U.S. Struggles to Count Its Citizens in Afghanistan as Biden Weighs Withdrawal Delay - WSJ

The Taliban are currently screening documents on behalf of the U.S. outside the Kabul airport, and there is concern that the group may raise objections when it comes time to evacuate locally employed Afghan staff in larger numbers.

Wonderful! I bet they’re working with the efficiency and dedication of the East German Border Guards.

The Taliban, through direct talks with the U.S. in Kabul, said in response that it wouldn’t recognize any extension, nor would it assure that forces that stay in Afghanistan beyond Aug. 31 wouldn’t be subject to attack. Some U.S. officials fear that if the U.S. stays beyond Aug. 31, security cooperation with the Taliban would collapse.

Nothing wrong with the contents of that paragraph.

“We are well aware of the stated desire of the Taliban to have this mission completed by the 31st,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday

Is there anything else we can do for them? Maybe a bedtime story and a glass of warm milk before we tuck them into bed?

iCloud storage management is the absolute worst.

U.S. Considers Ordering Commercial Airlines to Help in Afghan Evacuation - WSJ

The White House is expected to consider activating the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, or CRAF, created in 1952 in the wake of the post-World War II Berlin Airlift, to provide nearly 20 commercial jets from up to five airlines to augment U.S. military efforts to transport Afghan evacuees from bases in the region, according to U.S. officials.

This is a good idea. Much better way to transport people over long distances.

Really starting to notice the days shortening.

Last week until School is back!

✏️

It is very hard to:

A) Be a homeowner, and:

B) need to find a good local contractor, and:

C) not have Facebook.

Why does every business think that having a Facebook page is enough of a web presence?

🏡

The Democratic Food-Stamp Boom - WSJ

A 2018 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined diet quality of food-stamp beneficiaries and similar low-income individuals who didn’t receive the handouts from 2003 to 2014, a period in which average benefits increased more than 50%. Low-income food-stamp non-beneficiaries ate more healthily than beneficiaries, and their diets also improved more over time.

Taliban Seize U.S. Weapons in Afghanistan, Stockpiling Helicopters, Guns and Trucks - WSJ

“It is unconscionable that high-tech military equipment paid for by U.S. taxpayers has fallen into the hands of the Taliban and their terrorist allies”

Does anyone have the number for the US Government Fraud, Waste, & Abuse hotline?

It’s remarkable how different iOS/iPadOS look in greyscale. Instanteous sensory relief.

Paying With a Credit Card? That’s Going to Cost You. - WSJ

Large retailers generally don’t surcharge and instead pass credit-card fees along via price increases.

Higher prices for everyone, just so Visa and MasterCard can get their cut.

Perfectly Good Cookie Dough Ruined By Putting It In Oven - The Babylon Bee

They frantically looked around for the spoon to lick, but it was too late, as she’d already rinsed it out.

What a waste!

These economic numbers are so lame.

We should be on an absolute rocket right now.

Joe Biden’s speech:

• Blame assigned to Trump, Afghan civil government, soldiers in the Afghan National Army
• Took 18 minutes to accept some measure of responsibility
• Passing mention of cascading humanitarian disaster
• Don’t worry, we’ll use diplomacy with the Taliban to advocate for the Women of Afghanistan
• Left the room without taking questions, immediately returned to Camp David.

These colors do run, apparently.

US officials say 7 killed in Kabul airport evacuation chaos - WTOP

A senior U.S. official said “it’s heartbreaking” to see what’s happening in Kabul, but that President Joe Biden “stands by” his decision to pull out because he didn’t want the war there — already the longest in U.S. history — to enter a third decade.

Unacceptable. Infuriating.

SiriusXM makes it so hard to cancel service. Always annoying.

Biden Officials Blame Trump Administration, Security Forces for Afghanistan Collapse - WSJ

“The fact of the matter is, we’ve seen that that force has been unable to defend the country, and that has happened more quickly than we anticipated.”

Nancy Pelosi Looks at Advancing Infrastructure and Budget Framework Simultaneously - WSJ

This will put us on a path to advance the infrastructure bill and the reconciliation bill

Oh look, they’re linked.

Nice time with my son at Troops of St. George this morning.

🌲

Apple’s Software Chief Explains ‘Misunderstood’ iPhone Child-Protection Features (Exclusive) - WSJ

I like Craig. I’ve never trusted him less.

How is it possible that Apple is so incapable of explaining these changes? It’s like they’re trying to hide the ball.

Apple’s parental controls on iOS/iPadOS are convoluted, confusing, and terrible. This coming from a guy whose had an iPhone since the beginning. So their explicit pictures in messages protection that only notifies a parent if the kid is 12 or under is a disaster.

I’m not updating any of my software this Fall until they clear this up.

Unsatisfactory.

Remarks by President Biden on the Drawdown of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan - The White House

There’s going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a embassy in the — of the United States from Afghanistan.  It is not at all comparable. (July 8, 2021)

(Because we moved them to the airport where evacuation is much easier.)

Beautiful summer afternoon.