Fentanyl

You thought you were buying Percocet?
But instead you got a fatal dose of fentanyl?
Why were you buying Percocet?

Winston II ?

 

"The Fog of War".
No question, there IS such a thing.
We cannot know what is actually happening in Ukraine. But it sure seems to me this is a "David takes on Goliath" situation. And we need to be on the side of David.

You may have already seen this video. Good.
If you have not be aware-
The destroyed airplane you see in the background in some of the shots was a "one of a kind" that I was truly fascinated with. This unique machine was intended to carry the Russian version of their Space Shuttle into the air.
Now it is GONE.

This is war.
War is expensive; destructive; and frequently stupid.

I am with Ukraine.

Contempt of Congress

"The criminal offense of contempt of Congress sets the penalty at not less than one month nor more than twelve months in jail and a fine of not more than $100,000 or less than $100."

Contempt of Congress is a crime.
Doesn't that make the MAJORITY of U.S. Citizens criminals?

Phil

I want to talk about "Phil".

Some years ago I lived in an apartment complex that was more or less dedicated to housing young adults- singles and marrieds. Management organized a monthly get-together- rock band, Las Vegas party, etc. Alcohol was provided. (I lived there three years. The parties ceased after one... fun while it lasted!)

I came home from work one evening and while parking my car I noticed a car with its hood up and a gawky man standing, looking at the engine with a puzzled look. I walked over and inquired about the problem.
"It won't start" says he.
"Hop in, turn your lights on and honk your horn" says I.
When he honked his horn his lights dimmed dramatically.
"Let's clean your battery cables", says I. We did. And his car started, no problem. Phil was amazed. I lived on the ground floor. Phil lived two floors above me. We became friends.

Phil was one of those people that was SO SMART he was weird. Phil had trouble making friends because his interests were... odd. He knew serious details about stuff you and I have no interest in at all. But if you gave him a chance to go into the details about the stuff that interested him, you could get interested too.
I'm a curious type. I thought Phil was neat.

Phil had been a Chemistry teacher at a local High School. During summers he had free time on his hands and took a part time job as a cook at a "Denny's" restaurant. After a while Phil used his tremendous thinking power to do the math and realized if he worked a regular shift at Denny's, then worked a little overtime at Denny's, he could make more money slamming together "Grand Slams" at Denny's than he could make trying to teach kids Chemistry that had no interest whatsoever in the subject.

This was true in the late 1970's. I don't know if it is still true.
But I have a suspicion that THIS is why our education system is in the shape it's in today.

Comment, plz.

The "Weimar Republic"

Many are not familiar with the subject of the title. And that's a shame.
I know what happened, but I DO NOT know how long the process took to collapse.
Research is necessary.
It would be a good idea for you to also do research.

Women Republican Candidates

"The key to taking majorities in Congress is women republican candidates".
That's the latest theme.
Liz Cheney. Olympia Snowe. Susan Collins. Lisa Murkowski.
I guess I'm just stupid...
How is electing women improving Congress?

This Political Circus

Lookin' into my Crystal Ball-
Barring something totally unforeseen happening prior to the November elections it looks as if republicans are a shoo-in to retake our House of Representatives. It also looks like it is entirely possible republicans might take power in the Senate. IF that happens, one of the first things I think will happen is the investigation into this Hunter Biden laptop catastrophe will accelerate. And IF the connections to our president(?) that appear to be there come to fruition, "Joey" is in trouble. I think his impeachment is a near certainty.
With a republican House AND Senate, he could end up being the first president ever to be tried and convicted of "high crimes and misdemeanors" and thereby removed from office.
Like Richard Nixon, I suspect he'd resign rather than have that fact end up in the history books.

That leaves us with Kamala Harris in the White House. And although that would be disastrous for our country, her administration will be interesting (and entertaining?) to watch.
Maybe there's a real skeleton in her history too? If so, how soon can the "revenge" impeachment of Kamala happen?

With a republican House of Reps we won't have to worry about president Pelosi, thank GOD.
It's even possible the new Speaker of the House might be a conservative.
... Nah.
Nevah hoppen G.I. !

We are living in "interesting times".

Big Holes-

Some would suggest this post is a mistake.
Maybe it is.

I own a few firearms. Out of all I own, my favorite is a .45-cal. Colt Combat Commander.
With it, I can shoot a flea off a gnat's ass. (And that is sayin' something for a round that large!)

My second favorite is the .357 Caliber I carried while I was a Deputy Sheriff. (Department regulations forbid me from carrying my beloved Combat Commander).

Remember me? The old FART?
A year ago we left home for a trip South and I hid both guns in a "safe" place during our absence.
When we returned, I could not remember where that "safe" place was and could not find my two favorite shooty thingies. So I had to fall back on less-loved shooty thingies.

Today Sara Jean shouted from upstairs... "GUESS WHAT I FOUND!"
My readers are smart.
They know EXACTLY what she found.

Second-best is okay.
FAVORITE is better.

Huge Numbers-

I think I have made this comment before. The stupidity of others forces me to try to "break through" again:

Population of China-
1,500,000,000. (Yes, that's ONE BILLION, Five Hundred Million.)
The country produces electricity by burning coal.

Population of India-
1,400,000,000. (Yes, that's ONE BILLION, Four Hundred Million.)
They burn DUNG to cook their food and produce heat for their homes.

Population of the U.S.A.-
325,000,000. (And granted, that's growing every single day.)
Nevertheless, that number is 1/10th the total population of China and India combined.

Can someone tell me again why I need to lower my thermostat and turn light switches off to save Gaia?
We truly are idiots, ya know that?

The Anal "Root Canal"

My bride and I are undergoing "formation colonoscopies" tomorrow.
Over 50 years of age?
Have you had one?
You must.

The procedure RUINS two full days. The "prep" for the procedure requires you to drink a gallon of nasty-tasting fine plastic goop that is indigestible. By the time you finish the final few glasses of what is euphemistically called "Golightly", you MUST be close to a commode because that stuff is gonna be in your body for just a few seconds.

But this discomfort is important. During the probe, the Doc finds stuff (polyps) in your colon that might cause future problems, and "nips them in the bud", negating future problems.

So RIGHT NOW I start drinking this horrible liquid. And our next 24 hours will be devoted to "heading off at the pass" cancerous bad stuff.
It's horrible.
But necessary.
And at 75 and in great health, I'm glad our medical technology is there to improve our future.

"Breaking-In"

I've mentioned before that on 19 occasions I had the experience of flying a small helicopter back to the Midwest from the Robinson Helicopter factory in Torrance, California. As I departed the factory the Lycoming air-cooled engines normally had between 5-10 hours flight time on them to insure they ran properly, didn't leak oil, etc..

Depending on winds and which model Robbie I was flying, the flight time back East was generally between 17 to 22 hours. The factory filled the crankcase with non-detergent oil for the "break-in" period.
Departing the factory they would give me 4 extra quarts of oil to insure I could keep the engine "topped off" for the trip home. That oil had a big "M" on the label to indicate it was "Mineral Oil"... (non-detergent).
Their recommendation was to use the non-detergent oil until the engine oil consumption slowed, then switch to the regular aviation detergent oil of the customer's choice. By the time I reached my destination back in the middle of the country the oil usage of the Lycomings had normally settled down so we could drain and switch oils.
THAT is the way I got comfortable "breaking-in" an air cooled engine.

I just bought a new generator to use when we go RV-ing. It has an air-cooled 312cc engine. It came delivered with NO oil in the crankcase and, oddly, NO instructions on how to break the engine in, other than warnings in BIG red letters that there was no oil in the engine and the proper amount of engine oil had to be added before starting.
So I decided to follow the instructions I've gotten accustomed to with the Lycomings. I went to my local auto parts store and asked for "break-in oil" and got a blank stare in return. No dice.
Across the street to the competing auto parts store, the clerk lead me to the paint section and tried to sell me a quart of mineral spirits!

I realize engines are manufactured to higher tolerances these days. Oil too is better, with more additives, than it has ever been. But I'd still be more comfortable running the generator's first few hours the "old school" way.

Am I just an old fuddy-duddy?
(Try to be nice now.)

The Last War, Last Battle, Last Bullet.

My title is not a great analogy.
My Blog.
Deal with it.

I'm gobsmacked by the idea that our lefty government "leaders" think paying off student loan debt might be a good idea.
I know my first question is NOT obvious to only me-
You signed a contract. You got the benefit of that contract. Now, fulfill the promise you made by signing your name. Pay what you now owe!

Second thought-
I once had a conversation with a young socialist female that called these contracts "predatory lending".
What other contracts fall into that category? Auto loans? Mortgages? Handouts from "Cousin Vinnie"?

My college education was accomplished piecemeal. I could afford the time and money to take only a couple courses at a time and paid for them as I learned, never accruing debt along the way. Granted, I went to a little-known State supported school and don't have "friends in High Places" that I networked with. But I also don't have a lifetime of debt to worry or complain about.

What if I'm the responsible oddball that JUST paid off my student loan following YEARS of denying myself some of the good things in life in order to fulfill my obligation...
Will I now get a refund? (This counts for me and most of my contemporaries too. Will AOC and the Biden administration send me a check because I was a responsible adult those forty years ago?)

This is a mess. The whole idea is insane.
And our entire contract structure and law in general is at risk because of these idiots.

"If you have nothing to hide"-

I think the thing that troubles me more than anything today is the willingness of people to sacrifice their freedom. I was troubled by General Motor's "Onstar" system. My thoughts were "if it CAN be abused it WILL be abused."

Then came the revelations our government was gathering "Metadata". (But of course it won't be used against us. And besides, "If you're doing nothing wrong, why should you worry?")

Alexa. Siri. Hello Google!
I'm continually amazed at friends who know better using these things that listen to everything we say 24/7. And then they are surprised to find some of the things they say might bite them.
(Around a campfire late one night a friend and I were talking about Galapagos Tortoises. We were surprised to hear Siri say, "Here's the information I could find about that.")
We had NOT asked Siri for information.

Be afraid.
I am.
I think for good reason.

"Uranus Smells Like Farts"

 

Science Fiction and Science Fact-
It's fun to find out how much the writers of TV shows lean on actual scientists to try to keep their shows believable.

This show was a hoot...
Apparently the Black Hole at the center of our Galaxy smells like Raspberry Rum? How the heck do we know that?
The gal in this podcast explains how we know. Her enthusiasm for her science is infectious.

If you're interested in Science Fiction OR Science Fact you'll find this interesting.
Click "Like" and Subscribe.

We Got Da Covid !

I NEVER get sick.
Two days ago (Sunday) I started coughing. I also had a drippy nose. But I was mowing the lawn and initially attributed the symptoms to dust and allergies.
That night both conditions worsened. The following morning I called my "meals" delivery boss and told her although I was capable of delivering meals I did not feel comfortable exposing our clients to my "gallopin' gump".
That day Sara Jean attended a previously scheduled appointment with her Doctor and he gave her several Covid home testing kits.
Both our test results were positive.

I have symptoms of an irritating, moderate summer cold. Sara Jean, so far, has no symptoms at all. But we are going to be safe... I just ordered pickup of an order at Wally World, where someone else gathers up your order and you just call to let them know to bring it out to your car... one of the few good things to come out of this Covid fiasco.

I could die.
But barring a meteor or lightning strike, I don't think that's gonna happen right away.
Nevertheless, pray for me.
I still have mischief to attend to.

The Depp/Heard Trial-

Until recently I never realized how far from "normal" I am.
Apparently ingesting Ambien, mushrooms, MDMA, marijuana, and alcohol together is what life is all about.

I'm such a HICK!

Box Cars

 

Circa 2001-
Dad and I were sitting on the balcony in Destin, Florida enjoying the view of the Gulf of Mexico.
We were separated from the beautiful turqouise-colored water by the "Scenic Gulf Highway"... the old U.S. Hwy 98 used mostly now by folks staying in condos along the beach.
Dad said, "Start watching. All the vehicles are either Minivans, Pickup trucks, or SUV's."
And he was right. Now and then in that neighborhood a Lamborghini or Ferrari would pass. But the VAST majority of traffic was one of the three types of vehicles Dad had mentioned.
And the only differences in the appearance of the S.U.V's manufactured by different factories was the color and the size. They all shared the shape of a cardboard box on wheels.
I would challenge ANYONE to be able to tell a Ford from a Chevy, a Nissan from a Toyota or Honda.

We've grown to be like soldiers in uniform, and marvel when we see a classic car like those pictured- beautiful, and distinctive from a mile away.

I miss my youth.

February, 1969

This "thing" in Ukraine troubles everyone, I'm sure.
But I suspect it tightens my gut more than others. War is a BAD thing. I wish we humans could realize that the money spent and human treasure lost just isn't worth it. How much better would our world be if the resources spent to prosecute violence on our neighbors was spent doing GOOD in the world?
Where would Germany and Japan be today if they had devoted all that money spent pursuing world dominance in 1940 to simply producing great machines the rest of the world wanted and needed?
But then I remember that Karen gets in my face when I don't wear a face mask.
How in the world can I expect all of us to get along when we cannot even agree on the simple stuff?

The people of Ukraine go to bed at night and hear the sounds I heard in Chu Lai, Viet Nam in 1969.
A 105mm howitzer makes a BIG noise twice... once when the shell is fired, and again when that shell reaches its destination. Hearing it often, you learn pretty much to ignore the sound. That is "Outgoing", and even though it is very loud, you get accustomed to the more muffled sound because of the distance between you and the artillery battery.
Now the sound of 122mm rockets falling all around you? That's a different sound altogether. It is ear-splitting! It is a sound that makes you realize you may not survive the next minute.
And I fear THAT is the sound many of those residents of Kiev remaining in their homes are dealing with.
My heart aches for those people

This situation is not good for the people of Ukraine. It is not good for the people of Russia. It is unsettling for the entire world.

"Someone" needs to step up and read up about the failure of "Valkyrie", and make the world a better place.
And... SOON, please.

I want my heart to stop hurting.

Auto Parts

The little town we now live in has a population of... 6,000, down from a peak of 7,000 before all of our industry closed down. While Real Estate BOOMS in much of the rest of the country, our community is in the doldrums.
And that's okay.

We have a WalMart, a Pizza Hut, a Mickey D's, decent Mexican and Chinese restaurants and three "Mom and Pop" eateries. Our cost of living is NOT through the roof.
It's a good place to live.

My question today is about parts for automobiles-
We also have an "Autozone", an "Oh-Oh-Oh O'Reilly's" and on our Main Street we have an inconspicuous "Bumper to Bumper" store.
South of town, not far from Autozone, they've just opened a "NAPA" store.

How many Parts stores can a town of 6K people support?
I guess we're about to find out.

Heroes and Villains

Nineteen times I made the trip from Torrance, California back to the Midwest in a small helicopter.
Every time I made that trip I would marvel at the number of those wind turbines there were on hilltops and ridgelines along that route. Where there is one of 'em, there are HUNDREDS.
I have no idea what they cost, ($$$$$!) but I always wondered how long it would take for the energy they produce to recoup your initial outlay on one of them.
(And that doesn't take into consideration the amount of money you'll spend maintaining the eyesore so you don't get the result shown in the image.)

I've seen photos of them burying LOTS of the rotor blades because (like the old Soviet-era "Trabant") there is apparently no way to recycle the materials the things are made of.

I can't help worrying that so much of this solar/wind energy stuff is gonna bite us in our derriere in the long-term.

You jump.
I'll watch and learn.