Why can your driver’s license not be used for voting without registration? You must prove citizenship to obtain a government-issued ID to vote. Why do you still need to register? Think about it.

Trump Announces Executive Order Plans on Voter ID Requirements

Not just the CDC. Needlessly fight traffic to do what months ago was multiple people’s jobs, plus handle constant institutional shake-ups and potential violence. A surefire way to lose your best people.

CDC Workers Told to Return to Office on September 15, Weeks After Gunman Attacked Headquarters

Funny, all the push for AI personalities. I guess developers do not read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy anymore or missed the bit on GPPs. Douglas Adams continues to predict the future with his satire decades on.

Starting at 1:40, the question that needs to be asked every time civilians are bombed in Ukraine or Gaza. Are you targeting civilians, or is your aim that bad? Neither is good , but it is one or the other. Own up!

If the sides were not trying to rig elections, the district map lines would mostly match county lines.

The only reason to cross county lines is when counties lack sufficient population to form a district on their own. In counties with a population for more than one district, it should be split with the straightest of lines. For example, look at where Texas wants to violate this logic here. Why? The GOP is unhappy with having 66% of Texas districts and wants at least 80%. The lines get so squirrely because, according to 2020 data, approximately 84% of Texans live in urban areas. People in urban areas tend to lean left because they are exposed to diverse groups of people more frequently. So you see GOP-drawn maps taking several low-population counties into a district with a sliver of a populous county to dilute the urban vote. Zoom into any county with a population large enough to be its own district, and you will see how it’s been divided to suppress the voice of that 84%.

Piloting Drones as a Reforestation Tool

Tree planting typically occurs two years after a fire. Alternatively, aerial drone seeding can occur a couple of months after a fire, once the seed vessels are ready and the winter rains arrive to water the seeds.

Just wondering.

A significant campaign promise of Trump was to release UAP files. If there is nothing to them, then why the holdup? The demand to see them is so huge that releasing the UAP files, even if they contain nothing, would likely overshadow the Epstein files in the news. Perhaps there are no aliens; instead, they are just suppressing technology that could harm industries with lobbyists. Maybe their release would just be embarrassing to those with influence. Makes even a skeptic wonder how shocking those UAP files must be and why.

Another phone scam going around

So many things are wrong with this voicemail. First off, I only use that line as a backup for outbound calls, so no one should know the number. The calling number is not even a valid number, as 618 is not a valid country code. Next, it implies an Amazon.com purchase was made, but without any details. I can see how someone receiving this call on their main line might press 1 to find out what is going on. But this is a scam.

“If you have not made any such transaction then please press 1 to cancel your order. Else if you have made this purchase on Amazon and recognize it then please press 2 to confirm your order or to talk to our customer care. Please press 3 to repeat this goodbye.” - Spectrum

Mailbox 512-###-#### has a new voice message from Unknown Caller (+618638452155). Length: 15 seconds Received on: 08/19/2025 11:55AM (CDT)

Me: It is called paranoia when it seems everyone is out to get you. What do they call it when your co-workers seem to be trying to drive you insane? AI: Monday?

Why is this not better known? ​ Machines to convert our plastic waste into 3D printer filaments.

This Facebook post got me thinking there ought to be a way for people to convert their plastic containers to 3D printer filament. I did a bit of research since I couldn’t be the first to think of this. Here is what I found.

There are machines specifically designed to convert plastic containers—most commonly PET bottles—into 3D printer filament.

Some notable examples:

Filabot: A commercial solution that allows users to recycle various types of waste plastic, including failed 3D prints and some household plastics, into printer filament. It offers grinders and extruders for producing filament compatible with common 3D printers.

Filament Maker by Sustainable Design Studio: This machine is designed for home users, workshops, or schools. It includes a bottle cutting tool and can create filament from PET bottles efficiently, with detailed guides and plug-and-play assembly options.

PETFusion Machine: A compact, easy-to-use device (featured on Kickstarter) converts PET plastic bottles into 1.75mm filament for 3D printing. It automates bottle preparation, extrusion, and spool winding—making it accessible for hobbyists and professionals alike.

Polyformer: An open-source project that converts plastic bottles into 3D printer filament using a custom bottle cutter and extruder. It has been implemented globally, is financially accessible, and helps mitigate plastic waste by providing affordable filament.

3devo Filament Maker and Shredder: This professional-grade solution allows the creation of filament from shredded plastic waste, suitable for R&D, education, and custom filament engineering. It offers a full recycling workflow—from shredding to spooling—making it ideal for advanced users.

There are also DIY options and guides (e.g., on Instructables) for building your own system to turn PET bottles into filament using common 3D printer parts, a cutter, and a modified hotend.

Limitations: Most of these machines are optimized for PET bottles, not all types of plastic containers. The filament produced may not match the quality of commercial filament and may require tuning your 3D printer’s settings. Print quality can vary with homemade or recycled filament, but for prototyping and sustainable manufacturing, these solutions are effective.

For home use, open-source or kit options like Polyformer or PETFusion are popular and cost-effective, while professional setups (Filabot, 3devo) are preferred for larger-scale or precise needs.

Added a couple of short video updates to my 7/4/2025 to 7/6/2025 Fireworks, storm, and flood damage. playlist.

Post DOGE / AI job boom coming

Here are the DOGE steps and the order in which they are being carried out:

  1. Estimate the number of jobs that will become redundant if an agency standardizes on the same updated tools.
  2. Add in any jobs where DOGE people are unsure of their function or seem redundant, such as QA roles.
  3. Lay off that percentage of people, plus a few more if the numbers are not impressive, regardless of those positions relative to the above perceived inefficiencies. (aka people are people and interchangeable)
  4. Set a tight deadline to complete the transitions, assuming no layoffs.
  5. Inform the remaining staff about the new responsibilities they need to assume and learn, in addition to their existing tasks. Added bonus, many more will quit or retire at this point.
  6. Start the transition even if the tools needed for the transition are not ready yet.
  7. Look for a scapegoat when not only the transition fails to meet the deadline, but also when necessary work, such as system patches, fails to be completed.
  8. Decide to eliminate the agency or hire staff to above pre-DOGE levels to clean up the mess, depending on the level of rioting in the streets.

From my vantage point, we are rapidly approaching step 7. Granted, there will be some variance by project. Please don’t take my word for it. Reach out to anyone you know still working in or with a federal agency and ask.

Many private companies are using a similar game plan for AI adoption. Do not get me wrong, I’m all about automation. A lot of my over 40 years as a developer has been to automate my job away. The point is that you should get the new system working before laying off people, not after.

So on the plus side, despite the current state of the job market, the future for contract labor looks promising in the near future. Similar to the boom from Y2K. I think maintaining contact with your old project is key, since employers will be looking for people with the skill sets of those laid off, as bringing in new people generally takes a good while to get them up to speed.

Liberals started leaving a while back, with the governor trying to override/annex the liberal cities, but now it seems the right has had enough as well.

‘Moving to Texas is over’: Podcasters who followed Joe Rogan to Austin rail against state

Seriously? Yep, absolutely not a cult.

GOP Bill Seeks to Rename Kennedy Center for Trump

For all those worried about plate readers and face ID I give you WhoFi: Unique ‘fingerprint’ based on Wi-Fi interactions