T-Mobile

We got a great deal on 1GB Internet and mobile service from Spectrum. We called to switch from T-Mobile. They tried to talk us out of it with a lower rate for six months, gave us a transfer PIN, charged us for not completely paid off phone and told us the phones were unlocked. Spectrum could not transfer over our numbers because the phones were still locked.  After two trips to T-Mobile retail store, multiple useless calls to T-Mobile support, and two trips to Spectrum store, all was resolved.  William at Spectrum store and after some initial resistance, Heather at T-Mobile store fixed it, but what a long involved process.

Yes. My 1GB Internet is actually delivering 920Mbps. Really huge images such as from newspapers.com and Chronicling America just flash up.

News Stories That Make You Go, "Hmmmm"

The first finally had an answer, 50 years later. 

Boone, N.C. (1972)

02/05/1972: The mother called a relative to report three intruders in her home. When police arrived, mother, father, and son had been strangled with nylon cord “while their heads were held under water in the bathtub.” The sheriff told a reporter that “the identities of the three suspects were known.” Fifty years later, police identified four men (three already dead, the fourth already serving life for other offenses), members of the “Dixie Mafia,” who were hired to do this. The son of the surviving murderer told police of his father’s confession. They did not identify who hired them.

Category: family non-resident

Suicide: no

Cause: other

Weapon: strangle, drown[1]

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[1] "Triple Murders Jars 'Quiet Neighborhood'," Castle, Penn.] New Castle News, Feb. 05, 1972, 2; Jerry Lankford, "50-Year Durham Family Murder Mystery Solved," Wilkes Record, Feb, 8, 2022.

The other one seems to have no final resolution. It smells of Mafia, though.

Portage, Ind. (1972)

02/07/1972: Three partners in a correspondence school, named Biederman, Tobias, and Foley, took out $40,000 life insurance policies payable to the school. They then all disappeared. A prospective buyer of an abandoned motel found Biederman and Tobias shot to death outside. Police found Foley shot to death in Biederman’s car in Gary. “Authorities said the murders looked like the work of professionals.”

Category: public

Suicide: no

Cause: unknown

Weapon: firearm[1]

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[1] "Three Businessmen Slain," South Bend Tribune, Feb. 12, 1972, 1.

Make Everything Free? What Could Go Wrong?

 8/14/26 Fox News:

Political promises of "free buses" in New York City are contributing to a spike in fare evasion that is costing the city’s mass transit system millions of dollars, transit officials warn.

In July, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Janno Lieber blamed political rhetoric for fueling fare evasion, though he never mentioned Mayor Zohran Mamdani by name.

"There’s a trend that broke out," Lieber told reporters following a meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, according to the New York Post. "With malice towards none, I say all of the talk of free buses, it has an impact."

The MTA reported that paid bus ridership fell nearly 8% in June compared to the same month last year. During Mamdani’s first six months in office, bus fare revenue fell by $31 million compared to the first half of 2025. Agency estimates show nearly half of bus riders now skip the $3 fare.

If this was a program to help the poor, you might have an argument for it. But I am sure middle class New Yorkers are taking advantage of this as well. (I doubt the Park Avenue set is riding city buses.) 

There is an argument that fare box recovery is such a small part of the total revenue that collecting and counting it is not worth the cost. Many years ago, I ran for Santa Monica City Council. In preparing to run, I looked over the financials for various city departments. I was startled to find that fares were a trivial part of the spending. Most of the costs was covered by federal and state revenues. The Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines cost $4.25/passenger mile. Fares were $0.25 for all but the rare out of zone trips, typically far outside the city. For that actual cost, it would be cheaper to provide free taxi service.

Still, there is a logical error here. Any service that is free to the user will be used with wild abandon: bus trips of two blocks; homeless people spending the day and night in a place that is warm and dry, and relatively safe. Buses will get very crowded.

Another Citation

Barnett v. Raoul (7th Cir. 2026) citing "Knives and the Second Amendment".  Alas not with the desired result.

How Stupid Do You Have to Be?

I waa watching When PIT Maneuvers Are Used With NO MERCY!   I can half-understand why someone in one of the hopped-up up Chargers thinks they might outrun state police but a Toyota Camry or Corolla? Admittedly, many of these idiots have long criminal histories, so they are already among the mentally challenged.

The New House

Subtropical climate means too hot to spend much time outside. My son-in-law describes it as only tolerable on a body of water or with a cold drink in your hand or preferably both. I added with a cold drink in a body of water.

The plus side is quiet it is. Cicadas and tree frogs are the only noise at night. 

Forest Primeval