caucus99percent

free-range politics, organic community

Thirteen!
So, it's the thirteenth of August, 2026. 13. A number which apparently really makes people uneasy and worried. I have never been really scared of 13. But I know people who are. So, why? Why is 13 so feared and unlucky, to the point that high rise buildings don't have 13th floors, rooms aren't numbered 13, and more?

Apparently there are a couple of reasons - and none of them make a lot of sense to me. It seems 13th is disliked and feared because of Norse and Christian mythology, at least in part. In Norse mythology, Loki, the god of mischief, crashed a feast to which 12 gods had been invited. Loki was the 13th and he wasn't invited. He showed up anyway and started a fight between two of the gods, who were brothers, Hödr, the blind god of darkness, and Baldr the god of light, joy and purity. Hödr shot Baldr with mistletoe (Loki had to aim and do all of that for him) and Loki had a laugh. And the death of Baldr started the countdown to Ragnarök - the end of the Norse world.

The shooting of Baldr by his blind brother Hödr from this article about Loki.

Good morning everyone.
Temps have leveled off to the low 80s for the next week or so, but no rain forecast.

The next couple of nights will be the peak times to spot the Perseid display emanating from the passing comet
109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years. Best viewing times will be between midnight and

Running on Empty

The US has run out of missiles. There's plenty of dumb bombs, but you have to fly over to deliver them. That explains the lack of US response to Iran striking ships in the Strait. Also the US strategic petroleum reserves are close to empty which threatens the stability of the salt caverns where the fuel is stored. The US also lacks a plan or strategy in either war, Iran and Ukraine. However, there's no lack of news and stories and we'll touch on several below the fold...

Afternoon folks!

This week we've got an album from a singer known for sounding a lot like B.B. King, notably joined on the album by the guitarist Earl Hooker. After that, there's an album from Chicago blues piano player Roosevelt Sykes followed by one from harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite. After that we've got some blues rock from guitarist Harvey Mandel - probably best known for his work with Canned Heat and John Mayall's band. A little more blues rock follows from Blodwyn Pig a british band formed by the first guitarist of Jethro Tull (Mick Abrahams). We finish off with an album of prog rock from Asia featuring Steve Howe (Yes) and Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer).

Enjoy the tunes and have a great weekend!