"Atoco’s new machines use specialized materials that can harvest water ..."

 An industrial park in Irvine, California, may seem an odd spot to show off technology that wouldn’t be out of place in Dune, but that’s what’s happening on a sweltering September morning.

The temperature is already over 80 degrees Fahrenheit as the sun rises on a 20-foot-tall, metal-clad machine in the parking lot of Atoco, an Irvine, California-based startup. Engineers open panels to check systems and an iPad that shows a steadily ascending line that reveals the device’s purpose: harvesting water from thin air using special materials known as metal organic frameworks, or MOFs.

Administration’s Favorite Nuclear Startup Has Ties to ....

"At 26, Isaiah Taylor had accomplished more than most people do by the time they’re twice his age. The founder of Valar Atomics, a Southern California-based company that aims to make small-scale nuclear reactors, Taylor, a father of four, has government contracts, invitations to Mar-a-Lago, and investments from some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley venture capital. His goal is nothing less than to usher the United States into an era of nuclear power domination—becoming the next Elon Musk while he’s at it. ..."

Republican Senator Explodes

 Via the Independent:

"A Republican senator’s attempt to throw evidence at a long-running conspiracy theory against Jack Smith blew up in his face during a heated congressional hearing on Tuesday.

Senator Eric Schmitt, who accused the former special counsel of perjury and labeled him a “total dirtbag,” invoked a conspiracy theory that Smith’s team conspired with state prosecutors in Georgia — and claimed that he had evidence that Smith was attending an NBA game in Atlanta at the time. 

In the middle of Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee, Schmitt held up a poster board containing what he claimed were text messages from Smith’s staff stating that the special counsel was attending an Atlanta Hawks NBA game — and suggested that he colluded with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to prosecute the president and his allies.

Smith was attending a basketball game that day. But it was the Iowa Hawkeyes, not the Hawks. And it was in Maryland."

What's the Difference Between an Electric and Gas Car? via Edmunds website

"The benefits to getting an electric vehicle may seem obvious: no more filling up your car with expensive gas, fewer items on your vehicle to regularly maintain, and no tailpipe emissions. But you can't beat the convenience of knowing there will be a gas station just a few miles down the road when your tank is low, and gas-powered vehicles are familiar to most car buyers. We're going to cover all the differences between electric cars and gas cars in this article so you can decide which is right for you.

Electric cars vs. gas cars: Cost

How much you pay for your vehicle, whether it's gas or electric, can vary wildly. But electric vehicles typically cost more to purchase than their gasoline-powered counterparts. That said, a Consumer Reports study found that the total cost of ownership for an electric car is far lower than a gas car when factoring in things like purchase price, maintenance and fuel. So what gives?

Electric cars vs. gas cars: Fuel cost

Electricity typically costs a lot less than gasoline. The cost of charging an electric car is influenced by a lot of factors, including whether you charge at home or use a public charger, the price of electricity, and the efficiency of your electric car. But the fuel savings with an electric car can be immense. The Department of Energy released a study that says electric vehicle owners can save nearly $15,000 over a 15-year period, a huge savings for most owners."

To read the entire article click here

A More Perfect Union on Food Industry

 

"I'm the Ghost of Black Water" Dermot Kennedy

Once Upon a Forest: A Twig Poet’s Rewilding Journey

 

"More Perfect Union: Why Gen Z Hates AI But Uses It The Most (ft. Bernie Sanders)"

 

Streaming Since Summer 2026

Murders Only -- Hulu new season

Big Mistakes -- Britbox

Remarkably Bright Creatures -- movie NF

The Bear -- Hulu new season

Moonlighting -- Prime

Middlemarch -- Britbox

Four Seasons -- NF new series

Agneta -- NF 

The Other Bennet Sister -- Britbox

The Last Word -- NF movie

Rivals -- Hulu series 

Alice & Steve -- Hulu series

The Chestnut Man -- NF new season

Splash -- movie 

Hole -- NF

The Game -- Britbox series

Ticket to Paradise -- NF movie

Another Round -- NF movie

Office Romance -- NF movie

The Big C -- NF

A Woman of Substance -- Britbox series

Madame Bovary -- Kanopy

Sheep Detectives -- Prime

The Best You Can -- Netflix movie

Hundreds of Beavers -- Kanopy movie

Gone -- Britbox

Ride or Die -- NF series

Exploring Data Center Water Usage

 

Avicii - Waiting For Love (this one caught me by surprise)

Interesting New Versatile Electric Truck

 

"When the Butterflies Come Home Again" ~ Kathleen Dean Moore

 "This may be true: That we live in a time of cosmic tragedy, when heedless human expansion has pushed many of the planet’s lives beyond bearing. Marvels such as the universe has never seen before — angels’ trumpets and vaquita porpoises — may be past saving. As ecosystems unravel, so do the cultures that depend on them, and the dreadful, dangerous human genius has not yet found the imagination or will to rescue them. I fear that this is so.

But this also is true: That a flock of butterflies is dancing around purple lupine in our field. They are tiny, the size of a buttercup, but blue. So blue they look like slips of summer sky, taken flight. Fender’s blue butterflies, Icaricia icarioides fenderii. They once seemed to have vanished from the world in the 1930s, when farmers plowed up most of the prairie flowers. Scientists got ready to pronounce them extinct. But then, in 1989, a young U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist named Jarod Jebousek found a few butterflies on feral land next to our field."

This is just an excerpt ....

Click here to read the entire beautifully written piece

John Denver Sings David Mallett's Garden Song

 And of course it's from The Muppet Show ...

Carolyn Hax Today

I'm always amazed at Carolyn Hax's ability to see right to the heart of an issue. She rarely disappoints me, especially today's column.

The Divine Miss M

 

Article from Salem Reporter

 Important read if you're a Salem, Oregon resident ...

What We've Been Streaming since 2025

Still watching The Closer - series NF

Dear June - movie NF

Dear Mother - movie NF

Sentimental Value - movie

Bergerac - series Britbox

Ripples - NF

Seven Dials - NF mini series

Inside Llewyn Davis - movie Kanopy

The Summer Book - movie

Lincoln Lawyer new season - NF

Deadwater Fell - Britbox

Blue Moon - movie NF

Shrinking new season - Apple

Stone Mouth - series Britbox

Virgin River new season - NF

His Three Daughters - movie NF

Woman of the Hour - movie NF

The Wrong Man(s) series Britbox

Deadloch - series prime

Riot Women - series Britbox

Hamnet - movie Peacock

LIzzie and the Triggermen

 

Survivor Responds

 https://www.pbs.org/video/survivor-of-clergy-sexual-abuse-responds-to-scathing-report-1772668700/

Children's Art Book Kickstarter

 What a great idea for a children's book ....

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/littleoaknut/lines-in-art

One Australian Man's Vision

Mick Slocum has spent two years travelling Victoria restoring disused post office pillar boxes. The 76-year-old's passion sparked after he decided to remove graffiti near his home.Word of his passion got around, and he has the support of Australia Post and a paint supplier.  (Click here to read the story)

Photo credit to Scott Jewell ABC News (Australia)