Chanukah, the Second Night

Baaah...We awake still sore from our snow removal endeavors on Sunday. As we write this the temp is 12 degrees outside, American and we have two kids at the bus stop. 

Baah again, we're cranky this morning. 

The second night of Chanukah is done. Hellenists suck. 

First World problems, as Ace likes to say....

We're worried about our HVAC, which was serviced a few weeks ago. But it operates slightly differently since we had the motor blower, motherboard and thermostat replaced last summer. Remember the AC wars? Ever since we've been super attuned to small variations in performance. The burner switching off, the fan running in cool down mode, etc. 

Also, the other day our water heater emergency shut off valve closed for no reason. It's not a big deal. One just presses a button and the valve opens up. But this is the second time that's happened in 5 weeks. We did a little research and it seems dirt on the sensor can cause the valve to close. Indeed, when we checked we did see some schmutz and a couple of spiders in the flood pan. These are almost certainly what caused the shut off. 

Yes this is a thing, anxiety for lack of a better term. We're pushing through. 

The Jerusalem Post reports, Sydney Opera House lit with menorah after deadly antisemitic attack.' Oh look, a gesture in the face of an Islamic terrorist attack. We've seen these before. They're meaningless. Especially when PM Anthony Albanese is worried about right wing extremists and touting further gun control measures. Meanwhile, remember the name, Mr. Ahmed al-Ahmed; righteous Gentile.  

Meanwhile, 'WASHINGTON — Four people from an “anti-capitalist, anti-government” extremist group accused of hatching a plot to carry out coordinated bombings in and around Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve were in court Monday...' These aren't even Muslims, just leftwing lunatics. 

Breitbart's John Nolte has a pithy summation of the late Rob Reiner's career. Do note the absolute murderer's row of good, fun, and rewatchable movies Reiner made in the 80s and early 90s. It's a Gen-X playlist, part of the background of our growing up. The man was a talent and genuinely funny.  We wouldn't even know where to begin with his All in the Family work. Let us just say, right now a lot of guitar amps are turned up to 11. 

DOGE Report: we went of chapter headings in Thatcher's War, or whatever we're calling it. Why did we call the Waterside station Richill Station? It's on Richill Road but is clearly called Waterside Station, right down to the sign easily visible on Google street view. Huh. Anyway, problem fixed. 

We looked over a couple of chapters of Thatcher's War II yesterday. We're not quite sure what to do next, TBH. There must needs be more set up. Or must there? This is the sequel, or continuation of TWI. Aside from American political intrigue, the reader isn't seeing much of the rest of the world. The reader probably doesn't need to see.