Lessons From SCOTUS

 This week the Supreme Court gave us some very basic lessons.

1.  If you take out a loan, you have to pay it back.

2. Discrimination is bad if it is based on race.  Don't discriminate based on race.

3, Don't ask a Christian web designer to design a gay web page. Learn to code.  I've designed several web pages.  IT's not that hard.

Y'all have a pleasant July 4th weekend.  I'm not yest sure what we will be doing, but it will certainly involve fireworks, chicken and dumplings, fried fish, and strawberry juleps.

The Score Keeper

In CFDA shooting, eventually you learn to do it all.  Shoot, hand judge, Range Master, keep score, and announce.   Each of those jobs is vital to running a match.  The announcer and the score keeper have to work together as a team.  The score keeper is writing the record, while the announcer is keeping everyone informed and running the electronics.

I enjoy announcing, and I know that it is a burden on the score keeper when I need to look at the score sheets to find a score on a particular lane.  While I was in Kentucky several years ago, I noticed the announcer using a device to help him keep track of the lane scores.  

Before long, I had made my version.  A simple Hobby Lobby box, some scrap lumber and some golf tees.

The Hobby Lobby box.  Any size will do.

Ass a piece of scrap lumber with holed drilled to show the individual lanes, and some golf tees .

Just holes in the lumber and golf tees.  We're ready to start the match.  As the match progresses, drop a tee in the hole for a winning shot on a given lane.

As the match progresses, I can look down at the box, and see that the score is currently 2-1, 1-2, and 2-0.  And, I'm not bothering the score keeper while she's writing.  I've been using this system for a couple fo years now and found that it makes announcing much easier and keeps me from intruding on the score keeper when she is writing.

Thomas Opines

 In the recent case, Justice Thomas takes apart the dissenting opinion of Justice Jackson, In an opinion that concurs with the majority, he disassembles the dissenting opinion of Justice Jackson with his own brand of constitutional wisdom.

“This vision of meeting social racism with government-imposed racism is thus self-defeating, resulting in a never-ending cycle of victimization,” his response to Jackson concluded. “There is no reason to continue down that path. In the wake of the Civil War, the Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment charted a way out: a colorblind Constitution that requires the government to, at long last, put aside its citizens’ skin color and focus on their individual achievements.”

Raced based admissions policies, and indeed the whole experience of Affirmative Acton policies were premised on the idea that America was paying a price for our original sin.   What is has evolved into is a practice of one person paying a penance for a sin that they did not personally commit,  As Justice Thomas so capably pointed out, when one person benefits from a race-based policy, another person suffers based solely on the color of his skin.  This does not comport with the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Perhaps now, with the help of Justice Thomas, America can begin to move beyond race and begin to evaluate people based solely on the content of their character.

SCOTUS decides

 The Supreme Court ruled on a case relating to college admissions today.

The Supreme Court says colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration as a specific basis for granting admission, a landmark decision overturning long-standing precedent that has benefited Black and Latino students in higher education.

It looks like the Asian students will finally be treated fairly. 

It was a 6-3 opinion, coming out like you might expect.

I Disagree

 Sitting here in the AC, watching silly YouTube video, I stumbled across a couple of video that are talking about the Bud Lite boycott.  Calling it a boycott.  I disagree.

Light beer is a commodity, virtually indistinguishable from another.  One light beer is pretty much like all the rest.  When the Bud LIght disaster started,  it was a boycott.  After a couple of weeks, the customer base had shifted.  Now, the best selling three brands are Coors Light, Miller Lite, and Modelo.

Transheuser-Busch screwed up and alienated their customer base.  Pure and simple.  But, the boycott is over.  The demand curve shifted downward.  That is on them, not on the consumer.  There is no boycott, people have simply moved away from the brand.

Cutting Grass

 There is a rodeo at the church on Friday, so Fred and I decided that we would load our equipment today and mow grass.  Fred's equipment is a Joh Deere tractor with a 5' bushhog.  Mine is that new Toro mower.  Fred cuts the parking areas and I cut inside the arena/spectator area.

When I got to the church this morning, Fred had already unloaded and started mowing.  I did the same.  When I finished mowing, I drove around to the front of the church and found Fred standing in the shade, drinking water.  He had finished and was about to load his tractor.  Perfect timing.

Standing in the shade, talking, Fred mentioned that it was starting to get warm.  I told him that yeah, it wasn't really hot yet, but it was fixing to get really hot.  I came home and ooked at the weather.

Outside right now, it's a balmy 93F. The humidity is at 85% with a wind chill of 119,  It's heading to 101 later today, but I'll be inside, in the AC,  Belle and I are in the shop where the temps are very moderate.  She has something in the oven that is smelling pretty good, and I do believe it's time to take a break.

Brutal

 The weather is brutal today.  Currently, at 9:00 am, we are at 85F and 83% humidity.  It's like walking into a warm, wet blanket when you step outside.  Later today will be even worse.

That is 102 with a wind chill of 115,  Life threatening.  Luckily, Belle and I had the foresight to invest in some of Mr. Carrier's devices and we will be running them today.  Wide open.  At temps like this, the humidity is murderous. It's not air, it is low pressure steam.

War On Women

 PJMedia highlights the extreme irony of the trans movement, and how the Pride movement is starting to feed on itself.  The headline says it all.

War on Women: Transes Ban Lesbians From Pride March, Cite 'Transphobia'

The Trans-folk need to learn basic English.  A phobia is an unreasonable fear of something. Just because a person disagrees with something, or feels that something is misguided, doesn't make a phobia.  I'm not transphobic, but I do think that many of these poor souls have been misled or lack a sense of objective reality.

I know and admire a few lesbians.  They like women.  It's a basic definition.  We get along well.  I enjoy the conversation around the table.    What I like about the lesbians I know is that they are secure in their own skin.  They don't give a tinkers damn about who approves or disapproves.

Belle tells me that I would make a good lesbian.  I'm never sure if that is a compliment.

The Trans-folk should get that level of confidence.  And learn basic English.  Labeling other people without evidence just makes them jackasses.

The Hangman Format

 There has been a discussion in the CFDA about match formats.  The standard format of requiring three winning shots in a match has served us well, but sometimes it leads to some interesting conclusions in the rare times where the shooters can't seem to find the target. I have personally witnessed bouts that took over 20 shots to reach conclusion, and I heard recently about a bout that took 44 shots to end the bout.

Quick Cal talked about match formats in his recent article in the Gazette.  Local clubs have broad discretion to try new things, and the Cross Branded Peacemakers  decided to try a new format during our last two monthly matches.  We call it the Hangman format, based on the tradition that it takes 13 wraps of the rope in a properly constructed hangman's knot.

It works like this:  An individual bout is limited to 13 shots  Of course, 3 winning hits will end the bout, but in the event that the shooters expend 13 shots without a win, the bout is decided by whomever has the higher score. In the event of a tie, both shooters get an X on their scorecard.  It's not complicated.

The Peacemakers have been using this format for two month.  We normally have a dozen shooters at a match.  Here is what we have learned.  The basic idea of having a shot limit tends to focus the shooter on hitting the target.  In two months of shooting this format, we have not yet reached the 13 shot limit, and all bouts have been decided by 3 winning hits. The shooters like this format much more than the Nevada 8, which has also served us well over the years but leads to some unsatisfying conclusions.

I'm putting this out for general discussion, and letting the Association know that the Cross Branded Peacemakers like the Hangman format a lot better than other formats we have tried.  It is something to think about. If you are coming to Louisiana State in July, you will get a chance to try the Hangman format during the Bracket Matches.

Draw and Fire.

WTF??

 Belle and I went to lunch after our monthly match with the club, and when we got back, I'm seeing bits and pieces about a possible coup in Russia.  WRF?

Evidently, the Wagner group has something to do with it.  And now the chief of the Wagner group is moving to Belarus?  Or something?.

Everyone should believe in something, and I believe that it's time for a drink.

Mower Belts

Y'all might recall that I bought a new mower earlier this month. This morning I slung a belt, trying to push the mower past it's design specs.  I took the old belt off and went to the dealer.  Everything these days is make, model, serial number, but the service guy finally found a belt.  Turns out it is a 1/2" X141.5"  Now you know that and so do I.

That's the way we used to buy belts, by width and length, not by part number.  Got home, changed the belt, then did a quick Amazon search.  Sure enough, I found it.  Linky here, for less than half of what the dealer charged me.  While I'm at it, the belt he sold me is a Rotary Corp #12-14733.

I put stuff like this in the blog so I can search it later.
 

Predictions

 Climate activist Greta Thunberg is taking heat for a prediction that she made five years ago.  The internet has a long memory and these things are sure to rise up and bite you eventually.

Well, Greta, that top climate scientist was wrong, and you are a dumbass for parroting the claim. The bigger problem for you is that your Tweet will last forever.  In other news, we continue to have weather, just like we have always had weather.  Sometimes it's warmer, sometimes it is colder, but it is always weather.

The Titan Tragedy

Have you guys heard about this?  It popped up on my radar screen recently, and I've watched with some interest.  I'm not a mariner, nor a submariner, but I like a good submarine movie. Yet, I figured that the guy running the show knew what he was about. 

So, in this story, a bunch of rookies decide to take an untested design down to see the Titanic., which rests about 12,500 feet below the surface.  Coms are lost.  The vessel never returns. Two crew and three paying passeng3rs tempted fate.

There is an old saying in the redneck community. "F*ck around, find out"  Sometimes the lessons are hard, other times the lessons are very hard.  But, they are always hard.  I'm sure that there are similar aphorisms in the maritime community.  But it seems that what happened to this submersible were completely predicable.

Discovery

 Back in the happy times, pre-covid, Belle and I discovered a jewel in the rough, the Magnolia Bluffs casino in Natchez, MS.  It had a great little buffet, a nice gambling floor, and an enjoyable atmosphere, and a lovely view of the river.

When Belle proposed the trip, we decided on Natchez, and I made the reservations at the hotel associated with the casino.  We got there about noon yesterday and checked in.  The hotel has undergone a renovation and is very nice.  Nicer than we remembered during the pre-covid days.  The room was comfortable, spacious, and everything worked as advertised.

We got to the casino a bit later, hungry, expecting the buffet, but they have converted that to a sports book.  There was a restaurant, but it didn't open until 4:00, So, we played for a couple of hours until the restaurant opened.  The food was good, but honestly, by that time I would have eaten a hot dog on a gas station picnic table.  Casinos need buffets.  Period.

The view of the river has not changed.

Looking north from the casino deck.  The big muddy is almost a mile wide at this point.  Lots of barge traffic along this very important waterway.

Looking South from the casino, at the bridge that joins Natchez, MS and Vidalia, LA

This morning after breakfast, Belle asked me if I would like to go back to the casino and paly a while before we headed home.  So, we went tot the casino and found it locked.  What?  It was 9:05 and they don't open until 10:00?  What the hell kind of casino are they running here?  No buffet and they are not open 24 hours?  The place is going to hell in a hand basket.

So, we're home.  We had a good time.  Learned some stuff.  Nice hotel, very nice hotel.

Anniversary

Twenty years ago, Belle and I stood before God, our friends and family, and swore an oath to love, honor and cherish.  So far, we have kept that promise.

We're slipping off today, to have a little fun.  We'll be back tomorrow sometime.

Hunter's Deal

 It seems that Hunter Biden has reached a plea deal in federal court in Delaware.  Fox News and everyone else are reporting it.

Fox News has confirmed that the president's son will plead guilty to two counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax. Hunter Biden also agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement regarding a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

It's being reported that the tax charges are misdemeanors (and I didn't know that any tax charges were misdemeanor) and that the gun charge will be held in abeyance based on his conduct while on probation. 

What a sweet deal for Hunter.  I'd love to see the conditions of probation that the judge will place oh him.

TS Bret

 I see that the National Hurricane Center has upgraded a depression in the Atlantic to a named storm, Bret with another wave behid it that has a good chance of development.

We will keep a weather eye on this thing.  More close to home, the weather weenies are calling for unsettled weather today, but the radar map doesn't really show any developments yet.  I guess we will wait and see, with one eye aware of what's going on in the sky.

Bodacious

 Someone asked to see a picture of the bodacious, gaudy shirt I got yesterday.  My son-in-law got one too.

There it is.  I'm wearing mine to church tonight.

Jefferson Ocean

 I made out like a bandit today.  Three of my four kids live locally and were able to come by for lunch.  I got a bottle of Glenlivet, a gaudy shirt that I simply have to war to church, and a bottle of Jefferson's Ocean. Jefferson's Ocean is a bourbon that in the cask, they load onto a ship and send it on a voyage.  The idea is that the differing temps and weather conditions, along with the natural motion of the ship, imparts a distinct set of flavors to each voyage batch.  And, they give you a card on the botttle that tells where the bourbon has been.

I talked to all my kids today, had a wonderful SUnday with good food and good company.  Today was a wonderful day.

Father's Day

Belle and I made an agreement when we started hanging out together.  She's not my Mother and I"m not her Father.   We don't celebrate those two days by buying gifts for each other.  That doesn't make any sense.

I lost my Dad in 2007 and she lost hers before we met.

That's my Dad and I miss him.

Today, the kids will be over, like any Sunday and I'm cooking what I like on the pit.  Sausages, brats, and hot dogs.  I have the taters cooking for Ouida potatoes and a big can of beans to spice up for baked beans.

Fort Johnson, Huh?

 I see that Fort Polk was renamed Fort Johnson last week, to placate those who are still enraged that we fought a Civil War.

Sergeant Johnston was a World War I soldier who served in France.  His wiki page is here.  His regiment saw combat in the Argonne Forest and Johnson was one of the first American soldiers to be awarded the French Croix de Guerre avec Palm.  He returned to the United States after the war and resumed civilian life.

Johnson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in 1996 and the Distinguished Service Cross in 2002.  Johnson's battlefield citation reflects great courage and valor in the face of overwhelming enemy fire. His actions on the field that day reflect great credit on himself and his unit. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2015.

There is no doubt that William Henry Johnson was a great American who displayed extreme valor on a foreign battlefield. He certainly deserves the thanks from a grateful nation.  Perhaps the renaming of Ford Polk in his honor will tend to salve some of the wounds that seem to affect a portion of our nation.

Fort Johnson is the home of the Joint Readiness Training Center and hosts the 3rd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division.

Tucker carlson tonight 6/16/23 FULL END SHOW | TRUMP BREAKING NEWS June...

I wonder how long YouTube will let this stay up.  For the record, it is 2115 hrs, June 16, 2023.

The Barrel Pit

 When I was a kid, back in the 50s, everyone had a barrel pit in the backyard.  Locally, a guy named Nichols had a shop and a ready supply of 55 gallon drums.  He would turn these barrels into barbeque pits and over the years made improvements to the basic design.  In the 60s in central Louisiana, if you had a Nichols pit, you had something.

Over the years I've eaten tons of meat cooked on one of these things.  From hot dogs to pork roasts, to brisket, (and yes, even raccoon) to just about any animal protein, it can be cooked on a barrel pit.  I still own one, and haven't cooked on it in five or six years, because I was doing other things.  But, this morning, I decided to drag it out, clean it up  and see if it would still cook meat.

It's not a Nichols pit.  I bought it at a box store 10 or 12 years ago.  But it does just fine.  I have a fire in it now, seasoning it after a several-year hiatus, but we'll cook on it this weekend.  After the fire burns out today and it cools, I'll bring the grates into the shop and give them a good washing.

I'm hungry for a good hot dog, maybe some bratwurst and sausage.  Belle is hungry for barbecued chicken.  I can make that happen.

Summer

 Summer has finally arrived in Louisiana.  Mostly Cajun gave us the jingle "Eighty By Eight" to describe the change in the seasons, and it's 80 on my back porch right now.  8:00 won't be here for another hour. The humidity is stick at 94% and the projected Wind Chill is supposed to be 112F.  In another hour I'm going to hook the trailer to the truck, load the mower and head to the church, where Fred and I are supposed to mow grass.

The weather weenies are calling for stray thunderstorms this afternoon, which makes sense.  Lots of convection and lots of humidity, and you get rain.

It is my firm conviction that the man who did the most to advance civilization during the 20th century was a fellow named Willis Carrier. He invented air conditioning.  That single invention has done more to sustain life than any other, except maybe the discovery of penicillin. Life in the South existed before air conditioning, but at a much slower pace.  Over the years I have spent vast sums to live in a cool house, and I don't consider a penny of that money wasted.

Chickens?

 While the rest of the South deals with feral hogs, it seems that the residents of Miami deal with feral chickens.  Fox News highlighted it this morning during their coverage of the federal courthouse where Donald Trump will be arraigned. Yeah, it seems that there was a small flock wandering the grounds of the courthouse where the reporter was yapping.

A quick Google search shows that feral chickens are t thing in Miami.

Bribery, Corruption, Unclassified Docs.

Senator Chuck Grassley, the senator from Iowa, tells the Senate that Joe Biden is hopelessly compromised by bribes from the Ukraine energy firm Burisma.  Senator Grassley is not known for hyperbole or making spurious allegations.  Grassley tells us that Bidden has been bribed and that he is hopelessly compromised,  He also tells us that the FBI is playing games with unclassified documents that should be made available to any American who wishes to see it.  

These are historic allegations that should be taken seriously.

In other news, President Trump will also make history today by appearing in a federal court to be arriagned on charges relating to classified documents.

Busy Weekend

 Belle and I had a busy weekend.  Saturday morning early, we loaded a range into the van and a pickup truck, and headed to Jeana, LA where we were invited to give a Fast Draw demonstration at Wild Horse Ministries.  Wild Horse Ministries is a Christian organization that ministers to the rural community.  They were able to show us some things, and we were able to show them some things, and we spent time in fellowship and expanding the Kingdom of God.  It was a great day.

Yesterday, as is our practice, we cooked a big lunch for the family.  Meatloaf, oven-roasted potatoes, and lima beans, along with homemade bread.  It was a meal fit for a king.

Next Sunday is Father's Day, and I admit that I'm not enthused.  I lost my Dad in 2007. And, I'm at a stage in my life where if I want something, I figure out a way to buy it.  All I want for my kids is that they be healthy, productive, and independent.  As far as I can tell, we have that. For me, Fathers Day is every day.

As for today, I don't have anything planned.  I'll piddle around in the shop.  Maybe sort through the electronics we used this weekend, and clean off my work table. I plan to make this an easy day.

I-95 Collapse

 Fox News is reporting that a tanker truck caught fire under an overpass near Philadelphia, causing a portion of I-95 to collapse.

A portion of I-95 in Philadelphia collapsed early Sunday after a tanker truck caught fire underneath an overpass, according to local reports.

Yeah, that ain't good, but they should be able to rout people around it with minimal disruption.  I-95 is known for having minimal disruption on a good day. 

Coincidence?

 PJMedia is making the case that the announcement of the Trump indictment came only hours after the House Oversight Committee got to wee the FBI documents that allege that Joe Biden was embroiled in a bribery scheme. Coincidence?  Only if you believe in the tooth fairy.

The United States has now entered the province of Banana Republic.  That Biden's DOJ (and it is Biden's whether you like it or not) has taken steps to jail the leading political candidate of the opposition party.

Unless the Biden indictments are announced later today, we live in a two-tiered justice system.

Impediments

 Speaking of the incipient indictment of Donald Trump, I see in comments the following regarding his campaign.

If he is convicted of a crime, any crime, they can use that to prevent him from running.

I'm not sure about that.  The qualifications for President are set out in Article 2, Section 1 of our Constitution. 

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident .

Natural born, 35 years.  I don't see anything there about conviction. If I am in error, please correct me, but I don't believe that a conviction is an impediment to holding the office.

Trump Indicted

It's breaking right now that Trump has been indicted.  I've embedded Fox News report on the matter.

The Dark Day

 I was watching Jesse Waters on the YouTube and heard him talk about something called the New England Dark Day..  I'll let Wiki tell you about it.

New England's Dark Day occurred on May 19, 1780, when an unusual darkening of the daytime sky was observed over the New England states[1] and parts of eastern Canada.[2] The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke from forest fires,[3] a thick fog, and cloud cover. The darkness was so complete that candles were required from noon on. It did not disperse until the middle of the next night.[4][5]

You will note that this happened before automobiles and at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.  There was no global warming.  It was just smoke from forest fires, and fog.  It's not "unprecedented", because I just showed you a precedent.

You're welcome,

Smoky Northeast

 Evidently, a bunch of wildfires in Canada is causing smoky conditions in the Northeast.

A thick veil of Canadian wildfire smoke is spreading south over much of the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, bringing milky-white skies and dangerous air pollution to the most populous corridor of the country. Fine particles contained within the smoke, hazardous to breathe, have prompted air quality alerts for tens of millions of people from South Carolina to New Hampshire.

Makes it hard to breathe.  Then Canucks need to stomp those fires out. 

The Red Dirt National Wildlife Management Preserve in Natchitoches parish, LA used to catch fire about every five years.  It cast a pall of smoke across southern Natchitoches parish.  I lived near the preserve, and I know what those pore folks are going through.

And, no, it ain't climate change.  It's poor forest management. Too much dead fuel on the ground, and suddenly you have a fire. It's the way the forest rejuvenates itself, and it's as natural as rain, which will put out the fire.

Timecutter

 I'm sure you remember this post from last week, where I talked about my lawnmower giving me a running case of the red-ass.  My mechanic son ran it on Sunday and couldn't find a problem with it.  It ran just fine. Of course it did.  

Today, I loaded it on my trailer and hauled it to his house. It runs good when he's in the seat, he may as well run it.

I went down to the local dealer and pulled the pin on a new mower.  A Toro Timecutter with the 50 inch deck.  Folks have asked me why I didn't go with a larger deck, and it's simply because I have a small tailer, and I do some mowing at the church from time to time.  It helps to be able to load the mower on the trailer.

I bought it from a local dealer rather than a big box store.  I'd rather support my local dealer and keep the money at home.  And, the local dealer has a service department.  I got a three-year warranty with the machine, and if if it breaks, I'm going to haul tit o the dealer and tell them, "Fix it."  If the dealer gives me any hassle, I'm going to call my old buddy, who I went to high school with  and ask him why his grand daughter isn't honoring my warrant. I don't think I'll have any problems.

It's a good looking machine, has great reviews, and should serve me well.

It has that nice Kawasaki engine and a welded deck.  I think I am going to be happy with it.

Out-Migration

 It's no secret that Louisiana has been losing the best and brightest for several years.  Now, new data shows the same thing.  As reported by the Minden Press-Herald.

New data shows Louisiana is losing college grads to Texas and other states

Yep, Texas, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas primarily.   States in good jobs with low taxes and technical fields.  Right now, with a Democrat governor and a RINO legislature, Louisiana is on the losing end of a lot of trends. You can still make it in Louisiana, but it is harder.  Many young kids chose to make a start in a place where it is easier. I don't blame them.

Get Woke, Go Broke

 Target continues the slide toward irrelevance and bankruptcy.  As Instapundit reports:

SHOP ACCORDINGLY: Target backs org pushing US demilitarization, Mt. Rushmore shutdown for being a ‘symbol of White supremacy.’

Corportate management seems to be intent on wrecking sales along with market cap.

 Shop accordingly.  I haven't been in Target in years.

Monday Getting Busy

 Drinking coffee this morning and going over the list of things I want to get done this week.  

We got some rain last night, finally.  Nice thunderstorm blew up about an hour before dark.  Looking at the water in the pool, we got an inch or so in the space of about an hour.  Lots of wind.  I like watching storms, I always have.  Simply the sheer power of a storm has always mesmerized me. Yesterday's storm was quite a show.

I have stuff to do today, so it's time to finish the coffee and get busy.

Be All You Can Be - U.S. Army's new brand trailer | U.S. Army

What goes around, comes around, and there is nothing new under the sun.  It seems that the latest Army recruiting video is taking a page from when I first enlisted, back in the mid 70s.  Be All You Can Be.  

Of course, when I was a young soldier, we were outside a lot.  Dehydration was an issue, and the Army was issuing salt pills to stem dehydration. (Yeah, yeah, I know, but that was the science at the time)  So, in true young soldier fashion, we modified the recruiting schtick: Pee All You Can Pee.

At any rate, here is the Army's recriting video.  Accofding to YouTube, released two months ago.  It ain't bad as recruiting videos go.

Never

There is a headline on Fox News that says:

Navy takes down LGBTQ+ Pride post on Instagram and Twitter, removes rainbow banner

 Something has changed, and I think for the better.  Watch their new ad below.

As You Like It

 It's starting to feel like summer here in Louisiana.  It's been dry for about the past 10 days with no rain in the forecast.  Currently , it's a balmy 90F outside with a wind chill of 102.  Humidity is at 43%, which ain't bad for right now.  It's not hot yet in Louisiana, but it is definitely on preheat mode.

I grew up drinking Coca-Cola, when I could get it.  Nowadays I still drink Coke.  Whether out of a bottle or can matters not.  If I'm burning down the road, I'll drink it straight from the can, but if I am at home, where I can savor, my preference is to take it in a glass over ice.  If it's late afternoon and the driving is done for the day, if someone splashes a little bourbon in the bottom of the glass, that's okay too.

We were talking the other day, and when we were growing up, the very idea of bottled water was alien to us.  There was a gas station near where I grew up, and they kept a water hose on the side of the building.  The owner would let us kids drink from the hose, and I've drank gallons from a water hose.  If the hose has been laying under the sun, it's best to let it run for a bit, until the water cools off.  When you've been biking hard all day, it sure was nice to swing by the gas station, get a big swig of water and let the hose run over your head for a minute to cool off.

Mowing Grass

 I mowed the grass at home on Tuesday, and loaded the Scag on the trailer and took it to the church today. The mower acted wonky both times.  It smokes like a tar bucket, which I find odd, because we put a compression tester on it a month or so ago, and it has good compression.  Very good.  This is not the engine that came on the mower.  This mower is an old Skag Wildcat that has been rebuilt a time or two.  It currently runs a Briggs engine. And, the longer you mow, the less power you have.  I think it's a carburetor issue.  And, if it's cold, it is hard to start.

I have two sons who are pretty good mechanics, and one of them lives on the family property. He needs a lawn mower, and I think he is about to get the Scag.  It was originally his, and I bought it from him when he moved to New Mexico.  He's back now.

All this to say that I'm currently looking for a new zero-turn mower.  I cut about a half acre per week at home, and every two weeks, I cut an acre or so at the church.  I don't want a big mower because me little utility trailer is 60 inches wide.  Anything I buy must fit on that trailer.  I'm looking at the Bad Boy machines that they sell at Tractor Supply.  Bad Boy seems to be a quality build, and I can get into one for about $4K.  

Tomorrow is full, and I don't know what the weekend might bring.  Early next week, I'll make it over to Tractor Supply and see what they have on the lot.