ITHCWY has obtained an exclusive transcript of the speech that President Biden should have given the other week. We can’t reveal our source in the West Wing, but have made every effort to verify that the country would be on a completely different course if Biden had picked up the right draft on his way out the door.

THE PRESIDENT: Like many Americans I’ve wondered why we can’t get the basics done. Basics that the majority of Americans support and that most other developed countries take for granted. Basics like education, healthcare, childcare, and stewardship of the environment for future generations.

I’ve been having these quiet conversations, mostly with Senators Sinema and Manchin, whose names I would barely know if Americans’ votes counted the same. I’m tired of being quiet! (Applause.)

Folks, I’m the Commander in Chief of our nation’s great amed services. The 107th Congress passed an irresponsibly broad and open ended Authorization for Use of Military Force which I am today using to declare war on American Mediocrity. (Applause.)

In 2005 I cried as Howard Plummer died at the hands of Serbian rebels And then laughed as Navy SEAL lieutenant Shane Wolfe took care of his family. The Pacifier left me with a conviction that our youngest children are best handled by special forces. I hereby task the SEALS, Rangers, Delta, and the rest of SOCOM with establishing universal pre-K and free childcare so that hard working Americans can focus on their vital missions. (Applause.)

F-35s are cool, when they’re not spontaneously combusting, and I love a presser on an aircraft carrier as much as the next President. But the Pentagon has determined that climate change is a threat to national security. We need to be equipped to fight the current war, not the last one. All current Pentagon procurement programs are canceled. We must protect our world beating defense industry and so General Dynamics, Raytheon and other contractors will immediately pivot to solar, wind and carbon capture and storage technologies.

Our great intelligence community will play a role as well, by infiltrating deep behind enemy lines and then planting a tree or two.

We can’t fight this war on mediocrity if we’re sick. That’s why I’m directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to start providing healthcare for any (and I mean any) potential future veteran in addition to our existing veterans. (Applause.) And we can’t fight this war if we’re dumb. The Military, Naval and Air Force academies will start to offer free university education to every American, in exchange for a year of national service in uniform or otherwise. (Applause.)

Our seniors deserve better as well. The Coast Guard will develop a new generation of Cutters that include thousands of staterooms. We will protect our maritime borders while providing accommodation, community and a diverse range of entertainment to retired Americans.

These programs will pay for themselves as we stop wasting money on expensive boondoggles and our forces will be too exhausted for any misadventures overseas. The only part of Build Back Better that won’t get done is reversing the SALT tax rise and folks, I’ve had second thoughts about that anyway. (Applause.)

May God bless you all.

2:22 P.M. EST

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Build Back Betterer #politics #biden Exclusive transcript of the speech that President Biden should have given the other week. )

Summit Loop is a three mile hike around San Bruno Mountain, a 1,319 peak just south of San Francisco. For some reason, possibly a lack of desire to wrestle with bridges, it has become a family favorite for the first hike of the new year. Fantastic views and scenery at any time of the year, although it is especially good in the spring with all the wildflowers. I'm adding a fresh post on this hike as I noticed the GPS track is broken on the last one (I'll redirect that here) and I have a video of the hike to add as well (a little cloud focused, but it was that kind of day):

Hike starts at: 37.695247, -122.43443. View in Google Earth.

Updates

• San Bruno Mountain

San Bruno Mountain

San Bruno Mountain State Park has outstanding views of San Francisco, the Pacific out to the Farallon Islands and much of the bay. We did the three mile summit loop (the wrong way round, San Bruno pros do it counter-clockwise).

Hike starts at 37.6888964,-122.437008 (Google Earth).

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Summit Loop, San Bruno Mountain #hike #sanbruno #hikevid #map #video Three mile loop hike up to the 1,319 summit of San Bruno Mountain in San Mateo County, California. )

Timelapse around the shoreline of San Francisco:

This could be arbitrarily long of course, but I only had a day to shoot and picked six spots: the lookout at Fort Funston, the Camera Obscura next to the Cliff House, Eagles Point on the Lands End trail, the Marina Yacht Harbor, Pier 7 and the Giants Promenade Pier.

Shot on a Sony A7C with the 20mm 1.8 G and a Ronin SC. This is the first time I've used the Ronin SC for timelapse and it sucks. Works great for video, can't pan 180 degrees in timelapse mode without introducing shake though. Processed using LTTimelapse, Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve (with a lot of stabilization to fix the Ronin issues) and Filmstro Pro. The finished product is 4K, 60fps. Filmed December 30, 2021 (I usually do something on New Year's Eve but the clouds looked more promising the day before this year).

(Previously: San Francisco New Year's Eve Timelapse 2020)

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(Published to the Fediverse as: San Francisco Shoreline Timelapse #timelapse #sanfrancisco #4k #video 4k 60fps timelapse around the San Francisco shoreline including Fort Funston, Camera Obscura, Lands End, Marina Yacht Harbor, Pier 7 and the Giants Promenade Pier. )

A timelapse of Lake Merced in San Francisco, California on a stormy December day.

(Previously: Merced)

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Lake Merced Timelapse #timelapse #lakemerced #sanfrancisco #video Lake Merced (San Francisco, California) time lapse on a stormy day in December. )

SONY DSC-RX10M4 220mm f4.0 1/100s ISO6400

A Barn Owl hunting in Glen Canyon Park, San Francisco on Christmas Eve 2021.

(Previously: Great Horned Owlets)

The photograph captures a fleeting moment of nature's grace, depicting a barn owl in mid-flight over a lush green meadow. The foliage is dense, a tapestry of varying shades of green interwoven with hints of wildflowers peeking through like scattered stars in a verdant sky. The owl is caught in a diagonal trajectory, wings fully extended, offering a glimpse of its powerful yet silent flight. Its plumage, a subtle blend of cream and tawny hues, contrasts softly against the vibrant background, while its face, slightly blurred in motion, hints at focused intensity. There's a wild stillness to the scene, the calm of the meadow juxtaposed against the dynamic movement of the owl, capturing a moment that feels both fleeting and eternal.

The composition of the photograph is both intriguing and challenging. The subject, the barn owl, is placed slightly off-center, adhering to the rule of thirds, which adds dynamic tension and visual interest. The use of diagonal lines – most evidently in the owl's flight path – guides the viewer's eye through the frame and injects energy into the scene. However, the image feels slightly overexposed, with the greens being quite intense, which might distract from the delicate presence of the owl. The motion blur on the owl's wings is effective in conveying movement but also results in a lack of sharp detail that might have added depth to the photograph. I appreciate the natural setting and the wild, untamed beauty it portrays, though a slightly more balanced exposure could have enhanced the detailing of both the owl and the lush meadow backdrop.

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(Published to the Fediverse as: Barn Owl #photo #owl Photo of a Barn Owl hunting in Glen Canyon Park, San Francisco, California. )