ever-and-heres-when-i-would-use-each-one

"Over the past several years, Microsoft has quietly transformed Windows 11 into a much more resilient operating system. Instead of relying on a single recovery option, the operating system now bundles a collection of tools designed to solve different types of problems. Some can repair Windows 11 while minimizing changes to your data. Others can roll back a problematic update, recover a computer that won't boot, or completely rebuild the system from the cloud.

The downside is that all these options can be confusing. Microsoft doesn't always make it clear which recovery feature you should use first, and many of them sound similar even though they solve different problems."

Why the free OpenVPN version is still the best choice for most users

https://www.zdnet.com/article/managed-self-hosted-or-open-source-how-to-choose-the-right-version-of-openvpn/

"OpenVPN offers three modes of deployment with varied pricing based on the same underlying protocol. Here are the pros, cons, and costs associated with each."

"There are three versions:

• OpenVPN Community Edition - This remains the default community-maintained protocol where you configure everything yourself. 
• Access Server - You're still responsible for setting up your own VPN servers, but management is easier thanks to a web-based UI. 
• CloudConnexa - OpenVPN's full-service cloud version works just like any other paid VPN software."

Microsoft's new Windows 11 recovery tool is the ultimate Undo button - the Windows Resiliency Initiative

https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-11-point-in-time-recovery/

"Microsoft's new Windows 11 recovery tool is the ultimate Undo button - how to enable it
After a CrowdStrike update caused millions of Windows PCs worldwide to crash in July 2024, Microsoft announced the Windows Resiliency Initiative. The new Point-in-time Restore feature is a key part of that."

"ZDNET's key takeaways:

•     The Point-in-time Restore feature is now available for all Windows editions.
•     It takes daily snapshots of the system state to help recover from a serious problem.
•     If your system drive is 200 GB or larger, the feature is on by default."

"This tool solves a problem as old as the PC itself. "I don't understand. It was working fine yesterday. Then I did [some seemingly innocuous thing] and now it's crashing." About that time, you desperately wish your keyboard had an Undo Today button.

That's Point-in-time Restore. It's one of those rare Microsoft features whose name perfectly describes its function. It rolls back your PC to a time when it was working properly, undoing everything that happened between then and now. Aside from ensuring that the feature is turned on, there's nothing else you have to do."

15 Cheap 2000s Cars Quietly Becoming Collectible – Vehicle HQ

https://vehq.com/cheap-2000s-cars-becoming-collectible/

2026 Tesla Model Y vs. 2026 Toyota bZ Comparison Test

Toyota is getting serious about electric cars:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a71627458/2026-tesla-model-y-vs-2026-toyota-bz-comparison-test/

"Surprisingly, Toyota's refreshed and renamed bZ has outsold every non-Tesla EV in America through the first quarter of 2026, though the Model Y remains entrenched atop the sales charts."

"Tesla's Full-Self Driving (Supervised) is included for the first 30 days and then costs $99 per month, but can be canceled at any time. Previously, it was an $8000 stand-alone option, so the subscription is a much better value."

"...  the 2026 bZ adopts upgraded electric motors, new battery packs, and the NACS charge port that grants access to Tesla's vast Supercharger network; an improved 11.0-kW onboard charger makes Level 2 fill-ups less time-consuming too."

"Apart from lacking phone-mirroring functionality and traditional switchgear—at least there's a turn-signal stalk—Tesla's UX ranks among the best in the biz. Its menus are smartly organized, and functions are surprisingly intuitive (yes, even the power front-seat adjustments that live in the 15.4-inch center touchscreen). Plus, you can access popular apps such as Spotify and YouTube, and the navigation system is just as helpful as Google Maps or Waze."

What are Flock cameras - where are they located ...

"Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs or LPRs) are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car's location, date, and time. They also capture your car's make, model, color, and identifying features such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers, often turning these into searchable data points."
"Flock Safety (https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Flock_Safety) is one of the largest ALPR vendors in the United States. Their cameras are installed for police departments, businesses, and HOAs. Captured vehicle data is uploaded to Flock's cloud system, where participating agencies can search and share information across jurisdictions."

Welcome to DeFlock - An open-source project mapping license plate readers (113,196
LPRs mapped in the USA):
    https://deflock.org/
    https://maps.deflock.org/

Flockhopper - has an app available:  https://dontgetflocked.com/  Use full map to see details.

Interactive Camera Map - Click any marker to see camera details.  Zoom in on your neighborhood:
    https://alprmaps.com/flock-safety-map
    https://alprmaps.com/flock-cameras/phoenix-az  -  Not a lot reported in Phoenix yet ...
Includes HOA Safe-List instructions and a privacy route planner ...

Guide: Find Flock Cameras in Your Area - Why Rural Communities Should Pay Attention:
    https://ruralprivacy.org/find-flock-alprs-in-your-area
"Flock cameras are easy to spot once you know what to look for:
    Mounted on metal poles or street signs, sometimes on existing utility poles
    Often near town entrances, main intersections, or school zones

    A small black camera box with a solar panel on top - 

        (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flock_Safety_camera_with_solar_panel.jpg)

    Sometimes paired with a small cellular antenna"

Flock Safety: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flock_Safety

When Flock Surveillance Comes to Your Town: Everything to Know About These Cameras -
Flock Safety is setting up cams and drones around the country. Here's why communities are fighting back and exactly how this technology works:
    https://www.cnet.com/home/security/when-flock-comes-to-town-why-cities-are-axing-the-controversial-surveillance-technology/
"Due to concerns over privacy and how Flock allows data to be used, dozens of cities have cancelled their Flock contracts this year. Bend, Oregon, was one of them, but only after passionate city council meetings. Some towns have even had to cover Flock cameras with plastic bags because they aren't sure if the cams are shut down."
"Following Super Bowl ads about finding lost dogs, Flock was under scrutiny about its planned partnership with Ring, Amazon's security brand. The integration would have allowed police to request the use of Ring-brand home security cameras for investigations. Following intense public backlash, Ring cut ties with Flock ..."
"... it usually means the installation of ALPR cameras to capture license plate photos and monitor cars on the street."
"... Flock reports on its site that its surveillance system is intended to reduce crime, including property crimes such as "mail and package theft, home invasions, vandalism, trespassing, and burglary." The company also says it frequently solves violent crimes like 'assault, kidnappings, shootings and homicides.'"

"Flock's stance, as outlined in its privacy and ethics guide, is that license plate numbers and vehicle descriptions aren't personal information. The company says it doesn't surveil "private data" -- only cars and general descriptive markers.
But vehicle information can be considered personal because it's legally tied to the vehicle's owner. Privacy laws, including proposed federal legislation from 2026, prohibit the release of personal information from state motor vehicle records in order to protect citizens.
However, those laws typically include exemptions for legal actions and law enforcement, sometimes even for private security companies."

"It's important to note that not all cities or neighborhoods refer to Flock Safety by name, even when using its technology. They might mention the Drone as First Responder program, or ALPR cameras, without further details."
Lancaster Police Department Launches Drone as a First Responder Program to Strengthen Public Safety:
    https://www.cityoflancasterca.org/Home/Components/News/News/10442/
"... a March announcement about police drones from the city of Lancaster, California, doesn't mention Flock at all, even though it was the company behind the drone program."

The Creepy Reality Behind the License Plate Cameras in Your Town -
Those cameras you keep seeing?  They're run by Flock Safety, a private company that tracks more than just your car's plates:
    https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/the-creepy-reality-behind-the-license-plate-cameras-in-your-town
"Did you know that all those cameras you see on street corners in your neighborhood aren’t owned (and in some cases, aren’t monitored) by your local government or police department? Instead, the cameras are leased from and operated by Flock Safety, a private company."
“They have drones!” he said. “They have pan-tilt- zoom cameras that recognize people and zoom into their faces. You can even see what they're doing on their phone. Their ALPR cameras can recognize people. They do store pictures of people. I know this because I've accessed the footage and found pictures of myself. I'm not a car or a license plate.”

Scanopy - self-hosted network documentation

https://scanopy.net/community

Install in Docker or Proxmox ...

Scanopy 2026: Benefits, Features & Pricing:

https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/543800-Scanopy/

"Scanopy is a network discovery and diagramming tool that creates live network topology maps automatically. It is designed for IT teams, managed service providers, and self-hosters who require accurate and up-to-date network documentation."

Scanopy: Clean Network Diagrams, Zero Upkeep:

https://www.opensourceprojects.dev/post/0110d48a-f3ff-4b6f-9539-27a3f3efa7d2

Scanopy - Network documentation, without the drawing:

https://github.com/scanopy/scanopy/tree/main

Scanopy Documentation:  https://scanopy.net/docs/

Ventoy - Rufus substitute

Cut down on the number of USB drives loaded with ISO images. https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html

Does Starting Or Idling Your Engine Consume More Fuel? Here's What The Data Says

https://www.jalopnik.com/2199593/does-starting-or-idling-consume-more-fuel-according-to-data/

OpenVPN for Windows, Android, iOS & Linux | Gizmodo

A good explanation of how it works: https://gizmodo.com/download/openvpn

OpenVPN - Wikipedia

Study how to use and implement this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenVPN

Ibn Warraq - Why I Am Not A Muslim

Ibn Warraq, the renowned scholar of Islam spoke at Yale. Here is an outline of the talk he gave.

First, I should like to thank The William F. Buckley, Jr. Program at Yale for inviting me. I should also like to thank my friends and colleagues whose ideas have profoundly influenced what I am going to say today: Sebastian Gorka, Katherine Gorka, Robert Reilly, and Hugh Fitzgerald.

James Burnham’s book Suicide of the West is full of insights on US Foreign Policy, which I find relevant to this day. In fact one has only to substitute “Islam” for “communism” in many of his observations to realise their continuing pertinence. I shall limit myself to one of his observations from Chapter XII, Dialectic of Liberalism:

“The communists divide the world into “the zone of peace” and “the zone of war”. The zone of peace means the region that is already subject to communist rule; and the label signifies that within their region the communists will not permit any political tendency, violent or non-violent, whether purely internal or assisted from without, to challenge their rule. The “zone of war” is the region where communist rule is not yet, but in due course will be established; and within the zone of war the communists promote, assist and where possible lead political tendencies, violent or non-violent, democratic or revolutionary, that operate against non-communist rule. Clear enough, these definitions. You smash the Hungarian Freedom Fighters, and support Fidel Castro; you know where you are going.” Pp.227-228. The above could easily have been a dictionary definition of the Islamic doctrine of Jihad, and its notions of “Dar al-Islam” –the Zone of Peace, and Dar-al Harb –Zone of War”

Now onto my main points:

Our foreign policy should be guided by understanding and admitting the following realities:

We are engaged in a war of ideas, with our principal enemy: an ideology.

An ideology that will not collapse out of economic incompetence.

The ideology of the terrorists is religiously based and derived from Islam and its founding texts, the Koran, hadith, and the sunna, and the history of the early caliphate.

One, but not the only, way we know this is because they tell us so. 

First , if you want to understand the enemy “Read what they say”. They constantly justify their acts with accurate and apt citations from the Koran and Hadith. They also refer to, among others, Sayyid Qutb’s work Milestones, Abdullah Azzam’s Defense of the Muslim Lands, S. K. Malik’s The Quranic Concept of Power, and Ayman Al-Zawahiri’s Knights Under the Prophet’s Banner. Some of the latter have doctorates from recognized Islamic universities, and to hear John Kerry trying to tell them their ideas have nothing to do with Islam is comical.

Islamic terrorism is not caused by “poverty, lack of education, sexual deprivation, psychological problems, or lack of economic opportunity..”, Western Imperialism, or Western decadence, or the Arab-Israeli conflict.

There are two kinds of Jihad: terrorism, and slow penetration of Western institutions subverting Western laws and customs from within.

Ignorance, naivety, arrogance, political correctness , sheer laziness, sentimentality, and Saudi, Qatari and Iranian money have led to Islamist successes in penetrating Western institutions, from the Voice of America, The Pentagon, CIA, FBI, DHS, PBS, to the universities and colleges where Islamic propaganda is shamelessly and openly disseminated.

While groups such as ISIS, al-Qaeda, and others are non-state actors, they are funded by states such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. These three countries, for example, also provide the necessary Islamic support, framework, and propaganda that spews forth anti-Western and and anti-American hatred. They should be warned or face the consequences.

It is also important to point out that it is not something we have done that is impelling the Islamists. Constantly apologising, Mr President [Obama], is pointless; they will not like or respect you the more.

We must learn the lessons of the cold war, for there are striking similarities between the Islamist ideology and that of Soviet Russia [Cf B.Russell, Jules Monnerot, Maxime Rodinson]

Speak out in support of the Christians who are being persecuted, and being killed almost every day in Islamic countries. Profound importance of this act of solidarity not realised by many in West.

In order to succeed we need urgently to recover our civilizational self-confidence.

One way we can fight jihadist ideology is to undermine their certainties, and one can accomplish this with Koranic Criticism. In the West, Spinoza hastened the Enlightenment by his Biblical Criticism.

There is an obvious need to understand the Islamic ideology to understand the mindset of the Islamic terrorists. Terrorism is not caused by poverty, and so on. It is their ideology that motivates them and is the source of its moral legitimacy. Without it, terrorism cannot exist.Terrorists are produced by a totalitarian ideology justifying terrorism.

While America has had some impressive tactical successes, and has managed to kill Osama bin Laden (May 2011) and Anwar al-Awlaki (in Sept.2011) it still fails to understand their goals, their ideology. The reasons for this failure are many:

First, there is a reluctance to address the religious inspiration of the acts of terrorism,to admit that their ideology is derived from Islam and its founding texts, the Koran, the Hadith, the Sunna and the early history of the Caliphate. Instead, the present [now past thankfully] administration exhorts us to use euphemisms such as “violent extremist”. “WhereasThe 9/11 Commission Report, published under the presidency of George W. Bush in July 2004 as a bipartisan product, had used the word Islam 322 times, Muslim 145 times, jihad 126 times, and jihadist 32 times,The National Intelligence Strategy of the United States, issued by the Obama administration in August 2009, used the term Islam 0 times, Muslim 0 times, jihad 0 times.” Now Obama’s policy applies to internal government documents as well, which can only have disastrous consequences for our understanding of political groups and events in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and South and South East Asia. “How can one possibly analyze the power and appeal of this ideology, the way that ideas set its strategy and tactics, why it is such a huge menace if any reference to the Islamic religion and its texts or doctrines isn’t permitted?”

Perhaps it was only in 1946, when George Kennan’s wrote his classified ‘Long Telegram’ that America began to understand the nature of the Soviet Union, why it acted the way it did, how the Kremlin thought, and why the USSR was a grave threat to America. In other words it took three decades to understand the mind of the enemy.

To complicate matters further, today there are two enemies: first, non-European, religiously informed non-state terrorist groups, like ISIS. Second, and equally dangerous, states that, in fact, fund and support them. There is evidence that, as the The Atlantic reported in June, 2014, “Two of the most successful factions fighting Assad’s forces are Islamist extremist groups: Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). And their success is in part due to the support they have received from two Persian Gulf countries: Qatar and Saudi Arabia.”

Our ability to fight al Qaeda and similar transnational terrorist actors will depend upon our capacity to communicate to our own citizens and to the world what it is we are fighting for and what it is that the ideology of Jihad threatens in terms of the values we hold so dear.

To quote Sun Tsu, in war it is not enough to know the enemy in order to win. One must first know oneself. However, with the end of the Cold War America and the West understandably lost clarity with regard to what it was about its way of life that was precious and worth fighting for.

James Burnham explains with exemplary clarity the reasons for this loss of self-confidence, and what he wrote is still, mutatis mutandis, relevant:

“Judging a group of human beings- a race, nation, class or party- that he considers to possess less than their due of well-being and liberty, the liberal is hard put to it to condemn that group morally for acts that he would not hesitate to condemn in his fellows.

“When the Western liberal’s feeling of guilt and his associated feeling of moral vulnerability before the sorrows and demands of the wretched become obsessive, he often develops a generalized hatred of Western civilization and of his own country as a part of the West. We can frequently sense this hatred in …[journals like] The Nation.”

In order to succeed we need urgently recover our civilizational self-confidence.

Ronald Reagan was able to succeed because he was supremely confident of the moral and spiritual superiority of his cause. He was thus able to state with certainty and without hesitation that the SovietEmpire was evil. He was not afraid to confront reality. He was able to defend our values because he believed in them totally. He told an audience at Moscow State University, “Go into any schoolroom [in America], and there you will see children being taught the Declaration of Independence, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights-among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness-that no government can justly deny….”

John Lenczowski describes what Reagan advocated unapologetically, “Altogether, the various ideas of freedom, democracy, human rights, moral order, and the dignity of the human person were promoted not only by the President’s rhetoric and personal moral witness but by the Administration as a whole in numerous forms: in Voice of America editorials, Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty broadcasts, in articles in United States Information Agency-published magazines targeted at Soviet-bloc populations, on the USIA-run billboard on the sidewalk outside the U.S. embassy in Moscow, in American diplomats’ addresses at various international fora, in the distribution of books to Soviet bloc audiences and U.S.libraries abroad, in films distributed abroad, and so on.”

To quote Asian columnist Banyan in the Economist,“For all its flaws and mis-steps, [America] represents not just economic and military might, but an ideal to aspire to, in a way that China does not. And when American leaders appear to give less weight to that ideal, they not only diminish America’s attractions, they also lend more credence to the idea of its relative economic and military decline.”

The rest of the world recognizes the virtues of the West. As Arthur Schlesinger remarked, “when Chinese students cried and died for democracy in Tiananmen Square, they brought with them not representations of Confucius or Buddha but a model of the Statue of Liberty.”

Ibn Warraq is the author of Why I Am Not A Muslim, Defending the West, and many other books.

REO — Built Like It Used To Be

As a 2-door pickup, this should be the cheapest new vehicle for sale in the USA: https://reotrucks.com/

Have an old iPad lying around? You might be able to make it run Linux soon - Ars Technica

Actually booting Linux instead iOS - there may be no going back … https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/06/developers-get-linux-up-and-running-on-old-ipad-air-2-hardware/

Installing Linux on iPad: A Comprehensive Guide — linuxvox.com

Mostly emulation or containers in order to deal with the unique hardware … some interesting things to try. https://linuxvox.com/blog/install-linux-on-ipad/ 

The whitest paint is here – and it’s the coolest. Literally. - Purdue University News

Use to reduce heat island effect in Phoenix? https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/archive/releases/2021/Q2/the-whitest-paint-is-here-and-its-the-coolest.-literally..html

Using refurbished small form factor PCs as home network appliances: Whole-network ad blocking and DNS filtering

Note that Raspberry Pi’s can do the same tasks using less energy, but they cost considerably more: https://www.howtogeek.com/turned-cheap-e-waste-pc-into-lightning-fast-local-dns-server/

6.5 Grendel Rifle Build

https://www.brownells.com/the-trigger-times/how-to/rifle-builds--installs/6.5-grendel-rifle-build/

"The 6.5 Grendel remains one of the most capable long-range AR-15 cartridges available ..."

"This build uses a standard AR-15 lower receiver paired with a custom upper featuring a Ballistic Advantage 16-inch 6.5 Grendel barrel, Samson SXT handguard, SureFire muzzle device, and Nightforce NX8 optic."

"The primary differences between a standard 5.56 AR-15 and a 6.5 Grendel build are:

• Barrel
• Bolt
• Magazine
• Optional dedicated firing pin

Caleb explains the importance of using a Type 2 6.5 Grendel bolt, which has become the industry standard. Older Type 1 components can create compatibility issues if mixed improperly.

The build also uses DuraMag 6.5 Grendel magazines, which are known for reliable feeding and compatibility with both 6.5 Grendel and 6mm ARC cartridges."

6.5 Grendel Range Report

https://www.brownells.com/the-trigger-times/how-to/rifle-builds--installs/6.5-grendel-range-report/

"By the end of the session, the rifle had no trouble producing repeated impacts from 100 to 500 yards. The build proved reliable, accurate, and fun to shoot.

...

If you are considering a long range AR-15 build and want more energy on target than standard 5.56, the 6.5 Grendel continues to be a cartridge worth considering."

308 Caliber Sabot | Accelerator Type Precision Reloading

Fire .223/4 bullets at high speed from a .308 rifle: https://eabco.com/accelerator-type-sabots-for-30-caliber-cartridges-100/

Used Cars That Cost Far Less Today Than Three Years Ago

Most of these are still over $30k, but that’s a big drop for most of them. https://vehq.com/budget-friendly-used-cars-expensive-three-years-ago/

DIY Sawhorse Plans for woodworking

How to Build Stackable Sawhorses:
    https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-build-stackable-sawhorses/9ba683603be9fa5395fab901ec2f5bf1
"Build reusable and stackable sawhorses with five 2 in. x 4 in. x 8 ft. boards and a pound of screws."

3 Budget-Friendly, DIY Sawhorse Builds:

    https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/sawhorse-plans/

Some good looking designs ...

30 DIY Sawhorse Plans:  https://theselfsufficientliving.com/diy-sawhorse-plans/
The descriptions for these plans open links to other sites - lots of variety including multiple stackable designs.

9 Sawhorse Plans You Can Build This Weekend:

    https://www.bobvila.com/articles/sawhorse-plans/

NOTE: The actual plans are on Etsy for a fee ...

DIY table saw in-feed support arms

Infeed Support Arms:  https://jayscustomcreations.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/infeed-support-arms.pdf

Table Saw Infeed Support Arms: 

https://jayscustomcreations.com/2014/06/table-saw-infeed-support-arms/

Table Saw Infeed Support Arms (Video #1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha92hVk_qNw

Table Saw Infeed Support Arms (Video #2):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyNgZ72VwtA

Table Saw Infeed Support – Your Blueprint For Precision & Safety:
https://thejimbosliceworkshop.com/table-saw-infeed-support/

Home & Community Mesh Networks

https://livingmethod.com/community-mesh-networks-your-guide-to-a-local-comms-grid-when-the-internet-goes-down/

Community Mesh Networks:

"... what if your neighborhood could create its own independent, resilient communication grid? A simple, low-cost, and powerful network that you and your neighbors own and control, one that stays up even when everything else is down. This is the promise of a community mesh network."

"Building a mesh network sounds expensive and complicated, but new technology has made it incredibly accessible. We’re going to focus on a specific, beginner-friendly platform called Meshtastic. This open-source project is designed specifically for creating the kind of off-grid, long-range networks we need for emergency communications."

"To build your first node, you only need two things:

1. A LoRa Device: These are small, all-in-one circuit boards that cost between $30-$50. They come with a LoRa chip, a small screen, an antenna, and often a GPS. Excellent, affordable options for beginners include the LILYGO T-Echo or the HELTEC LoRa 32 V3. You can find them on Amazon or from online electronics retailers.
2. A Smartphone: The free Meshtastic app (available for Android and iOS) uses your phone’s Bluetooth to connect to your LoRa device. You use the app to type and read messages, just like any other texting app."

Beginners Guide to Home Wi-Fi Mesh Network Systems:

https://stevessmarthomeguide.com/wi-fi-mesh-networks/

"Wi-Fi mesh kits from Google, BT, Amazon etc make creating a large extended network very simple and usually don’t involve using cables.
They aren’t really designed to extend an existing Wi-Fi network, but to replace it.

They comprise 2 or more Wi-Fi nodes that work together to offer a single Wi-Fi network (one SSID), and devices can hop seamlessly across the nodes as they move within the network."

How to Set Up Mesh WiFi 2026: Complete Setup Guide:

https://www.guidespot.com/how-to-set-up-mesh-wifi/

How to Add Mesh Wifi to Your Existing Router:

https://blog.eero.com/add-mesh-wifi-to-existing-router/