Which of These Methods of Execution is Worse?

I am enjoying Jonathan Healey's The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England: 1603-1689. You doubtless know because you read this blog that treason in England was punished by drawing and quartering, of which castration was probably the least unpleasant part. So in reading the first sentence of chapter 3, I found myself wondering if the Gunpowder Plotters would have preferred execution by Ursus Horribilis:

I wish there was a way to rotate pictures on my phone.  I can rotate and save them in Photos but they stay upside from blogger app 

Letters of Marque and Reprisal

 
Instapundit was keen on using letters of marque and reprisal during the War on Terror. I am grading rough drafts of student papers. One awesome one by, unsurprisingly, an engineering major, makers the point that letters of marque were a force multiplier against a numerically superior Royal Navy during the Revolution and War of 1812. I think we should seriously consider whether there would be time to use such in the worrisomely likely war of Taiwanese Independence. Imagine the resale value to privateers of capturing a VLCC (very large crude carrier): about $100 million worth of oil. Are there Americans with the courage to seize a Chinese-bound VLCC in the Straits of Malacca to split the value of that much oil and the ship? Yes there are.

This is Stupid Crimes in California Week, I Guess

4/18/26 KABC:

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- Irvine police arrested a man accused of purchasing Lego sets from Target, removing some of the valuable pieces and replacing them with dried pasta.

"You read that correctly, we are talking about durum wheat semolina pasta, and what we are calling a pasta-tively terrible plan," the Irvine Police Department said in a post on Instagram.

Target reported at least 70 thefts across the country allegedly tied to 28-year-old Jarrelle Augustine, of Paramount, police said. The thefts totaled about $34,000 in losses.

Not being part of Legoverse, I find myself wondering what are the "valuable pieces"? 

Another Snakeoil Remedy Fails

4/17/26 SciTechDaily:

 A sweeping new analysis published in The Lancet Psychiatry challenges one of the fastest-growing trends in modern medicine: the use of cannabis-based treatments for mental health. After reviewing a vast body of clinical evidence, researchers found no reliable support for using medicinal cannabis to treat anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

This should surprise no one. I am convinced Soros has been funding decriminalization efforts everywhere in the West to destroy the West  

It Appears Iran's Government Wants More Visits

 4/18/26 AP:

Iran swiftly reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that it would continue to block transit as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.

Iran said Friday it fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels, but U.S. President Donald Trump said the American blockade on Iranian ships and ports “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S., including on its nuclear program.

Iranian officials said the blockade was a violation of last week’s ceasefire agreement between Iran and the U.S. The strait “will not remain open” if the blockade continues, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, posted on X early Saturday. Trump imposed the blockade earlier this week after Iran restricted traffic through the strait due to fighting in Lebanon, which Iran claimed was a breach of the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire. Trump later suggested a second round of direct US-Iran talks could happen this weekend.

I have seen it suggested that no one is really in control in Iran, and their diplomats are making deals that others in the government do not approve.

An Insurance Fraud So Weird That I Do Not Need to Tell You in What State it Happened

 4/17/26 SFGATE:

Multiple people in Glendale have been sentenced in a bizarre felony insurance fraud case involving a bear costume and luxury cars. 

Officials from the California Department of Insurance launched the investigation back in 2024 after an insurance company flagged an unusual claim of a Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan being damaged after a bear climbed inside near Lake Arrowhead. The grainy surveillance footage appeared to show a bear rummaging through the vehicle, and photos submitted showed scratches on the interior of the car, which can retail for over $400,000 when new.

But the video and photos from the scene didn’t look quite right. During the investigation, detectives sent the footage to a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who “concluded the animal shown was clearly a human in a bear suit,” according to the news release from the California Department of Insurance. The team then realized similar claims had been made about damage to two Mercedes vehicles. 

At least the "bear" did not drive it to a chop shop for disassembly. 

Have Any of You Had Trancranial Magnetic Stimulation?

Since my left hemisphere stroke in 2014, I have battled with dysphagia on the right of my throat as well exhaustion when talking. Being married to an extreme extrovert, this is a serious problem.

My ENT has decided that my failure to respond to GERD diet (anything you like to eat or drink is prohibited) suggests the problem is stroke damage. I also found out yesterday that my sleep apnea is not only obstructive but what is called central sleep apnea. My brain is sometimes failing to send the breathe command. Fortunately, this is only an occasional lost message.

I discovered from talking to SuperGrok that TMS has been found by meta-analysis of dozens of RCTs to be more effective than swallowing exercises alone or swallowing exercises plus sham TMS (placebo treatment) at treating post-stroke dysphagia.

The RCTs, unfortunately, are almost entirely within 12 months of the stroke. It also appears that Medicare only covers it for depression. If I have to pay for it out of pocket, as my son-in-law says, "It's only money," and there is no shortage of that 

Any experience with TMS?