Jim Whittington🔥

Yep. And really, given all the DOGE stuff, other bad personnel practices, and anti-science mindset, how could they not fall behind? Completely predictable. It will cost a bunch to fix everything and the further out we go, the more expensive it gets. Meanwhile, temps go up and summer is coming.

YouTube video by Michael Doucet - Topic Auld Lang Syne

As a bonus, here's the best version of Auld Lang Syne.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsgi...

YouTube video by Harry Fontenot - Topic Jingle Bells

And one more. All three of these albums are loaded. Highly recommended. 3/3
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M12...

YouTube video by C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band - Topic Zydeco Christmas

Here's another. 2/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm7N...

YouTube video by Lonnie Brooks - Topic Christmas On The Bayou

Here's some legit music for the season. All those with a little Louisiana in them know what I'm talking about. 1/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Cm...

Man, we are already getting predictive fire outlooks for March, 2026. Where did the year go? (Where did the 2000s go?)

Ah, well.

Nevermind.

The Mississippi River communities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa with Rock Island and Moline/East Moline in Illinois.

There's a great PhD opportunity here to analyze the effectiveness of previous mascots & provide some understanding as to why the fed gov no longer does this kid of thing. Is it because of budget/personnel reductions? Narrowly defined positions? Changes in org culture that devalues creativity? 6/6

Anyway, as I was thinking about Johnny I was trying to remember when the last successful US Gov mascot was created and I guess it was McGruff the Crime Dog who is now nearing 50. Seems like there ought to be a more recent one, but I can't think of any. 5/

Johnny Horizon never made it to Smokey Bear's level--or even that of Woodsy Owl. He was soon forgotten after the Department of the Interior repealed protections for his image in 1982. 4/

YouTube video by Hilda Haselnuss Duet with Burl Ives, Don't Go Near The Water and Johnny Horizon

Johnny also got Burl Ives to help spread the word. Here, he's singing the Johnny Horizon theme song on the Johnny Cash Show. 3/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBdo...

Johnny was a big deal during the Bicentennial. 2/

1970s Bureau of Land Management publicity campaign creation Johnny Horizon, symbol of the thoughtful outdoorsman. 1/

How the Rapid Spread of Misinformation Pushed Oregon Lawmakers to Kill the State’s Wildfire Risk Map After Oregon’s record-breaking fire season in 2020, lawmakers wanted to map out which properties were most at risk. But anger from homeowners escalated quickly.

The same thing happened in Oregon, along with a massive amount of mis- and dis-information. www.propublica.org/article/oreg...

El problema de la precariedad y estacionalidad de los bomberos forestales no lo encontramos solo en España y, de hecho, no conozco ni un solo país que disponga de un cuerpo de BBFF cuya plantilla al 100% trabaje todo el año con contrato fijo (y público) bsky.app/profile/jimw...

The problems faced by wildland firefighters are not just confined to the US. It seems there is a global inability to design a system that is fair, creates career options, and respects the risks taken. We all must do better because we will need everyone for what's coming.

The problem with Thanksgiving leftovers is that the gravy is finished off first, leaving you with mountains of un-gravy-able turkey and dressing.

Hook 'em!

Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:

Grizzly
Mountain Lion
Wolf
Condor
Bison

Bonus sightings: Pika, Alligator, Nutria, Bobcat, Beaver, and a number of snakes and raptors.

YouTube video by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Steely Dan - "Black Friday" | 2001 Induction

This is about the stock market crash, but some of the words apply to today.

Stay safe out there folks.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYAP...

YouTube video by NBA Reed Sheppard's CAREER-HIGH 31 PTS vs Warriors | November 26, 2025

It's great y'all are talking about football, but really, everyone should be talking about Reed Sheppard. The kid is still learning, but it's clear he's the truth. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xex4...

Ugh. I'm full.

I don't know why I do this to myself every year.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I only have five that I have seen more than once: The Who, SRV, Joe Ely, ZZ Top, and the National Symphony Orchestra.

So all the messy social science research into humans & the systems they create that we need to function as a complex society is no longer supported? Great.

It's like watching a big multi-vehicle pile up--you immediately think of the lives it will change for the worse. Except this is no accident.

Incidentally, my best word ever on the app is "homering" for 203 points.

I use Wordmaster. It has tiny, hardly noticeable ads up top, but video ads only happen when you start a second game. Just close the app at the end of a game and then reopen for no video ads.

Not sure why the photo didn't attach. Here it is.

When I first saw the photos of multiple buildings on fire it made no sense. But after reading about the bamboo and nylon scaffolding, yeah. Here's a photo of the complex that shows embers have likely started fires in the scaffolding of the two buildings that aren't yet smoking.

👆I say that as a guy who loves the desert, loves the SW, and has lived in both NM and AZ. I do miss it so. Still, I'll never live there again.