I've been getting a few reports of "Invalid Nonce" errors when some of you try to post comments. Anyone getting these errors and just letting them go by?

The trouble with these errors is they >might< be caused on the user end where I can't do anything about it. On the other hand, it could be serious enough that I might need to change the underlying platform this site sits on.

I don't see anything obvious on this end but that doesn't mean something isn't lurking where I don't see it right off.

Please let me know if you get this error. It's a potential site security problem that needs to be dealt with.

I love my job! (yes, I do)

OK. Changed some things; reset some others. Let's see if those changes help.
Let me know if you have any issues.

via Comments - original from National Pulse

As Joe notes in his comment, it's his birthday today.
Happy Birthday Joe!

Joe Kent, former Trump-endorsed Congressional candidate, has resigned from his role as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. His resignation comes as a protest against the ongoing war in Iran. Kent announced his decision on the social media platform X, stating, “After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.” He expressed his inability to support the war, citing that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States and suggesting that the conflict was initiated due to external pressures.Kent’s statement noted, “It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Despite his resignation, Kent acknowledged the honor of serving under the current administration and leading the professionals at the NCTC, concluding with a blessing for America.Here’s his full letter to President Trump:

President Trump,

After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.

I support the values and the foreign policies that you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, 2024, which you enacted in your first term. Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.

In your first administration, you understood better than any modern President how to decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars. You demonstrated this by killing Qasam Solamani and by defeating ISIS. Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran.

This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.

As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.

I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for. The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.

It was an honor to serve in your administration and to serve our great nation.

Joseph Kent
Director, National Counterterrorism Center

DT note: I'm not sure how I stand on this effort. There are too many conflicting "facts" and not enough information. Whether I agree or not, we're in the middle of it now. The main effect I notice is there's little talk of domestic corruption. Maybe that's the reason.

Time to move the cattle up to summer pastures - the grass is coming in lush and green.
Get it while it's good - no winter, no snow - water's going to be tight this year.

Gets on this time of year and I start thinking road trips to the back country.

Out in the dry lands, roads can keep tracks for a long time ... until a rare flash flood comes roaring through a narrow canyon on its way to nothingness in a dried out playa and wipes all traces away.

Don't your feet just getting to itching wanting to know what's up this canyon?

I spend a lot of time and gas finding out the answer is usually "Nowhere in particular" but sometimes ...
Maybe I'll run across Brigadoon ... or maybe I did already.

End of the Truckee River, some odd miles north of Reno, some odd miles south of Black Rock desert, this is where Lake Tahoe ends up. I was out here along one of the more remote northern stretches of a lake that's pretty remote to begin with. At one time, the Southern Pacific Railroad passed through here - I was following the old route. What tourists there may be (fishermen mostly) are kept well south of this point.

Truckee was a chief of the northern Paiutes (aka "Chief Winnemucca") - he guided a party of travellers from the headwaters of the Humboldt River to Donner Pass and they named the Truckee River for him. The Humboldt River became the primary trail to Sacramento; today I-80 follows its course from its beginning at Wells, Nevada to the Humboldt Sink just west of Lovelock. From here, travellers had a choice of deserts to cross: to the Carson Sink and Carson River through the 40-Mile Desert, eventually crossing the Sierra south of Lake Tahoe - now US50; or across an unnamed stretch to the Truckee River near today's Wadsworth, Nevada and on to Donner Pass on the north side of Lake Tahoe. Either trail ran about 40 miles with no water. In 1850, almost 1000 graves were counted along the 40-Mile Desert stretch. I-80 follows the Truckee River route.

But I was speaking of Pyramid Lake ... north of Wadsworth. The Northern Paiute name of Pyramid Lake is Kooyooe Panunadu or Kooyooe Pa’a Panunadu.

The lake is the largest remnant and once deepest part of Lake Lahontan, an ancient inland sea that covered most of northern Nevada. Pyramid Lake is 10% the size of Salt Lake but 25% larger in volume.

Pyramid Lake lies entirely within the Paiute Indian Reservation. This photo was taken from the northwest side of the lake, apparently now closed to the public due to "desecration of sacred sites". The entire lake is considered sacred ... but portions of it are open to the public and the lake is renowned for its (baitless, barbless) fishing of Lahanton cutthroat trout - the record fish being over 40 pounds. 20 pound fish are considered normal. Perch are also common ... I'm rather found of fresh water perch myself. A permit is required for almost all activities at the lake and I'm sure that now, like then, if you're not a tribal member, you do not want to be caught breaking any laws - speeding especially.

There are hot springs along the shore - I suspect these may be the sacred sites - but there's not much out here - or wasn't when I took this photo 40 years ago except an old ranch in ruins.

There was a "war" - known as the Pyramid Lake War - fought south of the lake in 1860. Two battles were fought in 1860; the Paiutes "won" the first. The Paiutes lost the second which was fought on the same location as the first. The site is on the reservation and appears as it did in 1860. These battles caused the only halt in service of the Pony Express.

There is a state historical marker at the site of the main fighting (one source suggest the sign has been removed. The Google Street view is from 2005 so it may not be reliable).