An I worried about a nuclear exchange? Always. I've been briefed, and during the Cold War I was privy to certain things that kept me awake at night.
The world is closer than it has been for a very long time.
Tom Rogan, over at the Washington Examiner, says that nukes are extremely unlikely. I hope he knows what he is talking about.
Oh the other hand, Joe Biden says we don't need to worry. He hadn't been right about anything yet.
Putin knows he's losing, and that does not ake him happy.
Russian Space Chief Threatens to Crash International Space Station into U.S. or Europe
That ain't no problem. We can hang him too.
The Russians and other like-minded persons need to be taught that naked aggression has consequences. Personal consequences.
Some are reporting that peace talks will soon begin in Ukraine.
It isn't going well for the Russians. Their gains have been limited and slower than they expected. Resistance is stiffening. The Russians have a tough military problem, and a tougher political problem.
Zelensky is in the catbird seat. He must balance the idea that Russia is the aggressor with his desire to limit damage to his country, but he knows that he is on a target list.
Were I Zelensky, I would start the talks with three demands. Immediate ceasefire. Removal of Russian forces to recognized borders. Hang Putin publicly as an example to other dictators. That's right. Dangle Putin from a rope, and post it on Rumble, Facebook, and YouTube.
Those would be my starting demands, and they would not be negotiable.
The Russians face a tough military problem that will only get worse as the days drag on. The soldiers on the ground know this and they are not looking for a protracted fight.
I notice that the 2nd Amendment seems to be alive and well in Ukraine, where citizens are bearing arms in defense of home and country. I notice that those dreaded "assault" rifles are now defensive rifles and are being handed out by the government.
I notice that "green" energy is being re-thought in Europe, as suddenly the continent realizes that Russia holds all the cards in petro-energy, and that they are dependent on the natural gas that flows trough pipelines
I notice that Covid hysteria has dropped off, everywhere except in the White House, where people still wear masks. Never let it be said that Joe Biden let reality intrude on his fevered dreams.
I notice that military aged men are staying in Ukraine, while the women and children flee. It is amazing how natural gender roles re-assert themselves in the face of reality.
There is a story going around about a Ukrainian woman who had a chance encounter with a Russian soldier.
She handed hi sunflower seeds and said "Put these in your pocket so that they can grow in Ukraine after we bury you."
It's probably apocryphal, but it's a great sentiment.
I will pray for that Ukrainian woman.
He's getting fuzzier by the day. When it warms up, we'll take him to the groomers.
Climate czar John Kerry is concerned that the Ukraine crisis might divert attention from climate change.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry appeared for an interview to express his regret that the war between Ukraine and Russia is distracting people from climate change.
Damn, John. It's bad enough that you are irrelevant, without displaying your stupidity.
I wonder what Russia's carbon footprint in Ukraine looks like today?
The last thing I'm worried about today is climate change, which I believe to be a total farce. It's apparent that John Kerry is not a serious person, and should never be trusted with serious tasks. He is totally unsuited to the job.
Despite the ongoing crisis at our southern border, the Biden administration is asking Customs and Border Patrol agents to temporarily deploy to Poland. What the hell?
For the second time in a year, the Biden administration is seeking to divert Customs and Border Protection officers from the southern border crisis to an overseas conflict, this time to help process people fleeing the Russian assault on Ukraine.
Why? I suspect that the Poles can process refugees. I mean, it's not like the folks on our soutern border are sitting around, twiddling their thumbs,
The request comes six months after a similar effort to process Afghan refugees after the bungled U.S. exit from that country. That operation was sharply criticized Friday by the Pentagon inspector general for poor Defense Department vetting that allowed 50 Afghans posing serious security risks to enter the United States.
This is amazing. Crazy Joe isn't willing to secure our own borders, but he wants to help secure Poland's borders.
The BBC is reporting on the fighting in Ukraine.
About 10 civilians are believed to have been killed, including six in an air strike in Brovary near the capital Kyiv. A man was also killed in shelling outside the major eastern city of Kharkiv.
A Ukrainian presidential adviser said that more than 40 soldiers had died and dozens more were wounded. Ukraine said it had killed 50 Russian troops and shot down six Russian aircraft, but this has not been verified.
I admit that I haven't been paying much attention to the conflict. I have been more concerned about other things closer to home. Things like gas prices, food prices, energy costs, the effect that inflation is having on my retirement income, rising crime, and other outrages that this inept administration has foisted upon us. It seems like Biden is more concerned about European orders than he is with the US border.
I am reminded that I predicted the timeline of the invasion in a post in late January. I predicted that the invasion, if it occurred, would be after the Olympics and before the spring thaw. Here we are in the last week of February.
Joe Rogan has, arguably, the biggest podcast on the internet. His listening audience dwarfs many established news organizations. Rogan does long-format interviews with interesting people. Just long conversations about any of a variety of topics. From politics to aliens, to mixed martial arts, to bitcoin to drug addiction, you never know what you are going to get. Rogan is no conservative, but more of what I would describe as a classical liberal.
Yesterday, he revealed that he did not vote in the last presidential election.
“He’s [Biden] not a good example, because he’s basically a shell, you know, cognitively,” Rogan shared. “And the fact that that took a long time for people to admit. That was one of the things that people were saying that I was a Trump supporter during the election because I said I would vote for Trump before I would vote for Biden.”
“But I didn’t vote for either,” he added. “The reason why I said that was like, ‘You don’t see this? Are you guys out of your fucking mind? You guys don’t see that this guy can’t, he can’t talk right anymore?’ Go watch videos of him from twenty years ago. He was a dummy, he said a lot of silly shit, he lied about a bunch of things, but at least he was articulate.”
I am reminded of the story about the Emperor's new clothes, and the little boy who observed that the King was naked.
Crazy Uncle Joe decides to talk sh*t
And, the next thig we know, Russian tanks are rolling in Ukraine. It's a flimsy pretense, but it is all he needs.
We all know how the Russians tremble when a Democrat is in the White House.
Red beans and sausage over rive is one of the simplest recipes I know. It's perfect for cold, rainy days when you simply want something warm, filling, and hearty. Over the years, Belle and I have turned it into an almost no-cook recipe. We own several slow-cookers and we use them for lots of things, red beans included.
Red Beans
Ingredients
CBS News is reporting that Russian commanders on the Ukraine border already have their orders for the invasion.
On Sunday, CBS News reported that U.S. intelligence agencies have confirmed that Russian commanders have received orders to proceed with an invasion of Ukraine, with commanders on the ground making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sectors of the battlefield,
Well, yeah, that's the way these things work. These orders spell out objectives, boundaries, road networks, and how the maneuvers are supposed to unfold. These orders give subordinate commanders time to do their studies, make plans and assign tasks within their respective areas of operation. The only thing that might be missing from those orders is D-day, H-hour, or when those missions are supposed to begin..
Putin has ~190,000 troops available, or approximately 19 divisions, That should be plenty, but those troops have to arm up, move to assembly areas, and do a vast amount of coordination, All of which are spelled out in the orders.
This is the way an army works, and only a neophyte would be surprised to learn that the RUssians know how to conduct military operations.
As crime rises, so does the defensive use of guns.
Americans across the country have used legal guns to defend themselves and thwart crimes, but the reports often fly under the radar and most people are unaware how often guns are used in self-defense cases.
I suspect that is true. The bad guy sees a gun and departs. The good citizen holsters his gun and goes about his business. Does the good citizen call the police to make a report? I don't knw. Could-a, should-a, would-a. I suspect that many such cases are never reported.
The NRA publishes their Armed Citizen column both online and in their print magazines.
Some of the video and images coming out of Ottawa are truly disturbing.
It seems that mounted riot police were used and some people were trampled by the horses.
Canada’s Princess Justin Trudeau skipped the firehoses and went straight to trampling peaceful protestors with horses, including an elderly woman with a walker. Other protestors moved in to help the two people trampled but were pushed back by police officers with batons and wearing riot gear.
Trudeau has shown that he is particularly tone-deaf to the plight of the working-class and is ready to use force to compel compliance. It's not a good look.
I admit that I am unfamiliar with the electoral process in Canada, but it might be time to find a new Prime Minister.
Several source are reporting that VP Kamala Harris is in Europe to deal with the Ukraine crisis.
Harris flies to Europe to help secure Ukraine border as Biden stays behind
So, folks are wondering why Biden sent Harris over there when her expertise worked so well on the US southern border. It's a valid question, and I suspect that I know the answer.
She probably gives better head than either Biden of Blinken. That is the only reason I can think of makes any sense. Unless, of course, Biden is expecting war and thinks Harris might catch a stray round.
It's Friday afternoon, and I think it's time for a beer.
Maker's Mark is a Kentucky bourbon whiskey. Makers Mark is a "wheater", which means that they use wheat in the mash bill in place of rye. The most obvious marketing visual is the bottle shape and the signature red wax seal that is hand applied to each bottle. I understand that Maker's has registered that wax as a trademark.
It looks like someone bobbled a bottle.
It is reported that Remington Arms has settled a lawsuit filed by the families of the Sandy Hook tragedy for $73 million.
Families of people killed in the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., said on Tuesday that they had reached a $73 million settlement in their lawsuit against the maker of the AR-15-style weapon the gunman used in the attack.
It also represents a significant setback to the firearm industry because the lawsuit, by employing a novel strategy, pierced the vast shield enshrined in federal law protecting gun companies from litigation.
Remington used to be a huge player in the firearms market. I honestly don't know anymore. I haven't followed that sector of the market for several years. I don't even think I own a Remington right now.
It seems that Durham, the special counsel out of New York, made some filings this weekend, and in the hype for the football game, the news was focused elsewhere. The whole RUSSIA collusion scandal was made up from whole cloth by the Clinton campaign.
Durham is saying that the Democratic candidate for president in 2016 engaged in a criminal conspiracy to infiltrate the opposition’s most sensitive, compartmentalized information and tried to manipulate data and information to politically damage her opponent.
Will indictments follow? Will this even bubble up to the head of the news cycle? Don't hold your breath.
It's crawfish season, and Belle is sharing the goodness with the dog. I believe he likes them.
Belle's mother, who I called Ms. Reba, passed away today in the presence of her children in Jena, LA. She was 100 years old. She is survived by her five children, their spouses, and a passel of grandkids and great-grandkids.
The family will meet tomorrow to make final arrangements.
If blogging is light over the next few days, I sure that you all understand.
A buddy and I were talking today, and something was said, and he asked me, "When was that?"
I replied without thinking, "It was the dark of the moon on the 6th o June, in a Kenworth, hauling logs."
He looked at e like I had lost my mind, so I continued. "Cabover Pete had a reefer on, in a Jimmy, hauling hogs."
Then I realized that he hadn't been born when that song was written.
It's amazing what culture will do for you. Original here.
Yeah, it sounds weird, but part of a grant by DHH is mailing "safe smoking kits" to "historically undeserved counties". The goal of the program is to advance racial equity.
That sounds like crack pipes to me, but Snopes says it is mostly false.
This was just one of around 20 components of the grant program and far from its most prominent or important one, despite being the primary focus of outraged news reports. The purpose of the program was to reduce harm and the risk of infection among drug users, not to advance racial equity, although that was a secondary consideration.
Sure sounds like they are sending out crack pipes.
The square tubing came in for the new range, and I just finished cutting the lengths. This will become a lightweight, portable range for CFDA events, one that se can set up or take down in an hour or so.
Now, I have to de-burr everything and set up a time with club members so that we can weld it together.
I figure to de-burr tomorrow and Friday, then set up the welding for next seek, as long as God is willing and the creek don't rise.
I found something today that the dog is afraid of.
Our last dog was afraid of everything. Water gurgling, thunder, gunfire, fireworks. Loud mufflers, the vacuum cleaner. A broom. He was a little scared dog.
This one hasn't shown any fear. Not, gunfire, not thunder, nor fireworks. He just yawns. Until this morning.
He was with me in the shop when I started setting up the chop saw to cut some metal. As soon as I dropped the abrasive wheel onto the tubing, he lit out. I cut a few pieces, then looked around for him. He was under the work bench in a dark corner. He was ready to go back into the house.
I don't know if it is the sound, or the sparks, or what, but he doesn't like that chop saw.
There is a club in Silsbee, TX, the Big Thicket Bushwackers who is a powerhouse club in the Cowboy Fast Draw Association. Yesterday, they held a Mardi Gras shoot, and several of us traveled to Silsbee to shoot with them. We had a ball. Good humor, lots of joshing, and plenty of shooting for everyone was the order of the day.
Belle and I had a very good day. We were both hitting extremely well, and the camaraderie was fantastic. We dressed in Mardi Gras attire
I managed to hit a 0.472, which for me is a fantastic time, because I am generally a slower shooting, in the 6/10ths range.
They made me pose in front of the timer display to commemorate the event.
Gas prices in Pineville, LA shot up over #2.00 a gallon this week.
Seen an hour ago at the station where I fill up.
Yahoo News is reporting that Louisiana's Covid numbers from the 5th surge have fallen below the peak of prior surges.
Louisiana’s omicron variant-fueled surge of COVID-19 cases has finally fallen to levels below the peaks of the state’s four prior waves as the virus’ spread continues to slow this spring.
A review of the New York Ties Covid-tracker supports this claim.
In the years coming, historians will describe our governments response t Covid as a heinous moral crime.
I called Tom's Seafood today and asked a simple question. "Y'all boiling?"
"Yep" they replied.
First crawfish of the season.
I've been noticing (as opposed to following), the controvert about Spotify. And, I admit that I am a bit amused. I don't use Spotify. I understand that it is some sort of streaming app, and that lots of folks put their stuff on it, but I don't use Twitter either. I'm just an old dinosaur
But, evidently Neil Young got butt-hurt about something Joe Rogan said, and because they both use the service, Neil Young decided to pull his music off Spotify. Good for him.
I like Joe Rogan, and I listen to him on his YouTube clips. He asks interesting questions to interesting people. That is basically his shtick. He has interesting conversations.
On the other hand, I had to google to remind myself who Neil Young is, and to remind myself that he used to be a member of a band I didn't follow. I understand that he is a gifted guitarist, but I can't seem to recall any of his music.
This morning I asked for a list of folks who have also pulled their music fro Spotify as a result of Young's action. Who? I have never heard of these people.I may have heard their music at sme point in the past, but I cannot link their names to a piece, and I don't care enough to try.
Here it comes, the first true winter storm of the season.
Snow and ice on the radar as far south as San Antonio, but interestingly, there is no snow or ice on the daily forecasts for this area.
It's been an interesting news day. It seems that Whoopie Goldberg has been suspended fro ABC's The View for saying something stupid. Of course, Whoopie has been saying stupid shit for years, so I"m mystified about why it's a problem now. If "stupid" was a disqualifies none of those women would have a job.
Over at CNN, president Jeff Zucker has resigned. It seems that he was boinking a subordinate, which somehow violated policy. Interesting policy, that. Hetero sex is off-limits, but Jeff Toobin stroking the lizard on a Zoom call is okay. I understand that Don Lemon is facing some sexual assault allegations.
Does anyone at CNN not know how to keep his dick in his pants?
This has been a strange news day.
A study released by Johns Hopkins University says that Covid related lockdowns had no effect on public health, but caused great economic and social upheaval. Not my words, theirs.
While this meta-analysis concludes that lockdowns have had little to no public health effects, they have imposed enormous economic and social costs where they have been adopted. In consequence, lockdown policies are ill-founded and should be rejected as a pandemic policy instrument.
That's what I've been saying for a year. Now we know that lockdowns don't work, cloth masks don't work, and the vaccines don't work as advertised.
That is a three-fer. Nothing we have been told about this WuFlu is accurate.
I will accept Whatever's apology in comments.
Why did't Covid unite us? That is the question that the Democrats are asking.
“The Democrats and their flying monkeys in the mainstream media have been in an orgiastic frenzy for two years whenever using COVID panic porn to bully, demean, censor, and force people out of their jobs. Now they’re wondering why we didn’t respond to that by meeting them at the pub for a pint.”
This country was settled by pioneers and founded by revolutionaries. Those who came later were escaping tyranny of one form or another. Some of my forebears came to the US because they were ejected from Canada. Others came to escape famine or because of political or religious oppression. Folks like that tend to distrust government.
Under Covid, we have seen the greatest contraction of civil liberty since Reconstruction. Now that we are taking it back, in most cases by simply ignoring them, they can't understand it. For many of us, we have begun simply living our lives, which drives them crazy.
It's the first day of the month, errand day. It gets e our of the house for a few hours and lets me hang out with a buddy. We'll call him Hoss. I net him at a rodeo, where he was pulling gates.
Hoss is disabled, he can't drive. He grew up in California, worked a variety of jobs, and was in a professional rodeo crew. The story is complicated. His disability goes all the way back to birth, ad his parents did the very best that they could for him. His parents were in the produce business, owned a string of produce stands, and Hoss know more about tomatoes than anyone needs to know.
Hoss is not on welfare. His parents managed to put up enough money that, when they died, he inherited an annuity, and that's what he lives on. It isn't much, but it pays the bills. He can't drive, so I pick him up on the first of the month, and take hi around to do his banking, and his grocery shopping, and a run to the liquor store.
I like hanging out with him, and while he can be a pain-in-the-ass, my life is richer for our friendship. I like hanging out with him. I'm not really sure why he fell int central Louisiana, but I"m glad he's here. Being a native Californian, he looks at the world through a weird lens. Weird, at least, from a Louisiana perspective.
So, in another hour, I'll go get Hoss and run errands. Then, we'll drop his groceries at his house and come to the shop, where we'll make lunch. Belle is hungry for Sloppy Joes and Nacho-Cheese Doritos.
That sounds like a plan.
