Brace yourself, Bridget, the Califonia legislature is coming (Updated)

/

In 2008, California voters approved a $33 billion project to construct a 520 mile high-speed railway from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Three weeks ago, the project cost was announce to be $126 billion, even though the route has been shortened to 171 miles, the line itself will run only through the Central Valley, connecting Merced, Fresno, and, for Merle Haggard and Dwight Yoakam fans, Bakersfield, and not a single mile of rail has been laid.

Today, that $126 billion estimate was bumped up a bit, to $230 billion, and still climbing.

Off the Rails: Price of CA High Speed Rail Soars to Over $230B

California’s long-delayed high-speed rail project is now facing renewed scrutiny after state leaders revealed a dramatically higher price tag, now estimated at roughly $231 billion, nearly seven times the original $33 billion projection approved by voters in 2008.

The revised figures have reignited talks in Sacramento over whether the project can realistically be completed, how long it will take, and whether the state can continue to fund it at this scale.

I have to say this again because it's stunning: The price has jumped $105 billion since the estimate given three weeks ago. And despite that, the plan to get this finished, according to the people in charge, is to rely on private funding. 

California High-Speed Rail Authority officials say the project’s future depends on attracting private investors and focusing on a broader, more commercially viable vision, connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Who is going to be dumb enough to invest in this boondoggle?

Senator Tony Strickland sharply criticized the updated costs and timeline, pointing to what he described as a major breakdown in public trust...

“If you’re able to get private sector resources after you continue your project that was supposed to be $33 billion and turned into $231 billion I give you a lot of credit if you’re able to raise a lot of that private capital," Strickland said.

Ain’t gonna happen, but that won’t stop the legislature from further spending on the project: too many of its construction union bosses want the loot.

And, very much related …

California's Billionaire Tax Is a Giant Bait-and-Switch

When the income tax was first introduced in 1913, it was explicitly designed to apply to a small fraction of high-income earners and not the general population. The top rate, seven percent, applied to roughly two to three percent of all American households. Most Americans paid no income tax at all.

But, as we all know, that radically changed over time and now most of us have our income taxes taken directly from our paychecks.

It was the ultimate bait-and-switch, and now California Democrats have looked at what the federal government did and said, "Hold our beer."

Turns out the so-called "Billionaire Tax," which would impose a five percent tax on billionaires' assets or net worth, and not just their income, has a backdoor provision that will allow Democrats to tax everyone without an additional vote on the matter.

Better still, here’s, possibly — probably? — California’s next governor:

UPDATE: David Strom has more, including an amusing X post* collecting previous statements from the man who would be President:

Anybody who knew anything, which is to say NOT the California voters, who will buy anything a Democrat tries to sell them, knew that the price tag presented to the taxpayers was total fiction. Certainly, the politicians and engineers knew, but building a train was never the point. The graft was, which is why, decades later and years after the train was supposed to be up and running, billions of dollars have been spent and not one inch of track has been laid. 

*As the clip comprises actual, accurate, scenes, would this be considered ex post facto X? Asking for a friend.

You're probably wondering — okay, you haven't been, but pretend you are — why the Democrats are so determined to destroy Pete Hegseth.

/

Because he’s determined not to let our military go Canadian (or England; see below)

Canadian Military Learns That Diversity Might Not Be Its Strength

David Strom:

Who could have guessed that recruiting recent African migrants who can't speak English to become officers in the Canadian military would turn out to be a bad idea?

Not me. I have been reliably informed that diversity is our strength, that migrants inject new vitality into our ossified societies, and that we need DEI to decolonialize our racist societies. 

But, it turns out, that these truths are not so self-evident. 

These are the two countries from which Canada recruited its new officers:


AI Overview

The 2010–2011 Ivory Coast civil war, stemming from a disputed election, resulted in over 3,000 deaths, widespread sexual violence, and mass displacements, with atrocities committed by forces on both sides. Key abuses included summary executions, particularly in Duékoué where over 800 people were killed, mass rape, and burning of villages, prompting International Criminal Court investigations.

Key Atrocities and Human Rights Violations

  • Massacres and Summary Executions: A Reuters report on a government inquiry noted that of over 3,000 victims, at least 2,241 were summarily executed, with significant abuses linked to both Laurent Gbagbo’s militias and forces supporting Alassane Ouattara.

  • Mass Rape and Violence Against Women: During the post-election crisis, Human Rights Watch documented over 150 cases of rape and sexual violence.

  • Ethnic and Political Targeted Killing: Civilians were targeted based on political, ethnic, and religious affiliations, with pro-Gbagbo militias attacking foreign residents from neighboring countries.

  • Atrocities in the West: The town of Duékoué experienced massacres in 2011. While初期 reports blamed Gbagbo forces, UN officials and HRW documented that supporters of Ouattara also committed massive atrocities while taking control of the area.

  • Use of Child Soldiers: Reports indicated the use of children in the fighting, with stories of atrocities including children being burned alive, according to testimonies of refugees fleeing to Liberia.

4 July 2023

Amnesty International:

Cameroon: Rampant atrocities amid Anglophone regions must be stopped and investigated

  • People caught in the crossfire as multiple actors clash

  • Defence and security forces, militias, and armed separatists responsible for killings, rapes and burning down of houses

  • The Mbororo Fulani community targeted by armed separatists

  • Individuals who speak out against these atrocities are being threaten and arbitrarily detained

Cameroonian authorities must act to end the violence against the population and conduct thorough investigations into the killings, acts of torture, rapes, burning of houses and other atrocities committed in the Anglophone regions, said Amnesty International today in a damning new report that details rampant human rights violations and other crimes under domestic law committed by multiple actors in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon.

"Oh yeah? Let me prove you right."

/

Malcom Kenyatta,, face of the New Democratic party

DNC vice chair attacks Democratic Sen. John Fetterman: 'You’re a mess'

Malcolm Kenyatta, a Pennsylvania state lawmaker, unsuccessfully ran in the 2022 Democratic US Senate primary that Fetterman won

Mr. Kenyatta is not referring to the Senator’s casual style of dress, which is usually an outfit of sweatshirt and shorts.

FETTERMAN SAYS DEMOCRATS LACK LEADER, CLAIMS PARTY DRIVEN BY TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME

FETTERMAN: “And now, as the only single Democrat that’s flipped seats and now I’ve also made it mathematically impossible to even to reclaim the majority in the United States Senate.”

“So if they want the Democratic Party to turn it into, witch burning and to go after the one Democrat that’s done the thing that these people haven’t been able to do, so they’re entitled to do it.”

“But I’m proud to represent Pennsylvania.”

“And I don’t just represent just Democrats in Pennsylvania. I represent ALL 13 million Pennsylvanians.”

“And I’m going to play it straight. I’m going to never lie or pretend something’s wrong.”

Well, we'll see

/

20 Sherwood Farm Lane sold for $4.6 million in December 2025, 358 days after starting at $5.795. The purchaser appears to have done some repainting and spruced up the kitchen and master bath and returned it to the market today at $7.595. $3.2 million in improvements, or $320,000? Hmm.

The market has never been kind to the Sherwood Farm development since it was built in 2003-2005, and I’m not sure why. Each house was constructed to the highest quality, and the location, although not ideal, isn’t bad, either. Perhaps the 2006 market will be more receptive.

You can see what the 2025 version looked like here

Curious moments in price strategerizing

/

26 Shady Lane, over in Glenville, spent 190 days between August ‘24 and March ‘25 looking for a buyer at $3.2 million; it didn’t find one, and the listing expired.

The owners fired that broker and hired a new one, and the property then sat for another 287 days from May ‘25 through February ‘26 at, first, $2.790 million and eventually $2.660. Another broker bit the dust, a replacement found, and despite the failure to sell at $2.660, the price was raised, and the house went back on the market at $2.690. Today a “price adjustment” was made and a full ten thousand dollars was shaved off that number; the house can now be yours for $2.680 million.

A 1900 mansion, stripped of most of its original land, and although it retains glimpses of its former grandeur, it looks mostly like a money pit; potential buys obviously agree with that assessment, so I’d think further price cuts are in order.

But was he capable of understanding the long-term consequences of his actions?

/

This year:

Greenwich burglar tried to blow up home by filling it with gas, police say

By Josh LaBella, Staff WriterApril 28, 2026

GREENWICH — A gas leak in the area of Pemberwick Road was created by a man accused of trying to cause an explosion while burglarizing a home, police say.

In a post on Facebook, the Greenwich Police Department said Jeffrey Caviola was arrested on Tuesday and charged with criminal attempt at third-degree arson, illegal manufacture of a bomb, first-degree burglary, third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal mischief.

Police said the arrest came after officers responded to a report of a gas leak in the Pemberwick Road area of Greenwich just before 8 p.m. on April 4. It was later determined that the incident was associated with a residential burglary where the suspect caused extensive damage to the home, police said.

The suspect also turned on the natural gas supply from the stove and forcibly removed the oven door, police said, noting it allowed gas to flow freely into the residence. They said a toaster was then placed inside a microwave, which was then activated.

"This combination of actions created the potential for a spark that could have ignited the accumulated natural gas and resulted in a significant explosion," police said.

Police said further investigation found the same suspect was also responsible for a commercial burglary on the Post Road in Greenwich. They said damage to the office space exceeded $1,500 and included destruction to interior fixtures.

A year ago this month:

Man arrested for stealing copper piping and causing damage to property in Greenwich

April 8, 2025

GREENWICH, CT. (WFSB) - A man was arrested for stealing copper piping and causing damage to a vacant property in Greenwich last week.

Police say that on April 1st, police conducted an investigation on a burglary in the town.

Authorities took 42-year-old Jeffrey Caviola into custody after they found that he had entered the vacant property, stole the piping, and caused the damage.

The investigation began when a realter, who was conducting a visit to the area, discovered signs of theft. They also saw a suspicious vehicle parked at the scene, which was found to have belonged to Caviola.

Officers found multiple burglary tools, including a Milwaukee Sawzall, grinder, wire cutters, snips, and a red bag containing a drill in the vehicle.

He is charged with 3rd degree burglary, possession of burglar tools, and 1st degree criminal mischief.

He was issued on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.