Look at me doin' the Michelin Guide thing...

 

Podere Belvedere in Barberino di Mugello, Italy is a a bed and breakfast with a swimming pool with a view, a really cool garden, and free WiFi. They also have a restaurant, bar, and coffee shop. The property features family rooms, private bathrooms, and free on-site parking. Additional amenities include a pool with a view, bathrobes, bidet (yeah, no thanks),  and free toiletries.

 Breakfast includes a buffet with Italian and vegetarian options, local specialties, warm dishes, juice, fresh pastries, cheese, and fruits. Dinner is highly rated by guests.

 Located 24 mi from Florence Airport, the property is really kinda stunning, the rooms are comfortable and the restaurant is great. 

Babs and I stayed there with my brother TJ and his wife a coupla years back. It was a little out of the way, but the area around it is stunning. It was ridiculously cheap for what it is and where - I think we paid the equivalent of 70 bucks a night - and that included a full breakfast. Helluva place if you're ever thinking of going to Tuscany...

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Click here for more information.

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How far did she go?

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Handmade gifts are extra special when

they're for someone extra special.

Click on the picture for more information on this bracelet

 It's one-of-a-kind and comes with free shipping.

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/BjacksonJewelry

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We could learn a lot from them old folk...

Timeless wisdom passed down from grandparents often centers on hard work, kindness, resilience, and simple living.

• Hard work and provision: Showing up daily, putting food on the table, and taking pride in a job well done.

• Humility and kindness: Treating people with quiet strength, respect, and grace rather than ego or loudness.

• Resilience and stoicism: Weathering life's hardships, bouncing back from setbacks, and choosing to move forward instead of dwelling on negativity.

• Faith and values: Grounding daily life in faith, honesty, and strong moral principles.

• Appreciating the simple things: Finding joy in shared family meals, ordinary conversations, and slow moments rather than chasing constant excess.

• Financial mindfulness: Saving a portion of what you earn first and avoiding waste.

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The Old Grey Lady stumbles again...

The New York Times came in for online mockery Tuesday after a list it published of Jewish voters saying they would back Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for Senate included the unfortunate moniker “Jack Mehoff.” The Times initially reported Sept. 17 on the letter, which it said was signed by “more than 500 people who identify as Jewish leaders or voters” in the Mitten State and insisted that El-Sayed is “clearly the better choice for Jews.”

The story included a link to a public Google Doc managed by a group calling itself Michigan Jews for Democracy. Mehoff appears at No. 403 on the alphabetical list, which was also promoted by the El-Sayed campaign the same day the Times published its story. 

Records reviewed by The Post lists someone named Jack Mehoff as living on campus at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

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Bullying lives on social media for kids, and AI isn't helping...

 
Social media and artificial intelligence have transformed bullying from a physical, school-yard encounter into a 24/7, invisible, and scalable threat. Traditional bullying (at least as we knew it growing up) ended when a student left school grounds. Social media follows victims home through phones, tablets, and computers, meaning the attacks wait for them the moment they turn their devices back on.

Bullies no longer need to be older, larger, or physically intimidating. Anyone with a mean streak and a smartphone can target a peer. Short-form content platforms push material through algorithms rather than direct peer-to-peer contact, meaning youth can be harassed or targeted by strangers or on a massive, public scale ("scrolling beats posting").

On the positive side, more and more school systems are requiring kids to surrender their phones before the school day begins. That's a good start. Social media itself has brought visibility to hidden behaviors—naming issues like "slut-shaming" or "fat-shaming" and connecting victims globally to support groups like the Tyler Clementi Foundation or the Diana Award in the UK.

Click the banner for info. Prime  members get free delivery.

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When you buy anything on Amazon going from a link

on this blog, I get credit for whatever you buy. 

Granted, it's only pennies, but every penny helps, right?

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Hats off for this fantastic HillBetty...

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Yeah, I'll be happy when it's over, too. But how happy?

With the 2026 midterm elections finally going on today, American voters are putting up with an insane final surge of political advertising from Democratic and Republican campaigns. Both parties have poured resources into television, radio, and digital spots that repeat familiar attacks and promises. The result is a pervasive sense of 'fuckyou-idness' among the public, most of whom have tuned out the messages entirely alreaqdy.

 Unlimited spending by PACs and party committees has turned elections into prolonged advertising contests. Viewers see the same bullshit regurgitated across channels, reducing complex policy debates to slogans - and outright lies.

The cartoon argues that the problem is bipartisan. By depicting both the donkey and the elephant wielding identical megaphones labeled political ads, it shows that neither side offers relief from the noise.

I've been getting three or four text messages a day from candidates not even running in my district. Every other ad on TV and radio has been political. You can't help but tune then all out - they're as effective as that lawn sign your neighbor put out for the guy you're not gonna vote for. It's just too much. I can't wait for tomorrow to come so the ads will all go back to pimping pharmaceutical drugs I don't need - or need to know about...

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You need to take advantage of these 

deals when they pop up. 

Click on it for info. This is more than half off.

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How are you going to make it in the world?

 

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What is the attraction? It's cold, it's snowy and it's dangerous as fuckall...

And all that aside, it costs a small fortune to do it. To climb and mountain - and maybe die trying. Two helicopters collided Tuesday while trying to land just below Mount Everest’s base camp, killing at least one person and injuring two others, officials said.

The aircraft were ferrying trekkers who had been hiking up to Everest base camp during Nepal’s popular trekking season. Heavy snow had covered the route before the weather improved Sunday and thousands of trekkers were able to move around. You read that correctly - thousands of Trekkies. There are no roads on Everest, and helicopters are the only way to bring down trekkers and guides who become sick or exhausted in the cold and high altitude. 

The helicopters crashed at Pheriche village, which is at 13,780 feet altitude. The whole concept boggles my mind. Classic example of people having too many dollars and not enough sense.  At least 346 people have died attempting to climb Mount Everest since records began. That's a whole lotta dead stupid there...

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Someone must have a birthday 

or anniversary coming up.

Here's a great gift idea...

 

Click on the picture for more information on this lovely necklace
It's only $ 45.00 - and it comes to you with free shipping!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BjacksonJewelry

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When you buy anything on Amazon going from a link

on this blog, I get credit for whatever you buy. 

Granted, it's only pennies, but every penny helps, right?

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Her hatred of all things Trump supercedes the needs of her State's truck drivers and farmers...

NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill warned terminal operators - and workers - in a Monday letter that unloading Russian fuel could bring civil and criminal liability, as at least one tanker may be bound for the Jersey coast. Sherrill told New Jersey’s port and terminal operators Monday that handling Russian diesel could expose them to civil and criminal penalties, escalating her standoff with the Trump administration over its fuel deal with Moscow. Sherrill said that union workers at those ports could be charged and jailed if they disobey her order.

In a letter dated Nov. 2, Sherrill urged operators to turn away any tanker that seeks to use their facilities to move Russian fuel. She said the state will use “every available legal and regulatory tool” to keep its ports from being exploited. The New Jersey governor, an uber-leftie Democrat, also posted about the letter on X.

The letter warns that anyone who takes part in an illegal importation could be liable for a penalty equal to the value of the goods. The statute of limitations is five years, so Sherrill told operators they could face millions of dollars in penalties long after the current administration leaves office.

 

But won't every one from now on be 'the most expensive ever'?

The US midterms campaign is set to be the most expensive on record - with the total cost projected to reach nearly $12 billion, according to Open Secrets, an independent organisation that tracks campaign finance. Most of the spending is driven by outside political groups - known as Super Political Action Committees (Super Pacs) - pouring large sums of money into some key races ahead of election day today.

The top individual donor is billionaire businessman Elon Musk, who has spent almost half a billion dollars backing Republican candidates, particularly in Texas where many of his companies are based.

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Super Pacs can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labour unions, and other political committees. They can't give that money directly to candidates but they can spend it supporting them indirectly.

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 Don't you know a nice Irish girl 

who has a birthday coming up?

 

Click on the picture for more information on these unique hand-made earrings.

They're only $ 20.00 and that includes free shipping!

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/BjacksonJewelry

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On Facebook and Instagram and any other 'social' media, we're constantly confronted with inane bullshit like this. There's two things to consider about the mentalities that engage in this mindless shit. First and foremost, who's the jerkoff that thought this was a bright idea and created it, but even more important is the 944 people who responded to just this one - and most of them were wrong, but that's not what bothers me. What bugs me the most is the fact that so many people have so little appreciation for their own time and intellect that they'd engage in this mindless nonsense. Or am I just a friggin' grumpy old guy bitching about inconsequential bullshit? You tell me.

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An essential part of any emergency plan.

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Election officials and advocacy organizations intensified get-out-the-vote efforts in the final days before today's midterms. With control of Congress and numerous state offices at stake, turnout among older voters and other key groups became a focal point for both parties. The appeal from an experienced citizen at the ballot box underscored the view that this election cycle represented a critical juncture for policy direction on issues ranging from healthcare to economic security. Some states reported record early voting numbers while others faced legal challenges over new identification rules and ballot deadlines. These disputes highlighted ongoing tensions between expanding participation and maintaining election integrity, with both sides claiming their approach best serves democratic principles.

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Went over to the bar for a coupla pops last night at 5:30. It was pitch dark.

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I'm probably 1 1/2 in this pic with my two older brothers, Bob and Tom. I can still vaguely remember there were occasions when we did all three of us sleep in the same bed, but I can't remember why. Especially since, at that age, I'da thought Sophie woulda still had me sleeping in a crib. I think both of my little sisters slept in cribs until they were at least two...

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Nice simple B&W cartoon from Saturday Evening Post back in the 50's. I sent it to GROK with the simple request 'Color this'. That AI shit is as scary as it is amazing. Took about five seconds - this is what it sent back to me.

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