Leaflet Drop

 I see that the IDF is dropping leaflets on north Gaza, tilling the civil population to get out.  Move south.

That is the way civilized countries conduct themselves in urban warfare. The US did the same thing in WWII. I understand that Israel has also ben using text messages and social media to warn non-combatants of impending strikes in local areas.

We also note that Hamas did not drop leaflets prior to their incursion on Saturday.  Unlike the IDF, their target was the civil population.

There will always be collateral damage in modern warfare.  It is regrettable and inevitable.  But, warning the civil population may minimize civilian casualties.  That is the way moral countries conduct themselves. The Palestinian Authority should immediately begin an evacuation of non-combatants, or be complicit in the deaths of their citizens.

Square

In 2006 I built a bath house, a restroom and changing area for the pool.  I had done what my Dad called "peckerwood carpentry" all my life, and I built this bath house from framing the form to putting on the shingles.   

That was in 2006.  Earlier this summer, Belle noticed that the roof needed attention, so I asked a friend from church, a master carpenter, who he would recommend to put on a metal roof.  He said he would do it, so I gave him the bid.  He came over today to do the work.

He brought his crews, and he was on the roof, and he asked me, "Who built this building?"

"I did, Myself.  With a hammer.  Why?"

"It's perfectly square" he said.  "You don't see that much these days."

I'll take that as a compliment.  Now, all my buildings have metal roofs, and I'd done with shingles.

Unemployable

 In the wake of the Hamas atrocities, I see that some law students at prestigious universities are saying that it's all Isarel's fault.

I also see that some CEOs are saying that they will never employ those students. Already, at least one student activist has had a cushy law firm rescind the offer of employment.  Too bad, so sad.  But, I don't feel sorry for these students.  I have known several attorneys who graduated from less prestigious law schools, and I don't recall any of them starving.

The process is really straight-forward. 1) graduate from law school, 2) pass the bar exam, 3) hang a shingle and start practicing law. If that doesn't work out for you, go back to school and take up plumbing.

It's On

 It appears that the IDF has taken off the gloves, and are preparing to show the muzzies what war looks like.

In a new tactic, Israel is warning civilians to evacuate neighborhood after neighborhood, and then inflicting devastation, in what could be a prelude to a ground offensive. On Tuesday, the military told residents of the nearby al-Daraj neighborhood to evacuate. New explosions soon rocked it and other areas, continuing into the night.

Tell the civilians to leave.  It's an old tactic that has been used for hundreds of years. It is a mark of civilized warfare.  Tell the civilians to leave.

If I were Netanyahu, I'd be saving my expensive, hi-tech precision munitions in favor of low-tech munitions.  Pick an objective, rubble it with dumb bombs and artillery, then drop napalm on it .  Civilian casualties?  They were told to leave. It worked for us during WWII.  It worked for Sherman during the Civil War.

When Hamas declared war on Israeli civilians, they cannot complain now when Israel returns the favor.

Pray for Israel

 Like everyone else, I've been hearing news coming out of Israel in their continuing conflict with Hamas. I'm hearing that Hamas acticely murdered children, not as collateral damage, but as targets.

Hamas should be wiped from the earth, consigned to the dustbin of history, along with Pol Pot, Hitler, and Stalin.  They should be actively hunted  and slain as human vermin.

I understand military necessity. I understand that sometimes innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire. There is no military necessity to actively target children.

Filet Gumbo

 In a post from yesterday, a commenter observes:

I always thought that sassafras went in … file gumbo in the gumbo?

Filet (fee-lay) is nothing more than ground sassafras leaves  It is a thickening agent that imparts a vegetal flavor.  We keep filet on the table to add as a condiment.  The guest can add it as they like.  Some cooks add filet as part of the cooking process and the result is what we call filet gumbo.

In the African/Creole tradition, the word gumbo comes from the vegetable we call okra.  Some people believe that it is not truly gumbo unless okra is included in the bowl, but I eschew okra as well.  

My maternal grandmother, who spoke Cajun French as her first language, told us that the only people who needed filet or okra in their gumbo were those who could not cook a competent roux.  Also, my first father-in-law, also believed that the roux carries the gumbo.

Use filet or okra as you like.  I'll never tell you it is wrong.  Gumbo is as individual as the person stirring the pot.

Changing Pharmacies

 One of the pain-in-the-ass parts of being an old fart is the fact that I need prescription meds.  For this or that, or the other. I detest such things.  If I'd have known I would live this long, I might have taken better care of myself.

My local family pharmacy told me last week that they can no longer afford me.  Something changed, and between the cost of meds and what they are allowed to charge me for them, they are barely breaking even.  Some of my meds they make money on, some they lose money on, and that is no way to stay in business.  They recommended that I go down the street to a big-box pharmacy.  They get better deals because they buy in bulk.  

So, I'm taking my business down the street.  It's a pain in the ass.  But, maybe I'll save a little money.  This big-box is a Preferred Provider on my plan.  But it's still a pain in the ass.

 

It's That Time

Finally, the heat of summer has broken and we awoke this morning to temps in the mid 40s.   I had a chicken and some sausage, so I decided to make gumbo. The same ol' gumbo I've been making for nearly 50 years.

My basic recipe is here, and in Cajun Louisiana, gumbo is about as basic as anything gets. Now that I've cleared the work space in the kitchen, Belle is in there making something she calls Alabama Sweet Bread.  It's a light sweet thing that we love as a dessert.  She got the recipe from some gal on YouTube.  Google Alabama Sweet Pecan Bread on You Tue and lots of recipes will pop.

The gumbo flavors are all marrying now, and closer to lunch, we'll make a pot of rice.

EAA Breakfast

 Several of us went out to eat breakfast at the local EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) club this morning.  Every first Saturday, they put on a big breakfast as a fund raiser.  It helps them keep the lights on in the clubhouse.

A full breakfast for $10, and good conversation.  Eggs, sausage, pancakes, biscuits and gravy.  Not a bad way to start the morning.

We Voted

 Louisiana has a big statewide election coming up, where we vote for everything from Governor to Dog Catcher.  Lots of names on the ballot.  Election day is October 14th, but Louisiana has early voting, and Belle and I take advantage of the short lines and easy access. We have now done our patriotic duty.  

Early voting is easy in Louisiana, and mail-in voting is fairly tough.  We are not nearly as lackadaisical as some states.  Mail-in ballots must be requested and returned not later than the afternoon before the Election day.  Or, they don't count.

There is still work to be done to insure a credible election, but we're getting there.  Every citizen should vote, in person. We still have work to do, but we've come a long way.

Hydraulics

Replacing seals in a hydraulic cylinder.  It keeps the track hoe working.

You never know what you're going to run into in a good garage.

Gutfeld: Luxury Beliefs

Greg goes on a rant that I think is absolutely on point.  Luxury beliefs will get you killed.  It's one thing to believe that all our problems can be solved with touchy-feely liberal policies, but the hard fact is that evil exists in this world and it is the job of good people to fight evil at every turn.

There is a place for violence n this world, but it should only be used to suppress evil.

Rain, Blessed Rain

 Awoke this morning to water falling out of the sky.  A totally uncommon experience in recent weeks.  A quick look at the radar shows that this is not simply a passing shower.

This won't end our drought, but it may be a good start.

Permits

 The septic system at the church was giving us trouble, so members called a local guy, who does that sort of work, and has a honey-truck.  He came to service the system, and pumped it out, but told us that we need a whole new system.  And a permit.

So, the secretary starts looking into it, and the local health unit is the permitting agency, and they need stuff.  They need us to prove that we own the land, and that we are a valid church, and that a trustee, in person,  has to apply for the permit.

I am a trustee for the church, so I was tagged with the opportunity to serve.  It only took two trips to the health unit and one trip to the Courthouse.  Now, we have applied and are awaiting an inspector to come look and tell us we need a new system.  If it's the same bozo I've dealt with in the past, it should be an interesting visit.  Whether or not we will talk about septic systems is a matter of claim.

We are further along  at noon than we were at daylight, but it is hard to measure how much progress we have made.  The permitting system is not designed for people who actually want to make progress.

McCarthy Out

 I see where the House of Representatives voted today to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The vote wasn't close.  McCarthy is out, and the Speaker's chair is vacant.

I don't know who he pissed off, but it was a bunch of them.

Can You REALLY Zero Your Rifle At 30 Yards?

We were talking about this the other day, and I'm not sure that we covered all the bases.  Ron covers them here.  

Extreme Drought

 Central Louisiana is in an extreme drought.  I live on a little lake, an abandoned gravel pit that the developer built a subdivision around.  Maybe 15 acres, it is a source of recreation for the neighborhood.  A buddy who lives across the lake told me that it is lower than he has ever seen it.

I haven't really looked at the lake in a couple of months, it's been too hot.  This morning I walked around the shop to take a look.

You can see the bow of my little john boat poking through the cattails.  That is normally in a foot of water.  If you look at the center of the photo, you can see a spit of exposed land.  That is normally under about 18 inches of water.  If I had to estimate, I'd say that the lake is down about 3 or 4 feet.  The lake is fed only by rain runoff, and we haven't had any rain for a while.

A quick check with Weather Underground shows that our last measurable rainfall was August 2nd, with only a 10th of an inch.  Before that, it was July 10, with an inch.  The weather weenies are predicting rain for later this week with the first of the winter cool fronts.  It can't come quickly enough.

Sophomoric Crap

 Did y'all hear about this asshole?

Representative Jamaal Bowman pulled a fire alarm at the Cannon building in Washington, D.C., on Saturday as lawmakers sought to reach an agreement to fund the federal government in order to avert a shutdown, according to House Republicans.

He claims that he didn't know it was a fire alarm.  It's. you know, painted red, like all the other fire alarms in the world. 

He doesn't like the way things are going, so he pulls the fire alarm.  Just like all those Dindu Nuffins at the high school where I used to protect and serve.  What Dindu didn't know was that we adjusted the security cameras to be able to see the fire alarms.  That caused Dindu considerable consternation when he was getting his five-day suspension.

Tactical Velcro

You gotta love a young lieutenant.  Feeling their way through the military system, not really sure how to prceed.  Catching criticism from every direction, a sense of humor helps.

There is a YouTube short that captures it completely.  I can't get it to embed, but you can see it here.  She is making some point about Velcro, when a voice comes from the audience.  Hilarity ensues.

Feinstein Passes Away

 California's long-serving senator, Dianne Feinstein has passed away at age 90.  It will be interesting to see who Newsome appoints to replace her.

I will probably not attend the funeral, but I will send a nice note in favor of it.